May 10 PD Day
As we conclude our 2018-2019 Professional Development Days, our focus for the May 10 PD Day is on some of our district-wide PD themes around social-emotional learning, project-based learning, and innovative practices. The professional development will be building-based, so please look to your building descriptions below. The only exception is the district social studies training for social studies teachers grades 5-12 from 12:15-2:15 (description below). The PD Committee hopes you have an inspiring afternoon of learning. We will have feedback survey forms for you on the May 10th date for you to complete. Lunch will be on your own. Enjoy!
Use the following feedback survey form at the end of the day to provide the PD Committee with information for future planning.
Use the following feedback survey form at the end of the day to provide the PD Committee with information for future planning.
Nipmuc Regional High School
Locations: PDC/Media Center/Gathering Room
Time: 11:45-2:15
Choice #1: Project-Based Learning: Level Up Your Projects with Gold Standard PBL Design Elements (PDC)
Interested in making learning come alive for students? Looking to add some "umph" to your projects where students engage in solving real-world problems or answer questions that are authentic and meaningful? Many of our teachers who have participated in PBL 101 training have enhanced their project designs and amplified deeper learning opportunities for our students. This PBL Session will take one element of their successful training to get you started in how you can move your projects to true project-based learning. Participants are encouraged to bring a past, current, or future project idea that they are looking to level up.
Interested in making learning come alive for students? Looking to add some "umph" to your projects where students engage in solving real-world problems or answer questions that are authentic and meaningful? Many of our teachers who have participated in PBL 101 training have enhanced their project designs and amplified deeper learning opportunities for our students. This PBL Session will take one element of their successful training to get you started in how you can move your projects to true project-based learning. Participants are encouraged to bring a past, current, or future project idea that they are looking to level up.
Choice #2: Projects of Interest, Problems of Practice & Purposeful Technology Integration (Media Center)
Spring is a fantastic time for experimentation and brainstorming. These can take the form of innovative projects you want to try as the school year winds down or re-thinking your fall planning to hit the ground running in September. This session will be an opportunity to come together to discuss plans, wonderings, and problems with colleagues. We'll also review and play with digital tools to support your work and foster student creativity. We'll close out our session with a semi-structured planning time that will use the 4 Shifts protocol and peer feedback to enhance your plans.
To create a relevant structure, teachers interested in attending are asked to fill out this 4-question survey.
Spring is a fantastic time for experimentation and brainstorming. These can take the form of innovative projects you want to try as the school year winds down or re-thinking your fall planning to hit the ground running in September. This session will be an opportunity to come together to discuss plans, wonderings, and problems with colleagues. We'll also review and play with digital tools to support your work and foster student creativity. We'll close out our session with a semi-structured planning time that will use the 4 Shifts protocol and peer feedback to enhance your plans.
To create a relevant structure, teachers interested in attending are asked to fill out this 4-question survey.
Choice #3: SEL Collaborative Review (Gathering Room)
School counselors will review action steps that Nipmuc has taken to support social-emotional learning and to update the school counseling curriculum. Faculty members are welcome to stop by the meeting to share their experiences with SEL and help to chart the course for next year's SEL programming.
School counselors will review action steps that Nipmuc has taken to support social-emotional learning and to update the school counseling curriculum. Faculty members are welcome to stop by the meeting to share their experiences with SEL and help to chart the course for next year's SEL programming.
Session 2: 1:15-2:15 Playground
Meet back in the PDC to collaborate across departments and have time to share your new ideas and to play around with any new tools. This will be an unstructured time for you to work together and spend time further exploring what you have learned and refining projects, plans, and future lessons.
Additional PD Sessions 11:45-2:15
ABA Techs (High School Only)
Student review and ESY preparation in the classroom.
Student review and ESY preparation in the classroom.
Social Studies Professional Development 12:15-2:15 (Room 337-Chrissy Manzella's room)
Framing Controversial Issues (Grades 5-12)
Social studies teachers Grades 5-12 will be participating in social studies professional development with the Close Up Foundation.
Why is it critical to address controversial topics with students through issue-centered education? What different formats can teachers use to foster informed and constructive in-class debate? Close Up trainers will model various debate formats and demonstrate how to best implement them in your classroom. Participants should bring their laptops to this session.
Framing Controversial Issues (Grades 5-12)
Social studies teachers Grades 5-12 will be participating in social studies professional development with the Close Up Foundation.
Why is it critical to address controversial topics with students through issue-centered education? What different formats can teachers use to foster informed and constructive in-class debate? Close Up trainers will model various debate formats and demonstrate how to best implement them in your classroom. Participants should bring their laptops to this session.
