The Smartie Zone – Donna Whyte

Come and share ideas and activities that will boost your daily classroom schedule and create a classroom where children want to learn. You will learn songs, games, and other exciting activities to build and nurture each skill that will give a child a firm foundation for learning. You will leave this session with simple organizational tools, activities, and strategies that you can use the next day!
To those planning to attend, please read this note about materials.

Vocabulary Instruction and the Common Core State Standards – Shane Templeton

This distinguished session will offer guidelines for teaching basic and advanced academic vocabulary in the sciences, mathematics, history/social studies, and English. Dr. Templeton will address selection of words to teach, teaching specific words and concepts for deep understanding, teaching word formation processes involving Greek and Latin word parts within each content area so that students can apply this understanding to learning new concepts, and how educational leaders can support and facilitate the instructional climate in which effective and engaging vocabulary instruction can occur.

New Ways to Engage – Allison Cook, Terry Hallman, and Ashlee Logan

Learn how ipods can reinvigorate your classroom instruction with engaging learning experiences for students. Teachers will participate in hands-on i-pod activities directly related to “Literacy” in the classroom. Access an abundance of FREE web 2.0 resources that will unleash the power of technology as it relates to student literacy at all grades and achievement levels and engage the digital natives in your classroom. Find ways to keep your students “plugged-in” and tuned in by maximizing the potential of the digital resources at your disposal.

Giving Students “Voice” Through Read Alouds – Cheryl Ellis

Reading aloud to students is a powerful literacy tool. You are invited to a session that demonstrates how to get the most from your read-alouds. Working in partner discussions to develop oral language, writing with purpose, looking at situations from multiple perspectives and building a positive school climate – all of these opportunities can begin with the reading of a great story.

Making Books! Bringing the English Language into the Homes of ESOL Students – Crystal Fields

Building individual and collaborative family and classroom books with ESOL students provides many opportunities for creative expressions, early literacy, family-friendly home/school interaction, cross-curriculum learning, an early love of books, and encourages self-esteem. Children and families will want to read these one-of-a-kind books together again and again, encouraging an early start to a life-long love of books, reading, writing and creativity.

Growing into the Common Core – Laura Garner, Jaimelyn Knox, Debbie Thomas, Katie Lamb

Presenters will share various types of support provided for the ELA Common Core Standards, including the implementation and training plan, the structure of documents created, and the process undertaken to create them.