Course Descriptions | IGS – Institute for Graduate Studies

IGS’ high quality courses for teacher training, certification, re certification, and lane advancement are all taught by highly respected educators. Our courses will teach you skills you will use every day in you classroom or throughout your day.

IF YOU ARE RENEWING YOUR LICENSE

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T&L 900.48 – 20^th Century Art: A History (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course has been designed to introduce teachers to the art and artists of the 20^th Century and how to incorporate this art into the curriculum using Bloom’s taxonomy as a guide. Relevant concepts, ideas, theories and principles will be presented in multi media lectures, followed by class discussion and small group interaction to the end that participants will have a working knowledge and understanding of the course content as well as how to use same in their professional setting. Focus will be on helping students improve their academic achievement in this domain. Teachers taking this course will learn how to help their students benefit because of the many ideas, materials, strategies and activities to be presented, shared, analyzed and evaluated.

T&L 900.14 – Activating Your Students’ Enthusiasm For Learning (P-12)©

Course Description: This is a three (3) credit professional development graduate course. Student engagement in school is on the downswing. More and more students say that they only “pretend school.” Educators need to encourage students to claim ownership of the time they spend in and related to school in order to improve P-12 student achievement. This course begins by reviewing the theoretical base and underlying principles and concepts followed by helping participants understand that intrinsic motivation can help educators activate the desire to learn in their students. In this course, educators will explore the components of authentic classrooms and the elements of P-12 students in meaningful pursuits connected to learning and improving student achievement. Course methodology will include a review of relevant research, lectures and presentations by current experts in the field, group interaction, and personal reflection. Lots of materials, activities, strategies and ideas dealing with student achievement will be shared, analyzed and evaluated to the end that these efforts will provide their students with many instructional and assessment tools for improving their academic achievement levels.

T&L 900.24 – A Framework for Providing a Positive and Productive Learning Environment (P-12)©

Course Description: This 3 credit professional development graduate course helps children and educators perform and achieve best in schools where there is a positive option-loaded learning environment. There are proven district-wide and school level programs that enhance this approach resulting in higher student achievement. Nationwide initiatives encourage educators to pay attention to school climate, promoting both the physical and emotional needs of students. This course will explore its theoretical base and related concepts and principles as well as the essential components of a positive school and classroom climate. Proven strategies that will be explored include developing a comprehensive school and prevention plan; addressing the social and academic developmental needs of students; incorporating peer programs; and, teaching healthy stress management and coping techniques. Course methodology will include a review of relevant research, lecture and presentations by current experts in the field, group interaction, and personal reflection, with a strong focus on student achievement. Lots of ideas materials, strategies and activities will be shared, presented, analyzed and evaluated.

T&L 900.76 – A World in Light: France and International Impressionism Movement (P-12)©

Course Description: This 3 credit professional development graduate course has been designed to introduce teachers to the major impressionist artists’ great works and private lives, as well as the history of this important art movement and period. The course will cover the theoretical base of the course content and methodology together with the underlying principles and concepts. This theory states, in part, that student achievement will improve if these principles, concepts and strategies are followed (see handout). The course content will incorporate the history of this period in France and the world through its paintings and photographs by the art masters. Course methodology will include the development of a Mini Unit Project which incorporates the content into a meaningful and usable curriculum, together with workable classroom strategies and activities. Specific instructional strategies will include power point presentations, cooperative learning activities, and a visitation of choice by the students. Specific focus on student achievement will be tied to the strategies and activities covered. Lots of ideas, materials, strategies and activities will be presented, shared, analyzed and evaluated.

T&L 900.01 – An African-American Cultural History: Music, Dance, Drama, Art – From Slavery to Freedom (P-12)©

Course Description: This 3 credit professional development graduate course has been designed to introduce teachers to African American artists, 1619-2006, so that the participants will know, understand, and be able to act upon the research, theoretical base, concepts, and principles presented and analyzed. The learning objectives will focus on how they can be used to enhance student achievement. Who are these artists? What is their story? Why have they been ignored? Comparative research activities will yield many answers to these and other pertinent questions. This course will also explore the history of the African American artist and the story that their paintings tell. Lots of ideas, materials, activities, and strategies will be shared, analyzed, and evaluated.

T&L 900.47 – American Art: A History of America (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) credit professional development graduate course will focus specifically on the significant genre of American Art and its contribution to the overall art scene. The course will cover the theoretical base of the course content and methodology together with the underlying principles and concepts. Course contents will incorporate America’s story through its paintings and photographs by the art masters. Course methodology will include the development of a mini unit project which incorporates the content into a meaningful and usable curriculum, together with workable classroom strategies and activities. Specific instructional strategies will include power point presentations, cooperative learning activities, and a visitation. Specific focus on student achievement will be tied to the strategies and activities covered. Many teaching ideas, materials, strategies and activities will be shared, analyzed and evaluated to the end that students of participants will experience improved performance and higher levels of achievement.

T&L 900.26 – Anger: Understanding the Emotion and Managing the Behavior (P-12)©

Course Description: This 3 credit professional development graduate course, Anger: Understanding the Emotion and Managing the Behavior, is designed to give teachers the skills necessary to understand the dynamics of the emotion of anger, how it manifests, and strategies to help students turn the destructive behavior that comes from anger into effective, positive anger management. The theoretical base and underlying concepts and principles are based on Bloom’s Taxonomy and multi-intelligence as well as the recent research indicating clear positive gains in student achievement when the emotion of anger is managed well. Supportive areas of study include understanding anger triggers, learning healthy communication techniques, using strategies for conflict resolution, school-based programs that work, understanding the need for crisis management resources, using stress management, and understanding the role of AODA issues. This course will prepare educators to help themselves and their students learn positive strategies to manage the increasing role that the negative behavior of anger plays in our lives in and out of school. The course content will be presented in a series of power point lectures followed by discussions and feedback during which pertinent issues will be analyzed, synthesized, compared and evaluated. This class discussion and small group interaction as well as instructor feedback will accomplish the end that participants will have a working knowledge and understanding of the course content as well as how to use the information to improve student achievement through the use of ideas, materials, activities, and strategies to be shared analyzed, and evaluated.

T&L 900.46 – Architecture Masterpieces (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course has been designed to introduce teachers to the some of the greatest architecture of the world. Basic concepts, architectural theory, principles and innovative evolution will be covered to the end that participants will learn the stated learning objectives and their students will benefit from higher achievement levels in their study of architecture. Specific teaching strategies for each topic presented will be covered in detail. Lots of ideas, materials, activities and strategies will be shared, analyzed, and evaluated.

T&L 900.28 – Become a One to One Ninja – Moving Into a One to One Environment (P-12)©

Course Description: This online 3 credit professional development graduate course will focus on preparing for a one to one classroom (or improving the one to one you are currently in). This class gives teachers and administrators a practical guide in implementing a one to one Chromebook or iPad environment. The course covers the theoretical research on integrating technology into the classroom and building current internet skills. Emphasis will be given on the process of preparing your classroom for the implementation of technology, management of the technology, as well as resources. Participants will leave the class with an implementation plan. This plan will include:

Procedures, expectations, and rules
Internet safety plans
Professional technology tools to build efficiency
Apps, extensions, and web tools to get your students started
Google Apps For Education (GAFE) setup and implementation ideas
Assessment options

Participants walk away from the course confident and ready for a one to one implementation. The class will address both Google and Apple products. Members of the class will choose which path to follow to meet their specific needs.

