SEE INSIDE FOR
CONFERENCE
BROCHURE!
RIMLE
Annual
Conference
Saturday,
January 31, 2015
8:00 AM to 1:50 PM
MIDDLE LEVEL
PRACTICE IN THE
ST
21 CENTURY
Lincoln Middle
School
152 Jenckes Hill
Road
Lincoln, RI 02865
Rhode Island Middle
Level Educators
PO Box 15128
Riverside, RI 02915
www.rimle.org
@RIMLE_RI_MIDDLE
[email protected]
8:00 – 8:55 Registration and Vendor Time
8:55 – 9:30 Welcome & Keynote Address with Oscar “Tim” Hebert, the CEO of Atrion in Warwick
9:35 – 10:35 Session 1
A. Continuing the Conversation
Presenter: Oscar “Tim” Hebert, the CEO of Atrion in Warwick
This session is an opportunity to talk with Tim Hebert about his Keynote address. The session will be kept to a
maximum of 20 to allow for a more intimate atmosphere.
B. Evolving Middle Level Practices and Meeting the Social Emotional Needs of Students
Presenter: John Niska, Rhode Island College, Dennis Almeida, Gallagher Middle School, Mary Lou Bettez, Alan
Shawn Feinstein Middle School of Coventry, and Becky Ferry, Barrington Middle School
This session facilitated by Dr. John M. Niska, Coordinator of the Middle Level Teachers Program at Rhode
Island College, will be an interactive conversation discussing how the social and emotional needs of the early
adolescent learner are evolving as a consequence of the recent state and national initiatives. Practices such as
Teaming, Looping, Advisory, and Classroom Instructional Practice will be discussed.
C. Interactive Writing Across the Curriculum While Aligning to the Common Core
Presenter: Steven Krasner, Educations Consultant/Children’s author
An interactive, fun-filled, hands-on and motivational workshop that offers practical, easy-to-implement
strategies for engaging your students and nudging them along the path to becoming independent and
enthusiastic writers across the curriculum while aligning to the Common Core State Standards. Collaborative
writing projects will develop the process for writing mysteries, tall tales, and newspaper/magazine articles.
D. Going Global: How to Make This Experience Yours
Presenter: Sandra Makielski, Davisville Middle School
Have you thought about travelling abroad to enrich your understanding of our world and to help prepare your
students to be global citizens? Learn about one teacher’s travel experience in Japan, how to incorporate your
new-found knowledge into useable lessons, and how you, too, can travel abroad. Artifacts, student samples
and a PowerPoint will bring Japan to Rhode Island. Participants will leave with resources and a list of travel
opportunities to take you GLOBAL.
(Continued)
E. One Lesson, Endless Possibilities (Blending Classroom Learning)
Presenters: Maria Boulmetis and Jennifer Graham, Alan Shawn Feinstein Middle School of Coventry
Blended learning is great in theory, but what exactly does it look like? What tools can I use to start blending
learning in my classroom? This session will take you through a truly blended lesson and will teach you how to
use technology to enhance student learning. You will leave this session with beginner’s “bag of tricks” to help
you bring blended learning into your classroom.
F. Mining Various Text Type: Practical Teaching Strategies in the CCSS Era
Presenter: Julie Lima Boyle, Coventry High School
This session will explore the various text types of text in a Common Core State Standards environment and
demonstrate how they can be incorporated into practical teaching strategies.
G. Standards Based Grading – One School’s Journey
Presenters: Melissa Lourenco, Sarah Lapointe and Faculty/Staff of Segue Institute for Learning
The goal of this session is to inform participants how Segue developed Standards Based Grading. We will
share our process for switching our grading practices to fit the SBG model.
H. Academic Vocabulary in the Content Areas: Progress Monitoring and Data Driven Instruction
Presenters: Abby Paon, Alan Shawn Feinstein Middle School, Shannon Fay, Ferri Middle School, and Nicole
Bucka, RTI/MTSS Technical Assistant
Research has shown that knowledge of academic vocabulary is one of the strongest indicators of how well
students will learn in their content area studies (Marzano and Pickering, 2005). Vocabulary knowledge plays
an important role in reading comprehension; therefore, it is critical that content area teachers provide
students with opportunities to develop their academic vocabulary knowledge through oral conversations,
direct instruction, reading and writing. Vocabulary Progress Monitoring provides content area secondary
teachers a means to measure student progress and assess effectiveness of instruction. During this interactive
workshop, presenters will share how to develop and implement Vocabulary Matching Probes and use progress
monitoring data to drive vocabulary instruction in the classroom. Participants will learn various research
based strategies for explicitly teaching academic vocabulary in content area classes to address CCSS literacy
standards.
