This course focuses on the knowledge of oral language development and the knowledge of the unique needs and backgrounds of students with language differences and delays. Effective research-based strategies and instructional technology for faciliating the learning of Standard English by all learners, including English Language Learners, will be covered.

Effective preventive and corrective strategies are examined in the context of developing a classroom management style that promotes the growth of responsible behavior within the learning environment. The outcomes of reward and punishment management will be thoroughly analyzed and replaced with a non-coercive style.

This course will explore the current development and practice of adolescent literacy in a changing world. Globalization means middle and high school students will find themselves in a world that requires ingenuity, imagination, and empathy, and will require employees who are willing to take risks and work cooperatively. With this in mind, this course will use a variety of texts to synthesize literacy strategies about reading, writing, speaking and thinking in the adolescent world, including how to adapt to the increase of technology in everyday use.

This course is designed for teachers of grades K-5 and will identify multicultural literature, which promotes multicultural teaching and learning. The purpose of this course is to involve teachers in literature, which acknowledges diverse backgrounds. Teachers will learn to use children's literature to teach multicultural awareness. This course will emphasize activities through all areas of the curriculum including language arts, math, social studies, science, and the arts.

This course will examine the areas of brain research, differentiation, and multiple intelligence. Overviews of each topic will be discussed with in-depth reading/discussion for participants that are not yet familiar with these topics. This course will explore how teachers can incorporate new research into already developed lesson plans. This allows teachers to feel that new information or ideas can fit into curriculum already in place, without feeling the need to add just one more thing to an already packed agenda.

This course is designed to give teachers the opportunity to explore other cultures in order to gain a deeper understanding of the diversity within our classrooms. This course will examine multicultural literature, parental involvement, lesson planning, and hands-on experiences. This course will also examine cultural definitions and history along with belief and value systems. It will provide participants the opportunity to focus on making adjustments in curriculum and instruction in order to challenge all learners.

Assessment, learning style, motivation, active participation, cooperative learning, brain research, multiple intelligences. This course will help educators put isolated pieces of information together in order to create conditions for learning. We will connect strategies with recent brain research and connect that to the principles of lesson design. The ultimate outcome will be increased student learning.

This course will focus on a variety of instructional strategies including sight word acquisition, phonemic awareness skills, decoding strategies, and reading fluency. Well sample emergent guided reading lessons for K2 and explore a variety of quality childrens literature for use in a shared reading setting. Many hands-on literacy center examples will demonstrate independent student behaviors. A Thirty Minute Model will examine components to support struggling readers. Bring one or two literacy station strategies to share with colleagues.

Educational Strategies for the Gifted will provide the opportunity to examine current trends in educational programming for the gifted and talented. Participants will examine curriculum design and development and compare effectiveness of various programming options: gifted and general education school improvement models, differentiation, collaboration, inclusion, cluster grouping, pullout and pull-in models. Classroom strategies to support qualitatively differentiated instruction will be examined, developed, and applied to current practices.

Psychology of the Gifted will provide an opportunity to examine the issues that educators need to know about the social and emotional development and needs of gifted children. Giftedness is much more than the ability to excel with grades and tests. Participants will examine varying definitions of giftedness and personal beliefs that support and advocate for gifted children or become barriers to them. This class will examine how gifted students perceive themselves, and how pressures, anxiety or outside influences impact the fulfillment of their potential.