Middle+Level

=Middle Level=

//**2010-2011 School Year**//
//Facilitated by Dennis Atkinson, Staff Development Specialist// //October 14,2010// The Common Core State Standards have been developed to ensure that students have the skills and knowledge needed to be successful by providing clear goals for student learning. This workshop will provide an opportunity for participants to examine and discuss the document, click here.
 * Examining the Common Core State Standards Document for ELA Grades 6-12**

//Facilitated by Kimberlee Texter, Staff Development Specialist// //November 11,2010// Finally got your SMART Board and now you don’t know what to do with it? This workshop will take Model Schools participants step-by-step through the tool bar and gallery as well as essentials for educators. For registration information, [|click here.]
 * Beginning SMART Board Training**

//Facilitated by Christine Cutler, Staff Development Specialist// //December 17,2010// Step Up To Writing is an effective, multisensory and structured approach to teaching writing strategies to improve all aspects of student literacy. Through explicit, direct teaching and modeling of the small steps and sub skills involved in develop writing skills, participants will learn several Step-Up strategies and apply them to their own writing workshops. Primary teachers will learn the basic color- coded approach to the structure as well as ways to support students as they compose sentences, acquire vocabulary and plan for paragraph writing. For registration information,[|click here].
 * Step-Up to Writing 6-12: A Scaffold Approach to Expository Writing**

//Facilitated by Christine Cutler, Staff Development Specialist// //October 13,2010// Would you like to differentiate instruction in your classroom? Teach children in small groups? Confer individually with students and do all of this while the rest of your class is fully engaged in independent reading and writing activities? This is it! The Daily Five is a literacy structure that allows for differentiation in the classroom and provides consistency. It is an integrated literacy instruction and classroom management system for use in reading and writing workshops and uses a systemic approach to literacy tasks that teach students independence! For registration information,[|click here.]
 * The Daily Five: Differentiated Literacy Blocks**

//Facilitated by Christine Cutler, Staff Development Specialist// //October 21,2010// How do we present strategies so that students can access them when needed and practice them until they are proficient? How can we keep track of each child’s strengths and goals so we can maximize our time with him/her? What about flexible groups? Is there really a way to make them flexible? Finally, how can we organize all of our assessment data so we can make it work for us? CAFÉ is the answer to the many issues teachers face when making literacy blocks effective in a simple framework of conferring, coaching and tracking growth while fostering student independence. Come join us and learn how to assist students in becoming independent readers! For registration information,[|click here].
 * CAFÉ: Engaging All Students in Daily Literacy Assessment & Instruction**

//Facilitated by Christine Cutler, Staff Development Specialist// //November 8,2010// Have you looked around your classroom from the perspective of your students learning styles? Do you wonder if there is a better way to organize your classroom library or literacy work spaces to support differentiated and flexible groups? This workshop will leave you with dozens of ideas for redesigning learning spaces to support literacy learning! For registration information, [|click here].
 * Classroom Design: Supporting Literacy Learning with Brain Compatible Learning Theory**

Creating a Common LOTE Assessment
// Facilitated by: Kim Oakes, Staff Development Specialist // With the elimination of the LOTE Proficiency Examination, districts are required to create a comparable assessment aligned to the Checkpoint A Learning Standards for LOTE in order for students to receive credit for units of study. This workshop will facilitate the collaborative creation of assessments in LOTE to meet this requirement. Click Here For More Information & to Register
 * Date: December 10th, 2011 **

//Facilitated by Dennis Atkinson, Staff Development Specialist// Give every student the opportunity to demonstrate understanding and enhance their 21st century literacy skills. Digital storytelling allows teachers to develop lessons and assessments that include digital photos, audio, video, and Internet resources.
 * Digital Storytelling**

//Facilitated by Christine Cutler, Staff Development Specialist// //March 4,2010// Teaching middle level and secondary students the art of creating a well planned, interesting and voice infused story or narrative is an important part of writing fluency. Using the Step Up to Writing narrative approach supports students’ ability to distinguish between story elements and terminology through explicit instruction, modeled practice opportunities and specific strategies to meet the needs of all developing writers! For registration information,[|click here.]
 * Step-Up to Writing 6-12: Narrative Writing Strategies**

//Facilitated by Dennis Atkinson, Staff Development Specialist// It’s not enough to teach the three Rs. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has identified a number of specific skill sets crucial for future success. The skills for each of the core academic subjects are mapped for multiple grade levels showing desired student outcomes. This session will familiarize you with the document and assist you as you begin to develop 21st century proficiencies in your students.
 * Developing Your Students’ 21st Century Literacy Skills**

//Facilitated by Dennis Atkinson, Staff Development Specialist// All teachers are teachers of literacy. Internet tools can help develop reading and writing skills by offering students access to interesting, timely information and by providing a more public forum in which students can share their ideas and present their work.
 * Internet Tools for Improving Literacy Skills in the Secondary Classroom**

//Facilitated by Christine Cutler, Staff Development Specialist// //April 13,2010// Today, as in years past, the most common vocabulary activity in classrooms consists of having students look up words, copy definitions, put words in sentences, and learn the words for the vocabulary test. When asked, most of us acknowledge that these traditional vocabulary activities probably don't accomplish much. But what is the alternative?" We know children are naturally curious about words so join us in this workshop as we explore many alternatives that really do impact the acquisition of vocabulary for our students. For registration information, [|click here.]
 * Expanded Vocabulary: Working on Words**