Workshops and Seminars

The following are descriptions of the types of professional development workshops that I can provide for your faculty and learning community. All workshops are customizable and can include preliminary or follow-up on-site coaching.

World Language, ELL, Immersion, and Bilingual Program Teachers

Multiple Intelligences in the Language Classroom

This workshop focuses on using MI Theory as a vehicle for planning, teaching, and assessing in the language classroom. Beginning with an overview of Multiple Intelligences, teachers will receive materials for planning, activity development, and assessment tools. Included will be parent connections, technology, as well as cooperative planning and development of activities. Through music, children’s literature, and interactive activities, teachers will gain ideas to explore language with their students.
There will be several interactive portions in which teachers will have the opportunity to apply information presented in collaboration with their colleagues. All ideas and materials developed by the participants will become resources for the entire school.

Collaboration in Immersion Education

This workshop seeks to give concrete ways to work collaboratively and create a successful and exciting learning environment in partial immersion. One of the biggest challenges facing immersion teachers is the need for constant collaboration with partner teachers and others in the school. Ideas integrating major subject areas, specials (music, art, P.E.), and the library will be included. Administrative duties such as report cards and conferences will also be addressed. Successfully implemented examples will be used to demonstrate strategies. Participants will come away from this session with ideas that can help make an immersion environment more conducive to successful learning. Educators can use the ideas presented to strengthen relationships with other faculty members in their schools, ultimately enriching the school.

Musical Learning

Enhancing Language Learning Through Music – Let’s make music! This workshop will focus on the value of music as a tool for instruction and learning in the early childhood language classroom. We will explore the effect of music on learner outcomes and on brain function. Participants will be presented with the process of song development, learn songs based on themes, and will have a unique opportunity to work interactively on song development with other teachers. Each participant will come away with materials for classroom use as well as guidelines and ideas for curriculum integration. 2 hour workshop

Early Childhood Biliteracy

This workshop will highlight the development and implementation of early elementary literacy programs in Spanish. Programmatic strategies and student outcomes will be shared. Participants will have the opportunity to benefit from the ideas and strategies presented and will come away with actual lessons and classroom friendly materials. The goal of this workshop is to empower participants to return to their classrooms with compelling ideas for incorporating and improving second language literacy. Participants will be presented with a review of developmental literacy goals and standards to help strengthen the curricular outcomes. 1/2 day workshop

Making Language Learning Essential in Your School: Content Based Curriculum Development and Instruction in World Language Programs

This workshop will explore teaching world languages using content area goals as a vehicle towards language learning. We will look at standards and concepts at varying levels of elementary education to determine what can be used as a part of instruction within the language classroom. Science, Math, Social Studies, and Language Arts will be included in this interactive professional learning and curriculum building experience. By the end of this workshop, participants will have worked with peers to create frameworks for entire units within at least one content area in the target language.

Give Them Wings: Learner Centered Strategies to Engage Language Learners

This workshop is designed to provide attendees with hands-on interactive experiences utilizing learner centered structures and strategies. We will explore what is required to create and maintain a successful learner centered classroom environment and give tangible examples of how to incorporate these into the needs presented by language curriculum goals and objectives. All participants will come away with useful descriptions of the activities demonstrated as well as a set of ideas for activities created alongside their peers during our interactive planning.

Conference Sessions

How to Find Money Where There is None!

This session will show you how to gain monetary support and sponsorship for your language program from local organizations, businesses, and agencies. Corporate philanthropic organizations and local grants will be highlighted. In a fun and interactive planning session, the basics of grant writing will be illuminated and teachers will leave with project ideas ready for the next step.

Games in the Language Classroom

This session will give you lots of great ideas for how to use games to engage learners in a meaningful way. Games are an integral part of a constructive interactive language learning environment. By incorporating games into your students’ learning experience, you not only encourage engaged participation, but also awaken their competitive spirits as a means to building stronger comprehension. Participants will leave with games and ideas for classroom use.

Discover, Create, and Explore – Science in the Language Classroom

Looking for a way to truly engage your students? Science is a blast! This session will show you how to easily create and teach using interdisciplinary hands-on activities that will get your students excited about language and science! Show your school that content-based language instruction can help advance and support learning across the curriculum! All participants will leave with activities and lesson ideas!

Elementary and Preschool Classroom Teachers

Strengthening Instruction: Classroom Management, Learning Centers, and Transitions

This workshop will help teachers learn more about themselves as instructors and will give all participants the tools and strategies to develop a classroom management model that works in their individual classrooms. All participants will learn about and participate in learning centers based on content area themes. Everyone will even have the chance to work together to create and plan learning centers and transitional activities for use in the classroom.

Multiple Intelligences Theory Across the Curriculum

This workshop focuses on using MI Theory in all subject areas with all types of learners. Beginning with an overview of Multiple Intelligences, teachers will receive materials for planning, activity development, and assessment tools. There will be several interactive portions in which teachers will have the opportunity to apply information presented in collaboration with their colleagues. These activities will include Language Arts, Science, Math, and Social Studies. All ideas and materials developed by the participants will become resources for the entire school.

Making Social Studies a Cooperative Learning Experience

This workshop focuses on interactive ways of helping students construct knowledge in Social Studies classrooms. Emphasis will be placed on the need to provide for all types of learning styles and linguistic capabilities by varying grouping, activity types, and allowing for choice. By incorporating the ideas presented, teachers can better serve their diverse learners and can make the learning process fun for themselves and their students. ½ day workshop

Kaleidoscope – Understanding the Many Ways our Children Learn

This workshop is designed to help parents understand MI Theory and how it can help them better assist their children in educational endeavors. In this workshop, parents will have the chance to experience MI based activities and will even work together to gain a keener perception of their own learning tendencies. This workshop can have many different formats including a parent-child interactive component. The time and design will be tailored to your community needs. Price is determined based on format. To have a consultation on how Kaleidoscope can work to benefit your community, please contact Amanda Seewald at info@maracas123.com.