Events

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.  

Jim Kestner will present his nationally recognized program in a high-energy session dedicated to helping teachers in their early career years address a wide range of classroom management issues. Teachers who attend will find strategies that lead students to make good choices, replacing controlling behaviors with strategies that lead students to monitor and take responsibility for their own behavior. Specifically the session will address the following:

• Arranging the environment to improve student engagement
• Developing and implementing effective classroom policies
• Addressing common challenging behaviors
• Difference between controlling behaviors and building good decision-making skills
• Translating the concept of consistency to a variety of students and settings
• Establishing a character-building classroom culture
• Teaching self-respect, self-discipline, and responsibility
• Self-esteem v self-respect
• Grading systems that encourage student effort and engagement
• Assessing student behavior
• Parent and administrator involvement
• Keeping and maintaining good records

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

Jim Kestner, nationally recognized for his youth character development programs, will present practical, hands-on strategies for implementing SEL (Social Emotional Learning) Standards that help you prepare students for success in the real world through activities and perspectives that won't require you to devote unrealistic amounts of time.  The session will provide opportunities for you to identify topics most relevant to your circumstances. Here's a sample of issues we will address together:

• Connecting the SEL Standards to your current curriculum
• Empowering students to overcome setbacks that threaten their success
• Equipping students with practical strategies to navigate complex interpersonal interactions
• Improving students' conflict management skills
• Teaching real methods for making individaul students accountable for group success
• Teaching perspective taking as a means of enhancing student empathy
• Identifying perspectives for healthy and unhealthy tolerance
• Coping with differences that impact opportunity and fairness (appearance, means, ability, status, etc.)
• Engaging students in meaningful processes for addressing negative behaviors and attitudes

PDC Member Districts $325.00, Non PD Co-op member districts $375.00 (lunch is included on site). All pre-work must be submitted no later than Sunday, July 20 at 12:00pm or participants will not be able to attend the academy. The learning outcomes for the two-day academy include: - Participants will be able to use assessments and measurement models in determining the student growth attributable to individual teachers and to understand how different types of assessments are used for measuring growth. - Participants will be able to use data from the evaluation rubric, other evidence collected and best practices relative to evaluating student growth, to link teacher and school-level professional development plans to evaluation results. - Participants will create, in collaboration with teachers, supportive, targeted professional development plans that consider past results, contribute to professional growth, and assist teachers in aligning professional development and goal-setting to school improvement goals. - Participants will communicate evaluation outcomes and findings in constructive and supportive ways that enable teachers to set goals and improve practice. - Participants will demonstrate a high rate of inter-rater reliability using the required performance evaluation ratings (i.e., excellent, proficient, needs improvement, and unsatisfactory). - Participants will observe instruction competently in multiple subject areas provided to varied and multiple student populations (i.e., English language learners, students with IEPs, students in career and technical programs, etc.) - Participants will use data from the evaluation rubric, other evidence collected and best practices relative to evaluating professional practice, to link teacher and school-level professional development plans to evaluation results. - Participants will know how to create, in collaboration with teachers, supportive, targeted professional development plans that consider past results, contribute to professional growth and assist teachers in aligning PD and goal-setting to SIP goals. - Participants will communicate evaluation outcomes and findings in constructive and supportive ways that enable teachers to set goals and improve professional practice. - Participants will understand sources of personal bias and be able to recognize and control for bias when conducting an evaluation and determining results. Evaluators will be required to complete pre-session learning components for this course. If you do not complete the pre-session learning components in the required time frame prior to the workshop, you will not be allowed to attend the workshop and will still be responsible for the registration fee. This event has a maximum number of 15 attendees. Participants must bring a fully charged laptop to both days of the academy. Registration closes 7 days prior to the event as pre-work must be completed and submitted. Cancellations must be made 72 hours in advance or the amount will be non-refundable.

This workshop is free for all to attend, lunch will be provided on site.