Session Details

Earn 7 Act 48 hours for the conference and up to 15 more Act 48 hours for the Pay It Forward Challenge.

Each session will be presented by an outstanding, current classroom teacher that has been nominated from a school in Western PA. You will have an opportunity to attend three of these sessions during the day.

Click here for the Presentation Schedule

Bats: An Introduction to Internet Searching for the Primary Grades

Presenters
Barb Brown
K-2 Computer Teacher
Blackhawk School District

Grade Level: 1st to 3rd Grade
Subject Area: Computer/Language Arts/Science

Description
This presentation will focus on teaching students to determine the appropriateness of websites by allowing them to preview sites, discussion them, and determine if each site is appropriate for the topic that is being discussed on a particular day.  Students will complete a website rating sheet by circling the smile that rates the website and state one reason for their smile choice.  This is a unit of study and all areas of the unit will be shown.  The lesson this addresses is actually week two of the unit.  All other supporting lessons, examples, and documents will be provided.  Additional activities for first grade will also be shared.

Bridges to School: Share the Stories, Understand the Learners, and Tailor the Instruction

Presenters
Kenda Hammer
Transition Coordinator/Literacy Coach
Fox Chapel Area School District

Grade Level: Pre-K to 12th Grade
Subject Area: Transition Grades (Home/Early Care to Kindergarten, 5th to 6th Grade, 8th to 9th Grade)

Description
After review of extensive transition research, theory, and frameworks, as well as common goals understood from years of successful Early Intervention transition process impact, Early Childhood educators began to “build bridges to school?for all young children. Effective transition practices have formally been in place in this presenter’s school district since 2003. Now in many school districts, goals have been outlined in new strategic plans that also reflect state standards, and require the implementation of transition practices. Sharing information and aligning expectations across building and classroom boundaries at all educational levels can achieve goals like those attained, yet ever dynamic, in Early Childhood. What are some critical questions to ask, which significant adults can answer about new students that have enhanced other teachers?instructional tailoring more than testing data alone? How have these practices been applied and adapted over time? Return to your school with ideas like this and more, to implement immediately, and to spur the brainstorming that will generate ideas that suit your school’s individual character, as well as the needs of the staff, families, and students you serve.

Creating Literacy Centers Using Differentiated Instruction

Presenters
Maureen Frew
Kindergarten Teacher
Avonworth School District

Grade Level: Kindergarten and 1st Grade
Subject Area: All Content Areas

Description
Participants will learn how to develop centers to ensure that all students meet Kindergarten standards and are ready for first grade. First grade teachers will learn how to extend these centers for first grade skills and concepts. The presenter will show participants how to differentiate centers to teach essential concepts and skills to children with different readiness levels, interests, and learning styles. Participants will leave with the ability to develop multiple activities for centers, along with practical knowledge to use in their classrooms immediately.

Ed Hub and netTrekker d.i. a Partnership for 21st Century Educators

Presenters
Kristin Van Strien
Assistant Director of Information and Technology
Intermediate Unit 1

Grade Level: All Grade Levels
Subject Area: All Content Areas

Description
This session will showcase PDE’s Ed Hub and netTrekker d.i.
ED Hub is sponsored by PDE and is the beginning of a truly exciting opportunity to share a broad collection of educational resources, information, and collaborative tools with PA’s Education Community. Features include: Communities of Interest, Dynamic Content, Collaborative Areas, Advanced Search Tools, Podcasts / Multi-Media Libraries, and Personalization (coming soon!) The Ed Hub also aligns netTrekker d.i. resources with the PA Science and Mathematics Anchors. netTrekker d.i. is the award-winning academic search engine that’s safe, fast and easy to use with over 180,000 educator-selected online resources organized by readability level and aligned with PA state standards. Here one can quickly and easily find resources for general-education students, ELL/ESL students, those working below or above grade level, those with reading challenges, special needs and more. This resource can be accessed from home or school. PDE and the Heinz Endowments provided the funding to make this tool available to every student, teacher, parent, educator, pre-service teacher, and education faculty at least for the next two years.