T&L 900.81 – Beyond the Box: Teaching Minorities & Kids at Risk (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) credit professional development graduate course will present methodologies and strategies for using non-traditional teaching methods, which in turn lends itself to learning in new and innovative ways. Education Secretary Duncan has called upon educators to begin thinking “outside the box” by accelerating reform in order to raise student achievement, particularly for minority students and students in poverty. In this class students will explore the theoretical base, new principles, and concepts underlying the “soft-side” and asset teaching models which will assist participants in becoming more effective teachers for these students in the 21^st century. In addition, students will become familiar with novel active learning strategies and create plans for application of those strategies in their particular classroom setting to the end that all will have a positive effect on student achievement. Innovative assessment approaches will be researched, as well as how to build resiliency in students by using research-based and culturally appropriate practices in the classroom. Finally, students will come to know and understand intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and morale boosters, for minority students and students in poverty, in order to enhance learning and academic performance.

T&L 900.72 – Brain Based Learning (P-12)©

Course Description: This 3 credit professional development graduate course will focus on the latest research on the Brain and its implications for student achievement in your classroom, (P-12). Basic theories, principles, and concepts of Gardner, Jensen, Sprenger, and others will be carefully reviewed, analyzed, and evaluated. The intent of the course is to educate classroom teachers in appropriate learning strategies based on this research and its implications. Current practices related to brain-based learning will be explored in detail. The learning outcomes of taking this course will be that student achievement gains will be realized based on the implementation of five specific brain-based practices. Lots of ideas, materials, strategies and activities will be shared, analyzed and evaluated to the end that course participants will be able to provide their students with five specific instruction and assessment tools for improving their academic achievement.

T&L 900.10 – Bringing Art Into the Regular Classroom Using Caldecott’s Award-Winning Illustrator (P-12)©

Course Description: This 3 credit professional development graduate course has been designed to introduce the teachers to children’s books through the art of the illustrators. The illustrations in children’s books promote the love of reading in the child by making the words come alive through the illustrations. The young child will be attracted to the book by the illustrations and will readily relate them with the love of reading. Participants will learn how best to help their students apply specific art terms and elements in their fuller understanding of the illustrations being studied. Related learning theories, concepts and principles will be studied and lots of strategies, ideas, materials and activities will be presented, shared and evaluated to the end that the students of participants’ achievement levels in the arts will be improved.

T&L 900.53 – Bringing Children’s Literature Into the Regular Classroom Using the Newbery Award-Winning Authors, 1922-Present (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course has been designed to introduce teachers to children’s literatures through the Newbery Award Winning Books. The authors of these books promote the love of reading in the child by making the words come alive through the quality of their writing. The young child will be attracted to the book by the story and will develop the love of reading through these reading experiences. Related learning theories and principles will be studied and many strategies, ideas, materials and activities will be presented, shared, and evaluated.

T&L 900.03 – Bringing Support and Excitement to Your Classroom Curriculum Through the Masters of Art History (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course has been designed to introduce teachers to the major basic theory, principles and concepts related to the arts in general and to the most notable and recognizable artists of all time. These principles and concepts will also be placed within the larger historical context of the art periods to be covered. In addition, the private lives and great works of the several art movements will be covered and related to the historical periods in which they lived. Power Point presentations will be supplemented by related cooperative research activities and online internet searches. The course will also demonstrate how teachers can integrate these learning principles and concepts into meaningful and exciting classroom instructional strategies and projects to the end that these units and projects will positively affect overall student achievement. Lots of ideas, materials, strategies and activities will be shared, analyzed and evaluated.

T&L 900.22 – Building Healthy Relationships for Student Achievement and Educator Effectiveness (P-12)©

Course Description: Relationships are the vehicle that connects students to curriculum and instruction. Student and staff relationships affect the entire school and community. How is student learning enhanced by strong relationships? How can students learn and use relationship skills to the end that they will have a positive effect on student achievement? How can we develop strong, healthy, appropriate student-staff relationships? This 3-credit professional development graduate course will explore answers to these questions and provide strategies for creating and maintaining healthy school and classroom relationships. The key strategies of listening, enhancing self-esteem and maintaining a healthy stress free lifestyle will also be emphasized. Course methodology will include a review of current and relevant research of the theories, principles and conceptual foundations related to the topic as well as presentations by current experts in the field, group interaction, and personal reflection and internet searches. Lots of ideas, materials, strategies and activities will be presented, shared, analyzed and evaluated.

T&L 900.58 – Building Liberty: Our Patriotic Symbols (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) credit professional development graduate course is intended to introduce classroom teachers to America’s patriotic symbols: Statue of Liberty, American Flag, National Anthem, Mt. Rushmore, Presidential Monuments and war memorials, as well as symbols identified with America: hot dog, hamburger, teddy bear, Coca Cola, cereals, baseball, etc. Lots of classroom ideas, strategies, materials, and activities will be shared and evaluated.

T&L 900.36 – Children’s Literature: Choosing Texts for Close Reading (P-12)©

Course Description: This 3 credit professional development graduate course provides teachers with an opportunity to expand the materials they are familiar with in their classroom collections for the purpose of teaching “close reading” as defined by CCSS. Teachers will broaden their knowledge of literature that is appropriate for the age level they are currently teaching. Teachers will be reading self-selected literature driven by their classroom needs, as well as compiling a list and discussing the purpose of their most important classroom reads. Study will be done on the implementation of close reading and how the definition changes instruction. Lists from classmates can be compiled to determine what these teacher experts believe to fit into these categories and also as a comprehensive resource for later use. The final product will be an extensive list of literature and recommended authors created during class interaction that can be used by all teachers as a resource for Common Core.

T&L 900.61 – Coaching for Achievement (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) credit professional development graduate course provides coaches and Directors of Athletics – both men and women – an opportunity to study proven new approaches to coaching and then to design their own comprehensive approach while working with athletes. Participants will review the theoretical base and underlying principles and concepts. In addition, participants will examine case studies, evaluate information presented by guest coaches and read articles on the psychology of coaching, developing positive relationships with athletes, effective communication, and motivation. Participants will study various strategies of coaching and articulate their own philosophy of coaching. Participants will design seasonal and daily practice plans and discipline codes. Finally – most important – the course will focus on how coaches can best relate all coaching activities to the academic achievement needs of all students being served. The intended outcome of the course will be a sharpening of present skills and a re-examination of those skills based on current research. Lots of ideas, materials, strategies and activities will be shared and evaluated.

T&L 900.54 – Common Sense Teaching to Building Student Leaders (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course has been designed to investigate teaching as building a generation of leaders. Information from successful business, coaches and service learning principles, will allow the assimilation of useful methods to build leadership. Participants will review the theoretical base and underlying principles and concepts. In addition, participants will examine and read articles on building leadership skills and develop plans that demonstrate progress in meeting course goals and objectives. The intended outcome of the course will be a sharpening of present skills and view teaching as selling knowledge and life skills. Teacher, as “sales leader”, will build a room of entrepreneurs to sell others on what they know and encourage good citizenship. Many ideas, materials, strategies and activities will be shared and evaluated.

