The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for Administrators course was a huge success! The administrators in this course are fired up!
Cheri Grant, Hamilton County Schools, Chattanooga, TN
After completing the training course, each Online Professional Development Specialist facilitates online workshops, selected from the catalog of ETLO workshops below. These workshops are developed and kept up-to-date by leading experts in educational technology, and include workshops for elementary, middle and high school teachers, administrators, and workshops for teachers of all subject areas and grade levels. Each workshop is six sessions long and includes an overview, resources, activities, and discussions. As your staff run the selected workshops, they continue to receive support and mentoring via an online forum.
Workshops will be updated and additional workshops will be developed each year.
Workshops for Teachers of All Grade Levels and Content Areas
Workshops for Elementary Teachers
Workshops for Middle School and High School Teachers
Workshops for School and District Leaders
Addressing the individual learning styles of students can be a challenge for teachers. The World Wide Web contains a vast number of resources to assist teachers in understanding and planning for the different avenues through which students learn best. Suitable for participants of all grade levels and subject areas, this workshop will review a range of web sites providing information about learning theory related to learning styles and multiple intelligences, as well as resources to assist teachers in both identifying students' learning styles and intelligences and engaging students in activities which best suit those styles and intelligences. Participants will become familiar with teaching strategies and tools targeted for each learning style and intelligence and develop a preliminary lesson plan using those strategies and tools.
Improving student learning and achievement can be accomplished most effectively through the use of data analysis to understand student learning needs and to make instructional decisions. This workshop is designed to help participants gain knowledge and skill in using data to improve student learning. Through this course, teachers will learn the importance of using data to plan appropriate instructional experiences for their students and to identify and analyze the measures of data to understand student learning needs. Participants are guided to develop the practice of gathering and analyzing data in a systematic and continuous manner. As part of this workshop, participants will review data-driven decision-making theory regarding multiple measures of data and they will analyze intersections of the data to answer questions about student achievement and how to improve student learning. Participants will learn to use tools to gather and analyze formative data to identify trends and gaps in learning. As a final product in this workshop participants will create an action plan to guide instructional change in their own classrooms and to lead to the improvement of student learning and achievement.
This workshop is designed to familiarize participants with the principles of Project-Based Learning (PBL). Throughout this six-week workshop, exemplary projects will be analyzed, critiqued, and evaluated for applicability to participants' classroom needs. Participants will gain hands on experience using software tools to support the planning and execution of projects, and develop collaborative, inquiry-based projects that support their curricular goals. Participants will learn to blend PBL and standards-based design strategies to create curriculum units that enhance student learning at all grade levels and subject areas. Each participant will leave the online workshop with preliminary plans for a PBL project.
This workshop is designed to help teachers learn how they can more effectively include, instruct and nurture students whose native language is not English. Educators of all grade levels and subject areas will learn strategies and instructional approaches to help ELL students access all aspect s of the curriculum. The content covered in this course will help teachers learn to apply the ELP (English Language Proficiency) Standards to their classroom instruction, build their knowledge about second language acquisition, and inform them of strategies that will help them to provide English Language Learners with a safe and accepting environment in which to learn so that they can excel academically. This workshop will also highlight the many ways that technology can be used to help ELL students to access curriculum materials. Participants design their own lessons and activities that take advantage of available technologies to more effectively reach all students.
In order to be successful in content area classes such as social studies, science, and mathematics, students must be able to read a variety of informational texts and produce written documents. This workshop will give teachers the tools they need to integrate literacy strategies into content learning to help raise student achievement. Participants will use the Literacy Matters web site as an anchor throughout this workshop for exploring instructional strategies. By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to locate web-based tools, strategies, and lessons that foster literacy skills in all content areas. They will also have developed a preliminary lesson plan incorporating these tools and strategies.
This workshop provides an introduction to the concept of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and strategies for implementing a UDL approach in instructional settings. Universal Design for Learning is an approach to teaching and learning and the development of curriculum and assessment that draws on current brain research and new media technologies to respond to individual differences. This workshop is designed to acquaint participants with UDL principles and provide practical, hands-on experience using software tools and digital media for learning support. Participants will explore how these tools can be incorporated into their classroom practice and plan a lesson that uses these tools.
In this workshop, participants will explore the use of online resources to enhance inquiry-based teaching and learning in science. Over the course of this six session workshop, participants will become familiar with science-themed websites, online collaborative projects, science blogs and wikis, and the mapping applications Google Maps and Google Earth. Considerable attention is paid to helping participants identify ways that they can integrate these tools into their practice, and thus enrich their students’ engagement with science content. Promoting scientific inquiry is a central theme, and serves as a lens for this course. Participants consider the issue of assessment, specifically as it relates to inquiry and the use of online tools, later in the course. As a final project, participants develop plans for an inquiry-based science lesson that uses an Internet-based data source.
