When school-wide behavior programs don't work for Tier II and Tier III students, maybe there is another explanation. We invite you to learn more about what may be going on in our students' lives; how past trauma impacts them today, both academically and behaviorally. Join us for a seven-part series to gain knowledge and understanding related to many of our most challenging students in schools today.

Each month a one-hour presentation will be shared with a short period following for questions and answers. All presentations are virtual from 4:00 to 5:00PM.The topics for each month:

--September 27: What is Trauma?
--October 26: Kids Are Resilient
--November 16: Brain Lessons That Improves Behavior
--December 14: Strategies to Regulate Students
--January 18, 2024: Strategies to Build Relationships
--February 15, 2024: Understanding Needs vs. Behaviors
--March 14, 2024: Shifts We Need in Education NOW

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
THIS SERIES IS VIRTUAL.
Each presentation will receive one OPI Renewal Unit upon completion. Please sign up for the series and attend the presentations you want . . . all or one! Information for logging into each presentation will be sent out by email prior to the presentation.

PRESENTER:
Dori Phillips is the K-12 School Counselor in Broadus, Montana. She has presented trauma-related topics across the state for several years. Dori is constantly reading and learning ways to support teachers and parents so they can support their students and children. She lives on the family ranch with her husband. They enjoy spending time with their daughters and their families.

For more information please contact John Keener at john.keener@msubillings.edu or call 406-657-1743.

Everyone loves a good story . . . and winter is the time to tell stories within many Native American cultures. One of the great sources of stories for many Native American cultures are the stars in the night skies. This workshop will be focusing on the "star stories" of several tribal nations--in particular the Crow, Blackfeet, and Northern Cheyenne tribal nations. The workshop will explore the Office of Public Instruction Indian Education for All curricula developed to share Crow and Blackfeet "star stories".

Also, participants will get the opportunity to experience the "star stories" under the night skies. The workshop will be utilizing the MSUB portable planetarium to view the night skies while hearing the stories.

PRESENTERS:
Ruth Ferris and Kathi Hoyt are retired school librarians who have served many years as the Indian Education for All (IEFA) presenters for Region III. Both received the IEFA Advocacy award from the Office of Public Instruction's IEFA division in 2023. Both are are Library of Congress leaders in the Teaching with Primary Sources program for the western region. They have served as presenters across the state and nationally.

Dr. Elaine Westbrook is a professor at MSUB focusing on STEM education and has extensive work in Astronomy. she is presently working with the Northern Cheyenne tribal nation to collect the "star stories" associated with the tribe.

Description: This session will give teachers tools for their instructional tool kit using high-leverage practices that research has shown support implementation of high-quality instructional programming for students with and at risk for disabilities regardless of their identified disability category or grade span. Each practice will focus on the use of a three-phase cycle for planning, delivering, and reviewing individual, small-group, and whole-group instruction. Whether you are new to teaching, have years of experience, teach general education or special education students, this session will guide you step by step through the planning, delivering and intensifying of instruction to more effectively meet the needs of your at-risk learners.

Please Note:
This workshop can be combined with the November 28 workshop, "Supporting Students with Intensive Needs within MTSS", for one graduate credit through the Montana State University Billings Extended Campus. The credit costs $99. If interested please contact John Keener at john.keener@msubillings.edu.

Presenter:
Sara Evans is a high energy speaker and facilitator, challenging her audiences to embrace student centered approaches and ensure high quality services for the most challenged population of students. Audiences love the practical strategies and highly engaging workshops. Sara's sessions provide attendees new ideas and strategies that can be easily implemented and applied as soon as they return to their schools.

Sara earned a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and Special Education and then went on to attain her Masters degree in Educational Leadership. Her 23 year career in instruction, learning, special education, MTSS, title and 504s has brought her from the classroom to a district program specialist to a Student Service Director. She has trained hundreds of educators across the state of Montana and now works as an Educational Consultant for the American Institutes for Research (AIR).

This workshop explores the conversation of what it means to be Native American through various lenses (political, cultural, traditional, historical, enrollment, blood quantum, etc.). By looking at the history of "white people" defining what makes a person a Native American, and the purpose behind these practices to help participants gain a better understanding of a complex issue. Through a variety of activities including: a presentation by photojournalist Tailyr Irvine, Salish Kootenai, sharing her story from the National Geographic on blood quantum; primary resources; and, a panel personal perspectives on what it means to be Native American.

