These workshops are each 3 hours long unless otherwise indicated. All workshops can be modified to fit your needs. Workshops are listed in alphabetical order. If you have any questions, please contact me.
21st Century Skills
You've heard the buzz words, you've seen the enthusiasm, now it's time to learn what it really means to prepare our students for the 21st century. Learn how the ISTE NETS, ALA Information Literacy Standards and the Common Core Learning standards work in conjunction to create a literate student in the 21st century. See ways that you can incorporate all of these standards to help your students succeed.
Basic WebPages (using Google Sites)
This workshop will help teachers create and develop their classroom web pages. These teacher web pages offer a greater opportunity for teachers to develop interactive web enriched lessons. They also offer the opportunity for greater electronic communication between teachers, parents and students. This workshop will also provide an opportunity for teachers to add content to their new web pages.
Blogging for Understanding
Learn about blogs, web based tools that allow students a public audience for their work. You will lean about some of the more popular blogging tools as well as how to use them in your classroom. Examples of classroom blogs will also be provided.
One of the easiest ways to prevent inadvertent plagiarism is to require that kids use appropriate citations. Using citations in their work is a practice that should begin in elementary school. By the time they reach college, students should be prepared to use citations in all of their work. Come to this workshop to learn how to begin using citations. You will also learn how to find the information that is required to create proper MLA and APA citations. Take the guesswork out of citations.
Copyright and Plagiarism
In this workshop you will learn about copyright and plagiarism. You will about the acceptable uses of materials in your curriculum. You will also learn about plagiarism, how to detect it, and how to create assignments that minimize the chance of plagiarism. Often, students engage in plagiarism unaware, and by the time they enter college, have attitudes and habits so ingrained that they struggle to catch up with the demands of college.
Creating WebQuests Session I
This workshop focuses on what WebQuest really are and how to create and incorporate them into your curriculum. You will read articles written by the founders of WebQuests, and we will discuss some of the common misunderstandings about WebQuests. You will then be given a template which can be used on your school webpage, to create a WebQuest. Come prepared with a topic in mind that you wish to create a WebQuest for. This workshop will have two sessions, one where you learn about WebQuests and begin to plan, the second where you will continue to develop your Quest.
Creating WebQuests Session II
This workshop focuses on what WebQuest really are and how to create and incorporate them into your curriculum. In this session you will work on your WebQuest, and take steps to ensure that it is a valid teaching tool.
Designing and Facilitating Online Courses: Notes from the Field
Participants will hear about the experience of one teacher who designed and facilitates an online course for high school juniors and seniors. They will hear about what works, and what doesn't in real life as opposed to theory. Topics include the type of student who succeeds, activities that get them involved and theories that just don't work.
Developing Student Research Projects (7 hours)
This workshop will cover the basic research process and how to implement it with your students in the classroom. Additionally, it will cover how to create research projects that are difficult to plagiarize, while forcing the students to engage in higher level thinking. We will also share ideas for using various technology tools to present the research once students have completed it. There will be time to create a research project, including supporting rubrics and handouts for the students.
Digital Story Telling
Technology provides students with powerful and creative tools for authoring. In this workshop you will see example of a multimedia writing projects. The projects integrate technology in a student-centered way, allowing students to develop multimedia biographies and reports. Students can use photos as well as their own drawings/illustrations (which we can scan) to enhance their project. You will learn to use this powerful tool to create a short film of your own. Please bring digital photos and/or printed photos and/or drawings/illustrations which we can scan.
How to Judge a Web Site By it's Cover
We tell our kids that they need to use quality sources of information for research projects, but do we ever tell them what makes a quality information source? Learn how to judge the quality of an information source by asking yourself simple questions. You will create your own evaluation criteria for judging websites, and apply it to websites to see if it works.
