Events

PD Co-op Member Districts-Free, Non PD Co-op Member Districts $150.00 Target Audience: Illinois K-12 school secretaries, administrative assistants, and anyone involved in handling student records or interacting with families in a school setting. Join us for this informative, inspirational, and essential half-day workshop as you wrap up the 2024-2025 school year! The first session will be led by Dr. Tom Webb, a BOOM leader principal at Carterville Intermediate in Carterville, IL. Often, our days in the school office feel like we are endlessly fighting fires, reacting to one urgent issue after another. In my time as principal, I've realized that stomping out a forest fire is not an efficient strategy.  But what if we approached these challenges not as firefighters but as farmers? Join Dr. Tom Webb in a transformative session designed specifically for the vital forces behind our schools—secretaries, administrative and executive assistants as we become farmers and explore the powerful 'weed, seed, and feed' strategy to make impactful, manageable changes within your schools and districts.

• Weed: Identify and eliminate inefficient practices that are taking up valuable space and resources.
• Seed: Introduce innovative ideas and strategies that promise growth and improvement.
• Feed: Nurture these seeds with consistent, small adjustments that ensure they flourish into significant gains

After a short break, this amazing morning will continue on with the last session led by D. Shane Jones, an experienced school law attorney, who will guide you through the legal landscape of student records and privacy. This session will cover critical topics such as:

• FERPA Compliance: Understanding the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and how it governs the access and disclosure of student education records. Participants will learn how to handle confidential information appropriately and the legal implications of releasing student records.

• Illinois-Specific Statutes: A deep dive into Illinois laws regarding student records, focusing on the differences between permanent and temporary records, retention policies, and the legal requirements for record access and transfer within Illinois public schools.

• Student Registration & Immigration Status: Key do's and don'ts related to student registration, immigration status, and documentation requirements. This includes understanding what information can and cannot be requested and how to handle sensitive immigration-related issues with discretion.

• Parental Custody Considerations: Learn about the rights and responsibilities of parents or guardians when it comes to student records and participation in school activities. This includes understanding how to navigate situations involving joint custody, custodial agreements, and when to question or verify parental authority.

This session will provide essential tools to ensure legal compliance and protect both the privacy of students and the responsibilities of school staff. Don't miss out on this opportunity to gain clarity on complex legal issues and enhance your ability to navigate the administrative challenges of working in Illinois public schools.

Spots are limited and will fill fast! Registration closes Thursday, May 29 at 12:00pm unless tickets are sold out prior to the deadline.

Are you ready to take your Google skills to the next level? Join our upcoming Google Educator Level 1 workshop! Joe Cipfl, Director of Educational Technology (ROE # 50) will facilitate this workshop as you will break down the Google Educator Level 1 Certification into smaller segments while preparing you for the exam. Each segment will cover different Google-related topics, including Chrome and Slides, Drive and Docs, Gmail and Calendar, Classroom, Forms and Sheets, and test prep tips. Level 1 certification indicates a fundamental understanding of using Google Tools in the classroom and confirms standard technology implementation skills. Educators who pass the certification test can promote their status with a personal certificate and badge. Certification lasts 36 months. Don’t miss this opportunity to grow professionally and earn a valuable certification to add to your resume immediately. Participants will need to bring a fully charged device to this event (35 minutes will be given for lunch on your own). Registration closes 4-5 days prior to the event.

Join us for a FREE full-day session designed to empower educators with the tools and insights needed to support students with dyslexia effectively. We’ll begin by exploring foundational knowledge, including the latest brain research, common myths, and practices not supported by evidence, as well as best approaches for screening and early identification. Building on this foundation, we’ll dive into structured literacy strategies, focusing on phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency building, and teaching high-frequency words to foster meaningful progress. The session will also include an overview of the Illinois Dyslexia Handbook, offering actionable guidance to align your classroom practices with state standards. Perfect for educators seeking practical, research-backed strategies, this session ensures you’re equipped to make a lasting impact on your students’ reading development. Registration closes 4-5 days prior to the event date.

Do you have students who have trouble adding and subtracting within 10 and 20? Regrouping within 100 and 1,000? Do you have students who guess at operations when solving word problems, have trouble making sense of the numbers, and struggle with 2-step and comparison problems?

Then join Greg Tang for his grade K-2 Best Practices workshop. Greg will share his “less is more” approach to teaching critical concepts and skills. Learn firsthand his progression of concrete, pictorial, and abstract models (C-P-A) that gives kids a deeper, more connected understanding of number, operations, and word problems.

We will build number sense with Unifix Cubes and ten frames, use number bonds to make short work of regrouping, and use part-whole and tape diagrams to make sense of all 15-word problem types.

In addition to best teaching practices, we will also explore best ways to practice. We will solve cleverly designed problems that develop reasoning and logical thinking skills and are perfect for math talks, math centers, and independent practice.

As an added bonus, every teacher who attends will receive access to Greg’s elementary math curriculum, including his incredible, online teaching tools, practice materials, games, and math centers.

  Time will be given for lunch (on your own). Registration will close 4-5 days prior to this event unless tickets are sold out.

Do you have students who still have trouble mastering their basic math facts? Students who struggle with all four operations and are confused by fractions and decimals? Students who have trouble making sense of word problems – especially multistep and comparison problems?

