In this online course, we will examine our teaching practice and determine how what we teach translates into student success in the classroom. We will look at embracing peer collaboration when planning and implementing high performance learning teams. Transformational teaching focuses on having students ask questions and solve real-world problems. We will explore ways students analyze, synthesize, create, empathize, interpret, use background knowledge and defend alternative perspectives. We will look at lesson plans and how we can implement various strategies including organizing learning groups, guiding, facilitating and challenging learners. It is imperative that our teaching has a clear purpose, a memorable beginning and end, a logical sequence, relevant content, nimble transitions and a contagious passion. Combined, these characteristics will create an environment conducive to learning.

This online course is designed to help educators guide their students through the rules and potential implications of social media and technology. We will delineate appropriate ways to use technology and share strategies in the classroom. We will examine the 9 Keys to Use of Social Media and Technology (Proactive Knowledge) and how to teach these strategies to students. We will create posters, share lesson plans and explore various scenarios and how to respond to each one. We will be accessing two different tool kits using the Common Sense Media website that will help shape our lessons and will share free resources for our schools and districts. We will customize this information and create a comprehensive classroom plan.

This course is a resource for teachers and other professionals that provide instruction both in whole class and small group setting for students with ADHD/ADD. Exploration of current research and best practices will be shared as well as researched based intervention techniques for both academic and behavioral challenges. We will look closely at the website ADDitude and use the resources on this site to create a teacher guide: outlining strategies to lead students to success. Differentiation, Multiple Intelligences, and the setting of long- and short-term goals will be a focus for the lesson planning ideas. The teacher/parent connection will be established as a support system for the student. Strategies such as cooperative learning, organizational skills, and graphic organizers will be shared and applied to various grade levels. We will look at classes and ideas that have worked through case studies and teacher testimony. All will be shared and evaluated at the end of the course.

Every teacher across the country deals with some form of a problem behavior in the classroom. This course will present strategies for preventing these behaviors and responding to them. Participants will develop the capacity to provide a caring, energetic and safe classroom atmosphere where all students are encouraged and engaged. Participants will also examine methods for adapting instruction to prevent behaviors before they occur.

The workplace and higher education settings that we are preparing our students for is much different than what we as their teachers encountered coming out of high school 10, 20, or 30 years ago. The evolution of technology, collaboration and communication methods has rewritten what it means to be college- and career-ready in this century. Teachers in this course will look at methods and strategies for increasing the number of 21st Century workplace and college skills in their classrooms. Areas of exploration will include Project-Based Learning (PBL), the Flipped Classroom, Blended Learning and Digital Collaboration and Sharing. This course is appropriate for all K-12 educators.

This course will explore the theory behind all of the hardware and technology tools that we use in our classrooms. How and why are we using them and how are they being used as a resource while not taking over the lesson objectives? Educational technology involves applying ideas from various sources to create the best learning environments possible for students. "Educational technologists ask questions such as how a classroom might change or adapt when a computer is integrated into the curriculum. This integration means that the curriculum and setting may also need to change to meet the opportunities that the technology may offer." We will examine several different stages of technology adoption, and review traditional roles that technology has served in the classroom. We will examine what a classroom might be like when attention is given to educational technology. This is where we will look closely at classrooms that are successfully using technology as a part of their curriculum. We will try to present ways in which educational technology may be useful to teachers given current classroom conditions as well as how it might influence the course that many schools may chart in the future. We will also find tips, strategies, tools, and other resources to help new teachers successfully integrate technology to facilitate educational objectives in the classroom. We will come away with a deeper understanding of how and why we use tools like Dreambox, Quizlet and Kahoot.

This course is a how-to-guide for teaching different students, different ways to learn, better known as differentiated learning. We will focus on presenting lessons to mixed groups of learners, including tips on classroom arrangement and management. There are sections on how to engage students, curriculum connections and models of differentiated learning techniques. New and engaging websites will be reviewed and applied as we view the strategies presented and assess the ideas that fit our individual student populations. Differentiated learning will finally make sense for students and in your planning when you realize how important it is to the success of our community of learners. We will interact through article reflection, online discussions and creating lessons for all students with new strategies and outcomes.

TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN A SUPPORTIVE NETWORK. NEW or NEWISH TEACHER COLLEGIAL CIRCLE New, untenured, 2nd Year and 3rd Year Teacherswill collaborate with other teachers from multiple Westchester school districts for 10 sessions for 1.5 hours each, on the last Monday of each school month. Earn 15 CTLE or in-service hours. The purpose of this collegial circle is to collaborate, to enhance deep understanding and to promote open discussion on many of the following subjects: *Shared ideas and materials *The Open School Night presentation *Classroom demographics *Report Cards *Parent conferences *Best practices *A shared passion for teaching and learning *The NY State Learning Standards *The NY State assessments (from a historical perspective) *The teaching of essential skills that are assessed on the NY State assessments *Formative and cumulative data of assessments *APPR *Researched-based strategies and real-life applications *Shared success stories and turning negative experiences into positive experiences *Inspiration and Guidance The core text is: Letters to A New Teacher: A Month- by -Month Guide to the Year Ahead, by Jim Burke. Teachers will also read excerpts from educational journals.

Teachers in today's classrooms have more expectations and pressures placed on them than ever before. The rapid change that we have seen in education is nothing like previous teacher generations faced. Federal and State standards, technological advancements, social emotional initiatives and teacher ratings have created pressures on teachers that cannot be denied. All teachers have heard about teacher burnout - it is something that has been discussed in faculty rooms by first year teachers and veteran teachers alike. Educators need to develop and work at the skills needed to prevent this burnout. Educators in this course will be able to reflect upon their attitudes and morale, and gain strategies for improving their morale and professionalism. It is essential to consider how this burnout can impact your teaching practice and, as a result, student achievement. Educators will examine methods for improving morale and avoiding burnout feelings.

There is no teacher that hasn't come across a student in their class with ADHD or a Learning Disability. This course will allow teachers to examine current research geared at helping all teachers work effectively with students with ADHD and learning disabilities. Teachers will understand the impact of ADHD on a student's performance, the difference between male and female students with ADHD and be made aware of basic instructional strategies to implement in their classrooms.

Bullies have always existed, so why is it important to address cyber-bullying? In a nutshell, it can be extremely detrimental to the victim's physical and mental health and, in some cases, possibly deadly. Since cyber-bullying allows the anonymity of bullying from a distance, it can also be easily hidden from parents, friends and school administrators and adds an almost invisible dimension to the traditional face-to-face bullying that can be hard to detect and address. A primary goal of this course requires that teachers will learn various techniques that they can implement upon return to their classrooms. Additionally, teachers will reflect on what they are learning and propose a way to integrate cyber-bullying content into the classroom curriculum.

When students enter middle and high school, their teachers expect that they have learned the basic skills and strategies for reading and comprehending text. Students who are still working to develop these proficiencies may need assistance from their classroom teachers and, in some cases, from specialists in reading or special education, to support their reading and writing in the classroom. This course will help educators to learn to create effective integrated literacy experiences for all students in every discipline. An important focus of the course is the development of discipline-specific and academic language. Teachers will examine and analyze the unique characteristics of the literacy patterns of their individual discipline and acquire strategies for addressing these patterns in order to improve comprehension. Disciplinary literacy needs to be seen not as an add-on, but as a means to an end, that end being deeper understanding and transfer of learning for all students.

All teachers (teaching for at least 3 years) are invited to participate in this cohort meeting 15 hours in the fall and 15 hours in the spring. As you pursue National Board Certification you will be supported throughout the entire process by a facilitator who is always available to you if you have questions or concerns. You will work alongside other experienced teachers embarking on the same voyage, building a network of colleagues from varied school districts. You will receive assistance in applying for the Shanker grant (requires 4 years working in a single district and secured tenure to apply) to defray the cost of NBCT components. Most of all, you will not be working alone without any guidance or support. An additional 6 online hours will be scheduled at a later date. New, continuing, retake and renewal candidates are invited to join the cohort. NYSUT ELT graduate credit will be available at a cost TBD.

The world is ever evolving and change is imminent right now. What will this change look like in schools? How can you, as a teacher, be a facilitator of change without saying the wrong thing? You are not alone and you can make a difference- that is step one. This course will outline the facts, share the resources as well as detailed information as we move forward and guide our most valuable assets (our students) through their world. Our students may be there already, and it is time for us to move with them and help them be heard. Looking into what we can do as educators is the first step in the right direction. Not knowing where to start is something I hear daily from many people. In light of that, this course will stand as every resource I could find from legitimate sources including videos, books, blogs, social media, how to take action articles and truly helping you look deep within. When you leave this course, you will have a guide that you create tailored to your grade level with ways to make a difference and be heard.

