A.P.P.L.E.
A.P.P.L.E.
A.P.P.L.E. Summer - 2008
Best Practices in Literacy for the Twenty-first Century
Programs
Vilnius program
Title: Best practices in Action Research & Performance Efficiencies
Target Audience: 25 school administrators
Course Description: Administrators around the world complain that they do not have enough time to complete their jobs or to achieve professional satisfaction. This program will help administrators deal with “too much work and not enough time.” Participants will study positive, effective techniques; develop a hard-hitting problem-solving method; practice basic skills that promote staff and parent collaboration; and learn new leadership skills. They will study methods of performance appraisal and enhancement, collaborative action research in academic settings, and time management. These critical areas of development will be offered in an interactive seminar that includes practical applications of all theories and models.
Lecturers:
Marie W. Nelson, Professor, National-Louis University, Tampa, Florida, USA
Ed.
Topar, Adjunct Professor, Kean University, Union, New Jersey, USA
English as a Foreign/Second Language (Intermediate/Advanced Levels)
Title: Authentic Media as a Foundation for Effective Curriculum
Target Audience: 28 intermediate to advanced teachers
Course Description: Participants will create low or no cost materials to use with intermediate through advanced learners. They will work in groups to create integrated, critical-thinking units based on radio interviews and reports from online NPR and BBC archives. Material will be adapted for each participant’s class; and all units will rely on current technology to address local and global issues. In order to understand USA speech, values, and cultures, participants will encounter unedited language, (pauses, repetitions, various speech patterns, etc.). They will receive examples, strategies, structures, and support materials to use in the classroom.
Lecturer:
Jessica Rizor, teacher, Saline High School, Saline, Michigan, USA
Carolyn Pajor, PhD, teacher, Maine South High School, Chicago, IL, USA
Computer Science I: Welcome to the Twenty-First Century!
Target Audience: This course is created for 15 educators with an eye to 21st century technology. Participants must have beginning computer skills.
Course Description: As we march into the 21st century, educators must master technology. In this course, participants construct a pod cast that can be used to broadcast school and community news, student presentations, and classroom lectures. Participants will learn what to do and what not to do to maintain a web presence for themselves and their classrooms. They will be able to post the course syllabus, calendar, notes, and handouts for students and parents to access from home. They can post student projects for the community to enjoy.
Lecturers:
Sue Kohfeldt, Course Designer and Instructor, Michigan Virtual High School, Milan, Michigan, USA
Regina Kaušienė, teacher and IT consultant, Tytuvenu gimnazija, Tyituvenai, Lithuania
Rita Diominienė, Utena Teacher Center, methodologist, Informational technologies and school intranet consultant, Lithuania
Computer
Science II: Welcome to the Twenty-First Century!
Title: Using PowerPoint in StAIR lessons and Digital Story-Telling
Target Audience: This course is designed for 15 educators with an eye to 21st century technology skills for themselves and their students. Participants must have beginning computer skills.
Course Description: We will work with PowerPoint in creating self-test StAIR presentations for students. A StAIR is a Stand-Alone-Instructional-Resource. It is a digital instructional piece, similar to a mobius strip or a maze, in that the learner must post correct responses to move through the activity. Participants should bring a short lesson in their subject area and self-test questions for use in such a presentation. This course will also teach participants to construct a digital story. Currently, digital storytelling is being used to house community histories, family and cultural stories, and student projects. To create a digital story, we will work with PowerPoint using motion and sound; create and modify free-moving clip art using Paint; record and modify sound using Audacity; change a PowerPoint presentation to video using oRipa; and combine video and sound using MovieMaker. For this part, participants should bring a song or story to illustrate and, if possible, a collection of clip art that would fit the chosen story or song. Examples are available at: http://www.applequest.org/IT-darbeliai/power/index.htm.
Lecturers:
Amanda Muliolis, Technology Coordinator and Teacher (Retired), St. Augustine Academy, Lakewood, Ohio, USA and Lithuania
Rasa Alaburdienė, Computer Science Teacher and Assistant Director, Ravuonos Middle School, Prienai, Lithuania
Early Childhood Education
Title: Reading and Writing Strategies for Higher-order Thinking, Vocabulary, and Comprehension
Target Audience: 25 teachers, administrators, and support staff of children aged 4-6
Description: This seminar will train teachers to use techniques that improve the skills and development traits for children at 4, 5, and 6 years of age. It will also inform teachers of current research in pedagogy and best practices. Using this information, teachers will learn ways to prepare students to gain reading and writing skills; enhance learning; develop higher-order thinking, and increase vocabulary. This series of presentations will demonstrate ways that teachers can build a learning community within the classroom and how these activities can facilitate critical, performance, motivation and learning through reading and writing. Key topics include Bloom’s taxonomy; creating resilient learners; cultivating critical thinking; stress reduction strategies; recognizing barriers to learning; cooperative learning; motivation; character development; assessment; and vocabulary enhancement.
