Presenters

Writing instruction in the elementary classroom can be a challenge not only for students but also for teachers. Essay writing is an essential skill that will benefit students for the rest of their lives, so it’s crucial that teachers know how to implement it. In this presentation, I will show teachers how I introduce and practice writing in the classroom using Utah Compose.

Many students enter our math classes deficient in prior knowledge and skills. This can be due to transiency, disability, culture, language, trauma, illness, etc. Building lessons that allow for severely deficient students to gain access to grade-level knowledge is difficult and challenging. Come learn about some tools and strategies that can help any student learn new content.

Help educators better help newcomers to be successful students as they transition to a new culture and school system. Help educators develop an awareness of the cultural background of refugee and immigrant students and their families. Present resources available for educators to better help students be successful, and comfortable in the classroom and school environment.

This presentation will show elementary teachers different ways through Google Classroom to use Google docs, sheets, forms and drawings in their classroom to help engage their students. I will show them quickly how to use these, some tricks and how I use these in my classroom with different subjects. Then I will give them time at the end to try to build some of their own docs, forms, sheets and slides for the start of the school year.

The presentation will consider the theory behind and the uses of student growth calculations to help increase academic achievement. Utah State Board of Education growth measures for English Language Arts, Mathematics and Science, will be reviewed for their impact on goal-setting for students and for calculating school accountability measures. Granite School District growth measures for Social Sciences will be reviewed for their impact on student achievement. Systems of rewards for teachers based on student growth will be reviewd.

Using Spheros, Ozobots, Osmos, and Bloxels participants will learn how to engage their students. Teachers will get to experience how to combine these tools and devices with learning standards.

This presentation will identify what an effective interactive notebook is, the research behind using them, the benefits, how to organize them, integrated engagement strategies, and the impact on student achievement. Interactive notebooks can help English language learners (and all students) strengthen their language skills regardless of the content area. This presentation will focus on science interactive notebooks but the ideas work in any content area.

This a a beginner chromebook session. We will be covering logging in, keyboard shortcuts, basics in google drive. This is perfect for any grade level any subject that wants to become familiar with the use of a new chromebook cart1.

The presentation will cover ways to use data for reading class placement, create student accountability and motivation, and focused collaboration. We will show how to utilize standards based grading by creating a student grading standards rubric.

Discussion will be centered around the new standards along with the law and policy manual recently approved by the Utah State Board of Education. The group will discuss ideas to introduce the revised standards into the curriculum. We will also focus on rules and regulations that govern driver education.

Subitizing means to instantly recognize a quantity without counting. This is a foundational skill that is essential for mastery of basic facts as well as composing and decomposing numbers. Students who can readily subitize have an easier time understanding core math concepts. Subitizing is not a new concept, but we find that many teachers are not familiar with it or not comfortable enough to implement it in their classroom.

The workshop will focus on concrete ways to use WIDA language levels for instructing English Learners as well as all students in your classroom. Using WIDA language levels, you can empower students to demonstrate content proficiency through speaking, listening, reading, writing, and discussion. Emphasis will be placed on tools and resources that can be used immediately in your classroom.

Our presentation will focus on sharing strategies to build better relationships with students and implement Restorative Justice practices within classrooms. Instead of framing negative behaviors as deviant, we want teachers to see that there is an opportunity to process and make gains in social emotional learning. The presentation will start with having teachers unpack some of their subconscious biases about our students and learn how to empathize with students. The second part of our presentation will focus on building vital relationships with students that can foster safer environments for learning. This section of the presentation will include a framework for having honest conversations with students that will lead to safer classroom environments. The third part of our presentation will give strategies for helping students process their emotions, take accountability for their actions, and learn to manage their own behavior through consistent coaching of social emotional skills.

Do you struggle to know what to teach in small groups? Are you overwhelmed by DIBELS benchmark data? Learn how to follow the GSD Decision Tree to identify your students’ areas of non-proficiency. Then go even deeper by administering the appropriate diagnostic assessment. You will know exactly what skills each of your students need to plan targeted interventions.

The new SEEd core standards emphasize experimental design and the analysis of experimental outcomes. Additionally, elementary teachers are encouraged to incorporate at least two of the three Next Generation dimensions into their science instruction. Science Fair is a perfect vehicle to interest, motivate, and challenge students to refine their experimental way of thinking and grow a confident scientific mindset. For first-time science fair students, teachers, teams, and schools, the new design/analysis, 3D emphasis can seem daunting. This workshop will provide ideas and guidance for successful 3D learning and standard proficiency using Science Fair within individual classrooms, grade levels and ultimately implementation school-wide.

“Positive and effective classroom management practice is the foundation to student learning. It is not only important to student learning but the well-being of the students and teacher. As such, I have discovered a gemstone classroom management system that has had remarkable results. This system is used worldwide and is free to teachers. It is called ClassDojo and it will make a very positive impact on your classroom management.

I will show you how you can use ClassDojo and the Big 8 to build a thriving management system. Dojo will assist you to implement the Big 8, collect important student data, give real-time feedback to students and parents, and increase positive relationships with parents and students. Even if you’re using ClassDojo already, come review the Big 8, set up your ClassDojo experience, and collaborate with other educators on how they are successfully implementing this management tool.”

This presentation will focus on the benefits of using escape room style lessons in the classroom. Escape rooms have the potential to turn your classroom into an academically focused, problem solving game, where players use teamwork, and critical thinking to solve a series of challenging puzzles in order to open a locked box. During the presentation, participants would have the opportunity to participate in an educational escape room, where they will have an up close and personal experience learning about all of the ways escape room style lessons can benefit their students.

When teachers know the needs of their students, they are able to manage, engage, and connect with their students. In this session, you will get a broader view of students needs by learning quick and efficient strategies in collecting and analyzing individual student data.

Every teacher has had to answer the question, “When will I ever use this math in my life?” This session will focus on ways to take basic core math concepts including decimals, fractions, ratios, probability, and graphing to engage students in meaningful “hand’s on” activities related to the real world. We will look at using decimals as we “play” the Stock Market. Then, who doesn’t love football? Students can pick their favorite football team and look at different types of data as they write fractions, decimals, percents, and ratios. Participants will also be shown many ways to include graphing and probability in these activities. And, if football isn’t your thing, these same activities can be adapted to any sport that tickles your fancy! Who ever said math was boring? Come and learn how to best answer the question that math is used all the time in our lives, and best of all- It’s FUN!

With College and Career Awareness teachers spread across the district, and while these same teachers teach a plethora of different courses, finding time to collaborate during our once a month PLC has become increasingly difficult. This presentation will include instruction on how to collaborate using Canvas. During the workshop, teachers will work together creating Common Formative Assessments and posting them to Canvas. Lesson materials will be aligned with Strands and Standards and posted to Canvas. Work-based learning ideas will be shared and posted to Canvas. Time lines will be discussed so each Strand and Standards are covered in an appropriate manner. Teachers will work together enhancing national pathways. Teachers will come prepared with best practices as we build and expand the value of College and Career Awareness in the junior high and beyond.

Since the implementation of IDEA in 2004, federal law mandates that a significant effort be made to find an inclusive classroom placement for students with disabilities. This means that general education teachers must work harder than ever to differentiate and accommodate so every student can succeed. This presentation provides a chance for teachers to learn how to effectively use the resources we have, and to build on their own scaffolding skills to create a classroom that truly is the Least Restrictive Environment.

Ideas will be shared on how to better meet the needs of Newcomer students and students that are at the very beginning stages of speaking, listening, reading and/ or writing in English. Educators will be provided will tools and resources to utilize throughout the school year that promote engagement and success in students at the early stages of English development. Coplanning and tight PLC’s focused on ELD strategies will be covered. The presenters will share their unique experience in integrating the WIDA Can Do Descriptors into science instruction throughout the entire school with a high population of English Language Learners.

The state is in the process of writing new science standards for K-5. In this session we will explore Utah’s new vision for science education. Come learn how to use every-day phenomenon to build on your students’ natural curiosity. Learn strategies for engaging students as scientists and engineers by focusing on the three-dimensions of science: science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. Leave with resource ideas and specific strategies for a student-centered science classroom.

Subitizing means to instantly recognize a quantity without counting. This is a foundational skill that is essential for mastery of basic facts as well as composing and decomposing numbers. Students who can readily subitize have an easier time understanding core math concepts. Subitizing is not a new concept, but we find that many teachers are not familiar with it or not comfortable enough to implement it in their classroom.

This class will focus on using informational text in reading and writing strategies. These strategies will support comprehension and are designed to increase learning in Tier 1 instruction. Participants will engage in opportunities to strengthen their instruction for each text structure and apply it to their classroom practice

Guiding students to grapple with the writing process can be challenging, especially in our instantaneous technological world. However, it doesn’t have to be! In this session, we will explore activities, guides, and techniques to simplify and enliven writing instruction in the upper grades. Thus, priming our students with all the knowledge and tools that they need to write proficiently.

