Course Offerings & Registration Form link

Fall, Winter, Spring 2015 – 2016

Be sure to check your district email in case there are any changes!

Bernards Township Board of Education Nick Markarian, Superintendent of Schools

Sean Siet, Assistant Superintendent

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Registration Information

You will use the link provided http://staffcollege.bernardsboe.com to sign up for classes. The deadline for registration is September 18, 2015. We will close PDExpress to eliminate under subscribed classes. Courses will not run if enrollment is less than 5 participants. Participants will be notified if a course they enrolled in will no longer run. Please contact Tiffany Quick if you have any questions. 908­204­2600 x 127 or E­mail at tquick@bernardsboe.com Secretarial Support Staff are welcome to participate in Flex Day and may select 6 hours from this Staff College Brochure. Directions on how to Register for a course in PD Express

In District link

http://staffcollege.bernardsboe.com/pdexpress/login.aspx

Directions on how to use PD express link from home https://docs.google.com/a/bernardsboe.com/document/d/1QfLhrLlKqc7C­E0jP_FYAvXBZ9XGJkZ_lBxGSrHcv9U/edit?usp=sharing

Any teacher or administrator interested in being an instructor for a Staff College course should contact Sean Siet at

ssiet@bernardsboe.com. Suggestions for new course offerings are always welcome.

Welcome to Bernards Township’s Staff Development Program.

The total number of hours must equal at least 6 hours to have off on Friday,

May 27, 2016. All hours will count towards the NJDOE 100 hour requirement. Teachers may choose any course(s) in the brochure as their Flex Day course or

regular Staff College.

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ABC’s of Co­Teaching

This course is designed to make educators feel comfortable with the co­teaching models.

This course will explain the co­teaching model, the research behind the model, explore in detail the different co­teaching approaches, and ways to strengthen the co­teaching partnership. We will also delve into ways to reach all levels of learners (struggling learners and G&T students) within one classroom setting using this model. After the 1st class participants will be asked to go back and try out new strategies and reflect on them. This will count towards an hour of class time. Time: 3;45 ­ 6:45 Dates: Oct, 28 & Dec. 9, 2015 Presenters: Carolyn Latkovich & Location: Cedar Hill Media Center Stephanie Orr Course hours: 6 AHA ­ Basic Life Support This course will teach you how to recognized and respond to life­threatening emergencies such as cardiac arrest, choking and anaphylaxis. You will learn the skills of CPR for victims of all ages, use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), removal of foreign­body airway obstruction and identifying the signs of anaphylaxis and treatment. With these skills you may save the life of a member of your community, a loved one, or a student.

This course is limited to Twelve Participants

Time: 3:30 ­ 9:30 Dates: Nov. 12, 2015 Or Dec. 3,2015 Presenters: Amy Lynn & Location: Cedar Hill Media Center Pat Miller Course hours: 6 Assisting the Struggling Learner in the Middle School Classroom *New Course* This course will present strategies to assist the struggling learner in the general education classroom. We will consider social and emotional challenges in addition to learning difficulties that may impact the student and their ability to access learning. The course will include information on Google apps as well as provide individual feedback for lesson plans/assessments as requested by the participants. Time: 2:30 – 4:00 Dates: Oct. 20 & Nov. 3 Presenters: Kristen Zizelmann Location: William Annin Rm. TBA & Maria Mensinger Course hours: 3

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Applied Behavior Analysis for General Education and Special Education Classrooms: Classroom Behavior Management and More *New Course* This course will provide general education classroom teachers with an overview of Applied Behavior Analysis as it relates to student behavior and overall classroom management. Topics will include: The ABCs of behavior, individual and group behavior management strategies, and intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation. This course is not intended for teachers in the CBAP program. Time: 3:30 – 5:30 Dates: Oct. 13, 20 & 27, 2015 Presenter: Linda Valera Location: Ridge High Rm 721

& Michele Lenzi Course hours: 6 American Heart Association’s Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers The American Heart Association’s Healthcare Provider’s Basic Life Support Course: Participants will learn adult, child and infant CPR including Foreign Body Airway Obstruction (Heimlich maneuver), use of: Automated External Defibrillator (AED), Barrier Devices and Ambu bags. There is an $8.00 fee to cover your American Heart Association card (good for a two year period).

*This course is limited to 6 participants* Times: 3:15 – 6:15 Dates: Oct. 12 & 13, 2015 Presenter: Debbie Karuppan RNC OR May 16 & 17, 2016 Course hours: 6 Location: WAMS Nurses’ Office

Red Cross CPR/AED and First Aid Red Cross certification in CPR/AED and First Aid

* This course is limited to 6 participants Time: 2:30 – 8:30 Date: Sept. 29, 2015 Presenter: Kathy Lime Location: Ridge High Rm. 630 Course hours: 6 Book Talk: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey Time: 3:45 ­ 5:45 Date: Jan. 14, 21, & 21, 2016 Presenter: Scott Graber Location: Oak Street Media Center Course hours: 6

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Book Talk: Foreign Languages for Everyone *New Course* Over the course of the 2015 ­ 2016 school year, participants will read the book Foreign Languages for Everyone: How I learned to Teach Second Languages to Students with Learning Disabilities. In each of the 8 ­ 1 hour chat sessions, a chapter will be broken down and presented by teams to highlight the main points and facilitate discussions on implementing the new understandings into the classroom. In addition to the 8 sessions, teachers will be asked to video themselves or a colleague focusing on strategies that meet the needs of students with learning disabilities and reflect on their practice. Time: 2:45 – 3:45 Dates: Sept. 29, Oct. 27, Nov. 24, 2015, Presenter: Kathy Stotler & Maria Mensinger Jan. 26, Feb. 23, Mar. 29, Apr. 26,