The World Wide Web from over a decade ago delivered information—a website's owner created content for others to view. Today's Web, thanks to new developments in technology, is much more participatory. There are a multitude of Web-based tools—blogs, wikis, microblogs, social bookmarks, and social networks to name a few—that allow people to collaborate and share information with each other. This use of the Web is so different than before that it has been dubbed "Web 2.0" while the era of the static content is considered “Web 1.0.” The participatory nature of Web 2.0 has caught the interest of many educators; students can create and share content, collaborate with each other, and build knowledge communities using the same tools that they enjoy using outside of school. Many educators are sharing their ideas through various personal learning networks and sharing how these new tools can be used effectively in the classroom. In this workshop, participants will learn how to develop and grow their own personal learning networks to learn more about Web 2.0 and how to harness the interactive and collaborative nature of the tools to better engage and educate their students, both safely and responsibly.
Integrating high-quality Internet resources in the classroom is an important part of teaching students to be critical locators, assessors, readers, and contributors of online content. While many rich resources are available, they are only useful if educators can find them. Today, a search engine is only part of the toolset; Web 2.0 tools like blogs, microblogs, and social bookmarking enable us to find the best resources from other people. Participants in this workshop will explore the range of educational material available on the Internet and develop a varied approach that uses both computer and human networks to find these resources. As a context for integrating these resources more effectively, participants will explore several teaching strategies for better digital media literacy. Participants will leave the workshop with an emerging personal learning network (PLN) that they may continue to nurture and a collection of web resources appropriate for their classroom use.
In this workshop, participants will explore technologies that can be used in elementary math instruction in kindergarten through sixth grade. Participants will review NCTM and state standards and examine the ways in which tools like virtual manipulatives, calculators, spreadsheet programs, online data sources, and applets can support these goals. In particular, the workshop will address ways in which technology can support elementary algebra, geometry, and data analysis standards. Participants will leave the workshop with complete lesson plans for integrating technology into instruction in their own classrooms.
This workshop, co-developed by EDC and CAST (Center for Applied Special Technologies), provides an introduction to the concept of Universal Design for Learning™ (UDL), its neurological basis, and strategies for a UDL approach in instructional settings. The basic premise of universal design for learning is that a curriculum should include alternatives to make it accessible and applicable to students, teachers, and parents with different backgrounds, learning styles, abilities, and disabilities in widely varied learning contexts. The workshop is designed to acquaint participants with the basic premise of UDL, and to provide practical, hands on experience using software tools and digital media for learning support. It is designed for all those interested in educating diverse learners in general education classrooms: teachers, administrators, curriculum coordinators, technology specialists, and parents.
In this workshop, participants will learn about an inquiry-based framework that helps engage students in research, and explore how technology can support this in the classroom. Through readings and hands-on exploration, participants will consider how to safely use a variety of tools—both established technologies, such as Inspiration and Google, as well as some Web 2.0 technologies such as blogging and social bookmarking—to support brainstorming and concept mapping, locating and evaluating relevant information, organizing and analyzing information, and preparing presentations and reports. By the end of the course, participants will have created a technology-rich curriculum for a research unit around a theme of their choice.
In this workshop, participants will take an in-depth look at the power of digital portfolios as a tool to document student learning through exploring various formats and uses of digital portfolios in classrooms. Participants will also be introduced to a wide variety of tools that can be used to create and assemble digital portfolios, and investigate criteria that may be used to select components that would be included in the portfolio. Participants will leave the workshop with detailed plans for implementing a digital portfolio project in their respective classrooms.
Effective assessment is a key element for student achievement and a topic that all people in the field of education must address. Assessment is an ongoing process, requiring multiple methods to assure that teachers gather accurate information that meets the needs of all students. In this workshop, participants will explore effective principles of classroom assessment at all grade levels and subject areas and a range of assessment methods supported by technology. Participants will review formative and performance assessment, backwards design, and various methods including rubrics and electronic portfolios. By the end of the workshop, participants will design new assessments to use with their curriculum.
This workshop will enable teachers of all grade levels and subject areas to use Internet resources to design a "virtual field trip" for their students. Participants will become familiar with the strategies and resources that educators use to design these field trips, as well as tips and tricks to ensure their success. By the end of the workshop, participants will have designed effective and engaging virtual field trips for their students that are aligned to state and national standards.
In this workshop, participants will learn how even the most basic cell phones can be used as powerful tools for teaching and learning. When integrated with free, web-based resources, cell phones offer students the ability to share ideas through activities such as blogging, podcasting, and data gathering. While there are many legitimate concerns about using cell phones in schools, it is important that schools prepare students for success in a world overflowing with information. It is also important for students to learn how to use technology ethically and responsibly. This workshop will highlight meaningful ways that cell phones can be used as learning tools in and out of the classroom, while also addressing the challenges and resistance that many educators face when trying to integrate cell phones into learning activities.
In this workshop, participants will learn about how a well-designed WebQuest can cover core subject area content while also addressing essential 21st Century skills, such as critical thinking, collaboration and media literacy. Participants will delve into the specific components that comprise an effective online learning experience and explore a number of tools—including social bookmarking and wikis—that they can use to enhance collaboration and produce dynamic final projects. Participants will then use all of these resources to put together their own WebQuest, and will also create a plan for assessing students’ performance. Throughout this workshop, participants will learn how the WebQuest model, enhanced with Web 2.0 resources, can help students gain and apply content knowledge while developing media literacy skills necessary for the modern world.