Integration of Smart Board Tools in Enhancing Instruction

Presenter
Deborah Rudenko
High School Learning Support Teacher
South Side School District

Grade Level: 1st to 12th Grade
Subject Area: All Content Areas

Description
Throughout the schools in Western PA., many teachers report their schools having a few Smart Boards that are not used extensively. Many remain in conference or storage rooms. The major objective of my presentation is to demonstrate how to create a quick interactive lesson using SB software and on-line tools. Numerous instructional areas will be addressed, such as handwriting, angle measurement, internet links, graph creation, essay correction, etc. As a full time teacher and SMART certified Master’s Trainer, I am cognizant of a teacher’s limited time in learning and hopefully using technology. My presentation will focus on the practical and not geared towards hardware and/or sales capabilities.

Internet Resources for the Mathematics Classroom

Presenter
Sallie Peck
K-8 Mathematics Coach
Fox Chapel Area School District

Grade Level:  Kindergarten to 12th Grade
Subject Area:  Mathematics

Description
We all know there are lots of resources for teachers to use on the web but who has time to find them? Participants in this presentation will learn to use web resources to enhance their math classroom. Find the best sites for ideas, lesson plans, networking, resources, research, virtual manipulatives and more. Learn practical ways to incorporate Internet resources in your classroom. Teachers will leave this presentation with greatly enhanced knowledge of the web-based, math resources that are available to them.

Making Math Connections

Presenter
Renee Yates
Kindergarten Teacher
Aliquippa School District

Grade Level:  Kindergarten to 6th Grade
Subject Area:  Mathematics

Description
This session will introduce mathematical concepts for young children.  Geometry and spatial sense is the main focus for this session.  We will use hands-on approach to allow participants to transfer activities into their classrooms.  Games and literature connections will also be included.    This session will make connections to current research, adhere to PSSA standards and incorporate early childhood learning indicators.

PALS (Peer Assisted Learning Strategies) in Reading: An Empirically-Based Supplemental Reading Program to Improve Reading Fluency and Comprehension

Presenters
Dr. David L. Myers
Literacy Coach
Gateway School District

Grade Level: 2nd Grade to 6th Grade
Subject Area: Reading
 

Description

PALS in Reading is a research-based reading intervention/program for Grades 2-6 that has been empirically proven to increase students?reading comprehension and fluency. The great thing about PALS in Reading is that it is easy to learn and implement. Also, it can be used to differentiate or meet the needs of all students at the same time. PALS in Reading is appropriate for the struggling reader as well as the more advanced learner. During PALS, partners take turns reading aloud and answering comprehension questions. It is recommended that PALS be implemented three times per week for 30 minutes per day. PALS in Reading is frequently used to more effectively structure SSR or independent reading time.

Podcasting in Education

Presenters
Michael Baker Jr.
Online Learning Coordinator
South Side Area School District

Description

In this presentation, participants will learn and explore how podcasting is changing the way teachers use multimedia to educate students. The best part about it - most of these resources are free!

Practical Tips for a Classroom Writing Workshop

Presenters
Jane Taylor
Second Grade Teacher
Hampton Township School District

Mary Anne Librich
Second Grade Teacher
Hampton Township School District

Grade Level: 1st to 3rd Grade
Subject Area:  Language Arts/Writing

Description

Take a journey through the process of writing via a classroom writing workshop. Novice teachers and veteran teachers will benefit from the practical and helpful hints that have been proven to work in elementary classrooms. Participants will be able to go back to their classrooms and begin to immediately implement these ideas as they write across the curriculum. Mini-lessons, organizers, word lists, idea journals, rubrics, proofreading, editing, using literature as a basis for writing, pear strategies, and suggestions for strong beginnings and endings will all be discussed. This presentation emphasizes the writing standards 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 and 1.7. A brief view of the 6+1 Writing Traits developed by Ruth Culham will be presented in accordance with the writing process.

