Fall Courses 2009

Dates: Sep 12 — Oct 17
Description: Teachers will use the Internet to identify educational websites that support both the curriculum and state standards. Teachers will review and search given sites and then look for sites of their own. The sites can be used as either teacher resources or as learning sites for students. All participants will develop lesson plans using the resources found on the Internet. At the completion of the course, all participants will share the sites that were found and will compile a library of resources on disk to use at any time.
Instructor: Jennifer Nielsen

Dates: Sep 12 — Oct 17
Description: Teachers are faced with many challenges in the classroom. One of the greatest challenges is engaging students and keeping them interested and motivated. This course will explore ways to tie interests to current curriculum to keep students learning and promote excitement and energy in the classroom. Allowing students more choices while still covering required topics provides a custom made learning plan to meet the needs of everyone in the classroom setting. Appropriate for all grade levels and subject areas.
Instructor: Lynn Nardi

Dates: Sep 13 — Oct 18
Description: This course will help the you to better decipher and implement your students’ IEPs. Teachers will gain an understanding of the IEP classifications, program modifications and testing accommodations your students have in addition to a valuable repertoire of resources to use in the future.
Instructor: Jamie Brunquell

Dates: Sep 13 — Oct 18
Description: This online course introduces participants to student activities created in the WebQuest process, made popular by Tom March and Bernie Dodge. Gain an understanding of the components of a WebQuest, develop research strategies for finding pre-existing quality WebQuests, and learn to evaluate the success of a WebQuest and assess student performance. Participants will also apply differentiated learning strategies and scaffolding techniques as they plan and implement their own classroom projects.
Instructor: Lisa Kriger

Dates: Oct 3 — Nov 7
Description: George Washington traveled along King’s Highway (Rte 25A) in 1790 in a horse-drawn carriage. He came to thank his Long Island supporters and spy ring for their help in winning the American Revolution. In honor of his presidential journey, the span of Route 25A from Great Neck to Port Jefferson is known as the George Washington’s Heritage Trail. We will travel back in time, to visit the early 1900’s Gold Coast Mansions at the western end of Long Island, to the 17th Century farmhouses at the eastern end. The class will visit many of the sites that Washington saw on his journey two centuries ago. Many of the sites are field trip favorites for schools across Long Island. There will be some site fees.
Instructor: Jon Norberg

Dates: 2009 Oct 3, 4, 10, 11, 17
Description: This course is designed to help teachers use current events in any classroom. We will look at different news outlets, and decide which source is appropriate for your classroom and how to incorporate it.
Instructor: Kristen Petersen

Dates: Oct 3 — Nov 7
Description: Literacy centers are a big part of many elementary reading programs. Literacy centers are a great hands on way to engage children in authentic reading and writing activities because they are multilevel and appeal to all different learning styles within a classroom. In this course teachers will create literacy centers and implement them at their grade level. This course will provide teachers with new ideas for organizing and creating centers. Be prepared to share! Teachers will walk away with many new center ideas from fellow teachers.
Instructor: Farrah Franquiz

Dates: 2009 Oct 4, 10, 11, 17, 18
Description: This course will introduce you to the techniques involved in creating a scrapbook with, and for your students. You will learn how to use scrap-booking tools to crop your pictures and create pages which will tell a story. Help your students develop journaling skills to tell their story and record their history. Create a classroom legacy. Bring a roll of pictures of your class.
Instructor: Carrie Andrejkovics

Dates: Oct 4 — Nov 8
Description: Early American technology can be glimpsed around Long Island in Lighthouses that survive from colonial times and the earliest days of our nation. Storms and fog contributed to shipwrecks from the earliest voyages to the New World and ship owners began lobbying for warning beacons as shipping increased in the colonial period. We will visit many of these great historical landmarks of Long Island.
Instructor: Jon Norberg

Dates: Oct 4 — Nov 8
Description: Part of a balanced literacy program is guided reading. In this course participants will learn the components of balanced literacy with a focus on small group instruction. Teachers will learn strategies for enhancing reading skills in their students. This course if full of tips, strategies and lesson plans for effective small group instruction. Additionally, participants will gain suggestions on how to manage the remainder of the class. This course is a MUST for teachers who strive to effectively meet the various reading levels represented in their classrooms.
Instructor: Melissa Cullen

Dates: 2009 Oct 10, 11, 17, 18, 24
Description: Teachers will be shown how teaching all students Creative Thinking techniques such as Synectics, Forced Fitting, Braining Storming, etc. will increase students” scores on State Assessments and help students to develop their abilities in all curriculum areas. Each session will introduce a Thinking Skill which participants will use to develop a lesson (or lessons) for use in their classrooms.
Instructor: Marjorie Rubin

