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Catalog: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

6. STI - 5384 - Google Educator Certification Level I

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Dates: 2/28/2020 to 3/14/2020

Starting Soon

In this course, teachers will benefit from guided instruction, collaboration among colleagues, independent online coursework, and hands-on learning to systematically prove their level of expertise in Google's vast resources. The Google Educator Certification course will enable teachers to develop a more thorough knowledge of Google's features and achieve a recognized certification that reflects their mastery.

The first weekend of this course will include hands-on practice and collaborative learning to help teachers identify and close gaps in their knowledge of Google applications. Participants will then have two weeks to complete approximately twelve hours of assigned online coursework through the Google for Education Teacher Center platform. Sample online lessons include "how to evaluate sources in an online search," "how to avoid plagiarism in the context of web research," "how to make presentations look better and more effectively communicate your point using graphic design," "how to curate educational videos based on topic, genre, or standard in playlists," "how to support collaborative learning with Google Docs and Drive," and much more. The class will then reconvene for a second weekend, in which teachers will practice what they have learned and present how their new skills apply to their specific classrooms. At the end of the course, teachers are required to pass the Google Educator Certification exam to become level 1 certified.

7. St@C: Digital Literacy with Nonfiction in grades 1-2

Program: ST@C

Dates: 3/3/2020

NewStarting Soon

Using digital resources can greatly enhance the student's ability to gain understanding of a topic. The features of the digital resources, including read aloud, clickable links, attached videos, etc. all enable the students to learn more deeply because they are not limited by their reading levels. We will introduce Skybrary, Capstone Interactive Library, PebbleGo, Factcite123, and Epic and show how we used these apps with nonfiction writing in our first and second grade classrooms.

8. STI - 5385 - Exploring the Professional Shelf: The Neurobiology of Learning

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 3/3/2020 to 4/14/2020

Starting Soon

To understand how the brain learns and remembers requires an integration of psychological concepts and behavioral methods with mechanisms of synaptic plasticity systems and systems neuroscience. The Neurobiology of Learning and Memory is a new undergraduate textbook that provides a synthesis of this interdisciplinary field. Each chapter makes the key concepts transparent and accessible to a reader with a minimal background in either neurobiology or psychology. Central ideas include the plasticity of synapses that can be modified by experience and that the synapse is the basic unit of information storage and the making of memories.

9. Infinite Campus Grade Book tips/tricks for teaching mixed-grade classes with seniors

Program: ST@C

Dates: 3/5/2020

Tech Hour

New

Do you teach a mixed-grade-level class that includes seniors? If so, come learn some tips and tricks to manage the early end to Q3 for seniors that does not apply to other students in your class and other senior-specific grade book situations.

10. STI 5380 -Defining Design: Works of Art for our Daily Lives

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 3/5/2020 to 3/7/2020

Design is the practical art form, the designer an artist whose talent is expressed in a purposeful object. A magazine, an outfit, a decorated interior, Central Park. Designers are artists using their art to make a living; and their skill and creativity enrich and impact our lives in every imaginable way. In this seminar we will discuss different design disciplines-industrial, interior, fashion, graphic, landscape, architectural, digital, etc.-through their breakthrough moments in art history. We will also see how famous artists like Polykleitos of Argos, Leonardo da Vinci, Gustav Klimt, Henri Matisse, Andy Warhol, and now Vincent Abloh of Off White influenced and are influencing the history of design. A designer may train in the use of specific devices, processes or technologies, but the "hand of the artist/talent" will always be discernible. In the classroom, we will have a chance to perhaps discover hidden talents of our own, through a design project. We will visit The Met to begin our Saturday session, and use their expansive collection to see many of the highlights of design history we discussed on campus. We can't miss the Neue Gallerie and their permanent collection-and we will have lunch in the famous Viennese cafes there. Afterwards, to discuss contemporary design, we will end the day up the street at the Cooper Hewitt, the Smithsonian's National Design Museum.

11. STI - 5359 - Mindfulness Through Movement and Art VIII

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 3/6/2020 to 3/7/2020

The use of mindfulness as an approach to learning in the classroom is of growing interest. Several major studies have shown that in classrooms that use mindfulness as a core ingredient, students are more adaptable to new situations, are more creative, and have better social skills. A mindful learning environment enables students to apply the concepts of "focused attention" and "focused intention" to their present and future learning. Mindfulness Education is designed to empower children to focus their attention in school, adopt positive health behaviors, engage in healthy lifestyles, and develop satisfying relationships. Mindfulness manages the person in a process, which quiets the mind, builds inner resiliency, and helps the individual meet challenges and stresses in their daily lives. This course will provide a framework to understand the benefits of mindfulness on combating adverse effects of stress on our body and mind. In this 3rd iteration, recognition that mindfulness is a process to be repeated creating comfort and resiliency allows for initial or re-matriculation. Simple meditations, breathing lessons, basic yoga asanas, and creative pursuits that support mindfulness will be explored to share in the classroom. Participants will learn how brain science relates to the topic of mindfulness including a greater understanding of how the parts of the brain affect stress level, and ability to focus. They will be exposed to a growing body of research that attests to the positive mind/body benefits of learning to center and focus. Participants will experience and learn to teach guided instruction in mindfulness practices. Upon completion of the course, participants will present a lesson or unit that includes mindfulness principles.