Project Revolution: Teaching History Through Digital Storytelling

Presenter
Chris Turner
Technology Coordinator
Pine-Richland School District

Grade Level: 4th to 8th grade
Subject Area: Technology and Social Studies
 
Description
Come see how Richland Fifth Graders use research, scriptwriting, storyboarding, and filmmaking to learn about the American Revolutionary War. Participants will see how students put the project together from research to premier. Finally producing a DVD, Podcast, and Website that teach the elements of the American Revolution. Get an overview of storyboarding, editing and producing digital content with students. For this project, students used Apple’s iLife Suite of software, but the concepts will transfer cross platform.

Reading and Writing Workshop for Parents of Incoming Kindergartners:
Getting Ready for Kindergarten!

Presenter
Cindy Mondi
Kindergarten Teacher
Greensburg Salem School District

Eileen Burkart
Kindergarten Teacher
Greensburg Salem School District

Grade Level: Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten
Subject Area: Kindergarten Teachers, Title I Primary Reading Specialists, Preschool Providers
 
Description
Parents of children entering Kindergarten in the fall welcome the opportunity to meet with teachers at their school in a relaxed atmosphere! By inviting children and their parents to an evening of enjoyable literacy activities, the school setting is less threatening to the preschoolers, parents are more likely to become involved in their child’s education, and the doors of communication are opened.

Participants of the presentation would experience the workshop as if they were the parents. They will be given a typical agenda and follow the activities for the evening program. The activities would include:
• A shared reading activity with a picture book
• A modeled writing activity to go along with the story
• A variety of balanced literacy activities that compliment the story
• Activities that can be done at home to extend the learning

After the modeled presentation, the participants will have an opportunity to see examples of additional activities/themes that have proven to be successful. Handouts and templates will be provided so that a similar presentation can be done with any favorite picture book.

Seeing to Learn and Remember

Presenters
Joanne Mangiapane
Director of Information and Technology Services
Intermediate Unit 1

Stevie Kline
Technology Integrator/ Teacher Trainer
Intermediate Unit 1

Grade Level: All Grade Levels
Subject Area: All Content Areas

Description
What kind of world are our students entering? How can we help them prepare? Why are they so visual? Why can’t they pay attention? In this session learn what the current research tells us about their brains and how we as educators can use this to our advantage. Learn about the power of a still image and how one can serve as a catalyst for learning, integration and retention. As an introduction we will be using a modified version of the PowerPoint presentation “Did You Know?from http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2006/08/did-you-know.html by Karl Fisch to lead to a discussion of the world our students will be entering and why it is so important for us as educators to teach in a way that is meaningful and relevant to them and their world. Then we will move to a discussion of some brain research that can help educators become more effective in teaching skills and content together.

Spark Your Curriculum

Presenters
Carrie Anderson
First Grade Teacher
Ambridge Area School District

Grade Level: Kindergarten to 3rd Grade
Subject Area: Language Arts/Math

Description
This make-and-take workshop is designed to give early childhood/primary teachers ways to use everyday packages, containers and products to reinforce basic skills in language arts and mathematics. Some of the packages used in this workshop include a brown paper bag, a film canister, and a coffee can. The activities presented can be adapted to any K-3 classroom. The activities can be used with a small group or with the entire class.
***Please bring scissors with you to participate in this hands-on workshop. ***

Spec-tech-ular Interactive Mathematics

Presenters
Christopher Cooley
7th Grade Mathematics Teacher
Franklin Regional School District

