Educator Programs
Dirty Hands = Engaged Brains
Recommended for science teachers of all disciplines and grade levels
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From science teacher to teacher scientist, get your hands dirty in this multi-faceted, multi-disciplinary activity focusing on the role of soil in healthy ecosystems, be they a school or backyard garden or agricultural farmland.
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Activities guided by the USDA, the SSA, and GLOBE bring to life objectives from the NGSS and school curriculum while facilitator and peer discussions yield various methods for scaffolding, differentiated instruction, and modifications. Available resources at participants' respective schools/districts will also guide discussion for lesson and PBL preparations so that all students and teachers are successful in carrying out this unit.
All materials provided by SOAR. Participants are responsible for appropriate footwear and clothing. You may opt to bring garden gloves for soil gathering activities. There may be a short nature walk on flat ground; this may include walking through some brush, grass, and muddy areas. It is recommended that you apply bug spray/deterrent before the event and wear appropriate sunscreen. Water is recommended.
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Professional Development certificates are awarded upon completion of the session.
This immersive program is available as a same district-only group program. Please have your district contact us to make arrangements.
Please also visit virtual PD options available via our Signature Programs.
BTS - Beyond the Surface
Signature Program favorite
Recommended for teachers of all disciplines and grade levels
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Technology is ubiquitous. Personal technology choices continue to increase, providing options for use in daily life that promote ease and effortlessness for conducting a variety of tasks. Classroom technology choices are on an exponential rise as well. Fueled by distance and hybrid learning, classroom-centered technology options have overjoyed and overwhelmed districts and educational staff.
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From Google Classroom to full-blown G Suites, educators and students alike have reiterated the need to delve beyond the surface of program offerings to expand and integrate technologies for better teaching and learning experiences. Guided by diverse TechEd initiatives, our facilitators provide general and customized classes that empower educators to enrich students and leverage the power of technology to approach student learning in a multi-tiered fashion.
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All instructional materials provided by SOAR. Participants are responsible for software and hardware that fulfill the basic requirements of the workshop objectives.
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Professional Development certificates are awarded upon completion of the session.
Information and Communication Techology (ICT)
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Recommended for teachers of all disciplines and grade levels
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Available as a full series or a la carte.
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From “traditional” technologies of landline telephones to innovative AI and robotics, we navigate various components of an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) system daily. Educational interactions via the digital world that bridge classroom concepts to global events must be meaningful and incorporate facets of ICT from software to cloud computing. The effectiveness of teaching and learning in science education via ICT reflects the contemporary means by which our children share and exchange information and affords them varied means for demonstrating knowledge.
Signature Program favorite
ICT in Science Education:
Accessibility and application
Recommended for teachers of all science disciplines and grade levels
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Accessibility and application of technology for delivering quality education are of the utmost benefit for students and teachers alike. Science teachers literate in ICT provide core tools and practices for understanding science. The nature of knowledge required by teachers for technology integration in their teaching is undergirded by the strength of the educator’s Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). The accessibility to resources from school to home further influences teacher and student success.
The program provides participants with an overview of and insight to local and national statistics, challenges, solutions, and the evolution required to afford all stakeholders the opportunities to be academically and globally competitive by bridging the digital divide via ICT literacy.
It’s a Cyborg World:
How to Conquer the Hybrid Beast
Recommended for teachers of all disciplines and grade levels
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Unprepared educational institutions found themselves thrust into a 100% online educational platform for which students, parents, teachers, and the institutions’ collective infrastructure were poorly prepared. “Crisis teaching” borne of the pandemic required expedient transition and successful execution of lessons that were not developed for full distance learning modalities. Lessons that included interspersed tech applications or activities – a welcome “spice” to a lesson – were now insufficient. Tactile and sensory aspects of lesson activities and experiences disappeared, having a significant impact on student engagement and understanding. The sentiment of technology use in the classroom went from delight to disdain as forced familiarity with the medium bred contempt.
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The program provides participants various opportunities for discourse and discovery regarding the continued expectations for balancing in-person and virtual learning environments. Preparations and consideration for the blended learning environment in its varied forms differ from district to district. Managing the departure from known teaching practices, implementing novel teaching practices, and accommodating personal and student proficiency and comfort is addressed with a focus on participants’ experiences. Exposure to and demonstrations of diverse programs allow participants to sample options for classroom experiences increasingly dependent on technology as a medium for lesson delivery and student demonstration of competency.