Best of the Web for Education
George Sabato, Retired Teacher
Discover a website with links to the best internet sites supporting social studies, language arts, math, science, the arts, research, homework help, news, museums, GATE, ELL, translation software and technology for teachers, students and parents. Learn how to use a free site builder to create your own website. This portal is recommended by the California Council for the Social Studies.  

 

Using Google Apps with Elementary/Middle School Students
Diane Main, Milpitas Christian School
Yes, you can use Google Apps with younger students! Learn how Google Docs, Sites and other online, collaborative tools found in Google Apps for Education can foster better student engagement and achievement throughout your curriculum. See student projects and hear lessons learned along the way about how to manage them. Free resources will be shared.  

 

California Update for Online Education
Joyce Hinkson, California Department of Education
Find out what is happening with online education in the Golden State. Learn about current state projects, online learning models, free resources and legislation. Hear from a district superintendent how online education is being implemented at the district, school, and county levels to individualize instruction and promote student success. Bring your questions and share your ideas related to online education in California.

  

Explore, Enrich and Engage: NASA Solar System Programs
Eileen Bradford, NASA Solar Systems Educators
Come learn how to utilize fun, easy-to use online tools from NASA to enhance your science and literacy study.  Gain hands-on experience accessing NASA online tools for missions as diverse as Cassini, Kepler, Messenger and the new roving lab on Mars, Curiosity.  Educational tools include lesson plans, activities, hands-on labs for STEM topics, literacy and art. Engage and motivate students with a variety of programs that you can tailor to your specific grade level standards and needs....and it's all FREE!  

 

Creative Podcasting: Cabo Verde Tenth Island Project
Bob Barboza, Super School University
In this project-based leaning session you will learn how we use creative podcasting, iPads and iPhones that support our Enhanced STEM Programs. Participants will learn about Jr. Medical School, Jr. Business School, Kids Talk Radio and the Cabo Verde Tenth Island Project.  New and updated teacher and student productivity hardware and software will be demonstrated.  

 

Malcolm Baldrige: Seven Criteria for Achieving Excellence and Supportive Interventions
Paul Rodriguez, Montebello Unified School District
The Malcolm Baldrige Award was established with seven criteria providing a framework for achieving excellence.  Each organization is unique.  Each has its own culture, based on its history, its location, the services it offers and the environment within which it is located.  As schools and districts began to explore continuous improvement through quality, the Malcolm Baldrige process began to explore the feasibility of adding criteria for educational organizations.  The Malcolm Baldrige process offers schools and districts an opportunity to achieve higher levels of success if quality is practiced within the Baldrige framework.  

 

Specialized Google Search for Education
Mark Wagner, EdTechTeam, Inc.
Learn to access information, locate timely research, and share resources. Google Books makes the world’s greatest libraries searchable from any computer - and makes it possible to share relevant books with colleagues or students. Google Scholar provides meaningful access to scholarly research over time. Google News aggregates thousands of news sources so important information rises to the top, and Google Blogsearch helps make sense of the social web as it happens. Put these tools (and others) to use in support of your school’s mission. Come learn the newest tips and tricks that educators and students can use right away.  

 

Protecting Teen Workers: Online OSHA-Approved Training Certification
Bob Tyra, CareerSafe
Every year, more than 200,000 young workers are injured on the job, and 70,000 of them require emergency room or hospital treatment. Learn about the leading reasons for these statistics and potential danger areas that your students may encounter.   A 10 hour online OSHA approved certification training class can help young workers "start safe, stay safe," and provide them with a critical job skill for their first resume and job.  

 

Read Naturally: RTI that Works!
Donn Shallenberger, Read Naturally, Inc.
Reading fluency and comprehension are essential to any meaningful Response to Intervention program. Read Naturally is an easily accessible intervention that can be used in classrooms or in computer labs, is highly motivating, and has won numerous national awards for its effectiveness. Learn how the program can be incorporated at your site without purchasing any materials. Receive instruction and materials to return to your site, assess students' fluency levels, and identify who needs help now.  

