Spring 2008

To register for a JLTC workshop click here REGISTER

To register for a JLTC collaboaration with BOCES Instructional Services, please call 779-7041.

The Teacher Center reserves the right to cancel workshops if the participant number is low, so PLEASE be professional and call well in advance to register.

Thank you…

Superintendents’ Conference Day Top
March 25, 2008

Book Study: “Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children’s Learning” by Peter H. Johnston Top
Join colleagues in a discussion of this acutely insightful look at how thoughtful selection of words can make a difference in the academic and social success of our children. “In productive classrooms, teachers don't just teach children skills: they build emotionally and relationally healthy learning communities. Teachers create intellectual environments that produce not only technically competent students, but also caring, secure, actively literate human beings". Choice Words shows how teachers accomplish this using their most powerful teaching tool: language. Throughout, Peter Johnston provides examples of apparently ordinary words, phrases, and uses of language that are pivotal in the orchestration of the classroom. Grounded in a study by accomplished literacy teachers, the book demonstrates how the things we say (and don't say) have surprising consequences for what children learn and for whom they become as literate people. Through language children learn how to become strategic thinkers. In addition, Johnston examines the complex learning that teachers produce in classrooms that is hard to name and thus is not recognized by tests, by policy-makers, by the general public, and often by teachers themselves, yet is vitally important. This book will be enlightening for any teacher who wishes to be more conscious of the many ways their language helps children acquire literacy skills and view the world, their peers, and themselves in new ways. Particpants will receive a copy of the book Choice Words at the first session.
Audience: All Educators
Location: JLTC
Date: February 5 and March 18, 2008
Time:4:30-6:30 PM
Fee: None
Instructor:Kathleen Morris-Kortz, Education Program Coordinator-SUNY Potsdam, JCC
To Register:www.jlteach.org or 785-9143 or 1-800-293-3627

Classroom Strategies Before Referral Top
Collaboration with BOCES Instructional Services
The new Response to Interventions model for identifying children with learning disabilities requires scientifically-based interventions be implemented in the regular classroom before children are referred for special education. Teachers need a repertoire of instructional strategies and interventions to draw upon. Children struggle with reading skills for a variety of reasons. Many of these difficulties can be reduced by the teacher in the regular education classroom before any referrals for special services are needed. This workshop will provide teachers with multiple strategies for seeking the underlying causes of academic difficulties and ideas for instruction which more effectively match instruction to the strengths of each student. Research based interventions will be presented along with methods for monitoring and documenting progress. The group will also discuss when children with processing deficits may need additional services. This training session is particularly relevant for staff members on instructional support teams.
Audience:All Staff K-6 and Administrators
Location:Watertown BOCES, Conference Rooms A&B
Dates:March 11, 2008
Time:8:30 AM-2:30 PM
To Register:www.jlteach.org or 785-9143 or 1-800-293-3627

Effective Teaching--Active Participation: "Don't think about Zebras"

TopOne of the most powerful tools a teacher has at their command is that of active participation. The age, subject, or ability of the students has no bearing on the effectiveness of this technique. This workshop will give techniques and tools to keep a majority of your students engaged in learning a majority of the time. Active participation can decrease discipline problems, increase learning and make class time fly. This workshop is for all teachers (new or seasoned) that want to learn or review effective teaching. Remember--don't think about zebras.
Audience:New & Veteran Teachers
Location:JLTC
Dates:March 11, 2008
Time:4:30-6:30 PM
Fee:None
Instructor:Karen Hegeman, Retired Teacher /Administrator, Indian River
To Register:www.jlteach.org or 785 -9143 or 1-800-293-3627

Art Circle - Calligraphy/Illuminated ManuscriptsTop
Location:HG Sackett Tech. Center
Date:March 11, 2008
Time:4:00-5:30 PM
Fee:None
Instructor:Valerie Muncy, Teacher
To Register:www.jlteach.org or 785-9143 or 1-800-293-362

ECC - Hands on Science Activities Top

This workshop will be filled with fun and inexpensive ways to include science into your program. Items that you have just lying around can do some amazing things. Join us for
hands-on activities you can easily do.