T&L 900.69 – Communication in the 21^st Century(P-12)©

Course Description: This is a three (3) credit professional development graduate course. In today’s busy world, there is no better way to communicate with parents, to keep students informed of class assignments, to have an area to post readings, surveys and blogs, than a class web site. This course has been designed to teach non-technical teachers how to create a fabulous class web site. Not just a homepage, but a unique and full experience to enhance and raise the level of learning in all your students. Learn how to effectively use and implement a wide variety of electronic learning tools and activities for your classroom such as; On-line Digital Photos, Video, Power Points, Educational blogs and Web-Based Communications for collaborating on digital materials, units, stories, documentaries and activities. This course is designed for the all teachers wishing to create a complete web site and improve communication and provide digital learning opportunities for students and parents. Sample and easy to use lesson plans, templates and activities will be provided and used. Lots of ideas, materials, strategies and activities will be shared, analyzed and evaluated. You will love this course and what it offers every teacher. But not as much as your students and parents will love it!

T&L 900.77 – Composing Classrooms of Literacy (P-12)©

Course Description: This 3 credit professional development graduate course provides teachers with an opportunity to broaden their own knowledge of current instructional strategies. Teachers will research best practice in an area of classroom need, choose a topic of study and instructional goals to implement at WSRA Convention 2017 and/or choose a professional resource that supports their goals (with instructor approval), and proceed to implement those changes within the classroom setting. The instructional changes will be discussed through class interactions and written about in reflection papers. A final analysis of the overall success of the instructional change will be the course summation.

T&L 900.30 – Connected Learning: Differentiation with Apps and Digital Texts (P-12)©

Course Description: Course Description Teachers are encountering more and more digital technology in the classroom and embracing the differentiation it brings. This course explores digital apps and texts for iPad and Chromebooks that can scaffold learning and aid teachers in all aspects of the classroom from management to instructional goals, to fostering student self-esteem. No matter the need, it seems that there’s an appropriate app or resource to implement if given the time to research and discover how it may benefit the classroom.

T&L 900.18 – CORE Creating (Learning) Outcomes for Reflective Educators (P-12)©

Course Description: This 3 professional development graduate credit education course has been designed to provide the background, theory, research and emerging practices on raising student achievement by enhancing an educator’s effectiveness in the classroom. In order to be most effective educators must be able to write measurable, specific student outcomes, by creating student learning objectives, which is essential for the educator and school district in order to measure success. This course will therefore provide strategies and methodologies for increasing student achievement by providing ways to create those measurable objectives and improve classroom teaching practices to the end that students think at higher levels and teachers use the essential goals to become reflective educators. These strategies and practices will be shared, studied and assessed, particularly as related to establishing high standards in the classroom and ways to help students achieve them. These standards include, but are not limited to, ways to write and develop goals and create objectives, develop standards to assess those goals aligned with the Common Core, self-evaluation, through reflection, of the educator’s productivity by recognizing strengths and areas needing improvement, developing higher order thinking and questioning skills, as well as meaningful literacy activities. This course will also provide specific school and classroom ideas as well as powerful approaches that can be planned into instruction to facilitate learning and achieve specific learning outcomes. Course methodology will include reviews of relevant research, exploring differing approaches to increase retention, power point presentations, videos, cooperative learning activities, and modeling the practices studied during the course.

T&L 900.06 – Developing Moral Intelligence (P-12)©

Course Description: This online 3 credit professional development graduate course, Developing Moral Intelligence, is designed to give teachers, guidance counselors and administrators the skills necessary to incorporate, cultivate and develop morality education in a public school setting. The course will cover the theoretical base described in the text together with important underlying principles and concepts. The course focus includes how to specifically impart the seven essential virtues, why they are needed and how they are taught. Students will develop an understanding of the crucial role teachers, counselors and administrators play in strengthening the conscience and guiding behavior. Five specific classroom strategies will be generated in order to create a moral classroom and school environment. These strategies will have applications for building strong ethical foundations for students of participants to the end that it will positively effect student achievement. This course includes methodologies as well as practical strategies for supporting moral intelligence. In addition, students will design a service-learning component for use in their classroom or school.

T&L 900.67 – Developmental Assets: Critical Ingredients Needed for Your Students and/or Children Ensuring a Happy, Healthy and Successful Life (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course will address the research conducted by the Search Institute which has identified 40 assets (personal strengths, personality traits, building blocks, etc.) that dramatically increase a child’s opportunity to be happy, healthy and successful in life. Educators will not only know and understand assets but they will identify specific strategies to incorporate into their present teaching style and their curriculum. In addition, participants will develop a plan of action to implement within their entire classroom, their school, and community. Lots of ideas materials, activities, and strategies will be shared, analyzed, and evaluated.

T&L 900.55 – Digital Citizenship (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course will lead educators to intelligent technology behavior and will help their students understand the complexity of digital citizenship and the issues of technology use, abuse, and misuse. The course includes sections on Digital Responsibility, Online Legal Issues for Schools, Medial and Digital Literacy, Copyright and Fair Use, Digital and Internet Safety, Cyber bullying, Common Sense Media, and Parent Resources. Teachers will be lead through the dimensions of what is right and what is wrong with online use of technology. If you are an educator of the 21^st Century, you need to understand this idea of digital citizenship. If you teach students in the 21^st Century, they need you to take this course!

T&L 900.27 – Digital Photography in the Classroom for Beginners (P-12)©

Course Description: This online self-paced 3 credit professional development graduate course has been designed to introduce teachers to digital photography and how to get the most out of their digital cameras for use in the classroom. Related educational theory, principles and concepts will be interwoven into the course presentations. The course content will be presented in a series of videos, readings, and practical applications. Participants will explore camera settings, modes, cropping, lighting, and advanced techniques. They will also learn how to download photos to their computer, back up their images, create slide shows, photo collages, edit, e-mail, and print photos. Classroom ideas, strategies and activities will be shared, analyzed and evaluated to the end that student achievement will be enhanced.

T&L 900.31 – Diversity in the Class and Being a Successful Mentor to All Students (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course is designed to assist educators and help professionals understand and explore the many aspects of diversity of the students in their classrooms so that they can better understand the influence that cultural and economic background plays in the lives of these students. It is important to learn about these issues in order to create a safe, comfortable environment in the classroom. Participants will collect a multitude of outstanding resources, strategies, and activities for use in their own classroom. They will learn how to become a successful mentor/volunteer in their classroom, school, and community. This course will provide participants the opportunity to gain the knowledge, skills, and clarity of purpose to guide their students towards mutual respect and positive self-esteem, which are the cornerstones for academic achievement. The #1 goal for this course is to create a positive, non-threatening climate in the K-12 classroom so that all students can develop meaningful relationships with one another and the teacher, and experience the pride that comes from successful learning and continual academic achievement. As participants in this course, teachers will be their guide and cheerleader.