May 31, 2016 Course hours: 8 Location: Ridge High Rm. 206 Book Talk: Helping School Refusing Children and Their Parents, Author: Christopher Kearney, 2008 *New Course*    This book is a classic evidence­based model for school refusal and a “must have” for anyone dealing with school refusal. For students who refuse school to avoid anxiety/ discomfort, key interventions include education about anxiety/distress, techniques to manage physical anxiety, addressing irrational thoughts, and gradual reintroduction to the school setting. Parent interventions include a morning routine, reinforcing appropriate behavior, establishing rewards for attendance and consequences for not attending school. Kearney also has a chapter on difficult parents. Time: 3:30 – 6:30 Dates: Oct. 20 & 27, 2015 Presenter: Barbara Bush Location: WAMS TBA Course hours: 6 Book Talk: Inquiry­Based Instruction in Social Studies in Grades 6­12 This course is for secondary social studies teachers who want to explore inquiry based instruction through readings, discussions and by implementing the framework into a component of their instructional practice over the course of the coming school year. The course will meet for six one­hour sessions and will include discussions on selections from the readings listed below, planning for implementation in a course and guest speakers. Participants in the course will read the following books:

“Who Owns the Learning?” by Alan November “Why Won’t You Just Tell Us The Answer?” by Bruce Leah “Guided Inquiry Design” by Carol Kuhlthau

*This course will be limited to ten participants

Time: 2:45 – 3:45 Dates: Oct. 19, Nov. 16, Dec. 14, 2015, Jan. 11, Feb, 8 & March 7, 2016

Presenter: Kristin Fox Location: Ridge High Rm. 530 Course hours: 6

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Book Talk: Talk About Understanding by Ellin Keene *New Course* Ellin Keene's book examines what deep comprehension looks like for our students and how we, as teachers, can guide our students toward lasting comprehension. The first part of the book, "Ideas That Last," focuses on strategy instruction and exploring what it means to deeply comprehend ­ both narrative and informational text. The second part, "Words That Matter," focuses on teacher talk and how what we say and how we say it impacts our students' understanding. The book also comes with a DVD which models "real life" examples of how to incorporate lessons. Over the course of several weeks, participants will read through both parts of the book and respond online ­ sharing their own thoughts as well as responding to their peers' postings. This time frame will allow you to read at your own pace and make thoughtful reflections about what was read and how it impacts your teaching. In this manner, we can share and learn from one another. * The book will be included in this course and the course will be limited to 10 participants. This book is aimed at K­8 teachers. Time: Online Dates: October Presenter: Christine Russo Location: Online Course hours: 6 Book Talk: Raising Resilient Children: Fostering Strength, Hope and Optimism in Children, Robert Brooks, Ph.D. and Sam Goldstein, Ph.D. 2001 *New Course* This book is one of my all­time favorites! Easy to read with lots of examples to which parents and teachers can relate. Brooks and Goldstein address empathy, effective communication, changing “negative scripts”, and “discipline”. They offer effective strategies and discuss “obstacles” we all face. They believe in accepting children for who they are and building on strengths. They teach children to learn from mistakes and to solve problems. They believe in discipline that promotes self­worth. Although written for parents, the principles are basic to good teaching as well. 

*This course will be limited to ten participants Time: 3:30 – 6:30 Dates: Oct. 6 & 13, 2015 Presenter: Barbara Bush Location: WAMS TBA Course hours: 6 Book Talk: Reading Wellness: Lessons in Independence and Proficiency *New Course* Join your colleagues in reading and discussing an exciting new book, “Reading Wellness: Lessons in Independence and Proficiency”. According to Jan Miller Burkins and Kim Yaris

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(authors of Reading Wellness), “When teachers talk about what they want for students, "a love for reading” is inevitably near the top of the list. Even as they work to ensure students' continuing progress as readers, what ignites passion more than anything is the chance to instill confidence, curiosity, and joy in students.” In Reading Wellness, Jan Miller Burkins and Kim Yaris will remind you why you became a teacher in the first place. They want children and teachers to thrive as readers, to feel the deep satisfaction that comes with meaningful encounters with texts. They define reading wellness as "weaving together all the facets of our reading lives ... so that we can be our best reading selves." Readers read for relaxation, for information, and for aesthetic experience, discovering favorite books and authors and learning to choose texts. For this to happen, teachers must teach in ways that create energy and enthusiasm for reading, even as they teach to required standards. Participants will be responsible for maintaining a reading reflection journal. Participants will also be expected to actively participate in the discussions. The focus will be on elementary age students Gr 1 – 5.

Time: 3:30 – 5:30 Dates: Feb. 4, 11 & 25, 2016 Presenter: Jane Costa Location: Oak Street Conference Room Course hours: 6 Close Reading Strategies for the High School English Classroom *New Course* Using Kylene Beers and Robert Probst’s Notice and Note as our guide, class participants will explore strategies to advance high school students as critical and close readers of literary texts. In each of the onehour course meetings, participants will engage in and facilitate discussions on individual chapters of the text Time: 2:30 – 3:30 Dates: Sept. 17, Oct. 1, 15 & 29, 2015 Presenter: David Hunscher Location: Ridge High Rm. TBA Course hours: 6 (2 additional hours on your own) Creating Prompts to increase WL Proficiency *New Course* The key to successful WL assessment is creating situations that students want to participate in. In this course participants will learn how to create prompts that engage students and require them to use the target language to their best ability. Examples will be provided that can be adapted to any language. The course will involve 1 hour of class time and 1 hour of on your own work and reflection. Time: 2:45 – 3:45 Date: Nov. 18, 2015 Presenters: Kathy Stotler & Location: Ridge High Rm. 212

