December 10, 2012: Spanish for Non-Spanish Speakers: Learn Spanish Through Reading Children’s Books (Part II)

Description: Have you wanted to improve your Spanish abilities but find yourself stuck in the same limited range of vocabulary? Work with Dr. Misha Cahnmann-Taylor on reading and writing in Spanish using authentic, inspiring children’s literature. Participants will learn to use L2 reading and writing strategies to enhance Spanish language acquisition and how to access and use high interest Spanish language literacy materials. From nursery rhymes to illustrated books for young children, participants in this course will learn how to use children’s materials to enhance their own Spanish language and support K-12 ESOL students’ emerging (bi) literacy. This workshop assumes participants have some novice-intermediate Spanish knowledge and/or have taken Part I.

All students will receive a certificate of completion.

Instructor: Dr. Melisa “Misha” Cahnmann-Taylor, Associate Professor of Language and Literacy Education, University of Georgia; Featured Speaker at the 2012 Georgia TESOL Conference.

Cost: $100 (includes workshop materials, parking pass and refreshment break)

New Location: Aderhold Hall, Room 308, 110 Carlton Street, Athens GA 30602

Time: 1:00 - 4:00 PM

Click here to view the complete workshop flyer!

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December 7, 2012: Spanish for Non-Spanish Speakers: What Every Georgia Educator Should Know (Part 1)

Description: This one-day workshop is designed to enhance a teacher’s ability to understand and to work effectively with Spanish-speaking students and their families. No prior knowledge of Spanish is necessary. Workshop topics may include: writing letters to the Hispanic students’ parents; family customs and how they can relate to welcoming school and classroom environments; Mexican celebrations and holidays, and working with translation. Participants will:

Take away key Spanish language and cultural knowledge for use in the classroom
Apply knowledge about second language learning to classroom instruction
Acquire strategic Spanish language abilities to nurture meaningful relationships with Latino students and their families
Visit an authentic local Latino setting & use Spanish for authentic purposes
Learn how to find and use materials in Spanish for use in the English language classroom
Become role models for ALL students by starting a lifelong language learning journey

All students will receive a certificate of completion.

Instructor: Dr. Melisa “Misha” Cahnmann-Taylor, Associate Professor of Language and Literacy Education, University of Georgia; Featured Speaker at the 2012 Georgia TESOL Conference.

Cost:
$250 on or before November 1, 2012
After November 1, 2012: $275
Send 10 or more from your school and receive a discounted registration fee of $225 per person.
Bring $10 cash for lunch for the Spanish Emersion luncheon to be held at an authentic restaurant.

Time: 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Click here to view the complete workshop flyer

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December 7, 2012: Making Connections: Closing Opportunity Gaps in Diverse School Settings

Description: Research studies suggest that opportunity and achievement gaps exist between students of color and White students. Additionally, research studies contend that opportunity and achievement gaps persist between students born into impoverished families and those who are born of privilege. While these gaps exist before students enter school, teachers play a pivotal role in students’ academic trajectories. Thus, the purpose of this full-day professional development session is to provide teachers with an opportunity to think about how their unobserved classroom practices influence the ways in which they interact with students. The first part of the day includes a session in which teachers begin to recognize and think about the inherent biases and stereotypes they might hold. The second half of the day includes developing strategies to overcome inherent biases and stereotypes, thus developing strategies to better engage and educate students. It is believed that once teachers are able to reach students, then they are able to teach students effectively. This, in turn, leads to improved academic achievement, regardless of students’ ethnicity, race, or socio-economic status.

Instructor: Sheneka Williams, Assistant Professor, Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy, University of Georgia

Cost: $150 (includes a copy of the book Start Where you are but Don’t Stay There by Richard Milner, workshop materials and refreshment breaks)

Click here to see the complete workshop flyer

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December 7, 2012: The Reading Turn-Around Workshop

Description: This one day workshop is designed for teachers in the elementary grades, instructional coaches, literacy coaches, administrators, after school specialists, tutors, administrators, and anyone else concerned with providing the highest quality reading instruction and literacy contexts for all children. In this terrific workshop participants will:

• Learn about the social class-sensitive, five-part framework for differentiated instruction in reading;
• Examine how social class and poverty play a role in reading and language in the classroom;
• Analyze social class and poverty in popular culture, media, and literature through critical reading practices;
• Design learning opportunities around working-class children’s literature;
• Create a concrete plan for individualizing reading instruction for “struggling” readers and enhancing literacy for all students.

Instructors:
Dr. Mark Vagle, University of Minnesota, College of Education and Human Development
Dr. Stephanie Jones, Associate Professor, Elementary and Social Studies Education

Cost: $175 (includes workshop materials, refreshment breaks and a copy of the book The Reading Turn-Around, A Five Part Framework for Differentiated Instruction)

Location: Macon Centreplex, 200 Coliseum Drive, Macon GA

Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Workshop Flyer

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December 6, 2012: The Other Side of Poverty in Schools Workshop

Description: In this exciting, stimulating, and intensive one-day workshop at the University of Georgia, teachers, administrators, counselors, and teacher educators will:
• Learn about the five principles for change to better meet the needs of working-class and poor students
• Develop research-based teaching practices sensitive to working-class and poor children and families
• Reflect on formative assessment of working-class and poor students across the curriculum
• Take away powerful classroom ideas for incorporating social class-related content
• Get ideas for establishing positive relationships with working-class and poor families