12. STI - 5401 - K-12 Integrated Unit Design

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-122 Edgemont

Dates: 3/6/2020 to 3/7/2020

This course is a work session in which teachers will create new integrated units or upgrade current units of study to fit the 21st Century classroom. The goal is to facilitate changes in the way both content and skills are being delivered to enable students to become autonomous learners. It will also allow for teacher work time where they can evaluate ways in which they can increase their own productivity by using technology for communication and collaboration. Teachers will evaluate current technology use in their classroom explore how to incorporate technology effectively into their teaching to promote student learning and increase engagement.

13. St@C: Digital Literacy with Nonfiction in grades 1-2

Program: ST@C

Dates: 3/10/2020

New

14. ST@C-Using Google Forms for Classroom Assessments

Program: ST@C

Audience: K-12

Dates: 3/11/2020

Have you ever wanted to use Google Forms for you assessments in the classroom, then join Ben Drexel in this hour of how to's.

15. STI - 5418 - Promethean Board Exploration

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

21. STI - 5296-2 - Making Writing with Author Angela Stockman (Part 2)

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 3/20/2020 to 3/21/2020

Author Angela Stockman will provide strategies that reinvent instruction and inspire both young and adult writers to express ideas with tools and in ways that have rarely, if ever, been considered combining Making and Writing. Many teachers are converting classrooms to maker spaces--vibrant places where students demonstrate learning by constructing things, applying newly-learned skills and concepts. With inspired creativity and ingenuity, Stockman will show how teachers can bring modern maker moves into the writer's workshop, giving birth to a new environment of energized writing. Teachers can sign up for one or two credits depending if they are taking the course for one weekend or two.

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 4/2/2020 to 4/30/2020

Course Description Forthcoming

29. STI - 5435 - Subtitles Galore: Using Film to teach Global History

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: 6-12

Dates: 4/16/2020 to 5/7/2020

New

Films have always provided a mirror by which to view the societies from which they derive. Students enjoy the visual experience of film and the "memory" which it provides. Films can serve as a valuable tool in teaching history when taught in the proper context. Teachers can use films to highlight social trends in a given period and to help students look critically at films (and other forms of media) for accuracy and perspective. The purpose of this course is to look at film to examine Global History post WWII. Possible themes to be explored are: Revolution; Class; Colonialism; Gender/Status of Women; Citizenship and Politics; Immigration; Family; Urban - Rural Life; the Future, etc. Each of the four sessions will feature either one film or clips of films, and relevant readings along a common theme. After viewing, teachers will discuss and develop ideas for using the films in their classes. Course Requirements: The project for the class will be a unit outline with a detailed lesson plan that features a film as a source for studying a theme/topic/event in Global History.

30. STI - 5390 - The Science of Health and Nutrition III

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 4/17/2020 to 4/18/2020

For the past 2 years, Kim Jordan, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, has led this course surrounding the principles of nutrition and its effects on health."The Science of Health and Nutrition Part 3", will dive deeper into the significant roles our nutrition plays in our overall well being. The course will focus specifically on how our students' diets impact their productivity and behavior in the classroom and beyond. Topics for discussion and research presented will include making healthy nutritional choices at the grocery store, preparing nutritious meals and snacks, and uncovering how much sugar is actually in the foods we eat. The course will also address the significant impact of digestion and gut health on our lives, and how nutrition and other lifestyle habits play important roles. All participants will leave the class with practical information on how food and dietary behaviors impact our bodies. Participants will have time to create lesson plans, unit plans and/or games to use in their K-12 classrooms. All are welcome!