Micheline von Doehren Course hour: 2 (+1 hour on your own)

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Differentiating With Choice Boards and Menus Come to this course and learn how to display project­based assessments with the help of Choice boards and Menus. The use of Choice boards and Menus allows you, the teacher, to present the choice of assignments in a fun and creative way. Time will be given to learn about choice boards and the varieties of menus that are available for use in the classroom. Time outside of class will be devoted to creating your own choice board and menu activity so that by the end of the course you will have created one choice board and menu activity that can be used in the classroom. Choice boards and menus will be shared among the participants and available for future use. This is a great opportunity to work with colleagues creating common assessments. Please bring a laptop computer to work with during class along with any curriculum­ related material. Time: 3:30 – 5:00 Dates: Sept 24 & Oct. 1, 2015 Presenter: Maureen Rodgers Location: Ridge High Rm. 725 & Cathy Willis Course hours: 6 Effective Questioning and Discussion Techniques Questioning and discussion are of central importance to teacher practice and, as such, are the only instructional strategies specifically referred to in the Danielson framework for teaching. This course will help teachers to develop and ask quality questions that engage students, deepen student understanding, promote learning through discussion and ensure that all students contribute to conversations. Explore the use of convergent and divergent questions, learn how to teach students to frame good questions and sharpen your skills in responding to students’ answers. Time: 3:45 ­ 6:45 Dates: September 30 & October 14, 2015 Presenters: Sloan Scully & Location: Cedar Hill Library Stephanie Orr Course hours: 6

Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teaching and Teachers (ECET2) *New Course* Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teaching and Teachers (ECET2) ­ Join us as we build a strong network of teacher leaders working together to elevate the practice and profession. The agenda will feature discussion focused on teacher leadership development and teaching practice. All teachers who attend this class will be asked to share in person and online (the online portion will be through Google Classroom to collaborate with colleagues). I hope you will join us to experience this special course designed by teachers, for teachers. Time: 3:00 – 5:00 Date: Jan. 18, 2016 Presenter: Evona Panycia Location: WAMS Rm 227 Course hours: 6 (4 hours online)

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Guided Readers and Writers Grades 3 – 6 Webinar *New Course* Using Guiding Readers and Writers (Grades 3­6): Teaching Comprehension, Genre and Content Literacy by Fountas and Pinnell, this webinar series is designed to allow participants to explore assessment, analysis and use of leveled texts to teach, prompt and reinforce strategic action in Guided Reading lessons. Educators will plan for whole classroom, small group and individual instruction to meet student needs. The overarching goal for this course will be to consider how we can use Guided Reading to help students build an effective reading process. To support this work we will:

Build knowledge of the reading process and the strategic actions that enable students to become effective readers

Consider the supports and challenges that texts offer to readers across a gradient of increasing complexity

Learn how to choose and introduce appropriate books for guided reading instruction based on assessment data

Consider how each part of a guided reading lesson presents opportunities for teaching and learning (text introduction, reading the text, discussing the text, word work)

Time: 3:45 – 4:45 Date: Sept. 28, 2015 (1 hour in classroom) Presenter: Pam Lawrence Sept. 29, 2015 (online) Course hours: 6 Location: Liberty Corner Rm. TBA

Innovation Through Observation: Achieve NJ Pilot Program for Highly Effective Teachers *New Course*

This course is required for all teachers participating in the Innovation Through Observation Pilot project from the NJDOE. The purpose of the pilot is to encourage individual educator growth by increasing the capacity for risk­taking for our most highly effective teachers. The course will provide support for all components of your participation in the pilot, including but not limited to:

An overview of the project expectations A timeline for your evaluation plan for the school year Planning time for each reflective component Collaboration any peer partners (this component is optional) Training and resources on developing student surveys Training and resources on best practices in videotaping lessons Date/Times/ Locations

9/10/15 ­ 3:45­5:45, Elementary and Secondary teachers combined (BOE Conference Room) 12/10/15 ­ 2:45­4:45 for Secondary Teachers (BOE Conference Room)

3:45­5:45 for Elementary Teachers (Mount Prospect Media Center) 3/10/15 ­ 2:45­4:45 for Secondary Teachers (BOE Conference Room)

3:45­5:45 for Elementary Teachers (Mount Prospect Media Center)

Presenters: Kristin Fox, Joanne Hozeny, Sloan Scully, Melissa Edwards Course hours: 6

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Interpretive Activities in the WL Classroom Over 2 sessions, Teachers will be exposed to various strategies to practice and assess interpretive activities in the World Language Classroom. Models of WL Specific as well as ELA activities will be discussed and teachers will develop tools to use in their classroom immediately. This class is ideal for teachers who want to strengthen their knowledge of Interpretive activities as well as those who are incorporating Readers into their curriculum. Time: 2:45 ­ 4:15 Date: March 10 & 17, 2016 Presenters: Kathy Stotler Location: Ridge High Rm. 210 & Dave Hunscher Course hours: 6 Legal Implications of Social Media for Educators Participants will learn about the legal implications on the education profession of utilizing social media as well as the appropriate ways to use social media and the potential pitfalls. Time: 3:30 – 6:30 Date: Sept. 22, 2015 Presenter: Marguerite Cahill Location: Ridge High Guidance Conference Rm. Course hours: 3 Managing the APA Science Portfolio This course is designed to provide additional training to special education teachers who have students taking Science ­ Alternate Proficiency Assessment (APA) this school year. The science portion of the APA is administered to 4th, 8th, and 11th grade students. Teachers will be given additional training in the APA portfolio components, such as the selection of CPI links, use of prompts, and rules for scoring. Teachers will also be given time to collaborate with their colleagues and share materials and strategies used for creating the assessment portfolio. All teachers should bring their students’ portfolios to the training. Two hours will be completed on your own. Work products completed will be turned in to receive full credit for the course. Time: 3:30 – 5:30 Date: Sept. 29, Oct. 1, 2015 Presenter: Allyson Read Location: Ridge high Rm 721 Course hours: 6

