Breakout Session Descriptions

Angela Snyder and Kevin Sutherland – Effective Strategies for Classroom Management

This session will cover guidelines for behavior management and outline an effective classroom management strategy called the Good Behavior Game (GBG).  This game is research based, and is designed to reinforce proactive behaviors while limiting undesirable behaviors.  The GBG utilizes group contingencies within the classroom, and allows for participation of all students.

Daniel Palmer - Roundrobin/Roundtable Recall

This session will provide participants with an interactive, cooperative learning brainstorming activity that can help students concentrate on efficiency and strategies for recall. Participants will be given four handout sheets with the following information that will provide the bases for discussion:  1) the five key elements which define the characteristics for cooperative learning; 2) an instructional strategies flowchart; 3) formats for roundrobin/roundtable activities;     and 4) sample categories for various content areas.  A Powerpoint presentation will be used to    highlight key points from the handout sheets.  If time allows, there will be a demonstration of a roundrobin or roundtable activity.  Also, any participants who have used some form of this       activity in their   classrooms will be encouraged to share their experiences with the group to  provide additional strategies/insights for the other participants to consider.

Linda Armwood and Patricia McGowan -  Enhancing Social Science and Earth Science Instruction Through GIS

Enhancing social science and earth science instruction through Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a best practice presentation designed to introduce an innovative approach to social science and earth science instruction.  Arc View GIS 9 software form the basis of this computer-based presentation.

Helena Easter, Latonya Waller, and Monica Glass – Get Your Driver’s License:  Instructional Strategies That Work!

Participants will learn to drive instruction using data from games.  The days of writing and following blanket lesson plans are gone!  In the workshop we will aid teachers in creating,   organizing, and using standard-based games and projects that are highly engaging but useful to teachers who want daily feedback on their students’ mastery to drive their instruction.  The goal of this workshop is to aid teachers to begin maximizing even the smallest amount of time allotted.  We will show how the use of these alternate assessments methods can give teachers the necessary feedback on students’ mastery of the content.

Jennifer Moore and Nancy Cline - Using Assessment Data to Improve Instruction

The participants in this workshop will leave with an understanding of how to compile, analyze, and use assessment data to improve instruction.  They will understand how to create a clear connection between the VA SOLs, their curriculum, and assessment practices.  They will explore how to use their data from multiple assessments to maximize teacher and student performance.  The participants will be given examples of matrices, graphs, assessment portfolios and instructional and student plans that have been proven to work in the school of the presenters.  Additionally, they will be given suggestions of how to adjust school time and personnel to instruct students who need more support.  The information is targeted to the elementary level.  The concepts are also useful at the secondary level.

Loraine Stewart and Jacqueline Marshall - Utilization of African-American Children’s Books as Instructional Tools

The focus of this session will be to identify and examine appropriate African-American children’s books that can be used as instructional tools when teaching elementary Standards of Learning.  Suggestions will be given on how African-American literature can be used as a means of making elementary school curriculum relevant for all students, especially African-Americans.  Emphasis will also be placed on ways this literature can serve as a great resource to aide members of other ethnic groups to understand and relate to African-Americans.

Julie Dauksys - Ticket to Literacy:  Word Attack and Comprehension Strategies for All Learners

This presentation was developed to show teachers how to use strategy tickets for word attack and             comprehension development.  Teachers will learn how to teach students how to graph this information and help them create individual reading goals.  This information is targeted to Kindergarten through fifth grades, as well as special education.

Felecia Williams - Use of Original Design Technology in Algebra Teaching and Assessment

This presentation will focus on instructional strategies that work for me in my classroom  and new approaches to teaching Algebra to the 21^st century student.  It will include a means of teaching and assessing students using original design technology.  The benefit to this presentation is that participants will be able to learn fun activities that will stimulate students’ minds.

Mary Angela Coleman and Timothy Bostic - Impact of Student Mobility on MERC Schools and School Divisions

This presentation summarizes a mixed-method study that aims to quantify mobility and better understand how school personnel ameliorate its effects on student achievement.  Principals of mobile schools in each division, as well as other personnel who work closely with mobile students, were interviewed.  Preliminary findings suggest that many schools do not specifically target assistance to mobile students.  Because many mobile students also are poor achievers, programs targeted to increase achievement also work for these students.  However, school personnel express concern that mobile students often do not receive the full benefit of academic intervention programs due to the frequency of programmatic interruption. 

Sally Craymer and Martha Anderson - Interacting with Vocabulary

Often vocabulary is taught by students looking up words and writing the definitions and/or by placing correct vocabulary words in context sentences on a worksheet.  This workshop   provides many, varied, unusual ways to help students make connections with the vocabulary words while providing alternatives to the paper pencil worksheet. Based on brain research that connects movement to greater learning, the presenters involve the participants in vocabulary relay races, pictictionary games, and much more. 

Richard Staton and Toni Jackson- Bridging the Comprehension Gap for Urban Students

The presenters will provide strategies and instructional tips for educators in an urban setting. This interactive workshop will assist teachers to scaffold their literacy instruction to reach every student in their classroom.  Handouts will be provided.

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