Instructors:
Dr. Mark Vagle, University of Minnesota, College of Education and Human Development
Dr. Stephanie Jones, Associate Professor, Elementary and Social Studies Education

Cost: $175 (includes workshop materials and refreshment breaks)

Location: Macon Centreplex, 200 Coliseum Drive, Macon GA

Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Workshop Flyer

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November 12-13, 2012: The Paragraph Writing Strategy Workshop

Description: This two-day workshop will introduce teachers to the foundations of the Strategic Instructional Model® (SIM® ) and will prepare them to implement research-based interventions to help students acquire strategies for writing and editing a variety of types of paragraphs for eff ecti ve writt en communication. This strategy is targeted towards students in grades 4 through 12 who struggle with written expression. The Paragraph Writing Strategy is a strategy for organizing ideas related to a topic, planning the point of view and verb tense to be used in the paragraph, planning the sequence in which ideas will be expressed, and writing a variety of topic, detail, and conclusion sentences.

Please note: Participants in this workshop ideally would have already received professional development in the SIM® Sentence Writing Strategy, the precursor to the Paragraph Writing Strategy, in order to provide students with the minimum sentence writing skill prerequisites needed to successfully write paragraphs. The Sentence Writing Strategy Workshop is scheduled for October 4-5, 2012 at River’s Crossing in Athens.

Cost: $275 (includes instructor’s and student lessons manuals (The Instructor’s Manual features a systematic sequence of instructional procedures; the Student Lessons Manual features exercises that correspond to the instructional procedures), packets of training materials, as well as supplemental handouts and PowerPoints (support teacher development and implementation of the Paragraph Writing Strategy) sent electronically following the workshop. Successful completion of this workshop will provide 1 PLU for eligible participants.

Instructor: Kathy Boyle-Gast, Communication Sciences & Special Education, SIM® Professional Developer

Location: UGA Gwinnett Campus

Click here to view the complete flyer for more information!

Click here to see all upcoming Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Workshops!

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November 2, 2012: Content Enhancement: Concept Mastery and Framing Routines

Description**: Teachers face a tremendous challenge to meet the diverse needs of learners in classes that demand the presentation of a massive amount of course content. In particular, students whose reading and written expression skills are not up to grade level will struggle immensely in content area classes. This workshop will introduce teachers to the foundations of the Concept Mastery and Framing Routines, and will prepare them to implement these research-based interventions to help students acquire the critical components of the vast amount of content presented in the general education curriculum. Teachers use the Concept Mastery Routine to define, summarize, and explain a major concept and where it fits within a larger body of knowledge. Teachers use the Framing Routine to transform abstract main ideas and key topics into a concrete representation that helps students think about and talk about the key topic and essential related information.

Research Summary: These routines have been successfully field tested in general education classrooms (primarily in middle and high school settings) characterized by significant academic diversity, including students judged to be at risk for academic school failure as well as students with learning disabilities. In the research, a combination of instructional models involving general education and special education teachers, both individually and collaboratively, were successfully tested. Research has demonstrated that consistent and explicit instruction and use of each routine is a key ingredient for instructional success. The routines are designed for collaborative use between the teacher and students during group instruction to help a teacher provide instruction more sensitive to the learning needs of individuals in the group.

**This workshop can be taken separately or in conjunction with the Content Enhancement: Unit Organizer Routine Workshop scheduled for November 1, 2012.

Cost: $125 (includes parking pass, instructor’s manuals, packets of training materials, as well as supplemental handouts and PowerPoint presentations sent electronically following the workshop to augment instruction. Successful completion of both workshops will provide 1 PLU for eligible participants.)

Instructor: Kathy Boyle-Gast, Communication Sciences & Special Education, SIM® Professional Developer

Location: River’s Crossing, 850 College Station Road, Athens, Georgia 30605

Click here to see the complete flyer for more information!

Click here to see all upcoming Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Workshops!

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November 1, 2012: Content Enhancement: Unit Organizer Routine

Description**: Teachers face a tremendous challenge to meet the diverse needs of learners in classes that demand the presentation of a massive amount of course content. In particular, students whose reading and written expression skills are not up to grade level will struggle immensely in content area classes. This workshop will introduce teachers to the foundations of the Strategic Instructional Model® (SIM®) and the Unit Organizer Routine, and will prepare them to implement these research-based interventions to help students acquire the critical components of the vast amount of content presented in the general education curriculum. Teachers use the Unit Organizer Routine to plan units; introduce and maintain the big ideas in units; and show how units, critical information, and concepts are related.

**This workshop can be taken separately or in conjunction with the Content Enhancement: Concept Mastery and Framing Routines Workshop scheduled for November 2, 2012.

Instructor: Kathy Boyle-Gast, Communication Sciences & Special Education, SIM® Professional Developer

Location: River’s Crossing, 850 College Station Road, Athens, Georgia 30605

Click here to see the complete flyer for more information!

Click here to see all upcoming Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Workshops!

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October 25-28, 2012: 7th International Conference on Dialogical Self

Description: The purpose of the conference is to create a forum for dialogue across the boundaries of specific (sub)disciplines that explores the possibilities and challenges related to the dialogical self. As such, the Seventh International Conference on the Dialogical Self is open to psychologists and scholars of other social sciences and arts.