Lecturers:
Jo Ann Hammer, EdD, Professor, National University, Sacramento, California, USA
Susan Roppa, teacher, Weld RE1 School District, Windsor, Colorado, USA
Kelly Curtan, graduate student, National University, Sacramento, California, USA
Elementary Literacy
Title: Reading and Writing Strategies that Lead to Higher-order Thinking, Enhanced Vocabulary, and Greater Comprehension
Target Audience: 25 elementary and secondary teachers
Course Description: The program will train teachers to use techniques that improve students’ reading and writing skills, increase higher order thinking, improve vocabulary, and enhance learning and comprehension. Participants will learn about current research in learning pedagogy, and best practices. This series will focus on ways that teachers can build learning communities within the classroom and how these activities can facilitate a higher level of thinking, performance, motivation and mastery of subject matter. Key topics include Creating Resilient Learners; Cultivating Critical Thinking in the Classroom; Recognizing Barriers to Learning in the Classroom; Motivation and Character Development Techniques; and How the Brain Reads and Writes.
Lecturers:
Jo Ann Hammer, EdD, Professor, National University, Sacramento, California, USA
Susan Roppa, teacher, Weld RE1 School District, Windsor, Colorado, USA
Kelly Curtan, graduate student, National University, Sacramento, California, USA
Library and Information Science
Title: Best Practices for Research and Collaborative Learning
Target Audience: 25 school librarians and information specialists
Course Description: School librarians will learn effective practices to improve student learning through collaborative teaching. They will create units of instruction which teach students how to locate information in a variety of formats. Emphasis will be placed on analyzing information found on the web to make sure it is relevant and accurate. Participants will prepare a lecture on designing research projects that allow students to exercise their critical thinking skills rather than plagiarizing from the web. They will also learn leadership skills to communicate best practices to other teachers in their schools. Each participant will receive a CD with information from the instructor and the units of instruction created by fellow students. If time allows, the class will create readers’ theater scripts.
Lecturers:
Snaigė Raguckiënė, Librarian, Marijampole, Lithuania
Blanche Woolls, MA, PhD, Director and Professor, School of Library and Information Science, San Jose State University, San Jose, California, USA
Regional seminars
Religion & Ethics
Title: Religious Training for the Marathon of Life
Target Audience: Teachers, administrators, and workers at Catholic schools; teachers of religion and ethics.
Course Description: The moral and spiritual development of children will be a special focus of this seminar. Working from a Catholic ethical perspective, participants will analyze their personal values and explore ways to share these values with students and their families. Through case studies, exercises, and field experiences, participants will learn to make moral decisions involving actions and omissions. Participants will study choices in situations where both choices are right and explore the application of moral courage. Topics will include ethical freedom and habitual stance and conscience; grace and sin; communication through ritual, language and liturgy; ritual in the Lithuanian school; communication of the Catholic world view through architecture, symbol and ritual; vision and values in the schools in which the participants teach.
Lecturers:
Sr. Dr. Jeanette Lucinio, S.P. D.Min.
Vivian Williams, M.A.
Social Work Program
Title: Developing College and University Partnerships
Target Audience: Professors, students, and graduates of institutions of higher education who are interested in learning more about social work.
Course Description: The School of Social Work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is interested in collaborating with Lithuanian institutions of higher education to create a series of workshops for faculty, students, graduates, and others working in the field. The SSW has submitted a list of 18 topics which they are prepared to present. Participating institutions are invited to select the programs that will be most helpful for their organizations. Each three-hour workshop will include didactic information, application exercises, and opportunities for discussion. In addition, the faculty is available for unstructured, informal consultation with colleagues at each site: Vytautas Magnus University (July 8-9), Siauliai University (July 10-11), and Klaipeda College (July 14-16).
Lecturers:
Katherine M. Dunlap, PhD
Dean Jack M. Richman, PhD
Lawrence Rosenfeld, PhD
Kim Strom-Gottfried, PhD
Ms. Joanne Caye, MSW
Special Education Program
Dr. Algirdas Grigonis program
Title: Building Best Practices in Special Education
Target Audience: These sessions will be held in a variety of venues throughout the Kaunas region. These venues will include: University programs; Special Education Schools; Kindergartens; Special Education Residencies and teacher centers. These lectures are supported through the work of the Kaunas A.P.P.L.E. Special Education Branch.
Lecturers:
Vilma Narkeviciene, Co-Director
Karl Janowitz, PhD Co- Director
Anita Scarborough, PhD
Susan Attermeier, PhD
JoAnn Hammer, EdD
Nancy Hanssen
Camp Viltis
Title: Camp Viltis A.P.P.L.E. Program
Target Audience: Camp Viltis is a very special camp for young people and their families to enjoy a camp experience. It is operated through the Viltis Organization and draws students from throughout Lithuania and from some other countries as well. In addition to the campers, Camp Viltis is also open to teachers who work with Special Education students. These Special Education teachers engage with the A.P.P.L.E. lecturers to learn new strategies for helping Special Education students learn more effectively.
Lecturers:
Ms. Ilona Laucius, Amdinistrator
Vitas Underys, Co-Director
Ms. Augiene Viluniene, Co-Director
Ms. Myra Goodwin
Ms. Laima Underys
Ms. Ann Petroliunas
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