 

The Organized Binder: An Innovative Model to Improve Literacy
Mitch Weathers, Sequoia High School
With The Organized Binder, your classroom will become an organized, highly structured and dependable environment with clear expectations that will boost literacy and allow all students to succeed. Receive a copy of a hands-on, tangible organization system that will challenge and rework your pedagogy.  You will leave seeing the teaching-learning experience in a new light, and as a result you and your students will achieve in ways you may have thought were impossible.  

  

Technology to Engage Students' Minds without Losing Yours
Marie Sontag, Union Middle School
Explore ways to use PowerPoint, wikis, the SMART Notebook, free game creation and 3D animation (Alice) programs to actively engage students' minds without losing yours!  Learn five steps of technology integration that will empower your students to succeed, whether you are a tech newbie or a guru. See examples and handouts showing how you can easily integrate these applications into your everyday lessons to improve students’ comprehension, retention and transfer.  

 

Growing Mighty Learners: Intentional Gains in Learning as a Result of a Community of Caring
Leslie Miller, Kwis Elementary School
Learn how to identify your Mighty 20 students -- those who are passive learners and scored Basic for 2 or more years on the CST.  We will demonstrate how to implement a school community approach to lead these students to proficiency and academic success. Participants will receive resources to be able to return and implement the process immediately.  

 

A 21st-Century Take on the Middle Ages
Susan Kendall, Carmel Unified School District
Learn about Web.2.0 and other techniques and technologies to teach 7th-grade social studies. Explore forums, collaborative Google Docs, flip cameras, and online tests. Your students will be engaged and excited about the Middle Ages! Bring your laptop for best results. *** NOTE TO CCLS: It is imperative that we have an internet connection for both us and our participants in this session.***  

 

Turn Disruptive Moments into Learning Moments
Bruce Greene, Center for Teacher Effectiveness
Educators on average are losing 5-9 hours a week on lower-level discipline challenges. Low-level disruptions are stealing precious instruction time. Academics and discipline go hand in hand. You will learn how to eliminate warnings and multiple requests. You will learn how to increase academics, decrease discipline challenges, gain parent support, and empower all educators. You will be encouraged and challenged to implement strategies and techniques that will change the classroom and campus climate immediately. Educators have reported a 70% +  success rate in reducing discipline using these techniques and strategies.  

 

Why iPads Are Changing Everything
Warren Dale, Mulholland Middle School
After Johannes Gutenberg invented movable type, it took Europe 150 years to stabilize. Now handheld computing devices are doing it again! Connected directly to the world’s information and enhanced with real-time video, camera, text and GPS tools, these devices are entering our classrooms! If you are looking for ways to jump-start student achievement, capture parent interest and save money, bring your smart phone and get ready to learn.  

 

Flipteaching: Shifting the Instruction-Homework Paradigm through Screencasting
Ramsey Musallam, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory
Flipteaching or reverse instruction is an increasingly popular methodology that moves instruction to the homework setting using teacher produced, annotated and narrated screencasts so teachers are free to create dynamic, student-centered classrooms. Explore the research, cross-disciplinary variations and production specifics of flipteaching. Learn a cost-effective way to flip your teaching overnight.  

 

Cyberbullying: From the Playground to Cyberspace
Bob Price, Empire Union School District
Balancing freedom of speech issues with campus safety can be a confusing and challenging task.  Discover a framework for dealing with cyberbullying that takes into account the latest legal decisions and provides guidance for determining when schools can take disciplinary action for off-campus cyber misbehavior. Receive a CD of resources for dealing with cyberbullying and establishing policies for responsibile social networking.  

 

The 21st-Century Literature Circle
Tiffani Brown, Rio Seco
The literature circle has been a long-standing staple of many language arts programs. Learn to adapt traditional literature circle roles to “power roles” through technology, social media and software tools. This modern makeover fosters student understanding, incorporates NETS standards, layers in 21st-century skills, and meets standards for comprehension, writing, and critical thinking.  

 

Comic Software: Building Writing Skills
Jennifer Redd, San Jose State University
See how you can incorporate comic software into the curriculum to encourage learning, promote creativity and support writing in the classroom. Explore different comic software, create a potential student project (based on your own class and linked to the common core) and engage in discussion with fellow educators.  

