authorsbooking (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} authorsbooking) wrote,@ 2006-10-21 18:07:00 |
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Professional Development Workshops!
Marsha Skrypuch talks about Developing a Passion for Reading in your Students.
Marsha didn't learn to read until she was nine years old. She talks about how levelled readers inoculated her against literacy and how she was able to teach herself how to read with big fat novels after she failed grade four.
Marsha shares the story of how she became a passionate reader and how each child is only one book away from that passion. She shares how she became a writer and why she is passionate about revealing in her books the flakes of history that have been shoved under the carpet.
Reluctant Readers: Valerie Sherrard talks about tips, tricks and strategies for getting those reluctant readers turning pages. Her interactive and entertaining workshop offers a fresh look at thischallenging issue faced by teachers and librarians everywhere.
Blogging 101: Veteran blogger and first-time YA author, James Bow talks about how to set up a weblog or "blog". Blogs are a great way to get students passionate about journaling and are also an inexpensive way for educators and interest groups to create newsletters, notice boards andopinion pieces on the internet.
Liam O'Donnell's Panel Power: Book Hooking Readers with Comics: Graphic novel author Liam O'Donnell takes educators into the world of kid-friendly comics created specifically for reluctant readers. Drawing on recent literacy findings, Liam demonstrates how graphic novels contain the five key literacy elements that engage reluctant readers and offers techniques to springboard readers from comics to books. This one hour presentation will reveal the literacy value of this exciting format, dispel many of the myths about graphic novels and empower educators to use comics to book-hook even the most reluctant reader.
Silver Birch Award Winner Helaine Becker’s first career was as President of an educational company supplying the school market with quality teaching materials, primarily in math, science and language arts. She has written dozens of professional books for teachers including Collaborative Teaching in the Middle Grades: Inquiry Science; Spelling Puzzlers for Grade 1, Decoding Math Word Problems and Flip over Math. She has presented numerous professional workshops to teachers on subjects such as Math Materials and Methods (at the NCTM conference), and Hands On Science (for the Toronto Board of Education). Ms. Becker can tailor a professional workshop to meet the needs of teachers at your board or school.
Who remembers the Armenians now? (Hitler, 1941): Historical novelist Marsha Skrypuch talks about the real people and the history behind her Armenian genocide novels, Aram's Choice, Nobody's Child and The Hunger.
Celia Godkin gives teacher workshops on how to use her books to teach ecology to the junior grades. The workshop includes teacher information guides to three books that they can take away with them. She can do one or two hour sessions.
Kathy Stinson presents writing activities that she has used with success in working with intermediate grade students (and/or junior, according to the needs of the audience). She also suggests ways of using literature, especially her own books, as springboards to writing. In addition to picking up practical ideas for the classroom, participants in Kathy's session will also have a chance to hear why she feels writing is important to her and to your students, and to discuss with her their own concerns around students and their writing. Since many teachers are also closet writers, Kathy is also be happy to present any of the topics she generally offers to audiences of aspiring writers: Becoming A Writer, Writing Picture Books, Writing A Novel.
Teaching Essay Writing - The Clown’s Way, For Junior and Middle Grade Teachers: Helaine Becker
Who says writing an essay isn’t fun? In this squirting flower of a workshop, you will learn how to teach students the art of essay writing through humour. Essays are structured exactly like jokes, comic strips or comedian’s monologues, so we use examples of each to teach the fine art of explication. You’ll begin the workshop by learning how to write your own stand up comedy routine or to create a slapstick clown act. Then we’ll use the same principles to illustrate the steps of creating an effective essay that includes an introduction, body paragraphs with a topic sentence and three examples, and a wrap it up conclusion. Leave with your own copy of *Funny Business*, from which some of these activities are drawn.Frieda Wishinsky: Every child a Storyteller -- Children are natural storytellers. Frieda explores the many ways we can model and motivate children to write stories in their own "voice" by tapping into their experiences and feelings. She will share examples from her own writing. Bring paper and pens to this interactive workshop.
Marsha Skrypuch: Creative writing tips for teachers:
- Self-editing techniques that students have fun doing
- Building characters from the inside out
- How to create a great villain
- Techniques for plunging a story into action
Helaine Becker: The Power of Poetry: For Primary and Junior Teachers:
Get the most out of your literature units when you apply some of the teaching techniques presented in this workshop. Drawing on her knowledge as a writer of literacy materials for English Language Learners, Ms. Becker presents a variety of ways to use poetry to build vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, grammar and imagination. Participants will enjoy a variety of humorous poems, used as examples to illustrate rhyme, rhythm, synonyms, homonyms, context clues, and more. Takeaways include black line masters and a copy of Mama Likes to Mambo, a collection of poetry used in this 50 minute workshop.
Rachna Gilmore: Building Bridges through Stories
Elementary and Jr High Teachers (Grades 4-8)
Rachna Gilmore offers teachers an inside glimpse into the background and creation of her critically acclaimed children's novels, Mina's Spring of Colors, and A Group Of One, both of which feature Canadian children of Indian heritage. She suggests creative and original ways of using these books in the classroom to demonstrate how particular cultural experiences may be woven into the larger cultural tapestries of society and made relevant in the broadest context.
Rachna Gilmore: Weaving Stories into the Wider Tapestry of Learning
Teachers of Elementary Grades 1- 4
Rachna Gilmore, discusses and explores some of the innovative and unexpected
ways in which some of her books for younger readers (Ellen's Terrible TV
Troubles, Wild Rilla, A Screaming Kind of Day, and Grandpa's Clock) may be
used in the classroom to enhance learning. Specific classroom activities
will be suggested. Some of the themes covered include media literacy to
encourage children to become more aware of the influences of media in their
lives; the power of the imagination; abilities and disabilities; family
dynamics and inter-generational relationships.
Robin Baird Lewis delivers: Fascinating Facts Why not pick and choose
from the following list – Robin is pleased to offer PD day workshops
covering:
1. Do you know how to maintain and teach others a smoother paint brush line
even if you are the shakiest hand east of the Pecos?
2. Do you know how you can create an almost perfect circle using either
the time honoured "wrist-arc" method or the ancient "stick-line" technique?
3. Do you know what unique but thousand year old hands-on project can best
combine visual design with literacy as well as the too long neglected motor
control training our children so desperately deserve today?
4. Do you know how easy it is to learn (for any age) the basics of
Jungian Dream Psychology in one single fascinating drawing assignment?
5. Do you know the single most important material (and the hierarchy of
materials investment) that virtually guarantees success in learning
water-colour painting?
6. Do you know how to improve drawing quality (yours or your students) by
nearly 80% with the use of just one tiny, cheap and really fun-to-use
addition of equipment?
7. Do you know what simple list of action words can stimulate the creative
juices and thoroughly un-stick any artist or art project?
8. Do you know you the 12 basic "cards" or concepts that are all you need
in your deck of art curriculum design to maintain a constantly revitalized
and exciting program for all levels and ages? (and still be
ministry-approved!!)
9. Do you want to know how to brainstorm more exciting but low-cost
cross-curricular projects to deliver that "WOW" for parents' night?
10. Did you know that these and so much more practical and supportive
strategies are just waiting for you to discover the 'Ideas Machine in
YOU"?!
What you learn in these workshops can be put into practice immediately with
impressive results. Teachers all deserve this!
Make your life as classroom leader a lot easier and maybe even a little bit
more fun!
Contact us if you are interested in having any of these authors speak at your next P.D. day. authors.bookingservice@gmail.com