T&L 900.51 – Enhance Your Teaching with Internet Resources (P-12)©

Course Description: This 3 credit graduate professional development course focuses on exploring and using internet resources in the classroom. We will first join the fascinating world of Pinterest, a social media website that contains a wealth of ideas that you can incorporate in to your classroom. You will have the experience to explore this social media site and the ability to double your “teaching bag of tricks”. We will divide Pinterest into four different categories; (1) curate content, (2) organization, (3) collaboration, and (4) engage students and teachers. Students will improve their knowledge of organizing and curating content using technological tools. Next we will enter the world of Class Dojo. Class Dojo, behavior management software, which helps teachers to instantly reinforce student behavior, bridge communication between home and school, and engage students. Next we will explore Wonderopolis, where the wonders of learning never cease. This course will promote the use of emerging and innovative technology to enhance the learning atmosphere.

T&L 900.56 – Experiential Learning for the Classroom (P-12)©

Course Description: This 3 credit professional development graduate course will engage participants in the first-hand discovery of knowledge through observation of settings and participation in activities that are outside the classroom. The course will cover the theoretical base and underlying principles and concepts thereof. Through these experiences, the world becomes the participant’s classroom by analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating all assignments. Participants will participate in a field-based learning setting (to be chosen by the student and approved by the instructor) to provide the foundation for the class. It is based on the premise that immediate, concrete “learning by doing” experiences become the basis for reflection and eventual integration of knowledge into one’s teaching. Participants will search, compare, and analyze information which will result in the discovery of knowledge about issues, problems, ideas, and communities. The end result will be a participant commitment to the creation of educational experiences that will prepare K-12 students to achieve at a higher level. As a result, P-12 students of course participants will learn, value and be able to implement higher level learning skills. Lots of materials, activities, strategies, and ideas will be shared, analyzed, and evaluated, resulting in higher student achievement.

T&L 900.78 – Fun in the Classroom Equals Higher Student Performance (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) credit professional development graduate course focuses on the current research indicating that classroom climate is a very important variable in encouraging higher achievement levels. An enjoyable, fun classroom is one key element in this achievement according to the research. The underlying concepts, principles, and related educational theories will be introduced and analyzed in relation to this course title. The course will also provide a practical, “how to” experience that provides the classroom teacher with a variety of ways to create a fun and enjoyable classroom climate. Grounded in this related research, participants will also actively participate in numerous activities that: (1) bring laughter to the classroom; (2) help students know one another better; (3) encourage lateral thinking; (4) encourage student cooperation in the classroom; (5) build classroom trust; and (6) give the intended for use in specific content areas such as physical education, art, science, etc. The students will be given the opportunity to create their own activities as well as participate in a myriad of activities in the six areas listed above.

T&L 900.63 – Functional Fitness for Physical Educators and Coaches (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course has been designed to introduce Physical Educators and Coaches to Functional Fitness Training. This hands-on approach can be implemented immediately with your students/athletes. Functional Fitness training is fun and a great way to enhance movement, coordination, muscular strength and endurance. Functional Fitness training is an integrated approach to training. This practical workshop will focus on the proper selection and implementation of activities and drills that can be used in small or large group settings. Topics include: Nutrition, Program Design, Dynamic Warm-ups, Body Weight Exercises, Speed Improvement, Core Training, Acceleration, Agility and Balance all designed to be easily implemented and increase class participation. Lots of ideas, materials, activities and strategies will be presented, shared, analyzed and evaluated.

T&L 900.29 – Google Chromebook in the Classroom (P-12)©

Course Description: This 3 credit professional development graduate course will focus on student achievement and its theoretical base as well as provide an in-depth study of the integration of Google Chromebooks in the classroom. Transforming Education with Google Apps gives students, teachers, and administrators a practical experience in implementing and leveraging the power of Google Accounts and Google Chromebook in an educational setting. Content focuses on hands-on application of cross-curricular literacy through the use of the Chromebook and Google Documents, and Apps available to the system. Emphasis is given to cloud computing and collaborative technologies for a digital age school. Participants in this class will explore, practice, and incorporate these technological tools in their teaching to improve professional skills and enhance student achievement.

T&L 900.08 – Google DOCs and Google Drive for Teachers: How the Cloud Can Energize Your Classroom (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) professional development graduate credit course will focus on student achievement and its theoretical base as well as provide an in-depth study of the integration of online tools in the classroom. Content focuses on hands-on application of cross-curricular literacy through the use of Google Documents (DOCs), Google Drive and a full range of online tools. Participants will learn the best techniques to create presentations, documents, and videos to foster collaboration and communication between and among students, parents, and fellow teachers. The effective creation and making them available online will be a goal of this class.

T&L 900.82 – Google in the Classroom: Maximize Student Achievement While Computing in the Cloud (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) credit professional development graduate course will focus on student achievement and the theoretical base as well as provide an in-depth study of Google. This class is based on the theory that the way teachers communicate and interact with their students is changing due to the free availability of technology tools that previously had to be purchased or was unavailable. Google has led the way in this regard by providing free email, a suite of tools including word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software. These programs are available on line, from any computer. They are updated as needed and do not take up any space on teacher’s computers. Moreover, all these tools offer collaborative features. Teachers and students can create, share, edit, and comment on documents in real time via the Internet with a free Google account. In addition, audio and video files can be shared as well via YouTube. Even the plain old telephone is included with free calling to anywhere in the United States. Conference calls can be arranged with small groups if needed. Video calls are of course included if desired. A powerful feature called Screenshare allows the teacher to show a class what is on her screen and to demonstrate in real time the steps in a process. These powerful tools are available now and have been designed with teachers in mind.

T&L 900.33 – GRIT: Creating Resilience & Teaching Perseverance for Higher Achievement (P-12)©

Course Description: This 3 credit professional development graduate course has been meticulously designed to provide the background, theory, research and emerging practices on teaching student’s perseverance, stamina, and determination to succeed academically, which will result in higher achievement in school, as well as carry over into their chosen careers. The National Assessment of Education Progress, as part of the Nation’s Report Card, which measure progress of fourth and eighth graders, will begin assessing a student’s level of grit in 2017. This course will provide strategies and methodologies for increasing student achievement by providing ways to teach students tenacity and perseverance, which are multifaceted concepts encompassing goals, challenges, and ways of managing these.

Sociocultural context plays an important role in teaching students to develop grit. It can be a significant determinant of what student’s value and want to accomplish, the types of challenges they face, and the resources they can access. It is well documented that students from high-poverty backgrounds are particularly likely to face greater stress and limited social support for academic achievement— factors which can undermine perseverance toward a wide range of goals. Researchers and educators highlight concerns about the challenges faced by students from other segments of the socioeconomic spectrum. Without GRIT, conceptual learning, creativity, long-term retention, mental health, and ability to deal with “real-world” challenges can be undermined.

Classroom teaching practices to enhance a student’s ability to persevere will be enhanced so that students think at higher levels which, in turn, results in successfully mastering classroom material. These strategies and practices will be shared, studied and assessed, particularly as related to establishing high standards in the classroom, despite a student’s beliefs about their own learning, and unique ways to help students achieve them. These standards include, but are not limited to, developing ways to assist the teacher into immersing themselves into the subject material by creating higher order thinking and questioning skills outside of the preferred intelligence strength or comfort zone of the student. Perseverance to accomplish long-term or higher-order goals in the face of challenges and setbacks, engaging the student’s psychological resources, such as their academic mindsets, effortful control and strategies and tactics will be studied and analyzed. Course methodology will include reviews of relevant research, exploring differing approaches to increase retention, videos, cooperative learning activities, and modeling the practices studied during the course.

