BCP's Fall Professional Development Conference on October 20, 2011 provided over 300 teachers with a variety of engaging workshops. BCP offers customized workshops throughout the year that meet the staff training needs identified by teachers, principal and BCP staff members.
Common Core Sessions
During the morning teachers participated in hands-on
Common Core Sessions, where they learned how instructional programs are aligned with the
Common Core State Standards, as well as strategies for effective instruction. The session were conducted by teachers from City Springs School.
- Common Core Language Arts: PreK- 2nd grade
Presenter: Ms. Jenae Toulson, City Springs School - Common Core Language Arts: 1st and 2nd grade
Presenter: Ms. Shereen Holmes, City Springs - Common Core Language Arts: 3rd - 5th grade
Presenter: Ms. Laura Doherty, NIFDI Consultant
- Common Core Language Arts: 6th - 8th grade
Presenter: Ms. Vicky Jennings, City Springs School
- Common Core Math: K-8th grade
Presenter: Mr. Donnell Spedden, City Springs School
Hampstead Hill Choir and Principal Panel DiscussionDuring the afternoon break, teachers were serenaded by the Hampstead Hill Academy Choir. This was followed by a Principal Panel Discussion on school accountability, which was moderated by Muriel Berkeley. View video clips of the discussion at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/baltimorecpLunch was supported by a generous grant from
McGraw-Hill School Education Group.
Afternoon Sessions
During the afternoon teachers engaged in a wide variety of workshops:
- Math Learning Centers: PreK - 2nd grade
Presenter: Brenda Kahn, Academic Coach
Do you have more than one math group? Are you looking for opportunities to move beyond worksheets to provide practice for your students? Do your students struggle with mastering math concepts? This session will focus on the why and how of developing appropriate learning centers that enrich and support our math curriculum and the Common Core Standards. A variety of ideas and practical strategies for creating and implementing learning centers will be shared. We will also look at opportunities for incorporating math concepts and vocabulary into the classroom read aloud.
- Active Monitoring
Presenter: Jeff Krick, BCP Director of Student Support Services
Why would a teacher wait to read a student’s independent work to know how they are learning? Teachers can use Active Monitoring practices to monitor student understanding and respond efficiently with targeted instruction DURING independent work time. Active monitoring can also be used to target motivation. Come join us and explore these techniques. This session will mix presentation, discussion, and video examples.
- The Power of Words: Developing Vocabulary
Presenter: Susan Lattimore
Why is it critical to build our students’ vocabulary, and what does this look like in our classrooms? What techniques are proven to enhance the vocabulary skills of English Language Learners, students with learning challenges, and students who are impacted by poverty? Participants in this session will develop a practical understanding of the above issues, and will discuss how to address them across content areas. We will work together to develop materials and lessons that will jump start any vocabulary program and integrate it effectively throughout the school day.
- Interventions: Behavior Management Training
Presenter: Tara Anderson, BCP Director of Training
Learn intervention techniques for those students with chronically challenging behavior. We will discuss strategies to correct and redirect disruptive behaviors and long term plans for support and monitoring of individual students.
- Power Teacher Grade Book
Presenter: Devin Stevenson, City Springs School Staff Developer
PowerTeacher Gradebook is a full-featured grade-keeping application used to record, report, and monitor student performance. It promotes progressive grading methods, including grading student groups, easy creation of formative, summative, and diagnostic assignments, and multiple measures of central tendencies (mean, median, mode). It's designed to allow educators to assess their students' progress from many different angles in order to maximize student achievement.
- Language Arts Brief Constructed Response (BCR) Instructional Support for grades 3-8
Presenter: Marvelyn Johnson, Academic Coach
PRESENTER: MARVELYN JOHNSON, BCP ACADEMIC COACH
Are you new to the MSA testing grades? If so, this session is for you! In this session we will review the MSA scoring rubric for Language Arts BCRs and how to motivate and teach students to earn full points for their written responses. We will practice instructional strategies to teach students how to use the Answer, Text detail, Explain (ATE) format to develop complete responses. We will provide sample lesson materials that will help you teach your students how to take their answers from a 1 to a 3.
- Impact of Poverty on Education
Presenter: Jon McGill, BCP Director of Academics
How can we address poverty and education at the same time? A look at the research into high poverty schools, the effects of poverty on child health and on learning readiness. This session includes information on what makes certain schools succeed and others fail.
- Everfi Financial Education
Presenters: Everfi Staff
EverFi has built an entirely new framework to finance and deliver innovation into schools in such areas as Financial Literacy, Student Loan Management, Digital Literacy, Substance Abuse, Nutrition, Obesity, and other key issues. We enable students to learn using the latest technology, including rich media, high-definition video, diagrams and avatars. The EverFi platform is typically integrated into core courses to empower teachers and reach all students.
Men of Strength ClubA group of City Springs staff members also participated in a 2-day intensive training to prepare them to implement a
Men of Strength Club at City Springs School. The
Men of Strength Club, a youth development program of the Washington, DC-based nonprofit
Men Can Stop Rape's , is the country’s premier primary violence prevention program for mobilizing young men to prevent sexual and dating violence. The Men of Strength Club, or MOST Club, provides young men with a structured and supportive space to build individualized definitions of masculinity that promote healthy relationships.
Thank you
We would like to thank all of the principals, teachers, trainers, and staff members who made BCP's Fall Profesional Development Conference possible. We would also like to thank
McGraw-Hill School Education Group for providing lunch;
Merritt Athletic Clubs for donating a one month membership for a teacher; and Lakeshore for donating $400 worth of gift to cards to help BCP teachers purchase school supplies. Special thanks to BCP Director of Training Tara Anderson for organizing the conference.
The current issue of the Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk (JESPAR) features an article by BCP President and Founder Muriel Berkeley entitled A Practitioner's View on the Policy of Turning Schools Around.
