The Battle of the Books: Question Writing Workshop is a workshop that will help participants craft questions specifically for the 2025-2026 competition season. For each book completed the participants will receive 1 CTLE credit.

How Do Living Things Stay Safe and Grow? is part of Smithsonian Science for the Classroom, a new curriculum series by the Smithsonian Science Education Center. It is designed to address a bundle of grade 1 life science and engineering standards.

In this module, students:

-Record and use observations of adult plants and animals as evidence that offspring are very similar to, but not exactly like, their parents.

-Obtain information from text, images, video, and a simulation to determine how patterns of behavior help offspring survive.

-Explore how external parts of plants and animals help them survive, grow, and meet their needs. Mimic external parts of plants and animals in designing a solution to a human problem.

-Apply their skills and knowledge using data as evidence to construct an argument and participate in argumentation with peers.

-Apply their knowledge and skills of animal behaviors and plant and animal external parts to design solutions to real-world human problems.

How Can We Predict When the Sky Will Be Dark? is part of Smithsonian Science for the Classroom, a curriculum series by the Smithsonian Science Education Center. It is designed to address a bundle of grade 1 earth and space science and physical science standards.

In this module, students:

-Use observations of real and photographed objects as evidence to explain that a girl can see objects outside because light from the Sun is shining on them.

-Use sunrise and sunset data as well as data from text to identify times of the year when the sky will be dark.

-Explain observed phenomena of the Sun and the Moon using observations of the Sun and Moon's position in the sky.

-Use a model Moon to explain that the Moon appears to change shape because we see different amounts of the part with light shining on it.

-Use observations to describe the effect of a light source on the visibility of objects to solve the problem of kids having to walk to school in the dark.

How Can We Send a Message Using Sound? is part of Smithsonian Science for the Classroom, a curriculum series by the Smithsonian Science Education Center. It is designed to address a bundle of grade 1 engineering and physical science standards.

In this module, students:

-Ask questions and use a modeling activity to better understand a problem.

-Use prior experiences and a reading to research ways that people communicate over different distances.

-Conduct investigations to test their ideas about how they can make sound.

-Use evidence from investigations and research to explain what causes sound.

-Design, build, and test sound-making devices to solve two problems.

How Can We Light Our Way in the Dark? is part of Smithsonian Science for the Classroom, a curriculum series by the Smithsonian Science Education Center. It is designed to address a bundle of grade 1 physical science, life science, and engineering standards.

In this module, students:

-Investigate interactions between a beam of light and transparent, translucent, and opaque materials, including the formation of shadows and reflection of light

-Identify cause-and-effect relationships as they explain their observations

-Obtain information about animal structures that use light to help the animal survive

-Obtain information about the parts of lighthouses that make the buildings stable and send signals to protect humans

-Design stable solutions to visibility problems, including biomimicry in the design

-Use models to carry out investigations and determine the causes of weather phenomena

-Use observations to construct evidence-based explanations of weather-related phenomena caused by different combinations of weather variables (e.g., wind, precipitation, sunlight, and temperature)

-Record and analyze data to identify patterns of the variability in temperature, precipitation, sunlight, and weather-related hazards associated with particular locations and times

-Develop questions based on weather forecast data to anticipate potential problems storms may cause for objects and living things

-Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information from multiple sources to develop plans to mitigate weather-related risks of injury and damage to humans and property

-Use observations to explain how pushes and pulls change an object's motion.

-Carry out an investigation to evaluate the effectiveness of different objects to push a ball into a goal.

-Carry out an investigation to compare the effect of collisions with different materials on an object's motion.

-Design and test a wall for a hockey game that keeps the ball in the game space and allows the ball to score a goal after a collision with the side wall.

-Develop and test a model to figure out what caused a ball to change its direction of motion inside a mini golf feature.

-Plan and carry out an investigation to explain how a playground surface may have become too hot to play on

-Research existing solutions to similar problems and analyze the shapes of these structures to inform their own designs

-Design, build, and test model shade devices that could solve the problem

-Obtain information about how engineers solve problems and compare the process to how the students approached the playground problem

-Research, design, build, and compare portable shade devices as possible solutions to a new problem

-Plan and carry out investigations to answer questions about what plants need to live.

-Use evidence from observations and text to support an argument about what caterpillars need to live and grow.