Dates: Oct 10 — Nov 14
Description: This course will introduce you to assistive technology and the important place it has in our schools. You will learn about the evaluation process, the products available and how it can best help your students.
Instructor: Jamie Brunquell

Dates: Oct 10 — Nov 14
Description: When a child has a sensory processing disorder, information from the environment is not processed correctly by the brain. This causes problems processing information correctly as well as behaving appropriately to complete classroom tasks. This class will assist the classroom teacher in keeping these children organized, help to complete classroom tasks more efficiently and control inappropriate behaviors. Upon completion of this class you will leave with ideas that not only help the children with sensory processing disorders; but that benefit all children and help them to attend to and process academic information better than they were before.
Instructor: Marlies O'Connor

Dates: Oct 11 — Nov 15
Description: In the world of literacy, those children who can and do read vigorously are considered to be part of the “Literacy Club”. These members are usually girls because many boys are disenchanted with literacy activities. In this 45-hour, 3 credit online course, teachers will find out how to help boys who can’t read, motivate boys who don’t read, and enrich boys who do read. Using the book, Even Hockey Players Read by David Booth (Pembroke 2002), we will explore the literacy lives of boys. Participants will create lists of books for boys who are at grade-level and for those who are below grade-level, write letters to invite fathers and male role models to read with their boys, and create classroom activities that are suited to the more active learning styles of boys. Good for all grades and areas.
Instructor: Susan Stern

Dates: Oct 11 — Nov 15
Description: Early American technology can be glimpsed around Long Island in the mills that survive from colonial times and the earliest days of the nation. Settlers built mills powered by wind, streams or even the rising and falling tides to grind corn and other grains into meal or trim logs into lumber. We will visit many of these historical landmarks of Long Island and the towns they are in.
Instructor: Jon Norberg

Dates: Oct 11 — Nov 15
Description: Educating students in elementary school through high school about the importance of environmental science and policy issues is crucial. In this course, people gain an understanding of how their individual actions affect the environment, acquire skills that they can use to weigh various sides of issues, and become better equipped to make informed decisions. Teacher directed skills, lesson plans and the hands on experimentation process will be integrated into this course to span across all subject areas. Teachers pre-k through high school may take this course to get a better understanding of how to make their classroom a "green classroom".
Instructor: Carissa Donarummo

Dates: Oct 17 — Nov 21
Description: Are you looking for a new and exciting way to present information to your class, and focus on students rather than you? Then this course is for you! This course will help you design and share projects that are student-centered. Each person will create a project and share them with the class to be included in a portfolio of projects that can be adapted for classes of any level.
Instructor: Kristen Petersen

Dates: Oct 17 — Nov 21
Description: Teaching study skills is something that is lacking in our current classrooms. Students who understand and know how to study are able to retain, recall and process information faster and effectively.This course will give you a study guide, techniques to integrate into your everyday classroom as well as ways to help organize your students. This course is designed for Pre-K through college.
Instructor: Carissa Donarummo

Dates: Oct 18 — Nov 22
Description: This course will include strategies and techniques for reaching all students in your classroom. Children have all different ability levels and using differentiated instruction to meet the needs of each learner can be frustrating at times. In this course you will gain knowledge of strategies to use for the classroom teacher and special education teacher, techniques for dealing with challenging behaviors, insight into successful inclusion experiences from real educators, vocabulary and terms, resources and websites for researching, and how to deal with frustration as a teacher.
Instructor: Jennifer Nielsen

Dates: Oct 18 — Nov 22
Description: We will explore the web for exciting new Units in Science and take an in-depth look at the background to better help develop units, and instruct. We will use examples with galaxies, stars and planets and how weather works. Suitable for all grades and areas.
Instructor: Carissa Donarummo

Dates: Oct 24 — Nov 28
Description: By reading stories out loud to students, teachers can build background knowledge, increase vocabulary and introduce new ideas to studends before they have to read in textbooks. Reading aloud and showing accompanying pictures brings information to all students &emdash; ESL, struggling and non-readers, children with special needs, and typical. Participants in this course will leave with a notebook filled with lists of books and lessons on how to use them in their classrooms or areas. Good for all grades and subjects.
Instructor: Susan Stern

Dates: Oct 24 — Nov 28
Description: Sports has a tremendous impact on our students’ values and attitudes. This course will address the many modern issues related to sports and society. It will discuss the reasons for so many of our sport related problems and will help develop positive solutions to the current negative influence on youth sports today. This course is applicable to all teachers in all disciplines.
Instructor: Lisa Kriger