 

Connect with Your Students Using Google Voice
Sean Williams
Your students send over 3,000 text messages a month but never email you with questions. Meet them on their terms by using Google Voice and keep your privacy. In this session a Google Certified Teacher will show you how to set up your free Google Voice account and share how he currently uses it with his high school classes. You'll set up your own account and settings so you can be ready to use the service at the end of the session.  

 

One Doc-Cam, One Computer, One Projector: Now What?
Cindy Ulrich, Alta Sierra Intermediate School
In this session you will learn how to effectively combine a document camera, computer and projector into a powerful teaching tool. You'll learn about fun, free websites to incorporate into your instruction to reinforce and produce engaging lessons. Examples will be shown that motivate middle school students and can be used in all content areas. Bring a blank CD and I will burn a “game” CD for you!  

 

Mobile Devices as Assessment Tools
Deborah Dotson, Logical Choice Technologies
There are literally dozens of student response systems to pick from, but now you can use what the students already have in their hands!  See Promethean's latest addition - the mobile version of ActivEngage.  We will show how to integrate mobile devices with our software and assessments tools. If they are going to text - let it be with formative and summative assessment data to you!  

 

Google Forms for Assessment, Classroom Walk-throughs and Interventions
Jody Oliver, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools
Google Docs and Forms can be used by teachers to create free formative assessments that display results in real time. Administrators can design a classroom walk-through observation form that can be filled in using an iPad or smartphone; results are automatically saved on a spreadsheet. Teams can use student data to guide PLC conversations. Obtain the basic skills and samples to produce your own assessments.  

 

Small School, Big Tech: The iPad Edition
Andrew Schwab, Le Grand Union High School District
In this session, we will share with you lessons learned from our recent 1:1 iPad implementation in 9th and 10th grades. From funding strategies and technical requirements through professional development, classroom instruction and managing expectations, we'll talk about what worked, what didn't and what we plan to do differently next year when we add 11th grade into the mix.  

 

Photo Booths are Fun, Educational and Profitable
Glenn Branaman, Vaca Pena Middle School
Using many items you already have and some software, you can make a photo booth and include pictures in the school year book. I use a photo booth for fundraising at dances and other events. Students have a great time and my special needs students loved it. Check it out! Build your own!  

 

RTI and the Web: Engagement and Learning in One Place
Robin Duncan, Peoples Education
Learn how the online program MyQuest can provide engagement and academic success to your struggling students. MyQuest uses a self-leveling algorithm to help students work at an individual pace in math and English Language Arts, Built-in feedback, rewards and incentives keep students engaged and excited. Immediate  reports provide teachers with the performance data they need to differentiate instruction in a timely manner. Each participant will receive a classroom set of student licenses to use with their students for the current school year.  

 

I Have People for That, Don't I?
Jim Connolly, Experienced Administrator
Do you need to be a “Techie Administrator”? School leaders face many demands, and it’s easy to delegate things we have less knowledge in. Technology is often one of those items, but it shouldn't be. Learn quick and easy ways to provide technology leadership and support cloud computing, social media, Skype and podcasting in the classroom.  

 

SumoPaint: Free Web-Based Image Editing Software
Cynthia Singh, San Carlos School
SumoPaint is a better image editing software than Photoshop! It is faster and free, provides mobility and freedom, and lets students and teachers create magnificent art portfolios and share them online. There are hundreds of video tutorials to engage and motivate your students, and online storage means you can log in to your portfolio from any computer.  

 

Intervention Driven by Spiraling Assessments
Keith Smith, Pacent Learning Solutions
Explore results achieved through close alignment of core math instruction, a targeted intervention program, and action-based reporting. Learn the key elements of this approach and the important elements required to make intervention manageable for teachers and meaningful to students.  

 

Saturday, January 14

 

So… What’s New in Google Lit Trips?
Jerome Burg, Google Lit Trips
Are you a fan of Google Lit Trips? Come find out what’s new in this internationally acclaimed literature project, from new student publishing possibilities to worldwide teacher/student collaboration options and new mobile device resources. See new learning activities from educators and students from around the world. Everything is absolutely free!

  

Smartphones in My Classroom: Works for Me
Warren Dale, Mulholland Middle School
We are now in the post-PC era; half of our cell phones are smart phones that fundamentally change the way users relate to the world. We are at the dawn of a new era of literacy and differentiation! Bring your phone and explore how to use these tools to ignite curiosity, creativity and 21st-century learning that is in the classroom but connected with the world.  