Keynote Speakers:
Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, Clark University
Miguel Goncalves, University of Minho, Portugal
Hubert Hermans, Radboud University of Nijmegen
Peter Raggatt, James Cook University

Featured Lecturers:
Vincent Hevern, Professor and former Chair of Psychology – LeMoyne College
John Rowan, Fellow of the British Psychological Society
Henderikus Stam, University of Calgary

The conference program is now available on the Dialogical Self web page. Click here for more information!

Click here to view the registration flyer!

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October 19, 2012: The Reading Turn-Around Workshop

Instructors:
Dr. Mark Vagle, University of Minnesota, College of Education and Human Development
Dr. Stephanie Jones, Associate Professor, Elementary and Social Studies Education

Cost: $150 (includes workshop materials and a copy of the book The Reading Turn-Around, A Five Part Framework for Differentiated Instruction)

Location: UGA Gwinnett Campus, Lawrenceville, Georgia

Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Click here to see the complete flyer!

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October 19, 2012: The Fundamentals of Paraphrasing and Summarizing Workshop

Description**: Fundamentals of Paraphrasing and Summarizing Strategy is designed to systematically teach the fundamental skills students need to be able to identify and paraphrase main ideas and details. Fundamentals contains lessons on paraphrasing words, phrases, and sentences, as well as lessons on identifying main ideas and details in paragraphs and short essays. Specific instruction includes paraphrasing passages where main ideas are not clear, as well as generalizing to Standardized tests.

**This workshop can be taken separately, or in conjunction with the Word Identification Strategy Workshop scheduled for October 18, 2012.

Cost: $125 (includes parking pass, refreshment breaks, instructor’s manuals, packets of training materials, as well as supplemental handouts and PowerPoint presentations sent electronically following the workshop to augment instruction. Successful completion of both workshops will provide 1 PLU for eligible participants.)

Instructor: Kathy Boyle-Gast, Communication Sciences & Special Education, SIM® Professional Developer

Location: River’s Crossing, 850 College Station Road, Athens, Georgia 30605

Click here to view the complete flyer for more information

Click here to see all upcoming Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Workshops!

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October 18, 2012: The Other Side of Poverty in Schools Workshop

Instructors:
Dr. Mark Vagle, University of Minnesota, College of Education and Human Development
Dr. Stephanie Jones, Associate Professor, Elementary and Social Studies Education

Cost: $125 (includes workshop materials)

Location: UGA Gwinnett Campus, Lawrenceville, Georgia

Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Click here to see the complete flyer!

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October 18, 2012: The Word Identification Strategy Workshop

Description**: The Word Identification Strategy teaches a series of steps students can take which promote the successful reading of words not immediately recalled from memory. It provides a functional and efficient strategy to help challenged readers successfully decode and identify unknown words in their reading materials. Using a mnemonic device, students are taught to use various tools (beginning with the least time-consuming) including word structure analysis and using other readily available resources to correctly read unfamiliar words. The strategy is based on the premise that most words in the English language can be pronounced by identifying prefixes, suffixes, and stems and by following three short syllabication rules. The strategy steps include using contextual clues, breaking words into their morphemic parts (prefix, suffix, root), following three short syllabication rules. and basic phonetic analysis. This strategy can also prompt students to predict the meanings of some words, which enhances the understanding of vocabulary found in both isolation and text. In a research study, students made an average of 20 errors in a passage of 400 words before learning this strategy. Having learned the Word Identification Strategy, students reduced their errors to an average of three per 400 words. Reading comprehension increased from 40 percent on the pretest to 70 percent on grade-level passages.

**This workshop can be taken separately or in conjunction with the Fundamentals of Paraphrasing and Summarizing Workshop scheduled for October 19, 2012.

Instructor: Kathy Boyle-Gast, Communication Sciences & Special Education, SIM® Professional Developer

Location: River’s Crossing, 850 College Station Road, Athens, Georgia 30605

Click here to view the flyer for more information

Click here to see all upcoming Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Workshops!

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October 4-5, 2012: Sentence Writing Strategy Workshop (Fundamentals and Proficiency)

Description: This two-day workshop will introduce teachers to the foundations of the Strategic Instructional Model® (SIM)® and will prepare them to implement research-based interventions to help students acquire strategies for writing and editing sentences for effective written communication. The Sentence Writing Strategy series, a two-part program that includes Fundamental and Proficiency levels, is targeted towards students in grades 4 through 12 who struggle with written expression. In addition to a writing strategy, students can be taught 14 sentence patterns with four types of sentences: • simple • compound • complex • compound-complex.

Instructor: Kathy Boyle-Gast, Communication Sciences & Special Education, SIM® Professional Developer

Location: UGA Gwinnett Campus

Cost: $275 (includes refreshment breaks, 2 instructor’s manuals, 2 student lessons books, packets of training materials, as well as supplemental handouts and power points sent electronically following the workshop to augment instruction)

Successful completion of this workshop will provide 1 PLU for eligible participants.

Click here to view the complete flyer!

Click here to see all upcoming Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Workshops!