Dates: Oct 24 — Nov 28
Description: This course will provide techniques and ideas for establishing positive parent-teacher relationships. Assignments will include letter of introduction, conference log (parent/teacher), positive letter from home, etc.
Instructor: Kristen Petersen

Dates: Oct 25 — Nov 29
Description: Repeated success, teacher encouragement, and the resulting confidence, fuel a child’s ability to stick to a task. Children can practice their daily intellectual tasks through challenging board games without being overwhelmed. Here, teachers will make games and academic question cards for their students’ use. Suitable for all teachers K-12.
Instructor: Jon Norberg

Dates: Oct 25 — Nov 29
Description: This course will help all teachers to assist their students that are behaviorally challenged to be more organized and therefore promote academic success in their classrooms. These children tend to forget necessary assignments and supplies as well as stuff papers into random books and back of desks. These children have difficulty organizing thoughts and assignments. These habits can lead to handing in assignments late, if at all. This can then lead to class failure. Learn how you can help these students develop better habits that will lead to academic success!
Instructor: Marlies O'Connor

Dates: Oct 31 — Dec 5
Description: This course will help educators evaluate their classrooms and help implement behavior modification strategies that work. Participants will be asked to develop a system of rewards and discipline for their classroom as well as respond to typical classroom scenarios.
Instructor: Kristen Petersen

Dates: Oct 31 — Dec 5
Description: Who said Book Reports have to be long, wordy, and boring? In this course, teachers will learn how to use Book Reports to teach and assess reading, reading comprehension, and writing skills. Students will use them as a way to show off what they know. From choosing the right book to putting the finishing touches on the final report, teachers and their students will look at Book Reports in a new way. Can be adapted for use in any grade or area.
Instructor: Susan Stern

Dates: Oct 31 — Dec 5
Description: This course is designed to familiarize teachers with the eight most popular Multiple Intelligences identified by Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University. Participants will explore its use in all classrooms, their own learning style and discuss its implications on teaching and learning. An excellent course for educators in all disciplines.
Instructor: Lisa Kriger

Dates: 2009 Nov 1, 7, 8, 14, 15
Description: Whether you teach elementary, middle, or high school, you can motivate your students to grasp abstract concepts such as tolerance, conflict, environment, power, imagination, identity, and citizenship by exposing them to the works of Dr. Seuss. Explore a dynamic approach that will help you engage students in discussion, immerse them in writing, and foster a climate where they will think at a higher level by connecting the broad themes conveyed in his many masterpieces to history, literature, character education, science, and social issues. It's just what the good doctor ordered. Just ask Horton The Elephant , The Cat In The Hat, or The Lorax if you dare.
Instructor: Andy Bacon

Dates: Nov 1 — Dec 6
Description: This course is designed to help teachers integrate a character education program into their existing English Language Arts curriculum. With the growing need for school districts to implement character education requirements, coupled with the time constraints of meeting other curriculum requirements, it is necessary to integrate whenever possible. This course will provide teachers with ways to teach the qualities of character education while still meeting NYS ELA requirements.
Instructor: Laura McCoy

Dates: 2009 Nov 7, 8, 14, 15, 21
Description: In this course we will discover how to teach students with diverse learning needs in a heterogeneous setting. We will learn about management tools, teaching techniques, center activities, and developmental factors effecting your students. General and special education teachers will feel better equipped to meet behavior challenges. This course is applicable for K-8.
Instructor: Carissa Donarummo

Dates: Nov 7 — Dec 12
Description: The focus of this course is how Excel can be used to increase student understanding and achievement. The hands-on exercises are tied to actual classroom and administrative activities including formulas and calculations, charting, Hyperlinks, linking and macros.
Instructor: Jeffrey Mischler

Dates: 2009 Nov 8, 14, 15, 21, 22
Description: Using existing teaching techniques teachers will be shown how they can meet the needs of these “special” students without the need for extra planning time or the use of a Para-professional. Teachers will be given practical strategies for individualizing instruction and will use these strategies to create lessons they can use in the classrooms.
Instructor: Marjorie Rubin

Dates: Nov 8 — Dec 13
Description: In this course participants will learn research-based strategies to enhance vocabulary instruction for all students. Participants will examine current research on the word knowledge disparity among children and learn specific strategies to differentiate instruction to address the needs of students from a wide range of backgrounds. Information will include specific ways to meet the needs of English Language Learners.
Instructor: Diane Cirino