Can my classroom function the same way going paperless? Am I prepared for virtual learning? Is it possible? How much work is it? This course will examine the ins and outs of utilizing Google Drive and Documents to foster student collaboration and rich learning opportunities. Participants will familiarize themselves with Google Drive, Docs, Sheet, Forms and Slides. Each participant will create worksheets, presentations, quizzes and activities that exist "sans paper"� and allow their students to work collaboratively around essential 21st Century tools that they will need to master for success in the workplace.

The workplace and higher education settings we are preparing our students for are much different than what we as their teachers encountered coming out of high school 10, 20, or 30 years ago. The evolution of technology, collaboration and communication methods has rewritten what it means to be college- and career-ready in this century. Teachers in this class will look at methods and strategies for increasing the number of 21st Century workplace and college skills in their classroom. Areas of exploration will include project-based learning, the flipped classroom, blended learning and digital collaboration and sharing.

Literacy skills are essential in order to participate in today's increasingly global society and economy that demand the ability to effectively use literacy in multiple contexts for multiple purposes. Today's adolescents have greater literacy demands placed upon them than ever before as they prepare to enter an adult world that requires their ability to read, write, and speak successfully. Today's teachers face greater challenges than ever before in meeting the increasingly diverse literacy needs of their students in order to prepare them for success in the adult world. This course will prepare you to assist your adolescent students who struggle with literacy to achieve literacy success by providing strategies and techniques that you can incorporate into your secondary classroom in order to scaffold your students' literacy development. In this course, you will learn to implement research-based instructional practices that scaffold adolescents' literacy development in the areas of motivation, engagement, reading expository text, using prior knowledge, vocabulary, comprehension, writing, and studying. Additionally, you will learn to implement research-based assessment techniques that will allow you to monitor your students' growth and adjust your instructional practices to foster their continued progress.

English Language Learners are the fastest growing group of students in today's schools services. This course will assist educators in developing strategies and skills to understand ELL students' backgrounds, and establish and grow strong family relationships. Educators will develop classroom skills to use in their classrooms to improve instructional outcomes. Educators will examine belief systems and research based practices for serving diverse cultures and languages in the classroom, as well as methods for ensuring a positive classroom culture and climate.

This course will explore the theory behind all of the hardware and tech tools that we use in our classrooms. Being sure of the how and why are we using them as a resource and not taking over the lesson objectives. Educational technology involves applying ideas from various sources to create the best learning environments possible for students. "Educational technologists ask questions such as how a classroom might change or adapt when a computer is integrated into the curriculum. This integration means that the curriculum and setting may also need to change to meet the opportunities that the technology may offer."� We will examine several different stages of technology adoption,and review traditional roles that technology has served in the classroom. We will examine what a classroom might be like when attention is given to educational technology. This is where we will look closely at classrooms that are successfully using technology as a part of their curriculum. We will present ways in which educational technology may be useful to teachers given current classroom conditions as well as how it might influence the course that many schools may chart in the future. We will also find tips, strategies, tools, and other resources to help new teachers successfully integrate technology to facilitate educational objectives in the classroom. We will come away with a deeper understanding of how and why we use tools like Dreambox, Quizlet and Kahoot.

In this online course, we will explore the most recent advancements in technology and how they can be integrated into the classroom curriculum. By creating access and opening up the world to our students, we are providing them with a key to almost everything. Guiding them with the skills they need to get engaged at a higher level is the critical component we will add to the digital culture. We will examine Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) and create engaging learning experiences that focus on both science and social studies. We will experiment with the top math sites and develop corresponding lesson plans that will make learning concrete for our students. Having the strategies to keep the culture as we embrace technology is the balance we are looking for in the 21st century classroom.

Have you ever wondered why some students seem to be able to push through anything that life throws at them, while others shut down as soon as adversity sinks in? Have you ever thought that if you could teach students to "not give up"� and to "get back up when knocked down"� that you could better reach your learning targets and goals in the classroom? This course will focus on Grit, Resilience, Stress Reduction, Trauma, Learning from Failure and Mindfulness in the classroom. Educators will have the opportunity to implement research-based strategies and co-construct knowledge with their peers through interactive discussions. Educators will develop a full understanding of what it means to be resilient and how we can integrate strategies at both the classroom and building levels.