The state is in the process of writing new 9-12 science standards.In this session we will explore Utah’s new vision for science education. Come learn how to use phenomenon to make science meaningful for your students. Learn strategies for engaging students as scientists by focusing on the three-dimensions of science: science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. Leave with a better understanding of what a 21st century science classroom looks like.

Teachers will learn how to create arts integrated lesson plans and develop skills to reinforce student learning across the curriculum. They will develop skills to transform student thinking into meaningful learning.

Our youngest learners are adept with using technology to create, communicate, collaborate and think critically with when given the opportunity. This session will cover how Chromebooks and online tools are being used in the K-3 classrooms throughout the district. Google tools and other online resources that can be used across curriculum content will be shared. Strategies for introducing and implementing the devices and web resources will also be covered in this session.

Our presentation will focus on sharing strategies to build better relationships with students and implement Restorative Justice practices within classrooms. Instead of framing negative behaviors as deviant, we want teachers to see that there is an opportunity to process and make gains in social emotional learning. The presentation will start with having teachers unpack some of their subconscious biases about our students and learn how to empathize with students. The second part of our presentation will focus on building vital relationships with students that can foster safer environments for learning. This section of the presentation will include a framework for having honest conversations with students that will lead to safer classroom environments. The third part of our presentation will give strategies for helping students process their emotions, take accountability for their actions, and learn to manage their own behavior through consistent coaching of social emotional skills.

We will explore different types of interactive activities using SMART Lab: how to play, how to find, how to make and how to share resources.

I recently took a Law course that really aided me, as an educator, to understand the “do’s” and “don’ts” of Utah law and Utah classrooms. This can fit under culture and climate (really getting into what is appropriate and what isn’t), or strictly under professional development as a teacher. Since the course really aided me I wanted to turn around and offer that learning to teachers in our district. Knowing the law helps us know what attention strategies and topics are appropriate, and what the state expects from us (since they passed a law stating that lessons MUST be engaging to entice attendance). (I also thought it would be a great in-depth look since my undergrad really just scared me in regards to the law and really understanding the law has made me a more confident and competent teacher.)

This full day workshop will include three sessions including an Overview of PBIS, PBIS in the Classroom and Using Data to Identify Student Needs and Interventions for MTSS. Participants will gain a better understanding of how and why creating a positive environment impacts student achievement. Participants will be supported in setting up effective procedures and routines in the classroom. Finally, participants will learn how to use behavioral data to drive school-wide systemic Tier 2 interventions.

Strand 8.4 Interactions with Natural Systems and Resources
[for Eighth Grade Science Teachers]
Strike it rich! Make a “gold rush” to this class to experience a wealth of practical knowledge that has “panned out” at TJJH! Prospect with the idea of using interactive notebooks with your students this year. Catch gold fever to enhance your lesson planning on this Strand! You will hit pay dirt after attending this class! Stake a claim on TJJH resources Google.docs to have a “base camp” of PowerPoints, documents, lesson plans, etc. The gold nuggets you cash in will make you feel as though you have hit the mother lode! Eureka!

In this session, teachers will interact with colleagues, engage with an article by Jay McTighe on measuring what matters most, and employ multiple strategies that will be easily transferred directly to the classroom. Learn how to engage every student, with every prompt, every day as well access student’s higher-order thinking skills. Learn from a combination of hold-up strategies to assess students thinking from the Total Participation Techniques and online strategies to track student learning while you deepen their understanding.

Help educators better help newcomers to be successful students as they transition to a new culture and school system. Help educators develop an awareness of the cultural background of refugee and immigrant students and their families. Present resources available for educators to better help students be successful, and comfortable in the classroom and school environment.

Research shows a significant correlation between high levels of engagement and improved attendance and achievement. I would like to show teachers how to achieve a classroom that hums with positive energy and is full of children who are deeply engaged in their learning. Using a wide variety of engagement strategies, teachers can learn how to create a classroom community of active learners who work well together, stay fully involved in lessons, are curious about learning, ask questions, take initiative and stay enthusiastic.

Back again with new engagement strategies and thoughts to get EVERY SINGLE student engaged in your class. New ideas on how to reach your students and keep them engaged, even when they are working on their own. Through a variety of strategies and new perspectives, learn how you can bring a new wave of student engagement into your classroom. That dream can become a reality for all of your students, from your highest scorers to your lowest scorers. This workshop will demonstrate how to create engaging lessons, how to add color and vibrancy to teaching, and provide strategies for effectively executing these new classroom tactics. Walk away with concrete ideas and a renewed perspective on student’s engagement and how you can accomplish that long sought after dream.

Why do kids join gangs? How do I help my students avoid gangs or get out of a gang? Why do gangs appeal to traumatized youth? This presentation will offer in Q&A format practical tips and solutions to working with students who are gang-involved or at risk of being gang-involved. Attendees will ask questions and have an engaged discussion with a former gang member and a school social worker with 15 years experience in gang prevention.

The state is in the process of writing new science standards for K-5.  In this session we will explore Utah’s new vision for science education. Come learn how to use every-day phenomenon to build on your students’ natural curiosity. Learn strategies for engaging students as scientists and engineers by focusing on the three-dimensions of science: science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. Leave with resource ideas and specific strategies for a student-centered science classroom.

Creating and maintaining a positive learning environment is key to students learning at high levels and is an important—although frequently neglected—component of our instructional planning and preparation efforts. In this workshop, we will address the learning environment through two key elements: Student Engagement and Student Equity. Together we will explore how effective parental communication; solid relationships with and between students; and classroom management ties in with teachers utilizing effective language building strategies with ELLs; and how the explicit teaching of soft skills such as—communication, note taking, problem solving, teamwork, organization and time management, self-help, and initiative–all coalesces into a rich and inclusive learning environment.

Math projects and note taking skills to engage students in core curriculum concepts. Topics cover 8th grade to Secondary Math 3 topics. Angle relationships, basic statistics, unit circle, 10 parent graphs, advanced statistics, etc. If you have a project to share, bring it with you.

How school grades are being calculated will be changing in the Fall of 2019. High school students who take CTE classes and complete a pathway or earn a concentrator certificate will be included as part of the school grade. The new system also allows calculations for growth for the students who are learning English and lower performing students. The new system allows schools to be given a letter grade based on individual merit, not on how they compare with other schools in the state. CTE Teachers can help more students to graduate with completer certificates in a CTE Pathway, and then immediately begin working full or part-time for companies who will offer tuition reimbursement or attend a college to further their education. CTE can help reach the goal of 66% of adults having a technical certification or college degree by 2020.

Student learning cannot occur until basic student needs are addressed. The needs of safety and security are pertinent to student learning. School staff need information regarding trauma so that they can adequately meet student needs, both emotional and learning. This course will address school culture and climate, which will address the various needs of each student. There will be take home resources for teachers to utilize in their classrooms in order to increase student learning.

Ideas will be shared on how to better meet the needs of Newcomer students and students that are at the very beginning stages of speaking, listening, reading and/ or writing in English. Educators will be provided will tools and resources to utilize throughout the school year that promote engagement and success in students at the early stages of English development. Coplanning and tight PLC’s focused on ELD strategies will be covered. The presenters will share their unique experience in integrating the WIDA Can Do Descriptors into science instruction throughout the entire school with a high population of English Language Learners.

“Our goal as educators is to create a classroom where all students can achieve their potential. We need to shift our pedagogical practices to support the diverse learners in our classrooms”(Cory Haley). Come learn principles and strategies to help all of your students achieve, from those who need something extra to those who have already mastered the content. Discover how to determine who needs something different, the principles of differentiation, intervention, and extension, and practical suggestions for classroom implementation.

The Integrated pathway chosen by the Utah Core State Standards for Mathematics allowed for standards that are very growth oriented. With this integrated approach, students see concepts develop over time as they solidify and practice them at deeper levels as they progress from course to course.

In this PD, we will discus the progression of the Geometry standards across K – 12, but focusing primarily on 5th – 12th grades. See how Geometry in the core unfolds the story of relationships among quantities (proportional, absolute and other.)

English Language Learners make up 24% of Granite’s student population. It is easy for teachers to become overwhelmed with how to effectively teach ELLs. Besides differentiated learning (which is important), ELLS need one-on-one specialized time with their teacher. It is hard to find an effective, consistent program to use with ELLs and to track their growth. This presentation will endow the teacher with the tools needed to teach these students.

In the medical field it is imperative that those involved in providing care work together like a team. So on the second day of class I organize the students into interactive teams. Each student has a leadership role to fill to assist the team in in achieving the highest possible success for each team member. This presentation will cover how to choose teams, job descriptions for each team member, team names, activities, unit reviews, and awards. Even though my class is medical any classroom may benefit by the team approach.