Dates: Nov 14 — Dec 19
Description: As the rapidly rising number of culturally and linguistically diverse students enter our schools teachers have the sometimes overwhelming challenge to successfully meet their needs. This course is designed for all K-12 teachers who work with English Language Learners. Participants will gain understanding of the identification process, laws governing services, testing and testing modifications, and review the process of language learning. Participants will acquire successful strategies that can be incorporated into their current lessons to facilitate learning at all stages of language development, which can be immediately applied in their classroom.
Instructor: Diane Cirino

Dates: Nov 14 — Dec 19
Description: This course will help you understand what dyslexia is and how it affects children and adults alike. You will learn the signs and symptoms associated with dyslexia as well as the options and accommodations available to people with the disorder. At the end of this course you will have a clear understanding of dyslexia and how to better teach to those students with the disorder.
Instructor: Jamie Brunquell

Dates: Nov 14 — Dec 19
Description: Bullying occurs every day in every school in every grade. It now includes cyber-bullying where computers are used to spread slanderous rumors about people. Participants will learn how to identify the three roles in bullying: bully, victim and audience. They will read common myths on bullying and evaluate several intervention plans. Each participant will create a Bully-Proof Plan for his / her classroom or area and a bibliography. Appropriate for all grades and areas.
Instructor: Susan Stern

Dates: Nov 15 — Dec 20
Description: This course is designed to help teachers integrate English Language Arts into their existing social studies curriculum. With the time constraints of meeting curriculum requirements, it is necessary to integrate wherever possible. Integrating literature and writing into social studies lessons will allow students to build the necessary background knowledge to understand this content area. This course will allow teachers to develop ways to teach social studies content while still meeting NYS ELA requirements.
Instructor: Laura McCoy

Dates: Nov 15 — Dec 20
Description: Bullying is an unfortunate but common problem in our schools today. Between 15 and 30 percent of students are victims of bullying each year. Bullying by definition is the act of intimidating a weaker person to make them do something. Usually, bullying happens over and over. Although, there are many forms of bullying this course will focus solely on the school environment. This course will develop your ability to evaluate, analyze, and synthesize ideas from a variety of research sources and provide you with the necessary skills to reach your goal of a Feeling Safe at School.
Instructor: Judith Treanor

Dates: Nov 21 — Dec 26
Description: In this course, participants will learn how the internet can be used in a variety of ways to enhance their students learning classroom web design. Some internet basics and how to search the World Wide Web for information will be covered. Educators will design interactive lesson plans in accordance with state standards and share with the class. All participants will leave the course with ready to use lesson plans and a plethora of resources.
Instructor: Jennifer Nielsen

Dates: Nov 21 — Dec 26
Description: This course will help teachers understand the implementation of moral understanding and development of the child through adolescence. Bullying, gang awareness and behavior will be addressed. We will also explore today's culture and its influence on behavior.
Instructor: Carissa Donarummo

Dates: Nov 22 — Dec 27
Description: Early development studies at the University of Memphis have proven that children playing games together with their teachers can help sharpen a child’s ability to pay attention and remain on task. In this course, teachers will make age appropriate board games that can enhance the development of concentration skills. Differentiated Instructional Techniques are emphasized in this course. Suitable for all teachers of all grade levels.
Instructor: Jon Norberg

Dates: Nov 22 — Dec 27
Description: Middle school has often been portrayed as an educational dead zone for students and teachers alike. This course is designed to show that it’s not. In fact, middle school can be an exciting and rewarding experience and perhaps the best kept secret of education. This course will focus on the multitude of issues teaching young adolescents including their unique social, academic and emotional needs as well as practical, hands-on strategies that keep middle school students engaged in learning. This course is not only for middle school teachers; elementary and high school teachers will find it helpful in easing the transition for students to and from middle school.
Instructor: Kimberly Costa

Dates: Nov 22 — Dec 27
Description: We hear it all the time, history is boring, why do we need to know this, social studies means doing nothing but taking notes. History classrooms often get the stigma that all students do is take notes. This class is designed to help make your social studies classroom get rid of that stigma and get students to want to come to history class.
Instructor: Jim Molinari

Dates: Nov 28 — Jan 2
Description: This course will review the major theories of effective parent communication. There are many underlying factors that need to be addressed when communicating with parents. Parents are the necessary link to their child’s educational success. It is of the utmost importance that parents feel invited to share as an active member in the education process. The specific topics detailed in this course are: welcome letter to parents/students, meet the teacher night, parent-teacher conferences, report cards, and introducing technology into your classroom.
Instructor: Judith Treanor & Lori Cebul