PRESENTERS:
Ruth Ferris and Kathi Hoyt are retired school librarians who have served many years as the Indian Education for All (IEFA) presenters for Region III. Both received the IEFA Advocacy award from the Office of Public Instruction's IEFA division in 2023. Both are Library of Congress leaders in the Teaching with Primary Sources program for the western region. They have served as presenters across the state and nationally.

Tailyr Irvine is a photojournalist from the Salish Kootenai nation who has had articles published in the New York Times, National Geographic Magazine, and other commissioned work for Washington Post, ESPN, CNN, the Smithsonian, HuffPost, Buzzfeed and High Country News.

Being a teacher of literacy-whether teaching beginning reading skills or the advanced skills of using reading to enhance learning of content-is complex and requires considerable knowledge and skill. This comprehensive, 12-part training will provide educators the what, why, and how of evidence-based reading instruction in foundational reading skills, empowering them to have the additional tools they need to better meet the varied needs of the students they serve. Educators will learn the basics of reading at any age and how to strengthen instruction in reading foundations through structured and fast-paced routines that build on a hierarchy of skills that are necessary for students to become proficient readers and writers.

SCHEDULE:
There will be 12 2-hour virtual sessions from 4:00 to 6:00PM:
January 10; What is the Science of Reading? Understanding the Basics
January 17: Introduction to Dyslexia and How the Brain Learns to Read
January 24: Phonology and its Connection to Proficient Reading and Spelling
February 7: Phonemic Awareness as a Critical Foundation for Proficient Reading
February 21: Beginning Phonics: Teaching Sound-Symbol Correspondences and Beginning Blending
February 28: Advanced Phonics: Syllable Types and Efficient Decoding for Multisyllabic Words
March 6: Best Practices for Implementing Decodable Text & Teaching Irregular High-Frequency Words
March 13: Spelling that Sticks: Word Work to Improve Student Spelling
March 20: Building Text Fluency
April 10: Morphology to Support Word Composition, Vocabulary, and Spelling
April 17: Literacy Assessment to Diagnose Student Need
April 24: Understanding MTSS for Tiered Literacy Intervention

Workshop is available for 2 university credits (through UM-Western for $165. Sign up at the start of the workshop. Workshop will have 24 OPI Renewal Units.

Presenters are Tanya Peshovich, Drea Beale, and Carrie Cole from SidebySide Educational Consulting.

Many people know that Google Classroom, Docs, Drive, and Slides are part of Google, but do you know about Bard, YouTube, Keep, Photos, and Maps? If so, or if not, come to this workshop to integrate your skills and make your Google skills more intelligent, efficient, and jazzy.

The workshop will be a learn, design, collaborate, do model, so bring a device and be prepared to collaborate with colleagues.

You will need a personal Google account to participate in the activities fully, (School district accounts will not work for the Google Classroom activities).

PRESENTER:
Shelly Stanton is a veteran technology integration specialist for Billings Public Schools and has been a public educator for over 20 years. This year she is lucky to be working with the 6-8th grade teachers on math, with the mentor middle school program and still in the technology space at BPS. She's a National Board Certified Teacher, Google Certified Innovator, Authorized Google Trainer, Code.org facilitator, PBS Digital Innovator Lead and All-Star, an experienced classroom teacher, and someone who likes to learn. She was named Montana's Business Teacher of the Year, Montana Association of Career and Technical Teacher of the Year, State Teacher of the Year finalist, and NEA Award of Excellence Recipient.

So often the voice of Native Americans we hear are from the male perspective, but there is another voice--the women. Using biographies written by Frank Linderman of two contemporary figures from the Crow tribal nation, Pretty Shield and Chief Plenty Coups, participants will begin to see the different perspectives and understanding of events that took place in their lifetimes. Participants will receive copies of Pretty Shield: Medicine Woman of the Crows and Plenty Coups: Chief of the Crows.

The workshop will also explore the "male" and "female" roles within the tribal cultures--that vary from tribe to tribe . . . from the traditional to today's changing culture.

PRESENTERS:
Ruth Ferris and Kathi Hoyt are retired school librarians who have served many years as the Indian Education for All (IEFA) presenters for Region III. Both received the IEFA Advocacy award from the Office of Public Instruction's IEFA division in 2023. Both are Library of Congress leaders in the Teaching with Primary Sources program for the western region. They have served as presenters across the state and nationally.

Join us for this full-day (6 hours) workshop as we explore the foundational understandings, resources, and tools necessary for having a understanding about Indian Education for All. This workshop will explore three areas:

Essential Understandings of Montana Tribes
Montana Tribes
Resources Galore
And much more!