Location:JLTC
Date:March 17, 2008
Time: 4:30-6:00 PM
Fee:None
Instructor:Jamie Simmons, JLCP
To Register:www.jlteach.org or 785-9143 or 1-800-293-3627

Strategies for Co-Teaching Top
How do two professionals work together with one class? When a special education teacher or therapist pushes into a regular education teacher’s classroom the situation can be awkward for everyone. A variety of effective strategies for co-teaching will be presented during this session. Additional strategies for how a teacher and paraprofessional can work together will also be shared.
Audience:All Staff K-12 and Administrators
Location:Watertown BOCES, Conference Rooms A&B
Dates:March 18, 2008
Time:8:30 AM-2:30 PM
Fee:$80 per participant when a total of 10 participants register; $40 per participant when a total of 20 participants register; billed through CO-SER 518
Instructor:Ginger Thomas, Teacher’s Desk
To Register:Linda Charlton, 779-7041 or lcharlto@mail.boces.com

LOTE Teachers: School Island® & Networking Top
This workshop will demonstrate the uses of the School Island website. Students and teachers can get content review and skill assessment activities for many subjects including math, science, social studies, and foreign language. Instant feedback and progress reports can pinpoint a student's strengths and weaknesses. Teachers can monitor their students' use of School Island and even assign sessions tailored to their individual needs. School Island is easily accessible from school, library - even at home wherever an Internet-connected computer is available. Time will be allotted for teachers to browse the site and discuss ways to incorporate it in their LOTE classrooms. The afternoon will be spent sharing activities and viewing mini-presentations by LOTE colleagues.
Audience: LOTE Teachers
Location:Sackets Harbor C.S., Computer Lab
Dates:March 25, 2008
Time:8:30-11:30 AM & 12:30-2:30 PM Sharing
Session
Fee: None
Instructor:Scott Fischer, School Island General Manager
To Register:www.jlteach.org or 785-9143 or 1-800-293-3627

“Art” as the Base of Learning Top
The morning demonstration (with some hands on) will provide art teachers with an understanding of artist Colin Coots’ approach to art as communication. “Getting along with others is the most basic and essential of human skills. The arts train your senses and everything you learn comes via sight, sound, touch, smell and taste . . . The arts teach creative thinking, problem solving, and generalizations. Thus, a creative thinker can visualize the invisible and make it come to life . . . resolve new problems quickly in fresh and imaginative ways . . . while borrowing basic principles learned in other areas of study.” Mr. Coots, from LeRoy, NY is a noted painter, sculptor, and canoe builder. During the afternoon he will demonstrate concrete examples of his philosophy of art while allowing teachers the time to practice some elements of drawing including line drawings, shadowing, and action drawing. He will offer guidance on portrait drawing and present ideas for district or community wide art projects such as the construction of large murals, sculptures, mosaics and collages. Teachers will be empowered and return to their home schools feeling inspired, renewed and fearless.
Audience:All K-12
Location:South Jefferson Middle School, Art Classroom
Dates:March 25, 2008
Time:8:00 AM-2:30 PM
Fee: None
Instructor:Colin Coots, Artist
To Register:www.jlteach.org or 785-9143 or 1-800-293-3627

Does Napoleon Dynamite have Asperger Syndrome? Top

Understand how Asperger Syndrome impacts children and adolescents. Acquire practical assessment and extensive treatment strategies that can be applied tomorrow. This session will help you understand Asperger Syndrome and acquire practical skills for effective assessment and intervention. From Hans Asperger's first description of the syndrome to current views, participants will gain knowledge and insight into the strengths and weaknesses associated with this diagnosis. Attendees will be able to identify and obtain skills-based techniques designed to address the social-interaction, social-communication and social-emotional concerns present in this population. Extensive recommendations designed for specialists and classroom teachers to help these children succeed in the academic environment will be provided. Case studies and an appropriate amount of time for questions and answers will also be provided. Participants will take home useful tools and creative ideas to use the very next day.
Learner Outcomes:

1. Recognize and identify behavioral symptoms of Asperger Syndrome

2. Demonstrate techniques used in pragmatic language assessment

3. List social and emotional issues associated with Asperger Syndrome

4. List specific techniques to improve successful outcomes in the academic environment

5. List intervention techniques to combat social inappropriateness
Audience: Special Education Teachers, Speech Therapists, Occupational Therapists
Location:JLTC
Dates:March 25, 2008
Time:8:00 AM-3:00 PM
Fee: None
Instructor:Timothy P. Kowalski, MA, CCC
To Register:www.jlteach.org or 785-9143 or 1-800-293-3627

Physical Education Teachers Top
A Commencement Level Assessment Tool, offered in CD-ROM format, was developed by the New York State Education Department as an assessment tool for school districts. The results from this tool are intended to:
*Provide evidence of individual student progress in meeting the physical education learning standards; and
*Provide evidence to improve the overall quality of a district’s physical education program.
The professional development program will be administered by members of the New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (NYS AHPERD) who are
certified physical educators with extensive knowledge of the PE Profile.
Audience:Physical Educations Teachers
Location:HGS, Distance Learning Room
Dates:March 25, 2008
Time:8:30 AM-2:30 PM
Fee: None
Instructor:NYS AHPERD Representative
To Register:Linda Charlton, 779-7041 or lcharlto@mail.boces.com

Motivation and the Middle School Student Top

Collaboration with BOCES Instructional Services & SETRC

Middle School students are entering the stage in their lives where freedom to choose and power to be successful are major needs. The need for social belonging and fun remain with them as well. When teachers acknowledge these major drives, and build in ways for students to fulfill needs while doing what they are being asked to do in class, success reins. This workshop will help participants discover ways to provide the structure young adolescents need while providing the choices and independence they crave. Helping students to set goals, activate positive emotions, receive increased feedback and develop healthy relationships boosts motivation. This session will also look at how stress and threats can temporarily de-motivate middle school learners.
Audience: Middle School Teachers
Location: Watertown BOCES, Conference Rooms A&B
Dates:March 31, 2008
Time:8:30 AM-2:30 PM
Fee:$80 per participant when a total of 10 participants register; $40 per participant when a total of 20 participants register; billed through CO-SER518
Instructor:Ginger Thomas, Teacher’s Desk
To Register:Linda Charlton, 779-7041 or lcharlto@mail.boces.com

Motivating Reluctant Readers Top

Collaboration with BOCES Instructional Services & SETRC

It’s no secret that plenty of secondary students can read, but choose not to. This workshop will help teachers examine the reasons why older students “turn off” to reading and
what can be done to help them reconnect with reading. Participants will learn about the importance of purpose, meaningful accountability, and choice in helping adolescents see
reading as both a purposeful and pleasurable activity. Participants will receive the book, Reading Reasons.
Audience: Teachers, Grades 6-12
Location: Watertown BOCES, Conference Rooms A&B
Dates:April 7, 2008
Time: 8:30 AM-2:30 PM
Fee: $160 per participant when a total of 10 participants register; $95 per participant when a total of 20 participants register; billed through CO-SER518
Instructors:Cheryl Dobbertin, Literacy Professional Development Specialist & Rachel Billmeyer, Trainer
To Register:Linda Charlton, 779-7041 or lcharlto@mail.boces.com