Dates: Nov 28 — Jan 2
Description: This course will show teachers how to create, organize, sustain, and effectively use a classroom library. One of the primary responsibilities of the K-5 teacher is to provide effective literacy instruction to their students. Effective reading instruction requires that students have access to a wide variety of text. A well-organized classroom library is the heart of an effective literacy program.
Note: Course is closed.
Instructor: Karin Meyer

Dates: Nov 29 — Jan 3
Description: Learn how to build and activate background knowledge in all subjects. Participants of this course will do Internet research that will provide them with a thorough understanding of the value of background knowledge. They will use their research to develop a folder of lesson plans that build or activate background knowledge in their class / area. Good for all grades and areas.
Instructor: Susan Stern

Dates: Nov 29 — Jan 3
Description: Vedic Math (VM) is an ancient system of mathematics that was rediscovered in India about 50 years ago. Even though it is being taught successfully in India and England, it is virtually unknown in this country. This course will introduce VM methods that will allow you to accelerate your ability to do math problems without the use of pencil, paper or calculators to the point of appearing “magical”. VM is not difficult to learn and the reward will last a lifetime.
Instructor: Rick Blum

Dates: Nov 29 — Jan 3
Description: This course will help educators develop a knowledge base of strategies using the Internet to enhance student learning. It is designed to make the classroom an interactive learning environment. You will practice using the valuable resources of the Internet to motivate students to become more involved in class. This course offers practical ways to integrate the technology and the Internet into your classroom. After completing the course you will be willing to increasingly involve the Internet into your daily lessons.
Instructor: Dylan O'Neill

Dates: 2009 Dec 5, 6, 12, 13, 19
Description: Dance is an art form that has been used throughout time as a form of expression, social interaction and communication throughout many cultures. This course will integrate dance history with technique to use in the study of different cultures in your classroom. We will learn about festivals of different cultures and dances that brought cultures together. This course is appropriate for all grade levels and disciplines. Please be prepared to dance!
Instructor: Carissa Donarummo

Dates: Dec 5 — Jan 9
Description: This course is designed to help teachers integrate English Language Arts into their existing science curriculum. With the time constraints of meeting curriculum requirements, it is necessary to integrate wherever possible. Integrating literature and writing into science lessons will allow students to build the necessary background knowledge to understand this content area. This course will allow teachers to develop ways to teach science content while still meeting NYS ELA requirements.
Instructor: Laura McCoy

Dates: 2009 Dec 6, 12, 13, 19, 20
Description: Learn to connect a dose of humor or comedy to teaching ELA/Literature and Social Studies. Find that perfect clip from television or a movie that will "hook" your students. Sitcoms can serve as a powerful tool for teaching students life lessons, build character, and address social issues. Clips from episodes of "All In The Family", "The Jeffersons", "MASH", "Friends", "Seinfeld", "The Odd Couple", "The Simpsons", "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air", "Everybody Loves Raymond", and "I Love Lucy" will be used to develop strategies to teach concepts that can connect the social studies and ELA curriculums at all grade levels. Topics discussed will include citizenship, politics, race, gender, discrimination, war, bullying, power, conflict, and communication. The strategies will allow teachers to encourage class discussion, encourage students how to compare and contrast, and incorporate meaningful writing activities.
Instructor: Andy Bacon

Dates: 2009 Dec 6, 12, 13, 19
Description: This course will provide practical strategies for using writing as a teaching and learning tool in all subject areas. Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) is a well respected educational theory yet, it can be daunting to implement for someone who feels they are not trained in writing: however, WAC is about using writing to teach rather than teaching writing. This course will provide writing activities for all teachers to integrate in any classroom to better understand their students academically and for students to demonstrate learning. Some examples include the effective use of journals, in-class quick writes, and research assignments to enrich learning beyond the curriculum. The educational research supporting the importance of WAC will also be discussed. Teachers of all grade and subject areas will find this course useful and effective.
Instructor: Kimberly Costa

Dates: 2009 Dec 12, 13, 19, 20, 2010 Jan 9
Description: This course is created to give teachers instructional strategies and techniques for accelerating the Literacy Skills and Content Learning of their ESL students. Topics included will be an overview of Second language acquisition, multicultural aspects of learning, and the latest information regarding mandated services and testing. We will learn strategies for preparing students for the ELA, and compare NYS, ELA and ESL standards. The role of Reading and the AIS instruction for English Language learners will also be examined.
Instructor: Susan Laviola