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Medical Emergency Team Drill (MET) Drill *New Course* Medical Emergency Team Drill (MET): A biannual CPR skills drill course. Intended for current CPR building trained personnel. This 2 hour course will review current CPR and AED skills using “realtime” senarios in case of a “Code” (victim is unresponsive and not breathing). Participants must have a current CPR card American Heart Association orAmerican Red Cross).

Note: Useful for Medical Emergency Team Personnel. Times: 3:00 – 5:00 Dates: September 29, 2015 Presenter: Debbie Karuppan RNC OR March 15, 2016 Course hours: 2 Location: WAMS Nurses’ Office Mentoring the Special Education Student at Ridge High School This course is a requirement for teachers at Ridge High School who have volunteered to mentor a Special Education Student for the year. The course will assist teachers in taking a lead in teaming with special educators as advocates for adolescents with significant academic, social, behavioral, and/or emotional problems. Teachers will be given an overview of the team problem­solving process, as well as information on such topics as the special education referral, the evaluation process, and characteristics of special education students with emotional needs. They will be trained in basic intervention techniques including developing a rapport, identifying the problem, encouraging commitment to change, goal setting, monitoring, and assessment. Time: 2:30 – 3:30 Date: Sept. 30, Oct. 28, Dec. 16, 2015 Presenter: Tom Napier & Jen Hauser Feb, 24, Mar. 30 & April 27, 2016 Course hours: 6 Location: Ridge High Rm. 205 Paired Text & SGO’s for WAMS 6 ­8 Resource Room*New Course* This course will present strategies to assist the struggling learner in the general education classroom. We will consider social and emotional challenges in addition to learning difficulties that may impact the student and their ability to access learning. The course will include information on Google apps as well as providing individual feedback for lesson plans/assessments as requested by the participants. Time: 2:30 – 5:30 Date: Oct. 14 & 15, 2015 Presenter: Lisa Vitale Stanzione Location: WAMS Rm.302 Course hours: 6

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Preparing Learners with Autism for Post­Secondary Education This course is intended for staff in the Comprehensive Behavior Analytic Program, other self­contained programs serving learners with Autism and other disabilities, or those interested in learning more about the programming for these learners. The course will review objectives and curricula for older learners with autism. We will provide a comprehensive overview of current programs being implemented with the HS CBAP students as well as the prerequisite skills that should be addressed prior to the students’ entry into the HS program. We will review general goals and outline specific skill acquisition programs in the areas of: independence, vocational skills, community skills, applied academic skills, language skills, leisure skills, safety skills, the use of technology for instruction/maintenance and more. Time: 3:30 – 6:30 Date: Feb. 9 & 23, 2016 Presenters: Shawn Scriffiano Location: Ridge High Rm. 721

& Michelle McKay Course hours: 6 Reinvent Your Teaching through Peer Observations & Active Reflections *New Course* Want to be more innovative in the classroom? Need new ideas? Want to see what other teachers are doing? This Staff College course, which is designed for teachers at the secondary level, will analyze effective classroom environments and instructional strategies via peer observations and self (video) reflections. The course will allow participants time to observe colleagues and implement new instructional strategies, and may also benefit “Highly Effective” faculty who elect to participate in the Innovate Pilot Observation Program.

Participants will attend a one­hour information session on September 16. Then from October thru February, participants will complete the following four observations during their school day: (1) department member (K­12), (2) interdisciplinary, (3) self­observation and (4) other, as determined by participant. A final reflective meeting will occur on March 16.

Time: 2:45 – 3:45 Date: Sept. 16, 2015 & March, 16, 2016 Presenter: Gina Donlevie Location: RH Guidance Conference Room. Course hours: 6 Smart Safety Response*New Course* The SMART Safety Response course will capture highlights and procedures of Crisis Management protocol. This will include critical steps to be taken when faced with crisis situations and medical emergencies within the school setting. Janet’s Law history will be identified while special attention will be granted to the review of cardiac arrest, anaphylaxis, seizures, drug overdose, and other serious scenarios. Time: 3:00 – 6:00 Date: Oct. 20 & 29, 2015 Presenters: Scott Thompson, Kathleen Dusebout, Location: Ridge High Rm. 614

Roseann Troullos & John Neiman Course hours: 6

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Substance Abuse Policies and Procedures *New Course* This course will explore policies and procedures regarding substance abuse and suspicion based testing in schools. We will review case law, and court rulings that require the procedures that schools must follow. Teachers will be presented with various real­life scenarios to consider the policies through. Various staff members will share their roles and procedures in testing. Time: 3:00 – 4:30 Date: October 12 & 19, 2015 Presenter: Tom Thorp Location: Ridge High Rm. 211 Course hours: 3 Teaching Adolescent Writers *New Course* Using Kelly Gallagher’s Teaching Adolescent Writers as our guide, class participants will explore strategies to advance middle and high school students as writers. In each of the onehour course meetings, participants will engage in and facilitate discussions on individual chapters of the text. Time: 2:45 – 3:45 Date: Nov. 11, 19 Dec. 3 & 10, 2015 Presenter: David Hunscher Location: Ridge High Rm. TBA Course hours: 6 (2 hours Reading & Prep) The Power of Integration *New Course*

No more silos. No more labels. Our students deserve better than that. We can tap into each child’s genius in and through the Arts.