ECC - Alternatives to TV: Interactive Make & Take Literacy Bags Top
Early childhood care providers will be shown samples of literacy tubs and bags. They will be given the time and materials to make a literacy bag of their own.
Location: JLTC
Date: April 7, 2008
Time: 4:30-6:00 PM
Fee:None
Instructor:Susan Stratton, Retired Kindergarten Teacher & Early Childhood Program Coordinator JLTC
To Register:www.jlteach.org or 785-9143 or 1-800-293-3627

Art Circle - How to Draw a Rabbit DVD Top
Location:HG Sackett Tech. Center
Date:April 8, 2008
Time: 4-5:30 PM
Fee:None
Instructor:Valerie Muncy, Teacher
To Register:www.jlteach.org or 785-9143 or 1-800-293-3627

Update Your Online Video Resources Top
Come and learn about VITAL, EdVideo Online and Teachers’ Domain. Find new video clips, images, audio and Podcasts and integrate them in your curriculum. This workshop will
give you an overview of each one of these online services. Then head to the JLTC computer lab to find your own specific useful applications of these resources. You’ll have
the whole summer to update and prepare exciting lessons for your classroom.
Location:JLTC
Dates: April 24, 2008
Time: 4:00-5:00 PM
Fee:None
Instructor:Leslie O’Hara, WPBS
To Register:www.jlteach.org or 785-9143 or 1-800-293-3627

3rd, 4th and 5th Math Circle - Checklist and Preparation for the Next School Year in Math Top
At this session, teachers will look at post March performance indicators and develop ideas from the 2008 NYS math assessment.
Location: JLTC
Dates: April 28, 2008
Time: 4:30-5:30 PM
Fee:None
Instructor:Jennifer Phelps, Watertown Math Coach
To Register:www.jlteach.org or 785-9143 or 1-800-293-3627

The Poet Within Top
Most of our poetry is already within us. Herm Card’s most popular poetry workshop will demonstrate methods to enable teachers and students discover their poetic self, the poet within. The discovery processes used in this hands-on experience will help uncover the poetic energy that already exists in your students and yourself, and reveal ways to channel that energy
into exciting poetry and other writing.
Audience: Language Arts Teachers
Location:JLTC
Date:April 29, 2008
Time:4:30-6:30 PM
Fee:None
Instructor:Herm Card, Regional Director of NYS English Council/Retired Teacher
To Register:www.jlteach.org or 785-9143 or 1-800-293-3627

Digging Deeper – Using Assistive Technology Tools Effectively Top
Collaboration with BOCES Instructional Services
This hands-on workshop is designed as a follow-up to the Assistive Technology Continuum full day presentation, especially for districts who are providing kits to participants or teams as part of the training. This second day of training is designed to use some of the tools more extensively, learn how to evaluate with them, go into more details on strategies and tips with some categories of tools, and provide participants with forms and additional information which might be valuable to them. The topics covered on this second day include the following, but these may be changed to better “fit” the needs of the group, the kits ordered, or other training needs:
• Low and mid tech tool evaluations (with form)
• Conducting color evaluations with filters and light (with form)
• Choosing and training with low and mid tech note-taking tools
• Determining keyboarding speed vs. handwriting speed (requires use of AlphaSmart, with forms)
• Organizational tools and strategies for the six areas of organizational concern
• Digitized photos – from computer to classroom use
• Using the Personal Choices Form
Audience:District Assistive Technology Teams, Special Education Teachers and CSE Chairs
Location:Watertown BOCES, Conference Rooms A&B
Dates:April 29, 2008
Time:8:30 AM-2:30 PM
Fee:$175 per participant when a total of 10 participants register; $90 per participant when a total of 20 participants register; billed through CO-SER 518
Instructor:Judith Sweeney, President, Onion Mountain Technology, Inc.
To Register:Linda Charlton, 779-7041 or lcharlto@mail.boces.com