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September 27-28, 2012: Fundamentals in Theme Writing Strategy

Description: This two-day workshop will introduce teachers to the foundations of the Strategic Instructional Model® (SIM) and will prepare them to implement the FUNDAMENTALS IN THE THEME WRITING STRATEGY. This research-based intervention helps students acquire strategies for writing and editing a theme by using a basic structure and framework to plan and write effectively. With incremental instruction (including learning sheets to accompany direct instruction) students are taught how to gather information, organize it using a diagram, and write a theme with a structure that includes an introduction, body, conclusion, and connecting paragraphs with appropriate transitions.

This strategy is designed and found to be most appropriate for students in grades 6 through 12 (although some have taught the strategy successfully to 4th graders). Students who can write complete sentences and well-organized paragraphs respond most successfully to instruction in the Theme Writing Strategy.

Instructor: Kathy Boyle-Gast, Communication Sciences & Special Education, SIM® Professional Developer

Location: River’s Crossing, 850 College Station Road, Athens, Georgia 30605

Cost: $250 (includes refreshment breaks, parking pass, instructor’s manuals, packets of training materials, as well as supplemental handouts and PowerPoint presentations sent electronically following the workshop to augment instruction. Successful completion of this workshop will provide 1 PLU for eligible participants)

Click here to see the complete flyer!

View a listing of all upcoming Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Workshops!

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September 25-28, 2012: GACIS and GaDOE Curriculum Directors’ Fall Conferences

Information: Registration for the annual GACIS Fall Conference and the GaDOE Curriculum Directors’ Conference on September 26-28, 2012 is now open. The GACIS keynote speakers will be Doug Sovde and Melissa Fincher. Sovde works for Achieve as Director, PARCC Instructional Supports and Educator Engagement and Fincher is the Associate Superintendent, Assessment and Accountability with the Georgia Department of Education. Lucy Calkins, John Barge and Mike Buck will be keynote speakers for the GaDOE Curriculum Directors’ Conference. Calkins is Founding Director of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University’s Teachers College, Barge is State School Superintendent of Georgia and Buck is Chief Academic Officer. In addition to these speakers, updates from the Department of Education and best practices from Georgia educational leaders will be shared.

Registration Fees

GACIS Fall Conference:

Current Member of GACIS (7/1/12-6/30/13): On or before 9/10: $200          After 9/10: $215
Nonmember (incl FY13 GACIS membership): On or before 9/10: $275             After 9/10: $290
Nonmember (incl FY13 GACIS and GAEL): On or before 9/10: $400                 After 9/10: $415

(If you attended the 2012 GAEL Summer Conference and joined GACIS and GAEL, your membership is current. If not, you will need to register as a Nonmember)

GaDOE Curriculum Directors’ Conference: On or before 9/10: $100 After 9/10: $115

New Curriculum Leaders Program:

Current Member of GACIS (7/1/12-6/30/13): FREE
Nonmember (includes GACIS membership): $ 75

*If you register as a nonmember for GACIS, you are automatically considered as a member for purposes of registering for the New Curriculum Leaders Program. If attending the GaDOE Curriculum Director’s Conference as well, please be sure to register separately for that event.

Click to view the complete brochure!

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September 20-21, 2012: The Fifth Annual State of Education in Georgia Conference

Description: This conference is designed for educators, researchers, policymakers, elected officials, civic and business leaders and concerned citizens to learn more about the top education issues facing our State.

Cost: $125 (includes conference materials, refreshment breaks and Thursday lunch)

Keynote addresses will be given by:

Marilyn Cochran-Smith: John E. Cawthorne Professor of Teacher Education for Urban Schools, Lynch School of Education, Boston College
John Barge: State School Superintendent of Georgia
Gregory Miller: Chief Economist and Senior Vice President at SunTrust Banks
Andy Rotherham:Co-founder and partner -Bellwether Education

Click to view the working agenda and the complete flyer!

PowerPoint Presentations:

John Barge State of Education Conference 9.20

Marilyn Cochran-Smith Presentation

Gregory Miller Economic Update Fall 2012_v1

Andy Rotherham State of State 2012

DOE State of Education Presentation

Sheneka Williams Presentation

Eric Houck Presentation: Promises Made, Promises Kept_SOTS2012

Elizabeth DeBray SOS 2012

Kristin Bernhard State of Education Conference

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September 7, 2012: The Reading Turn-Around Workshop

Instructors:
Dr. Mark Vagle, Associate Professor, Elementary and Social Studies Education
Dr. Stephanie Jones, Associate Professor, Elementary and Social Studies Education

Cost: $175 (includes refreshment breaks, instructional materials and a copy of the book The Reading Turn-Around, A Five Part Framework for Differentiated Instruction)

Location: The Armstrong Center, 13040 Abercorn Street, Savannah, Georgia 31419

Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Click here to view the flyer!

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September 6, 2012: The Other Side of Poverty in Schools Workshop

Instructors:
Dr. Mark Vagle, Associate Professor, Elementary and Social Studies Education
Dr. Stephanie Jones, Associate Professor, Elementary and Social Studies Education

Cost: $175 (includes instructional materials and refreshment breaks)

Location: The Armstrong Center, 13040 Abercorn Street, Savannah, Georgia 31419

Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Click Here to view the flyer!