One of the most important tasks for children in the first five years of life is the development of language. Children enter early care settings with vast differences in vocabulary and oral language development, and early educators can meet this challenge by providing language-rich learning environments. This workshop will provide early childhood educators with an understanding of young children's oral language development and appropriate approaches for promoting language and emergent literacy in their classrooms. This workshop will focus on effective methods for developing children’s vocabulary knowledge through book reading and discussions, and advancing children’s language through extended conversations. Additionally, participants will learn to create opportunities for rich discourse and build children’s background knowledge. Workshops assignments will invite participants to apply relevant content and plan meaningful, language-rich curricular activities.
Book reading in the early childhood classroom is not only one of the most important practices for building later reading success, but it is probably one of the more enjoyable experiences for both teachers and children. In this workshop early childhood educators will explore quality children’s literature and best book reading practices. Participants will learn ways to share various genres of books in the classroom. They will learn the importance of multiple re-readings and strategies to foster children’s vocabulary knowledge, print concepts, phonological awareness, and reading comprehension during large and small group readings. Workshop assignments will invite participants to research quality children’s literature and develop book reading planners with specific goals for children’s learning.
English Language Arts and Literacy
In this workshop, participants will examine best practices for direct vocabulary instruction in order to build the breadth and depth of students? vocabulary for both comprehension and written expression in grades three through five. Participants will learn the importance of creating a word-conscious learning environment that encourages motivation and interest in learning new words. Participants will learn how to model and encourage independent word-learning strategies that students can apply while engaging in wide and varied reading. They will also explore the value of instructing students to infer the meaning of words from context and word parts. For their final project, participants will incorporate components of a balanced vocabulary program by designing a vocabulary lesson based on a classroom text?either fiction or non-fiction.
Research on reading comprehension has demonstrated that readers differ in how they approach reading and the meaning they construct from text. Researchers have found that good readers use specific strategies to comprehend text, and those instructional programs that explicitly teach these strategies have been successful in improving students? comprehension. In this workshop, participants will examine teaching practices that help students in grades three through five develop concrete strategies for constructing meaning from both narrative and expository text. The goal for strategy instruction is to prepare students to become active and purposeful readers who think about their text before, during and after reading. Participants will also explore instructional procedures that help students learn how to coordinate key comprehension strategies.
All students have the capacity to be good writers and writers learn to write by writing. These are basic tenets of this workshop during which participants will learn instructional strategies to teach students in the upper elementary grades how to write narrative and informational text. Participants will explore how to teach their students about the traits of good writing through mini-lessons and writing conferences and how to use established criteria to evaluate writing. They will recognize that writing is a process and consider how to organize instruction to guide students through the stages. Participants will go through the instructional cycle from writing prompt to revision as they create their final projects.
Participants in this workshop will discover the many ways in which new technologies can support classroom reading instruction in kindergarten through third grade. As they examine existing research on literacy technologies, participants will also review or familiarize themselves with the five areas of instruction discussed in the National Reading Panel's 2000 report on early reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension. The workshop will put special emphasis on evidence-based uses of technology for reading instruction.
In this workshop, participants will explore how new technologies can support emerging literacy development in kindergarten through second grade. Participants will investigate tools and strategies that can help build phonemic awareness and facilitate the transition from invented spelling to English spelling. Participants will also explore strategies for integrating reading and writing with meaningful project-based activities, and experiment with software tools for publishing student work and creating class books. Participants will complete the workshop with a number of resources and ideas for immediate classroom use.
This course will help teachers and specialists that work with students in grades three through six to develop a technology-enhanced lesson that addresses national and local literacy standards and that connects reading and writing with other curriculum areas. To support this development process, participants will examine a sample lesson plan that incorporates several ways technology can support reading and writing across the curriculum. Participants will experiment with technologies that can be used to develop vocabulary and facilitate each phase of the writing process, including concept-mapping, peer review, editing, and publishing student work. They will examine how the Internet can be used to foster reading-writing connections and to help students develop critical research skills. Participants will also be introduced to assistive technologies that can help students with special needs learn to read and write independently. Participants will also discuss assessment strategies for technology-enhanced literacy projects.
Mathematics
This workshop provides an opportunity for teachers of grades 3 through 5 to explore how mathematical models can be used to promote a deep understanding of fractions and fractional relationships. All too often, students are taught mechanical ways to make sense out of fractions, whether in the form of an addition algorithm or a procedure that produces equivalent fractions. This course offers alternative ideas for fraction instruction and is premised on the belief that students can come to understand fractions in a number of different ways. Completion of a student interview and a final project are integral parts of this course. A variety of readings, applets, and videos form the content of this course, and participants are expected to share ideas with their online colleagues in the discussion forums.
