CRCSD PL Courses
Spring 2018
Registration Information
To find our more about each course you can visit the course offerings page by clicking here.
To register for courses click here.
Questions please contact Heidi Whitney at HWhitney@cr.k12.ia.us.
Note: Courses that do not meet the minimum requirement of at least 12 participants registered at least 1 week prior will be canceled.
Hybrid Courses
MOLLIE: Designing Online Lessons, Including SoftChalk
Course # 620-18-01
Instructor: Julie Buerman
Audience: All (Hybrid course)
Description: This course is a part of the MOLLIE (More Online Learning for Iowa Educators) professional development series, aimed to give teachers specialized instruction on online pedagogy beyond the foundational OLLIE series.
The online lesson is a critical component of the online classroom experience. It requires the delivery of content, activities and student assessment that a student can do on their own, asynchronously. But while an online lesson contains many of the same components as a face to face lesson, there are several other important best practices to implement in their creation.
This course focuses on the design of both text-based and spoken (or recorded) lessons. Special focus will be given to the lesson-building tool Soft Chalk, which is available for free for all Iowa educators through AEA PD Online. This course builds off the OLLIE:Instructional Design course, and while it is not a pre-requisite, it is encouraged for a participant to have completed the OLLIE course first.
Course opens January 30th with units due each Tuesday.
There will be 1 required face to face meeting on Thursday Feb 15th from 4:30 - 6 pm at Kennedy High School in the IMC Lower Computer Lab.
Creating Classrooms for Social Justice
Course # 1967-18-002
Instructor: Erin Thompson
Audience: All (Hybrid course)
Description: Participants in this class will have the opportunity to learn about and reflect on their own intercultural competence; they will engage with enlightening texts, collaborative dialogue, reflective assignments and instructional planning. In order to guide this work, participants are required to take the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) prior to the start of class. In addition to having a group debrief of the IDI in the kick-off face-to-face class, participants will be required to schedule and complete an individual debrief prior to the end of the course. At the end of this class, participants will have created an individual growth plan around their intercultural competence and will have developed a plan of action to implement learning into their instructional practice.
Monday, March 5, 2018
Monday, March 26, 2018
Monday, April 16, 2018
Mindfulness and Yoga 4 Classrooms
Course # 1958-18-001
Instructor: Tracie Guenther-Yoke
Audience: All (Hybrid course)
Description: Teachers will be equipped with: research and family communication, tools for collecting data, pre-developed sequencing of yoga movements and mindfulness activities to use as preventatively or as an intervention for individuals and whole group. Teachers will immediately be able to implement following course completion in a manner that is aligned with educational standards and the district’s beliefs, mission and vision. Many educators are currently enrolling in and self-exploring various mindfulness and yoga practices; this course will provide a vetted, research-based approach at a more cost-effective, accessible and easy-to-use program that focuses on the whole child.
While there are no prerequisites for this course; it is strongly encouraged that participants have an understanding of the 8 effective principles. Deep understanding of effective classroom management practices are critical to the proper implementation and success of the Y4C curriculum.
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
Effective Elements to Support Student Social Emotional and Behavioral Needs
Course # 1953-18-003
Instructors: Joslin Hanna and Carla Riley
Audience: All (Hybrid course)
Description: In today’s increasingly diverse PK-12 classrooms, barriers to learning are interrupting instructional time. Many educators are seeking to overcome barriers to learning and prevent problem behaviors by using proactive, early interventions. This course is based on the premise that positive relationships and early response can lead to better outcomes for students.
Requirements for participants to be completed throughout the class: Read assigned texts; complete online modules (which will include discussions, video submissions and assignments) via Canvas, and present final project in face-to-face class.
Monday, January 29, 2018
Monday, February 5, 2018
Monday, February 12, 2018
Monday, February 19, 2018
Integrating Microsoft OneNote into the Classroom: Classroom Creator
Course # 1998-18-02
Instructors: Nicole Smith
Audience: All (Hybrid course)
Description: Technology tools assist teachers in the differentiation and personalization of student learning opportunities. In this course participants will learn about different blended learning scenarios, explore the SAMR model and focus on incorporating OneNote and OneNote Classroom into their planning to create dynamic and interactive lessons for students. Blended learning has been on the rise and with its focus on meeting individual students where there are at and allowing more voice and choice in activities has shown to have a positive impact on student achievement. There is no prerequisite course required, but there will be a OneNote overview module that would need to be completed prior to the first class outlining basic navigation and function of the tool.