Dates: Dec 12 — Jan 16
Description: Teachers face a multitude of challenges when trying to meet the needs of struggling readers. In this course participants will learn effective strategies to turn struggling readers into successful ones. Specific skills and strategies to improve phonemic awareness, phonics, comprehension, and vocabulary will be discussed. Information will include specific strategies for meeting the needs of English Language Learners.
Instructor: Diane Cirino

Dates: Dec 13 — Jan 17
Description: Research supports the importance of reading fluency: it helps word recognition, reading speed, and comprehension. Participants in this course will read and evaluate current research and apply the information in their classroom areas. Participants will leave the course with a thorough understanding of reading fluency as well as a portfolio of lesson plans that incorporate methods of instruction and assessment. Appropriate for all grades and areas.
Instructor: Susan Stern

Dates: Dec 13 — Jan 17
Description: Teachers will make board games that can be adapted to any subject or grade level. The games work especially well with cooperative study groups and those children needing extra motivation. Teachers will write academic question cards for their curriculum. Differentiated Instructional Techniques are emphasized in this course. Suitable for all teachers.
Instructor: Jon Norberg

Dates: Dec 13 — Jan 17
Description: In this course we will develop the connection for students between photographs and creation of their own works of poetry. We will introduce and familiarize studends with 12 forms of poetry: Acrostic, Cinquain, Clerihew, Diamonte, Lento, Limerick, Pleiades, Ethree, Tanka, Waltz Wave, Whitney and Sijo. Teachers will select pictures to be used to stimulate the development of the different types of poems. They will then write, edit and revise a poem to accompany the pictures for each of the 12 forms. You will then write commentary regarding most and least liked forms and which were more successful (appealing) to the students.
Instructor: Carrie Andrejkovics

Dates: Dec 24 — Jan 28
Description: This class will help teacher's come up with an effective plan to tackle the increasing behaviors that occur in the classroom setting. Participants will create, critique and implement their own Behavior Intervention Plan's and come up with appropriate forms of reinforcement. This course is applicable for all teachers in all disciplines.
Instructor: Marlies O'Connor

Dates: Dec 24 — Jan 28
Description: This course will explore the necessary steps that are to be taken in order for a person to develop healthy nutritional habits and awareness. It will also examine the impact of nutrition in an educational setting. Children and adults should understand that what they ingest can have an effect on success and productivity in the classroom. Using data and nutrition analysis strategies, this course will provide educators with an opportunity to analyze their nutritional habits and the resulting effects on their performance during the school day. It will also provide information that can be used to help your students develop better eating habits that will increase their production and focus at school. This course will allow educators to examine the different ways in which they can help promote positive nutrition by incorporating health education into their subject area and become healthy role models for their students.
Instructor: Lisa Ciana

Dates: 2010 Jan 2, 3, 9, 10, 16
Description: This course is designed to provide awareness to educators of the changing demographics of the school communities on Long Island and to give strategies for accommodating students with limited English Language skills. In taking this course, educators will learn Spanish phrases to use in the classroom and vocabulary needed to communicate with parents who speak Spanish. We will also be discussing challenges that we deal with on a daily basis relating to the language barriers in our schools. This class is appropriate for all content areas and all grade levels.
Instructor: Megan McGourty

Dates: Jan 2 — Feb 6
Description: Learn how to help your students get along! During this course you will discover techniques that will help you to teach students how to resolve conflicts and work together. You will explore ways to set up a mediation system with your students or in the entire school, and walk away with ideas that are easy to implement everyday in your classroom. Give your students the opportunity to acquire socialization skills that they can use throughout their lives.
Instructor: Jody Campagna

Dates: 2010 Jan 3, 9, 10, 16, 17
Description: Course participants will be encouraged to incorporate all subject areas into their classrooms while familiarizing students with special days, holidays, yearly events, historical figures, cultural observations, inventions, firsts in history and current events. Resources and ideas researched and introduced in the course will directly help the participant plan and execute effective lessons on various age appropriate topics. Relative for all grades and subject areas.
Instructor: Lynn Nardi

Dates: Jan 3 — Feb 7
Description: As the world progresses our students need to become aware of the uses of the internet. This precedent needs to be established at an early age. This course will allow teachers to introduce the internet to students of all ages. Through this course you will learn how to teach students to navigate the internet, research topics, and expand ideas that have been presented in the class. Within the tasks presented each student willc ome up with a complete assignment that you may implement in your classes immediately. This class is a must for all educators.
Instructor: Dylan O'Neill

Dates: 2010 Jan 9, 10, 16, 17, 23
Description: This course will focus on developing techniques and strategies targeted at coping with disruptive student behaviors manifested in the classroom. Topics of discussion will include, but not limited to, proven methods found to de-escalate student-teacher conflict. Additionally, paradigms will be explored that build self-imaging and are proven tools in promoting conflict resolution and modifying student behaviors.
Instructor: Robert Vulpis

