Special Education Archives | Empower Education Connections

PLAYING WITH MATH: MATH CENTERS MADE EASY!

Are you thinking of starting Math Centers in your classroom? This workshop will assist you in starting (or refining) your Math Centers. We will share strategies for setting up centers with ease and keeping your students engaged and learning mathematics in a purposeful, thoughtful way. You will walk away with ideas for center activities and proven methods for running math centers effectively. Teaching math with differentiation has never been this simple!

SUPER SCIENCE WRITERS! MAKING WRITING ACCESSIBLE THROUGH SCIENCE

Students love science– why not use it to your advantage? In this workshop you will learn how to use your students’ love of science to make writing accessible and enjoyable. We will show you how to make fun and meaningful connections to science standards that will have your students writing up a storm!

WRITER’S WORKSHOP

In this session we will take an in-depth look at Writer’s Workshop, a research-based approach that includes all the necessary components that a writing block needs. You will become familiar with the flow of Writer’s Workshop, receive guidance on management techniques to ensure success, look at the progression of writing standards, and work with materials that are easy to implement.

EMPOWER WRITING KIT TRAINING

This is an engaging, hands-on workshop to help you navigate your Empower Writing Kit. You will become familiarized with each component of the writing kit, learn strategies on how to effectively implement it, and receive guidance in planning for your students with the available activities.

GREAT WALLS OF GRAMMAR!

In this workshop, we will explore interactive grammar activities and color-coded architecture that make learning grammar meaningful, engaging, and colorful! We will build a beautiful wall from the small elements of language. The fundamentals of grammar act as the foundation in building students who can write! When you implement this system of a color-coded Grammar Wall, your students are provided a concrete, colorful method for learning the functions of parts of speech and sentence structure. You will learn explicit routines for introducing and reinforcing the parts of speech, and strategies that promote students’ use of fundamental grammar in oral and written expression, in a way that is hands-on and FUN! Standards for Speaking and Listening (SL.1 and SL.6) Language (L.1 – L.6) and Writing (W.1 – W.6).

TEACHING THEME ONE STEP AT A TIME

It often seems as though students look at a list of “theme words” on the Internet and figuratively throw a dart at one they like. There’s a better way! In this workshop you will learn how to teach your students a structured (and not too difficult) way to write a sentence that truly describes the theme of what they have just read.

WRITING ACROSS THE CONTENT

High School | This workshop will provide you with simple, quick, and easy strategies to engage your students in writing thoughtfully about all academic content areas. These powerful, short writing strategies will enhance content learning in many ways. You don’t have to be an English teacher to embed these easy-to-teach writing strategies within your daily routines and your specific content area. If a student can thoughtfully write about a subject, they can master the material!

Elementary | This workshop will provide you with simple, quick, and easy strategies to engage your students in writing thoughtfully about all academic content areas. These powerful, short writing strategies will enhance content learning in many ways and provide opportunities for students to practice the different genres of writing outside of the Literacy Block. If a student can thoughtfully write about a subject, they can master the material!

RUBIK’S CUBE

Do you like puzzles? Discover where to find online, easy-to-use strategies to beat the cube as you practice the step-by-step directions and algorithms. Learn how to teach fractions and ratios with the cube. Come have fun as you practice the cube yourself! Whether you solve it or not, you’ll be able to show your students how they can learn the cube. Great as an incentive for small group centers in your class. (Recommended for Grades 4 and higher, but can be modified for younger students.)

GEOGRAPHY ROCKS

Come try your luck in our very own geography bee (just like the National Geographic Geography Bee for grades 4-8). We’ll set the classroom up and hold our own mock bee. Learn about resources from National Geographic online, and how to host a bee at your school. You will also explore premade online lessons to teach geography, math, reading, science, and more!

EMPOWER SCIENCE KIT TRAINING

This is an engaging, hands-on workshop to help you navigate your Empower Science Foundational Practices Kit. You will become familiarized with each component of the science kit, learn strategies on how to effectively implement it, and receive guidance in planning for your students with the available activities.

ORDER IN THE COURT

Take your students to court and increase their understanding of how our court system and government work! In this workshop you will play the Bill of Rights online game “Do I Have a Right?”, the Sandra Day O’Connor game from iCivics. In addition, you will participate in a Mock Trial by teaming up, preparing for court, then trying your case before the jury. Will you win your case? Take home all the materials needed to have your own mock trial next year! (Recommended for Grades 3 and up due to reading needed, but could be modified for younger students.)

