Professional Learning Menu of Services

Assistive Technology Consultation:

• Facilitate a SETT meeting for a multidisciplinary team to identify the students’ demands of the environment. (This is not an evaluation) http://www.ciu20.org/apps/pages/AT/
• Assist the multidisciplinary team with recommendations for assistive technology
• Assist with loan and trial of assistive technology
• The process is facilitated on-site with collaboration from team members and is ongoing
• Provide resources for use of assistive technology as a means to improve/increase access to the general education curriculum
• Provide on-site technical assistance to aid in the successful implementation of assistive technology
• Provide specific training on hardware and soft ware to meet identified student needs
• Provide a lending library for equipment trials http://www.ciu20.org/apps/pages/AT/

Assistive Technology Professional Development:

• Assistive Technology Workshop (What is AT?)
• Can be tailored to suit the needs of target audience (itinerant therapists, special education teachers)
• Full-day or half-day workshop
• Assistive Technology Process Training
• Collecting and analyzing data, SETT process, developing and implementing an action plan (special education teachers, therapists, administrators
• Half-day or full-day workshop
• Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM)/Accessible Educational Materials (AEM)
• Equipment-Specific – Outcomes of the Assistive Technology Evaluation Process
• Kurzweil - talking word processor with word prediction (literacy tool)
• Read and Write Gold - talking word processor with word prediction, electronic text reader (literacy tool)
• ReadOUTLoud for Bookshare - soft ware program that reads DAISY
• Intellitools Classroom Suite Training (suite of literacy and math tools)
• Dragon Naturally Speaking–overview of features and functionality (half-day, special education and regular education)
• Accessibility features for MAC and Windows Operating Systems (half-day, special education and regular education
• WORD tools for writing and reading (full day, regular and special education teachers)
• Proloquo2go
• iPads and iPods in the classroom
• Google Apps for Education
• First Author – writing soft ware
• Clicker 6 – writing soft ware

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

• Universal Design for Learning Introduction and Overview (half-day)
• Universal Design for Learning in Depth (for the schools and districts interested in beginning implementation of UDL):
• This workshop will begin with an overview of the guiding principles of UDL and will plan (special education teachers, therapists, administrators) books downloaded from Bookshare education teachers and SLPs) education and regular education) allow participants time to reflect on current practices and help align them with UDL.  Participants will also have the opportunity to develop lessons and curriculum that is universally designed. **Recommended as three two-hour sessions or three half-day sessions throughout the school year or one semester**

Podcasting:

• Strategies to integrate podcasting as an authentic learning tool
• Free technology tools
• Teacher/student podcasts

Autism Services:

Consultation is available to districts and school teams to assist with developing and implementing interventions, instructional strategies and accommodations/modifications for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the areas of social skills, communication, academic performance, behavior and inclusion. All consultation focuses on the use of assessment information and data to make intervention and instructional decisions.

To request an Autism Consultation, please complete the form at:  http://www.ciu20.org/apps/pages/requestpd/

Professional Development: 

Workshops are provided for, but not limited to, the following core topics in the area of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Communication and Social Skills, Academic Instructional Strategies, Positive Behavior Support, and Transition Planning. The trainings can be presented individually or in any order, and include:

• Developing Social Skills for Students with ASD: Social Skill Assessment and Intervention
• Methods for social skill assessment and the concepts of skill versus performance deficits, and accommodation versus assimilation will be presented. Discussion and practice with social skill intervention for such topics as thoughts/feelings, reciprocal interactions, role laying/behavioral rehearsal, cognitive flexibility, and emotional regulation will be included. Training can also be provided on specific strategies such as social narratives (e.g., Social Stories©, Comic Strip Conversations, and Power Cards).
• Target audience: School staff working with students with ASD
• Developing Effective Academic Teaching Strategies for Students with ASD
• This session will provide participants with an overview of the academic needs and characteristics of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Specific instructional strategies for reading comprehension and writing will be presented with practice opportunities. Key academic behaviors necessary for school success will also be discussed and instructional strategies provided.
• Target audience: School staff working with students with ASD
• Developing Behavior Plans and Data Collection Tools for Students with ASD
• Using Positive Behavior Support as a foundation, participants will practice collecting antecedent-behavior-consequence (ABC) data using direct observation and interviews/rating scales. Participants will then learn strategies for analyzing data and using data to create positive behavior support plans. Discussion time for behavior intervention strategies will also be provided.
• Target audience: School staff working with students of any age with ASD
• Developing Transition Plans with Outcome Based IEP Goals for Students with ASD
• Participants will learn person-centered planning methods and models for developing outcome based transition plans. Self-determination, post secondary education and employment will also be presented and discussed within the context of transition planning.
• Target audience: School staff working with students with ASD in middle and high
• Executive Functioning for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Identify trauma and how it impacts the brain and regulation.
• Have a common language and understanding to discuss trauma.
• Define Executive Functioning.
• Highlight Executive Functioning Deficits.
• State Executive Functioning Interventions.
• Describe associated brain activities to support regulation of the brain.
• Presuming Competence: Creating a Learning Environment for ALL
• Understand the concept of presuming competence and the least dangerous assumption
• Develop a list of potential supports for students to promote inclusion
• Create a correlation between the Civil Rights Movement and Presuming Competence
• Anticipate and address barriers to presuming competence
• Define the current paradigm and the potential dangers of its current influence on society

