Spring 2024 WNYRIC Online Academy Courses

These session are open to teachers from participating WNYRIC Online Academy districts. Click on the links below to register for upcoming sessions.

Course Date(s)	Instructor Name	Course Title	Course Description	Credit Hours
1/4/24 - 1/25/24	Mary Kovach	Adobe Creative Cloud: Photoshop and Lightroom	This course is designed for teachers who have access to Adobe Creative Cloud apps through their school. In this session, we will focus on some of the key features of Photoshop and Lightroom for editing and sharing photos, as well as creating graphic designs and animations.	3
1/9/24 - 2/1/24	Mary Kovach	Promoting Digital Literacy and Information Fluency with Technology	This course will discuss what it means for students to be literate in today's digital age, as well as responsible digital citizens. We will look at tools within and in addition to Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 for Education that promote these skills and help students to be safe, respectful, and perceptive online.	3
1/10/2024	Mary Kovach	PBL Webinar Series: Creating Museum Exhibits	This webinar will discuss how students can create museum-style exhibits as their authentic products for project-based learning. Technology tools for creating virtual exhibits will be explored.	2
1/14/24-2/11/24	Darlynda Miktuk	SEL in Digital Life	This online only course will explore SEL (social and emotional learning) in the digital lives of the students in your education setting. Technology has an effect on a student's social and emotional well-being, from how they express themselves to how they communicate with others. Participants will learn how to help students integrate technology into their lives to promote their well-being. Resources from the Common Sense Education website will be used within this online course.	3
1/14/24-2/11/24	Darlynda Miktuk	Visual Literacy	Today's students are global media consumers with access to a constant stream of visual information from the Internet, social media, videos, and television. This online only course will help teachers facilitate intentional analysis for students with their visual literacy.	3
1/14/24-2/11/24	Darlynda Miktuk	Book Study: Well-Being in Schools by Andy Hargreaves and Dennis Shirley	NOTE - This online course is a repeated course and was run during the '22-'23 school year. This online only book study worth 8 PD hours will explore the book Well-Being in Schools: Three Forces That Will Uplift Your Students in a Volatile World by Andy Hargreaves and Dennis Shirley. Copies of the book will be provided for enrolled participants. The link in the description is from Google Books so you may see a preview of the book.	8
1/14/24-2/11/24	Darlynda Miktuk	Instructional Strategy: Student Engagement	*NOTE - This online course is a repeated course and was run during the '22-'23 school year. Teachers use effective engagement strategies to keep students involved in learning. This online course worth 3 PD hours will explore student engagement strategies for students within the classroom.	3
2/28/24	Mary Kovach	TRLE Webinar: Thinking and Questioning Protocols with Google Workspace for Education	In this webinar, we will discuss thinking protocols such as "I Used to Think … Now I Think” and "They Say/I Say/Pop-Up Debates” and questioning protocols such as the "Question Formulation Technique.” We will look at ways in which Google Workspace for Education resources can be used to support these protocols in either in-person or hybrid/virtual settings. This webinar can be viewed live on 2/28/24, or as a recording after the fact. Participants will receive credit upon successful completion of the webinar quiz and project by 4/11/24.	2
2/28/2024 - 3/20/2024	Mary Kovach	Adobe Creative Cloud: Illustrator and Premiere Pro	This course is designed for teachers who have access to Adobe Creative Cloud apps through their school. In this session, we will focus on some of the key features of Illustrator and Premiere Pro. Illustrator can be used to create (almost) infinitely scalable illustrations and graphic designs. These can be printed, shared digitally, or incorporated into video projects using Premiere Pro or other Adobe applications.	3
3/3/24-3/31/24	Darlynda Miktuk	Building SEL Skills into Your Lesson Plans by Jeffrey Benson	This online only course will explore the quick reference guide (6 page laminated pamphlet): Building SEL Skills into Your Lesson Plans by Jeffrey Benson. Each participant must purchase the quick reference guide. This guide includes preparation questions, classroom practices, and sample prompts to help teachers of all grades and content areas get started as they build social and emotional skills into lesson plans. Here is a link to the reference guide: quick reference guide link. The link is from ASCD, but it may be purchased from Amazon, too. The quick reference guide only exists as a hard copy.	3
3/3/24-3/31/24	Darlynda Miktuk	Book Study - Teaching with Empathy: How to Transform Your Practice By Understanding Your Learners by Lisa Westman	This online only book study will explore the book Teaching with Empathy: How to Transform Your Practice By Understanding Your Learners by Lisa Westman. Participants are responsible for purchasing the book for this book study. Here is a link to the book see the correct book to purchase: book link. The link is from Google Books so you may see a preview of the book. The book may be purchased from any source and in any form (digital or hardcopy).	7
3/3/24-3/31/24	Darlynda Miktuk	Book Study: The Flexibly Grouped Classroom by Kristina Doubet	NOTE - This online course is a repeated course and was run during the '22-'23 school year. This online only book study will explore the book The Flexibly Grouped Classroom: How to Organize Learning for Equity and Growth* by Kristina Doubet. Participants will receive a copy of the book for this book study. Here is a link to the book: The Flexibly Grouped Classroom. The link is from Google Books so you may see a preview of the book.	7