PRESENTER:
John Keener is the Program Coordinator for CSPD Region III and Montana Regional Education Service Area III. He has been involved with IEFA for All for over a decade and made numerous presentations on the topic.

Learn all about Google Workspace to enhance your teaching. We will explore various tools and features in Classroom, Bard, Forms, Sites, Slides, Docs, and more. All these will help you be more efficient and create more engaging, interactive lessons. Most importantly, it will help you save time and be more organized.

Have googles of fun collaborating and learning about what Google can do for your learning environment.

You will need a personal Google account to participate in the activities fully, (School district accounts will not work for the Google Classroom activities).

PRESENTER:
Shelly Stanton is a veteran technology integration specialist for Billings Public Schools and has been a public educator for over 20 years. This year she is lucky to be working with the 6-8th grade teachers on math, with the mentor middle school program and still in the technology space at BPS. She's a National Board Certified Teacher, Google Certified Innovator, Authorized Google Trainer, Code.org facilitator, PBS Digital Innovator Lead and All-Star, an experienced classroom teacher, and someone who likes to learn. She was named Montana's Business Teacher of the Year, Montana Association of Career and Technical Teacher of the Year, State Teacher of the Year finalist, and NEA Award of Excellence Recipient.

This workshop explores storytelling through popular media. No longer is storytelling confined to the spoken word. Today stories are told through a variety of means--television, movies, art, photography, music, literature, and many other forms. Participants will explore storytelling beyond the traditional forms and see how these new "forms" have changed the perspectives about Native Americans.

PRESENTERS:
Ruth Ferris and Kathi Hoyt are retired school librarians who have served many years as the Indian Education for All (IEFA) presenters for Region III. Both received the IEFA Advocacy award from the Office of Public Instruction's IEFA division in 2023. Both are Library of Congress leaders in the Teaching with Primary Sources program for the western region. They have served as presenters across the state and nationally.

The "Essential Understandings" are a key document and foundation for understanding and teaching about Montana Native Americans in the classroom. This workshop is designed to provide an overview of the seven essential understandings related not only to the tribes in Montana but across the spectrum. Join us for this virtual two-hour workshop as we learn more about the "essential understandings" and their key role in Indian Education for All (IEFA) in Montana.

PLEASE NOTE:
This workshop is virtual. The log-in link will be emailed to participants prior to the workshop.

PRESENTER:
John Keener is the Program Coordinator for Region III CSPD and Montana Regional Education Service Area III. He has been involved with IEFA for over a decade and has made presentations throughout the years.

This workshop explores the twelve tribes located on the seven reservations in the state of Montana. Come and learn about each of the tribes--their history, culture, and traditions. It is important for educators to understand the importance of the tribal nations located within the state of Montana. This workshop will put to use the "Essential Understandings" learned in the March 6 workshop.

PLEASE NOTE:
This workshop is virtual. The log-in information will be emailed to participants prior to the workshop.

PRESENTER:
John Keener is the Program Coordinator for CSPD Region III and Montana Regional Education Service Area III at Montana State University Billings. He has worked with Indian Education for All for over a decade and has presented workshops throughout the years.

There is an amazing wealth of resources and curricula available when it comes to Indian Education for All (IEFA) in the classroom. Come and join us as we explore the many educational resources available to educators and the general public when it comes to IEFA. From books, curricula, and primary sources participants will discover a huge among of information and tools to use in the classroom.

PLEASE NOTE:
This workshop is virtual. The log-in information will be emailed to participants prior to the workshop.

PRESENTER:
John Keener is the Program Coordinator for CSPD Region III and the Montana Regional Educational Service Area III. He has been involved in IEFA for over a decade and made presentations through the years.

Everyone loves a good time and pow wows are a good time for all! Join us for this study of pow wows and their significance to the tribal nations . . . the culture, traditions, history, and socializing! The first part of this workshop focuses on learning and understanding about pow wows. The second part is the opportunity to attend the Montana State University Billings Native American Achievement Center's annual Pow Wow. Come and learn about pow wows!

PRESENTERS:
Ruth Ferris and Kathi Hoyt are retired school librarians who have served many years as the Indian Education for All (IEFA) presenters for Region III. Both received the IEFA Advocacy award from the Office of Public Instruction's IEFA division in 2023. Both are Library of Congress leaders in the Teaching with Primary Sources program for the western region. They have served as presenters across the state and nationally.