Alaska Staff Development Network

Working Together To Make Schools Better

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Registration Fees for 2024 RTI/MTSS Conferences

Check if your District is a Level 1 or Level 2 Member

One Pre-Conference or Conference Only

Small & Rural Schools Virtual MTSS Pre-Conference (January 20)

  • Level 1 – $125.00
    • Changes to $175.00 after Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023
  • Level 2 – $225.00
    • Changes to $275.00 after Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023

Trauma Engaged MTSS Pre-Conference (January 26)

  • Level 1 – $125.00
    • Changes to $175.00 after Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023
  • Level 2 – $225.00
    • Changes to $275.00 after Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023

MTSS & Effective Instruction Conference (January 27 & 28)

  • Level 1$ – 350.00
    • Changes to $400.00 after Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023
  • Level 2 – $550.00
    • Changes to $600.00 after Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023

Pre-Conference and Conference Bundles + Virtual Options

Trauma Engaged MTSS Pre-Conference & Conference (January 26, 27 & 28)

  • Level 1 – $425.00
    • Changes to $475.00 after Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023
  • Level 2 – $625.00
    • Changes to $675.00 after Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023

Small & Rural Schools Virtual Pre-Con (January 20) & Conference (January 27 & 28)

  • Level 1 – $425.00
    • Changes to $475.00 after Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023
  • Level 2 – $625.00
    • Changes to $675.00 after Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023

All Virtual – Small & Rural Schools Virtual MTSS Pre-Conference (Jan. 20) & Virtual Conference (Jan. 27 & 28)

  • Level 1 & Level 2 – $425.00

Virtual MTSS & Effective Instruction Conference Only (January 27 & 28)

  • Level 1 & Level 2 – $350.00
Both Pre-Conferences and the Conference
  • Small & Rural Schools Virtual Pre-Con (Jan. 20)
  • Trauma Engaged Pre-Con (Jan 26) &
  • Conference (Jan 27 & 28)
  • Level 1 – $525.00
    • Changes to $575.00 after Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023
  • Level 2 – $725.00
    • Changes to $775.00 after Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023

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Multicultural Studies for Alaska’s Teachers with Dr. Panigkaq Agatha John-Shields

New Teachers and Teachers New to Alaska
Meet your Multicultural Studies Requirement

  • This 3-credit Course is approved through the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development to meet the Multicultural/Cross-Cultural Communications requirement for teacher certification.
  • Approved in Anchorage School District MLP.  Class size limited to 40.
  • Required Texts: Culturally Proficient Instruction and Culturally Responsive Standards-Based Teaching
  • Dates: 
  • Weekly live online sessions (mandatory). September 20, 27, October 4, 11, 18, 25, November 1, 8, 15.
  • Time: 4:00-6:00 p.m.
  • Platforms: Sessions run on Zoom, asynchronous work collected on UAA Blackboard.
  • REGISTER

This course:

  • Provides a framework for understanding multicultural education in the context of the classroom, community, and society.    
  • Focuses on ways to build relationships within classrooms that support multicultural learning. Presents an overview of Alaska Native cultures, historical events, and worldviews.  
  • Explores contemporary education issues, including planning and implementation of classroom activities and strategies that fosters growth in teachers to accept and appreciate all cultures and value the rich diversity of the students in their classrooms and beyond. 
  • Incorporates Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools and the Guidelines for Preparing Culturally Responsive teachers. 

Instructor Dr. Panigkaq Agatha John-Shields has been teaching ED 555B Multicultural Studies for Alaska’s Teachers in a variety of formats including face-to-face, site-based in the field at fish camps, and through synchronous online sessions.  Dr. Shields is a dynamic and authentic instructor, and all versions of her courses have been very well-received and highly evaluated by participants. 

She has been a guest speaker and lecturer at teacher and principal in-service training in various school districts in the state including the Anchorage School District Summer Academy. Dr. Shields has also been a featured/keynote presenter for AFN, the Lower Kuskokwim School District, the RTI/MTSS Effective Instruction Conference, the Sealaska Heritage Culturally Responsive Education Conference and national/international events.

She is the daughter of the late Dr. Chief Kangrilnguq Paul and Anguyaluk Martina John of Toksook Bay, Alaska, where she was raised in a traditional and cultural community by many elder mentors. Agatha was a Yup’ik teacher and a principal for Lower Kuskokwim School District for 17 years at Ayaprun Elitnaurvik Yup’ik Immersion Charter School in Bethel, Alaska.

She currently is an assistant professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage for the Educational Leadership and Language Program for the School of Education. Her professional passion is to teach through the lens of personal stories and experiences integrating Indigenous education and culturally  responsive teaching and learning focusing on cultural proficiency.

Featured Webinar Series

How to Teach Vocabulary Across Content Settings

with Dr. Pam Kastner
Dates: September 13, 27 and October 10, 25
Time: 3:45-5:15
Registration: $75/$125 (Level 1/Level 2) 
No cost for LKSD or BSSD educators.
One optional university credit: $164

REGISTER NOW!

  • Target Audience:  Secondary Teachers. School teams are encouraged.
  • Required Book: Thinking Reading: What Every Secondary Teacher Needs to Know About Reading. Every registrant will receive a copy of this as an e-book. ($8.00) Register early so you have time to read the material. 