3/3/24-3/31/24	Darlynda Miktuk	Mini Group Study: Classroom Technology Tips from Monica Burns	*NOTE - This online course is a repeated course and was run during the '22-'23 school year. This online course will explore the quick reference guide (mini version of a book): Classroom Technology Tips by Monica Burns. Each participant will receive a copy of the quick reference guide. Here is a link to the reference guide: Classroom Technology Tips.	3
3/5/24 - 3/27/24	Mary Kovach	Virtual Museum Experiences in PowerPoint and SharePoint Spaces	Student exposure to museum-type experiences has been correlated to increased academic achievement. In recent years, however, visiting physical museums has not always been a possibility. In this course, we will look at ways for students to have the museum experience virtually and in a self-guided manner through PowerPoint or SharePoint Spaces. Teachers OR students can create nonlinear presentations with embedded objects, information, and 3-dimensional experiences, which can then be shared with their classes. These experiences can be created and used on their own, or as a companion/follow-up activity to a real-world museum visit. NOTE: Teachers must have Microsoft Office 365 accounts through their school to participate.	5
3/6/2024	Mary Kovach	SEL Webinar Series: Supporting Students' Responsible Decision-Making Through Technology	This webinar will explore what it means for students to be responsible decision-makers within the CASEL Framework for SEL, and discuss technology tools that can support students' responsible decision-making.	2
3/13/2024	Mary Kovach	PBL Webinar Series: Creating Idea Talks or Podcasts	This webinar will discuss how students can create idea talks or podcasts as their authentic products for project-based learning. Technology tools for creating idea talks or podcasts will be explored.	2
4/4/2024 - 5/2/2024	Mary Kovach	Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards: Computational Thinking and Network/System Design	In this course, we will explore two areas of the NYS Computer Science and Digital Fluency Standards: Computational Thinking and Network/System Design. We will discuss technology tools that can help to support students in achieving grade level goals within these standards areas.	4
4/10/24 - 5/2/24	Mary Kovach	Visible Learning and Technology	In this course, we will explore the "Visible Learning” research by John Hattie. Hattie's meta-analysis looked at a variety of instructional strategies and rated them according to their overall impact on student learning. We will look at some of the strategies with the highest effect numbers, and discuss ways in which technology could support these instructional strategies.	3
4/11/2024	Mary Kovach	PBL Webinar Series: Creating Business Plans	This webinar will discuss how students can create business plans as their authentic products for project-based learning. Technology tools for creating business plans will be explored.	2
5/7/24 - 5/29/24	Mary Kovach	Microsoft 365 Tools to Support Project-Based Learning	In addition to content skills and knowledge, project-based learning involves inquiry, feedback, reflection, collaboration, and authentic/publicly-presented products. In this course, we will explore Microsoft 365 for Education tools that can help to support this process.	3
5/8/2024 - 6/5/2024	Mary Kovach	Nearpod Advanced Features	Nearpod can be used by teachers to reach and teach students any topic using a variety of modalities, which are easily accessible through one link shared with students. Learn about some of the new and/or advanced features of Nearpod, including Interactive Videos, Drag & Drop, Whiteboard, Math Manipulatives and the new Slides experience.	3
5/8/2024	Mary Kovach	PBL Webinar Series: Creating Interactive Maps or Tours	This webinar will discuss how students can create interactive maps or tours as their authentic products for project-based learning. Technology tools for creating interactive maps and tours will be explored.	2
5/12/24-6/9/24	Darlynda Miktuk	Shifting the Cognitive Load in the Classroom	Who is doing the work in the classroom? This online only course will explore strategies for helping students take greater ownership of their own learning and facilitate participants in making their learning environments more student-centered.	3
5/12/24-6/9/24	Darlynda Miktuk	Summer Plans for Self-Care	This online only course worth 3 PD hours will facilitate participants creating an action plan for their summer self-care.	3
5/12/24-6/9/24	Darlynda Miktuk	Looking to the Future: Eyes on Goals and Hopes	*NOTE - This online course is a repeated course and was run during the '22-'23 school year. This online course will facilitate reflection for participants about their individual futures including summer and the beginning of the school year hopes and goals.	3
5/12/24-6/9/24	Darlynda Miktuk	SEL: Beyond the Classroom to Families and Caregivers and Communities	*NOTE - This online course is a repeated course and was run during the '22-'23 school year. This online course will explore strategies for extending the SEL competencies beyond the walls of the school to the families and caregivers and the community.	3
6/4/24 - 6/26/24	Mary Kovach	Google Tools to Support Project-Based Learning	In addition to content skills and knowledge, project-based learning involves inquiry, feedback, reflection, collaboration, and authentic/publicly-presented products. In this course, we will explore Google Workspace for Education tools that can help to support this process.	3