Dates: Jan 9 — Feb 13
Description: The ability to identify key facts and ideas and organize them for meaning, retention, and application is an essential skill for successful learning. In this course, participants will read, research, and apply summarization skills to their own classes/area. REQUIRED TEXT – Summarization in Any Subject by Rick Wormeli, ASCD, 2005 – explains 50 techniques to help students learn better. We will use this book as well as the Internet to create over a dozen new lessons for immediate application in the classroom and take part in weekly online discussions together. Good for all grades and areas.
Instructor: Susan Stern

Dates: Jan 10 — Feb 14
Description: The newspaper is an excellent tool, useful for every teacher across the curriculum. Learn how to apply your curriculum skills, knowledge, concepts and values to global daily events immediately after they occur. Differentiated Instructional Techniques are emphasized in this course. Applicable for Pre K-12 and all special areas.
Instructor: Jon Norberg

Dates: Jan 10 — Feb 14
Description: Autism is one word used to describe an entire spectrum of disorders with different degrees of severity. PDD (Pervasive Development Disorder), Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder are showing up more often on classroom IEP’s without any explanation given to the teacher. Participants will come to understand the broad definition of Autism as well as an introduction to the Autistic child in the classroom.
Instructor: Marlies O'Connor

Dates: Jan 16 — Feb 20
Description: The focus of this course is how Word can be used to impact student achievement. The hands-on exercises are tied to curriculum and move through the basics (tabs, margins, formatting) to immediate (columns, writing tools, graphics) – all focused on student achievement.
Instructor: Jeffrey Mischler

Dates: Jan 16 — Feb 20
Description: (formally known as Hand On Math Fun) In this course teachers will create hands-on math activities to help students develop fluency in mathematics and confidence in their problem solving skills. Teachers will also evaluate and explore online math sites that can be used within the classroom. Everyone will leave this course with a repertoire of ways to make math fun in any classroom.
Instructor: Farrah Franquiz

Dates: Jan 17 — Feb 21
Description: Create an environment where all students differences are observed. You will learn how to tie lessons into your curriculum that explore everyone's similarities and differences. Create an atmosphere where different cultures are interesting and not foreign. Learn to use creative ways to enable your students to learn more about their peers as well as their own cultures. In this class you will get new ideas for multicultural projects and lessons.
Instructor: Jody Campagna

Dates: Jan 17 — Feb 21
Description: To promote positive teaching practices and build a community of learners, this course is designed to provide educators with the opportunity to create and share exciting and effective lessons and activities for all areas of the curriculum. Course participants will create and research lessons to be shared with other course participants. At the end of the course, teachers will have a portfolio of lessons from both the course and other teachers. Create and share your best ideas and participage in the best learning yet – teachers helping teachers?? Appropriate for all grade levels and subject areas.
Instructor: Lynn Nardi

Dates: Jan 23 — Feb 27
Description: Throughout the United States the number of children that are affected by eating disorders is rapidly increasing. This issue has become a concern for many parents, teachers and school districts. It is extremely important as an educator to be aware of the warning signs of these disorders. In this course we will examine specific trends in the diets of American youth. Participants will examine how eating disorders can drastically affect the mood and motivation of a student. The course will also analyze the role of the media in this increasing epidemic. Educators that have completed the course will be able to address this epidemic and educate children about the dangers of eating disorders. They will become aware of the warning signs, treatment options, and school connections necessary to handle such disorders.
Instructor: Lisa Ciana

Dates: Jan 24 — Feb 28
Description: As more students utilize the Internet for education uses, research becomes an important part of many projects that they are asssigned. This course is designed to help student work on their research skills using the Internet. It will give you strategies that help to teach students how to use the Internet and find valuable resources they can use to complete their assignments. It will also help teachers and students how to evaluate websites for validity. After completing this course you will be able to enhance your students research skills using this vast entity.
Instructor: Dylan O'Neill

Dates: Jan 30 — Mar 6
Description: This course is organized around the six traits of writing and children’s literature that exemplifies each trait. Participants will leave the course with a thorough understanding of the six traits, a folder filled with writing lessons, and a bibliography of books that model good writing. Appropriate for all grades and areas.
Instructor: Susan Stern

Dates: Jan 30 — Mar 6
Description: Create an environment where all students differences are acknowledged and intertwined into your curriculum. Learn to use creative ways to enable your students to learn more about their peers as well as their own cultures. In this class you will get new ideas for multicultural projects and lessons. You will also be able to share your own opinions and ideas while learning different techniques that will create an inviting place for your students to learn.
Instructor: Jody Campagna