Check & Connect Mentor Training

Check & Connect is an intervention used with K-12 students who show warning signs of disengagement with school and who are at risk of dropping out. At the core of Check & Connect is a trusting relationship between the student and a caring, trained mentor who both advocates for and challenges the student to keep education salient. Students are referred to Check & Connect when they show warning signs of disengaging from school, such as poor attendance, behavioral issues, and/or low grades.
In Check & Connect, the "Check" component refers to the process where mentors systematically monitor student performance variables (e.g., absences, tardies, behavioral referrals, grades), while the "Connect" component refers to mentors providing personalized, timely interventions to help students solve problems, build skills, and enhance competence. Mentors work with caseloads of students and families for at least two years, functioning as liaisons between home and school and striving to build constructive family-school relationships. 

 

Classroom Management

On-site training and consultation can provide assistance with assessing current classroom management structures and implementing strategies for such topics as increasing student engagement, establishing consistency in expectations and consequences, creating positive teacher-student interactions, strategically increasing reinforcement and evaluating teacher behavior.  

Consultation/Program Development for Emotional Support Programs

A wide range of consultation activities to assist school districts in providing effective educational programming for students with behavior disorders including, but not limited to, classroom organization, effective instruction, classroom-based behavioral interventions, creating alliances with families, and collaborative strategies to improve student behavior.

Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) Training

• On-site training and consultation can be provided to school-based teams conducting FBA’s and developing positive behavior support plans based on the assessment data. The emphasis will be on building team capacity to conduct FBA’s and to provide training and support to their fellow teachers.
• Topics can include (but are not limited to): 
  • Positive Behavior Support
  • Basic behavioral principles (e.g., antecedents, positive and negative reinforcement)
  • Direct observation tools (e.g., data sheets) and techniques (e.g., interval data collection)
  • Other data collection tools (e.g., interviews and rating scales)
  • Data analysis and graphing
  • Developing data-based, positive behavior support plans
  • Implementation fidelity
  • Data collection for monitoring progress and making data-based decisions
• Training other staff in FBA proceduresTraining can also be provided on the PTR model of FBA’s (Dunlap, Iovannone, Kincaid, Wilson, Christiansen, Strain, & English, 2010). PTR stands for Prevent-Teach-Reinforce and provides a standardized process for completing an FBA and developing an FBA-based positive behavior support plan. The process employs a team approach throughout all steps, and also includes a data collection tool for goal setting and progress monitoring of the plan. Training for this PTR model of FBA’s would require training sessions to learn the procedures of the model, with follow-up coaching opportunities to continue to learn the process while working to support a student’s positive behavior.

RENEW (Resilience, Empowerment, Natural Supports, Education, and Work):

RENEW is a structured school-to-career transition planning and individualized wraparound process for youth with emotional and behavioral challenges and/or needing Tier 3 supports. The model focuses on supporting each youth to design and pursue a plan for the transition from school to adult life. RENEW has substantially increased the high school completion, employment, and post-secondary education participation rates among our most vulnerable youth.  With the help of a trained facilitator, students complete several “maps” focusing on their history, current situation, and hopes/dreams; these “maps” allow the student to self-reflect, and in the process, identify several short and long term goals. The student and the facilitator, with the help of an individualized team, then create and problem-solve an action plan to achieve those goals. 

• Because RENEW has been a part of the PaTTAN behavior initiative for several years, RENEW training is standardized and requires two full days of facilitator training with additional coaching opportunities throughout at least the first year of implementation. Additional training can be provided to target how to incorporate RENEW into a school or district’s PBIS multi-tiered systems of support.