This workshop will include instruction and interaction on how to bring their ‘A game’ to the FACS students. Teachers will receive instruction on ways to streamline preparation and delivery of content in all areas. Everything from proper use of P-cards, student recruitment ideas, shopping tricks, project preparation, classroom instruction, and using test results to direct instruction. A check list will be included in the workshop description so teachers will submit to me, or bring their best practices (not best lesson plans) to help every teacher become the best teacher in the district. Prior to the workshop, the information received will be organized into a functional delivery for teachers.

This workshop will include instruction and interaction on how to bring their ‘A game’ to the FACS students. Teachers will receive instruction on ways to streamline preparation and delivery of content in all areas. Everything from proper use of P-cards, student recruitment ideas, shopping tricks, project preparation, classroom instruction, and using test results to direct instruction. A check list will be included in the workshop description so teachers will submit to me, or bring their best practices (not best lesson plans) to help every teacher become the best teacher in the district. Prior to the workshop, the information received will be organized into a functional delivery for teachers.

In this presentation, I will describe about 25 things I do in my classroom on a daily basis to create a kind, positive classroom environment.

Want to do something other than “round robin” reading? Then this session is for you!
Fluent readers are able to read orally with speed, accuracy, and proper expression. Fluency is one of several critical factors necessary for reading comprehension.
This presentation will provide teachers with ways to increase their students’ reading rates through a variety of fluency strategies that will work for individual, small group, and whole class instruction.  Strategies include dyad reading, timed repeated reading, phrase-cued reading, and more.
Teachers will be able to assign appropriate reading levels of text, as well as help students set individualized goals that they can track as they work toward becoming proficient readers.

A look at how to integrate mindfulness into the classroom and into your lives

The presentation will cover ways to use data for reading class placement, create student accountability and motivation, and focused collaboration. We will show how to utilize standards based grading by creating a student grading standards rubric.

Teachers are most effective when their students are actively engaged in the learning process. When teachers harness their love and their passion, their students have an aesthetic experience and will want to become active participants in their educations. One way to measure passionate teaching is through student engagement. There are various ways to engage students, to keep them interested in the curriculum, including technologies, as well as more traditional methods. This presentation will explore how to harness teacher passion, how to generate an aesthetic experience in students, and techniques demonstrating how to engage them in the learning process.

Students like hands on activities and different ways to learn and practice material. My class will provide you with many activities that you can immediately use in your classrooms that will engage your students. Students will develop soft-skills and be more open to have classroom discussions and try at different activities. These activities can be used as incentives, learning tools, or breaks to not have the students sit so much.

Drug trends are constantly evolving and the signs of drug use can be missed unless you know what to look for. “Traditional” drugs are being used in new ways, and the underground drug culture is growing, often in subtle ways.  This has a significant impact on the academic success of students who become involved. When these students are identified, schools can intervene and help them access services and minimize school disruption.  This class will provide participants with up-to-date information on what drugs are being used, how they are being used, and current usage data from the 2017 SHARP Survey. Participants will also understand terminology, logos, branding, and other identifiers related to the current youth drug culture, as well as concealment techniques often used.

Train teacher how to use LanSchool in the classroom with students on Chromebooks, teacher and student voice enhanced front row system, classroom projector, computer/Smartboard, and Skype for business.

Ever feel like Wonderworks does not meet all of your students needs? Come learn how to include all the necessary foundational skills for your students in a fun, interactive way! It just takes a few minutes each day. Learn how to access and utilize district resources and implement Wonderworks in an efficient and engaging way.

This presentation will help teachers think about new ways to engage students in their classes using technology.

Members of the PLC will determine a shared vision and collaboratively talk about student learning encompassed in a basic unit of study. Administrators will learn how to guide teachers to implement a “win quick” PLC cycle. They will also learn to help teachers to catch learning errors early to increase summative scores. Teachers will learn how to sketch out a unit of study planned in a 15-day period. This will uncover the importance of the PLC Cycle and how it supports student learning.

This hands on workshop will provide tools and ideas on how to develop an investigation which provides evidence that a change in an object’s motion will depend on the mass and the sum of the forces acting on it (SEED 7.1.1). Participants will examine a concept of building a model such as a cardboard sled using simple materials (cardboard, string, duct tape and practical cutting tools) to move various objects ranging from bowling balls to the human body. Participants will learn how to integrate both scientific concepts and mathematical concepts such like investigating a real-world proportional relationship (7.RP).

Many teachers want to give students the opportunity to solve complex problems and think critically, but it can be challenging to incorporate puzzles when there are so many programs and expectations already in place. With DeckToys, teachers can deliver the content that is already part of their classroom instruction in a format that excites and challenges students in new ways.

“This presentation will start from beginner level on how to use and create lessons with the Smart Notebook Software. The presenter will show the main tools of this software such as text, images, links, writing, editing, design, interactive and multimedia tools, games. It will also show the SMART Exchange website, where a wide range of interactive lessons and games are available for other teachers.

The goal of the session is to learn how to use this software so it can be used on a daily basis and to create a lesson on a topic to be used in the new school year.”

As teachers we make or break our classroom climate and culture. This particularly extends to the language and practices we use to ensure all of our students are valued and included in everything we do and feel safe to express themselves in our classrooms. This presentation will share a number of hands-on strategies to improve inclusive language and practices in the classroom to include students with diverse and marginalized backgrounds, with a focus on LGBT students and students of varying gender identities and expressions.

Teachers will learn global and local reasons why parent relationships are so important. They will also learn strategies to improve relationships with parents to help drive the success of students.

Power up your classroom with the best digital tools! In this session, we’ll cover Flipgrid, Bamboozle, Padlet and Book Creator. You’ll start 2018-19 with a toolbox that will help strengthen student creativity, collaboration and critical thinking skills. Participants should bring a device and be prepared to flip, bam, pad and create!

“This workshop will explain how to engage students in group problem solving activities through a Board Game Design Project. Teachers will experience this activity first-hand while they work in a small group to design their own unique game.

Resources, materials, supplies, and ideas will be shared. Benefits of this engaging project will be discussed and experienced first hand.”

This presentation will give educators the tools and thought process necessary to create classrooms that students genuinely want to be in. Lessons From the Mouse takes Disney’s business model and applies it directly to the classroom. Attendees will learn why having a positive classroom environment, customer service, engagement, and authentic experiences is necessary and “profitable” to the student and the classroom.

Student learning cannot occur until basic student needs are addressed. The needs of safety and security are pertinent to student learning. School staff need information regarding trauma so that they can adequately meet student needs, both emotional and learning. This course will address school culture and climate, which will address the various needs of each student. There will be take home resources for teachers to utilize in their classrooms in order to increase student learning.

I am a certified 200 hour Yoga Teacher. I believe that exposing students to Yoga can help build their confidence, release stress, allow them to grow physically, mentally, and emotionally, and create a positive classroom/school wide culture. I have been teaching Yoga at Cottonwood for years in an aerobics class, and we are now offering it as a class on its own. I have been personal witness to the success students are finding in this class and I believe that success is carried on throughout their day. With Yoga we can teach students patience, acceptance, self realization, meditation, and boost confidence; all of which are important for them to be successful students and strong healthy human beings. I can offer a 90 minute Yoga session for teachers and give them tools on how they can utilize it in their own classrooms. The class would include Yoga practice, mediation, Yoga philosophy, and informative handouts.

Long before “differentiation” became the buzzword of the educational jargon, good teachers were already using this approach to adapt their instructional practice, the curriculum and assessments to meet the diverse needs of their students, even within their seemingly homogeneous groups. I’ve been teaching 7th and 8th English and ESL for over 15 years now. In all these years I’ve always struggled to differentiate my lessons. The broad and scattered gap in my students’ skills levels made it really difficult to plan whole-class lessons that could effectively meet their needs and challenge their academic strengths. I knew I had to do something different! So, I started implementing the use of Learning Centers in my secondary LA/ESL class. In this workshop, I will share with you how I run these centers, the curriculum I use, pros and cons, along with some student samples, pictures and video clips. The goal is to demonstrate how with the right resources and some upfront planning, you will be able to deliver your curriculum more effectively so that your students can strive in their language development.

Open Educational Resources (OER) have become more and more important to classroom teachers in the last few years. This presentation will focus on OERs for English Language Arts with an emphasis on CommonLit. CommonLit is 100% free, researched-based, aligned to the common core, and created by teachers for teachers.

The Gang Prevention/Intervention session will provide current data in GSD communities that demonstrates the need for gang awareness and prevention/intervention programs. It will include Gangs 101, a basic training on gangs and gang identifiers (dress, graffiti, gang signs/symbols, and sounds). The session will conclude with a presentation on how to work with at-risk youth while supporting them in meeting their educational goals, as well as how to collaborate with administrators when students demonstrate gang activity.