Participants will discuss and develop strategies that include:

­ Writing and Illustrating Stories

­ Dancing through STEAM

­ Patterns in Music, Dance and Mathematics

­ Exploring the Creative Process with Dance

­ Experimenting with Color

­ Put on Your Math Goggles: Seeing Math in Art

­ STEAM­Shop: African Thumb Piano

Time: TBA Date: TBA Presenter: Michael Fackelman Location: TBA Course hours: 6

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Using Guided Reading to Teach for the Comprehending of Fiction and Nonfiction *New Course*

Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency is a breakthrough text by Fountas & Pinnell. This text is the basis for this course, learning how to use Guided Reading to teach fiction and nonfiction books. Teachers who use, or would like to use, Guided Reading in their classrooms are welcome to participate. The following activities will take place in the course:

Jigsaw read and discuss selections from Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency Look at fiction and nonfiction texts at the appropriate grade level and analyze it In small groups, examine a variety of fiction and nonfiction genres; plan and present an

introduction to each text Share experiences teaching a Guided Reading lesson using a fiction text View and discuss a Guided Reading lesson

Time: 3:45 – 6:45 Date: Oct. 5 & 19, 2015 Presenter: Pam Lawrence Location: Liberty Corner Rm. 101 Course hours: 6

Technology BrainPop: More than Just a Movie and a Quiz (K ­8) Do you LOVE BrainPop movies? Do your kids’ faces light up when Tim and Moby enter the classroom? Make the most out of our district BrainPop subscription. Track student progress, create your own BrainPop quizzes, use the “snapthought” feature to provide opportunities for student reflection, learn about BrainPop’s new concept mapping tool, MakeaMap, and Game Up, BrainPop’s game based learning portal. This course will be taught online with Google Classroom, so participants will have the added benefit of experiencing Classroom from the student perspective. Time: Online Dates: Sept. 21 – Nov. 4, 2015 Presenter: Steve Isaacs Location: Online Course hours: 12 Connected Educators: Power of the PLN *New Course* Are you a connected educator? Would you like to be? How can you benefit professionally from connecting with other likeminded professionals? Barry and Steve will share their stories of becoming connected online and the profound transformational impact it has had on their Professional lives. In addition, we will guide educators in becoming connected through twitter,Ed Camps, and other easy ways to meet and connect with others. Dive in. The water’s warm! Time: 3:30 – 4:30 Date: Oct. 19 & Nov. 2, 2015 (1 hour Sessions) Presenter: Steve Isaacs Location: WAMS Rm. 322 Course hours: 6 (4 hours online)

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District Data Base Programs Pentamation Product Workshops (’14­’15)

Jim Buist 908­204­2610 ext. 106

*** NEW for 2015 *** Secretaries wishing to Test for their Proficiency Advancement in “Cognos” and/or “E­School”, should sign up for at least a one hour session in the Fall or Mid­Winter. Please let Jim Buist know ahead of time of your intention to “Test” during a session. What: Familiarize yourself and/or explore programs that access our District Student Data Base including: Pentamation’s E­School and Cognos ­ Report Writer as well as exploration of Teacher Access Center. Learn to access current student data in a more precise and efficient manner. For: Supervisors, Administrators, Guidance Counselors, CST, Nurses, and Office Personnel who want to simply learn the “basics” of the Pentamation Programs or for those who wish to push the envelope. NB ­ not for classroom teachers. How: Through a hands­on workshop model, you can bring work and/or questions (whether novice or advanced) that the moderator and/or users will collaboratively explore. Learn technological short cuts that can save you time and effort in your daily tasks. Explore new ways of doing old tasks. Push the limits of how we can better use our current technology to improve the educational climate and the efficiency of our buildings. For those already familiar with the products, feel free to bring current projects to work on. When: Due to the nature of this “Workshop”, flexibility is a must. Workshops will he held at W. Annin. The room will be announced when you call to register. You need not come for all sessions. The initial offerings will be four fall and four winter sessions. To accommodate various school personnel, each session will run from 2:30 to 4:30 PM. You can sign up for the 2:30 to 3:30 slot and/or the 3:30 to 4:30 time frame. You may choose to stay for the full time period each session. You must call 204­2610 ext. 106 at least two days before any session you wish to attend. Fall Mid­winter: 10/6, 13, 20, 27 1/05, 12, 19, 26

NB. Staff looking for Staff College certificate hours will be credited for their time in the “Workshop”. Staff looking for “release time” for training must make arrangement with their building principals first. “Release time” will count towards professional hours but not Staff College. Secretaries who are preparing to take the E­School and/or Cognos proficiency test for salary advancement should find these workshops helpful. Secretaries who are prepared and wish to take either test, please contact: Jim Buist at William Annin. 908­204­2610 ext 106 or at jbuist@bernardsboe.com .