This workshop, The Complexities of Measurement, will give participants an understanding of common misconceptions students have about measurement and will provide some tools and strategies to help students improve their conceptual understanding of this topic. The workshop will explore why it is important to study measurement in the upper elementary grades as well as why teachers need to pay particular attention to the ideas of unitization and iteration. In the final project for this course, participants will design activities for their students that promote a conceptual understanding of measurement and which are immediately useful in the classroom.
This workshop provides teachers of grades 3 through 5 with an opportunity to explore how activities that foster algebraic thinking can be integrated into the elementary classroom. Algebraic thinking consists of more than just learning how to solve for the variables x and y; it helps students think about mathematics at an abstract level, and provides them with a way to reason about real-life problems. In this course, participants will explore three components of algebraic thinking: making generalizations, thinking about the equals sign, and being able to reason about unknown quantities. As participants stretch their own algebraic reasoning skills, they will also spend considerable time thinking about how to integrate algebraic tasks into their own classroom instruction. This course uses readings, video, online discussion boards, a final project, and engaging mathematics problems to promote the idea that the incorporation of algebraic thinking tasks in elementary school mathematics is critical to students’ future success.
In this workshop, participants will explore technologies that can be used in elementary math instruction in kindergarten through sixth grade. Participants will review NCTM and state standards and examine the ways in which tools like virtual manipulatives, calculators, spreadsheet programs, online data sources, and applets can support these goals. In particular, the workshop will address ways in which technology can support elementary algebra, geometry, and data analysis standards. Participants will leave the workshop with complete lesson plans for integrating technology into instruction in their own classrooms.
Students in grades K–4 are faced with new, unfamiliar problems in school each day—many of them in math lessons. How do these students use their existing knowledge to make sense of new problems, and what strategies do they use to solve them? In this workshop, participants will learn what it means to do “math problem solving” activities and consider the benefits of integrating these types of problems into their elementary math instruction. Specific problem solving techniques—from “guess and check” to “create a model”—will be discussed. In addition to stretching and considering their own problem solving skills, participants will also analyze examples of students’ work to learn about their mathematical thinking and the strategies they use when faced with unfamiliar math problems. Knowing how students are thinking about a problem is only one part of helping them to become better solvers of problems; learning to ask questions that challenge, clarify, and broaden their thinking is also essential. Participants will learn strategies for asking questions that promote problem solving skills and conduct a small group interview with students to practice these strategies. Towards the end of this workshop participants will apply what they have learned to their own classrooms, creating a lesson plan for integrating problem solving activities that they can use in their instruction.
Ask a group of elementary school students to name a language, and chances are they will not reply “mathematics.” Yet from the time young children begin going to school, they are expected to discuss their mathematical thinking using the vocabulary, structures, and ideas of mathematics. In this module, participants will learn why communicating about mathematics is important for young students, as well as why it can be so difficult for them. They will consider how math and literacy instruction intersect in the elementary classroom, and explore ways of pushing students to explain their thinking beyond “I just know the answer.” Participants will learn questioning strategies that can help students communicate, justify, and defend their mathematical ideas, and watch videos of real classroom teachers using these strategies. By the end of this module, participants will have created a lesson plan that integrates communication-based activities into their elementary math instruction.
Science
Participants in this course will learn about the science behind electric circuits and how this content can be taught through inquiry. The course will help teachers gain a better understanding of electricity and circuits, including conducting and insulating materials, open and closed circuits, and series and parallel circuits. Participants will learn numerous inquiry-based teaching strategies throughout the course. They will consider inquiry-based methods to introduce the content to students and will enhance their questioning techniques to help students make predictions about the content. Participants will also learn strategies for managing inquiry-based lessons in the classroom and tools for assessing students’ understanding of the content. Through completion of an inquiry-based lesson plan as a final project, participants will demonstrate much of what they learned about the content and teaching methods described above.
State and national science standards call for teaching elementary students about day/night cycles, seasons, and the phases of the moon. In this six-session workshop, participants will learn how to use scientific inquiry to foster exploration—and ultimately understanding—about the movements of the earth, moon, and sun. This course is written from an inquiry standpoint; therefore, participants will work to construct their own knowledge about natural phenomena (through the use of shadow trackers and moon journals) as they learn how to integrate inquiry strategies into classroom instruction. Specific content knowledge, such as learning the reason for day/night cycles, phases of the moon, and the reasons for seasons are integrated into this course. Participants will learn to facilitate inquiry-based learning in their classroom, from thinking about why inquiry is important to posing questions that promote discovery. Participants will be expected to complete and submit a lesson plan as a final product by the end of the course.
In this six-session workshop, participants in this course will learn about the structures and behaviors of organisms that enable them to live successfully in their environments and how this scientific content can be enhanced through literacy integration. Participants will hone their content knowledge about the basic needs of living things, habitats, interactive relationships, food webs and adaptations. In addition, the workshop will focus on integrating literacy strategies such as science notebooks/journals, concept maps, and literature into science lessons. As a final project, participants will prepare a plan for integrating literacy into an existing life science unit and a reflection piece about the process of keeping a science notebook throughout the course.
