2023 Session descriptions

Learners with Exceptionalities with Dr. Susan Grant 

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DESIGNING A LEARNING SUPPORT PROGRAM: BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES (FOR ADMINISTRATORS)
There are nearly as many hurdles as there are advantages for developing a learning support program in your school.  
   Board buy-in
   Financial considerations
   Faculty acceptance/hiring
   Admission criteria …and the list goes on.  

This discussion will highlight different models for developing a learning support program, the supports available through the Office of Overseas Schools and other considerations before starting on this journey.

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THE PROBLEM WITH LABELS:  CONNECTIONS AND OVERLAP BETWEEN SEEMINGLY DIFFERENT DISORDERS.
Although a “label” is often required to provide support services, learning disorders, like disorders classified as Mental Disorders (ADHD, Anxiety, Depression, Autism), are not distinct entities.  There are underlying neurobiological, psychological, and social factors that significantly overlap resulting in multiple and often changing diagnostic labels.
This workshop is designed to help classroom and resource teachers understand the hallmark and overlapping features of specific learning disabilities, in the context of our highly interconnect nervous system. We will consider differential diagnosis and overlapping features of language processing deficits, autistic spectrum, dyslexia and how these behavioral manifestations change and respond to intervention over time.

 

THE ULTIMATE OXYMORON: UNDERSTANDING THE ADOLESCENT BRAIN.
Challenges with attention and general sensory regulation including executive skill development, frequently coexist and overlap with many learning challenges. Statistically 50-80% of children with attention regulation/executive function deficit will have a coexisting learning disability. This session will focus on the most current neuroscience research to help understand the neurobiology and neurodevelopmental sequence of executive function and executive skill development and its impact on learning.

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Learning Support with Najwa & Philip Bowman

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BUILDING OUTSTANDING MULTI-TIERED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT
Leverage the power of everyone's collective expertise and resources to build or improve your support system. In addition to sharing with and learning from others, you'll diagnose your school's systems and make actionable improvement plans. Regardless of your experience level, this workshop is for you if you are a learning support specialist or school leader. 

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IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE ONE-TO-ONE LEARNING CONVERSATIONS
Research regularly suggests one-to-one learning conversations between educators and students are incredibly effective, but usually as a supplemental strategy. Philip Bowman developed a flexibly-structured pedagogical approach to these conversations that is ranked in the top 5% of educational interventions. He shares how you can leverage the MARIO Approach as a primary vehicle for learning in your advisory program or learning support/enrichment class.

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Positive Discipline Educator Certification with Joy Marchese, M.A.

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BECOME A CERTIFIED POSITIVE DISCIPLINE CLASSROOM EDUCATOR

This interactive workshop is designed for teachers, counsellors, school staff, and administrators who want an effective discipline approach that integrates social and emotional learning while reducing challenging student behaviours. Attendees will earn recognition through the Positive Discipline Association (PDA) as a Certified Positive Discipline Classroom Educator.

 

Learning Objectives:

Develop a large teaching toolbox of kind and firm discipline approaches.
Establish explicit classroom structures and procedures.
Create an equitable classroom community based on mutual respect.
Understand the motivation behind students' misbehavior and how to encourage positive change.
Facilitate effective class meetings teaching social skills and problem-solving.
Learn Positive Discipline/Adlerian Psychology to use in the classroom and school community.

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EAL with Dr. Sylvia Linan-Thompson

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ELD STRATEGIES FOR THE GENERAL EDUCATION TEACHER

Academic language is the specialized, cognitively demanding language needed to read, discuss, and write in academic subjects. From the earliest grades, students need opportunities to hear, speak, read, and write in English and systematic instruction to learn its structure. This session will provide instructional strategies that can be delivered using multiple grouping formats and a variety of structured tasks to provide ELs opportunities to use academic language for specific purposes. 

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STRATEGIES AND SCAFFOLDS FOR TEACHING STUDENTS WHO ARE ELD AND HAVE LEARNING DIFFICULTIES.

Students who are learning English as an additional language who also have learning disabilities need instruction that attends to both their language and learning needs. ELD and special education teachers should work together to scaffold student learning. Students with learning disabilities benefit from strategies that break down learning tasks, provide additional practice, and include scaffolds to support language learning. This session will provide strategies and scaffolds that can be implemented as a preview, during the lesson or as review by either the ELD or special education teacher.