All resources in Professional Learning and You (P.L.A.Y.)

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Culturally Responsive Teaching: Strategies for Creating Inclusive Learning Experiences

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Culturally responsive teaching is an approach to education that recognizes the cultural strengths and differences of each student in the classroom. It emphasizes the importance of creating a safe and inclusive learning environment that promotes the academic and social-emotional growth of all students. In this professional learning activity, you will explore strategies and resources that will help you create culturally responsive learning experiences for your students.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Rebecca Henderson

Teacher in the Workplace Tour

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As educators, it is essential to have a strong understanding of the skills and knowledge that our students will need to succeed in the workforce. One way to gain this understanding is to immerse ourselves in the world of work through experiences such as workplace tours. In this professional learning activity, we will listen to a podcast featuring an actual teacher in the workplace tour.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Rebecca Henderson

Preparing Your Students for a Successful Career: A Professional Learning Activity for Teachers

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As teachers, we are responsible for preparing our students for success beyond the classroom. A critical aspect of this is ensuring that our students are ready for their future careers. In this professional learning activity, you will learn about the skills and knowledge necessary for students to be career-ready, locate and utilize resources to support student career readiness, and develop strategies to integrate career readiness into your curriculum.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Rebecca Henderson

Exploring Math Manipulatives

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Math manipulatives are physical objects that help students to understand abstract mathematical concepts by providing a tangible representation of those concepts. By using math manipulatives, students can visualize mathematical concepts and develop a deeper understanding of them. As a teacher, it is important to have a variety of math manipulatives at your disposal to make your lessons more engaging and effective. In this professional learning activity, we will explore various math manipulatives that can be used to enhance elementary math lessons.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Rebecca Henderson

Engaging Students with Phenomena-Based Science Teaching Strategies

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Phenomena-Based Science Teaching is a teaching approach that is centered around the observation of natural events or phenomena. Rather than starting with abstract concepts, this approach begins with a real-world phenomenon and guides students through an inquiry-based process of investigating it. In this professional learning activity, we will explore Phenomena-Based Science Teaching Strategies that can be used in any science classroom.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Rebecca Henderson

Enhancing Vocabulary Proficiency: Providing Opportunities for Students to Use Vocabulary

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Vocabulary proficiency plays a crucial role in academic success and language development. Providing opportunities for students to use vocabulary in different contexts can lead to increased engagement, retention, and acquisition of new words.  This professional learning activity aims to provide teachers with strategies and resources to create an environment that encourages the use of vocabulary in various contexts. 

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Rebecca Henderson

Empowering Student Voices: Providing Choice in the ELA Classroom

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As educators, it's important to create a classroom environment that empowers student voices and provides opportunities for student choice. In the ELA classroom, this can be achieved by offering students choice in what they read, write, and how they demonstrate their understanding. This professional learning activity aims to provide ELA teachers with strategies and resources to effectively provide students with choice and enhance their learning experiences.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Rebecca Henderson

Supporting English Language Learners: Strategies for Classroom Success

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As the number of English Language Learners (ELLs) in classrooms continues to increase, it is essential that teachers have the knowledge and tools necessary to support these students' language and academic development. In this learning activity, you will explore strategies and resources to help you effectively support ELLs in your classroom.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Rebecca Henderson

The Mindful Teacher: Cultivating Presence and Well-Being

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Welcome to "The Mindful Teacher: Cultivating Presence and Well-Being" activity. Teaching can be a challenging and demanding profession, and it is essential for teachers to take care of their well-being. Mindfulness is a practice that can help teachers cultivate presence, awareness, and emotional regulation, leading to reduced stress, improved well-being, and better student outcomes. This activity will introduce you to the concept of mindfulness, and its benefits, and provide you with practical tools to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Rebecca Henderson

The Power of Positive Thinking: Building Resilience Through Self-Talk

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Welcome to "The Power of Positive Thinking: Building Resilience Through Self-Talk" activity. How we talk to ourselves can have a powerful impact on our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Negative self-talk can be damaging and lead to a lack of self-esteem, limiting beliefs, and difficulties in facing challenges. In contrast, positive self-talk can help us build resilience, develop a growth mindset, and cope better with challenges.This activity will take you through the process of identifying your negative self-talk patterns, replacing them with positive self-talk, and building resilience.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Rebecca Henderson

Mindful Minds: A Professional Learning Activity to Help Students Improve Mental Wellness

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Mental wellness is essential for our overall health and happiness. As students, it is crucial to understand the importance of mental wellness and learn practical strategies for managing stress and maintaining emotional well-being. In this activity, we will explore the concept of mental wellness, learn practical strategies to manage stress and anxiety and reflect on how we can prioritize our mental wellness moving forward.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Rebecca Henderson

Prioritizing Mental Wellness: A Professional Learning Activity for Teachers

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As teachers, we often put our students' needs before our own. However, it is important to prioritize our mental wellness to be our best selves both in and out of the classroom. In this activity, we will explore the concept of mental wellness, learn practical strategies to manage stress and maintain a healthy work-life balance, and reflect on how we can prioritize our mental wellness moving forward.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Rebecca Henderson

Bridging Civics and Curriculum: Engaging Students in Active Citizenship

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As educators, it's essential to cultivate informed and engaged citizens who can participate actively in the democratic process. Integrating civics education into the curriculum can help students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills to prepare them for active citizenship. This professional learning activity will explore various ways to integrate civics education into the curriculum and provide resources to support effective instruction.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Rebecca Henderson

Preparing Your Students for a Successful Career: A Professional Learning Activity for Teachers

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As teachers, we are responsible for preparing our students for success beyond the classroom. A critical aspect of this is ensuring that our students are ready for their future careers. In this professional learning activity, you will learn about the skills and knowledge necessary for students to be career-ready, locate and utilize resources to support student career readiness and develop strategies to integrate career readiness into your curriculum.

Material Type: Activity/Lab

Author: Rebecca Henderson

Using the Magic of AI to Innovate Professional Learning

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On January 4, 2024 the Curriculum Services Team delivered a 2-hour webinar titled "Using the Magic of AI to Innovate Professional Learning" to a national audience.  Based on a presentation delivered at the AESA National Conference in December 2023, this webinar was a deeper dive into the ways that the WIU Curriculum Services Team leverages AI to develop professional learning activities to support the school districts in Westmoreland County and beyond.

Material Type: Simulation

Author: Rebecca Henderson