Facilitated by Annie O’Shaughnessy
9 monthly sessions – 90 minutes after school Thursdays
Thursdays
Sept 23, 2021, Oct 21, 2021, Nov 18, 2021, Dec 16, 2021, Jan 20, 2022, Feb 17, 2022, Mar 17, 2022, April 28, 2022, May 19, 2022
Time: 3:15 – 4:45 pm **15-hour recertification cert**
Location: ZOOM
Target Audience: Educators K-12
Using restorative practices to build a brave space, we will meet to apply mindfulness principles and practices to our journeys as anti-racist educators with the goal of developing discomfort resilience surfacing:
• implicit bias
• fears of “getting” it wrong,
• gaps in our knowledge,
• and racial identity development awareness.
Meeting monthly, we will seek to cultivate the courage, discernment, and vulnerability needed to “dare greatly”, as Brené Brown says; to use our power and privilege to speak out, educate, and lead in this country’s journey towards racial justice and equity.
As part of this cohort, you will be asked to read one article or book excerpt per month.
Annie O’Shaughnessy developed True Nature Teaching, after extensive training and research in Mindfulness, Restorative and Trauma Informed Practices and their impact on education. After decades as a classroom teacher, Annie has been running workshops and courses in Vermont and nationally since 2017 that are lauded as critical learning for every educator. A “wonderful, passionate, supportive teacher” her goal always, is to create brave spaces for educators to learn and grow.
Her dedication to anti-racism began after a multi-day training with Paul Gorski and strengthened during her year-long experience in the Transformative Educational Leadership program. Equally important to her expertise in mindfulness and restorative practices, Annie brings vulnerability and authentic partnership to the cohort journey.
When she is not busy developing the Holistic Restorative Education Certificate Program at Saint Michael’s and serving schools, she is enjoying time with her husband and dog Molly in Underhill, Vermont.
A 2-year hybrid series Facilitated by Loui Lord Nelson, Ph.D.
Year 1: 20 hrs. Prof. Learning This is a 2-year series. The dates and pricing are for year 1 only.
• Sept. 24, 2021 Time: 9 – 3:30 Location: Delta Hotel, S. Burlington, VT
• Nov-Jan: 4 asynchronous hour-long sessions and 45 min. team meeting scheduled with Loui
• May 10, 2022 Time:9 – 3:30 Location: Delta Hotel, S. Burlington, VT
Plus: Book Study (optional) Choose from one of three hour-long sessions September-October, December-January or March-April
Cost: 5 person team price $3000 Individual price $700 *includes meals when in person and her books Design & Deliver and A Tree for All: Your Coloring Book of UDL Principals & Practice
Year 2 Dates TBD-similar framework Theme: Using UDL to Reach All Learners Book: Culturally Responsive Design: The UDL Approach
Target Audience: Teacher Teams and Building-Based Teams including special educators, paraprofessionals, coaches, etc.
This UDL series will span 2021-2023 and is an opportunity for educators to gain information about the UDL framework design and intent and create and implement a team plan for implementation.
In addition to 2 full day in-person sessions each year, there will be asynchronous, virtual sessions as well as 45-minute consults with each team mid-year. The design is to help teams gain a deeper understanding of the framework, including what it means to be an expert learner and what rigor looks like. Teams will have the opportunity to work where they are in the framework.
Book Study with Loui: Design & Deliver: Planning & Teaching Using Universal Design for Learning: Choose from one of three hour-long sessions in August, October and February.
Year 1 will focus on:
• Understanding and applying from the roots of UDL
• Taking initial or continued steps with the three principles, and
• The forces that support or inhibit UDL implementation
Year 2 will focus on: Using UDL to Reach All Learners and teachers will see the framework as a tool to design culturally responsive environments and applying what we know about the brain to the design of your environments.
Loui Lord Nelson, Educational Consultant and owner of the UDL Approach, is an international leader in universal design for learning (UDL) implementation. She is the author of three books and a card game about UDL and hosts the popular podcasts UDL in 15 minutes and UDL Research in 15 minutes.
Andrew Jones, Ed.D.