-Develop and use models to show how caterpillars' webs help them get what they need to live and grow.

-Communicate a solution that reduces the impact of a sidewalk on a tree's ability to get what it needs.

-Develop and use a model to determine which plan to build a play area is best for the system of living things on a piece of land.

It's time to get a move on! Motion is part of our daily lives-riding in a car, playing a sport, even dropping a coin. The Smithsonian Science Education Center presents Energy, Forces, and Motion, an STCMS™ curriculum unit designed from the ground up to align to the Next Generation Science Standards. Science and engineering practices, teachable core ideas, and crosscutting concepts are integrated into every lesson. The unit relates Newtonian physics to objects that roll, fall, and collide. Join us as we plan investigations and design solutions to explore energy, forces, and motion!

One hour lunch on your own.

In this book study, participants will read and discuss research and strategies that shift educators into an asset-based approach to unlock the full potential of our English Language Learners. This self-paced book study will run asynchronously via Canvas.

E-book provided.

How Can We Change Solids and Liquids? is part of Smithsonian Science for the Classroom, a curriculum series by the Smithsonian Science Education Center. It is designed to address a bundle of grade 2 engineering and physical science standards.

In this module, students:

-Construct an explanation for how an artist made a sculpture from marine debris.

-Use observations to describe patterns of behavior in solids and liquids.

-Construct an explanation about what happens to crayon wax when heated and cooled.

-Design a solution for changing melted crayons into crayons they can use.

-Compare a variety of materials to make a prediction about which ones will make the best filling for a boo-boo pack.

-Analyze data from tests of their selected boo-boo pack materials to determine if they work as intended after being frozen.

One hour lunch on your own.

Session Overview: Embracing the New Era of Smithsonian Science Kits

In this professional learning session, participants will explore the shift to problem-based and phenomenon-driven learning within the Smithsonian Science Kit. This session will highlight the key differences between the 1st and 2nd edition units, showcasing how the new approach enhances student engagement, critical thinking, and real-world connections.

Participants will also dive into the exciting updates that make the 2nd edition Smithsonian units more accessible and comprehensive than ever before, including:

✅ A New Digital Platform - Streamlined access to resources and interactive learning tools.

✅ Enhanced Assessments - Improved ways to track student understanding and growth.

✅ Updated Family Letters - Strengthening home-school connections with clear communication.

✅ Expanded Accessibility Features - Ensuring all students, including those with diverse learning needs, can fully engage in the learning experience.

✅ Improved Investigations - Designed to address previous material preparation and management concerns, making hands-on learning more efficient and classroom-friendly.

Join us to discover how these innovative updates will transform your teaching and empower students through meaningful, hands-on scientific discovery!

One hour lunch on your own.

Session Overview: Embracing the New Era of Smithsonian Science Kits

In this professional learning session, participants will explore the shift to problem-based and phenomenon-driven learning within the Smithsonian Science Kit. This session will highlight the key differences between the 1st and 2nd edition units, showcasing how the new approach enhances student engagement, critical thinking, and real-world connections.

Participants will also dive into the exciting updates that make the 2nd edition Smithsonian units more accessible and comprehensive than ever before, including:

✅ A New Digital Platform - Streamlined access to resources and interactive learning tools.

✅ Enhanced Assessments - Improved ways to track student understanding and growth.

✅ Updated Family Letters - Strengthening home-school connections with clear communication.

✅ Expanded Accessibility Features - Ensuring all students, including those with diverse learning needs, can fully engage in the learning experience.

✅ Improved Investigations - Designed to address previous material preparation and management concerns, making hands-on learning more efficient and classroom-friendly.

Join us to discover how these innovative updates will transform your teaching and empower students through meaningful, hands-on scientific discovery!

One hour lunch on your own.

The goal of a Community of Practice is to improve the skills and knowledge of educators through collaborative study, best-practice exchange, professional dialogue, and data analysis. This group will meet four times to share expertise and work collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students through the Next Generation Mathematics Learning Standards.

Part of this Community of Practice will be to:

-Continue building a community of Algebra I teachers across the CNY region.

-Utilize NYS assessment data interactively, allowing participants to analyze trends, patterns, and learning gaps together, and discuss instructional strategies.

-Looking at the questions from the June 2026 regents.

