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.

Strengthening Partnerships Between Feeder and High Schools

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.

School city has a brand new feature that allows the student to review the strands and standards that they just missed on a school city or district test. Feed it some resource for review and students can instantly re-learn the subject matter they missed on the quiz or test. I will also show how to integrate shoolcity into canvas.

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 reviewed.

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.

This class will offer  resources on research based strategies to help ensure student growth.  Come learn about the new “Flip Book” that is being given to all new teachers.  Explore the resources offered on Graniteteachersupport.com.,  that will help to save you time.

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.

This interactive workshop will focus on concrete ways to implement effective, researched-based, English Language Development (ELD) instruction. In addition, participants will learn to apply WIDA language levels that empower students to demonstrate content proficiency through speaking, listening, reading, writing, and discussion. Highlights will include classroom tools and resources that can be used on the first day of school.

Kearns Network Elementary and Jr. High Math Vertical Alignment

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.

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.

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.

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.

Say goodbye to one-size-fits-all instruction—and hello to a strategic, research-based curriculum that meets students at their own level. With Imagine Language & Literacy, every child receives explicit, targeted instruction within an individualized learning path that continually adjusts to their needs. Over 4,100 engaging activities teach critical language and literacy concepts such as reading & listening comprehension, basic vocabulary, academic language, grammar, phonological awareness, phonics, and fluency. Imagine Language & Literacy also provides strategic first-language support in 15 languages to facilitate and enhance English language learning. As students become more proficient in English, this language support gradually fades. Come explore everything Imagine Language & Literacy has to offer! We’ll take a tour of the program, discuss best practices, and let you know how you can take advantage of this resource that is available for all English Learners in the district, and how you can gain access for your early and struggling readers.

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.

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.

New Teacher Mentor Training

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.

You’ve attended the PD, and it all sounds . . . okay, but have you ever just wanted someone to show you how they actually did it? In this session, we will show teachers how we went from the State Core to a proficiency scale, to an assessment, to a proficiency score to a grade. Don’t think you can assess a single standard three times? Participants will get first-hand information about how we have actually done this, and then we will break into groups to work together to brainstorm how to make this happen for any content area or grade level. Teachers will need to bring a hard copy or have electronic access to their state core for this session.

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.

During this workshop participant will experience different activities on how to use creative movement and its applications that can be used and integrated into middle school classroom settings. Together we will find and discuss useful tools for the empowerment, acknowledgment of differences and embracement of cultural, social and personal diversity to be put into practice when working with Middle school students.

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.

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.

How do we Implement Proficiency-Based Grading at Eisenhower Junior High?
To begin, we will share how we have implemented PBG department-wide in Mathematics. We will share our strategies for aligning assessments to proficiency scales, the district Gradebook set-up, and the core; how we manage assessment and grading; and pitfalls and successes from our first year as a PBG department. We will conclude with a question and answer session for participants to pick our brains about how to make PBG work in their department, school or content area.

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.

“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 life.

Do students challenge your authority? Are you tired of the ‘tude:? Do you want a culture of respect and engagement in your classroom but just can’t seem to achieve it? If you answered yes to these questions, then this session is for you! Learn how to implement strategies based on empathy and restorative justice to help bust those behavior battles before they begin! Learn how to address students from the perspective of power instead of morality, responsibility instead of accountability, self-regulation instead of compliance, and empathy instead of self-interest. You’ll walk away with personal strategies for mentally “stepping away” from power struggles, setting up your classroom culture from day one, and building your empathy and justice-oriented classroom culture throughout the year. Don’t let another year go by with the same old power struggles. Come join us!

Do you want to increase your students’ engagement in language arts? Do you want your students to have a reading, research, writing, and presentation experience they’ll remember—and want to repeat? If you answered yes to these questions, then this session is for you! Learn how to weave the National History Day competition into your language arts and social studies instruction and how to balance multiple, student-led projects with the modeling and management necessary for those projects to be successful. You’ll walk away with a solid understanding of what National History Day is and how to align it to your social studies and language arts standards, strategies for implementing writing cycles in the classroom, a guide for implementing National History Day alongside proficiency based grading, and grant-writing tips for procuring materials and funds for a bus to attend the regional competition in the spring of 2019. Give your students the gift of writing and history! Come join us!

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.

Teaching is about inspiring, creating geniuses, reaching goals and engaging students to go higher. There are so many amazing apps for Chromebooks in the universe of the internet that help you to achieve this. I will go over several apps such as Canva, Lucidchart, Clarisketch, Storybird, Google Keep, and WeVideo.