Grade Level: 7th Grade to 12th Grade
Subject Area: Mathematics

Description
This presentation will demonstrate the interactive technological tools that I have implemented into the classroom, and show how these tools can positively impact students' mathematical achievement and their involvement and attitude towards their daily math class. Part of the presentation will be a mini-lesson on whiteboards that will demonstrate the advantages of using the interactive whiteboard over a traditional classroom whiteboard or blackboard. These advantages include using a scanner or a document camera to present all paperwork that is used in a daily lesson, manipulating the worksheets with the whiteboard pen or by implementing one of the whiteboard tools to further manipulate the information for additional reinforcement. We will also explore applications and websites that offer interactive virtual manipulatives that allow the students to move items, elements, or numbers around on the board to teach or reinforce an abstract concept in a concrete fashion. The presentation will also demonstrate how I podcast my daily lessons over the Internet. I will provide a step-by step handout that lists the details necessary to podcast within days of this presentation.

The Checkbook Project for Middle Schools

Presenters
Pat Battaglia
7th Grade Teacher
Chartiers Valley School District

Co-presenters: Robin Whitaker and Marlene White

Grade Level: 6th to 8th Grade
Subject Area: All Content Areas

Description
The impact of NCLB requires teachers to maximize classroom time while minimizing time lost to distractions and interruptions.  The Checkbook Project addresses these issues using a best practices approach while simultaneously addressing life math skills.  The project was created to teach:  1. Accurate record keeping, 2.  Account balancing, 3.  Responsibility, 4.  Accountability, 5.  Decision making skills, and 6.  Math applications.

This session will provide a framework for teams of teachers to use in order to minimize inappropriate behaviors, distractions, and interruptions in their classrooms while allowing the teacher to focus on teaching content and increasing student achievement.  Almost immediately after implementing the project, the team teachers saw a decrease in requests to be excused from the classroom and an increase in students coming to class with needed materials.

Students earn deposits in their accounts for positive classroom interactions and academic performance.  Deposits can be earned for completing all homework for a grading period, for perfect attendance as well as for high grades on tests and quizzes.  When insightful questions and answers are given, deposits may also be earned.  Since the students enjoy earning deposits, the system encourages them to be active learners.

At the same time, students are required to write checks for inappropriate behaviors or disruptions to the smooth flow of the lesson all the while maintaining an accurate record of their accounts.  Participants in our session will learn successful strategies for making the project work and for maintaining student interest.  The project culminates each semester in a team wide activity based on student account balances.

Tissue Engineering/Regenerative Medicine: A Biomedical and Classroom Revolution

Presenter
Mark Krotec
High School Science Teacher
PTEI, Pittsburgh Central Catholic HS

Grade Level: 9th grade to 12th grade
Subject Area: Science

Description

Tissue Engineering is a revolutionary technology in the field of biomedicine that offers incredible hope to people with compromised tissue function. This complex challenge requires the coordinated efforts of biologists, physicists, chemists, engineers, computer engineers, material scientists, and physicians. The new “Outreach Education Manual in Tissue Engineering” provides a forum to greatly enhance student interest in current biotechnology and to enhance science process skills. The primary author and manual have been recognized locally and nationally, honored with the 2002 Carnegie Science Center Award for Excellence in Secondary Science Teaching, and the 2003 National Association of Biology Teachers Biotechnology Teaching Award. Teachers can now employ tissue engineering strategies and technologies to engage students in activities designed to: a) enhance comprehension of the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of life science, b) increase awareness of biomedicine-society interactions, and to c) reinforce concepts of cell biology, biochemistry, immunology, anatomy and physiology, and molecular biology. This presentation will provide a brief introduction to this remarkable field, followed by an overview of suggested classroom uses of the manual, culminating with discussions, demonstrations and hands-on experience with a few of the activities from the manual. Free supplementary handouts will be distributed and the entire outreach manual will be available for minimal cost.