-Create and share materials, strategies, and best practices that foster a hands on and active learning for students

-Identify and describe techniques for differentiating instruction for below and above grade-level students.

One hour lunch on your own.

Session Overview: Embracing the New Era of Smithsonian Science Kits

In this professional learning session, participants will explore the shift to problem-based and phenomenon-driven learning within the Smithsonian Science Kit. This session will highlight the key differences between the 1st and 2nd edition units, showcasing how the new approach enhances student engagement, critical thinking, and real-world connections.

Participants will also dive into the exciting updates that make the 2nd edition Smithsonian units more accessible and comprehensive than ever before, including:

✅ A New Digital Platform - Streamlined access to resources and interactive learning tools.

✅ Enhanced Assessments - Improved ways to track student understanding and growth.

✅ Updated Family Letters - Strengthening home-school connections with clear communication.

✅ Expanded Accessibility Features - Ensuring all students, including those with diverse learning needs, can fully engage in the learning experience.

✅ Improved Investigations - Designed to address previous material preparation and management concerns, making hands-on learning more efficient and classroom-friendly.

Join us to discover how these innovative updates will transform your teaching and empower students through meaningful, hands-on scientific discovery!

One hour lunch on your own.

Through a Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education (CRSE) lens, participants will explore how humanities learning can elevate diverse perspectives, strengthen student voice and belonging, and create more equitable learning experiences. The network will engage with NYSED guidance, High-Leveraged Practices, New York State standards and collaborative learning opportunities to support a meaningful approach to teaching and learning humanities across the region.

The morning of each meeting with focus on the NY Inspires transformations. The afternoon will be spent focused on subject specific needs.

One hour lunch on your own.

Participants will discover how to teach students to question motives, identify patterns, evaluate evidence, and determine the credibility of information. The book study examines misinformation, disinformation, and media influence while providing tools and techniques that support media literacy, information literacy, and critical thinking in both face-to-face and digital learning environments.

Educators will also explore the connection between social-emotional learning and information literacy, helping students develop empathy, perspective-taking, and responsible decision-making when engaging with information online.

Learning Outcomes:
• Teach students to evaluate information credibility.
• Implement media literacy and critical thinking strategies.
• Examine the impact of misinformation and disinformation.
• Connect SEL competencies with information literacy instruction.
• Support responsible and informed digital citizenship.

Note: Participants will receive digital access to the book throughout the duration of the book study.

Rather than focusing on technology bans, this book study emphasizes practical strategies for creating balance, building student self-regulation, and fostering meaningful engagement in technology-rich learning environments. Participants will examine the impact of smartphones, social media, and digital culture on student attention, well-being, and learning, while exploring classroom-tested approaches that help students reconnect with themselves, their peers, and their learning.

Through reading, reflection, and collaborative discussion, educators will consider ways to create healthier digital habits, strengthen relationships, partner with families, and cultivate classroom environments that promote focus, resilience, and curiosity.

Learning Outcomes:


• Examine research related to student anxiety, attention, and technology use.


• Explore connections between ZENgaged and key concepts from The Anxious Generation.


• Identify strategies for promoting student focus and engagement in technology-rich classrooms.


• Develop approaches that encourage healthy digital habits and self-regulation.


• Strengthen classroom practices that foster connection, belonging, and well-being.


• Reflect on the role educators can play in helping students navigate an increasingly connected world.

This book study is designed for teachers, school librarians, counselors, instructional coaches, and school leaders who want practical tools and research-based strategies to support student well-being, engagement, and success in the digital age. Participants will

Session Overview: Embracing the New Era of Smithsonian Science Kits

In this professional learning session, participants will explore the shift to problem-based and phenomenon-driven learning within the Smithsonian Science Kit. This session will highlight the key differences between the 1st and 2nd edition units, showcasing how the new approach enhances student engagement, critical thinking, and real-world connections.

Participants will also dive into the exciting updates that make the 2nd edition Smithsonian units more accessible and comprehensive than ever before, including:

✅ A New Digital Platform - Streamlined access to resources and interactive learning tools.

✅ Enhanced Assessments - Improved ways to track student understanding and growth.

✅ Updated Family Letters - Strengthening home-school connections with clear communication.

✅ Expanded Accessibility Features - Ensuring all students, including those with diverse learning needs, can fully engage in the learning experience.