Each day we as educators have reasons to reach out and communicate with parents. Our changing educational and technological landscape has really altered how we accomplish obtaining a strong level of parental involvement and support. Just as importantly, the American family looks much different than it did years ago. With changes in student population groups, these changes in family structures become even more complex. Educators in this course will examine methods for utilizing technology to engage parents and achieve their support in the education process.

As we transition into another governing set of learning standards, it is essential to unpack and familiarize ourselves with the Next Generation Learning Standards. While it can be frustrating to align our classrooms to yet another set of standards, it is essential to realize that these standards are aiming to better support educators in their instructional practice and provide us with the tools for preparing our students for the 21st Century. This course will assist educators in getting started with the Next Generation Learning Standards, and aligning their materials and lessons to these new and improved requirements. Each educator will have the opportunity to create student resources, collaborate with their peers, and exchange ideas and best practices.

As we transition into another governing set of learning standards, it is essential to unpack and familiarize ourselves with the Next Generation Learning Standards. While it can be frustrating to align our classrooms to yet another set of standards, it is essential to realize that these standards are aiming to better support educators in their instructional practice and provide us with the tools for preparing our students for the 21st Century. This course will assist educators in getting started with the Next Generation Learning Standards, and aligning their materials and lessons to these new and improved requirements. Each educator will have the opportunity to create student resources, collaborate with their peers, and exchange ideas and best practices.

The world is ever evolving and change is imminent right now. What will this change look like in schools? How can you, as a teacher, be a facilitator of change without saying the wrong thing? You are not alone and you can make a difference- that is step one. This course will outline the facts, share the resources as well as detailed information as we move forward and guide our most valuable assets (our students) through their world. Our students may be there already, and it is time for us to move with them and help them be heard. Looking into what we can do as educators is the first step in the right direction. Not knowing where to start is something I hear daily from many people. In light of that, this course will stand as every resource I could find from legitimate sources including videos, books, blogs, social media, how to take action articles and truly helping you look deep within. When you leave this course, you will have a guide that you create tailored to your grade level with ways to make a difference and be heard.

In this course participants will explore critical thinking and questioning skills. Critical thinking involves logical thinking and reasoning including skills such as comparison, classification, sequencing, cause/effect, patterning, webbing, analogies, deductive and inductive reasoning, forecasting, planning, hypothesizing, and critiquing. We will take a look at the creation of a supportive environment and assist participants in using appropriate strategies when using higher order questioning in the classroom to develop critical thinking skills in their students. We will link critical thinking skills and questioning techniques by taking an in-depth look at Bloom's Taxonomy. We will apply this theory to various pieces of literature as well other subject matter (including science, math and social studies) that we are studying in school and create our own lesson plans. Taking this course will provide you with a whole new way to ask questions that will truly get your students to think outside of the box.

The focus on building our students' growth mindset capacity continues to prove to be an important role for educators. Teachers are often aware of the concepts behind mindsets but have not looked at their lessons and teaching techniques in relation to the concept. Teachers in this course will develop methods for reflecting on their current practices and materials in a manner that will assist their students in growing this essential capacity. Present research and best practices will be evaluated and utilized to improve student learning outcomes in the classroom.

There are between 15 and 20 million American children living in poverty today. Poverty impacts performance in class, as well as the ability to prepare for learning at home. For educators to overcome the devastating impact poverty has on learning, they must first understand the relationship between academic achievement and socioeconomic status. Educators will gain strategies and tools to assist and meet the needs of impoverished youth.

As we transition into another governing set of learning standards, it is essential to unpack and familiarize ourselves with the Next Generation Learning Standards. While it can be frustrating to align our classrooms to yet another set of standards, it is essential to realize that these standards are aiming to better support educators in their instructional practice and provide us with the tools for preparing our students for the 21st Century. This course will assist educators in getting started with the Next Generation Learning Standards, and aligning their materials and lessons to these new and improved requirements. Each educator will have the opportunity to create student resources, collaborate with their peers, and exchange ideas and best practices.

This course is designed to provide educators with the resources to create a learning environment that will maximize the potential for student success by using the strategies associated with differentiated instruction. In this course the educator will gain knowledge of how to manage instructional time in a way that meets curriculum standards and also provides motivating, challenging, and meaningful experiences for school age students by differentiating instruction. Participants will be presented with a variety of strategies for differentiating instruction by establishing a foundation in the principles of differentiated instruction. They will understand what defines differentiation and recognize their role and responsibilities in a differentiated learning community. Practical applications of how to differentiate with the content, process, and product will be explored while planning differentiated lessons. They will establish quality criteria and assessments to clarify and evaluate assignments. At the end of this course the educator will be able to modify, adapt, and design new approaches to instruction in response to students' needs, interests, and learning preferences. They will possess a repertoire of strategies for differentiating instruction that will allow them to respond to the diverse needs of the students in their classroom.