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Excel For Teachers Are you hesitant to use Microsoft Excel? Do you see colleagues using it and think it might make certain tasks easier? In this course we will learn the basics of Excel including layout, organization, tools, data manipulation, graphing, formulas and general tips and tricks. We’ll experiment on small data sets but the same skills can be used for larger ones. We will also cover the Google Docs version of Excel, highlighting the differences, similarities and nuances of each. Time: 2:45 – 5:45 Date: Nov. 12 & 19, 2015 Presenter: Dave Petersen Location: WAMS Rm 227 Course hours: 6 Google in the Classroom We all know that Google is a powerful search engine, but are you familiar with the multitude of other services Google offers? In this course, we will investigate how different Google services can be used in the classroom or merely to help improve your efficiency as an employee in Bernards Township. Google services covered in this course include (but are not limited to): Google maps, Google Earth, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Bookmarks, Google Contacts, Google Sketchup, Google Translate, and more! Please bring your tablet pc or netbook! Time: 2:45 – 5:45 Date: Oct. 15 & 22, 2015 Presenter: Dave Petersen Location: WAMS Rm 227 Course hours: 6 Google Classroom – More Than Just a Website for Your Class! *New Course* Google Classroom is a powerful tool designed to help teachers create and collect assignments paperlessly, including time­saving features like the ability to automatically make a copy of a Google document for each student. It also creates Drive folders for each assignment and for each student to help keep everyone organized. Although it can be used for simple postings, students are able to keep track of what’s due and begin working with just a click. Teachers can quickly see who has or hasn't completed the work, and provide direct, real­time feedback right in Classroom.

In this course we will help you set up your Google classroom page, become familiar with the interface and available tools. We will also give you ideas on how this tool can be used in your class and help you create items to be used in your class. Time: 2:45 – 5:45 Dates: Sept. 24 & Oct. 1, 2015 Presenters: Evona Panycia & Location: WAMS Rm. 227 Dave Petersen Course hours: 6

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Online Book Talk: No More Independent Reading Without Support by Debbie Miller and Barbara Moss We know children learn to read by reading, and even though our days and curriculum are jam packed, deliberate and purposeful reading is critical. Research shows that independent reading must be accompanied by intentional instruction and conferring to improve background knowledge, fluency, comprehension, motivation, and vocabulary. This class will offer you the opportunity to read at your own pace, establish relationships and learn from your colleagues across town. Participants will be asked to respond to posted questions as well as comment on their peer’s postings. Finally, participants will explore additional resources and link those resources to our ongoing discussions for others to explore.

*This course will be limited to Ten participants.

Time: Online Dates Sept. 28 – Oct. 19, 2015 Presenter: Kim Taccarino & Location: Online through Google Docs

Angela Hall Course hours: 6 Online Book Talk: No More Summer Reading Loss by Carrie Cahill, Kathy Horvath, Annie McGill Franzen and Richard L. Allington *New Course* We teachers love our summers, but if there is one thing we could change, it would probably be the vacation too many of our students take from books. Reading loss hurts students’ growth and achievement. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was something that we teachers could do about this? According to our authors, there is! Let’s explore the text, No More Summer Reading Loss to discover practices that inadvertently contribute to reading loss, research on its implications and its prevention, and instructional strategies we can use to stop reading vacations. This class will offer you the opportunity to read at your own pace, establish relationships and learn from your colleagues across town. Participants will be asked to respond to posted questions as well as comment on their peer’s postings.

*This Course is limited to ten participants

Time: Online Dates: April 4 – April 25, 2016 Presenter: Kim Taccarino & Location: Online through Google Docs

Angela Hall Course hours: 6

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PlatinuMath: Game Based Professional Development for Math Teachers K – 8 *New Course* The first in this 2 part series will focus on Reviewing Conceptual and Procedural Math Skills. PlatinuMath is a professional development math learning portal for K8 teachers that features a suite of Webbased games designed to strengthen the mathematics knowledge of teachers. To engage teachers in math and to introduce them to the benefits of educational gaming, PlatinuMath takes the form of a narrativebased adventure game with Steampunk art, a mystery narrative, and combined 3D animation and live video. PlatinuMath is built to align with the U.S. Common Core Standards (and other state standards) for K8 math whereby key knowledge targets are delineated into implicit conceptual understandings and more explicit procedural skills through 20 mini games. All minigames are multileveled and carefully scaffolded into 6 levels of difficulty, and learners move among the levels via a carefully structured CAI. The primary target audience of PlatinuMath are teachers who need profound understanding of fundamental mathematics to help young students become mathematical thinkers. Such understanding includes (1) a bird’s eye view on all the connections among the most fundamental of K8 math concepts (2) the ability to apply concepts and skills to novel contexts, and (3) the mastery of the algebraic machinery behind the K8 math content spectrum. PlatinuMath Professional Development Programming: PlatinuMath is situated within a unique professional development learning system that is designed to provide the user with contextualized opportunities for (1) increased conceptual and procedural math learning and (2) enhanced comfort with using games to teach math. Experiences for teachers include: A review of the most fundamental concepts across K8 math teaching Robust gamebased learning experiences Videos of master teachers using both traditional teaching tools and technology to teach math Formal practice opportunities Maker and groupbased activities Opportunities to create math lessons and lesson plans using games and other interactive technologies Peer collaboration and communication tasks Interaction with a K8 math teaching expert during virtual video conferencing sessions Time: Online Dates: Oct. 6 – Nov. 12, 2015 Presenter: Steve Isaacs Location: Online (with real time video conference Guest Facilitator Dr. Scott Brewster Checkpoints) Course hours: 12

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Submitting Teacher Letters of Recommendation in Naviance The goal of this course is to get teachers up and running on the Naviance eDocs system, a program that allows college recommendations to be submitted online. Completion of this course is required in order to submit your recommendations online this fall 2015 (if you haven’t previously taken this course). In addition to reviewing the online process, we will review what colleges are looking for in teacher recommendations. The Counseling Department’s specific policies, procedures and instructions regarding the College Process will be reviewed as related to the teaching staff, so that they better understand their role in the process.

