2023 FALL WEBINAR SERIES – REGISTRATION OPEN
How to Teach Vocabulary Across Content Settings
with Pam Kastner
- Dates: September 13, 27, October 10, 25
- Time: 3:45-5:15
- Target Audience: Secondary Educators. School teams encouraged.
- Required Book: Thinking Reading: What Every Secondary Teacher Needs to Know About Reading
- One optional university credit
Join us to explore effective strategies to teach vocabulary in your content area. The focus of this webinar series will be on vocabulary instruction, but this series is designed for any secondary teacher who is concerned about their students’ reading abilities but does not feel equipped to support them. The strategies presented will be more effective if implemented schoolwide; school teams are encouraged.
Fishing, Basketball, and Amazon Reviews: Making Math More Relevant
with BobbiJo Erb
- Dates: September 18, 25, October 2, 9
- Time: 3:45-5:15
- Target Audience: K-12 Educators
- One optional university credit
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 — increasing student engagement and mitigating learned helplessness. We will explore how to write and/or find complex, relevant tasks for students and the power of low-floor/high-ceiling tasks. 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 that is fun, culturally relevant and engages every student in the room.
Are You Doing School TO Families or WITH Families? MTSS for Effective Family Engagement
with Dr. Jill Handley and Dr. Lara Donnelly
- Dates: September 20, 27, October 11, 25
- Time: 3:45-5:15
- Target Audience: Principals and K-12 teachers
- One optional university credit
This webinar series will provide participants with an opportunity to assess their current family engagement systems, strategies to enhance two-way communication, and tools to build equitable family support. Learn how a Title I school successfully used a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) model to remove barriers and reach even the most disengaged families. Participants will walk away with ready-to-implement strategies for creating and sustaining reciprocal community partnerships.
Preventative Strategies to Reduce Challenging Behaviors and Increase Student Engagement at the Tier 1 Level
with Amanda Wilson & Dianiella Gonyea
- Dates: September 21, 28, October 5, 12
- Time: 3:45-5:15
- Target Audience: General & Special Education Teachers, Building Administrators
- One optional university credit
This webinar series will outline easy to implement, yet highly effective, preventative strategies which increase student engagement and decrease challenging behaviors. Participants will learn the core components to implement Instructional Choice, Active Student Response Methods, Behavior-Specific Praise, Active Supervision, and Pre-correction with fidelity in their classrooms. Examples will be utilized to assist in demonstrating how each strategy can be implemented, both individually and in combination across classroom environments, instructional activities, and with various staff members.
Computer Science Fundamentals (Elementary)
Join us online to learn to teach CS Fundamentals. Gain new teaching strategies and experience the curriculum loved by children! Visit with us after school for a free virtual workshop that will fully prepare you to learn and navigate the Code.org curricula and teacher support systems. Attend one of two virtual workshops this fall.
- September 12, 20 and 27 (4:00-6:15 PM, attend all 3 sessions)
- December 5,7,and 12 (4:00-6:15 PM, attend all 3 sessions)
Participation in one of the K-5 workshops includes:
- Swag and access to a free-forever online curriculum, accessible from any browser, that is aligned with the Alaska CS standards
- (New!) Explore the fun and easy lessons in CS Connections to integrate computer science while teaching core subject standards.
- One optional 500-level UAA credit
Leader Ready: The Roots of School Leadership
with Vince Bustamante and Dr. Tim Cusack
- Dates: October 17, 24, November 7, 14
- Time: 3:45-5:15
- Target Audience: New, aspiring, and veteran teachers, principals and district-level administrators interested in developing leadership skills for the principalship or district administration.
- One optional university credit
Join Vince Bustamante and Dr. Tim Cusack, the authors of Leader Ready, as they present a framework that walks aspiring school leaders along the path to strong and independent leadership by using a mix of professional knowledge, modeling, coaching, guided experiences, and mastery experiences. Each 90-minute session will explore a different facet of the “Roots of School Leadership”. Whether you are a new, aspiring, or veteran leader this webinar series will provide context and actionable items to better prepare for a potential role as principal, central office leader or superintendent.
PLC’s at Work
with Eric Twadell
- Dates: October 18, November 8, 29
- Time: 3:45-5:45
- Target Audience: K-12 Educators
- One optional university credit
The Professional Learning Communities at Work® process is increasingly recognized as a powerful strategy for sustained, substantive school improvement. As we delve deep into the three big ideas of a PLC—focus on learning, build a collaborative culture, and results orientation—you will gain specific, practical, and inspiring strategies for transforming your school or district into a place where all students learn at high levels.
How to Leverage MTSS to Support Special Education
with Dr. Sharon Azar
- Dates: October 21 and 28
- Time: 9:00-12:00 (Saturday mornings)
- Target Audience: K-12 (administrators, curriculum specialists, general education staff, special education staff)
- One optional university credit
In this webinar series, we will discuss how MTSS fits into both general and special education settings. We will also explore how MTSS can and should be used by all students—even/especially those with learning disabilities. Join Sharon Azar to explore the intersection between MTSS and special education and to discuss concrete examples of inclusion and inclusive practice within the MTSS framework.