Stand-alone Asynchronous Workshop
Cost: $100 – for 2 taped sessions and accompanying slides for a 3 month period of your choosing ending June 30, 2022
Contact CVEDC for more information: info@cvedcvt.org
Target Audience: Grades K-12 Educators, Principals, Curriculum Leaders, Instructional Coaches
Earlier in 20-21 this series was attended and videotaped. It is now available for access with 2 taped sessions and accompanying slides. There is simply too much to teach within any given academic year. The constraints of the current pandemic are also making it a challenge to fit in everything we once could. Attempting to “cover the content” and rushing through units is just not sustainable. A breadth over depth approach does not benefit students and ultimately is futile. This workshop (two half-day sessions) focuses on the concept of a “guaranteed and viable curriculum” and how to prioritize what we teach, with the recognition that we have to let go of some of our content. By going deeper with certain concepts and providing students the time to meet proficiency, we can promote higher levels of achievement.
Participants will:
• Be able to recognize the shortcomings of a “breadth over depth” curricular mentality
• Understand the importance of a guaranteed and viable curriculum
• Become familiar with a process for prioritizing performance indicators and learning targets to “shrink” the curriculum
Andrew Jones is the director of curriculum for Mill River Unified Union School District in Clarendon, Vermont. He is also the current president of the Vermont Curriculum Leaders Association (VTCLA). Prior to being a district administrator, Andrew taught high school earth science at Mt. Abraham UHS in Bristol, where he was awarded a Rowland Fellowship in 2015. Andrew is passionate about improving education systems to better meet the needs of ALL students, which means challenging some of the dominant conceptualizations about teaching and learning.
Introduction to the Theory & Model/A virtual 90 minute presentation with book!
Date: Sept 30, 2021 *Time: 1:30 – 3:00 pm *Time adjustment Location: Virtual: Zoom
Cost: $125 CVEDC member $150 non-member THIS IS FULL – waitlist only
Includes the book (shipped to your address): Gholdy Muhammed: Cultivating Genius
Target Audience: Educators K-12
In this foundational session, the facilitator will clearly define culture, equity, anti-racism and culturally & historically responsive education. Together, culture will be explored and revisited in deep, multifaceted ways. We will consider our own cultural identities and approaches to learning the cultures/identities of students. By the end of this session, participants will understand culture and will be charged to engage in self-identity work. The facilitator will also introduce participants to the model of culturally and historically responsive education. Participants will learn a brief history of CHRE and the power of education among communities of color in the United States. In addition, educators will be introduced to a five-layered equity model for teaching and learning (1) identity, (2) skills, (3) intellectualism (4) criticality and (5) joy. Exemplar CHRE lesson and unit plans across the contents and grade levels will be shown and discussed. The session will end with practical considerations for writing equitable lesson and unit plans.
Outcomes:
1. Educators will gain an understanding of culture, equity, anti-racism and culturally & historically responsive instruction (CHRE);
2. Educators will learn why youth and teachers need CHRE to advance equity and excellence;
3. Educators will learn how CHRE can be used to improve and advance pedagogical practices;
4. Educators will learn the difference between “good teaching” and CHRE; and
5. Educators will observe exemplar CHRE lesson and unit plans across the contents and grade levels.
Facilitated by Jackie Ramsay-Tolman, EWSD Director of Learning and Instructional Impact
& Jack Baldermann, Illinois Principal & leader of multiple award-winning schools
Dates: October 1 and December 3, 2021 and March 18, 2022 plus additional virtual consultation-one hour in November, Jan and Feb.