31. STI - 5391 - K-12 Integrated Unit Design

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 Edgemont

Dates: 4/17/2020 to 4/18/2020

32. STI - 5393 - Mindfulness for Counselors

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: SHS Counseling department

Dates: 4/17/2020 to 4/18/2020

Description to follow

33. STI - 5417 - Dots and Points on the Map: Scotland

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 6/29/2020 to 7/2/2020

New

Challenge Course participants overcome their own limits as they cooperate with colleagues to complete a challenging program of physical activities. In the process, teachers put themselves in the place of learners often faced with daunting classroom tasks to complete. Through the experiential learning at the heart of the Challenge Course process, participants enhance their own problem-solving and decision-making skills, learn the importance of debriefing sessions after lessons, and develop effective questioning techniques that guide student reflection on learning. When individuals, teachers and students alike, stretch beyond their perceived strengths and weaknesses, they enhance self-esteem, an important goal of the Challenge Course workshops. While working with their colleagues in a more physically and emotionally demanding setting, Challenge Course Workshop II participants will expand their comfort zones beyond the Challenge Course I experience. This course will utilize both low ropes elements and high ropes climbing activities to provide teachers first hand practice in the challenges and stressors faced by students striving to achieve new heights or simply to survive in the classroom. Debriefing activities will provide teachers opportunities to share experiences and to network with each other on best practices and strategies to foster empathy and self-esteem in the classroom environment.

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 7/14/2020 to 7/15/2020

New

Teachers will explore how the large variety of podcast content can support their instruction while keeping lessons fresh and engaging for students. Podcasts expose students to many varieties of communication such as dialogue, interviews, narration, debates, and many others. Teachers will then explore the process of creating podcasts and how to incorporate student-centered, meaningful learning experiences that facilitate meaningful learning experiences that will enhance student literacy. The class will culminate with participants designing a podcasting experience for their students and creating a model using AudioStudio.

70. STI - 5449 -The 1:1 Learning Environment at Edgemont

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 Edgemont

Dates: 7/16/2020 to 7/17/2020

New

71. STI -5409 - Cádiz, Spain, A Crossroads of Civilizations: Field Study & Cultural Immersion

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 7/17/2020 to 7/22/2020

Cádiz, Spain is a true crossroads of civilizations. Founded by the Phoenicians 3100 years ago, Cádiz is one of the oldest continuously occupied cities in Europe, still revealing the historical footprints of Greeks, Romans, Moors, Spanish Bourbon kings and more. As one of the cities from which Christopher Columbus sailed, Cádiz linked Europe with the New World and in later years, played an important role in the geopolitics of Napoleon's Europe and British Imperialism. Cádiz offers teachers an ideal case study for lessons in geography, history, language development, and cross-cultural interaction as reflected in art and architecture. Participants on this field study will have taken two prerequisite courses on the art, history, and culture of Cádiz and will arrive in Cádiz with a specific curricular focus for further investigation such as an historical era, Spanish language development, health and wellness, or sustainability. Through visiting historic sites and meeting local people, teachers will make cultural, historical, and linguistic connections that impact their curricular work as they collaborate with each other in an international setting. By living abroad, teachers will recognize patterns and common problems, and see beyond the stereotypes of a particular culture. Furthermore, participants will design innovative projects, linking this international experience with their current role in the district. Teachers will complete two weekend courses in the spring, Global Networking: the South of Spain, and An Interdisciplinary Introduction to Cádiz, Spain. Teachers will keep a journal of their observations on the field study, prepare an individual or group presentation of their research for when they return, and create a lesson for use with students. Additional fees: approximately $2900. Teachers are responsible for arranging their own air travel and accommodation.

72. STI - 5442 - From the Couch to the Classroom: Educator Use of Psychological Interventions

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 7/20/2020 to 7/22/2020

New

There is a critical link between mental health interventions and school performance. Psychological interventions have helped many students outside the classroom, but in-school applications are even more compelling. Most important, the principles and methods of effective psychological interventions can be independently applied by teachers to improve student performance in the classroom. Therefore, understanding various types of treatments and how teachers can apply these techniques in educating students is crucial for meeting the needs of our children. In this course, educators will learn effective psychological interventions and how to construct, integrate and implement aspects of them in the classroom, in order to enhance student learning and performance. Educators will learn about the critical relationship between mental health interventions and school performance, and how to apply these methods in order to maximize student performance and improve classroom management. Participants will learn a wide range of psychotherapeutic and behavioral techniques, with a primary focus on the most effective evidence-based interventions, such as cognitive behavior therapy and positive psychology. Educators will learn how to extend these methods to their work with individual students in the classroom and with entire classes. Educators will learn how to apply these interventions in order to maximize student performance and improve classroom management. The course will involve lecture, discussion and workshop approaches. Readings and video materials will be presented. Course Requirements: 1. Attend all sessions 2. Create a prototype project for classroom use 3. Provide a written lesson plan or reflection explaining and utilizing course content