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August 10, 2012: Georgia Safe Schools Coalition Workshop

Description: A one-day training designed to provide up to date information specific to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender youth in Georgia, better understand the intersections of LGBT youth in communities of color and communities of faith, learn to advocate for LGBT youth with other members of the community (fellow school officials, politicians, parents, etc.), implement anti-bullying policies that support LGBT youth, create trainings for staff, and support Gay/Straight Alliances in the school.

Instructors:
Dr. Anneliese Singh, Counseling and Human Development Services, University of Georgia
Dr. Corey Johnson, Counseling and Human Development Services, University of Georgia

Cost: $225 (includes GSSC notebook, workshop materials, refreshment breaks and lunch)

Location: UGA Gwinnett Campus: 2530 Sever Road, Lawrenceville GA 30043

Click here to see the complete flyer!

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July 20, 2012: The Power of One, Personalizing Learning with 1:1 Devices

Description: This one-day interactive conference is designed to enhance participants’ understanding of strategies for implementing 1:1 educational environments. Administrators, curriculum directors, technology coordinators, and teachers will provide practical, personal perspectives on how to initiate, implement and sustain a 1:1 initiative. Session topics will include: options for a 1:1 initiative including BYOT, Netbooks/Macbooks/Laptops, and iPads; community engagement, policies, pedagogies, technology infrastructure, professional development, funding, and organization. Participants will engage with speakers to discuss practical considerations of implementing 1:1 policies and programs.

Speakers:
Mooresville Graded School District, 1:1 Macbooks for Five Years
Forsyth County School District, State Leader in BYOT
Elbert County High School, 1:1 Netbooks and eTextbooks
Greene County High School, 1:1 iPads

Cost: $125 (includes workshop materials, lunch, refreshment breaks and parking pass)

**Note New Location: UGA Hotel and Conference Center (The Georgia Center)

Click here to see the complete workshop flyer!

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June 14-16, 2012: Introduction to Multilevel Models

Description: Multilevel models are widely used statistical methods with names such as hierarchical linear models and random or mixed effects models. This workshop presents an introduction to multilevel models featuring their use in both cross-sectional (clustered or nested samples) and longitudinal analyses. By attending the workshop, participants will gain a basic understanding of the modeling approach and will be able to conduct basic multilevel model analyses. The course will feature example handouts and syntax from several statistical packages for multilevel modeling (SAS, SPSS, and Mplus).

Instructor: Jonathan Templin, Associate Professor, University of Georgia

Cost: $525 (includes workshop materials, refreshment breaks, lunch and parking passes each day)

Requirements: Please bring your own laptop computer to participate in this workshop.

Click here to see the complete workshop flyer!

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June 13-15, 2012: The 4th Annual CSSE Summer Institute

For more information about the CSSE Summer Institute, click here!

Click here to see the complete flyer!

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June 11-13, 2012: Advanced Multivariate Statistical Methods

Description: The Advanced Multivariate Statistical Methods workshop presents a modern approach to multivariate data analysis, focusing on statistical techniques commonly used in empirical research (multilevel/hierarchical linear/mixed models, structural equation models, latent class/finite mixture models) and the commonalities which tie them to the techniques developed and used historically (i.e., Multivariate ANOVA, exploratory factor analysis, canonical correlation analysis, and classical clustering methods). The workshop will teach participants the tenets of modern multivariate thinking: the interplay between assumed statistical distributions (e.g. the multivariate normal distribution) and computationally intensive estimation techniques (maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches). An emphasis is placed on how modern statistical analysis methods have used these principles to generalize methodology across many disciplines, including education, social and behavioral sciences, and the health fields. At the end of the course, participants will understand how to analyze multivariate data with modern multivariate approaches to test a variety of research hypotheses. A knowledge of linear models is preferable for participants enrolling in the course. Participants who have taken multivariate methods previously are encouraged to enroll and attend as this workshop represents a significant departure from how multivariate statistics have been taught in the past.

Instructor: Jonathan Templin, Associate Professor, University of Georgia

Cost: $525 (includes workshop materials, refreshment breaks, lunch and parking passes each day)

Requirements: Please bring your own laptop computer to participate in this workshop.

Click here to see the complete workshop flyer!

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June 4-8, 2012: The Equating Workshop

Description: This workshop will feature in-depth instruction in the theory and practice of equating, as in chapters 1-8 in Kolen and Brennan (2004), Test equating, scaling, and linking: Methods and practices (2nd ed.) published by Springer-Verlag. Participants will also gain experience with computer programs for equating. The workshop is suitable for advanced graduate students in measurement; faculty who plan to teach equating; employees of state departments of education, testing companies, licensure and certification organizations, and others who want relatively in-depth training in equating. It is assumed that participants have knowledge at the level of intermediate statistics and intermediate measurement.

Instructors: Robert Brennan and Won-Chan Lee, University of Iowa

Cost: $1400 (includes workshop materials, a copy of the book Test Equating, Scaling and Linking by Kolen and Brennan, an opening reception, dinner on Wednesday, refreshment breaks, lunch and parking passes each day)

Requirements: a laptop computer is required to participate in this workshop.

Click here to see the complete workshop flyer!

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June 4-7, 2012: Alumni College

For more information about this program, click here!