T&L 900.62 – Helping Students Get Fit to Learn More Successfully: An Inclusive Approach (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course has been designed to help Classroom Teachers help students understand the benefits of a healthier lifestyle. Participants will review the theoretical base and underlying principles and concepts. According to the best current research, students who are at the “top of their game” physically and emotionally do much better job in their classroom. Students who are active and physically fit are engaged in their own learning and score better on standardized testing measures. Basic concepts, principles and related research will be covered so that participants will be able to master the stated objectives, including the implementation of a Plan of Action with a focus on improving student achievement. Topics will include physical health, mental health, student stress, student posture, general nutrition, body brain connection as it relates to movement and learning. Classroom ideas, materials, strategies, and instant activities will be presented, shared and evaluated. Group sharing, cooperative research, role-playing, and drill and practice time will also be included. Participants will be shown step by step how to incorporate the course contents into transition times using “Daily 3-5 Minute Classroom Warm-ups and Instant activities.”

T&L 900.23 – If They’re Laughing They’re Listening/Using Humor and Creativity in the Classroom (P-12)©

Course Description: This 3 professional development graduate credit education course will provide strategies and methodologies for increasing student achievement by using humor, drama and other novel approaches in the classroom. The theoretical base and underlying concepts and principles are based on Bloom’s Taxonomy and multi-intelligence as well as the recent research indicating clear positive gains in student achievement by incorporating humor and creativity in the classroom. Students will learn to employ imagination and creativity when designing lesson plans, diffusing volatile situations, and motivating students. Research literature is replete with evidence of the benefits of humor including but not limited to; decreased anxiety and stress, improved self-esteem, increased motivation and promotes divergent thinking. Evidence suggests that using techniques for teaching content creatively not only enables learning but demonstrates a correlation between mastery of material and positive response to instructional stimuli. Students will learn that humor, laughter, music and drama are potentially powerful strategies that can be planned into instruction to facilitate learning and achieve specific learning outcomes. They will learn how to make their classroom an exciting and engaging environment for learning by exploring and studying how to modify activities, assignments and tests that incorporate using differing strategies to increase retention. In addition, they will also learn how using new techniques can result in positive social gains for their students. The class interactions will accomplish the end that participants will have a working knowledge and understanding of the course content as well as how to use the information to improve student achievement through the use of ideas, materials, activities and strategies to be shared, analyzed and evaluated.

T&L 900.84 – Implementing Writer’s Workshop In a Way That Works (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course provides teachers with the time to study and analyze Lucy Calkins Writer’s Workshop and the teaching strategies involved. Teachers are expected to study, reflect upon, and write/adapt curriculum to meet the needs of students in writing. Teachers, through their own research, study and implement a classroom writing curriculum using strategies learned from the course and practical application that works with their teaching style.

T&L 900.20 – Inclusion: Round Pegs/Square Holes/Making Them Fit (P-12)©

Course Description: This 3 credit professional development graduate course, Round Pegs Square Holes/Making Them Fit, is designed to give teachers the skills necessary to modify curriculum materials and activities for the special needs student in the regular education classroom. The theoretical base and underlying concepts and principles are based on Bloom’s Taxonomy and multi-intelligence as well as the recent research indicating clear positive gains in student achievement within the special needs populations. The course will provide the student with the information and resources necessary to make accommodations and adaptations for special populations. It is designed to provide new information for the regular classroom teacher, guidance counselors and administrators as well as for the special educator in need of fresh, innovative techniques for working with their special populations in inclusive settings. Students will be guided in how to do easy instructional planning in order to meet I.E.P. goals, develop practical strategies to accommodate wider variance among learners at differing levels of functioning, and learn how to diversity learning outcomes. In addition, emphasis will also be on how to facilitate effective collaboration for inclusion. The class discussions and small group interactions via electronic devices will ensure that students of participants have a working knowledge and understanding of the course content as well as know how to use the information to improve student achievement through the use of ideas, materials, activities and strategies to be shared, analyzed and evaluated.

T&L 900.11 – iPads and Mobile Devices in Our Schools (P-12)©

Course Description: This is a three (3) credit graduate professional development course. More and more, mobile devices like iPod touch, iPads, iPhones, now have texting, voice and multimedia capabilities. This is prompting educators to increasingly use these devices as vehicles for transforming in

P-12 classroom instruction. This course is intended to introduce teachers to the benefits of utilizing these i-devices to improve student achievement through group interactions and project-based activities. The course begins by reviewing the theoretical base and its underlying principles and concepts. This background will then be connected to the strategies and activities to be covered in the course from the latest drill and practice programs through the best assessment tool of electronic portfolios. Participants will learn how to easily create summative and formative assessments for their students. Participants will also learn how to develop helpful links to websites, photos and attachments using the iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. Communication will thus be improved for both students and parents via email and cloud-based programs. Participants will learn to use a wide variety of mobile devices including iPod, iPod touch, iPad to support learning across the curriculum. Lots of ideas, materials, activities and strategies will be shared, analyzed and evaluated. Sample lesson plans and needed templates will be provided. Participants will gain further understanding of internet resources, iPad applications, eBooks, videos, and more that allow for a variety learning preferences.

T&L 900.83 – Lesson Creation and the Common Core (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course provides teachers with the time to study and analyze the Common Core Standards as they apply to their curricular area and their classrooms. The course will cover the theoretical base and underlying principles and concepts. Teachers are expected to study, reflect upon, and write/adapt curriculum to meet the CCSS in their subject area. Creating lessons for their classrooms will be the heart of the course. Teachers will, through their own research, study and implement the standards specific to the areas they teach. Many teaching ideas, materials, strategies and activities will be shared, analyzed, and evaluated to the end that students of participants will experience improved performance and higher levels of achievement.

T&L 900.16 – Monet: His Life and Works (P-12)©

Course Description: This three credit graduate course in Paris has been designed to introduce the teachers to major impressionist artists’ private lives, great works as well as the history of the art movement, for which he is so famously known. The course will cover the theory, principles and concepts of the Impressionism period. As well, the course will demonstrate how teachers can integrate these learning into meaningful and exciting classroom curriculum units and projects. Many teaching ideas, materials, strategies and activities will be shared, analyzed and evaluated to the end that students of participants will experience improved performance and higher levels of achievement.

T&L 900.38- Mosquitoes in Our World: A to Zika!

Course Description: Mosquitoes have bedeviled humans for centuries, spreading disease and death to millions. Today, the latest plague they bring is the Zika virus. Mosquitoes are perhaps the most dangerous animals in the world and are the primary vectors for major human diseases such as yellow fever, malaria, and dengue fever, which together infect hundreds of millions of humans worldwide and kill millions each year.

In this course, you will have the opportunity to explore mosquitoes. You will learn the biology of basic mosquito, and them delve into the different genus and species that exist in our world today. You will be able to learn how to observe and collect specimens for your classroom and to have access to resources that will enable you to create a thematic unit of study for your students on this important organism.

