Dr. Jay Smink of the National Dropout Prevention Center at Clemson University will work with teams from LEAs on devising dropout prevention plans.  He will discuss proven research strategies that have been successful in retaining students.  A follow-up session will be offered in August to review progress and share plans for the 2009-2010 school year.  LEA teams will need to attend.  Members of each team should be determined by the LEA. 

 

Registration Fee: $100 per team           Registration Deadline:  June 5, 2009

 

Join fellow educators in grades 3-9 to explore effective, research-based reading strategies in a study of children's literature and newspapers. Florida teacher and author, Tom Tufts will introduce The Night Before Middle School, a story available electronically to teachers who attend the training. The story deals with the internal and external struggles a group of friends face in the aftermath of a hurricane. Themes in the novel address issues all important to students in upper elementary and middle grades.  The accompanying teaching guide provides strategies for use with each chapter and games focused on vocabulary and character analysis that transfer to other literature. Activities and "literature circles" applied to newspapers demonstrate and encourage connections between narrative and expository texts.  In addition to receiving access to Tufts' novel and supplementary instructional material, teachers will receive handouts, curriculum and activities that incorporate the use of print, Web and electronic editions of newspapers and strategies for encouraging encourage students to make real-world connections to literature through the use of newspapers.  If you have questions, contact Carol Bennett , 418-0011 ext. 17, or cbennett@wresa.org.

Registration Fee: $50      Registration Deadline: June 5, 2009      

 

Angie Cloninger, Literacy Consultant at NC Department of Public Instruction, will present a three-day LANGUAGE! Curriculum training. The LANGUAGE! Curriculum is designed for students in Grades 3-12 that have fallen behind in literacy.  It is grounded in research, teacher input, testing, and review.  The lessons are designed for differentiating instruction based on student needs. The instructional activities are based on informational text for content and vocabulary. The curriculum is strategic in its use of technology. Each of the Language! Curriculum’s 36 units builds knowledge in:

Sounds and Letters

Spelling and Words

Vocabulary and Roots

Grammar and Usage

Listening and Reading

Speaking and Writing

The training will focus on helping participants 1) identify the stages of assessment and their purposes, 2)articulate and apply the steps from sound to text Demonstrate knowledge of the five elements of each step, and 3)prepare to teach lessons. 

Participants will be required to bring the following materials:

For those who don’t wish to bring the entire training kit, here are the essential components for the training.   You must have access to these materials. You may find these materials at http://store.cambiumlearning.com

___Course Training syllabus

___Teacher Editions, Book A, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2

___Teacher Resource Guide

___Teacher Edition: Placement Assessment

___Teacher Edition: Assessment

___Student Edition: Assessment

___Student Text: Book A

___Interactive Text: Book A

___Content Mastery Book A

___Summative Tests and Progress Indicators Book A

 If you have questions, contact Lynn Bailey at lbailey@dpi.state.nc.us.

Registration Fee: $45     Registration Deadline: July 8, 2009      

 

Cheryl Fuller, NCDPI professional development consultant, will be at WRESA on June 29-30 to present a train-the-trainer session on the New Teacher Evaluation Instrument.  Please plan on sending a team to receive the most updated information on the instrument and information on planning for teacher training, whether your district will begin using the new instrument in 2009-2010 or 2010-2011.  This two-day workshop will provide the newest updates on the evaluation instrument.  Districts are limited to ten participants each.  If you have questions, contact Karen Sumner at ksumner@wresa.org or 828.418.0011, ext. 26.

 

Registration Fee: $20     Registration Deadline: June 19, 2009      

Understanding the characteristics of and issues that surround and impact our students living in poverty is the first step in being able to make a difference in their lives.  This Day Two workshop in Ruby Payne’s “Framework for Understanding Poverty” is the next step in working with our students who live in low socio-economic environments.  We will first look at the discipline module and strategies for solving some of these issues.  We will focus on the cognitive strategies that are undeveloped or underdeveloped in this population and will look at specific before, during, and after learning strategies that will help them be more successful at all grade levels.  Each participant will receive a copy of Understanding Learning and Learning Structures Workbook.  Presenter will be April Spencer , Secondary Education Consultant and Ruby Payne Certified Trainer.  If you have questions, contact April Spencer at aspencer@wresa.org or 828.418.0011, ext. 20.

Class limited to 25 participants. 

Registration Fee: $50     Registration Deadline: July 3, 2009       

"How would you like having free technology brought to your classroom when you requested it?  How would you like having your students engaged and excited about their science and math lessons?  How would you like free resources and labs to use in your classroom?  All this can be yours and more with a day of training courtesy of The Science House of NC State University. Come join us, July 13th 8:30-3:00.  We will use laptop computers, LabPros, LabQuests and various probes to explore science and math concepts.  After the day's training session, you will be certified to partner with The Science House.  This means a class set of the equipment can be brought to your school for a week at a time for your students to use! 

 

If you have questions contact April Spencer aspencer@wresa.org

or Michelle Benigno at michelle_benigno@ncsu.edu.

 

Registration Fee: $20     Registration Deadline: July 13, 2009       

Are you teaching science through inquiry?  Join us to see how inquiry labs can be done safely in your classroom.  This training session encompasses the development of a comprehensive safety program as well as training in the following topics: components of the OSHA Hazard Communication Program and Lab Standard, Material Safety Data Sheets, Labels and other forms of warning, Chemical Hygiene Plans, classroom safety management plans, and emergency response scenarios.  Participants will also conduct sample inquiry activities that demonstrate safe techniques.