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June 1, 2012: Safe & Welcoming Schools Conference: Preventing Bullying in Schools & Communities

Description: This one-day interactive conference is designed to enhance participants’ understanding of strategies to prevent and handle bullying situations. Experts and practitioners from the fields of education, counseling, law, and public health will provide Georgia-specific perspectives on how to promote safe schools and communities. Presentation topics will include: creating safe zones for diverse students, developing legal remedies for bullying, reducing bullying against LGBTQ youth, implementing strategies to improve family support for at-risk students, and exploring connections between bullying and educational outcomes. Educators, researchers, and youth will discuss practical considerations of implementing bullying prevention policies and programs.

Cost: $150.00 (includes conference materials, two refreshment breaks and lunch)

Click here to see the complete flyer!

Click Here to see the conference agenda!

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May 24-25, 2012: Post-Intentional Phenomenological Research

Description: This exciting and engaging two-day workshop is designed for qualitative researchers, instructors of qualitative research methods, and graduate students who have introductory knowledge of phenomenological research (e.g., the presenter’s 2011 or 2012 introductory workshop, one of the presenter’s graduate courses, other similar learning experiences at other institutions). Participants will learn about the philosophical and methodological foundations of the presenter’s post-intentional phenomenology and practice post-intentional philosophical and methodological techniques. This workshop is designed to be primarily application-oriented.

Instructor: Mark Vagle, Associate Professor, University of Georgia

Cost: $375 (includes workshop materials, refreshment breaks, lunch and parking passes each day)

Click here to see the complete workshop flyer!

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May 22-23, 2012: Introduction to Phenomenological Research

Description: In this exciting and engaging two-day workshop at the University of Georgia qualitative researchers, instructors of qualitative research methods, and graduate students will learn about the philosophical and methodological foundations of phenomenology and practice some of the core methodological techniques of phenomenological research.

Instructor: Mark Vagle, Associate Professor, University of Georgia

Cost: $375 (includes workshop materials, refreshment breaks, lunch and parking passes each day)

Click here to see the complete workshop flyer!

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May 22-23, 2012: Workshop on Meta-Analysis

Description: This is an introduction to the theory and application of meta-analytic techniques for quantitative analysis and systematic review of scientific literature. The objective of the workshop is to provide participants with the rudimentary knowledge and skills needed to become a critical, quantitative consumer of existing literature in an area of interest.

Instructor: Rodney Dishman, Professor, Department of Kinesiology, University of Georgia

Cost: $350 (includes workshop materials, refreshment breaks, lunch and parking passes each day)

Location: River’s Crossing, 850 College Station Road, Room 143, Athens, GA 30602

Click here to see the complete workshop flyer!

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May 15-18, 2012: Structural Equation Modeling

Description: This workshop will provide a foundation in structural equation modeling by introducing participants to the basics of model estimation, evaluation of model fit, and model interpretation for basic structural equation models. The models to be covered included path models, confirmatory factor analysis models, and full structural models. Instruction will consist of lectures and hands-on activities. As part of the workshop, participants will be instructed in the use of the LISREL computer package. Afternoon activities will involve conducting analyses using the LISREL package. If time permits, participants will also be provided help in analyzing their own data.

Instructor: Deborah Bandalos, Professor, James Madison University

Cost: $1200 (includes workshop materials, refreshment breaks, lunch and parking passes each day)

Click here to see the complete workshop flyer!

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May 18, 2012: Making Connections: Closing Opportunity Gaps in Diverse School Settings

Instructor: Sheneka Williams, Assistant Professor, Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy, University of Georgia

Cost: $150 (includes a copy of the book Start Where you are but Don’t Stay There by Richard Milner, workshop materials and refreshment breaks)

Click here to see the complete workshop flyer!

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May 3-4, 2012: Social Network Theories and Methods

Description: Many analyses in the social sciences are applied to data regarding characteristics of people, but not to data describing interactions among people. But interactions play an important role in affecting behavior and beliefs that cannot be explained purely in terms of individual attributes or community context. To address these issues, in this workshop I will introduce participants to the basic concepts, theories, and models of social network analysis. Participants will then have opportunities to explore how to define and apply these models in their own settings. The focus is on theoretical model development which can inform that design of studies, measures, and analysis. I will also introduce participants to basic software for estimating the models and representing network data, and I will introduce participants to a range of social network resources. Participants should have roughly one year of applied statistics so that they are extremely comfortable with the general linear model (regression and ANOVA), and analysis of 2×2 tables.

Instructor: Kenneth Frank, Michigan State University

Cost: $375

Requirements: Please bring your own laptop computer to participate in this workshop.

Click Here for the Complete Workshop Flyer

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May 4, 2012: The Other Side of Poverty in Schools Workshop

Instructors:
Dr. Mark Vagle, Associate Professor, Elementary and Social Studies Education
Dr. Stephanie Jones, Associate Professor, Elementary and Social Studies Education

Cost: $125

Location: UGA Gwinnett Campus

Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Workshop Flyer

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April 27, 2012: Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Fall Workshop Series: Concept Comparison Routine, Clarifying Routine, Question Exploration Routine

Description: Teachers face a tremendous challenge to meet the diverse needs of learners. This one-day workshop will introduce the foundations of the Strategic Instruction Model® (SIM)® and two of the Content Enhancement Routines, and will prepare teachers to implement these research-based interventions to help students acquire the critical components of the vast amount of content presented in the general education curriculum.