T&L 900.45 – Norman Rockwell’s 20^th Century America (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course is intended to provide a thorough review of the life and work of one of America’s best known artists – Norman Rockwell, including his Wisconsin connection. Rockwell’s works will be tied to the larger theoretical base of art with it’s underlying principles and concepts. This background is intended to introduce classroom teachers to the story of the 20^th Century as depicted by Norman Rockwell through his illustrations for magazines such as Boys’ Life, Saturday Evening Post, Look and many others. This will give participants the information necessary to develop a curriculum to look at America through the ups and downs of everyday life…“America as I would like it to be…” as depicted by Norman Rockwell. The main curriculum assignment will be organized around a mini unit project assignment focusing on student achievement and higher level thinking skills. The content will be covered with power point presentations, slides, video clips, cooperative learning activities, as well as ongoing reflection. Teachers taking this course will learn how to help their students benefit because of the many ideas, materials, strategies and activities to be presented, shared, analyzed and evaluated.

T&L 900.17 – Ooey Gooey Apps – Google and Apple Apps, Extensions and Web Tools for the 21^st Century Classroom (P-12)©

Course Description: This 3 professional development graduate credit education course will focus on increasing student engagement while building 21st Century Skills in collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking, and citizenship through google apps and extensions, iPad and iPod apps, and online web tools. Apps, Extensions, and Web (AEW) tools will take a close look at how 21st Century learners think. AEW will give teachers and administrators practical experience in implementing and using the power of the technology to increase student engagement, differentiate for all learners, and increase learning in classrooms. The course covers best practices, theoretical research, and hands-on cross curricular literacy through the use of Chromebooks and Macs, iPads, and iPods. Participants in this class will explore, practice, and learn how to incorporate these technological tools in the teaching to improve their own productivity and enhance student achievement and motivation.

T&L 900.02 – Personal Fitness and Wellness for Teachers(P-12)©

Course Description: This three credit professional development graduate course has been carefully designed around the National goals articulated by the new US Secretary of Education in the areas of student wellness and fitness and to introduce teachers to the need for and benefits of a healthy lifestyle for everyone, to the end that it will have a positive effect on student achievement. Teachers who are at the “top of their game” physically do a much better job in their classroom according to the research. Students who are active and physically fit are engaged in their own learning and do better on student achievement scores. The theoretical base as well as underlying concepts, principles and related research will be covered so that participants will be able to master the stated objectives, including the implementation of a Plan of Action. Topics will include nutrition, cardiovascular, weight management, strength training and stress management. Classroom ideas, materials, strategies, and activities will be presented and evaluated.

T&L 900.13 – Pop Art: 1960’s America (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course has been carefully designed to introduce teachers to the art of 1960’s America. The course will review the theoretical base and foundations of the Pop Art movement and its related basic principles and concepts. Pop Art embraced the common and everyday popular images of America, and this course will explore this important part of our history. The course will also focus on how this important part of Americana can be used to capture student interest to the end that student achievement can be strengthened and improved. A painting of a Campbell’s soup can or Coca Cola bottle became a piece of fine art to be displayed in an art museum as well as in endless advertisements. Who are these artists? Why did they create this art movement? Both will be reviewed in detail. Lots of ideas, materials, strategies and activities will be shared, analyzed and evaluated to the end that all will contribute to helping students of course participants achieve at higher levels.

T&L 900.21 – RAISE: Raising Achievement Improve Scores and Engagement (P-12)©

Course Description: This 3 credit professional development graduate course has been meticulously designed to provide the background, theory, research and emerging practices on raising student achievement. This course will provide strategies and methodologies for increasing student achievement by providing ways to improve classroom teaching practices to the end that students think at higher levels thereby raising assessment scores. These strategies and practices will be shared, studied and assessed, particularly as related to establishing high standards in the classroom and ways to help students achieve them. These standards include, but are not limited to, developing higher order thinking and questioning skills, application of Response to Intervention, and an understanding of Bloom’s Taxonomy in order to coordinate it with their schools standards and objectives. This course will also provide specific school and classroom ideas as well as powerful approaches that can be planned into instruction to facilitate learning and achieve specific learning outcomes. Course methodology will include reviews of relevant research, exploring differing approaches to increase retention, power point presentations, videos, cooperative learning activities, and modeling the practices studied during the course.

T&L 900.59 – Reaching Out With 9 Teacher Habits to Ensure Higher Achievement for All Students (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course is designed to take a new look at classroom teachers behavior with the intent of helping participants stretch students to higher achievement levels. As a result, this over overarching outcome of taking the course will be the intended mastery of 9 Teaching Habitsã. Specific materials, ideas, strategies and activities needed to support the “Habits” will be presented.

T&L 900.19 – Reaching the Reluctant Learner (P-12)©

Course Description: All teachers and administrators have and/or are currently experiencing students who are creating a difficult professional challenge. These students are usually behind academically, socially, and/or behaviorally. This three-credit professional development graduate credit course is designed to help classroom teachers and administrators work more effectively with students characterized as resistant or underachievers. A theoretical and conceptual base grounded in current research will be covered to support the practical approach to the course. In addition to reviewing relevant research, theories, concepts and principles, it will cover diagnostic/prescriptive procedures, motivation, matching styles, reinforcement options, delivery variables, instructional planning, teaching/learning strategies and a generic process to follow with such students. Lots of classroom ideas, materials, strategies and activities will be presented, shared and evaluated to the end that the achievement levels of reluctant learners as well as others will be improved.

Course Description: This uplifting, experiential three (3) professional development graduate credit education course is designed for K-12 administrators and teachers. Based on current literature from the fields of education, leadership, management, personal change and human resources, this course will assist participants in rediscovering their initial career bliss and harnessing those reasons that initially inspired them to choose a career in the field of education. The course will also infuse their professional lifestyle along with a look at balancing it with their personal lives. The course is also designed to provide practicing educators as well as others in the field of education with the opportunity to examine where they are in their profession while making a concerted effort to balance both their personal and professional lives. Participants will identify past positive experiences as well as their present needs as an educator. They will also recollect past accomplishments and learn practical strategies to keep those accomplishments “on the forefront” to help them stay rejuvenated. Upon completion of a review of current research, review and reflection activities, participants will also write a personal and professional life mission statement which will then be used for part of their rejuvenation Plan of Action. Lots of ideas materials, activities and strategies will be shared, analyzed and evaluated.

Course Description: This 3 professional development graduate credit education course has been designed to investigate teaching dynamics necessary for coaching sports. Information from successful sport coaches will allow the assimilation of useful methods to build enhance classroom methods. Participants will review the theoretical base and underlying principles and concepts. In addition, participants will examine and read articles on sport coaching skills and develop plans that demonstrate progress in meeting course goals and objectives. The intended outcome of the course will be a sharpening of present skills and view classroom teaching as related to sports coaching. Classroom teachers incorporating sport coaching methods will increase a variety of techniques to improve student success. Many ideas, materials, strategies and activities will be shared and evaluated.