Time: 9:00 – 3:30 Location: Delta Conference Ctr. S. Burlington, VT
Cost: $625 per participant Includes, breakfast, lunch and book: Eaker & Keating: Every School, Every Team, Every Classroom
Note: a virtual 90 minute workshop that is an Intro to this Series is available as a separate registration – May 20, 2021. Register here
Target Audience: School and District Leaders and Improvement Teams
“When a school or district functions as a PLC, educators within the organization embrace high levels of learning for ALL students as both the reason the organization exists and the fundamental responsibility
of those who work within it.” Dufour, Dufour and Eaker
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) have been at the forefront of reform efforts as a viable means of transforming schools to improve student achievement. Today’s educational leaders face complex challenges, and Professional Learning Communities have been at the forefront of reform efforts as a viable and researched based means of transforming schools to close achievement gaps for all students. Our work integrates the PLC model with the RTI at Work Model to support systemic change that has a positive impact on student achievement. This series will bring teams across Vermont together to dive into this work through:
• Teams will learn more about the role the district office plays in collaborating with instructional leaders and guiding coalitions/teacher leadership teams in supporting PLC/RTI implementation and school improvement efforts
• Observe how collaborative teams align their work school wide and district wide to ensure high levels of learning for all students
• Study real life exemplars and artifacts of best practices in action to inform participants next steps in their own school/district
• Receive protocols and templates for teams to move student learning forward and practice using protocols in real time
• Review a process for establishing a guaranteed and viable curriculum and discover strategies for analyzing student learning and making data-informed decisions about next steps on a doable, rapid, PDSA cycle
Facilitated by: Liz Mirra, NGSS Consultant
Target Audience: K-12 science educators
Date: October 5, 2021
Time: 9:00 – 3:30 pm
Location: Delta Hotel Conference Ctr., S. Burlington, VT 05403
Cost: CVEDC member: $225.00 Non-Member: $250.00 *includes breakfast and lunch
The challenges of teaching during the past year have exacerbated achievement gaps and the underlying inequities our students face during instruction. As we emerge from the pandemic, we face both new and previously existing challenges in teaching science. Fortunately, there is clear research and well-tested instructional strategies that can help us create engaging classrooms where all students can achieve in science!
In this workshop, teachers will:
• Explore strategies for increasing student engagement in learning science
• Engage in examples of three-dimensional learning aligned to the NGSS
• Discover ways to maximize rigor and critical thinking for all students
• Learn how to maximize instructional time and monitor student achievement
About our facilitator: Liz Mirra has been a Science Instructional Coach and classroom teacher for over twenty years. She was involved in reviewing and providing feedback on the Next Generation Science Standards throughout their development. Liz has worked with dozens of school districts throughout the United States providing professional development on science best practices and assistance with aligning curriculum to the new standards. She facilitates trainings and workshops on the NGSS throughout the United States. Liz was the 2011 recipient of the prestigious President’s Award for Excellence in Science Teaching.
Instructors/Facilitators: Megan Grube, GISU Director of Curriculum Instruction & Technology and
Violet Nichols, ANWSD Director of Learning
(October 2021 – May 2022) 3 Graduate St. Michael’s Credits
Note: This course will be taught in either an in-person classroom with COVID protocols in place or virtually, as needed. It is equipped with a ZoomRoom Classroom Camera for remote access for participants.
Dates: October 22 and November 19, 2021, January 21, March 25 and May 20, 2022 *Additional participation in online discussion and reflection on learning and growth required for course.
Hours: 9 -3:30 pm (includes light breakfast & Lunch)
Text: Deep Learning: Engage the World Change the World by Michael Fullan, Joanne Quinn and Joanne McEachen
Target Audience: Current and Aspiring Curriculum Leaders, Teacher Leaders
Curriculum Leaders are the shepherds of continual learning in Supervisory Unions and School Districts. They are capacity-builders, vision keepers, lead learners, framework builders, innovation catalysts and more. In collaboration with other key leaders, we are the designers, teachers, and stewards of the creation of learning organizations. Whether detailing a Recovery Plan, facilitating district curriculum meetings, leading district efforts at school improvement, grant writing or data diving, this cohort will offer you the expertise to guide you through your early years of this exciting field.
This Leadership Academy is designed to meet the learning needs of both current and aspiring Curriculum Directors. Each session will include:
- an exploration of a focus area
- introduction to a component of the final project,
- a takeaway tool to support your work now and in the future
- a personalized facilitated work session with ‘experts in the field’
The major work of the course will be the development of a continuous improvement plan for an individual, a grade band, a school, or an SU as this work is the keystone of learning organizations; defining the why, what, how and where of innovation efforts.
Designing and building dynamic environments for students requires that schools, districts and Supervisory Unions become learning organizations. Peter Senge defines a learning organization as a place “where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire; where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole (reality) together” (Senge 1992).
Megan Grube is the Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Technology for the Grand Isle Supervisory Union. .read more….
Violet Nichols is the Director of Learning and Technology for ANWSD read more