The UCI Teacher Academy is proud to present its 2020 Professional Development Summer Series. Over the next six weeks, leading experts, including UCI School of Education faculty and staff, will host a variety of workshops aimed at improving online learning and instruction.
The 2020 Summer Series has passed, but videos of all events are available! Click on the button to the right to view all of the workshops detailed below. Thank you to all who attended and participated in a workshop!
9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Providing Differentiated Instruction in a Distance-Learning Environment in an Elementary Classroom
Christina Cho and Alexandra Rivera collaborated often during the school closure to find ways to provide differentiated instruction for their students. Learn how they organized their schedule and routine and selected online resources aligned with their teaching goals to support their students’ learning needs.
Presenters:
- Christina Cho, Community Roots Academy Teacher
- Alexandra Rivera, Community Roots Academy Teacher
- Susan Toma-Berge, UCI School of Education, Multiple Subject Coordinator
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Environmental Literacy and Environment Justice Part I
Learn about environmental principles and concepts in History and Science. Environmental literacy provides an opportunity for teachers to engage in interdisciplinary instruction to promote student engagement. The program will emphasize environmental justice through the lens of our current COVID-19 crisis.
Presenters:
- Doron Zinger, Director, CalTeach Teacher Preparation Program
- Nicole Gilbertson, Director, UCI History Project
Note: This workshop is two unique parts. Part II will be held on July 30 (see below). Guests will be sent registration information for both sessions upon registering.
1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Supporting Students Receiving Special Education Services During Distance Learning in an Elementary Classroom
Jessica Reyes is a Mild/Moderate SPED teacher who found ways to provide instructional support and SEL support to her students with special needs. Learn how she used Text to Speech, Kahoot, Class Dojo and more.
Presenters:
- Jessica Reyes, Santa Ana Unified School District Mild/Moderate SPED Teacher, PLTW District Launch Trainer
- Susan Toma-Berge, UCI School of Education, Multiple Subject Coordinator
9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Building and Maintaining Community and Communication with Students and Parents During Distance Learning in an Elementary Classroom
Wendy Hammitt is a fourth grade teacher and technology trainer for the Santa Ana Unified School District. She found tools and apps to communicate with her students and parents during school closures and maintain her classroom community. Learn how she used Google Classroom, synchronous interactions and communication tools in multiple languages.
Presenters:
- Wendy Hammitt, Santa Ana Unified School District, PLTW District Launch Trainer
- Susan Toma-Berge, UCI School of Education, Multiple Subject Coordinator
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Equitable Teaching during COVID-19: Strategies and Tools for Teaching Students with Learning Differences in the Secondary Classroom (Workshop also offered on August 7, see below).
Which strategies and tools can we use to meet the diverse learning needs of students during remote learning (grades 6-12)? We will discuss common issues in remote learning for special education, potential solutions, and how to overcome specific challenges as teachers in remote learning models. Participants will leave the session with grab-and-go resources for teaching during the 2020-21 academic year.
Presenters:
- Allison Starks, UCI School of Education Doctoral Student, Former Special Education Teacher
- Hannah Peters, Special Education Teacher, Albemarle County Public Schools
Note: An identical workshop will be held on August 7. Guests need only register for one version.
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Cultivating In-depth Discussion Using Kialo
Learn the benefits of incorporating Socratic seminars and online discussions into your classroom. Resources for both of these discussion methods will be provided and modeled.
Presenters:
- Jakob Castaneda, UCI CalTeach ’20
- Doron Zinger, Director, UCI CalTeach Teacher Preparation Program
1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Supporting Dual Immersion Instruction during Distance Learning in a Kindergarten Classroom
Judith Au is a Spanish dual immersion teacher who found ways to support her language learners through distance learning. Learn about SeeSaw, Screencastify and other tools to support language acquisition.
Presenters:
- Judith Au, Garden Grove Unified School District, Dual Immersion Teacher
- Susan Toma-Berge, UCI School of Education, Multiple Subject Coordinator
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Environmental Literacy and Environment Justice Part II
Learn about environmental principles and concepts in History and Science. Environmental literacy provides an opportunity for teachers to engage in interdisciplinary instruction to promote student engagement. The program will emphasize environmental justice through the lens of our current COVID-19 crisis.
Presenters:
- Doron Zinger, Director, CalTeach Teacher Preparation Program
- Nicole Gilbertson, Director, UCI History Project
Note: This workshop is two unique parts. Part I was will be held on July 16, see above.
10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Assessing for Student Learning
How can we use assessment to learn about who students are and what students know to inform instruction and improve student learning? We will share a process for developing assessments in inquiry-based classrooms.
Presenters:
- Doron Zinger, Director, UCI CalTeach Teacher Preparation Program
- Nicole Gilbertson, Director, UCI History Project
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Equitable Teaching during COVID-19: Strategies and Tools for Teaching Students with Learning Differences in the Secondary Classroom (Workshop also offered on July 27, see above).
Which strategies and tools can we use to meet the diverse learning needs of students during remote learning (grades 6-12)? We will be talking about common issues in remote learning for special education, potential solutions, and how to overcome specific challenges as teachers in remote learning models. Participants will leave the session with grab-and-go resources for teaching during the 2020-21 academic year.
Presenters:
- Allison Starks, UCI School of Education Doctoral Student, Former Special Education Teacher
- Hannah Peters, Special Education Teacher, Albemarle County Public Schools
Note: An identical workshop is held on July 27. Guests need to only register for one edition.