Dates: 1/11/21 - 2/8/21 In this course we will take a closer look at relationship building and what is needed to put the "building" into action. Effective classroom management both in the classroom and online requires a teacher to build relationships using these five principles: respect through awareness, patience, good timing, boundaries, and instinct. We will talk about building relationships through webinars, zoom meetings, and google classrooms while we explore online etiquette and keeping students interacting. Each one of these will be explored and demonstrated throughout the course. This strength-based approach will be put into action and we will explore cultural stereotypes along the way. "Cultural difference does not equal cultural deficiency." Taking care of yourself so you can take care of those around you is often overlooked. Teachers are selfless people, let's face it, that is why they continue to take professional development throughout their careers and provide for their students. We will model a healthy classroom environment and show how appreciating each other, our students and ourselves promotes a learning atmosphere where risks are taken. How are we going to fill all of the buckets? Remember those bucket fillers? We will put those lessons to use and then reflect on what is working in your classroom. Reflection is a key component to growth so we will engage in reflection and thoughtfulness through each module. Lastly, as we build connections and create a healthy environment for our schools, students, and teachers, positive achievement and high morale will become contagious.

We have all read the stories, seen the videos and experienced the impact of bullying. It is perhaps one of the longest lasting epidemics in the educational world. As a profession we have made great strides in preventing bullying in the school, yet there is so much more work to be done. This course will focus on establishing a safe learning environment where all students can learn. Strategies for preventing bullying and assisting the victims of bullying will be addressed.

The Internet has become the primary tool for communication and research. Teaching and learning are quickly moving away from the passive acquisition of facts and towards active application of knowledge. The focus is on assisting students to construct knowledge both independently as self-directed inquiry and communally in peer groups to demonstrate their knowledge attainment through enactment and application. In this online course, participants will learn how to guide this process and provide students with the tools and assignments to facilitate this self-construction of knowledge in education.

Anxiety and stress are major factors in the lives of both school professionals and students. The purpose of this course is to enhance student performance by minimizing the negative effects of stress in the classroom. Participants learn a working definition of stress and anxiety, study research findings on the cause of stress, learn reasons explaining its impact upon teaching and learning, and conduct a thorough assessment of stress factors in their classrooms. This knowledge facilitates application of tools and techniques to identify, prevent, and manage stressors to improve academic success. Participants will also identify specific students experiencing debilitating stress and take actions to address these problems and help the student restore personal equilibrium and enhance their performance. This course is appropriate for all K-12 teachers and school professionals.

APD is a disorder that affects a person's ability to understand speech and process auditory information. The impact that this disorder can have on a student is profound. How often do you have a student ask you to repeat something or have a delay in answering your questions? The effects go beyond this. Their classwork, homework, test grades, comprehension and retention all suffer. A student who has trouble processing incoming information or directions, will give answers that seem odd or not even related at all. Their output is effected and can lead to countless errors. This course will focus on what APD is, diagnosing APD, distinguishing differences between APD and other disorders, treatment of APD, classroom modification, teaching strategies, and compensatory strategies to make these students more successful in the classroom.

Students need to be engaged and excited about learning to meet their full potential. This course will allow educators to develop and implement strategies that increase student motivation and engagement. Educators will analyze different tools for creating fully engaging lessons where students are both excited to learn and able to meet their full learning potential. Course materials will assist educators in gaining more active student engagement and motivation in classroom lessons.

The Writing Institute for National Board Certification, co-sponsored by NYSUT amd the Lower Hudson Teacher Center Network, was created in response to requests from current National Board candidates to provide a collegial environment to support them in completing their portfolios. Candidates have the opportunity to write, read, and reflect in congenial and supportive surroundings on portfolio entries, either working independently, with partners, or in writing groups. The community of writers and reviewers supports the development of portfolio entries and the peer review of videos of their classroom teaching in regards to the Five Core Propositions of what teachers should know and be able to do and the NBPTS Standards. Recognizing that candidates need time for intellectual stimulation, for reading and writing, and exchanging feedback with their colleagues and the professional learning facilitator, the Writing Institute helps teachers exchange ideas and respond to each other's work, enhancing their awareness of effective practices. This Institute is unlike other gatherings because candidates have the opportunity to discuss and listen to issues particular to their unique work, as their work is unfolding. An additional 5 hours of online meeting will be determined at a later date. This program is open only to NBC Candidates and Advanced (Retake) Candidates. Materials: Candidates need to bring a laptop computer, flash drive, written commentary entries, student work, NBPTS portfolio directions, standards, and scoring guide.