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.

Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company Expert

Mindfullness for Teens

Mindfulness for Teachers: Give Yourself a Break!

Mindfulness for Children

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.

When talking about equity in the classroom, there is a nonnegotiable premise: Knowing your students! This presentation will deepen teachers’ understanding of the wide breadth of differences between ELLs, a somewhat pragmatic, yet effective approach to assessing ELLs language and literacy strengths, an example of a differentiated English-ESL class (levels 1 & 2), and an open discussion on the equity and effects of our current grading practices. Participants will be presented with  examples of student work, pictures, and video clips that will help them understand how students’ seaming oral fluency can easily create a false sense of literacy competence.

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.

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.

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.

In December of 2016, the Surgeon General recognized e-cigarette use (vaping) among youth as a public health threat. “It is important to prevent harm to youth and young adults from e-cigarettes. We know enough to take action now to protect the health of our nation’s young people. Everyone has a role, including parents, health care providers, teachers, and others who work with and care about young people.”

E-cigarette use (also known as vaping) among Utah youth has increased by 573% since 2011 and e-cigarettes are the most common illegal substance used by Utah youth. These products provide an incredibly powerful pathway to a life riddled with addiction. These devices are also used to vape other harmful substances such as marijuana. This past December, the Utah Poison Control Center sent out a release regarding numerous calls of people becoming ill after vaping certain products laced with a dangerous and illegal substance known as “spice.” Poison Control confirmed that 25% of these calls were for youth under the age of 18 and five of these youth required medical treatment. Several of these students were from the Granite School District and were taken from school to a hospital in an ambulance.

Because many adults have been given false information and don’t fully understand what vaping devices are, it is important that clear language be used in warning youth about these products. This will better equip teachers and parents to discuss this issue with their children. Most youth we serve know what these products are, but they do not put two and two together when it comes to applying the smoking prevention messaging they receive to these products. This may occur for several reasons, including:

• Today’s youth are the greatest generation when it comes to avoiding cigarette use, thanks in large part to smoking prevention efforts. However, youth don’t see vaping as tobacco use; they don’t even call these products e-cigarettes—they call them mods, drippers, e-hookahs, vape sticks, 18650s (the battery size), Juuling, etc.
• E-cigarettes don’t smell like regular cigarettes; they come in adolescently-appealing flavors like Fruity Pebbles and Cap’n Crunch—a recent focus group in Utah found that these fun flavors are the primary reason youth try and continue to use these products.
• The vaping/e-cigarette industry has done a great job of spreading lies about these products such as “it’s just water vapor” and “it’s completely safe.” Middle school and high school children are the most vulnerable to addiction (due to the physiology of brain development, peer pressure, and stress), and, therefore, they are the primary targets of the vaping industry.
• Many people don’t realize vaping and using an e-cigarette are the same things; they mistakenly think only e-cigarettes contain nicotine.

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).

During this time, teachers will have the opportunity to use the knowledge obtained from the 2017-2018 Granite Way professional development to implement proficiency grading for the 2018-2019 school year focusing on:

• Identifying and unwrapping grade level standards
• Designing assessments, rubrics and proficiency scales
• Utilizing district tools/resources

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.

This session will give educators an in-depth look at mindfulness interventions for teachers and students. Research in the area of mindfulness-based interventions has supported the use of classroom mindfulness practice in order to improve student focus and prosocial skills, reduce disciplinary referrals, and even improve grades. Teachers who practice mindfulness are more effective communicators and are less susceptible to burnout. The first half of the session will address teacher burnout and mindfulness. Practice will be informed by the book “Mindfulness for Teachers” by Patricia A. Jennings. Later in the session, teachers will learn techniques that can be directly applied in the classroom with their students. Handouts will be distributed with lesson plans for classroom use, and teachers will have time to practice the techniques in small groups for hands-on learning. This session is taught by Emily Haygeman, PhD. Emily is a school psychologist in Granite. She has conducted research on the benefits of mindfulness for an adolescent population, and has taught mindfulness groups to parents, teachers, preschool and elementary students, and adolescents.

Join Rachel Hedman with special guests–youth tellers–as they show how narratives can be merged with all parts of the curriculum–from Science to Math and from Language Arts to Social Studies.  Empower yourself with adaptable activities to teach any class while allowing your students to recall facts faster. Finally, learn how the Granite School District can create a class, school, or district-level storytelling festival as already being done by three other school districts in Salt Lake County.  Discover how Granite can be represented at the Story Crossroads Festival, an annual county event.