Mathematics
In this workshop, participants will learn about different components and levels of proportional reasoning. They will complete classroom tasks that illustrate ways to develop stronger conceptual understanding and that target different components of proportional reasoning. They will use video and written examples of student work. They will also conduct a student interview in order to reflect on students? approaches and to identify evidence of proportional reasoning at various levels. For the final project, participants will create a lesson that targets a component of proportional reasoning and that incorporates questioning techniques learned in the workshop. They will provide a rationale for the lesson that relates to the material learned in the workshop and reflect on their own learning.
In this workshop, participants will help middle school teachers learn approaches to teaching functions using visual models. Participants in this workshop will become familiar with strategies to help students develop a strong conceptual understand of functions and with tasks that allow students to explore situations of both linear and non-linear functions. Participants will also engage in creating classroom tasks to help students make connections between multiple representations of functions. Participants will evaluate a variety of applets throughout this course, and they will conduct an interview with a small group of students about their experiences using an applet. In the final project for this course, participants will design a lesson plan using an applet to explore the concept of function.
In this workshop, Geometric Measurement, designed for teachers in the middle and high school grades, participants will become familiar with relevant research in teaching geometric measure and learn how to analyze student work to inform their instruction. They will complete classroom tasks designed to help them learn approaches to teaching geometric measurement to help students develop stronger conceptual understanding and procedural knowledge, especially in linear measurement, area, surface area and perimeter. They will also explore relationships between perimeter and area and between area and surface area. In addition, they will become familiar with virtual manipulatives designed to promote both conceptual and procedural knowledge around geometric measurement. For the final project, participants will complete an analysis of a math task and a personalized version of the student work template for use in their own classrooms.
In this workshop for middle school teachers of mathematics, participants will explore the nature of algebraic thinking and develop strategies for encouraging the development of algebraic thinking in their students. Through readings, video clips, and examination of student work, participants will learn to: 1) recognize and build on opportunities for algebraic thinking in a variety of mathematics contexts; 2) analyze their students' algebraic thinking; and 3) pose questions that encourage the development of algebraic thinking. Participants will also produce a lesson plan that incorporates the key concepts of the workshop.
This workshop will prepare teachers to use virtual manipulatives to help their students get ready for algebra. Participants will explore the 17 Algebra Readiness indicators developed by the SREB (Southern Region Education Board) and ETS (the Educational Testing Service), including the five "process" indicators and the twelve "content and skills" indicators. Participants will learn how they can use virtual manipulatives and other technologies to help their students gain proficiency in order to be successful algebra students. Participants will complete a technology enhanced classroom project for their students that is aligned to NCTM and state standards.
This workshop focuses specifically on supporting the academic development of students who are competent decoders but who struggle to understand the meaning of what they read. We will explore the different types of comprehension difficulties students may face and will introduce a number of research-based strategies to improve comprehension skills. Instructional strategies will focus on building vocabulary skills, using teacher modeling, having students work collaboratively, and building comprehension monitoring skills. As a final project, participants will design and implement a lesson plan focused on improving students' reading comprehension.
Technology tools and web-based materials provide important ways for math educators to meet local and national standards that emphasize problem solving and making connections between mathematics, other disciplines and the real world. This workshop will enable middle and high school math teachers the opportunity to explore a range of web-based resources and exemplary projects which utilize technology to support these goals. Participants will learn how to find sources of real data on the web and explore technology tools that help students model, analyze, visualize and make sense of these data. Participants will complete the workshop with a collection of resources and beginning project ideas that serve their curricular goals.
Algebra 1
Other than graphs, the most basic concepts in data analysis are measures of central tendency—a value that is somehow “representative” of the entire data set. Measures of central tendency are fairly simple to describe and calculate, but their relevance and effectiveness in interpreting and comparing data, including their limitations, is often overlooked. This module looks at what measures are helpful for a particular context and how knowing more than one can provide a more complete picture of a data set. Participants will explore a variety of situations to consider how they can help their students appropriately use this mathematics to interpret data.
Functions are an essential part of mathematical work from algebra on, but their role in an Algebra I course, and the reasons for studying them, are sometimes unclear. In the world outside the classroom, functions are most useful for planning and making predictions. To do that, however, students need a workable description (such as a symbolic equation) of the function. This module looks at functional relationships and how they are used and described. By taking a fresh look at both formal and informal understandings of the concept of a function, participants will explore the best ways to provide more clarity around functions in their own classrooms.
Measurement is flawed by its very nature, and there’s no way around that fact. Error (or, perhaps more appropriately, uncertainty) in measurement is not something that can be avoided completely by using tools correctly, or being careful; every measurement tool has limitations in precision that ideally should be considered in any final answer. This module explores the effects of this inevitable error on computations that require measurements. Beginning with a review of precision and both absolute and relative error, the module asks participants to find errors in typical computations to get a firm understanding of how measurement errors can be compounded by calculations. Participants will then algebraically “trace” errors to gain a deeper understanding of how operations interact with the error. Finally, they will consider how to work with their students to understand the role of measurement error.