The first two hours of the course will be in the classroom to discuss college recommendation writing, the College Process, and activate accounts on Naviance. Teachers would then be afforded two hours on their own, outside of the classroom, to prepare recommendations and Common Application Teacher Forms. The final two hours would be back in the classroom, working with Naviance eDocs using the prepared documents and forms.

*Teachers will need to bring their tablet for this course. Time: 2:30 – 4:30 Date: Sept. 29 & Oct. 6, 2015 Presenter: Carrie Capozzi OR April 19 & 26, 2016 Course hours: 6 Location: Ridge High Rm. TBA The Game Believes in You: Book Discussion *New Course* This staff college will be a book discussion on Greg Toppo’s book, The Game Believes in You. The discussion will explore a number of critical questions related to Toppo’s writing and the value of using games as a tool for learning. Debate welcome :) What if schools, from the wealthiest suburban nursery school to the grittiest urban high school, thrummed with the sounds of deep immersion? More and more people believe that can happen with the aid of video games. Greg Toppo's The Game Believes in You presents the story of a small group of visionaries who, for the past 40 years, have been pushing to get game controllers into the hands of learners. Among the game revolutionaries you'll meet in this book: *A game designer at the University of Southern California leading a team to design a videogame version of Thoreau's Walden Pond.

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*A young neuroscientist and game designer whose research on "Math Without Words" is revolutionizing how the subject is taught, especially to students with limited English abilities. *A Virginia Tech music instructor who is leading a group of high schoolaged boys through the creation of an original opera staged totally in the online game Minecraft. Experts argue that games do truly "believe in you." They focus, inspire and reassure people in ways that many teachers can't. Games give people a chance to learn at their own pace, take risks, cultivate deeper understanding, fail and want to try againright awayand ultimately, succeed in ways that too often elude them in school. This book is sure to excite and inspire educators and parents, as well as provoke some passionate debate.

*In order to participate, you should purchase the book. It can be found here: http://www.amazon.com/TheGameBelievesYouDigital/dp/1137279575

Time: Online Dates: Feb. 1 – 29, 2016 Presenter: Steve Isaacs Location: Online Course hours: 12

Turning your Regular Classroom into a Google Classroom *New Course*

Have you used Moodle and want to move onto something that is better integrated and more modern? Do you want to make the jump and bring your classroom into a virtual space? Google Classroom provides integration with the district Google resources and provides a robust platform to run your classroom in a collaborative virtual space. Join us as we learn about the platform and develop our virtual classrooms!

Time: TBA Dates: Oct.6, Nov. 17, 2015 & Feb 23, 2016 Presenter: Brian Heineman & Location: Ridge High Computer Lab

Matt Hall Course hours: 6 Twitter Chats: Grow Your PLN on Twitter Are you on Twitter? Have you ever participated in an educational ‘tweet chat’? Tweet chats are typically hour long real time chats conducted using a twitter hashtag. The conversations tend to be high spirited and invigorating and they are made up of some of the most passionate educators you’ll ever meet. During this session, participants will engage in tweet chats based on professional areas of interest. In addition to participating in the global tweet chats, we will participate in our own online discussions sharing our reflections on the experiences. By the end, you just may be hooked and find yourself participating weekly in addition to growing your PLN and interacting with your ‘tweeps’ on a regular basis. Please note that this course is delivered entirely online. You will be expected to log in throughout the week that the course runs in order to view course content and engage in discussions related to the subject matter. You will be expected to participate in 3 ­ 4 online chats which happen in real time. Fortunately, there are many educational chats throughout the week so you will get to choose the topic and time that works for you. Time: online Dates: Feb. 6 – Feb. 20, 2016 Presenter: Steve Isaacs Location: Online Course hours: 6

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Course Selections for Non­Tenured Teachers

To fulfill the non­tenured teachers 15 hour staff development contractual requirements the following courses are available. Communicating in the Classroom This course will examine the many facets of communication that define the art and practice of teaching. Topics include fostering interpersonal/intrapersonal relationships, the use of “power” and “humor”, small group communication, verbal/nonverbal delivery (from teacher and student perspectives), along with several tenets of social­emotional learning strategies. A large portion of the class will consist of self­reflection and role­playing exercises within various communication contexts. Time: 3:45 – 6:45 Dates: Oct. 15, 22 & Nov. 11 & 19, 2015 Presenter: Sean Siet Location: Board Office Conference Room & Tara Bowman Course hours: 15

*Plus 3 hours during the school year. Danielson Framework – Domain 4 This course will provide greater insight into the structure and language of Danielson’s Framework for Teaching. Together we will examine the domains and components of the framework. We will spend time breaking down and interpreting the essential elements of each of the levels of performance. We will also identify and produce examples of classroom practice for each level of performance. Time: 3:45 – 6:45 Date: Oct. 20, 2015 Presenters: Kristin Fox, David Persily Location: BOE Conference Rm.

& Jennifer Raphaels Course hours: 3

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Bernards Township School District

Staff College Program ­ FAQ Q #1. What is the fifteen­hour in­service training requirement?

The fifteen hour Staff Development training requirement obligates all non­tenured staff to complete fifteen hours of district staff development training 3 of the 4 years until he/she earns tenure.(Total of forty­five hours). Courses must be chosen from the Non – Tenured section of the brochure. Sample Classes include but are not limited to: 1. Essential Elements of Instruction 2. Communicating in the Classroom 3. Introduction to Danielson Framework Non­Instructional Professional staff may apply for a waiver by contacting tquick@bernardsboe.com

Q #2. Can summer courses be used to satisfy the 15 hour or Flex day requirements?