 

What Students Really Want and Need as 21st-Century Learners
Avis Williams, Williams Technology Middle School
Social networking, gaming, Skype, Moodle…the options are endless! But what type of technology in the classroom matters most, and what do students need to be prepared for success in our global society? Research derived from students, K-12 teachers, college professors and business leaders will help equip teachers and administrators to be true 21st-century educators.  

 New Sally Ride Key Concepts and SPARKlab Inquiry
Jason Lovell, PASCO scientific
“SPARK" up your Middle School Physical, Earth and Life Science classrooms by learning key concepts through hands-on, probeware-based activities with the New Sally Ride Key Concepts/SPARKlab series.  

 

iPod Touch + Google Docs = An Interactive Newspaper!
Amy Murphy, Del Dios Middle School
See how students can use the mobility of the iPod Touch and the real-time collaboration of Google Docs to create a school newspaper. Bring your iPod Touch, smartphone or laptop and participate in the process students use to write, edit and publish. We'll share digital resources and discuss project management, journalism basics and e-publishing options.  

 

Google Docs for Educators
Mark Wagner, EdTechTeam, Inc.
This one free tool can revolutionize the way educators and students collaborate. Google Docs is an online office suite that allows you to create, edit, share, and publish documents, including spreadsheets and presentations. Real time collaboration is easy with simultaneous editing, comments (with discussion features), and a sidebar chat. Learn strategies for creating common assessments, sharing best practices, and capturing the conversation - even between meetings. Google Docs can even be used for data collection and analysis. Come learn the newest tips and tricks that educators and students can use right away.  

 

Online Learning’s Promise, Potential and Pitfalls
Brian Bridges, California Learning Resource Network
How is online learning disrupting education, why do schools and students choose online courses, how should you prepare, and what are the drawbacks of adopting eLearning too quickly? How can you ensure that online courses are high quality? Examine the current state of online education, the reasons for its dramatic growth, and how schools can prepare for eLearning.  

 

Student Tech Leadership Intersects with California Standards
Justin Locketz, Central County Occupational Center
Hear from students and teachers how they use the nonprofit MOUSE Squad's Student Tech online STEM curriculum and hands-on activities to provide cost-effective tech support and leadership at their school. Participate in a Computer in a Box activity and gain ideas for standards-aligned after-school or in-class tech programs.  

 

Intervention Strategies Foster Independence for All Learners
Suzanne Feit, Cambium Learning Technologies
Middle school students often struggle with content demands and are challenged by vocabulary, comprehension or writing tasks. Explore a digital literacy toolbox that offers lifelong learning support, access to print and content area materials, and teacher monitoring of student progress via web accessed assignments. Get a free 30-day trial of the Kurzweil 3000 literacy software.

  

Teacher Belief Systems and Retention
David Franklin, Alum Rock Union Elementary School District
Studies indicate that the negative effects of student retention far outweigh any short-term benefits. Students of diverse ethnicity are recommended far more for retention than their white counterparts. Examine the links between teacher demographics and retention and learn about valuable alternatives to retention through Response to Intervention.  

 

Using the Backchannel to Empower Students
John Miller, Chalone Peaks Middle School
See from a Google Certified Teacher how to use the backchannel, the secondary conversation surrounding a presentation, and online tools such as Google's education apps, TodaysMeet, Edmodo and Chatzy to challenge your students to think deeper and reach further with their ideas, promoting higher-level thinking, collaborative learning and independent thought.  

 

Engaged in School and Career Ready
John Merris-Coots, California Department of Education
Receive an overview of California Career Resource Network (CalCRN) online resources including a look at the enhanced California Career Zone and under-development My Career Center. These career guidance resources can assist schools in engaging students by helping students see the relevance of their current school experience for pursuing their own life/career goals.  

 

Standards-Based Student Assessment with OARS
Alberto Jaramillo, Alisal Union School District
The Online Assessment Reporting System (OARS) provides quick and easy collection and analysis of student assessment information. See how one district uses OARS to create short-cycle assessments and analyze results that drive instruction. Receive hands-on experience; learn content that can be applied to OARS or other systems such as EduSoft and Data Director.  