Thursday, January 11, 2018
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Thursday, February 1, 2018
Thursday, February 8, 2018
Face to Face Courses
Engaging Your Audience with Technology
Course # 1185-18-006
Instructor: Melissa Hocking
Audience: Secondary (Face to Face)
Description: Participants will learn how to incorporate technology into professional learning and their classroom to provide an interactive and engaging learning experience for adults and/or students. Learned skills also have implications for incorporation into classroom lessons. Incorporated technology will include EdPuzzle. Plickers, Nearpod, Kahoot, Pechaflickr, Canvas, Versal, Office Mix, Quizlet and many others. Participants in this course will learn about features of technology that will aide in the delivery of professional learning, classroom lessons and create an engaging experience for adult and student audiences. Successful completion of the course will include the creation of professional learning and/or a classroom lesson incorporating learned technologies. Using technology tools will enhance professional learning, provide teachers differentiated learning opportunities and increase adult and/or student engagement. These technology tools can also be used directly in the classroom to provide a blended learning environment for students with embedded formative assessment.
Thursday, March 29, 2018
Thursday, April 5, 2018
Thursday, April 12, 2018
Thursday, April 19, 2018
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Strategies for Teaching English Learners in Secondary Schools
Course # 1955-18-001
Instructors: Emily Gotto and Andrew Trout
Audience: Secondary (Face to Face)
Description: In Strategies for Teaching English Learners in Secondary Schools, participants will learn strategies to help students in their classes. This is particularly beneficial for ELL students, but also helpful for all students. Participants will learn how to help struggling learners with the background knowledge needed to succeed. They will also learn how to include a language objective in their lessons, in addition to the content objective to help their ELL students succeed. Participants will also walk away from the course with ideas on how to modify assignments and make appropriate accommodations for ELL students at a variety of language acquisition levels.
Tuesday, February 20, 2018 3:45pm - 4:45pm
Thursday, February 22, 2018 3:45pm - 4:45pm
Tuesday, February 27, 2018 3:45pm - 4:45pm
Thursday, March 1, 2018 3:45pm - 4:45pm
Tuesday, March 6, 2018 3:45pm - 4:45pm
Thursday, March 8, 2018 3:45pm - 4:45pm
Tuesday, March 20, 2018 3:45pm - 4:45pm
Thursday, March 22, 2018 3:45pm - 4:45pm
Tuesday, March 27, 2018 3:45pm - 4:45pm
Thursday, March 29, 2018 3:45pm - 4:45pm
Tuesday, April 3, 2018 3:45pm - 4:45pm
Thursday, April 5, 2018 3:45pm - 4:45pm
Tuesday, April 10, 2018 3:45pm - 4:45pm
Thursday, April 12, 2018 3:45pm - 4:45pm
Tuesday, April 17, 2018 3:45pm - 4:45pm
Teaching Reading Foundational Skills
COURSE # 1945-18-001
Instructors: Susan Van Woert and Kay Karsten
Audience: Elementary, possibly secondary Special Education (Face to Face)
Description: Participants will extend their knowledge of research based instructional reading practices they learned in LETRS modules 1-3 by applying the theory to classroom instruction. The instructional reading practices will include the application of the principles of phonological awareness and word study. Information will be drawn from the Iowa Reading Research Center, Effective Literacy Strategy Instruction professional development modules. Participants will move from theory to practice and be expected to implement learning in their own classroom. Participants’ application of the explicit instruction addressing foundation skills will impact students’ ability to read with accuracy and automaticity.
Tuesday, March 20, 2018 4:30pm - 7:30pm
Thursday, March 22, 2018 4:30pm - 7:30pm
Tuesday, March 27, 2018 4:30pm - 7:30pm
Wednesday, March 28, 2018 4:30pm - 7:30pm
Tuesday, April 3, 2018 4:30pm - 7:30pm
LETRS Modules 4-6
COURSE # 1992-18-001
Instructors: Amy Harger and Holly Reeder
Audience: All (Face to Face)
Description: LETRS comprehensive professional development responds to the growing need for high-quality support for literacy educators. Louisa C Moats, Ed. D. is the lead author of the professional development and is a nationally recognized authority on literacy education. More than any other professional development curriculum, LETRS prepares educators for the challenging work of teaching literacy. The second three modules of LETRS professional development are: The Mighty Word: Building Vocabulary and Oral Language, Getting Up to Speed: Developing Fluency, and Digging for Meaning: Teaching Text Comprehension This course will focus on foundational reading skills and analyzing student work to determine why students may struggle with reading. Teachers will learn about why reading difficulties may occur in the areas of vocabulary development, fluency, and reading comprehension. Teachers will discuss instructional materials, learn and practice new instructional routines, and analyze student work samples to determine next steps. Participants will move from theory to practice and will be expected to implement learning in their own classroom. Requirements for participants to be completed outside of class: read assigned chapter/texts prior to class, participate in online discussions via Canvas, and complete assignments as required.
Saturday, February 3, 2018 8:00am - 4:00pm
Wednesday, February 7, 2018 5:00pm - 8:30pm
Wednesday, February 28, 2018 5:00pm - 8:30pm
Wednesday, March 7, 2018 5:00pm - 8:30pm
Wednesday, March 21, 2018 5:00pm - 8:30pm
Saturday, March 24, 2018 8:00am - 4:00pm