10:40 – 11:40 Vendor Time and Brunch
(Continued)
11:45 – 12:45 Session 2
A. Assisting Struggling Learners: The “Can’t dos”, the “Won’t dos” and What Next?!
Presenters: Nicole Bucka and Ellen Reinhardt, RTI/MTSS Technical Assistant
When trying to assist struggling learners, many educators are frustrated by common obstacles: identifying the
problem, recycling the same old tired solutions (which didn’t work), and struggling to identify if the issue is a
“can’t do” (skill/acquisition deficit) or a “won’t do” (motivation or performance deficit). This session will
provide an evidence based tool to assist teachers in brainstorming solutions which infuses both academic
deficits (“can’t dos”), as well as behavioral deficits (“won’t dos), as well as a few resources connected to these
strategies.
B. Growth Mind Set: I Can’t…Yet!
Presenters: Jenna Ponder and Sandy Clunan, Alan Shawn Feinstein Middle School of Coventry
Oftentimes students enter the middle school with a belief that they already CAN or CANNOT do something;
they are smart or they are not smart. Nowhere does this happen more than in the Math class! Research has
shown that a student can actually change their intelligence and grow their skills when they are members of a
classroom in which effort and hard work are fostered. Participants in this workshop will learn what one math
interventionist did in one school year to grow her students’ belief in themselves and their mathematical
abilities. Come learn how she shifted their thinking from a fixed to a growth mindset and leave with several
ideas that can be incorporated in the classrooms to support students and cultivate a growth mindset.
C. Project Based Learning in the Middle Level Classroom
Presenter: Nina Marold, Segue Institute for Learning
This workshop will share examples of successful implementation of Project Based Learning elements in the
middle level classroom. I will share the process of PBL implementation from teacher collaboration, to planning,
to facilitation, and through completion.
D. Using Google Apps to Enhance Professional and Student Learning (Google+ and Google Forms) *two
hour session – continues in Session III
Presenter: Kenneth Hopkins Jr., Vincent J. Gallagher Middle School
The objective of this workshop is to learn the practical applications of Google apps in order to enhance
professional and classroom learning. By creating school, district, and state professional learning networks via
Google+, we can collaborate and increase our professional knowledge base. Google Forms can provide an
excellent and efficient means of formative and summative assessment in our classrooms, as well as
opportunities to increase student and professional voice through this survey tool. This interactive
presentation will help you create your Google+ account, build a Google+ professional learning network, and
create a Google Form for immediate usage in your class or school.
E. 1:1 Computing , Assessment, and Google Tools (two hour session – continues in Session III)
Presenters: Dr. Jason Masterson and Dr. Bethany Coughlin and Faculty of Joseph L. McCourt Middle School
and North Cumberland Middle School
The goal of this workshop is to introduce the power of 1:1 computing and how it changes the way students
learn. The objectives include demonstrating how teachers/students use Chromebooks in the classroom. The
presentation will also include different forms of assessment used with Chromebooks, tools for teacher task
efficiency, policy adjustments necessary, and different Google tools that we are using.
F. Focus Session with the Sponsors and Vendors
Presenters: Sponsors and Vendors
This session will allow for an extended conversation about the products and services offered by our Sponsors
and Vendors. The intent is to have an individualized demonstration in the exhibit hall of their products and
services to a limited audience.
G. Supporting Arguments with Evidence Using Claims, Evidence, and Reasoning
Presenter: Carolyn Higgins, Winman Junior High School
We will look at the use of Claims, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) statements to ensure students support their ideas.
Use of the CER Statement supports the NGSS practices of Constructing Explanations and Engaging in
Argument from Evidence by giving students a structure to follow for a response that includes significant details
and forces them to connect their ideas to scientific facts. CER Statements also support the CCSS Writing
standard, Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning
and relevant and sufficient evidence. Use of CER will be illustrated using science examples, but can be applied
to other subject areas.
H. Strategies used in Math and other content areas to succeed at CCSS/PARCC, successful with ELLs too!
Presenter: Debbie Scarpelli, Slater Middle School
Reading, Writing, and Vocabulary Strategies for preparing our students for success with the CCSS and
PARCC. Come and gather some strategies that can be used in all classes including ELLs. These strategies can
also be used as Formative and Summative Assessments.
(Continued)
I. Teaching Executive Skills at the Tier 1 Level
Presenter: Lori Lebrun, Alan Shawn Feinstein Middle School of Coventry
The goal of the workshop is to show how school counselors can teach and strengthen Executive Functioning
Skills across the Tier 1 level and incorporate the work into ILPs. Counselors will learn the planning,
implementation and challenges of this type of program.
J. Making NGSS Relevant to Students
Presenter: Susan Piperata Unger, St. Peter School
This session will consider relevance as an integral part of NGSS-based lesson plans to increase student
engagement and learning. Participants will use student ideas to design /adapt an NGSS standards based
lesson plan to demonstrate relevance to their lives.