We will explore augmented and virtual reality technologies that can be incorporated into the classroom to augment student learning. This is another tool you can add to your toolkit to bring learning to life, particularly in the sciences and social sciences. This is an introductory level course. It will not cover creating content, but will cover ways to find and use content that is available, either with Chromebooks or with more immersive VR viewers such as Google Cardboard. Wouldn’t it be amazing to take students on guided field trips to Florence, Italy, the World War I trenches, or along for the Hajj? Well, with 360 images, videos and immersive technology, you can.

Wondering what to do with that SMART Board in your classroom? This session is for yo!. We will delve into the basic tools of the SMART Notebook software and the SMART Ink add on that let’s you write on web pages and document camera projections. We will learn how to create simple SMART Notebook lessons using free resources from the SMART Notebook Gallery Tab, and finally we will learn how to download and edit ready made lessons from the SMART Exchange website.

Proficiency-based grading is an exciting way to help students, parents, and teachers focus on the CORE and on exactly where students are in their learning. Implementing Proficiency-Based Grading takes time: time to study and unpack the CORE, time to either develop or study the Proficiency Scales, time to choose the standards that are the most essential to reach proficiency in each quarter, time to prepare the Learning Targets and Success Criteria, and time to plan the Common Formative Assessments or assessments in multiple modalities so that students can show what they know, and time to plan effective and rigorous lessons that will help as many students as possible reach proficiency with good Tier I instruction. This will be a great time to come as an elementary grade level to work as a team. Please come with your units of study. You may also bring your own electronic devices. We will have a few laptops that can be used to access curriculum maps, proficiency scales, etc.

In this class I will share how I use the Go Math lessons to create a launch/backwards lesson to challenge and engage all students. I will walk through how I plan and prepare these lesson, share examples and explain the benefits. I will also allow time for teachers to look through their own math curriculum and set up these lessons so they can be implemented in the classroom.

This session will introduce teachers to a workshop that will have students engaged and wanting to work. This workshop is an easy way to differentiate and manage time in the classroom. It works for every learner. Not only does workshop fulfill critical educational core standards but it also helps fulfill necessary life skills.

This full day workshop will include three sessions including an Overview of PBIS, PBIS in the Classroom and Using Data to Identify Student Needs and Interventions for MTSS. Participants will gain a better understanding of how and why creating a positive environment impacts student achievement. Participants will be supported in setting up effective procedures and routines in the classroom. Finally, participants will learn how to use behavioral data to drive school-wide systemic Tier 2 interventions.

Teachers of students with significant cognitive disabilities need to be using the Essential Elements to link age-appropriate grade level academic standards to students’ Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). These Essential Elements were developed with the expertise of the Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) Alternate Assessment System Consortium.

The Essential Elements for language arts and math are specific statements of content and skills that link to the Utah Core Standards grade level specific expectations for students with significant cognitive disabilities and provide a bridge to the Utah Core Standards for students with significant cognitive disabilities to help them achieve grade differentiated expectations.

The purpose of this presentation is to provide guidance to teachers on using the Essential Elements (EE) to provide students access to the general
education curriculum. The presentation will guide Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams how to use the EEs to write IEPs, lesson plans, and show how the EEs can be used in conjunction with specialized instruction in various settings. Teachers will also have the opportunity to explore the Science Essential Elements for secondary students, which are currently in draft form.

If your students aren’t working harder than you, then you might be doing it wrong. Join us for new strategies that will engage your students in inquiry based learning.

This full day workshop will include three sessions including an Overview of PBIS, PBIS in the Classroom and Using Data to Identify Student Needs and Interventions for MTSS. Participants will gain a better understanding of how and why creating a positive environment impacts student achievement. Participants will be supported in setting up effective procedures and routines in the classroom. Finally, participants will learn how to use behavioral data to drive school-wide systemic Tier 2 interventions.

Help teachers create and design a class website using google sites. Teachers will need a Chromebook or personal computer that can access google apps while online. Teachers will also need a current Google account, either their district .SD account or personal Google account (it won’t matter) and their password (that will matter).

The state is in the process of writing new 9-12 science standards.In this session we will explore Utah’s new vision for science education. Come learn how to use phenomenon to make science meaningful for your students. Learn strategies for engaging students as scientists by focusing on the three-dimensions of science: science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. Leave with a better understanding of what a 21st century science classroom looks like.

NCTM’s Principles to Actions publication identifies 6 productive beliefs about mathematics assessment. We will look at what these beliefs are and how we can implement them into our classrooms to create a productive learning environment where formative assessment helps drive instruction and student learning.

“”There is no royal road…”” –Euclid to Ptolemy.

Mathematics has some abstract and complex concepts to master. While Math cannot be made easy, or learned without effort, it can be made accessible. We will look at Henri Picciotto’s strategies for helping students gain access to mathematical mastery…

-Themes: mathematics-rich contexts, drawn from real-world or fanciful problems, where math concepts can be introduced, explored, developed, and reviewed. Well-chosen themes can bring algebra to life, uncover connections to other parts of mathematics, and support the claim that math does indeed have applications.

-Tools: objects (and electronic environments) which provide concrete and manipulable models of abstract and complex ideas, thereby making them accessible and interesting. They are the “”objects-to-think-with”” called for by Papert in Mindstorms (1980)

-Problem Solving: symbol manipulation is often the main focus of the math courses. In fact, some teachers mistake good symbol manipulation for rigor. Picciotto (and lots of research since) suggests that symbol manipulation become a tool for problem solving, but that Problem Solving itself be the main operating mode throughout the course.

-Spiral organization: extended exposure to concepts using the multiple representations made possible by the interplay of tools and themes. This approach allows for substantial preview and review, and helps highlight connections between concepts.

The Integrated pathway chosen by the Utah Core State Standards for Mathematics allowed for standards that are very growth oriented. With this integrated approach, students see concepts develop over time as they solidify and practice them at deeper levels as they progress from course to course.

In this PD, we will discus the progression of the Geometry standards across K – 12, but focusing primarily on 5th – 12th grades. See how Geometry in the core unfolds the story of relationships among quantities (proportional, absolute and other.)

The state is in the process of writing new 9-12 science standards. In this session we will explore Utah’s new vision for science education. Come learn how to use phenomenon to make science meaningful for your students. Learn strategies for engaging students as scientists by focusing on the three-dimensions of science: science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. Leave with a better understanding of what a 21st century science classroom looks like.

Fun hands on music class. Learn the basics of ukuleles, tablespoons as a folk instrument, and rhythm instruments. This aligns with the Secondary Music First Standard: Perform. Instrument technical performance skills aligned with this Standard will be addressed. Including: how to tune a ukulele to the correct pitches, ukulele chord notation, and TAB reading. Basic music notation will be discussed. We will look at examples of easy fun beginning songs through more advanced songs. Rhythm patterns and exercises will be shared. There will be an exploration of best Internet music instruction, and instrument performances. Teachers will learn about productive rehearsal habits. We will discuss use and care of ukuleles, and care of rhythm instruments. Instruction will be tailored to music, elementary, and preschool classes. Ukuleles, spoons, and rhythm instruments have many fun applications in the classroom. Easy to learn!

This course reviews state and district professional roles and responsibilities of a teacher, rules and expectations, computer and website training, basic lesson design and management techniques/strategies, an overview of the ARL program, and an introduction to the five core competencies teachers are expected to master in a school setting.

In this session, educators will learn how to locate and use proficiency scales, aligned CFAs, and proficiency based grading to guide their practice. Educators will learn how to utilize these tools as well as learn an effective way to schedule and manage common formative assessments with a spiraled scheduled to include reteaching and reassessing throughout the school year with the end goal that all students will have demonstrated proficiency on all key standards by the end of the year. Educators will have at least three pieces of evidence that students are proficient on each key standard. Educators will learn how to locate the district created proficiency scales and utilize them to develop common formative assessments that are based on proficiency and how that aligns with the principles of proficiency based grading practices.

A look at how to integrate mindfulness into the classroom and into your life.

This course reviews state and district professional roles and responsibilities of a teacher, rules and expectations, computer and website training, basic lesson design and management techniques/strategies, an overview of the ARL program, and an introduction to the five core competencies teachers are expected to master in a school setting.

By doing at least one fun activity each day to grab students attention, you can get them interested, engaged, and willing to learn the concepts in chemistry.

This class will help you prepare google documents as worksheets with hyperlinks, step-by-step quarterly benchmarks (Walk-Aways), google forms as common formative assessments, games, effective rubrics and more! Then, upload docs and quizzes to Canvas for seamless assessment of student knowledge.

This full day workshop will include three sessions including an Overview of PBIS, PBIS in the Classroom and Using Data to Identify Student Needs and Interventions for MTSS. Participants will gain a better understanding of how and why creating a positive environment impacts student achievement. Participants will be supported in setting up effective procedures and routines in the classroom. Finally, participants will learn how to use behavioral data to drive school-wide systemic Tier 2 interventions.