✅ Improved Investigations - Designed to address previous material preparation and management concerns, making hands-on learning more efficient and classroom-friendly.

Join us to discover how these innovative updates will transform your teaching and empower students through meaningful, hands-on scientific discovery!

One hour lunch on your own.

The goal of a Community of Practice is to improve the skills and knowledge of educators through collaborative study, best-practice exchange, professional dialogue, and data analysis. This group will meet five times to share expertise and work collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students through the Next Generation Mathematics Learning Standards.

Part of this Community of Practice will be to:

-Continue building a community of Math Intervention teachers across the CNY region.

-Utilize NYS assessment data interactively, allowing participants to analyze trends, patterns, and learning gaps together, and discuss instructional strategies.

-Create and share materials, strategies, and best practices that foster a hands on and active learning for students

-Identify and describe techniques for differentiating instruction for below and above grade-level students.

The Elementary and Middle School Intervention Community of Practice groups will meet together for part of the day.

One hour lunch on your own.

Session Overview: Embracing the New Era of Smithsonian Science Kits

In this professional learning session, participants will explore the shift to problem-based and phenomenon-driven learning within the Smithsonian Science Kit. This session will highlight the key differences between the 1st and 2nd edition units, showcasing how the new approach enhances student engagement, critical thinking, and real-world connections.

Participants will also dive into the exciting updates that make the 2nd edition Smithsonian units more accessible and comprehensive than ever before, including:

✅ A New Digital Platform - Streamlined access to resources and interactive learning tools.

✅ Enhanced Assessments - Improved ways to track student understanding and growth.

✅ Updated Family Letters - Strengthening home-school connections with clear communication.

✅ Expanded Accessibility Features - Ensuring all students, including those with diverse learning needs, can fully engage in the learning experience.

✅ Improved Investigations - Designed to address previous material preparation and management concerns, making hands-on learning more efficient and classroom-friendly.

Join us to discover how these innovative updates will transform your teaching and empower students through meaningful, hands-on scientific discovery!

One hour lunch on your own.

The goal of a Community of Practice is to improve the skills and knowledge of educators through collaborative study, best-practice exchange, professional dialogue, and data analysis. This group will meet five times to share expertise and work collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students through the Next Generation Mathematics Learning Standards.

Part of this Community of Practice will be to:

-Continue building a community of Math Intervention teachers across the CNY region.

-Utilize NYS assessment data interactively, allowing participants to analyze trends, patterns, and learning gaps together, and discuss instructional strategies.

-Create and share materials, strategies, and best practices that foster a hands on and active learning for students

-Identify and describe techniques for differentiating instruction for below and above grade-level students.

The Secondary and Elementary Intervention Community of Practice groups will meet together for part of the day.

One hour lunch on your own.

How Can We Stop Land from Washing Away? is part of Smithsonian Science for the Classroom, a curriculum series by the Smithsonian Science Education Center. It is designed to address a bundle of grade 2 engineering and earth and space science standards.

In this module, students:

-Gather information to better understand a land-change situation and define a problem to solve

-Make observations to provide evidence to explain if wind and water can change the shape of the land

-Obtain additional evidence from a construction site and from a nonfiction text to support their explanation of land change over different time scales

-Test and compare models of four methods used to prevent or reduce erosion

-Apply their understanding of wind- and water-induced erosion to a new engineering problem related to land change at a beach setting

One hour lunch on your own.

Are you ready to take your teaching to the next level with gamified learning experiences? Join our self-paced professional development workshop centered around Legends of Learning Math Basecamp, an exciting platform that offers educators a vast library of curriculum-aligned math fluency. This course is completely asynchronous with no in person or live connections.

This year, we are on a mission to uncover and share the best new books for our libraries and classrooms. To streamline the process, each participant will fill out a Google form for every book reviewed, making it easier to focus on crafting insightful reviews. The collected information will be featured on our blog, helping us crowdsource top book recommendations from our region and beyond!

The Details:

• Review one chapter book (over 150 pages) or two picture books to earn 1 credit hour.
• Accumulate up to 16 credit hours from October to May.
• Open to all genres for PreK-12 readers and professional development titles.

Important Notes:

• This is an entirely online and asynchronous course, with no in-person meetings.
• All hours are recorded for district Professional Learning requirements.
• Participants are responsible for procuring their own books.