“Representation” in mathematics goes beyond writing an equation that fits a particular context or word problem, or creating a graph from an equation. The interconnectedness of tables, graphs, verbal descriptions, and symbolic form of functions and equations provides richness to mathematical understanding. Each representation conveys information that may not be present, or immediately obvious, in the other representations. The use of technology allows quick translation between representations, but students must still interpret the results and synthesize the information presented.
This module focuses on the interconnectedness of representations; how the information provided by different representations affects the processes used to translate one representation from another, how we make sense of the relationships between the different representations, and what representations are best for learning a concept or solving a problem. Participants will consider how to use the information conveyed by each representation and explore some ways in which technology, including graphing calculators and spreadsheets, can help teachers and students use multiple representations to more fully present a concept or understand a problem.
How many ways can you choose three books from a shelf with four books? This question is fairly simple, and even elementary school children can solve it. But change the number of books to five, six, or more; ask about the order in which the books are chosen; or make some of the books identical—and the problem quickly becomes much more complex. This module explores the answers to combinatorics questions like this and its variations. Beginning with the question of whether order matters, and how to tell, participants will compare such problems and think through basic counting techniques to develop formulas for combinations and permutations. Using this approach, participants will develop strategies for helping students better understand the mathematics, instead of memorizing formulas.
Rates of change are an important part of the characteristics of every family of functions, from the first mention in algebra when students work with linear functions (constant rate of change) through calculus. Algebra students are usually introduced to rate of change in the context of slope, which provides an incomplete picture of what is meant by rate of change and how the rate of change is intimately connected with the form of a function. This module (and the related module, “Rates of Change 2: Continuous Representations”) connects rates of change to different types of functions, with an emphasis on why these rates give particular forms, to help teachers provide a more complete understanding for students. In this module, the topic is approached using discrete values, through tables and sequences.
Rates of change are an important part of the characteristics of every family of functions, from the first mention in algebra when students work with linear functions (constant rate of change) through calculus. But what, exactly, is a rate of change, and how is the rate of change so intimately connected with the form of a function? Building on the work from the Rates of Change 1: Discrete Representations module, participants will continue to connect rates of change to different types of functions with an emphasis on why these rates give particular forms. This module moves the study of rates of change to continuous change through the graphs of functions. Rates of change connects nicely to the “real world,” so participants will explore the mathematics presented in this module through a variety of real-world contexts.
This module focuses on slope as a rate of change, beginning with a qualitative understanding of slope as “steepness,” then using proportion to recognize why the ratios of corresponding changes in the dependent and independent variables would be constant in a linear equation—leading to the quantitative definition of slope.
Proportionality is a major theme in middle school mathematics courses. In fact, NCTM’s Curriculum Focal Points identifies proportionality (including similarity) as a focus for Grade 7. By examining slope through the lens of proportionality, participants will develop new strategies for teaching the concept of slope to their students that move away from a focus on using a formula to identify the slope of a line, and towards a more in-depth consideration of what information slope provides about a mathematical relationship. This module extends proportionality to include all linear functions, and in doing so leads us to recognize the importance of slope (specifically, constant slope) as the defining feature of linearity.
This module delves into applications of slope, both on and off the coordinate plane. In each session, participants will consider a different kind of application. Participants will first work with functions to model authentic situations (such as costs for purchasing music online) and consider how to use slope to understand the overall trend of data. Then, they will investigate how slope can be used to enhance other classroom topics, such as writing different equations for lines and determining properties of geometric figures. Finally, using slope (and linear functions), participants will consider a variation of some advanced uses that students will see in their later studies with non-linear data and functions. By exploring these different applications, participants will have some resources to help their students develop a deeper and broader understanding of slope.
In this module, participants will review common methods for solving systems of linear equations, including informal algebraic thinking and graphing, as well as formal substitution and elimination methods. Students often get “lost” in the steps of solution methods because their understanding of the mathematics of systems of equations is not deep enough. By considering commonalities and connections among the methods, participants will have the opportunity to think beyond the mechanics of the methods and look more closely at the mathematical concepts behind them.
This module focuses on the different uses of variable and how they are connected. Many students have a fairly simple view of a variable—as nothing more than an unknown to be solved. The Comprehensive Curriculum for Algebra I promotes a functional approach to algebra that requires a more sophisticated understanding of variables. Students who stay with a simpler perspective sometimes have difficulty when a variable shifts from one kind of use to another, while those who have a more complex understanding of variables can move their thinking seamlessly, without consciously realizing that the use has changed. Paying attention to this issue can help teachers recognize some of the difficulties students have when learning about, and working with, variables.
Science
In this workshop, participants will explore the use of online resources to enhance inquiry-based teaching and learning in science. Over the course of this six session workshop, participants will become familiar with science-themed websites, online collaborative projects, science blogs and wikis, and the mapping applications Google Maps and Google Earth. Considerable attention is paid to helping participants identify ways that they can integrate these tools into their practice, and thus enrich their students’ engagement with science content. Promoting scientific inquiry is a central theme, and serves as a lens for this course. Participants consider the issue of assessment, specifically as it relates to inquiry and the use of online tools, later in the course. As a final project, participants develop plans for an inquiry-based science lesson that uses an Internet-based data source.