Too Many People Populating the Planet: An Exploration of Linear Equations

Presenter
Steven Manges
7th Grade Math Teacher
Gateway School District

Grade Level: 8th to 11th Grade
Subject Area: Mathematics (Algebra I)

Description

The U.S. Census site provides current world and U.S. population data. I will have participants use pre-collected data from this site to create a linear model, showing the population growth and using the data and the linear model to analyze potential problems associated with rapid population growth. The presentation will be designed for mathematics, or other teachers, who are interested in a “real world?project involving linear equations. The activity was originally created for a one day activity in an Algebra I class, but has been expanded on in order to create an entire multidisciplinary unit on linear equations. Other technology activities involving the application of mathematical concepts will be shared with the group.

Travel the World in Your Classroom with Google Earth!

Presenter
Julia Tebbets
Lower School Technology Coordinator
Sewickley Academy

Grade Level: All Grade Levels
Subject Area: History, Science, Geography, Literature

Description

Google Earth is a powerful, free tool for teachers! Create your own guided multimedia tours to teach any topic using the virtual globe. Combine detailed satellite maps, 3-D terrain and buildings, text, images, video and spatial relationships to bring your lessons to life. Step-by-step demonstration, take-home guide and access to ready-made activities included.

Unleashing Your Classroom Environmental Scientists

Presenter
Mark Krotec
High School Science Teacher
PTEI, Pittsburgh Central Catholic HS

Subject Area: Science
Grade Level: 9th grade to 12th grade

Description

One of the major goals of science educators is to inspire students to embrace the methods and healthy skepticism of scientists. This presentation offers life science teachers a vast array of activities designed to increase the knowledge base, reasoning capacity, and research skills of middle and high school students. Teachers will learn how to immediately captivate and excite students at the onset of the school year through a challenge of media information assessment. The works of Randi, Sagan, Gardner, and Shermer can be used as illuminating teaching tools, leading to critical thinking activities such as The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Bubblelogy, and X-Files: Exploring Psychic Powers. These activities will be disseminated, described, and demonstrated, and attendees will receive samples of student work. Participants will receive copies of activities, as well as recommendations regarding student projects and novel assessment strategies.

Using Technology to Grab Student Attention and To Make Your Point

Presenters
John Tupta
8th Grade Mathematics Teacher
Mt. Lebanon School District

Grade Level: 7th Grade to 12th Grade
Subject Area: Math and Science (techniques can be transferred to all content areas)
 
Description
Technology can be a valuable tool to get your students' attention by visualizing many math concepts, and to emphasize a point regarding the "why" of learning that same concept. This presentation will demonstrate this aspect of teaching by using a variety of technology tools. There will be several demonstrations incorporating the coordinated use of presentation software, digital photography, graphics calculators, a CBL (Calculator Based Laboratory), the Smartboard, TI Smartview Emulator, and the TI Navigator System. There will be some hands on experience with participants performing the role of students in the classroom.

Using Technology to Meet the Needs of Your Students: Creating Webquests

Presenters
Adria Scott
6th Grade Teacher
North Hills School District

Shannon Diven
6th Grade Teacher
North Hills School District

Grade Level: 3rd to 12th Grade
Subject Area: Language Arts, Science, Social Studies
 
Presenter's Materials

Description
Are you finding it hard to meet the diverse needs of students in your elementary classroom? Are you afraid of sending your students blindly out to the World Wide Web? During this workshop we will be creating webquests addressing the objectives and standards in your curriculum. You may already be aware of some webquests available online, but why search for hours for a generic topic when you can easily create your own, tailoring it to the specific needs of your curriculum and the needs of your diverse students! Understanding how to safely integrate technology into your curriculum is one way to meet the needs of your learners, and we'll show you how to do so! Please come to this workshop with several curricular topics in mind. The first half of this workshop will be used to describe webquest components and explain the benefits of technology, specifically the integration of the Internet into a classroom.  During the second half of the workshop, you will be creating a webquest to take with you to implement in your own class!

You may Register now to hold your spot! (Seats will fill up quickly!!)