73. STI - 5439 - DIY Literacy Summer 2020

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 7/20/2020 to 7/23/2020

New

The authors of DIY Literacy, Kate Roberts and Maggie Beatie Roberts, support using teacher-made literacy tools in the classroom. They write, "Teaching tools create an impact on students' learning. They help students hold onto our teaching and become changed by the work in the classroom." DIY Literacy refers to making literacy tools instead of buying them. This allows teachers to create materials that are specific to their students' needs and learning goals. In this course, teachers will have the opportunity to explore, research, and create literacy resources to enhance reading instruction. Teachers will explore DIY Literacy: Teaching Tools for Differentiation, Rigor, and Independence in depth and access Kate Roberts and Maggie Beatie Roberts through their video series. During the course, participants will create their own literacy resources, including anchor charts, student bookmarks, shared reading text, and games. Through collaboration and discussion, teachers will add valuable resources to their reading instruction.

74. STI - 5450 -Visually Engaging Students in Critical Thinking Skills and Literacy Skills using Storyboards

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12 Edgemont

Dates: 7/21/2020 to 7/22/2020

New

Storyboards are visual organizers which elicit critical thinking skills in design, organization, and creativity. It takes a lot of time to write and format a storyboard. A storyboard also forces the creator, as the designer, to think about the structure and flow of their graphics and text. Why are they designing it this way? Is there a better way to present the information? In this course, teachers will learn how to create storyboards as an instructional tool as well as write lessons/unit where storyboarding enhances new or existing student activities using the 4 Cs model of 21st century learning.

75. STI - 5407 - Myth, Legend, and Lore: A Literary Field Study in Scotland

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 7/23/2020 to 7/29/2020

Scotland is a land steeped in legends, superstitions, and folklore. Strange land formations, sudden shifts in weather, and watery landscapes gave rise to stories about mythical beasts (unicorns, kelpies, the Loch Ness monster), ghost stories, and "faerie" stories that are still part of Scotland's oral tradition. Scottish folklore, like folklore from other parts of the world, is deeply intertwined with local environments, cultures, and language dialects. Prior to this field study, teachers will have read and discussed some of the folktales of Scotland and their impact on culture both throughout history and today. Teachers will begin their study in Edinburgh at the Scottish Storytelling Center for a further background in Scotland's rich oral traditions. Teachers will visit the locations of some of these folktales with input from local folklorists, writers and guides at Loch Ness, Dunkeld, Callanish Standing Stones, Luskentye Beach, Isle of Skye, Fairy Glen, Quiraing, Eilean Donan Castle, and Glencoe. Through their travels and discussions with Scottish educators and locals, they will also learn about the history of Scotland and its relationship with the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the United States. Teachers will collaborate to apply what they have learned experientially in their work with students. Course Requirements: Teachers will complete two weekend prerequisite courses in the spring: Dots and Points on the Map: Scotland and Scottish Folktales Deconstructed. Teachers will keep a journal of their observations on the field study, prepare an individual or group presentation of their research for when they return, and create a lesson for use with students. Additional Fees: Approximately $3050. Teachers are responsible for arranging their own air travel and accommodation.

76. STI - 5432 - Museums as Resources: Global Connections at the Met

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 7/27/2020 to 7/30/2020

New

This summer course will explore the educational resources and opportunities available for teaching history and culture through the Metropolitan Museum's extensive collections of art and artifacts found in the African, Oceanic, Egyptian, Asian, Islamic, European, and American collections. Teachers will have the opportunity to design lessons that encompass a diversity of ethnic and cultural characteristics and will examine works of art through the lenses of race, class, and gender. The week will begin with an overview of the highlights of the various collections, discussion time to review object-based teaching, and an introduction to the MET's educational resources with museum staff from the Uris Center. For the remainder of the week, different collections and exhibitions will be introduced each day, beginning with an overview of masterworks and followed by gallery hunts to select works that will be most useful for the varied curricular needs of teachers. Group discussion time will be scheduled each day over working lunches and during afternoon breaks.

Program: Scarsdale Teachers Institute

Audience: K-12

Dates: 8/24/2020 to 8/25/2020

New

The iPad is one of the most robust content creating devices ever created. At your finger tips is a camera, video camera, photo editor, video editor, and connection to the internet. You can shoot, edit, and share your story all from this single device. Participants will learn how to use a few apps to tell polished stories and share them with your community. Apps like Adobe Voice and Tellagami engage students and parents alike and do more than a static poster. Putting students in new settings using a green screen, filming, and uploading to YouTube are all functions of storytelling that can be accomplished on an iPad. Augmented reality brings the paper bulletin board to life by playing your media rich stories off any piece of paper with no more than an app on your iPad. In this weekend course, participants will bring their iPad and learn how to improve storytelling to the next level from start to finish using the latest App technologies.

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