NYS Teacher Center Online Academy (OLA)
All OLA courses are 15 hours. OLA Course Fee: $150 per course and may be registered on http://www.mylearningplan.com. Check out the OLA website for detailed descriptions, course requirements and expectations before registering! A PDF of the handout is available here.
October 15 – December 3, 2013
Teaching the Developing Brain
Instructor: Peggy DeCooke PhD
Grade level: K -12
In this course, current research on the developing brain will be reviewed and educational programs, that can support further brain development, will be explored. Because developmental neuroscience has been popularized by the press, we will emphasize separating brain fact from fiction in our exploration of sound educational practice.
Understanding Asperger’s Syndrome
Instructor: Barbara Tanguay
Grade level: K-12
What is it? How does it show itself? Why do some children with Asperger's Syndrome have such a difficult time in school? How can educators help students with the disorder be more successful? This course will introduce the basics for understanding Asperger's Syndrome as it relates to children. It will examine deficits in social relatedness, language processing, and the characteristic restricted preoccupations with objects or ideas.
February 5 – March 26, 2014
Close Reading, One Sentence at a Time
Instructor: George Lohmann
Grade level: 5-12
By focusing on the microcosm of a single exceptionally written sentence (or pair of sentences), i.e., the adage, students can explore the vast majority of rhetorical tools used by most writers of the English language. This course will provide strategies to be used in ALL content areas that will aid your students in understanding the use of rhetorical strategies that aid the writers in conveying meaning. You will create two ten to twenty minute lessons using this strategy.
Language and Literacy in the Early Education Classroom
Instructor: Lisa Pizzuti Rutkowski
Grade level PreK-2
Language and literacy are the foundation for all other learning. This course will provide early education teachers the necessary tools to facilitate a language and literacy rich approach to teaching. By incorporating these strategies throughout all aspects of the classroom, students will gain insight and understanding of knowledge they will need for future success in their elementary years.
Using Digital Resources to Enhance Reading Comprehension
Instructor: Denise Lewis
Grade level: 3 -12
Have you ever read a book... a short story... a poem and been able to see the characters, know the place, or empathize with the protagonist? Many students haven't had such a memorable reading moment. They'd much rather surf the web, text friends and search for themselves on YouTube. To motive students to read teachers can connect reading with the digital resources students use every day. There is a wealth of Web 2.0 resources to connect kids with books. Using Digital Resources to Enhance Reading Comprehension will provide teachers with the knowledge and skills to connect kids with reading through digital media and easy to use Web tools.
Volcano Hunt - The Common Core Way
Instructor: Jim McAndrew
Grade level: 5-12
As you make your way from one volcano to the next using longitude and latitude coordinates, you will participate in creative journaling of your experiences. You will create several exciting smart board projects that involve language arts and science. After completing this course you will be able to modify these projects for use in your own class room at any grade level or subject area. You will become more familiar with the Data Driven Instruction process as you analyze student work, identify needs and design an action plan to improve learning. You will explore the EngageNY website and use it to better understand the NYS Reform Initiative. Every assignment is aligned with the NYS Core Curriculum.
July 8 – August 26, 2014
Best Practices in Comprehension with RTI
Instructors: Kerri Crawford / Emily Peterson
Additional summer courses will be added.
*****
Notes: All courses require internet access and a comfort level with email, Microsoft Word and uploading documents. Some require knowledge of other technologies or programs. Participants are expected to log in and work with the class site at least 3 times each week.
Scholarships may be provided through your local NYS Teacher Center. Please secure approval from your home district, if needed, in advance. Syllabi, Road Maps and Course Policies can be found on the NYSTC OLA website http://eeznt3.nyiteez.org/olacatalog/ along with the Standards for Online Learning, FAQ’s, and other useful information. No refunds will be issued after the start of the OLA courses.
NYSTC OLA is administered by Rockland Teachers’ Center, 65 Chapel Street, Garnerville, NY 10923.
Questions? Contact Debbie Studnitzer, Rockland Teachers’ Center: dstudnitzer@rockteach.org / 845-553-9516
NYS Teacher Center Online Academy is a program of the NYS Teacher Resource and Computer Training Centers with the support of New York Institute of Technology.