ARTS INTEGRATION (K-6)

This workshop will introduce you to the transformative power of the arts in instructional practice and school culture. Learn how to blend arts, science, reading, writing, and math to make classroom learning come to life! You will participate in an engaging project and leave with practical strategies to implement right away– hands-on, make and take at its finest!

GROWTH MINDSET IN ATHLETICS

Join us as we explore and discuss specific practices and examples of Growth Mindset in athletics! This interactive workshop is an in-depth examination of how the practices and understandings for Growth Mindset can be applied to the field/court/track.

PRACTICE TACTICS (FOOTBALL COACHES)

This workshop will focus on improving your ability to build a team and teach the details of the game, while also giving information on how to develop not only players’ individual skill sets but the culture of a team as one. You will leave enlightened with offensive and defensive concepts that will enhance your coaching knowledge and help your team become successful. Former professional and college players and coaches will transform your football program by working with you and your team designing workouts, drills and plays specifically for you!

PRACTICE TACTICS (BASKETBALL COACHES)

PRACTICE TACTICS (TRACK COACHES)

Using practice time equitably by increasing activity and decreasing inactivity will make a difference when attempting to develop the technically distinguished athlete(s). Work to rest ratios must always be at least 2:1 if athletes are to be cognitively engaged and exposed to the types of repetition necessary. This workshop will explore practice tactics and how to better utilize your time as a coach in your attempts to develop talent. Professional hurdler and track star, EJ Martin, will guide you through all the ins and outs of creating an effective track program–meshing new ideas with your own!

PRACTICE TACTICS (SOCCER COACHES)

SKYRIDER & MIND OVER MATTER COACHES CLINIC

Former NBA all-star Isaiah Rider and former IBA and ASU alum Donnell Knight work together to bring the elements of basketball coaching to your elementary, middle, and high school coaching staff. Coaching clinics are designed to liven up any basketball program and step up your game to a whole new level!

SKYRIDER & MIND OVER MATTER SPORTS ACADEMY

Former NBA all-star Isaiah Rider and former IBA and ASU alum Donnell Knight work together to bring students the game of basketball and share their inspirational stories of overcoming life’s challenges to reach the height of college and professional sports. Through their systematic basketball camps, children learn the game and skills of basketball and get “life training” in the process. The camps focus on basketball skills for all levels, working together as a team, respect for all people, and learning the power of the mind over matter and circumstance.

TEACHING STUDENTS HOW TO READ AND THINK AT THE SAME TIME

When we say that students have trouble with comprehension, what do we mean? Teaching students how to effectively interact with text (in all subjects) must be modeled so that students can eventually do it on their own. In this workshop you will be shown practical ways to teach your students What Good Readers Do in any content area. You will learn how to model Think-Alouds, why they are so important, and discover meaningful ways your students can demonstrate their thinking. This session will include application for all content areas and grade levels.

REAL WORLD MATH PROBLEMS | PREPARING STUDENTS FOR STANDARDIZED TESTS

Do your students struggle with word problems? If so, this workshop is for you! In this session, we will show you a simple, 3-part strategy for “closely reading” a math word problem. Students will be so successful with this routine that they will begin comprehending and solving word problems like never before! The power is in the simplicity of the routine– students begin using it naturally each time they see a word problem, which leads to the outcome we all hope for: better math scores!

It’s math! what’s there to talk about?

There is a fundamental flaw in teaching methods of the past; the teacher does most of the teaching and learning in math. The teacher is modeling, talking, sharing, and communicating mathematically, and is therefore getting stronger as the year progresses. This course is designed to give you the tools and strategies for you to shift your math discourse to the students and empower them to serve up the math talk! Explore & experience the 5 Teacher Productive Talk Moves of mathematical instruction.

Using visual models & manipulatives in math

Manipulatives can be key in providing effective, active, engaging lessons in the teaching of mathematics. Research from both learning theory and classroom studies show that using manipulatives when teaching math can positively affect student learning. In this session, teachers will learn how to effectively use manipulatives to help all students connect ideas and integrate their knowledge, which leads to a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts.

