Monday+Session+1

= Session One - Monday Morning =

3. Group Playwriting: Integrating Theatre, Science and More!
Theatre is a great way to pique students’ interest in any topic - Science, Math, Language Arts, History, etc. The problem is, how is a teacher supposed to find a play that deals with their specific topic? The solution: write one! Developed over years of practice, we will share with you our tried and tested techniques for developing scripts with large groups of students. This fun and interactive session will include tons of information that teachers can take back and use in the classroom immediately, no matter what subject they are teaching.

4. Middle School 101: Essential Components of Successful Middle Schools
This session addresses key programs and practices necessary for highly successful middle schools. Recent trends and issues will be discussed. This presentation will provide those new to middle level education with an introductory overview and serve as a review of what is known about successful middle schools for experienced educators and other stakeholders.

5. A Leadership Toolkit: Ways to Improve Rigor in Your School
Positively impacting the achievement of students is the principal’s most important role. This session will introduce participants to ten tools that they can immediately work with teachers and others in school-wide efforts to improve instruction, enhance academic engagement, and increase rigor. Participants will develop a plan for the use of these tools upon return to their school.

6. Talking the Talk of Academic Language
Teach English Language Learners and other at-risk students to talk the talk of different content areas. Learn how to create an environment and activities that increase academic talk in your classroom. Acquire classroom conversation strategies to promote students’ higher order thinking skills and a deeper understanding of your content area

7. Technology Smackdown… So What do YOU like to use?
What's the next big thing in classroom technology? Got a favorite app to share? Want to know what your colleagues are using in their classrooms? Join us for a lively conversation about what we're using now-- and what we're looking forward to using in the future!

8. Supporting Teams of Teachers
What makes teams effective? This session provides teachers with a tool to enhance team effectiveness. Interview data based on North Carolina Schools to Watch administrators and team teachers were used to support this presentation. Teachers will leave with a template that looks at four sources to analyze team’s strengths.

9. Explore, Excite, Engage- Carolina’s Owl Pellet Dissection
Do owls in the Southeast eat Southern cooking? Do owls in the Southwest eat Tex-Mex cuisine? Investigate the variations in diet/prey among owls from 4 North American regions. Learn about Carolina’s exclusive Owl Pellet Database, where students share their findings with schools nationwide.

10. READ like a MANIAC, WRITE like a FREAK!
Interested in teaching novels, but not sure how to integrate the language arts curriculum into a novel study? In this session, we share strategies for teaching informational text, poetry, literary elements, and inferencing through thematic novel units. These strategies can be used at any grade level, and by any teacher!

11. Essay Writing: Scaffolding for All Students with ESL Co-Teaching
Prepare all students to meet the demands of the 7th grade writing assessment in alignment with the WIDA standards to scaffold for English Language Learners of various language proficiencies. Learn to use effectively graphic organizers, hands-on activities, cooperative learning strategies, and technology to engage all students in writing essays.

12. Muscles => Neurons => Learning
Research has shown that physical fitness has a direct effect on mental capacity and efficiency. In return, this can lead to more learning and higher achievement for our students. Come see what the research says and how Jacobs Fork works to build student fitness and high achieving students.

13. Forget the Rainforest, Save my Classroom!—Dealing with 21st Century Students
What’s wrong? Disrespect, low test scores, unmotivated students, behavioral problems. Across America behaviors are taking away from the TIME available to teach and the JOY of teaching. The majority of behaviors are learned, meaning they can be changed. Good behavior must be taught. Let us help you get started today.

14. Stop The Cycle of Illiteracy—Solutions for Student Success
Are you faced with the task of teaching adolescents who can’t read? I have found a solution that produces remarkable gains with struggling students. In this session, squelch your frustration and explore the critical connection between analyzing data and modifying instruction to Stop the Cycle of Illiteracy. Handouts provided.

15. It's in the Bag - Simple Summarization Strategies
Who? What? Why? When? Where? How? Are your students confused while reading? Join us to receive simple summarization strategies that are successful in our classrooms. These strategies are easy to implement and assess, can be used in any content area, and guarantee student comprehension!

16. The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race is a hands-on integrated unit that engages students in a whirl wind adventure. This cooperative learning simulation integrates all subject areas. The competition motivates students to complete tasks which address multiple learning styles. The organization of the unit may be used across grade levels and subject areas.

17. Middle Grades University: A Mentorship Program
Explore an exciting mentoring program, Middle Grades University, a partnership of UNC Charlotte, Teen Health Connection, and local schools to support identified 8th graders in visualizing themselves on the college path! MGU offers support for students and families while providing future middle school teachers opportunities for meaningful interactions with students.

18. Strategies for Reform with An Eye On “Schools To Watch”
This session will present and link the basic principles of two programs. I will examine the basic reform/improvement strategies of “Breaking Ranks in the Middle” and how it works hand in hand with the basic tenets of the “Schools To Watch” program.

19. Toto: I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore!
Does your classroom resemble a tornado? Learn strategies for creating a positive and productive classroom. Reduce discipline issues by up to 90%. Take charge of behavior challenges in your classroom rather than outsourcing them to the office. Learn to deliver your well-planned lessons to students who are ready to learn.

20. Focus on 21st Century Teaching and Learning
21st century learning is active, engaging and occurs in a technology enriched environment. Discover how to move your students from simply acquiring knowledge to applying it logically and creatively in real world situations. Participants will leave with a vision of transforming their school or classroom into a future ready environment.

21. Changing the Culture of our School…Focusing on an Attitude of Success
In this session, we will share the strategies that we have used to increase our proficiency 15% in the last two years and helped us make AYP in 2009 and meet 28 of 29 targets this past year. Materials and strategies will be shared.