English Language Arts and Literacy
This workshop will help middle school teachers learn about comprehension strategies that students need to apply in order to comprehend a variety of text types. Participants will explore the challenges students commonly experience with different types of text, strategies employed by successful readers, and instructional approaches to support students in developing reading comprehension strategies. Throughout the workshop, participants will gather ideas about designing a lesson plan that focuses on developing students' use of comprehension strategies. Participants will leave this workshop with many new strategies and resources for fostering the reading comprehension of their students.
This workshop will expand participants' understanding of vocabulary development and instructional techniques that are effective in helping students in grades six through eight expand their vocabularies. Participants will learn how to assess students? vocabulary knowledge and select words from a text that are most useful for instruction, including those with high-frequency Greek and Latin word parts. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to explore online resources for vocabulary development and assess their own current vocabulary teaching strategies. This workshop is designed to help teachers and other educators learn new ways to extend the vocabularies of middle school students.
In today's middle school writing classroom, the pressures to achieve state and national standards are overwhelming for students and teachers alike. Many classrooms focus so completely on writing the perfect essay that the fun of writing wanes. In this workshop, participants will examine two common essay types?informative and persuasive?as they are approached in several non-traditional ways. To complement these alternative ways of teaching these two essay types, this workshop will also re-examine the writing process, writing motivation for teachers and students, and formative evaluation methods for writing progress. The end result of this work is a final lesson plan for an informative or persuasive essay that utilizes a creative approach in its instruction. It is the overall goal of this workshop to rekindle motivation and creativity in middle school writing instruction to help teachers and students have some fun on their journey toward the perfect essay.
When teachers integrate adolescent literature into the curriculum, students are given an opportunity to learn about themselves and the world during a critical time in their development. Recent research on reading development suggests a growing number of evidence-based practices that can help students with the complex process of reading to make meaning. In this workshop, participants will learn how to select literature for students of varied needs and how to improve students' reading comprehension through questioning techniques. They will also explore a wide range of literature response strategies and techniques for assessment. As a final product, participants will create a classroom lesson based on the strategies learned in this workshop.
This workshop will support teachers of middle and high school students in their incorporation of technology tools into the writing curriculum. Participants will be introduced to powerful software and web-based tools that enhance the various stages of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, and publishing. Participants will also explore a range of resources and exemplary projects that take advantage of these technologies in the classroom. For example, participants will discover the potential of writing exchanges on electronic networks, view examples of such projects, and think together about how these tools could be incorporated into their specific curricula. Participants will complete the workshop with a collection of resources and preliminary lesson plans that address their local or state standards and curricular goals.
This workshop will enable world language teachers to use Web 2.0 tools to support teaching and learning of the “Five C’s” identified in the Standards for Foreign Language Learning from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL): Communication, Cultures, Comparisons, Connections, and Communities. Participants will explore tools such as blogs, social bookmarking, asynchronous text and audio discussions, multimedia sharing sites, and podcasts. Participants will learn how to integrate these tools into their instruction and assessment in support of key curricular goals. They will also be expected to complete and submit a final product consisting of a lesson plan that incorporates at least two of the Web 2.0 tools introduced in the course.
Social Studies
There is a tremendous wealth of Web-based resources that support active learning and primary research in the Social Studies classroom for teachers of all grade levels. Participants will explore the range of available primary and secondary resources including collections of original documents, vast reservoirs of secondary historical information, and online resources designed to support Social Studies teachers in curriculum development. Participants will consider effective research strategies and engage in critical analysis of web resources. In addition, participants will learn to develop a personal collection of web-based resources for curricular use and develop preliminary plans, using primary or secondary resources available on the Web, to enhance a curriculum unit.
This workshop, co-developed by EDC and CAST (Center for Applied Special Technologies), provides an introduction to the concept of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and strategies for implementing a UDL approach in instructional settings. Universal Design for Learning is a new approach to teaching and learning and the development of curriculum and assessment that draws on current brain research and new media technologies to respond to individual differences. UDL curricula, teaching practices, and policies are inherently flexible and therefore may reduce the demand on educators to develop and implement modifications and accommodations to meet individual differences within general education learning environments. The basic premise of UDL is that a curriculum should include alternatives to make it accessible and applicable to students, teachers, and parents with different backgrounds, learning styles, abilities, and disabilities in widely varied learning contexts.
This workshop is designed to acquaint participants with UDL principles, and provide practical, hands-on experience using software tools and digital media to support learning. Participants will explore how these tools can be incorporated into classroom practice, and begin preliminary steps to design an approach to integrate these concepts into their schools/districts.