For questions, contact me at hturner@ocmboces.org.

Through embedded videos and interactive tasks within this Google Form, you will learn how to:

• Navigate the teacher dashboard and locate key features
• Assign articles, customize questions, and build custom units
• Use student tools such as Read-to-Me, Fact versus Act, the interactive map, and accessibility settings
• Explore Active Learning lessons that provide ready-to-use instructional materials

You will watch short training videos, complete knowledge checks, and complete a hands-on task to apply what you learned. By the end, you will be prepared to guide students and colleagues in using News-O-Matic effectively to support inquiry, literacy, and engagement.

Create a Sooth account using your school email or single sign-on (SSO) Confirm your account and customize basic profile settings Explore key tools to support student research and critical thinking

You will watch short training videos, complete knowledge checks, and complete a hands-on task to apply what you learned. By the end, you will be prepared to guide students and colleagues in using Sooth effectively for inquiry and research.

Through embedded videos and interactive tasks within this Google Form, you will learn how to:

• Log in to Sora using your school credentials or ClassLink
• Navigate the Home, Explore, Shelf, and Me sections of the platform
• Browse curated collections and search for digital reading materials
• Recognize the different types of resources available, including ebooks, audiobooks, read-alongs, magazines, and graphic novels
• Borrow, place holds on, and manage digital materials
• Add additional libraries, including public and professional development collections, to expand your reading options
• Use built-in reading tools such as bookmarks, highlighting, notes, adjustable text settings, dictionaries, and audiobook playback controls
• Explore ways to incorporate Sora into classroom instruction and encourage student reading

You will watch short training videos, complete knowledge checks, and participate in hands-on activities that allow you to explore Sora from both the educator and student perspectives. By the end of the course, you will be comfortable navigating the platform, accessing digital reading materials, utilizing its accessibility and reading features, and helping students develop a lifelong love of reading through Sora.

Through embedded videos and interactive tasks within this Google Form, you will learn how to:

• Create and manage NoodleTools projects
• Understand citation styles and select appropriate citation levels
• Add and organize sources using the citation management tools
• Import citations directly from library databases into NoodleTools
• Use note cards, stacks, and tabletop views to organize research and writing
• Create and manage project inboxes for student collaboration and feedback
• Monitor student progress and provide comments throughout the research process
• Export note cards and research materials for use in Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or other writing platforms

You will watch short training videos, complete knowledge checks, and participate in hands-on activities that allow you to explore NoodleTools from both the student and educator perspectives. By the end of the course, you will be prepared to support students in developing strong research practices while using NoodleTools to streamline organization, collaboration, and feedback throughout the research process.

The goal of a Community of Practice is to improve the skills and knowledge of educators through collaborative study, best-practice exchange, professional dialogue, and data analysis. This group will meet four times to share expertise and work collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students through the Next Generation Mathematics Learning Standards.

Part of this Community of Practice will be to:

-Continue building a community of Geometry teachers across the CNY region.

-Utilize NYS assessment data interactively, allowing participants to analyze trends, patterns, and learning gaps together, and discuss instructional strategies.

-Looking at the questions from the June 2026 regents.

-Create and share materials, strategies, and best practices that foster a hands on and active learning for students

-Identify and describe techniques for differentiating instruction for below and above grade-level students.

One hour lunch on your own.

Session Overview: Embracing the New Era of Smithsonian Science Kits

In this professional learning session, participants will explore the shift to problem-based and phenomenon-driven learning within the Smithsonian Science Kit. This session will highlight the key differences between the 1st and 2nd edition units, showcasing how the new approach enhances student engagement, critical thinking, and real-world connections.

Participants will also dive into the exciting updates that make the 2nd edition Smithsonian units more accessible and comprehensive than ever before, including:

✅ A New Digital Platform - Streamlined access to resources and interactive learning tools.

✅ Enhanced Assessments - Improved ways to track student understanding and growth.

✅ Updated Family Letters - Strengthening home-school connections with clear communication.

✅ Expanded Accessibility Features - Ensuring all students, including those with diverse learning needs, can fully engage in the learning experience.

✅ Improved Investigations - Designed to address previous material preparation and management concerns, making hands-on learning more efficient and classroom-friendly.

