SMETHPORT — Ryan Devlin, Pennsylvania’s 2013 Teacher of the Year and one of four finalists for 2014 National Teacher of the Year, will present “Turbocharged Teaching with Technology,” a four-day course at the 14th annual Seneca Highlands Intermediate Unit Nine Summer Curriculum Institute in June.
“The Institute will be held June 9-13, although Devlin’s course will meet from June 9-12,” said Cindy Murphy, IU9’s director of curriculum, technology and resources and conference coordinator.
Devlin’s two-credit course will focus on providing teachers with free technology resources that can be implemented in all content areas and grade levels.
Enrollment is limited to 40.
“Due to a change in Devlin’s schedule, this course, originally slated for all five days of the Institute, has been changed to four days,” Murphy said. “A workshop, ‘Literacy Design Collaborative,’ is being offered on June 13. Teachers are working together through a shared framework to build tasks and instructional modules that meet the cognitive demands of the English Language Arts standards. Those modules offer a new way for teachers to create robust tasks aligned with the standards in science, social studies and ELA classrooms.”
On March l, the State Board of Education adopted academic standards in 12 content areas that define what students should know and be able to do at specific grade levels.
The Institute will offer workshops designed specifically for teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, psychologists, education specialists, parents and community agency representatives.
Two classes are scheduled for June 9. On June 9, Murphy will present a course of engagement strategies highlighting several strategies teachers can use immediately in their classrooms. Among the strategies that may be included are Tabletop Twitter, Gallery Walks, Foldables, Interactive Notebooks, as well as Choice Boards and Anchor Charts.
Tanya Dynda, an IU9 instructional technology specialist, will teach the course: “iPad 101: Essential Skills for Educators,” during which teachers will become familiar with the operations and basic management of this device.
Jennifer Ross, a member of the Pennsylvania Value Added Assessment System, is the presenter for “PVAAS Teacher-Specific Reporting: Where Do We Go From Here?” on Tuesday. This full-day session will review the concept of growth as measured by PVAAS and introduce the PVAAS Teacher specific Reports that are a direct result of PVAAS Roster Verification. Instruction will provide a foundational understanding as to how PVAAS measures growth for PVAAS Teacher specific Reporting.
Beginning on June 10 and continuing through June 12 is “iClassroom,” a one-credit course taught by Dynda that will focus on teaching universal principles of technology integration in the area of mobile devices, specifically the iPad.
A free workshop for parents and the community has been scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. June 10. Presented by Judy Zetts, an IU9 trainer and consultant, the free session is designed for parents of school-age children, ages preschool to middle school. Numerous ideas, tips, strategies, educational websites, activities and make ‘n take projects will be presented.
“Family Engagement” is slated for June 11 and will provide insights of the participation of parents and school personnel in meaningful communication. Kelly Davis, IU9’s coordinator of special programs, will be the presenter.
Murphy returns on Thursday to lead “Project Based Learning,” that will cover the planning stage for teachers to establish goals about the content and skills for the students to master.
Dynda and Murphy are both scheduled to conduct workshops on June 13.
Dynda’s class, “Steam Ahead with K’Nex” is based on K/Nex Education sets, which are effective learning tools that help teach basic and complex science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics concepts.
During Murphy’s presentation of “SLOs -Student Learning Objectives,” the session begins with a review of the Educator Effectiveness system implemented in the state. Educators will then walk through the development of student learning objectives and focus on developing SMART goals.
Registration for the Institute opens at 7:30 p.m. May 5. People are encouraged to register online and early to be assured of getting their first choice.
To register online, follow these steps: 1.) go to the IU9 website at www.iu9.org; 2.) under Site Shortcuts, click Course Registration;” 3.) click “View by Category;” 4.) click “Summer Curriculum Institute/GO; 5.) Click the workshop for which you wish to register; 6.) click “Log on;” 7.) follow steps for registration; 8.) click “Submit Registration.”
In order to receive Act 48 credits, teachers must present their Professional Personal Identification number on the day they attend the Institute.
For question about online registration, contact Shelby Johnson at IU9 or email her at sjohnson@iu9.org.