Course Description: This online three (3) credit professional development graduate course has been carefully designed around research of the last fifty (50) years, which indicates that teachers as well as administrators are working in an ever-more stressful work environment. The course begins with a study of its theoretical base as presented by Mazzone and others. Based on the heralded research of Dr. Hans Selye, M.D., plus the applied classroom research of the instructor, this course focuses on the basic stressors facing the educators and students and the related principles, concepts and theories. Equally important, the course covers a wide variety of instructional strategies which, if followed, will result in higher student achievement levels. Finally, participants will learn how to implement and value specific practical classroom ideas, materials, tools, and activities for effective interventions in the better management of classroom stress and energy levels.

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course has been meticulously designed to provide the background, theory, research and emerging practices on reenergizing and transforming a teacher’s enthusiasm for the profession thereby raising student achievement. This course will provide strategies and methodologies for increasing student achievement by providing ways to connect with students and empower the classroom climate, thereby improving classroom teaching practices to the end that students think at higher levels which in turn results in successfully mastering classroom material. These strategies and practices will be shared, studied and assessed, particularly as related to establishing high standards in the classroom and unique ways to help students achieve them. These standards include, but are not limited to, developing ways to assist the teacher into immersing themselves into the subject material by creating higher order thinking and questioning skills, engaging students by creating varying lessons, enhance classroom management by creating a safe classroom environment, understand that creativity is a skill that continually needs to be worked upon, and how to apply those skills to the end that the teacher sees progress thereby reenergizing themselves. Evidence suggests that using techniques for teaching content creatively not only enables learning but demonstrates a correlation between mastery of material and positive response to instructional stimuli. This course will also provide specific classroom hooks as well as powerful approaches that can be planned into instruction to facilitate learning and achieve specific learning outcomes. Course methodology will include reviews of relevant research, exploring differing approaches to increase retention, videos, cooperative learning activities, and modeling the practices studied during the course.

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course provides teachers with an opportunity to broaden their own knowledge of current instructional strategies. Teachers will research best practice in an area of classroom need, choose a topic of study and instructional goals to implement, choose a professional resource text that supports their goals (with instructor approval), and proceed to implement those changes within the classroom setting. The instructional changes will be discussed through class interactions and written about in reflections. A final analysis of the overall success of the instructional change will be the course summation.

Course Description: When teachers nurture their own reading lives, they become better teachers of readers. Students not only appreciate teachers who share in the joys of reading, they need their teachers to read beside them. Inspire kids to read by sharing in the reading. Learn how you can employ modeling through guided reading, read-alouds, reading workshops, and reading time. Inspire children to do as you do rather than as you say.

Course Description: This 3 credit professional development graduate course builds on the updated theories, concepts, principles and research of the Individualized Learning Movement as earlier popularized by Goodlad, Anderson, Pino, and others. Such basic tenets as individual delivery components, team teaching, non-graded progression, assessment and placement, multi-age grouping, classroom climate and the open classroom will be covered to the end that participants will be able to help students improve their academic achievement based on this individual approach. Lots of materials, activities, strategies and ideas will be shared, analyzed and evaluated.

Course Description: This three (3) credit professional development graduate course has been carefully designed around the research of the last fifty (50) years, which indicates that teachers as well as administrators are working in an ever-more stressful work environment. The course begins with a study of its theoretical base as presented by Lawlis and others. Based on the heralded research of Dr. Hans Selye, M.D., plus the applied classroom research of the instructor, this course focuses on the basic stressors facing the educators and students and the related principles, concepts and theories. Equally important, the course covers a wide variety of instructional strategies which, if followed, will result in higher student achievement levels. Finally, students of course participants will learn how to implement and value specific practical classroom ideas, materials, tools, and activities for effective interventions in the better management of classroom stress and energy levels.

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course will show you how to make sense of all the new technological devices and learn the difference between an app and an extension, will have you blogging in no time, but also show you how to teach your students to have a responsible digital footprint. All work will be online, and at your own pace. Webpages, twitter, blogging, smart boards, Facebook, Pinterest, infographs, and more is all just a step away! Bring your classroom into the 21st Century and have a blast! Your students will love it.

T&L 900.09 – The Flipped Classroom: Create, Collaborate and Communicate With the Best On-Line Practices to Engage Your Students, Colleagues, and Parents (P-12)©

Course Description: This three (3) professional development graduate credit education course will focus on student achievement and its theoretical base as well as provide an in-depth study of the integration of on line tools in the classroom. Content focuses on hands-on application of cross-curricular literacy through the use of tools such as PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Documents, and a full range of online tools for use in developing a Flipped Classroom teaching model. Participants will learn the best techniques to create presentations, documents, and videos to foster collaboration and communication between and among students, parents, and fellow teachers. The effective creation and making the presentations, documents, and videos available on line will be a goal of this class. Participants will explore the potential of the “Flipped” Classroom to engage all learners and maximize student achievement. Lots of strategies, materials and activities will be presented, shared, analyzed and evaluated to the end that student achievement levels will improve.

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course has been designed to introduce teachers to the art movements and styles of the 5^th Century BC to the 21st Century, and how to incorporate this art into the curriculum using Bloom’s taxonomy as a guide. Relevant concepts, ideas, theories and principles will be presented in multimedia lectures, followed by class discussion and small group interaction so that participants will have a working knowledge and understanding of the course content as well as how to use the information in their professional setting. Focus will be on helping students improve their academic achievement in this domain. Teachers taking this course will learn how to help their students benefit because of the many ideas, materials, strategies and activities to be presented, shared, analyzed, and evaluated.

Course Description: This three (3) credit professional development graduate course is intended to provide broad based knowledge of teaching state history as dictated by the Wisconsin state standards. These standards reflect the history of the State as reflected by the research assignments. Cultural, ethnic, economic, environmental, scientific, industrial, political, and historical perspectives will be discussed in order to strengthen student knowledge and understanding of Wisconsin heritage. These content areas will be related to the theoretical base and relevant methods of instruction. This course will aid in student understanding of the role Wisconsin plays nationally and globally, while examining the importance of Wisconsin state history as part of the P-12 curriculum. The projected outcome is to provide classroom teachers, especially (but not only) those required to teach this topic at both the elementary and secondary levels, with the knowledge, understanding, and methodologies needed to help students of participants achieve higher achievement levels in their knowledge of Wisconsin history. Many new ideas, materials, strategies, and activities will be presented, shared, analyzed, and evaluated.

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course has been designed to introduce the teachers to Presidents of the USA and the history of their time in office. The theoretical base and underlying concepts and principles as well as the recent research showing positive gains in student achievement when American history and achievements of the presidents are properly studied will be presented in power point lectures and cooperating learning activities. Class discussions and small group interaction will follow to the end that participants will have a working knowledge and understanding of the course content as well as how to use the information to improve student achievement. Many teaching ideas, materials, strategies and activities will be shared, analyzed and evaluated to the end that students of participants will experience improved performance and higher levels of achievement.