Join us to discover how these innovative updates will transform your teaching and empower students through meaningful, hands-on scientific discovery!

One hour lunch on your own.

Session Overview: Embracing the New Era of Smithsonian Science Kits

In this professional learning session, participants will explore the shift to problem-based and phenomenon-driven learning within the Smithsonian Science Kit. This session will highlight the key differences between the 1st and 2nd edition units, showcasing how the new approach enhances student engagement, critical thinking, and real-world connections.

Participants will also dive into the exciting updates that make the 2nd edition Smithsonian units more accessible and comprehensive than ever before, including:

✅ A New Digital Platform - Streamlined access to resources and interactive learning tools.

✅ Enhanced Assessments - Improved ways to track student understanding and growth.

✅ Updated Family Letters - Strengthening home-school connections with clear communication.

✅ Expanded Accessibility Features - Ensuring all students, including those with diverse learning needs, can fully engage in the learning experience.

✅ Improved Investigations - Designed to address previous material preparation and management concerns, making hands-on learning more efficient and classroom-friendly.

Join us to discover how these innovative updates will transform your teaching and empower students through meaningful, hands-on scientific discovery!

One hour lunch on your own.

Through a Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education (CRSE) lens, participants will examine how STEM learning can elevate student voice, expand access and opportunity, honor diverse ways of knowing and thinking, and foster meaningful engagement for all learners. The network will provide opportunities for cross-district collaboration, shared learning, and translating professional learning into district practice.

The morning of each meeting with focus on the NY Inspires transformations. The afternoon will be spent focused on subject specific needs.

One hour lunch on your own.

-Use models to carry out investigations and determine the causes of weather phenomena

-Use observations to construct evidence-based explanations of weather-related phenomena caused by different combinations of weather variables (e.g., wind, precipitation, sunlight, and temperature)

-Record and analyze data to identify patterns of the variability in temperature, precipitation, sunlight, and weather-related hazards associated with particular locations and times

-Develop questions based on weather forecast data to anticipate potential problems storms may cause for objects and living things

-Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information from multiple sources to develop plans to mitigate weather-related risks of injury and damage to humans and property

-Use observations to explain how pushes and pulls change an object's motion.

-Carry out an investigation to evaluate the effectiveness of different objects to push a ball into a goal.

-Carry out an investigation to compare the effect of collisions with different materials on an object's motion.

-Design and test a wall for a hockey game that keeps the ball in the game space and allows the ball to score a goal after a collision with the side wall.

-Develop and test a model to figure out what caused a ball to change its direction of motion inside a mini golf feature.

Session Overview: Embracing the New Era of Smithsonian Science Kits

In this professional learning session, participants will explore the shift to problem-based and phenomenon-driven learning within the Smithsonian Science Kit. This session will highlight the key differences between the 1st and 2nd edition units, showcasing how the new approach enhances student engagement, critical thinking, and real-world connections.

Participants will also dive into the exciting updates that make the 2nd edition Smithsonian units more accessible and comprehensive than ever before, including:

✅ A New Digital Platform - Streamlined access to resources and interactive learning tools.

✅ Enhanced Assessments - Improved ways to track student understanding and growth.

✅ Updated Family Letters - Strengthening home-school connections with clear communication.

✅ Expanded Accessibility Features - Ensuring all students, including those with diverse learning needs, can fully engage in the learning experience.

✅ Improved Investigations - Designed to address previous material preparation and management concerns, making hands-on learning more efficient and classroom-friendly.

Join us to discover how these innovative updates will transform your teaching and empower students through meaningful, hands-on scientific discovery!

One hour lunch on your own.

How Can We Find the Best Place for a Plant to Grow? is part of Smithsonian Science for the Classroom, a curriculum series by the Smithsonian Science Education Center. It is designed to address a bundle of grade 2 life science and engineering standards.

In this module, students:

-Figure out why a radish seed sprouted inside a backpack.

-Define the problem that a tomato plant needs to be pollinated to produce tomatoes.

-Design a tool that can be used to pollinate tomato plants.

-Figure out how an acorn was planted in a pot on a third-floor balcony.

-Find the best place to plant plants in a schoolyard.

One hour lunch on your own.