Action-packed addition (k-5)

Dig into the big ideas of addition and learn how to teach it to your students effectively and efficiently. This workshop will share the scope and sequence of how to foster enduring understanding as you teach counting & addition: by helping students develop the capacity to model with mathematics, teaching them how to use manipulatives, and pinpointing which tools and recordings students should use when learning and sharing addition. The session is full of meaningful practice and will deepen your knowledge of addition!

Super strength in subtraction (k-5)

Spend some time working out the big ideas of subtraction and learn how to teach it to your students effectively and efficiently. This workshop will share the scope and sequence of how to foster enduring understanding as you teach subtraction: by helping students develop the capacity to model with mathematics, teaching them how to use manipulatives, and pinpointing which tools and recordings students should use when learning and sharing subtraction. The session is full of meaningful practice and will deepen your knowledge of subtraction!

Mastering multiplication & defeating division (3-8)

What is multiplicative reasoning, and how can students use it to Master Multiplication & Defeat Division? Come and learn the pedagogy and sequence of how to best teach Multiplication and Division. You will receive concrete, visual, and abstract models, and learn the best ways to teach and model these coordinating operations. Hands-on and lots of fun, take-away activities are of highest priority in this workshop!

Fun & fearless fractions (3-6)

This workshop is designed to make fractions fun and fearless for everyone– including you! You will engage in learning activities that strengthen your own conceptual knowledge as we cover these big ideas: models for fractions, equivalence and comparison of fractions, working with all 4 operations with fractions, and real-world applications of fraction problems. Through problem solving and examining student work, you will critique the reasoning of others. The course balances content and pedagogy, encompassing elements and strategies of effective instruction and application of the Standards for Mathematical Practice.

Let’s talk math! communicating mathematically

In this workshop we will introduce 5 great routines for building math communication in your classroom. These routines are a sure-fire way of turning the math talk over to your students. This workshop is full of math talk, math vocabulary, and math writing (journaling). Come prepared to talk math!

Real-world applications in math

In this workshop, we will reveal effective daily problem solving routines and structures that help students to think and communicate mathematically about real-world math problems! We will dig into the Problem Types in math, introduce daily routines for working through word problems, and give you structures for error analysis that are all student driven.

Get your hands on middle school math! (6-8)

Integers, solving algebraic equations, geometry… what’s the point? Help your students understand the why behind the math! In this workshop we will take some of the major topics from our middle school math blocks and model the concrete to pictorial to abstract progression. You will leave knowing how to make math come to life!

Attack the text! close reading for math

Do your students struggle with word problems? If so, this workshop is for you! In this session, we will show you a simple 3-part strategy for “closely reading” a math word problem. Students will be so successful with this routine that they will begin comprehending and solving word problems like never before! The power is in the simplicity of the routine– students begin using it naturally each time they see a word problem, which leads to the outcome we all hope for: better math scores!

Guided math groups

In this workshop, we will share a variety of easy-to-use guided math techniques, including how to create, organize, implement, and manage small, guided math groups designed to better meet your students’ needs – from those who excel in math to those who struggle with basic math skills. We will show you how to implement guided math using your current math curriculum, and how to create and manage timesaving, easy-to-implement math centers for the rest of the class while you work with guided math groups.

Empower math kit training

This is an engaging, hands-on workshop to help you navigate your Empower Math Kit. You will become familiarized with each component of the math kit, learn strategies on how to effectively implement it, and receive guidance in planning for your students with the available activities.

Making the most of engage ny math

This workshop will help you make the most of Engage NY MATH. Engage NY is a rigorous curriculum that can feel cumbersome to plan and teach. We will break it down so that is feels manageable, effective, and fun for you and your students! We will look at each of Engage NY’s components and your specific schedule to effectively plan for student learning. Together, we will dig in and experience lessons so we can fully understand Engage NY’s intention for you and your students.

Growth Mindset In Math

Join us as we explore and discuss specific practices and examples of Growth Mindset in math! This interactive workshop is an in-depth examination of how the practices and understandings for growth mindset can be applied to math.

Backward Mapping For Math

This hands-on workshop explores backward mapping, a necessary and critical step in planning for effective student learning. You will look at the standards, deconstruct and sequence learning targets, build or analyze your assessment, and then plan your lessons. This type of planning ensures that each portion of the standard has been taught prior to the assessment and that you have considered every element prior to starting instruction.