The two Content Enhancement Routines participants will learn are:

CONCEPT COMPARISON ROUTINE: Teachers use the Concept Comparison Routine to help students compare and contrast key concepts. Research with students enrolled in general secondary science and social studies classes showed that students correctly answered substantially more test questions related to information that had been presented through the use of the routine than test questions related to information presented using traditional teaching methods. Students with learning disabilities and other low-achieving students correctly answered an average of 71.2 percent (students with learning disabilities) and 86.4 percent (students without learning disabilities) of the test questions associated with information presented through the use of the routine, compared to 56.7 percent (students with learning disabilities) and 62.6 percent (students without learning disabilities) of the questions associated with information presented through traditional means. The experimental study involved 107 students.

QUESTION EXPLORATION ROUTINE: The Question Exploration Routine is a package of instructional methods that teachers can use to help a diverse student population understand a body of content information by carefully answering a “critical question” to arrive at a main idea answer. Research results showed that students who were taught a lesson using the Question Exploration Routine earned an average test score of 70 percent while students who were taught the lesson with traditional methods scored an average of 48 percent.

Instructor: Kathy Boyle-Gast,Communication Sciences & Special Education, SIM® Professional Developer

Cost: $125 (Registration fee includes two refreshment breaks, parking pass, instructor’s guidebooks, packets of training materials, and supplemental handouts and power points sent electronically to augment instruction and support teacher development and implementation of the routines.)

Click here to see the complete flyer!

Information: Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Workshop Series, Fall 2011 – Spring 2012

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April 27, 2012: Spanish for Non-Spanish Speakers: What Every Georgia Educator Should Know

Take away key Spanish language and cultural knowledge for use in the classroom
Apply knowledge about second language learning to classroom instruction
Acquire strategic Spanish language abilities to nurture meaningful relationships with Latino students and their families
Visit an authentic local Latino setting & use Spanish for authentic purposes
Learn how to find and use materials in Spanish for use in the English language classroom
Become role models for ALL students by starting a lifelong language learning journey

All students will receive a certificate of completion.

Instructor: Dr. Melisa “Misha” Cahnmann-Taylor, Associate Professor of Language and Literacy Education, University of Georgia

Cost:
$250 on or before April 1, 2012
After April 1, 2012: $275
Send 10 or more from your school and receive a discounted registration fee of $225 per person.
Bring $10 cash for lunch for the Spanish Emersion luncheon to be held at an authentic restaurant.

Time: 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM

Workshop Flyer

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April 5, 2012: Single Subject Research Methodology in Behavioral Sciences

Description: The Single Subject Research Methodology in Behavioral Sciences seminar will focus on the use of single subject research designs in answering applied research questions related to educational and clinical practices. We will encourage educators and therapists to view themselves as “scientist-practitioners” in which they assume an active role in applied research efforts in order to assess the ecological validity of research findings. Specifically, we will discuss baseline logic, the importance of direct and repeated measurement, direct measurement procedures, visual analysis of graphed data, research designs and how each evaluates threats to internal validity, and the importance of systematic replication as a means for extending the generality of any single research investigation. Participants are encouraged to bring research questions that we can discuss.

This workshop is based on the book by Gast (2010) Single Subject Research Methodology in Behavioral Sciences published by Routledge.

Instructors:
Dr. David Gast, Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education, College of Education, University of Georgia
Dr. Kevin Ayres, BCBA-D, Department of Communication Sciences and Special Education, College of Education, University of Georgia

Cost: $175

Workshop Flyer

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March 30, 2012: Georgia Safe Schools Coalition Workshop

Instructors:
Dr. Anneliese Singh, Counseling and Human Development Services, University of Georgia
Dr. Corey Johnson, Counseling and Human Development Services, University of Georgia

Cost: $225

Information Flyer

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March 21, 2012: Leading Class-Sensitive Schools

Description: This one-day workshop is designed for district level administrators, building principals and assistant principals, counselors, instructional coaches, and teacher leaders to discuss issues related to social class and poverty. In this exciting, stimulating, and practical workshop participants will:

• Learn about the five principles for change to better meet the needs of working-class and poor students;
• Develop strategies for evaluating and coaching teachers with class-sensitivity in mind;
• Design ways to make school improvement plans sensitive to social class; and
• Examine how to make broad district, school, and classroom policies and practices anti-classist and anti-poverty.

Bring along teachers to attend the Reading Turn-Around Workshop which is taking place at the same time! Click here for more information.

Instructor: Dr. Mark Vagle, Associate Professor, Elementary and Social Studies Education

Cost: $125

Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Workshop Flyer

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March 21, 2012: Turn-Around Reading and Readers in the CLASSroom

Invite your administrators to attend the Leading Class-Sensitive Schools workshop which is taking place at the same time! Click here for more information.