School-Wide Positive Behavior Support (SWPBS)

• For schools beginning to implement SWPBS, training and consultation can include, but is not limited to, an overview presentation to the faculty, building needs assessment and 3-5 days of training for the core SWPBS team that includes development of expectations, lesson plans, acknowledgement systems and dissemination procedures.
• For schools implementing SWPBS, training and consultation can include, but is not limited to, monthly meetings with the core SWPBS team and assistance with data collection, data analysis, problem solving and assessment of implementation fidelity. Additional topics can include expanding into the targeted/secondary and individual tiers with data collection and intervention strategies.  
• For schools interested in developing a system for collecting and analyzing school-wide behavior data, training can be provided for SWIS (School-Wide Information System; www.pbisapps.org an online database that schools can purchase in order to facilitate their SWPBS problem-solving efforts.
• Support and consultation can also be provided to districts interested in implementing SWPBS on a district level.

Analyze Data Utilizing:

• PVAAS
• Analysis of student growth
• Measure of student progress from year to year
• Consultant and technical assistance in PVAAS data analysis

• eMetric
• Analysis of PSSA data
• Identify academic strengths/weaknesses and performance gaps
• Evaluation of instructional effectiveness

• Progress Monitoring for Special Education Teachers
• Measurable goals and objectives
• Specific skills and general outcomes Progress Monitoring
• Data Analysis
• Intervention strategies for Progress Monitoring (e.g. reading, math & specific skills)
• DataNotGuessworkTM (DNG) - Dr. Susan Leddick - data sampling strategies for Regular Education

• Using Data to Improve Written Language Skills for Students
• Each session is two hours in length. Sessions I and II are prerequisites for Session III.
• Session I: Participants will learn how to progress monitor students’ writing samples.
• Session II: Participants will explore specific instructional strategies and interventions designed to boost student writing performance.
• Session III: Participants will develop a plan to improve specific students’ writing using their progress monitoring data and effective instructional strategies and interventions.

 

• Chapter 16
• GIEP Development and Planning
• Engagement strategies 

 

As a community of learners, it is important to determine instructional supports that will maximize student participation and interaction, promote independence, build on learners’ strengths, be generalized across the school and community settings and benefit all students.

 

Technical supports for staff and students who would benefit from the services listed below:

• Assistive technology assessment and needs
• Classroom observation
• Facilitation and/or participation on multi-disciplinary teams
• Collaboration and consultation with team members
• Supplementary Aids and Services (SAS) consideration tool kit facilitation

 

Co-Teaching and Collaboration

• Co-Teaching occurs when two educators jointly deliver instruction to a group of  diverse students, primarily in one classroom. The teachers have different knowledge, skills and talents, but have joint responsibility for designing, delivering, monitoring and assessing instruction. The following workshops can be adjusted and adapted to meet the needs of your district:
• Overview of Co-Teaching
• Definitions of inclusion, co-teaching and collaboration
• Student and teacher goals of co-teaching
• Characteristics of effective teams
• Classroom management considerations
• Roles and responsibilities of each teacher
• Styles of co-teaching
• Outlining the history of inclusion
• Practical Considerations for Co-Teaching to Ensure Success for Teachers and Students
• Getting started
• Avoiding the pitfalls
• Communication considerations
• Planning for co-teaching
• Monitoring stages of team growth
• District-Specific Needs and Concerns
• Accommodations and modifications of curriculum

 

Disability Awareness

• The purpose of these trainings is to increase understanding and awareness of disability. This workshop is a highly interactive, discussion-based training.

 

Overview of Inclusive Practices

• Legal basis for inclusion (e.g. Oberti, Gaskin, IDEA ‘04)
• Types of inclusion (e.g. physical, academic and social)
• Components of an effective inclusion program

 

Overview of Accommodations and Modifications of Curriculum

• Participants will discuss and develop a common definition of terms related to adaptation, accommodation and modification
• Participants will consider ways to accommodate and modify the classroom environment. The following areas can be modified in a variety of practical ways:
• Classroom environment or setting
• Presentation of instruction
• Pace, time or scheduling
• Curriculum content
• Ways that a student may respond to instructional information
• Adapted materials or equipment
• Organizational strategies that promote independence
• Types of instruction that address diverse learner needs
• Assessment and grading considerations demonstrate true mastery of information by all students

 

Presuming Competence: Creating a Learning Environment for ALL

• Understand the concept of presuming competence and the least dangerous assumption for ALL students
• Develop a list of potential supports for students to promote inclusion
• Create a correlation between the Civil Rights Movement and Presuming Competence
• Anticipate and address barriers to presuming competence
• Define the current paradigm and the potential dangers of its current influence on society

 

Students Needing Continuous System of Supports for Academic Inclusion

• Special education support historically have had a difficult time generalizing content, processes and procedures from one academic class to another. A continuous system of support “casts a wider net” for student success. The consistency of core practices and procedures frees students to focus on content and mastery of content.
• Through a series of guiding questions, participants will identify and refine existing procedures that support students’ growth.
• A facilitator will guide participants to agree on common core practices and procedures that support academic inclusion success for all students (e.g. common procedures for vocabulary instruction, note taking and graphic organizers).
• Participants will consider how using their core practices over time, across grade levels, would increase student capacity for mastery.

