Courses and Common Sessions
ADHD/Executive Functioning: Supporting Metacognition and Coaching Approaches (2 credits)
This three-day course will review how ADHD and Executive Functioning impairments can impact various stages of student development. Participants will practice implementing course concepts by engaging in curriculum, lesson, and meeting designs and role play and practice implementing strategies and approaches to support college students with ADHD. Participants will observe models of student work and examples of activities that foster student metacognition, self-regulation, and learn how to begin implementing coaching approaches, as well as discuss and outline plans for supporting metacognition and coaching in their own departments/institutions.
Supporting Students with Asperger's and Autism Spectrum Disorders (2 credits)
This three-day course explores the many ways to support students with Asperger's and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in the middle school, high school and collegiate classroom, focusing primarily on designing appropriate learning environments that support students' academic and social progress. The session begins with a brief overview of the general characteristics and diagnostic criteria of ASD. Participants will explore and create strategies for support and will consider the neurological aspects of ASD in order to understand why some classroom environments just don't work for ASD students and to acknowledge those environments that do. Sensory integration, auditory and visual processing, pragmatic language and self-advocacy comprise the core of the curriculum.
Supporting Struggling Students in Transition (2 credits)
Transition to college is widely accepted as a key developmental task in our society, as postsecondary education becomes critical for life- long economic well being. Students who are considered to be at-risk are in particular peril of not receiving the supports needed to accomplish the transition from high school to college. This course will review the various meanings of "at-risk" and the different transitions strategies to support high school and college students across the varying domains of college student development. Participants will explore models of programming for senior year in high school and first year in college that support students in their transition to the postsecondary environment, investigate the importance of institutional climate in promoting success for at-risk students, and develop approaches for creating systems of support within their current institution, department or classroom. The course will also review strategies and approaches for easing transitions into the workforce, including aligning strengths and careers, employee/employer rights and responsibilities, and strategies for students transitioning to the workforce.
Wilson Applied Methods (1 Credit)
This Wilson course provides the practice and guidance needed to effectively begin implementing the Wilson Reading System (WRS). This three-day course presents multisensory structured language principles and techniques of the WRS program. It provides hands-on and practical training to teachers implementing the WRS. This Applied Methods course fulfills the prerequisite for all other WRS professional development required to join Wilson Academy.
Best Practices in Teaching: Universal Design for Instruction and Learning (2 credits)
This course will promote effective instruction practices that follow the core principles of universal design for instruction and learning. Participants will understand how to support differentiated instruction, assessment and learning as related to recent key concepts in learning theory. The session will provide an overview of the research on learning, learning theories, and how to develop universally usable course materials. Participants will explore different areas of cognitive processing and practice implementing course concepts by engaging in curriculum, lesson, and meeting design through individual and group work as well as engaging in discussion and constructing outline drafts for implementing universal approach ideas into their own departments/institutions.
Teaching Math (2 credits)
This three-day course for secondary and post-secondary educators begins with an overview of the difficulties inherent in the teaching of mathematics to students with learning differences. Participants will learn a theoretical basis for developing best practices by reviewing some of the cognitive processing difficulties faced by students with mathematics learning disorders and visual-spatial processing impairments. Participants will engage in activities that demonstrate how to incorporate mathematics study skills into the curriculum, receive examples of ways to integrate writing into mathematics courses, and review ways to foster in mathematics students an understanding of themselves through metacognitive exercises that help students modify how they approach math courses for better success.
Improving Literacy Skills for Academic Success (2 Credits)
Academic reading and writing and supportive study skills are among the most challenging tasks for struggling students. As students progress through high school and beyond, reading and writing assignments increase in length and complexity, placing greater demands on effort, memory, and critical thinking. This course will review latest research in reading and composition, and model effective reading, writing and study skills instruction and strategies that promote academic success for secondary and postsecondary students with learning disabilities and attention disorders. Participants will receive examples of how to develop strategies to improve reading comprehension, note-taking, time management and organization of materials, and academic writing. They will practice integrating concepts and strategies covered in the course with their own course design/lesson plans.
Neuroscience of Teaching and Learning (1 credit)
This course is designed to provide participants with a deeper understanding of the neuroscience involved in the learning and teaching process. By engaging in hands-on activities to understand neurons, the brain, learning, perception and attention, memory and motivation, participants will reflect on how understanding the neuroscience of learning promotes effective teaching. With as many as 100 billion neurons in each brain capable of forming trillions of connections with one another, see how many new neural connections you can form just by participating in this course.
Assistive Technology for Struggling Students (1 credit)
(Note: This course is full. You can request placement on our waiting list on the registration form.)
For educators and developers of educational materials, this digitally-connected world opens up endless new ways to explore how to use and effectively design instructional content. This two-day course will introduce a variety of beneficial assistive technologies, information on how to assess the pedagogy, accessibility and usability of new technology tools, and how to create more accessible and usable learning materials to promote engagement and learning for all students. The goal of this course is to provide educators with technology and design tips and tools that can promote access and learning to effectively reach students, especially those with LD/ADHD.
Common Sessions: Overview of Learning Disabilities, Student Panel, Networking
These sessions are open to all participants and do not require registration.
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