We all agree that no child should leave school a poor reader. As a secondary teacher, what can you do to help develop proficient readers in middle and high school? The focus of this webinar series will be on vocabulary instruction, but the series is designed for any secondary teacher who is concerned about their pupils’ reading abilities but does not feel equipped to support them.  The strategies presented here will be more effective if your colleagues participate as school teams.

Session

  • Session 1: Book Discussion: Thinking Reading: What Every Secondary Teacher Needs to Know About Reading, by James and Dianne Murphy 
  • Session 2: Literacy in the Content Areas: Effective Vocabulary Instruction for the Secondary Teacher 
  • Session 3: Morphology Matters: Using Bases & Affixes to Develop Vocabulary in Students of All Ages 
  • Session 4: Paragraph Shrinking: Combining Summarizing with Peer Feedback to Enhance Comprehension 

Pam Kastner, Ed.D., is an educational consultant at the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) Harrisburg, where she serves as the State Lead Consultant for Literacy. Pam currently co-leads Pennsylvania’s Dyslexia Screening and Early Literacy Intervention Pilot Program extension and expansion for PaTTAN. In addition, she is part of a research team investigating the impact of explicit instruction in advanced phonemic awareness on student literacy outcomes. She serves on the statewide Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) team working extensively in the area of literacy, effective instruction, formative assessment, and professional learning communities. She has served in several leadership capacities at the district level and served as a Pennsylvania Distinguished Educator for the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Pam is a certified Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) trainer and a certified reading specialist. Pam also has the honor of serving as the President of The Reading League Pennsylvania.

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Science of Reading Leadership Course

Apply Now

In partnership with NWEA®, the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) is offering a joint learning, collaboration, and coaching opportunity that will empower Alaska education leaders to understand effective literacy instruction. The leadership course provides participants with fundamental knowledge in effective standards-aligned and research-based reading instruction and assessment practices for all learners to support their school and district plans in the Science of Reading, as required by the Alaska Reads Act.

Who’s eligible to apply?

Education leaders with responsibility for K–3 literacy instruction.

What’s included?

  • During eight highly engaging sessions, participants will learn about key elements in the Science of Reading that they should be driving their systems toward.
  • Each session will include facilitated conversations with other leaders to form a networked learning community.
  • Participants will engage in their learning through asynchronous learning and the live seminar series.
  • NWEA will lead optional coaching sessions that provide leaders with opportunities to have more personalized support.

When will this occur?

  • Applications are open.
  • Applicants should register for their preferred term (Fall, Winter, Spring).
    • Closed – Fall (August 31, 2023 – December 14, 2023) 
    • Winter (October 26, 2023 – February 29, 2024)
    • Spring (January 9, 2024 – April 25, 2024)
  • The schedule for virtual seminars can be Accessed Here. 
  • Participants will be notified about course acceptance and cohort assignment at least four weeks before the course start date.
  • APPLY NOW!

What else is offered?

  • In partnership with University of Alaska (UA), participants can earn three post-secondary professional development credits at the 500 level. Participants must attend the course orientation, actively engage in seven out of the eight live seminar sessions, and complete the end-of-course performance task to be eligible for course credit.
  • The tuition fee for credit is $125.00.
  • Credit registration is seperate and will be provided to participants once the cohort begins.

Who do I contact for information?

Adrianne Schwartz Alaska Department of Education and Early Development  adrianne.schwartz@alaska.gov 

Athena E. Hill NWEA State Professional Learning Lead athena.hill@nwea.org

Featured Webinar Series

Fishing, Basketball, and Amazon Reviews: Making Math More Relevant

with BobbiJo Erb
Dates: September 18, 25 and October 2, 9
Time: 3:45-5:15
Registration: $75/$125 (Level 1/Level 2) 
No cost for BSSD, LKSD or YKSD educators.
One optional university credit: $164

REGISTER NOW

Target Audience:  K-12 Educators

Dig into practices that will build classroom collective efficacy where students see themselves as important contributors to a classroom community of learners. We will learn strategies to be effective and efficient math teachers, to lessen learned helplessness, and to identify resources to build shared understanding.  We will look at all the best practice information with an eye for how it fits with our own experiences in classrooms working with students across Alaska, and explore the unique opportunities we have to engage in project-based learning.

Session 1:  Set the Stage

  • Most effective & efficient math teaching practices
  • Mitigating learned helplessness
  • Tinkering with math & having FUN!

Session 2:  Get Ready

  • Centering instruction on students
  • Culturally relevant instruction
  • Building background knowledge

Session 3: Elevate Everybody

  • Using learning trajectories to reach different levels
  • The power of low-floor/high-ceiling tasks
  • Writing and/or finding complex, relevant tasks for students

Session 4: Encourage Engagement with Real World Application

  • Putting it all together & continuing to build
  • Project-based learning & connections

Bobbi Jo Erb is a longtime Alaskan educator who loves teaching kids and math, in that order. After 20 years in the classroom and 4 years as a district-level administrator, she feels lucky to travel the country working with districts, principals, and teachers to improve math instruction.