Join us as we discover ways to use the game of marbles in the classroom to promote creativity, imagination, discovery, and fun. The world of marbles extends far beyond just collecting pretty glass balls. There are plenty of games that can be played with just a simple bag of marbles, but there are also many specialized marbles games that promote strategical thinking and teamwork. We’ll discover the many ways that marbles can be used in the classroom…classic marbles, designing homemade marble runs, creating marbles from clay, playing KerPlunk, and more. Students will improve their fine motor skills while honing their logic and reasoning skills as they learn about and play a game of marbles. Teachers will learn how to incorporate marbles in different subject areas, how to embed marbles in history lessons, and how to use marbles for social-emotional learning activities. We’ll spend a morning at the Moon Marble Factory watching marble masters play and create unique marbles. Then we’ll take this classic game into our classrooms. This course is relevant to educators of all levels…join us!

This dynamic course is centered around creating opportunities to teach financial literacy in the classroom. We will discover ways to introduce students to fundamental and age-appropriate money management concepts in a fun and engaging manner. We’ll cover topics such as earning, spending saving, budgeting, and the basis of investing. Our goal is to build a strong foundation for children to make informed financial decisions throughout their lives. We’ll relate financial concepts to everyday situations and experiences that will empower students to manage their own finances effectively as they continue to grow. We know that financial attitudes, habits, and norms begin to develop between ages 6 and 12, so it’s important for educators to provide positive and powerful lessons that are focused on becoming a financially literate part of our society. Let’s use games, crafts, and hands-on activities to teach our students about money and healthy money habits…this will have a lasting impact on their futures.

This course is designed for teachers who would like to have a better understanding of adolescence and their challenges today with digital footprints and social media. This course will cover how complications with relationships and social media can consume teens. We will discuss how we can better understand this to be a supportive teacher and provide students with appropriate social emotional guidance.

This course equips educators with essential tools to recognize behaviors and support students who struggle with anxiety. We discuss effective strategies for cultivating an anxiety-friendly environment, emphasizing open communication, fostering acceptance, and empowering students through choice. We also explore the impact of Covid on in-person learning and its consequences on attendance and well-being. Participants access invaluable resources, literary works, engaging activities, and a platform for sharing concerns and successes. Join us on this transformative journey of instilling resilience and empowering students to overcome anxiety.

The use of technology benefits educators from the stand points of managerial tasks and more effective teaching strategies. This course is one of a series of courses designed for K-12 educators interested in incorporating technology into their existing curricula and daily classroom management by enhancing their technology skills. This particular course will enhance the educator’s skill with Microsoft Word to create a number of classroom management resources as well as instructional materials. Participants will be required to complete a project outside of class.

This course is designed to provide teachers with foundational learning on creating and integrating their current lessons into any kind of learning environment. Teachers will learn about managing and delivering meaningful, engaging content to their students in diverse learning situations. Learners will learn how to manage multi-faceted classrooms and how to create dynamic, engaging content for all face to face, hybrid, or distant learning classrooms. Throughout the course we will focus heavily upon Google Applications to facilitate the requirement of higher order thinking from students.

Family Engagement is a way to accomplish these things and can ensure a better experience for all students. Explore the purpose, planning, and hosting of events that invite families to support their children through connection and collaboration. Building positive community engagement can remove some of these issues. Participants will be given tips on finding school volunteers, planning events with fresh ideas, and improving communication. Create stronger connections with families for a positive and effective environment.