SNAP Implementation (Nurses)
Nurses will participate in on-line training for SNAP implementation (new electronic health record) for the 2019-2020 school year. 2.5 hours. Location - School Health Offices
Nurses will participate in on-line training for SNAP implementation (new electronic health record) for the 2019-2020 school year. 2.5 hours. Location - School Health Offices
Miscoe Hill Middle School
Location: Teacher's Room
Time: 12:15-2:45
Scratching the the Surface of Student Behavior
In this workshop, participants will learn how to identify and define the behaviors that at times disrupt learning as well as what possible functions of the behavior may include. Participants will be exposed to various data collection systems which will support their presentation to an RTI team to determine effective interventions and will also explore a school matrix designed to increase positive behaviors throughout the school. Collaborative learning techniques will support participants learning in this workshop, and participants will leave with a renewed sense of the “why” behind the behavior and how to support success moving forward!
Julie Flynn, MSEd, BCBA is the principal at North Grafton Elementary School. Prior to her work as a school administrator for the last nine years, Julie was a consultant for the New England Center for Children, to public schools in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut. In this position, she supported the creation of, staff training and implementation of behavior support plans for individual students as well as the oversight and creation of public school programming to support students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
In this workshop, participants will learn how to identify and define the behaviors that at times disrupt learning as well as what possible functions of the behavior may include. Participants will be exposed to various data collection systems which will support their presentation to an RTI team to determine effective interventions and will also explore a school matrix designed to increase positive behaviors throughout the school. Collaborative learning techniques will support participants learning in this workshop, and participants will leave with a renewed sense of the “why” behind the behavior and how to support success moving forward!
Julie Flynn, MSEd, BCBA is the principal at North Grafton Elementary School. Prior to her work as a school administrator for the last nine years, Julie was a consultant for the New England Center for Children, to public schools in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Connecticut. In this position, she supported the creation of, staff training and implementation of behavior support plans for individual students as well as the oversight and creation of public school programming to support students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Elementary Schools
Location: Memorial ES Library
Time: 1:00-3:30pm
“No Such Thing As a Bad Kid!” by Charles Applestein
Understanding and Responding to Students with Emotional & Behavioral Challenges Using a Positive, Trauma-informed, Strength-Based Approach & Creating a Positive, Strength-Based Culture in Your School
Strength-based practice is an emerging approach to guiding students and, in particular, those with emotional and behavioral challenges, that is exceptionally positive and inspiring. Its focus is on strength-building rather than flaw-fixing. It begins with the belief that every young person has or can develop strengths and utilize past successes to mitigate problem behavior and enhance academic and social functioning. This presentation will highlight many of the key principles and techniques of this transforming modality. Areas covered include: What is strength-based practice & the power of a positive attitude & culture; the effects of trauma and positive emotions on the brain; changing negative mindsets and the deleterious effects of pejorative labeling; strength-based communication principles and techniques – including reframing, using solution-focused questions, positive predicting and inspirational metaphors; self-esteem building & activities for at-risk children and youth; how to help cognitively- inflexible students; the importance of being family-friendly; why, how, and when to use incentive plans; the importance of controlling personal emotions (i.e. managing number one first); respectful, relationship-based limit setting; and a host of creative cognitive behavioral strategies.
Check out the following packet of information.
Understanding and Responding to Students with Emotional & Behavioral Challenges Using a Positive, Trauma-informed, Strength-Based Approach & Creating a Positive, Strength-Based Culture in Your School
Strength-based practice is an emerging approach to guiding students and, in particular, those with emotional and behavioral challenges, that is exceptionally positive and inspiring. Its focus is on strength-building rather than flaw-fixing. It begins with the belief that every young person has or can develop strengths and utilize past successes to mitigate problem behavior and enhance academic and social functioning. This presentation will highlight many of the key principles and techniques of this transforming modality. Areas covered include: What is strength-based practice & the power of a positive attitude & culture; the effects of trauma and positive emotions on the brain; changing negative mindsets and the deleterious effects of pejorative labeling; strength-based communication principles and techniques – including reframing, using solution-focused questions, positive predicting and inspirational metaphors; self-esteem building & activities for at-risk children and youth; how to help cognitively- inflexible students; the importance of being family-friendly; why, how, and when to use incentive plans; the importance of controlling personal emotions (i.e. managing number one first); respectful, relationship-based limit setting; and a host of creative cognitive behavioral strategies.
Check out the following packet of information.