Teaching Text Structures & Text Features

This workshop will uncover the truth about text structures and text features. You’ll gain ideas for how to teach both text structures and features, and learn how they impact comprehension.

Vocabulary Party: Come To A Lexicon Luau!

The Lexicon Luau will literally be a word party! Come explore vocabulary methods that are fun and effective, discover new practice routines, watch videos on vocabulary instruction in the classroom, and share ideas that you will really use in your classroom journey. This workshop will focus on practical application of vocabulary instruction within the CC Standards for Language.

Cruising Through Comprehension

Need to increase your students’ comprehension? Want to help your students love reading? Need new tips and tricks? Come discover powerful, easy-to-implement strategies that will increase your students’ comprehension and help them develop a love for reading!

Exploring Expository Text: Functional, Informational, And Persuasive

In this workshop we will explore effective routines and strategies your students can use to successfully break down nonfiction text. You will leave the workshop with functional, informational, and persuasive text, and the activities that will help your students be successful with expository text.

Blending Empower Literacy Work Stations With Reading A To Z

This workshop will show you how to pick the correct text for each child by blending the Reading A to Z books with Empower Literacy Workstations. Learn how to make your centers more powerful, purposeful, and productive by differentiating, while planning effective instruction for a variety of learners.

Making Literacy Centers Meaningful: Tips & Tricks For Creating & Implementing Centers/stations For Reading & Writing

In this interactive workshop you will learn the ins and outs of successful Centers/Stations through your own hands-on experience with ready-made centers! You will leave with a handful of ideas, management tips, and strategies to implement or enhance the Centers/Stations you use in your classroom.

Balancing Literary And Informational Text

The Common Core State Standards has experienced shifts in literacy, namely in the balance of literary and informational text in the upper grades. In this workshop we will look at what the standards say about the shift, how to address the shift while you are planning, and what strategies you could incorporate in your classroom to use more informational text.

Reading Response Letters

We all want our students to dive in and be engaged in quality literature. In this workshop we will examine how the unique approach of having your students analyze literature by writing and responding to letters through journaling will lead to increased involvement with text. We will work through how to set up the journals, which question stems to use, what it will look like in classroom instruction, and provide examples to bring back to your classroom.

Balanced Literacy

In a truly balanced literacy program, how you teach is as important as what you teach. Let us help you create a perfectly-balanced literacy block for you and your students! This workshop will explore the elements of balanced literacy and the research behind it, as well as how to teach basic skills, cover content and standards, assess, group, and plan effectively.

Empower Literacy Kit Training

This is an engaging, hands-on workshop to help you navigate your Empower Literacy Kit. You will become familiarized with each component of the literacy kit, learn strategies on how to effectively implement it, and receive guidance in planning for your students with the available activities.

Backward Mapping For Reading

Small Groups | The Next Step

After you have selected the type(s) of small grouping(s) you will use, you will need to decide what the rest of the class is doing. This workshop will give you models, hands-on examples, and effective tips and tricks for implementing work stations or project-based learning in your classroom. This session teaches the basics and demonstrates explicit modeling of stations for all grades and all content areas.

Expanding The Use Of Notebooks In The Classroom

Today’s student learns best when exposed to multiple modes of media. Helping them get all of the information they need from videos, images, passages, songs, and interactive experiences can be a daunting task. Get ready to explore how you can use tools such as interactive notebooks, graphic organizers, and reflective journals to help your students make the connections necessary to succeed!

Expanding The Use Of Graphic Organizers To Increase Rigor, Reflection, And Student Discussion

This fun-filled workshop is sure to help you turn your classroom into a powerful place of thinking and learning! We will introduce 8 specific graphic organizers, explain when and why to use them, and model how to deconstruct texts (reading) and then construct texts (writing). With these tools, your students will become masterful at organizing their own thinking processes! We will also share practical applications for using graphic organizers in reading, writing, and when sharing in student discussions. This training is a true game changer when implemented in the classroom setting! (This training is focused toward ELA, Science, and Social Studies.)

Workshop Gen/Sp Ed: Special Education

We Make Hard Things Easy!

Company

Keep In Touch

hello there!

Please contact me about your products & services!

hello there!

Please contact me about your career opportunities!

Thank you for your interest!