Many times when we think about reading motivation, we think of extrinsic programs such as rewarding reading minutes or days. I would like to focus instead on how we build intrinsic reading motivation through strategies such as author/genre study, offering choice, creating connections between reading and daily life, and facilitating discussion.

The focus of this workshop is to help CTE Physics Teachers develop, use and incorporate hands-on laboratory activities to engage students and increase proficiency scores on Skill Tests. A portion of the session will focus on using wireless Vernier equipment to develop engaging, educational and fun activities to help students master the skills that are measured by the CTE Skills Tests and Precision Exam. In this session, teachers will become familiar with and comfortable using the equipment and will leave with ideas for incorporating this and other equipment into engaging, hands-on activities to increase student achievement.

Help educators better help newcomers to be successful students as they transition to a new culture and school system. Help educators develop an awareness of the cultural background of refugee and immigrant students and their families. Present resources available for educators to better help students be successful, and comfortable in the classroom and school environment.

Want to do something other than “round robin” reading? Then this workshop is for you!

Fluent readers are able to read orally with speed, accuracy, and proper expression. Fluency is one of several critical factors necessary for reading comprehension.

This presentation will provide teachers with ways to increase their students’ reading rates through a variety of fluency strategies that will work for individual, small group, and whole class instruction.  Strategies include dyad reading, timed repeated reading, phrase-cued reading, and more.

Teachers will be able to assign appropriate reading levels of text, as well as help students set individualized goals that they can track as they work toward becoming proficient readers.

“”Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different, enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes — which it will — being with the unpleasing without fearing it will always be this way — which it won’t”” — James Baraz —

This presentation will provide educators with a wealth of information, enabling them to not only create mindful moments in their classroom but also create a sustainable mindfulness practice in their own lives.

Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in multiple “”hands on”” activities to cultivate a mindful classroom and network with others regarding mindful learning.

“Our goal as educators is to create a classroom where all students can achieve their potential. We need to shift our pedagogical practices to support the diverse learners in our classrooms” (Cory Haley). Come learn principles and strategies to help all of your students achieve, from those who need something extra to those who have already mastered the content. Discover how to determine who needs something different, the principles of differentiation, intervention, and extension, and practical suggestions for classroom implementation.

Growth mindset is about more than just teaching our students how to think positively. The idea is that we continually challenge our students and give them opportunity to achieve success through possible failure. We want to foster growth and an environment where students feel comfortable to explore new ideas and take positive risks. Engaging our students is part of the educational process and by using growth mindset we can create strong cultures of success and a willingness to try new things.

I have been creating PAGES for every day in my class by using the “Pages” tab on Canvas. Each individual page goes over every single day that the student is in my class. Essentially, each page is my lesson plan, but written in a way that the students will understand. One reason that I began doing this was because I noticed that teachers were placing a series of folders in the back of the room where students could get missing work. I did this for about a week, and then began putting this information online. I also began having students login to Canvas so they can go through the lesson with me. The students can see everything we are doing for the day. A latent effect of this is, if a student misses a day, or even better, if a student wants to review material, they have the information at their fingertips. I want to show teachers how to organize a page, which includes Objectives, “I Can” statements, Essential Questions, etc. Teachers will learn how to put links in their page to pertinent information for their content area.

Inviting all mentors, new teachers, and experienced teachers that want to know more about conducting and participating in peer coaching cycles. Peer coaching provides the opportunity for educators to take charge of their own professional development, improve practice, and increase student learning. Peer coaching is a purposeful form of professional development where colleagues work together to reflect on current practices to expand, refine, and build new skills.

During this session, we will discuss how to use the coaching cycle to build capacity and empower teachers to take risks, try out new instructional strategies, and reflect with a trusted colleague. We will go through the three components of a peer coaching cycle which includes a pre-conference plan, observation/data collection, and a post-conference reflective conversation all focused on evidence of student learning. Peer coaching encourages educators to explore beliefs and practices in order to improve student learning.

We will show teacher how to create interactive notebooks for their students.
We will talk about how using interactive notebooks can increase engagement.
We will show teachers how using interactive notebooks make it easy for students to get their absent work.
We talk about how interactive notebooks help students review concepts through starters.
We will offer tips and tricks for setting up procedures that allow teachers to be successful with interactive notebooks.
We will give teachers some time to create a couple of pages for their interactive notebooks.

The purpose of the workshop will be to provide CTE teachers test taking strategies as well as tangible tools to better prepare their students for district as well as state mandated skills tests.

Extensions for high ability learners who have already mastered the curriculum area or standard. Focus will also be on higher level learning and depth and complexity strategies for all students to go deeper into the curriculum. And Differentiating from the top down.

In the 21st Century, teaching foundational health concepts in a meaningful way is essential for students’ overall success. EVERFI provides free, digital programs that can help teach those important health concepts in an engaging way. This session will highlight EVERFI’s FREE digital resources surrounding topics like: prescription drug safety, alcohol education, and healthy relationships. Teachers will learn how technology can assist in learning these concepts, how to set-up free teacher accounts, and how these programs fit within their scope and sequence.

This presentation will show elementary teachers how to setup and organize their google classrooms. I will show teachers different types of resources that I have had success with. I will demonstrate how to create documents for learning, investigation, and assessment. I will help them organize their google drives to help them find their resources faster. I will show teachers how to use the grading tool. Then I will have the teachers create at least one resource they can use with their students the first part of the year and help them upload it to their classroom.

Have you been wanting to learn Spanish to better serve your students? Do you want to learn some ways to make your teaching more comprehensible for your ELL students? Dedicate part or the whole day learning Spanish with Señor Kerby. This class will create a fun and interactive immersion environment aimed to help you build basic communicative skills. No Spanish experience is required or preferred. Watch as Señor Kerby personalizes this class for teachers and their daily struggles and joys of teaching. Laugh and smile and enjoy the natural process of acquiring Spanish through interesting and engaging process.

This class will focus on using informational text in reading and writing strategies. These strategies will support comprehension and are designed to increase learning in Tier 1 instruction. Participants will engage in opportunities to strengthen their instruction for each text structure and apply it to their classroom practice.

We are living in a digital world, and our students are fluent in technology. How can we teach our content standards and strengthen digital literacy at the same time? Most of us have the digital tools to do so, in the form of classroom chrome books. In this presentation, we will go over classroom procedures, management, and usage of chrome books, and how to get the most out of our classroom time while still teaching content and engaging students.

In an age of instant access to Nobel-winning research and one-click sharing of essays between students, it is more important than ever to value individual work.

Fidget spinners! Fidget cubes! Tangles! Are you tired of the battle? Learn how to get your distracted students to use fidgets appropriately to help improve focus and more frequently maintain on task behaviors.
Objective: In this presentation attendees will learn the benefits of having students use fidgets in their classroom. Teachers will learn ways to make inexpensive fidgets, how to train students to use fidgets appropriately and what studies are saying about our fidgety students.

“Our goal as educators is to create a classroom where all students can achieve their potential. We need to shift our pedagogical practices to support the diverse learners in our classrooms” (Cory Haley). Come learn principles and strategies to help all of your students achieve, from those who need something extra to those who have already mastered the content. Discover how to determine who needs something different, the principles of differentiation, intervention, and extension, and practical suggestions for classroom implementation.

I will discuss how to use Wonder’s Sound Spelling cards and phonics to increase writing and creativity for young learners. I will target 2-3 reading and writing core curriculum standards and show case how they can blend together to increase reading and writing proficiency. We will look at specific examples of how young learners accomplish this goal.

Participants will learn the definition of trauma and how Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) impact children and their brains. Participants will gain a better understanding of how a child’s brain responds to ACEs by creating a fight, flight or freeze response and how these responses become behaviors they can observe that may indicate a student is experiencing this type of response, which traditionally may appear to be defiance, avoidance or lack of motivation. Participants will learn to ask “what happened to you” rather than “what’s wrong with you” when exploring behavioral issues in the classroom and school setting. By taking a trauma sensitive mindset, participants will develop skills to approach students with positive behavior supports that are sensitive to potential traumatic history, which will decrease disruptive behaviors in the classroom and improve academics.

“Using research, data analytics and economic principles I plan to discuss the ways that we can reinvent education from the 20th century industrial model to a 21st century one. Using research from John Hattie on effect size of what we do in the classroom we will talk about what are the things that we should keep in our classrooms and what we should throw out to maximize the effects that we have on our students.
Then we will talk about how statistics and data analytics can be used to know what to look for in our classrooms to show learning and growth.
Lastly we will being it all together with a discussion of economics and the roll of the student as the consumer of our teaching and we as the firm selling a product.”