Instructor: Dr. Stephanie Jones, Associate Professor, Elementary and Social Studies Education

Cost: $145 (includes a copy of the book “The Reading Turn-Around”)

Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Workshop Flyer

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March 5-6, 2012: Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Fall Workshop Series: Fundamentals in the Theme Writing Strategy

Description: This two-day workshop will introduce teachers to the foundations of the Strategic Instructional Model® (SIM) and will prepare them to implement the FUNDAMENTALS IN THE THEME WRITING STRATEGY. This research-based intervention helps students acquire strategies for writing and editing a theme by using a basic structure and framework to plan and write effectively. With incremental instruction (including learning sheets to accompany students are taught how to gather information, organize it using a diagram, and write a theme with a structure that includes an introduction, body, conclusion, and connecting paragraphs with appropriate transitions.

Instructor: Kathy Boyle-Gast,Communication Sciences & Special Education, SIM® Professional Developer

Cost: $275

Workshop Flyer

Information: Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Workshop Series, Fall 2011 – Spring 2012

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February 23-24, 2012: Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Fall Workshop Series: Paragraph Writing Strategy

Description: This two-day workshop will introduce teachers to the foundations of the Strategic Instructional Model® (SIM® ) and will prepare them to implement research-based interventions to help students acquire strategies for writing and editing a variety of types of paragraphs for effective written communication. This strategy is targeted towards students in grades 4 through 12 who struggle with written expression. The Paragraph Writing Strategy is a strategy for organizing ideas related to a topic, planning the point of view and verb tense to be used in the paragraph, planning the sequence in which ideas will be expressed, and writing a variety of topic, detail, and conclusion sentences.

Important Note: Participants in this workshop ideally would have already received professional development in the SIM® Sentence Writing Strategy, the precursor to the Paragraph Writing Strategy, in order to provide students with the minimum sentence writing skill prerequisites needed to successfully write paragraphs. The SIM® Sentence Writing Strategy Workshop which took place on November 10-11, 2011.

Instructor: Kathy Boyle-Gast,Communication Sciences & Special Education, SIM® Professional Developer

Cost: $275

Workshop Flyer

Information: Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Workshop Series, Fall 2011 – Spring 2012

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February 24, 2012: 7th Annual Diversity and Counseling Conference

Description: This conference seeks to examine “the gaps” that exist in education so that we can collaborate for solutions.

Pre K – 16 practitioners often experience a “gap” in the curriculum as students transition from one level to the next.
Students and practitioners encounter “gaps” in the system through barriers that exist which prevent student success.
Diversity can contribute to a “gap” between students and practitioners as they face differences in values, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, language, class, etc.
Inequity in services and access to resources contribute to a “gap” in achievement among students as well as the ability for practitioners to serve students adequately.
“Gaps” can also highlight opportunities for change brought about by educators “collaborating for action”.

Come engage with colleagues to learn ways to fill these gaps.

Keynote Speaker:
Patricia Martin, Assistant Vice President, National Office for School Counselor Advocacy, http://bit.ly/patricia-martin-bio

Cost: $45

Location: UGA Gwinnett Campus, Lawrenceville, Georgia

Information Flyer

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February 24, 2012: The Other Side of Poverty in Schools Workshop

Instructors:
Dr. Mark Vagle, Associate Professor, Elementary and Social Studies Education
Dr. Stephanie Jones, Associate Professor, Elementary and Social Studies Education

Cost: $125

Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Workshop Flyer

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February 9-10, 2012: Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Fall Workshop Series: The Inference Strategy and The Vocabulary LINCing Routine

Description: The Inference Strategy is a set of procedures readers can use to comprehend written passages and answer inferential questions (questions that are not answered directly in the text). Research results showed that students who learned the Inference Strategy improved their ability to make inferences and to identify different types of questions. The Vocabulary LINCing Routineis designed to facilitate student use of two powerful tools —an auditory memory device and a visual memory device—that will help them learn and remember the meaning of complex terms. Research results showed that students, including those with learning disabilities, improved their performance by an average of 19 percentage points on vocabulary tests.

Instructor: Kathy Boyle-Gast,Communication Sciences & Special Education, SIM® Professional Developer

Cost: $275

Workshop Flyer

Information: Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) Workshop Series, Fall 2011 – Spring 2012

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January 23-24, 2012: The R Workshop

Description: This two-day seminar will offer participants an opportunity to understand the ins-and-outs of the statistical package R. R is a free software environment for statistical computing and graphics. While powerful and free, many find that the learning curve can be a bit steep. This workshop helps to flatten the learning curve just a bit so that participants can tackle individual research projects with greater confidence once the workshop is completed. Topics covered during the workshop include: Introduction to R, data structures in R, data import and export, If else, loop, write your own function, graphics, summary of data with R, basic concepts of probability and statistics, analysis of means with R, and analysis of variances and regression with R.

Numerous “add-on” packages, offering almost unlimited analysis options, are available for R users. Many of these packages will be examined. However, participants will also learn a bit about the basics of programming in R so that the use of packages will make more sense later on. In addition to specific topics, facilitators will offer ways to conceptualize the use of R in developing data strategies. Participants will work on simulated and real data analysis problems throughout the sessions to apply and reinforce class concepts.

Workshop Facilitators:
Seok-Oh Jeong
Visiting Scholar and Associate Professor
Department of Statistics, University of Georgia
Department of Statistics, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Korea

In Heok Lee
Postdoctoral Fellow
Program of Workforce Education, University of Georgia

Jay W. Rojewski
Professor
Program of Workforce Education, University of Georgia

Cost: $300 (Includes refreshment breaks and lunch each day)