 

How to Get Teachers Teaching with iPads
Mimi Quan, Windemere Ranch Middle School
In this session, you will find tips on how to get an iPad program started at your school. See how one middle school got the funding to purchase iPads, built teacher buy-in to "play" with the iPads on their own time, and established systems for teachers to checkout iPad sets for use in their classrooms.  

 

From Theory to Classroom: How Technology Makes RTI Work
Yvonne Ruwe, Curriculum Associates
Technology is essential for Response to Intervention and Instruction programs. Explore a solution that can streamline your RTI program with universal screening tools, adaptive diagnostics, individualized and standards-aligned reading and math instruction, benchmarking, graphical reports and progress monitoring. Receive a free pilot for the California i-Ready program.  

 

Effective Behavior Management: Leadership Team Response to Intervention
Noah Salzman, I understand.  Tools for Schools
The Leadership Team must have an effective Response to Intervention program with an effective behavior management plan. Administrators will leave with a school-wide behavior management plan that reduces office referrals by 85%, helps teachers manage classroom behavior, increases instructional time, avoids teacher/student conflict and develops classroom procedures.  

 

Response to Intervention: Critical Components of Successful Reform
Nancy Barker, Loma Vista Elementary School
Gain an understanding of three critical elements necessary for the implementation of Response to Intervention. Learn the importance of "change leadership" in the initial and continuous implementation of RTI, examine your own leadership practices, and identify practices that affect implementation such as professional development and the efficient use of existing resources.  

 

Universal Screening that Leads to Meaningful Intervention
Sue Kaiser, Hacienda La Puente Unified School District
Come to this session and leave with a system for developing meaningful interventions based on easy-to-use methods of universal screening. Targeting assistance to students who lack proficiency can be completed easily when tools for assessment and organization are utilized. Receive organizational tools and resources for assessing your entire student population.  

 

Special Education Unwrapped
Ellen Gervase, California Teachers Association
Explore current information regarding special education law per the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act(IDEA), including issues and teacher rights for special and general educators, standardized assessment options, IDEA and the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind, the Response to Intervention (RTI) process, and RTI's impact on general and special educators.  

 

Create Picture-Perfect Photo Projects with Your iPad
Burt Lo, Alisal Union School District
The iPad and iPad 2 offer access to many free and low-cost image editing and photo project creation apps. Bring your iPad or iPad 2, take and edit images, and create sample multimedia projects to share with your students such as photo storybooks and narrated slideshows. The majority of the content being presented will apply to both the iPad and iPad 2.  

 

Adopting the iPad 2 in Teacher Training
Michael Slade, CalStateTEACH
See how a multiple-subject preparation program for elementary school teachers converted to hybrid PC-/iPad-based curriculum delivery model. In the fall 2011 term, CalStateTEACH began to use Apple's iPad 2 to deliver all teacher training textbooks. The existing course website is now being adapted to work with the iPad, and other parts of the program are being revised to include video recording, editing, assessment and annotation of pre-service teachers.

  

HMH Fuse: Holt McDougal Algebra 1 for the Apple iPad
Lisa Marinovich, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt introduces the first app for schools developed exclusively for a touchscreen mobile device, the iPad. See how this mobile platform combines direct instruction with personalized and ongoing support, assessment and intervention for each student. Visit www.hmheducation.com/fuse/index.php prior to our session to download a sample chapter.  

 

Effective Behavior Management: Response to Intervention
Noah Salzman, I understand.  Tools for Schools
Effective behavior management establishes a Response to Intervention component that reduces classroom disruptions by 85%, increases instructional time, develops positive relationships and teaches students responsibility. Learn to develop and implement an effective behavior management plan that includes teacher response, redirecting techniques, classroom procedures and more.  

 

Creating a Sustainable Response to Intervention Plan
Robert Voelkel, Menifee Valley Middle School
Learn how to create and implement a Response to Intervention plan that ensures learning for all students. We'll discuss intervention in the instructional day, school-wide staff collaboration on RTI, ways to work with students who require more assistance, and ways to challenge students who need to delve deeper into the standards being addressed. Handouts provided.  