Planning for curriculum integration of technology involves building models of teaching and learning that are consistent with good educational practice. A role of administrators is to engage staff in discussions about good uses of technology. When technology is used well, student learning is focused on deeper understandings and connections to the world. School districts are investing heavily in technology for their teachers and students, and are considering how technology can be used to maximize the learning conditions and experiences of their students. This workshop presents what good curriculum integration of technology looks like (and what it does not look like). Participants will use the research and practice of PCIT to assess their own school/district and to develop plans for improving uses of technology that work with current school/district initiatives. By the end of the workshop, participants will have worked with like-minded peers to identify goals for their schools/districts. They will have created action plans that describe success, strategies to monitor and evaluate progress, and ways to communicate most effectively with the stakeholders in the community.
As the number of computers in schools and the number of children accessing the Internet from the classroom have grown exponentially over the past few years, so too have the challenges facing educators trying to ensure that children have a positive experience when they go online. Internet Safety in Schools, co-developed by NEIRTEC (Northeast and the Islands Regional Technology in Education Consortium), the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), and SERC (Satellite Educational Resources Consortium), is an online course designed to help school administrators understand their specific options for protecting children when they access the Internet over a school-based or statewide educational network. The workshop also provides essential information to help administrators understand the requirements of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), a legislation passed in December, 2000 which mandates that schools and libraries receiving E-Rate discounts or federal educational technology funds put Internet safety policies into effect that include filtering or blocking of online material considered harmful to minors. This course will enable educators to: 1) gain a better understanding of the issues related to Internet safety; 2) explore their own school/district's current approaches to protecting students online; and 3) formulate strategies for refining these approaches in light of current legislation and tried practice.
It is imperative that educational leaders have the skills and knowledge necessary to respond to the multiple challenges of reduced budgets, increased accountability requirements, and growing concerns about the impact of technology investments in education. It is no longer sufficient to be knowledgeable about the installation of equipment, networks, software, and professional development models and resources; educators must also have the skills and resources necessary to make strategic decisions about calculating costs, allocating resources, and projecting multiyear budgets.
This workshop will provide appropriate, timely, targeted resources for technology budgeting; help districts and organizations grapple with issues of fiscal accountability; provide a framework outlining the major considerations when budgeting for technology integration; and help educators respond to school board and community concerns about investments in educational technology.
Research indicates that effective school improvement plans should be based on careful analysis of school data. This workshop provides an introduction to the process of using data to guide school reform. Workshop participants will review current data-driven decision-making theory; use technology to identify, gather, and analyze data for patterns and trends; examine the role of disaggregated data; and complete a plan for a school-based data reform effort.
This workshop is designed to acquaint administrators with new online communication and web 2.0 tools that support school operations. The workshop will provide a hands-on introduction to a number of key tools as well as address critical issues that administrators need to consider when introducing these technologies into school practices. Participants will also explore numerous examples where web 2.0 tools are creatively and successfully being used by school administrators and their staffs. By the end of the workshop, administrators will have worked with peers to gain hands-on experience with these technologies, addressed issues surrounding their use, and developed a personal vision and action plan for introducing and using one of these technologies in their schools.
This workshop is designed to acquaint school administrators with several web-based applications, designed by Google, which can be used to streamline communication and collaboration among staff, teachers and students. Focusing on helping busy school administrators find practical ways to collaborate and communicate, this module will provide a hands-on introduction to Google Calendar, Google Docs, and Blogger and will address critical issues for administrators to consider when introducing these technologies into school practices. Throughout the workshop, participants will explore numerous examples of Google applications being used creatively and successfully by school administrators. By the end of the workshop, administrators will have gained hands-on experience with these applications and developed a personal vision and action plan for integrating Google applications into their schools.
A day in the life of a school administrator can be one filled with many time-consuming and isolating tasks. In an age of information abundance, we all have the ability to access, organize and synthesize information in order to solve tough issues. In this workshop, participants will learn how to develop a Personal Learning Network by taking advantage of web-based tools that can help them address the challenges they face on a regular basis. Personal Learning Networks can connect administrators with other school leaders to find solutions to administrative issues, learn about new technology and how to use it effectively, and find links to relevant education news. After exploring exemplary school leaders who currently use these Web 2.0 tools to enhance their lives, participants will learn how tools such as blogs, microblogs, podcasts, RSS feeds, and even their mobile phones can help them to grow their Personal Learning Networks. Participants will then practice all of these tools—Google Reader, Twitter, Blogger, and podcasting—first hand. Participants will learn how to manage and organize information gathered from their learning networks, and how these tools can be used to reflect on professional challenges and successes or to disseminate important school news and information. As a final project, participants will post their action steps for how they will apply what they learned about Personal Learning Networks with their teachers and school community on their blogs.
In this six week course, participants will acquire content knowledge related to various topics in weather and learn a variety of teaching methods for getting these concepts across to students. Resources will include weather mapping tools, wikis, and other web-based resources. Participants will also learn about the role of water in the biosphere, forms of precipitation, causes of storms, and weather measurement instrumentation. Participants will learn how to implement both hands-on activities as well as technology-based lessons that help to deepen students’ knowledge of weather phenomena.