Creating culturally responsive environments where students do not have to leave their culture at the door is our goal in GSD. Participants will learn how to use student’s culture as an asset and grow together as an organization.

Wonder what types of teaching strategies actually are proven work? Wonder what the best teachers and countries do to get the most out of their teachers and students? We will discover Professor John Hattie’s meta data project. The research involves many millions of students and represents the largest ever evidence based research into what actually works in schools to improve learning

Participants will create an Item Bank Assessment, Answer Key Only (AKO) Assessment, and Performance Based (A+) Assessment aligned to core standards and proficiency scales.

Have you wondered how to teach a student to want to learn? That is what growth mindset is about. Carol Dweek, a renowned expert says that Growth Mindset is, “”The belief that with practice, perseverance, and effort, people have limitless potential to learn and grow. People operating in the growth mindset tackle challenges with aplomb, unconcerned with making mistakes or being embarrassed, focusing instead on the process of growth.””

Come an learn how to create an environment where students lose their fear of taking risks and learn to be mindful and feel safe making mistakes on their pathway to success.

“This presentation is designed to help teachers to focus on the process of planning, teaching, reflecting, and adjusting. Teaching with a purpose goes beyond simply looking at the core or using the district tools, but is a change of perspective.
At the risk of oversimplifying this presentation, it can be seen as a follow up to last year’s message of finding the “”why”” in your teaching and expanding outward from there.”

Kahoot! is a great way to get students involved in classroom discussions. It’s also a great way to assess what students know–without them even knowing we’re doing it! It provides a fun, low-stress environment that gives students the opportunity to shine. And sometimes, the kids you least expect are the ones who do the best. Kahoot! presentations are easy to put together and use, and they provide data that can help you plan for remediation or ongoing instruction.

Do you want your students to use their cellphones, chromebooks, and computer labs to learn more than what is on social media?! Come learn about Quizzizz and Kahoot to help teach students in an engaging way through interactive software! Both are simple to use, engaging, and FREE!

This focus will provide the training teachers need to utilize the Granite District Gradebook for proficiency-based grading. Teachers interested in utilizing the Gradebook for proficiency-based grading must be trained on the Gradebook before proficiency-based grading can be activated on their Gradebook account.

Arts are fading faster than should be allowed at the elementary school level. This presentation will be about how elementary teachers can work hand-in-hand with their BTS arts specialists to not only bring art alive in the lives of their students but use art to help students find interest, joy, and understanding in other core subjects.

Infographics can be a fun and engaging way to assess student understanding. Combining graphics and limited text into a single page infographic requires students to process what they have learned and summarize it in a creative way. They work great for individuals, but with the collaborative power of Google Drawings they can also work wonderfully with partners or small groups. Most importantly, using a rubric they can be easily used as assessments to check for student understanding.
They also can turn class presentations into students sharing their understanding with a simple graphic aid and answering other students questions, rather than boring sessions of students with their backs to the class reading their power point slides out loud.
Infographics are a great tool for any subject where the students have access to a Chromebook or computer. They are simple to make and require limited instruction or computer literacy. Best of all, they give the students a chance to show off their style and creativity! Most students love to make and share them.

“Our goal as educators is to create a classroom where all students can achieve their potential. We need to shift our pedagogical practices to support the diverse learners in our classrooms” (Cory Haley). Come learn principles and strategies to help all of your students achieve, from those who need something extra to those who have already mastered the content. Discover how to determine who needs something different, the principles of differentiation, intervention, and extension, and practical suggestions for classroom implementation.

The state is in the process of writing new science standards for K-5. In this session we will explore Utah’s new vision for science education. Come learn how to use every-day phenomenon to build on your students’ natural curiosity. Learn strategies for engaging students as scientists and engineers by focusing on the three-dimensions of science: science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. Leave with resource ideas and specific strategies for a student-centered science classroom.

Our youngest learners are adept with using technology to create, communicate, collaborate and think critically with when given the opportunity. This session will cover how Chromebooks and online tools are being used in the K-3 classrooms throughout the district. Google tools and other online resources that can be used across curriculum content will be shared. Strategies for introducing and implementing the devices and web resources will also be covered in this session.

When teachers know the needs of their students, they are able to manage, engage, and connect with their students. In this session, you will get a broader view of students needs by learning quick and efficient strategies in collecting and analyzing individual student data.

This workshop will explain how to engage students in group problem solving activities through a Board Game Design Project. Teachers will experience this activity first-hand while they work in a small group to design their own unique game.

Resources, materials, supplies, and ideas will be shared. Benefits of this engaging project will be discussed and experienced first hand.

Participants will leave with a few new “tools for their toolbox” when it comes to teaching math and ELA! We will use Hattie’s research to help refine and focus our daily practices to ensure that we are getting the most out of our day!

Learn how to effectively manage your classroom with LanSchool. Tricks and tips to keep you and your kids productive. This class will target the Beginner or new user to LanSchool.

Blended learning strategies allow teachers to make effective use of the technology available to create a more personalized learning environment for students. In this hands-on presentation, we will take a look at what Blended Learning is, the strategies and structures used to implement Blended Learning in the classroom, and the digital tools available to help support this innovative instructional model. With this overview, you’ll be well on your way to blending online and face-to-face learning in your classroom.

“Participants will be introduced to computer programming through interactive activities to prepare them to teach programming concepts with an online block programming language.

NOTE: This is the first workshop for day 1 for K-6 teachers, although any teachers are welcome.”

“Participants will be introduced to computer programming with Python 3 through hands-on, interactive activities with related resources shared for implementation within individual learning environments.

NOTE: This is the second workshop for day 2 for teachers (grades 6-12) although any teachers are welcome.”

Using Spheros, Ozobots, Osmos, and Bloxels participants will learn how to engage their students. Teachers will get to experience how to combine these tools and devices with learning standards.

The workshop will focus on concrete ways to use WIDA language levels for instructing English Learners as well as all students in your classroom. Using WIDA language levels, you can empower students to demonstrate content proficiency through speaking, listening, reading, writing, and discussion. Emphasis will be placed on tools and resources that can be used immediately in your classroom.

This course will describe how using the Cornell note system can help improve student retention and increase assessment performance. We will walk through how to use Cornell notes and how to incorporate guided notes that teachers may already be using in their classes. We will also cover how these notes can be used to differentiate for ELL or special needs students.

How does your brain work and what does that have to do with social interaction and learning? This session will discuss the neuroscience behind social interaction in learning and the importance this plays in creating a positive learning environment. We will discuss building trust, engagement strategies and supports, following student’s lead/interests and consistency in the classroom.

Members of the PLC will determine a shared vision and collaboratively talk about student learning encompassed in a basic unit of study. Administrators will learn how to guide teachers to implement a “win quick” PLC cycle. They will also learn to help teachers to catch learning errors early to increase summative scores. Teachers will learn how to sketch out a unit of study planned in a 15-day period. This will uncover the importance of the PLC Cycle and how it supports student learning.

With College and Career Awareness teachers spread across the district, and while these same teachers teach a plethora of different courses, finding time to collaborate during our once a month PLC has become increasingly difficult. This presentation will include instruction on how to collaborate using Canvas. During the workshop, teachers will work together creating Common Formative Assessments and posting them to Canvas. Lesson materials will be aligned with Strands and Standards and posted to Canvas. Work-based learning ideas will be shared and posted to Canvas. Time lines will be discussed so each Strand and Standards are covered in an appropriate manner. Teachers will work together enhancing national pathways. Teachers will come prepared with best practices as we build and expand the value of College and Career Awareness in the junior high and beyond.

Often, in my case at least, I press through the day holding tightly to the expectation of some relief soon to come–the next weekend, the next break, the next summer–and in so doing narrow my view, as tension is like to do, and lose sight of the beauty, the rest, the abundance that is right here. I mean, look around. Right now. Go ahead. It is bountiful this life–a life to be loved, enjoyed, celebrated–and this goes for Monday mornings, too!

This practice, mindfulness, increases and enriches the time we have to live this life. The more present we become to it, the more abundant it becomes. This presentation, above all, is a pointing at this fact, this life, this teaching life,

My intention is to share this practice with my fellow educators by giving you a introductory understanding of the science, the technique, and the applications of mindfulness. My hope is that you will walk away not only with a solid understanding of what mindfulness is but also options and support that will allow you to grow your own practice in order to experience the benefits that are possible as an educator.

Fidget spinners! Fidget cubes! Tangles! Are you tired of the battle? Learn how to get your distracted students to use fidgets appropriately to help improve focus and more frequently maintain on task behaviors.
Objective: In this presentation attendees will learn the benefits of having students use fidgets in their classroom. Teachers will learn ways to make inexpensive fidgets, how to train students to use fidgets appropriately and what studies are saying about our fidgety students.