 

Using Facebook to Expand Your Classroom and Teaching
Matt Stratton, Murrieta Valley High School
Facebook represents the"now" in teacher/student/parent communication. Learn how to become the administrator of a Facebook page for your classroom and build your page. As a Facebook administrator, you control page content and access while maintaining your own privacy. Even if Facebook is blocked (as it is at our site), access is fairly simple for you and your students.  

 

Reading in the Content Areas: Strategies to Ensure Student Success
Greg Kaiser, Azusa Pacific University
Come receive strategies for teaching reading the the content areas and helping secondary students deal with the dense topics of math, science and social studies. As the Common Core standards loom, we must gain the knowledge and skills to teach students to read technical, procedural and content texts. Strategies for boosting higher levels of thinking will be shared.  

 

YouTube in the Classroom
Jim Sill, El Diamante High School
Join a video production teacher and YouTube Teacher Studio presenter to explore the many ways YouTube can engage, inspire and ignite student learning. See how to safely navigate the site; find, upload, organize, curate and share videos; preserve student privacy; benefit from the youtube.com/teachers website; and join the next YouTube Teacher Studio.  

 

I Got an iPad! Now What?
Mark Hall, Merlo Institute
You have a brand new iPad and you can’t wait to get it in the classroom. But what are you going to do with it? Explore promising practices from around the country and see how effective teachers are using the iPad to improve learning, assessment and teacher efficiency, plus have fun. Leave with free and low-cost resources and tools that will change your classroom forever!  

 

Sunday, January 15

 

Instructional Teaming
Timothy Swartz, Lodi Unified School District
Join team members to walk through building a Professional Learning Community and hear about the power of team-driven decision making, testing and accountability. Team members will demonstrate data walks and instructional tours to build relationships and common instructional understanding.  

 

Using Student Data for RTI Master Schedule Creation
Mathew Barnett, Nicolas Junior High School
The basis of a successul Response to Intervention program is proper student placement based on data. Learn how to set up and use spreadsheets, look-up tables and pivot tables to maximize student data use for student placement and RTI-driven master schedule creation. Get advice on explaining the 'why' behind section and resource allocation to staff.  

 

Using Data and Collaboration to Implement RTI
Charles Park, John Muir High School
Explore an urban high school’s experiences starting up a Response to Intervention program, including challenges and successes in aligning staff into collaboration and anecdotes and data on improved attendance and performance. Receive an “RTI Quick-Start Kit” with resources for an RTI Pyramid, sample agendas, attendance improvement, and a dashboard data template.  

 

Teaching English with the iPad
Alison Lopez, Le Grand High School
See how an English class can be run entirely using 1:1 iPads. In one year I have gone completely paperless and project-based by using Google tools to run my class and engage students in the standards as they build 21st-century skills using an online forum, student blogs, and apps for forms, presentations and note taking.  

 

Personal Learning Networks for Educators: Now with Google+
Mark Wagner, EdTechTeam, Inc.
Personal learning is one of the foundations of any educational institution - and any successful organizational change. This session focuses on tools that can be used by any educator to build their own Personal Learning Network (PLN), which not only support their own professional development but can also be an efficient means of diffusing innovation within their institution. Learn to connect with a community of like minded professionals, make contributions, have conversations, and make requests in your times of need. Powerful free tools and social media such as Google+, Twitter, and Facebook make this possible for you and your colleagues.  

 

Smartboard Tips and Tricks
Brian Packham, Anderson Middle School
Become familiar with the use of a Smartboard in your classroom. This technology is here to stay, so it is vital to know how to use it to its full potential. Come find out all the ways a Smartboard will enhance your classroom and change the way you educate your students.  Handouts will be provided and resources explained to get you started on becoming an expert.  

 

Detect and Dismantle Disruptive Classroom Behavior
Lorie Reichel-Howe, Experienced Teacher
Learn common sense, research-based classroom management strategies for minimizing behavioral problems, refocusing disruptive students, and increasing academic learning and teacher career satisfaction. You'll gain practical techniques for diffusing conflict, minimizing interruptions, increasing academic achievement, and creating a more positive learning environment.  

 

Google Presents: PowerPoint on Steroids
Warren Dale, Mulholland Middle School
Looking for a free and easy way for your students to create presentations and share them online? Come learn the basic features of Google Presentations and how to use the tool for collaboration in your classroom.