A. Yes. Q #3. What are the Staff College requirements for part­time certificated staff? A. Staff College requirements only apply to full time teaching staff. Q #4. Do the required fifteen hours accrue credit applicable towards

advancement on the salary guide? A. No.

The first fifteen hours satisfy the requirement that non­tenured staff participate in staff development training programs. A certificate of “participation” can be printed from PD Express upon completion of the course.

Q #5. How can I accrue credit applicable to advancement on the salary guide? A. Non­tenured staff members can earn credit applicable for advancement on the salary

guide by annually meeting the fifteen hour requirement. Any additional professional courses (excluding Flex Day) completed after the initial fifteen hours will accrue credit for salary guide advancement at the rate of 20 hours per 1 credit.

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Tenured staff who complete twenty (20) hours of staff college courses relating to instructional issues conducted outside of the school/day/year, will accrue one credit applicable towards advancement on the salary guide.

Q #6. How does salary guide advancement actually occur? A. A teacher must earn 30 credits in order to advance horizontally on the pay scale.

The 30 credits may be all Staff College credits or a combination of Staff College credits and Assistant Superintendent approved graduate work.

Q #7. What steps must a teacher take to apply for advancement on the salary

guide?

A. A teacher should request a copy of his/her Staff College transcript from the Office of the Assistant Superintendent.

B. The teacher must attach a copy of the Staff College transcript to an Application for

Salary Guide Advancement form and send to the Assistant Superintendent. Q #8. What requirements apply to teachers employed during the course of the

year? A. Any staff member hired before March 1st will be subject to the Flex Day requirement

only. Q#9. Is any non­tenured staff member exempted from the fifteen­hour requirement? A. Yes. Non­tenured staff members participating in the mentoring program as traditional route or alternate route teachers are exempt for the first year of employment, and must accrue 45 hours by their tenure date.

Q #10. Can teachers who hold a Provisional certificate earn credit towards salary advancement during their first year?

A. Yes. These teachers may take Staff College courses for credit towards salary guide

advancement during their mentored year. These courses must be in addition to the 15 hour and Flex Day requirements

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Q#11. Who teaches the Staff College courses? A. Instructors can be outside consultants or current Bernards Township staff. Q #12. Is there payment for teaching a Staff College course? A. Staff members who teach courses are eligible to choose between receiving credit on the

salary guide, receiving Flex Day credit, receiving a stipend for teaching ($50.00 per hour of teaching) or credit for the NJDOE 100 hour requirement. If an instructor chooses to co­teach, the hours or stipend will be split between them unless taught with an administrator.

For staff members creating/developing a brand new course, they will receive a 1 time prep. rate of 2 times the total number of course hours. For example: if you are presenting a 6 hour course, you would be paid for twelve hours of prep for a total of $600, plus $300 to present. All new courses must be pre­approved by the Assistant Superintendent.

Q #13. How does the Flex Day requirement apply to secretaries and other Staff? A. The staff members may elect to either 1. Take an applicable 6 hour Staff College course

or 2. (BTEA Secretaries only)Use a vacation day on the Flex Day. Secretaries and other support staff will receive certificates of “participation” upon completion of a course; however, this cannot be used for advancement on the salary guide.

Q #14. Can secretaries and other support staff participate in courses that run

during work hours? A. The employee needs to receive approval from his/her Supervisor/Principal/Director to

attend a course during regular work hours. If the course is running in the summer and is going to be used for Flex Day, you must use a vacation day.

Q#15. Do non­tenured teachers’ required 45 hours (15 hours per year until

tenure is granted) also count towards the NJDOE’s 100 hour requirement? A. Yes.

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Q#16. What happens if I sign up for a 15 hour course and only complete the first 6

hours? A. We expect that participants will attend all sessions of courses. With the longer 15 hour

courses, participants will still receive credit (# of hours attended) if one session is missed makeup work may be required. If more than one session is missed, credit is not given.

Flex Day ­ FAQ

Q#1. What is Flex Day? A. Flex Day is an opportunity for staff development during the year. If a staff member,

tenured or non – tenured (in addition to the 15 hour requirement) takes Staff College courses totaling 6 hours during the school year or during the summer, he/she will be off on the Friday preceding Memorial Day.

Q#2. What happens if I do not take Flex Day courses? A. If a staff member does not participate in Flex Day courses, he/she will report to an

assigned school building on the Friday preceding Memorial Day for in – service day training. Personal days may not be used on this day.

Q#3. Do graduate courses or out – of ­ district workshops count towards Flex

Day? A. No. Only Staff College courses from the brochure satisfy the Flex Day requirement. Q#4. What happens if I am absent on the day of my scheduled Flex Day course? A. Please log on to PD Express and un­enroll from the course. Enroll yourself into an

available course or email Tiffany Quick that you will be participating in the in­service day.

Q#5. Do Flex Day courses count towards the NJDOE 100 hours? A. Yes, all Flex Day courses and Staff College courses count towards the 100 hours.

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Q#6. Do Flex Day courses count towards salary guide advancement? A. No. Q#7. May summer Staff College courses be applied to the May Flex Day? A. Yes. When you sign–in at your summer course, be sure to designate the hours as Flex

Day hours. Q#8. What happens if I am ill or a family member is ill on my scheduled Flex Day

in service in May (the Friday before Memorial Day)? A. A doctor’s note must be sent to the Assistant Superintendent immediately upon return to

work or you will be docked for the day. Q#9. If I attended 3 hours of a 6 hour Staff College course and missed the other 3

will I receive partial credit for the course? A. No, there is no partial credit. You must attend the entire course to receive credit.

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