Dates: Jan 31 — Mar 7
Description: The internet offers more information than any other resource in the world. It allows people to find documents and pictures about any specific topic they may be researching. Students as well as adults can benefit in using it for research. Although it is a very influential part of our society, it can also be an unsafe forum at which children can be misled or even taken advantage of. This course will give educators an idea as to different types of activities and websites that can help children to learn how to use the internet safely. It will help teachers bring the internet into their classroom. This course is a necessity for any teacher that wants to use the internet to enhance learning.
Instructor: Dylan O'Neill

Dates: Jan 31 — Mar 7
Description: This course will seek to help educators create a classroom science fair tailored to their needs and grade level. Often teachers feel as if holding a class science fair is a daunting task that requires exorbitant amounts of work. This course will offer teachers a way to organize and plan an effective science fair that they can use for years to come.
Instructor: Brigit DiPrimo

Dates: Jan 31 — Mar 7
Description: This course is designed to help teachers expose their student’s to places they may only dream about. Go to a far off destination from the comfort of your classroom and see everything it has to offer! Plan a field trip and follow-up activities for any subject.
Instructor: Kristen Petersen

Dates: 2009 Oct 4, 11, 18, 25, Nov 1
Description: Basic philosophy and principles are integral parts of physical education and general education. Learn about state, local and national regulations and policies related to athletics. Issues to be discussed include: legal considerations, function and organization of leagues and athletic associations in New York State, public relations and general safety procedures.
Instructor: Robert Szymanski

Dates: 2009 Nov 8, 15, 22, 29, Dec 6
Description: The course will begin with an introductory phase in which the basic concepts common to all sports will be discussed. Topics will include a history of interscholastic athletics in New York State. The objectives, rules, regulations and policies of athletics, as well as performance skills, technical information, and organization and management practices will also be among the topics covered. The special training and conditioning of the athletes in specific sports, the fitting of equipment, specific safety precautions and officiating methods will also be examined. An internship that will include practical experience as a coach in the specific sports and/or periods of observing other approved coaches will also be required (per NYS guidelines).
Instructor: Robert Szymanski

Dates: 2010 Jan 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Description: This on-line course is designed to study the Health Sciences as they apply to coaching sports. The course is divided into three sections: Part I: Philosophy, physiology and psychology. Part II: Fitness, Conditioning, Sport Specific Training, Nutrition, and Weight Management. Part III: Current and on-going health issues and administrative procedures.
Instructor: Scott Wolff

Dates: Oct 10 — Nov 14
Description: The course will begin with an introductory phase in which the basic concepts common to all sports will be discussed. Topics will include a history of interscholastic athletics in New York State. The objectives, rules, regulations and policies of athletics, as well as performance skills, technical information, and organization and management practices will also be among the topics covered. The special training and conditioning of the athletes in specific sports, the fitting of equipment, specific safety precautions and officiating methods will also be examined. An internship that will include practical experience as a coach in the specific sports and/or periods of observing other approved coaches will also be required (per NYS guidelines).
Note: Required Texts: Successful Coaching: Third Edition, 2004, by Rainer Martens. Published by Human Kinetics. Available at www.amazon.com or www.humankinetics.com , and Fuel For Young Athletes, 2004, by Ann Litt. Published by Human Kinetics. Available at www.amazon.com or www.humankinetics.com.
Instructor: Lisa Kriger

Dates: Dec 6 — Jan 10
Description: This on-line course is designed to study the Health Sciences as they apply to coaching sports. The course is divided into three sections: Part I: Philosophy, physiology and psychology. Part II: Fitness, Conditioning, Sport Specific Training, Nutrition, and Weight Management. Part III: Current and on-going health issues and administrative procedures.
Instructor: Lisa Kriger

Dates: 2009 Oct 11, 17, 18, 24, 25
Description: A continuation of Spanish for Educators in All Areas. We will be learning more educational related Spanish, introducing basic grammar concepts and, learning more about the Hispanic culture. All are welcome to take this course. You do not need Spanish For Educators in All Areas in order to take this course.
Instructor: Megan McGourty

Dates: Jan 16 — Jan 30
Description: Basic philosophy and principles are integral parts of physical education and general education. Learn about state, local and national regulations and policies related to athletics. Issues to be discussed include: legal considerations, function and organization of leagues and athletic associations in New York State, public relations and general safety procedures.
Instructor: Lisa Kriger