Around the world, microplastic pollution is found in our lakes and oceans. These tiny pieces of pollution can cause a huge problem for our ecosystems and communities. Our society is constantly looking for ethical, global, ecological, and civic solutions to environmental challenges like microplastic pollution.

Join us on October 15th, as we dive into this topic with New York Sea Grant to learn about authentic learning opportunities that can inspire your students to design their own solutions to this problem. You will learn how ongoing research projects at Rochester Institute of Technology and Cornell University can be brought to your classrooms with new technologies that capture and collect plastic pollution. We will explore solutions to the microplastics issue, and make connections to the NY Portrait of a Graduate.

Participants will spend the day on a learning track focused on one of the three paths to reduce plastic pollution: prevention, interception, and collection. On each track, participants will get hands-on experience with interactive lesson plans and activities, like building 3D printed robots, designing trash capture devices, or creating outreach campaign materials.

This is your chance to become part of a community dedicated to transforming classrooms into hubs for real-world environmental change. This workshop will also launch a year long community of practice on this topic.

How Can We Map Land and Water on Earth? is part of Smithsonian Science for the Classroom, a new curriculum series by the Smithsonian Science Education Center. It is designed to address a bundle of grade 2 earth and space science standards.

In this module, students:

-Compare maps from different cultures and historical periods.

-Observe patterns that can be used to categorize the shapes and kinds of land and water on Earth.

-Conduct an investigation into the observable properties of solid and liquid water.

-Obtain information about where solid water can be found on Earth.

-Use what they have learned about patterns as evidence to describe the types of land and water one could expect to find in a particular place on Earth.

-Develop and compare maps of the land and water in a particular place on Earth.

One hour lunch on your own.

Session Overview: Embracing the New Era of Smithsonian Science Kits

In this professional learning session, participants will explore the shift to problem-based and phenomenon-driven learning within the Smithsonian Science Kit. This session will highlight the key differences between the 1st and 2nd edition units, showcasing how the new approach enhances student engagement, critical thinking, and real-world connections.

Participants will also dive into the exciting updates that make the 2nd edition Smithsonian units more accessible and comprehensive than ever before, including:

✅ A New Digital Platform - Streamlined access to resources and interactive learning tools.

✅ Enhanced Assessments - Improved ways to track student understanding and growth.

✅ Updated Family Letters - Strengthening home-school connections with clear communication.

✅ Expanded Accessibility Features - Ensuring all students, including those with diverse learning needs, can fully engage in the learning experience.

✅ Improved Investigations - Designed to address previous material preparation and management concerns, making hands-on learning more efficient and classroom-friendly.

Join us to discover how these innovative updates will transform your teaching and empower students through meaningful, hands-on scientific discovery!

One hour lunch on your own.

The goal of a Community of Practice is to improve the skills and knowledge of educators through collaborative study, best-practice exchange, professional dialogue, and data analysis. This group will meet four times to share expertise and work collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students through the Next Generation Mathematics Learning Standards.

Part of this Community of Practice will be to:

-Continue building a community of Middle School Math teachers across the CNY region.

-Utilize NYS assessment data interactively, allowing participants to analyze trends, patterns, and learning gaps together, and discuss instructional strategies.

-Looking at the questions from the June 2024 regents.

-Create and share materials, strategies, and best practices that foster a hands on and active learning for students

-Identify and describe techniques for differentiating instruction for below and above grade-level students.

Group will decide on a book to ground our sessions.

One hour lunch on your own.

Join us for a day of engaging workshops, inspiring speakers, and networking opportunities. Explore the latest trends in literature, discover innovative resources and strategies for your library, and consider how AI is shaping the ways students access, evaluate, create, and engage with information. Connect with fellow educators who share your passion for books, libraries, and empowering students to become thoughtful, informed learners.

We are thrilled to welcome Dashka Slater as our keynote speaker and Elissa Malespina as our endnote speaker. Together, they will help us explore the power of stories, the importance of information literacy, and the role school librarians and educators play in guiding students through an increasingly complex information landscape.

Apply now to present at the Greater CNY Fall Conference and join us as we celebrate the people, ideas, and resources that help libraries light the way!

Session Overview: Embracing the New Era of Smithsonian Science Kits

In this professional learning session, participants will explore the shift to problem-based and phenomenon-driven learning within the Smithsonian Science Kit. This session will highlight the key differences between the 1st and 2nd edition units, showcasing how the new approach enhances student engagement, critical thinking, and real-world connections.