The Story-Teacher: Raising Reluctant Learners from the ‘Dead’

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.

The Year Ahead 2018-2019

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

Put the “fun” back into the fundamentals and explore the K-6 fine arts core standards. Learn how to apply the standards in your classroom and design instruction that will excite and engage your students. Help your students create and present works of art that they can respond to individually and connect to their personal experiences and the world.

Reviewing the Year Ahead

The Year Ahead 2018-2019

This presentation will help special educators, classroom teachers, and support professionals improve their behavior interventions, while at the same time making them easier and more manageable! This will not only help individual, tier 3 behavior students access the curriculum, but it will decrease stress on schools overall, helping all students thrive in a positive learning environment. We will briefly identify common tier 2 and 3 behaviors, and the frequent interventions corresponding to them. The bulk of the presentation will troubleshoot those interventions, looking at what frequently goes wrong and needs fine tuning in their implementation. Specifically, the presentation will provide tools to ease data collection and analysis; facilitate collaboration, input, buy-in from all staff, especially general education teachers; make interventions work with limited staff resources; and adjust interventions to a variety of typical classroom settings. Ultimately, the tools participants gain will help all staff implement quality behavior interventions and provide a positive learning environment for all students.

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.

Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how the standards progress from Middle School to High School Mathematics and answer questions about how far to teach different standards. Participants will also engage in a math task to highlight how the Standards of Mathematics Practice are easily integrated into our classrooms when implementing worthwhile tasks and implementing the Teaching Practices from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (Principles to Actions, NCTM, 2014).

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.

Proficiency Based Grading in the Visual Arts

You’ve attended the PD, and it all sounds . . . okay, but have you ever just wanted someone to show you how they actually did it? In this session, we will show teachers how we went from the State Core to a proficiency scale, to an assessment, to a proficiency score to a grade. Don’t think you can assess a single standard three times? Participants will get first-hand information about how we have actually done this, and then we will break into groups to work together to brainstorm how to make this happen for any content area or grade level. Teachers will need to bring a hard copy or have electronic access to their state core for this session.

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.

Strengthening Partnerships Between Feeder and High Schools

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.

You’ve attended the PD, and it all sounds . . . okay, but have you ever just wanted someone to show you how they actually did it? In this session, we will show teachers how we went from the State Core to a proficiency scale, to an assessment, to a proficiency score to a grade. Don’t think you can assess a single standard three times? Participants will get first-hand information about how we have actually done this, and then we will break into groups to work together to brainstorm how to make this happen for any content area or grade level. Teachers will need to bring a hard copy or have electronic access to their state core for this session.

“”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.

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.

Do you want to increase your students’ engagement in language arts? Do you want your students to have a reading, research, writing, and presentation experience they’ll remember—and want to repeat? If you answered yes to these questions, then this session is for you! Learn how to weave the National History Day competition into your language arts and social studies instruction and how to balance multiple, student-led projects with the modeling and management necessary for those projects to be successful. You’ll walk away with a solid understanding of what National History Day is and how to align it to your social studies and language arts standards, strategies for implementing writing cycles in the classroom, a guide for implementing National History Day alongside proficiency based grading, and grant-writing tips for procuring materials and funds for a bus to attend the regional competition in the spring of 2019. Give your students the gift of writing and history! Come join us!

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.

We all know that we have the hardest job. Unfortunately, not many others seem to know this. We spend 60+ hours a week and still often feel like we are unsuccessful in our jobs. Social media, news stories, lawmakers, and stakeholders often portray education as broken and the fault of the teacher. We lack stress and coping mechanisms to continue working in a demoralizing climate. How do we find the reason we became educators with the constant mandates and judgment from within and without education?

Over the past several years I have made significant changes to my own (dare I say it?) mindset and discovered a few actionable practices that have allowed me to rediscover the joy and value of teaching. I thought for sure my test scores would suffer if my focus wasn’t on academic achievement and mastery of the core. What I found was the opposite. The more I enjoyed teaching STUDENTS through content, the more growth my students showed. And I only worked 45 hours per week!

Prioritize, minimize, encourage, let go, and move on. The primary focus of the session will be spent on prioritizing and learning to rewrite our own personal story to avoid burnout and change negative feedback into positive feed-forward to fuel the actions we make.

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.