The STEM Competencies are:

• Global Awareness
• Communication Skills
• Analytical Thinkers
• Technology Literate
• Digital Literacy
• Problem-Solving

The following workshops provide the opportunity to integrate STEM in the content areas:

Google Apps for Education

• These trainings explore Google Documents, Google Slides, Google Forms, and Google Sites. The training sessions also provide some inspiring classroom integration ideas as well as provide participants an opportunity to work collaboratively with Google Apps. 

Nearpod

• These trainings will explore the Nearpod app/program and how it can be integrated into classroom instruction to present, engage, and assess student learning.  Training objectives include creating presentations, exploring the various features of the program as well as the administrative side of Nearpod for district and school managers.

LEGO MINDSTORMS

• With LEGO MINDSTORMS Education, convert classrooms into a hands-on robotics laboratory! Students will model real-life mechanisms and use creativity, logic, and problem-solving skills while learning key STEM concepts.

PA Core Standard 101

• This course is designed to introduce teachers to the format, content and intent of the PACS for Mathematics.  At the end of this interactive session, participants will understand the organization of the two sets of standards, the on-line resources to support them, and the timeline for alignment by PA schools.  This course will also integrate the Keystone Mathematics Exam Eligible Content into the presentation.  In addition, time will be given to begin planning for integration of the PACS and Keystone Eligible Content into classroom practice and instruction.

PA Core Standards:  Transition to PA Core Standards for Math and English Language Arts

• These trainings will focus on the transition to PA Core for Math and English Language Arts.  Objectives include:   
• Gain a deep understanding the PA Core Standards
• Explore the instructional shifts as related to PA Core
• Develop skills to assist in transitioning to PA Core Standards
• Share effective strategies for transition to PA Core Standards
• Each session can be customizable to support a districts’ current transition continuum

Math Work Stations: Getting Started K-5

• Gather strategies for creating and implementing math work stations in classrooms
• Develop an understanding of how math work stations complement a standards-based classroom

Brain Research and Its Application on Reading and Math

This half-day training will encourage teachers to make practical considerations and application of the findings related to brain research in education.

• Background about the complex act of reading and math, in addition to practical strategies and guidelines for designing successful reading and math programs will be provided.
• Brain-compatible lesson plan development, activities and assessment will be addressed.

Developing Effective Mathematical Ideas....Building Conceptual Understanding of Student Mathematical Reasoning in Number Systems

This professional development opportunity is offered to help teachers deepen their content knowledge about number systems.

• The seminar series will explore and examine the Big Ideas of Numbers and Operations in grades K-6 by analyzing the instructional strategies that assist students’ learning of the base ten system and the four basic operations.

Differentiated Instruction in the Elementary Math Class Using Investigations

This three day training series focuses on incorporating differentiated instructional practices, using the Investigations math program, in grades 1-4.

• Teachers will explore how to differentiate the components of the program such as classroom routines, games and lessons.
• Differentiated strategies such as tiering, extension menus, ThinkDOTs, RAFTs and anchoring activities are addressed and applied to support teachers in implementing the math program to meet diverse learners.

Building Math Number Sense in Early Childhood

• Developing a strong sense of number is a precursor for succeeding in mathematics.
• Exposing students early and often to activities that build on one’s sense of number is the key to strengthening one’s ability in computation.  This interactive workshop will present various ideas to develop a strong foundation with numbers that will lay the groundwork for future success with mathematics.

Power Teaching in Math for Grades 1-12

• This workshop provides an instructional framework designed to energize mathematics education.
• Power Teaching offers professional development that will provide math teachers with tools to deliver rich, powerful lessons by connecting core resources with PA Standards Aligned Systems.
• This workshop also connects the PA Big Ideas in Math to cooperative learning techniques that have effectively improved student achievement.