Discussion will be centered around the new standards along with the law and policy manual recently approved by the Utah State Board of Education. The group will discuss ideas to introduce the revised standards into the curriculum. We will also focus on rules and regulations that govern driver education.

The objective of this breakout session is for teachers to feel comfortable with all the elements that go into the intervention process so they can start the year knowing they have the materials and background knowledge necessary to begin supporting students from day 1. This session will show teachers how to use the Core Phonics Survey, DIBELS benchmark & progress monitoring data to determine the type of intervention for all at risk students in their class. Each 4-6 week intervention corresponds with a specific section of the core phonics survey so pre and post assessments are consistent and will clearly show growth or the need to modify instruction and/or content. Teachers will be able to recognize the difference between providing an intervention as a support plan vs interventions with the end goal being SpEd. If students need to be brought to SST, teachers will have a solid first intervention completed with the appropriate data in place making the process more efficient & timely.

In this session you will find online tools that help you get the most out of your students in a Dual Immersion class. I am going to focus on online tools that provide data and resources in real time to detect learning problems or reinforce those areas in which our Dual Immersion students have difficulties.
My central idea when incorporating technology to the class is based on a modification or redefinition of our lessons, overcoming the phases in which technology is only a substitute for the traditional method of learning.
Being a session in which we will work with online resources, bring a device is highly recommended to design your first lessons or online assessments.

This session will introduce teachers to a workshop that will have students engaged and wanting to work. This workshop is an easy way to differentiate and manage time in the classroom. It works for every learner. Not only does workshop fulfill critical educational core standards but it also helps fulfill necessary life skills.

Using data from reading assessments focused on critical skills is essential for improvement in the elementary classroom. This 2 day class will focus on key indicators in literacy to assess what is important, predict future reading outcomes for students, and to inform instruction. This information will help focus instruction on what research tell us is important to teach.

Over the course of 2 days, participants will learn about six key measures that function as indicators of essential skills every student must master to become a proficient reader. Participants will learn how to administer these brief assessments and how to use them to regularly monitor instruction.

It is essential that all participants bring an iPad (preferred), laptop, or Chromebook.

Learn the ins and outs of ALEKS as well as tricks and strategies to help students grow in their math skills, abilities, and (most importantly!) confidence.

The state is in the process of writing new science standards for K-5. In this session we will explore Utah’s new vision for science education. Come learn how to use every-day phenomenon to build on your students’ natural curiosity. Learn strategies for engaging students as scientists and engineers by focusing on the three-dimensions of science: science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. Leave with resource ideas and specific strategies for a student-centered science classroom.

Begin with a positive attitude and a smile. Build a shared vision among faculty and student leaders then begin shaping new and more positive customs and outcomes in your school. We will discuss specific ways to activate various groups of adults and students to build shared ownership of the process.

Granite School District has approximately 1,400 students who are experiencing homelessness. These students are living in shelters, the homes of family members and friends, they are living in cars, in hotels, in tents, and some of them are even responsible for paying their own rent. Many of these students may fly under the radar while at school. They are good students who do their homework and get good grades. Many of them are also special education students receiving educational supports to be successful in school. These students and their families are among the most vulnerable and as such, educators require additional training in order to better understand how to best serve these students.

Explanation of what SEL is. Why SEL is important to student learning. Ideas on how to incorporate SEL into classroom learning that will not take away from but add to your ability to teach core curriculum.

This presentation will give a brief introduction to Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS). What is CAS? How can it be identified? Based on the theoretical level of breakdown, what is a logical approach to intervention. Following this brief introduction, the presentation will focus more specifically on the aprosodic speech patterns that are noted with CAS even after the kids are able to produce all of the correct sounds.

In this workshop, teachers will gain a deeper understanding of DOK and how to create varied DOK activities in their classrooms. We will also go over assessment writing and how to incorporate various DOK levels when writing assessment questions. Teachers will need to have access to their core standards since they will be given the chance to develop assessment questions and lesson plans as part of the workshop.

This class will focus on using informational text in reading and writing strategies. These strategies will support comprehension and are designed to increase learning in Tier 1 instruction. Participants will engage in opportunities to strengthen their instruction for each text structure and apply it to their classroom practice.

For all secondary performing arts teachers (music and theatre) to interact, share ideas, learn new techniques and procedures, and plan for the coming year.

How do we teach children to enjoy learning and really love school? How do we engage children in the learning process so that they do well in school, graduate high school and be college and career ready? How do we as educators instill good self-esteem in our students? What kind of world would we have if we raised our children to believe in themselves as learners and really like themselves?

The answer to these questions is actually quite simple: we teach our students to be resilient and have a growth mindset. We provide them with kid-friendly strategies for success, proven by decades of research, allowing them to take ownership in their own learning and feel pride in their accomplishments. Excitement about learning turns on the good neurotransmitters in the brain giving pride in learning. Challenging oneself through effort and problem solving after failure increases the neural networks in the brain and makes the children smarter.

Positive psychological principles that create a happy life can be taught to students of any age.There are many well-researched coping skills associated with resilience and life-long satisfaction. Teachers need concrete resources to help their students succeed.

Blended learning strategies allow teachers to make effective use of the technology available to create a more personalized learning environment for students. In this hands-on presentation, we will take a look at what Blended Learning is, the strategies and structures used to implement Blended Learning in the classroom, and the digital tools available to help support this innovative instructional model. With this overview, you’ll be well on your way to blending online and face-to-face learning in your classroom.

As we strive to prepare our students for life in the digital age, STEM education and the makerspace movement are at the forefront. This class aims to train educators on how to use a 3D printer and 3D design software in a meaningful, curriculum-related way in their classrooms.  If you DON’T HAVE A 3D PRINTER in your classroom or school, you can STILL fully implement 3D printing with your students!  A wide range of cross-curricular ideas and activities are available to students of all ages, K–12 and beyond.  Attendees should bring a Chromebook, laptop, or tablet to get started learning user-friendly 3D design software.

Let’s face it, dudes – your students want to talk to one another. The question is, what will they talk ABOUT? Thomas Petersen has taught in a cooperative learning format for years on the west side, east side, core classes, honors classes, GT classes, co-taught classes with (usually) great results! Participation in cooperative learning is a great way to increase engagement AND manage behaviors in your classroom.

This hands on workshop will provide tools and ideas on how to develop an investigation which provides evidence that a change in an object’s motion will depend on the mass and the sum of the forces acting on it (SEED 7.1.1). Participants will examine a concept of building a model such as a cardboard sled using simple materials (cardboard, string, duct tape and practical cutting tools) to move various objects ranging from bowling balls to the human body. Participants will learn how to integrate both scientific concepts and mathematical concepts such like investigating a real-world proportional relationship (7.RP).

The workshop will focus on concrete ways to use WIDA language levels for instructing English Learners as well as all students in your classroom. Using WIDA language levels, you can empower students to demonstrate content proficiency through speaking, listening, reading, writing, and discussion. Emphasis will be placed on tools and resources that can be used immediately in your classroom.

In this half-day presentation, teachers will learn all about using google forms for assessment and differentiating instruction in the classroom. Starting with the basics, teachers will learn how to create a google form, turn a google form into a quiz / exit ticket, as well as add an answer key and interpret data from a google form. Teachers will also explore advanced features such as response validation (great for creating digital breakout EDU lessons) and learn how to differentiate instruction by adding sections to google forms.

I have devices in my room, now what? Google is your best friend. Learn how to use Google to digitize your classroom and save you time in the long run!

Master Mathematical Content Knowledge through Collaboration, Communication and Reflection

The Wonders reading program has excellent vocabulary words and fun activities that help the students to retain those words. However, it doesn’t ever address parts of speech. Many teachers in the district have attended workshops to learn about and implement Write Up a Storm in their language arts instruction. We have created power points that students and teachers can work through each week that combine the strength of the Wonders vocabulary with parts of speech which allows teachers to continue implementing Write Up a Storm strategies.

Amy and I are part of the pilot program for Proficiency Based Grading. We have discovered that one of the biggest challenges to implementing this system is that there are no materials available for tracking the data – both for the teacher or the student. We have spent time creating materials that may benefit other teachers as they use this grading system.

Through my education career, I have been blessed with the opportunity to attend several travel grants and fellowships at both the local, national, and international level. Through these experiences, I have been able to take what I have learned to create interactive lessons that help my students. In my presentation, teachers will learn how to find and apply for these opportunities, best practices, and how to use what you’ve learned in class. Teachers will also receive lesson materials.

Participants will learn how to motivate students to move from reading basic sounds to connected text. Presenters will focus on using Phonemic Awareness and Dictation to move to the next step of targeted phonics instruction. Using the Phonics Lesson Template, participants will leave with an evidence based framework to scaffold any text.”