What Administrators Need to Know about Adolescent Literacy Top
Collaboration with BOCES Instructional Services & SETRC
This session is designed for those interested in examining and planning for effective adolescent literacy programs. Participants will focus on the research
and resources needed for a strong adolescent literacy program, powerful ways to schedule reading teachers to build capacity, the potential impact of a scheduled
“Sustained Silent Reading” period, and effective methods of professional development. Participants will receive the book, Literacy Leadership for Grades 5-12.
Audience:Building Level Administrators, Pupil Services and Special Ed.Adm.
Location:Watertown BOCES, Conference Rooms A&B
Dates: May 12, 2008
Time: 8:30 AM-2:30 PM
Fee: $160 per participant when a total of 10 participants register; $95 per participant when a total of 20 participants register; billed through CO-SER518
Instructors:Cheryl Dobbertin, Literacy Professional Development Specialist & Rachel Billmeyer, Trainer
To Register:Linda Charlton, 779-7041 or lcharlto@mail.boces.com

Art Circle - Talk with the State Ed. About the Visual Arts Top
Location: HG Sackett Tech. Center
Date: May 13, 2008
Time: 4:00-5:30 PM
Fee:None
Instructor:Valerie Muncy, Teacher
To Register:www.jlteach.org or 785-9143 or 1-800-293-3627

RTI: General Academic Interventions for Difficult-to-Teach Students Top
Collaboration with BOCES Instructional Services & SETRC
Students who struggle academically often require individualized interventions carefully tailored to their areas of academic deficit. Indeed, effective academic
interventions can be thought of as the foundation that supports the entire structure of Response to Intervention. This workshop will provide educators with useful
conceptual tools--such as the Instructional Hierarchy, the Learn Unit and the Schoolwork Motivation Assessment-- that will aid them in matching struggling learners
to the right interventions. The training will also review the three key academic domains: reading, mathematics, and writing. For each academic domain, participants
learn about common 'stumbling blocks' that can prevent students from achieving success and review a sampling of effective, classroom-friendly, research-based interventions.
All intervention ideas are tied to the three-tier 'Response to Intervention' framework now being widely adopted in schools across the nation.
Audience:K-5 Teachers and Administrators
Location:Watertown BOCES, Conference Rooms A&B
Dates: May 28, 2008
Time: 8:30 AM-2:30 PM
Fee:$130 per participant when a total of 10 participants register; $65 per participant when a total of 20 participants register; billed through CO-SER 518
Instructor:Jim Wright, Special Education Administrator
To Register:Linda Charlton, 779-7041 or lcharlto@mail.boces.com

Art Circle - Plan for Next Year Top
Location:HG Sackett Tech. Center
Date: June 10, 2008
Time: 4:00-5:30 PM
Fee:None
Instructor:Valerie Muncy, Teacher
To Register:www.jlteach.org or 785-9143 or 1-800-293-3627

Cognitive Coaching Top
Collaboration with BOCES Instructional Services
Cognitive Coaching is a set of strategies, a way of thinking, and a way of working that invites the coach and those s/he coaches to shape and reshape their
thinking and problem solving capacities. Cognitive Coaching offers us an approach to interacting with others which is respectful and professional,
giving us the practical tools for achieving collaborative learning communities in our workplaces and schools. Cognitive Coaches engage in a variety
of Coaching Conversations, Coaching behaviors to influence thinking, Coaching flexibility for difference styles of learners, and Mediation skills.
Cognitive Coaches learn behaviors to influence thinking, including:
*Applying rapport skills
*Structuring
*Using silence
*Acknowledging
*Paraphrasing
*Clarifying
*Mediative questioning
*Providing data and resources
Audience:K-12 Teachers
Location:Watertown BOCES, Conference Rooms A&B
Dates:July 1 & 2 and August 18 & 19, 2008
Time:8:30 AM-2:30 PM
Fee: $400 per participant when a total of 10 participants register; $230 per participant when a total of 20 participants register; billed through COR-SER 518
Instructor:Michael Dolcemascolo, OCM BOCES
To Register:Linda Charlton, 779-7041 or lcharlto@mail.boces.com