Introduction to Google Drive (6 hours)
Learn how to use this tool which allows you to transport files between work and home, regardless of the word processing/spreadsheet/presentation program you use at home. Google drive can also be used for collaborative work that doesn't require participants to even be in the same country! Participants will also learn how to share documents with students, and collect, grade and return assignments digitally.
iPads in the Classroom, an APPetizing Approach
Learn how to enhance your curriculum with 41 free Apps for the iPad. Participants will have time to view and test each app as we discuss how they can easily be incorporated into your existing curriculum. Please come with your own iPad.
The amount of information we have to offer you is astounding. Even more astounding is that you and your students can access it from anywhere, at anytime, in your pajamas if you so choose! Come learn about the databases that we offer and how they can be used in your classroom to enhance student learning and decrease "Googling."
Video Resources in the classroom
Learn about the variety of free video resources available to you, as well as how to overcome obstacles created by the filtering software. We will look at YouTube, TeacherTube, SchoolTube, Video On Demand as well as how to save these videos for playback on any computer.
Web 2.0 for education Session I
Learn some of the latest and greatest web 2.0 technologies. Learn what they are and how they can be incorporated into your curriculum to increase student motivation and achievement. Learn about blogs and wikis, tools and tutors that will motivate your students to engage in academic discourse. Test out tools like Glogster and VoiceThread to have students creating and engaging. You will spend time familiarizing yourself with these tools, and begin to create lesson plans using the 21st Century and Common Core State Standards that utilize these tools.
Web 2.0 for education Session II - Social Networking
Learn some of the latest and greatest web 2.0 technologies. Learn what they are and how they can be incorporated into your curriculum to increase student motivation and achievement. In Session II you will learn about Scoop.it, Paper.li, Twitter, Pinterest and more. You will spend time familiarizing yourself with these tools, and begin to create lesson plans using the 21st Century and Common Core State Standards Standards that utilize these tools.
What to do with WikiPedia
You know that no matter how many times you say it, kids are going to use WikiPedia to do their research. Let's teach them how to do it right. You will be lead through a series of evaluation tips to use to evaluate WikiPedia articles. This workshop will allow you to evaluate WikiPedia entries, and teach your students the key things to look for. This workshop will also include creative ways to incorporate WikiPedia into your curriculum.
Wiki Wiki Wonders
Wiki wiki on the web, how I wonder what was said. Discover these amazing tools that take collaboration and larger audience to a new level. Learn how to create one with your students to meet Common Core State Standards and National technology standards. This workshop will show to the available tools, and then give you an opportunity to create your one for your classroom.
Participants will hear about the experience of one teacher who designed and facilitates an online course for high school juniors and seniors. They will hear about what works, and what doesn't in real life as opposed to theory. Topics include the type of student who succeeds, activities that get them involved and theories that just don't work. View Presentation Notes
Increase your hAPPiness with Google Drive
This presentation will cover a number of APPs that can be added to your Google Drive to increase productivity and add functionality. Find ways to use Google Apps in courses like Math, Science and Art. Go beyond sharing and writing, jump in to creating! These APPs can be added to your personal Google Drive or to GAFE schools.
Schoology vs. MyBigCampus
Participants will hear about the differences between these two free Learning Managements Systems, the strengths and weaknesses of each, and what each may be better suited for. Participants will then spend time creating a virtual classroom in the LMS of their choice, with guidance by the presenter.
Take Out Your Cell Phones: 10 Easy Ways to Use Cell Phones in Your Curriculum
Participants will learn about 10 easy and practical ways cell phones can be incorporated into the classroom. This is an interactive presentation that requires participants to do the activities as they are presented. Examples of lessons and student created projects will be provided. Cell phones, iPods or other devices are required for admittance.
Pocket Librarianship - Mobile Learning in the Library
Participants will learn about two powerful presentation tools, PowerPoint and Prezi, what each can do, and what each is best suited for. Presented with a co-presenter in a showdown format, this is a hands-on presentation with participants learning how to use each tool.
What Color is your AuRa? Augmented Reality in EducationLearn what Augmented Reality is and how it can be used in your classroom to enhance teaching and learning. Participants will be introduced to AR technology and ways it has been used to enhance student engagement. Please bring a device (iPad, iPhone, Tablet Computer, Smart Phone, etc) with you.