Suspending students has been a part of the school world we work in for decades. There are often very real and necessary reasons for suspending students. When we take a look at what a suspension is, and the impact it has on learning outcomes - we would be better served avoiding suspensions as much as possible. Educators in this course will take a look at behavior and different approaches for avoiding suspensions that could be implemented both at the classroom and building levels. Educators will develop strategies for making connections and addressing behaviors in a manner that prevents suspensions. This class is appropriate for all K-12 educators and PPS Staff. "If a child doesn't know how to read, we teach."� "If a child doesn't know how to swim, we teach."� "If a child doesn't know how to multiply, we teach."� "If a child doesn't know how to drive, we teach."� "If a child doesn't know how to behave, we "�punish?"�

Anxiety related issues, just as in our society, are on a rise in today's classrooms. Each year, schools are seeing more students with diagnosed anxiety conditions and emotional disturbances. Educators taking this course will build strategies and techniques for meeting the needs of the emotionally-disabled student in the mainstream classroom. Educators will research, analyze and develop effective strategies on building positive personal relationships with students and behavior modifications for this population. This course will offer recent research on behavior modification programs and their implementation in the classroom. Through internet articles, websites and case studies, participants will focus on how to provide a safe and predictable structure that students with E.D. require. This course is appropriate for both regular and special education teachers and PPS Staff.

Social and emotional learning, when embedded in the classroom (and in the school) curriculum, can have many positive student outcomes. It can reduce aggression and emotional distress among students, increase collaborative classroom interactions, improve self-confidence and lead to improved student learning. We will examine the five (5) keys to social emotional learning and look at how SEL translates to the classroom culture and to classroom management. We will view videos, read articles and explore various strategies that will work with our students. We will focus on self and social awareness, self-management, relationship skills, responsible decision making and how we can apply best practices in our classrooms.

Participants will explore how to share a classroom and build powerful relationships between a general education teacher and a special education teacher. Tools to create an effective learning environment will be utilized, reviewed and tested through case studies and views into successful classroom environments. Strategies to enhance your classroom will be implemented in each segment of the course. We will look at how co-teaching will improve program intensity and increase instructional options for all students. As we create effective partnerships and powerful learning environments for teachers and students, we will find high quality learning.

Think about how much time you spend addressing behaviors in your class. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to control behaviors without interrupting your instructional practices? Classroom management and student discipline have been issues in the classroom since the one room school house. The decisions we make when disciplining a student are imperative for creating a safe and productive learning environment. Participants in this class will create, implement and assess behavior modification systems for their classroom, as well as examine several models of student discipline while evaluating some of their own discipline policies.

A teacher's use of formative assessment techniques is essential in ensuring he or she is meeting the learning targets for a unit. Teachers need to know "who knows what"� before moving on. Formative assessment is nothing new - our teachers were administering formative assessments to us when we were in school many years ago. In today's digital era, we are lucky to have so many more tools to assist us in our formative assessments. Teachers in the class will review the research on formative assessment as well as explore dozens of instructional tools that can be used for formative assessments. Teachers will leave this course with concrete and easy to use examples for embedding more formative assessments into their lessons.

In this course participants will be introduced to the concept and theory of Critical Consciousness and how it can be applied to classroom instruction to directly affect student outcome and success. Participants will be encouraged to think about their own perspectives working within a diverse environment. The focus of this course will be on how to infuse the mindset of critical consciousness within our students while also infusing cultural responsiveness in our daily instructional practices. Being able to engage a diverse student population has a strong, direct effect on student development. As educators we need to design and implement lessons that encourage students to share multiple perspectives, feel confident in speaking out against social injustices while using a language of critique in regards to presented information, media presentations and opinions of others. Additionally, as the classroom teacher, we have the responsibility to create a classroom environment and lesson design that engage students from multiple backgrounds and interests so that we are reaching as many students as possible and integrating topics and language that is of interest to them and that they are able to relate to personally. It is increasingly important for us to make students aware of the world around them and how they can relate what they are learning to real-life experiences. We must first understand this concept ourselves and embody the vision. This course will also train participants to teach all students to understand and promote diversity. Further, participants will discuss how to appropriately integrate critical consciousness with their students, adopt the mindset, and maintain that dialogue within the classroom. Student grouping, instructional practices, etc., regarding cultural responsiveness also will be discussed. This course is beneficial to all educators that work in the school, including traditional classroom teachers, counselors, psychologists, and those working within small group and alternative settings.