You’re not relevant anymore… It’s OK. Really.
It would be concerning if you did share the same interests as an 11 year old.
What’s not OK is telling preteens that Math, Science, History is important just because you say so. Or, even worse, telling them it’s relevant because they’ll need a job one day. Yea, that 12 year old struggling to figure out unit rate is really stressing over that fact that one day he’ll have to feed his family…
NOT… (BTW, saying NOT is no longer part of popular culture…)
With a basic understanding of your Utah Common Core Standards and some tips that I’ll provide for accessing your student’s Pop Culture you can create Problem Based Learning activities that are relevant and engaging for your students.

The state is in the process of writing new 9-12 science standards. In this session we will explore Utah’s new vision for science education. Come learn how to use phenomenon to make science meaningful for your students. Learn strategies for engaging students as scientists by focusing on the three-dimensions of science: science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. Leave with a better understanding of what a 21st century science classroom looks like.

This session will introduce teachers to a workshop that will have students engaged and wanting to work. This workshop is an easy way to differentiate and manage time in the classroom. It works for every learner. Not only does workshop fulfill critical educational core standards but it also helps fulfill necessary life skills.

If your students aren’t working harder than you, then you might be doing it wrong. Join us for new strategies that will engage your students in inquiry based learning.

This presentation will focus on the benefits of using escape room style lessons in the classroom. Escape rooms have the potential to turn your classroom into an academically focused, problem solving game, where players use teamwork, and critical thinking to solve a series of challenging puzzles in order to open a locked box. During the presentation, participants would have the opportunity to participate in an educational escape room, where they will have an up close and personal experiences learning about all of the ways escape room style lessons can benefit their students.

This presentation will guide teachers through the steps needed to create effective assessments that align to their grade level/subject core standards and proficiency scales. Teachers will be given time to apply these skills in writing assessments that can be used in their classroom.

Teachers will need to bring the following items to this presentation:
• Laptop or Chromebook
• Core Standards (or online access)
• Proficiency Scales (if available)
• Assessment materials (or access to online materials)

This presentation will guide teachers through the steps needed to create effective assessments that align to their grade level/subject core standards and proficiency scales. Teachers will be given time to apply these skills in writing assessments that can be used in their classroom.

Teachers will need to bring the following items to this presentation:
• Laptop or Chromebook
• Core Standards (or online access)
• Proficiency Scales (if available)
• Assessment materials (or access to online materials)

Do you struggle with making CFAs? Are they time consuming? Boring? Come learn how to make your CFAs streamlined and engaging for students. I will show you a few tools that will give you a variety of options for creating CFAs that are fun and engaging for you students. For the first 90 minutes we will go through the tools, try each out, and take a look at the data. For the 2nd 90 minutes, we will practice making them- choosing which tool(s) you would like to try out first with my support, asking questions.

If your students aren’t working harder than you, then you might be doing it wrong. Join us for new strategies that will engage your students in inquiry based learning.

The state is in the process of writing new science standards for K-5.  In this session we will explore Utah’s new vision for science education. Come learn how to use every-day phenomenon to build on your students’ natural curiosity. Learn strategies for engaging students as scientists and engineers by focusing on the three-dimensions of science: science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. Leave with resource ideas and specific strategies for a student-centered science classroom.

Want to do something other than “round robin” reading? Then this session is for you!
Fluent readers are able to read orally with speed, accuracy, and proper expression. Fluency is one of several critical factors necessary for reading comprehension.
This presentation will provide teachers with ways to increase their students’ reading rates through a variety of fluency strategies that will work for individual, small group, and whole class instruction.  Strategies include dyad reading, timed repeated reading, phrase-cued reading, and more.
Teachers will be able to assign appropriate reading levels of text, as well as help students set individualized goals that they can track as they work toward becoming proficient readers.

How to organize, collaborate, and teach using Google Drive which will sync information between peers in real time. This workshop is meant for novice users who would like to know more about google slides (similar to PowerPoint), google Docs (similar to Microsoft Word), google sheets (similar to Microsoft Excel), and google forms. This is a hands on workshop where attendees will be able to participate for further learning. Please bring a laptop! If time permits I will also show you how to embed a google slideshow into CANVAS.

How does your brain work and what does that have to do with social interaction and learning? This session will discuss the neuroscience behind social interaction in learning and the importance this plays in creating a positive learning environment. We will discuss building trust, engagement strategies and supports, following student’s lead/interests and consistency in the classroom.

Teachers of students with significant cognitive disabilities need to be using the Essential Elements to link age-appropriate grade level academic standards to students’ Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). These Essential Elements were developed with the expertise of the Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM) Alternate Assessment System Consortium.

The Essential Elements for language arts and math are specific statements of content and skills that link to the Utah Core Standards grade level specific expectations for students with significant cognitive disabilities and provide a bridge to the Utah Core Standards for students with significant cognitive disabilities to help them achieve grade differentiated expectations.

The purpose of this presentation is to provide guidance to teachers on using the Essential Elements (EE) to provide students access to the general
education curriculum. The presentation will guide Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams how to use the EEs to write IEPs, lesson plans, and show how the EEs can be used in conjunction with specialized instruction in various settings. Teachers will also have the opportunity to explore the Science Essential Elements for secondary students, which are currently in draft form.

Inviting all mentors, new teachers, and experienced teachers that want to know more about conducting and participating in peer coaching cycles. Peer coaching provides the opportunity for educators to take charge of their own professional development, improve practice, and increase student learning. Peer coaching is a purposeful form of professional development where colleagues work together to reflect on current practices to expand, refine, and build new skills.

During this session, we will discuss how to use the coaching cycle to build capacity and empower teachers to take risks, try out new instructional strategies, and reflect with a trusted colleague. We will go through the three components of a peer coaching cycle which includes a pre-conference plan, observation/data collection, and a post-conference reflective conversation all focused on evidence of student learning. Peer coaching encourages educators to explore beliefs and practices in order to improve student learning.

Those in attendance will learn the difference between effective and non-effective interventions in multiple areas for Elementary. Attendees will leave with a good understanding of what the SST process should look like as well as an effective use of the required forms.

During this class teachers will work in collaborative grade level groups to set up GoMath, Gradebook, and Google Classroom. Teachers will also work in grade level teams to set goals (PG&E). Once classes are set up, support and tips will be given for implementing tools in GoMath/Think Central as time permits.

Looking for an easy way to creative common assessments without having to grade them? CANVAS Quizzes is your answer! Learn how your team can easily create common summative (and formative) assessments on CANVAS and share the assessment. Easily compare data from the assessment per period and per question with the data that CANVAS provides. By the end of this session, you will be able to create a quiz to share with your team!

This focus will provide the training teachers need to utilize the Granite District Gradebook for proficiency-based grading. Teachers interested in utilizing the Gradebook for proficiency-based grading must be trained on the Gradebook before proficiency-based grading can be activated on their Gradebook account.

Have you ever wondered how to take steps towards standard based grading? Proficiency scales are a great way to move in that direction. Proficiency scales allow you as the teacher to stay focused on the standards, identify those learners who need extra help reaching the standard and provides a way to give students the quick feedback that they need to progress. Proficiency scales allow students the opportunity to assess their own learning by giving them the chance to learn from their mistakes before it counts against them, teaches them to set learning goals and to reflect on which learning strategies best helped them achieve those goals.

This session will provide the training teachers need to utilize the Granite District Gradebook for proficiency-based grading. Teachers interested in utilizing the Gradebook for proficiency-based grading must be trained on the Gradebook before proficiency-based grading can be activated in their Gradebook account.

Did you find an innovative professional development opportunity that proved too expensive? Did you have an idea for a valuable, high-interest learning activity that required materials beyond your purchasing power? Don’t limit your vision for your classroom to just the materials you see at your disposal, or to the limited legislative funds you receive each fall. There are many organizations that stand ready to support classrooms in need. This presenter will share tips he’s learned from the best for snagging educational grants and funding opportunities for your classroom—as well as how to ensure that these contributions remain relevant and vital to student learning.

Have you wanted to change something in your life and didn’t know where to start? What about in your classroom? The starting place is the same. Working with Maslow’s Hierarchy as a base for understanding we will make connections on how to make positive changes to improve culture and climate in your classroom. Come and participate in an interactive, discussion led presentation around how to create change through thoughts, words, and actions. Come cast your stone in the change pond and see how it ripples around you.

A history of the 14th Amendment and how it is used today in Courts, including the law and statutes that come from and support it that affect educators. The concept of “discrimination” will also be looked at with the (controversial) proposal that we have an incorrect view and usage of the concept today, including the idea that discrimination is always a bad thing. To the contrary, the idea that discrimination used to have a neutral–if not positive–connotation, as still evidenced in such usage as “the discriminant” in mathematics (quadratic formula) and having “discriminating tastes”. This older–and more correct–view can still be seen operating in Supreme Court jurisprudence in the “Rational Basis/Strict Scrutiny Test” used in deciding 14th Amendment claims.