Then join Greg Tang for his grade 3-6 Best Practices workshop. Greg will share his “less is more” approach to teaching critical concepts and skills. Learn firsthand his progression of concrete, pictorial, and abstract models (C-P-A) that gives kids a deeper, more connected understanding of number, operations, and word problems.

We will use number bonds and area models to make sense of all 4 operations, tape diagrams to model multiplicative comparison problems including fractions, ratios, and unit rates, and progressions of word problems to develop the proportional reasoning skills that are the key to higher math.

In addition to best teaching practices, we will also explore best ways to practice. We will solve cleverly designed problems that develop reasoning and logical thinking skills and are perfect for math talks, math centers, and independent practice.

As an added bonus, every teacher who attends will receive access to Greg’s elementary math curriculum, including his incredible, online teaching tools, practice materials, games, and math centers.

Time will be given for lunch (on your own), registration closes 4-5 days prior to the event unless tickets are sold out.

Join Mascoutah High School # 19 Instructional Coach Tara Sulcer in this extremely informative and hands-on professional development session where you will gain the confidence and expertise to navigate Illinois social studies standards in grades 6-12! Designed for educators who want to deepen their understanding of standards-based instruction, this course will provide practical strategies for unpacking standards, designing aligned assessments, and creating engaging lessons that challenge students at various Depth of Knowledge (DOK) levels.  Participants will explore best practices for crafting meaningful learning experiences, ensuring rigorous yet accessible instruction that meets state expectations. Additionally, this session will introduce innovative ways to integrate AI tools to streamline lesson planning, assessment design, and data-driven instruction.  Walk away with a clear roadmap for implementing standards effectively, fostering critical thinking in your students, and leveraging technology to enhance your teaching practice! Participants will need to bring a fully charged device, registration closes 4-5 days prior to the event unless tickets are sold out.

Join Mascoutah High School # 19 Instructional Coach Tara Sulcer as you transform your 6-12 social studies classroom into a hub of inquiry, discussion, and critical thinking! This dynamic professional development session is designed for educators who want to seamlessly integrate effective literacy strategies and student engagement techniques into their daily instruction.  Through hands-on activities and collaborative discussions, participants will explore innovative ways to strengthen students’ reading, writing, and analytical skills while deepening their understanding of social studies content. Learn how to use primary and secondary sources more effectively, foster meaningful classroom discourse, and implement high-impact strategies that boost comprehension and retention.  Walk away with ready-to-use tools, practical lesson ideas, and a renewed approach to making social studies more interactive, engaging, and accessible for all learners! Participants will need to bring a fully charged laptop to this event. Registration closes 4-5 days prior unless tickets are sold out.

This workshop is geared towards an educator that has LITTLE to NO understanding regarding DoK. Furthermore, this workshop is designed to help educators understand the basic concepts of Depth of Knowledge (DoK), its impact on student learning, and how it can be used to enhance teaching strategies. During this session, participants will explore what DoK is, why it is effective, and how the DoK Wheel can be leveraged to improve classroom practice. Key Topics Covered:

1. What is Depth of Knowledge (DoK)?
   • Introduction to the four levels of DoK (Recall & Reproduction, Skills & Concepts, Strategic Thinking, and Extended Thinking).
   • How DoK helps in evaluating the rigor of tasks, questions, and activities in the classroom.
2. The DoK Wheel: A Tool for Planning and Instruction
   • What the DoK Wheel is and how it can be used for instructional planning.
3. Addressing Common Misconceptions and Criticisms
   • Discussing misconceptions about DoK, such as the belief that higher DoK levels are always harder or that it’s only about complex questions.
   • Criticisms of DoK and how to address concerns in the classroom to ensure it is used effectively to promote student learning

Registration closes 4-5 days prior to the event date.

This session will provide a hands-on approach to implementing Webb's Depth of Knowledge (DoK) in the classroom. Those attending should have a basic to moderate understanding of DoK. Key Topics Covered:

• Integrating Bloom's Taxonomy and Webb's Depth of Knowledge - comparisons, contracts and applications
• Rolling with the Wheel - tasks as indicators of student knowledge and skill acquisition
• Designing Learning activities - benefits of KoK in curriculum, unit and lesson design
• Questioning and Dok - designing questions across DoK levels
• Assessing students' DoK - addressing class, school, district, and state implications
• Anticipating the future, experience, experts and signs on the road ahead

Registration closes 4-5 days prior to the event date.  

This workshop will be held at Mascoutah # 19 421 W. Harnett Mascoutah, IL 62258. Join Mascoutah High School # 19 Instructional Coach Tara Sulcer as you take your social studies instruction to the next level with this engaging and practical professional development session! Designed for educators who want to deepen student inquiry, critical thinking, and writing skills, this course will provide hands-on strategies for effectively integrating Document-Based Questions (DBQs) into your curriculum.  Participants will explore the DBQ process step by step, with a focus on scaffolding historical thinking, developing strong analytical writing, and guiding students through the Gradual Release of Responsibility model. You’ll leave with ready-to-use resources, instructional techniques, and a clear framework for helping students engage with primary and secondary sources in meaningful ways. Whether you're new to DBQs or looking to refine your approach, this session will equip you with the tools and confidence to make document analysis an integral part of your classroom. Attendees should bring a fully charged device, registration closes 4-5 days prior to the event date unless tickets are sold out.