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course has been designed to acquaint teachers with the Italian art masters of the Renaissance. This course will help participants unlock the secrets hidden in the Italian art master’s paintings to the end that they will be better able to convey this knowledge to their students. The result will be improved student achievement, particularly as the content relates to the history and art of the period. The course will present the theory and underlying concepts and principles related to the topic and will decode the symbols in the paintings of Botticelli, Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Mantegna, Masaccio, Uccello, and many others. The course will help participants know why they will be a much better teacher when they know and understand how to more effectively decode the symbols of renaissance Italian art. Secret messages and sacred symbols will be revealed in the artist’s use of color, perspective, imagery, etc. A knowledge of these symbols will give fresh insight on the artists and art of this time. Many teaching ideas, materials, strategies and activities will be shared, analyzed and evaluated to the end that students of participants will experience improved performance and higher levels of student achievement.

Course Description: Whether or not we look at the whole child, the whole child is looking at us. Considering the whole child will help educators engage students’ minds so they can learn needed skills. In this three (3) credit professional development graduate course, participants will study the theoretical base and underlying concepts, principles and research as well as a variety of proven techniques including service learning, meaningful and appropriate expectations, emotional involvement, the power of positive relationships, and effective praise. This course will help educators replenish their repertoire of proven techniques and renew their energy and enthusiasm for educating youth to the end that student achievement will improve. Lots of ideas, materials, strategies and activities will be shared, analyzed and evaluated.

Course Description: This three-credit graduate professional development course will instruct educators in a new method for behavior change called Tiny Habits®. Tiny Habits® is a research based way to create habits in your life. This method is a breakthrough because teachers, their students, and the classroom can succeed without relying on willpower or motivation. K-12 teachers will be able to directly add the Tiny Habits® method to their Instructional Strategies, Classroom Management, and or Social Life Skills for instructional improvement. The most powerful aspect of the Tiny Habits® method is the “success momentum” that develops from the use of Tiny Habits®. The Tiny Habits® method is developed by Sanford University Behavioral Scientist, Dr. BJ Fogg and all facets of the course will focus on his research based approach to behavior change.

Course Description: This three (3) credit professional development graduate course has been designed to use local, state, national, or international historical sites as a source for developing curriculum and is designed to give an understanding of the theoretical base with underlying principles and concepts thereof. Visiting these sites (online and or in person) for information will assist in complimenting this theoretical base. Participants will visit carefully selected (and approved) locations for information, determine areas of interest, and demonstrate progress in meeting course goals and objectives. The intended outcome of the course will be to build content around aspects of information gained from the visits. Participants will use this new knowledge base to strengthen related concepts, skills and values in areas of the common core curriculum. Lots of strategies, materials and activities will be presented, shared, analyzed and evaluated so that student achievement levels will improve.

Course Description: This one (1) credit graduate professional development course focuses on joining the fascinating world of Pinterest, a social media website that contains a wealth of ideas that you can incorporate into your classroom beginning with a strong theoretical base. You will have the experience of exploring this social media site and acquire the ability to double your “teaching bag of tricks.” This course focuses on dividing Pinterest into four different categories: (1) curate content, (2) organization, (3) collaboration, and (4) engage students and teachers. Students will improve their knowledge of organizing and curating content using technological tools. This course will promote the use of emerging and innovative technology through instruction that will enhance the learning atmosphere.

T&L 900.60 – Using The Latest Available Electronic Tools, Including Mobile Devices, To Transform Teaching and Learning in the Classroom (P-12)©

Course Description: More and more, mobile devices – including Smart phones, iphones, cell phones, and blackberries –now have texting, voice, and multimedia capabilities. This is prompting educators to increasingly use these devices as vehicles for transforming P-12 classroom instruction. This three (3) credit graduate professional development course is intended to introduce teachers to the benefits of utilizing many electronic tools, including mobile devices, to improve student achievement through group interactions and project-based activities. The course begins by reviewing the theoretical base and its underlying principles and concepts. This background will then be connected to the strategies and activities to be covered in the course from the latest drill and practice programs through the best assessment tool of electronic portfolios. Participants will learn how to easily post homework assignments, schedule changes, calendars and due dates. Participants will also learn how to develop helpful links to websites, photos and attachments using available mobile devices. Communication will thus be improved for both students and parents via email and iNotes.Participants will learn to use a wide variety of mobile devices including ipod, ipod touch, ipad and Nintendo DS to support learning across the curriculum. Lots of ideas, materials, activities and strategies will be shared, analyzed and evaluated. Sample lesson plans and needed templates will be provided.

Course Description: This three (3) credit professional development graduate course has been designed to introduce teachers to children’s books through the art of illustrators. This course will explore the history of illustration and the illustrators of children’s books. Basic theories, concepts and principles used by the illustrators will be studied and compared. Classroom ideas, materials, strategies, and activities will be presented and shared to the end that students of participants will achieve at higher visual literacy skills levels.

Course Description: This three (3) credit professional development graduate course has been designed to teach non-technical Teachers how to build an Educational Website utilizing a Web Design template/program. No technical knowledge of programming is required in this self-paced step by step process. The instructor will walk you though from design and setup to being live on the Internet while including a strong theoretical base using underlying principles and concepts. Learn how to effectively use and implement a wide variety of electronic learning tools and activities for your classroom such as; On-line Digital Photos, Video, Power Points, Educational blogs and Web-Based Communications for collaborating on digital materials, units, stories, documentaries and activities. This Online course is designed for the novice internet user wishing to create a Web page and improve communication and provide digital learning opportunities for students and parents. Sample and easy to use lesson plans, templates and activities will be provided and used. Lots of ideas, materials, strategies and activities will be shared, analyzed and evaluated to the end that students of participants will benefit from better access to research, homework assignments, parental cooperation and improved performance and achievement.

Course Description: This three (3) credit graduate professional development course has been designed to introduce teachers to women artists from the Renaissance to the 20th century. The theoretical base and underlying concepts and principles as well as the recent research showing positive gains in student achievement when art history and personalities are studied will be presented in Power Point lectures. Class discussion and small group interaction will follow so that participants will have a working knowledge and understanding of the course content as well as how to use the information to help improve student achievement. Lots of ideas, materials, activities, and strategies will be shared, analyzed, and evaluated.

Course Description: This three (3) credit professional development graduate course provides teachers with the time to study and analyze the concepts of bullying and classroom community as they apply to their curricular area and students. Teachers will have an overview of bullying: definition, how to recognize it, and how to address it. Teachers will also, through their own research, study and implement a classroom community specific to the prevention of bullying of their students.

Course Description: This 3 credit professional development graduate course will cover the theoretical base with underlying principles and concepts of the course content as well as providing strategies and methodologies for setting up school environments to teach boys successfully. The course will review the latest research about the male brain, as well as study new techniques for helping boys’ minds grow and learn. The focus of the class is on providing practical help for teachers in adapting the classroom environment to fit the boy’s learning styles and needs. Currently, more boys than girls in the classroom chronically under-perform, receive a disproportionate number of lower grades, are vastly overrepresented in special education, and score more poorly on state tests. They particularly score the lowest in reading, writing, and language arts. Students in this class will address the reasons for the aforementioned, as well as ways to reverse this trend in schools by discovering strategies to keep them actively engaged in classroom activities, finding techniques for increasing their commitment to school success, and developing tools for helping them deal with the unique social and emotional problems they face in school. Specific focus will be given to student achievement and lots of related ideas, materials, strategies and activities will be shared, analyzed and evaluated.