Aligning Math Curriculum

PA Core Standards and Assessment Anchors

• Develop open-ended questions
• Develop item-specific rubrics
• Determine gaps and overlaps in curriculum
• Provide instructional uses for the PSSA item banks

PA Core Standards PACS 101

Big Ideas of Mathematics (Grades 6-8)–A series of eight workshops

• Incorporate activities that encompass the Big Ideas of Mathematics
• Share and discuss the latest pedagogy and strategies involving mathematics
• Understand why students struggle in mathematics
• Collaborate and develop activities for use in the classroom
• Apply research-based strategies to help students understand math concepts and skills
• Workshop 1–Basic Facts and Operations
• Workshop 2–Fraction Concepts & Computation with Fractions
• Workshop 3–Decimal & Percent Concepts & Decimal Computation
• Workshop 4–Data Analysis
• Workshop 5–Probability
• Workshop 6–Algebraic Concepts
• Workshop 7–Geometry
• Workshop 8–Measurement

Using Children’s Literature to Teach Mathematics (Grades K-2 or 3-5)–A series of five full-day workshops

• Realize the impact children’s literature has on the understanding of math skills and concepts Acquire practical suggestions for utilizing children’s literature to teach mathematics
• Engage in various math activities that utilize children’s literature
• Workshop 1–Numbers & Operations
• Workshop 2–Measurement
• Workshop 3–Geometry
• Workshop 4–Algebraic Concepts
• Workshop 5–Data Analysis & Probability

iTouches and iPads in the Curriculum

• Identify ways the iPod Touch and iPad can be incorporated into the classroom 
• Explore free and/or low-cost apps that are available through iTunes 
• Create content, such as podcasts and PowerPoints, that can be uploaded to students’ iTouches to extend learning outside the classroom
• Learn accessibility features that are built into the iTouch and iPad to help learners with special needs 
• An iTouch case containing 20 iTouches can be loaned out to districts through the CIU 20 IMS library

Geocaching 101

• Understanding the basics of geocaching
• Design and create a geocache 
• Incorporate geocaching into the classroom

Digital Storytelling: Using a Green Screen in the Classroom

• Examine copyright friendly sites for images and music 
• Identify practical applications of digital storytelling
• Incorporate best practices to integrate digital storytelling
• Develop assessments to evaluate digital story projects
• Green Screen kits can be loaned out to districts through the IMS library

Curriculum Alignment

• Curriculum Mapping Process
• SAS curriculum mapping tool
• Integrating the ISTE (International Society of Technology Education) Standards for
• Students
• Teachers
• Administrators
• Coaches
• Computer Science Educators
• Integrating the National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators, Teachers and Students
• Assessing the ISTE’s National Technology Standards

Integrating Technology into the Curriculum

• Tailored to district needs, the Coordinator of Educational Technology offers trainings, presentations and instructional support to member districts looking to embed the use/integration of technology into the curriculum including, but not limited to:
• Web-based technologies for collaboration
• Emerging Technologies
• 21st Century Teaching and Learning
• ISTE Standards
• Videoconferencing in the Classroom
• iPad Integration
• Using Interactive Whiteboards Effectively
• Validating Web-based Research and Resources
• Social Networks in K-12 Education
• Internet Safety and School Concerns
• Google Earth
• Google Docs
• Content Management Systems 
• Discovery Education

Digital Media in the Classroom

• Basics of integrating digital media into the classroom
• Creating dynamic student multimedia projects using digital media 
• Using video to do video storytelling
• Streaming digital media

Electronic Resources for Student Research and Increasing Knowledge

• Searching and evaluating internet-based content
• U.S. Copyright Law and Digital Millennium Copyright Act
• Presentations and/or support at the building level (or department level) pertaining to use of electronic resources in the classroom

Differentiated Instruction

• Connecting Understanding by Design and Differentiated Instruction
• Utilizing technology as a tool for Differentiated Instruction

Literacy (6-12)

• Technology Tools as a means to activate literacy
• Implementing Mode Specific Writing Rubrics
• Integrating the National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators, Teachers, and Students 
• Integrating awareness of the ISTE (International Society for Technology Education) Standards
• Electronic Resources for Student Research and Increasing Knowledge
• Reading Apprenticeship and Technology
• Integrate technology tools to enhance PA strategies
• Technology can be utilized for Talking to the Text, Metalogs, discussions and meta-cognitive conversations

21st Century Coaches Meetings

• Sessions are offered throughout the year to support technology coaches
• Network with other technology coaches across the region
• Gain professional development on technology tools and best practices

Follow–Up Professional Development

• Additional professional development is available, to individual and grade-level teachers on-site, to follow-up on knowledge and skills from participation in district sponsored CIU 20 workshops. 
• The job-embedded professional development is intended to assist in the on-going efforts of the principal, math supervisor, math specialist and/or math coach to build capacity and increase student proficiency in math.
• Services could include mini-workshops, technical assistance, question and answer sessions, lesson modeling, analyzing student work and conducting an error analysis.
• Professional development may be requested by the principal and/or math supervisor.