 

If you have questions contact April Spencer aspencer@wresa.org

or Gina Barrier gina_barrier@ncsu.edu

Registration Fee: $75     Registration Deadline: July 8, 2009       

 

Registration Fee: $50     Registration Deadline: July 20, 2009      

Information:  Mentors will gain knowledge and training in the new teacher evaluation standards and instrument.  Mentors will develop sample indicators for the standards and methods to support beginning teachers during the transition to the new instrument. Karen Sumner, Western Region Teacher On Loan, will facilitate this course.

 

Registration Fee: $35     Registration Deadline: October 20, 2009      

Are you tired of doing the same old thing in your classes?   Are you ready to spice things up and try something new?  How would you like having GPS devices brought to your classroom when you requested them?  Join us for a day of training courtesy of The Science House of NC State University.  We will use GPS devices to explore new and exciting ways to teach science concepts.  You will have the opportunity to investigate many types of caches, how to incorporate the technology into your existing lessons, and also have time to create new lessons.  No previous experience with GPS units required!  This workshop is appropriate for 6-12th grade teachers (especially wonderful for integrated lessons). Physics, Chemistry, Physical Science, Earth Science and Biology content will be addressed and aligned to the NCSCOS. Suggestions for use in other curriculum areas, such as math and history, will also be addressed.  Michelle Benigno, Asheville Outreach Coordinator for NC State University/The Science House will be the presenter.  If you have questions, contact April Spencer at aspencer@wresa.org or 828.418.0011, ext. 20.

Registration Fee: $20     Registration Deadline: September 4, 2009       

Numerous researchers have found that supplementing content area instruction with read-alouds helps to engage students, enrich their content knowledge background, and stimulate their higher order thinking skills. Additionally, reading aloud to students helps them make more meaningful connections to their own lives, and enhances their understanding of the subject material. The National Commission on Reading issued a statement that teachers’ reading aloud to students is the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading. Nowadays, many picture books are specifically targeted at older students; these types of picture books are more sophisticated and complex in theme and illustrations. Using picture book read-alouds in the content areas is an excellent strategy for stimulating students’ thinking and is an effective use of class time. This hands-on session will provide K-8 teachers with the techniques and tools for implementing successful strategies in their own classrooms. Presenter will be Carol Bennett , Elementary Education Coordinator, who recently conducted her doctoral dissertation research on this topic.  If you have questions, please contact Carol at cbennett@wresa.org or 828.418.0011, ext. 17.

 

Registration Fee: $50     Registration Deadline: September 8, 2009      

Two out of three questions on end-of-grade tests require students to infer. Are your students ready? Award-winning teacher and literacy coach and author Karen Haag will show how you can move students from literal to interpretive thinking, and then send you home with the comprehension frameworks you need for planning lessons on inferring. Participants will learn to help students solve puzzles, predict outcomes, interpret idioms and metaphors, infer themes and play referencing-the-text-games. Karen Haag works with the UNC Charlotte Writing Project site where she co-directs the Teacher Research Institutes. She has been a literacy coach, teacher, and researcher in North Carolina since 1974. Karen, co-author of Thinking Out Loud on Paper: The Student Daybook as a Tool for Fostering Learning (Heinemann 2008), shares writing ideas for coaxing children to be reflective learners, creative thinkers, and empowered writers prepared to solve problems, even tests.  If you have questions contact Carol Bennett at cbennett@wresa.org.

 

Registration Fee: $70     Registration Deadline: September 17, 2009       

Dr. Harry K. Wong is possibly the most motivating, exciting and dynamic speaker in education today.  But most importantly, his presentations result in positive audience behavior change.  Dr. Wong leaves his audiences with practical, useful techniques for how to succeed in the classroom.  His expertise is in classroom management and student motivation.  Although Dr. Wong regards himself as “a plain old classroom teacher,” record shows that he has been an excellent teacher who has shared his success with thousands of teachers internationally.  During more than 33 years in the classroom, Harry Wong developed methods which resulted in his having a zero dropout rate, no discipline problems, a 95 percent homework turn in factor, and the ability to demonstrate master level learning by each of his students.  Dr. Wong will present from 9 a.m. – 12 noon.  A book publisher will be on site.

Dr. Deborah Jones, with Educational Leadership Consulting, will present from 1 – 3 p.m.  Deborah believes that teacher performance in the classroom can directly impact student learning and academic success.  A framework will be introduced that can improve teacher and student performance by increasing the level of rigor and the application of relevance in curriculum planning, instruction, and assessment.  Teachers will be given practical strategies and information that will aid them in establishing meaningful and productive relationships with their colleagues, students, and families to ensure student and school success.  If you have question contact Karen Sumner at ksumner@wresa.org or Jan Webster at jwebster@wresa.org.    Registration Deadline:  October 1, 2009 – Limited to 400 participants

 

Registration Fee: $75 (Non-Refundable) Registration Deadline:  October 1, 2009 Location Grove Park Inn - Heritage Ballroom

To Complete Registration: Make check payable to  WRESA, P.O. Box 1709, Enka. N.C. 2872