The fastest way to get our students thinking at a higher level is to question them at higher level. With higher and more exhaustive standards being placed on our students, we must use our ability to question students in a manner that improves their ability to think critically and problem solve. This course will prepare teachers to meet the demands of the New York State Learning Standards and improve student learning outcomes.

In this course, we will explore classroom integration of computer science and view cutting-edge videos that will help you integrate technology into your curriculum. We will navigate an hour of code through a website dedicated to acquaint and teach the beginning of code. Since one million jobs will be available in the Computer Science field by 2020, it is imperative that we as teachers provide our students will 21st Century skills. Bill Gates said: "Learning to write programs stretches your mind and helps your think better, creates a way of thinking about things that I think is helpful in all domains." This course will provide you with the information you need to help achieve a 21st Century classroom and include some great take-a-ways on using the computer in the elementary classroom.

Every teacher has a number of different learners that come to class ready to meet their daily classroom goals. The strategies that teachers employ will help them attain these goals. In this online course, we will explore, but not limit our search to, dyslexia, autism, speech, ELL, and social emotional disorders. While we will be examining specific learning disabilities, the strategies that you take back to the classroom will support all learners and will provide you with the tools to frame your lessons in new and creative ways. Using strategies such as Think-Pair-Share and/or Partner Talk will strengthen both student collaboration and understanding, and will allow each student to be successful in the classroom. At the end of this course, you will have the resources, strategies, websites and ideas you need to transform your classroom into a creative learning environment for each and every student.

Delivering culturally-responsive lessons can not only help you engage students, but allow them to make personal connections with content. Greater student investment will lead to many other benefits, such as more rigor and motivation. This course will walk educators through the process of learning about the link between culture and neuroscience, as well as methods for infusing daily lessons with culturally responsive activities. A happier, focused classroom will be the resulting outcome.

This course will allow educators to build a repertoire of tools for integrating technology into the classroom. Utilizing technology in your content area is more than letting students "use computers"�½ or going to a computer lab. This course will allow educators to explore online tools and other strategies for integrating technology into their daily lesson plans. Course participants will research and develop classroom strategies for surrounding blended learning, flipped classroom, QR Codes, instructional games, TED Talks and lesson plans, Khan Academy, instructional videos, and utilizing mobile devices in the classroom. Teachers will also explore technology options for communicating with parents.

We often look at behavior as something that needs to be addressed before instruction can occur. Research shows that with the right instructional tools, we can limit those unwanted behaviors that interrupt the learning process. Educators in this course will examine dozens of research-based strategies to address behavior through instruction. Each educator in this course will focus on specific behaviors from their own classrooms and will make a plan to utilize research-based strategies for overcoming these barriers to learning.

As our country's demographics shift, the impact can be seen in the classroom as we are teaching students from across the world. There is great potential for embracing cultures and enhancing instructional activities, while bridging cultures between home and school. Educators will review research-based strategies to better incorporate students from other cultures into the classroom. Educators in this course will become empowered to adjust instructional delivery to meet the needs of their classroom's changing demographics and improve educational outcomes for all students.

Every teacher across the country deals with some form of a problem behavior in the classroom. This course will present strategies for preventing these behaviors and responding to them. Participants will develop the capacity to provide a caring, energetic and safe classroom atmosphere where all students are encouraged and engaged. Participants will also examine methods for adapting instruction to prevent behaviors before they occur.

Research shows that up to 25 percent of all students in a school have experienced some form of trauma. This percentage rises to 80 percent when we talk about special education students. This trauma results in difficulties regulating behaviors and likely leads to cognitive and executive function difficulties. Many students are unable to regulate internal behaviors and as a result display withdrawal, shutting down and zoning out. Educators will examine the impact of trauma on cognitive and emotional growth, the learning challenges that result from trauma, and trauma-informed classroom strategies.