12:50 – 1:50 Session 3
A. Assisting Struggling Learners: The “Can’t dos”, the “Won’t dos” and What Next?!
Presenters: Nicole Bucka and Ellen Reinhardt, RTI/MTSS Technical Assistant
When trying to assist struggling learners, many educators are frustrated by common obstacles: identifying the
problem, recycling the same old tired solutions (which didn’t work), and struggling to identify if the issue is a
“can’t do” (skill/acquisition deficit) or a “won’t do” (motivation or performance deficit). This session will
provide an evidence based tool to assist teachers in brainstorming solutions which infuses both academic
deficits (“can’t dos”), as well as behavioral deficits (“won’t dos), as well as a few resources connected to these
strategies.
B. Growth Mind Set: I Can’t…Yet!
Presenters: Jenna Ponder and Sandy Clunan, Alan Shawn Feinstein Middle School of Coventry
Oftentimes students enter the middle school with a belief that they already CAN or CANNOT do something;
they are smart or they are not smart. Nowhere does this happen more than in the Math class! Research has
shown that a student can actually change their intelligence and grow their skills when they are members of a
classroom in which effort and hard work are fostered. Participants in this workshop will learn what one math
interventionist did in one school year to grow her students’ belief in themselves and their mathematical
abilities. Come learn how she shifted their thinking from a fixed to a growth mindset and leave with several
ideas that can be incorporated in the classrooms to support students and cultivate a growth mindset.
(Continued)
C. Project Based Learning in the Middle Level Classroom
Presenter: Nina Marold, Segue Institute for Learning
This workshop will share examples of successful implementation of Project Based Learning elements in the
middle level classroom. I will share the process of PBL implementation from teacher collaboration, to planning,
to facilitation, and through completion.
D. Using Google Apps to Enhance Professional and Student Learning (Google+ and Google Forms) *two
hour session – continues from Session II
Presenter: Kenneth Hopkins Jr., Vincent J. Gallagher Middle School
The objective of this workshop is to learn the practical applications of Google apps in order to enhance
professional and classroom learning. By creating school, district, and state professional learning networks via
Google+, we can collaborate and increase our professional knowledge base. Google Forms can provide an
excellent and efficient means of formative and summative assessment in our classrooms, as well as
opportunities to increase student and professional voice through this survey tool. This interactive
presentation will help you create your Google+ account, build a Google+ professional learning network, and
create a Google Form for immediate usage in your class or school.
E. 1:1 Computing , Assessment, and Google tools (two hour session – continues from Session II)
Presenters: Dr. Jason Masterson and Dr. Bethany Coughlin and Faculty of Joseph L. McCourt Middle School
and North Cumberland Middle School
The goal of this workshop is to introduce the power of 1:1 computing and how it changes the way students
learn. The objectives include demonstrating how teachers/students use Chromebooks in the classroom. The
presentation will also include different forms of assessment used with Chromebooks, tools for teacher task
efficiency, policy adjustments necessary, and different Google tools that we are using.
F. Mining Various Text Type: Practical Teaching Strategies in the CCSS Era
Presenter: Julie Lima Boyle, Coventry High School
This session will explore the various text types of text in a Common Core State Standards environment and
demonstrate how they can be incorporated into practical teaching strategies.
G. Supporting Arguments with Evidence using Claims, Evidence, and Reasoning
Presenter: Carolyn Higgins, Winman Junior High School
We will look at the use of Claims, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) statements to ensure students support their ideas.
Use of the CER Statement supports the NGSS practices of Constructing Explanations and Engaging in
Argument from Evidence by giving students a structure to follow for a response that includes significant details
and forces them to connect their ideas to scientific facts. CER Statements also support the CCSS Writing
standard, Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid reasoning
and relevant and sufficient evidence. Use of CER will be illustrated using science examples, but can be applied
to other subject areas.
H. Strategies used in Math and other content areas to succeed at CCSS/PARCC, successful with ELLs too!
Presenter: Debbie Scarpelli, Slater Middle School
Reading, Writing, and Vocabulary Strategies for preparing our students for success with the CCSS and
PARCC. Come and gather some strategies that can be used in all classes including ELLs. These strategies can
also be used as Formative and Summative Assessments.
I. Teaching Executive Skills at the Tier 1 Level
Presenter: Lori Lebrun, Alan Shawn Feinstein Middle School of Coventry
The goal of the workshop is to show how school counselors can teach and strengthen Executive Functioning
Skills across the Tier 1 level and incorporate the work into ILPs. Counselors will learn the planning,
implementation and challenges of this type of program.
J. Making NGSS Relevant to Students
Presenter: Susan Piperata Unger, St. Peter School
This session will consider relevance as an integral part of NGSS-based lesson plans to increase student
engagement and learning. Participants will use student ideas to design /adapt an NGSS standards based
lesson plan to demonstrate relevance to their lives.
Please Register Online!
Follow this link to register
Payments can be mailed to:
RIMLE
PO Box 15128
Riverside, RI 02915
Prices:
$75 Member, $100 Non-member, $20 Student,
10 for $500 Special (Member Schools)
(please write checks out to RIMLE)
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