Participants will also dive into the exciting updates that make the 2nd edition Smithsonian units more accessible and comprehensive than ever before, including:

✅ A New Digital Platform - Streamlined access to resources and interactive learning tools.

✅ Enhanced Assessments - Improved ways to track student understanding and growth.

✅ Updated Family Letters - Strengthening home-school connections with clear communication.

✅ Expanded Accessibility Features - Ensuring all students, including those with diverse learning needs, can fully engage in the learning experience.

✅ Improved Investigations - Designed to address previous material preparation and management concerns, making hands-on learning more efficient and classroom-friendly.

Join us to discover how these innovative updates will transform your teaching and empower students through meaningful, hands-on scientific discovery!

One hour lunch on your own.

Through discussions of current research, NYSED initiatives, and regional challenges and successes, participants will strengthen their capacity to lead literacy efforts that improve student outcomes and ensure equitable access to high-quality instruction.

A key focus of the 2026-2027 community will be understanding how multiple sources of evidence can be used to assess student learning, identify strengths and needs, and inform instructional and system-level decisions. Through collaborative problem-solving, resource sharing, and reflection, leaders will strengthen their capacity to support literacy growth and improve outcomes for all students.

Outcomes:

-Develop a deeper understanding of how to effectively implement Tier 1 Literacy Instructional Best Practices at all levels for all students;

-Make data-based decisions to take actionable steps to improve the effectiveness of teacher professional development, curriculum, instruction, intervention, and assessments;

-Build connections with administrators and teacher leaders with similar vision/goals.

Time:

All Meetings will be held VIRTUALLY

All Meetings will be 1.5 hours (9:30-11:00 a.m.)

Need more information or have questions? Email Lisa Schlegel at lschlegel@ocmboces.org

Session Overview: Embracing the New Era of Smithsonian Science Kits

In this professional learning session, participants will explore the shift to problem-based and phenomenon-driven learning within the Smithsonian Science Kit. This session will highlight the key differences between the 1st and 2nd edition units, showcasing how the new approach enhances student engagement, critical thinking, and real-world connections.

Participants will also dive into the exciting updates that make the 2nd edition Smithsonian units more accessible and comprehensive than ever before, including:

✅ A New Digital Platform - Streamlined access to resources and interactive learning tools.

✅ Enhanced Assessments - Improved ways to track student understanding and growth.

✅ Updated Family Letters - Strengthening home-school connections with clear communication.

✅ Expanded Accessibility Features - Ensuring all students, including those with diverse learning needs, can fully engage in the learning experience.

✅ Improved Investigations - Designed to address previous material preparation and management concerns, making hands-on learning more efficient and classroom-friendly.

Join us to discover how these innovative updates will transform your teaching and empower students through meaningful, hands-on scientific discovery!

One hour lunch on your own.

Participants will read and discuss key concepts from the book, including evaluating AI-generated information, designing meaningful research experiences, supporting ethical AI use, and assessing student thinking through reflection and conferencing. Educators will explore strategies for creating assignments that emphasize inquiry, analysis, and reasoning rather than simply producing a final product.

Through collaborative discussion and reflection, participants will consider how AI is reshaping information literacy and research practices across grade levels and content areas. The book study will also examine classroom and school policies that encourage responsible and transparent AI use.

Learning Outcomes:


• Understand the impact of AI on research and information literacy.

• Teach students to critically evaluate AI-generated and online information.

• Design research assignments that promote authentic thinking and inquiry.

• Support ethical and responsible use of AI tools in learning.

• Develop assessment practices that make student thinking visible.

• Explore policy and instructional approaches that foster academic integrity in an AI-driven world.

This book study is designed for teachers, school librarians, instructional coaches, and educational leaders seeking practical strategies for teaching research and critical thinking in today's evolving digital landscape. Participants will need to purchase this title, however, it is available via Kindle Unlimited.

Additionally, participants will develop an understanding of the three dimensions of the NYSSLS and the associated instructional shifts. Teachers will gain access to Carolina Science Online and resources created by OCM BOCES to help with implementation of the Smithsonian Science Curriculum.

Teachers are encouraged to bring a device to access these materials digitally.

One hour lunch on your own.