Recent Professional Development

Explore our collection of recent professional development sessions designed to empower and inspire educators. Here, you'll find recorded sessions, presentation slides, and additional resources that will help you implement innovative teaching strategies and applications in your classroom. Whether you’re revisiting a favorite session or diving into new content, these materials are here to support your professional growth. Stay connected and continue your learning journey with us!

February, 2025

Ready-to-Use Examples in Book Creator

Jump-start your Book Creator journey with real classroom examples you can use today. Learn how to navigate the Book Creator library to find inspiring examples across grade levels and subjects, then discover how to copy and adapt these books for your own classroom. See how to turn existing examples into collaborative projects that get your students creating and sharing immediately. 

For those interested in a deeper dive into any of these aspects, please contact Billie Jo for further guidance and support.

IXL: Tools for a Highly Engaged Classroom

Watch this PD recording, led by IXL, to dive into some tools such as Group Jams, Focus Zone, Leaderboards, and other general best practices to use and engage students on IXL to support daily lesson objectives. 

For those interested in a deeper dive into any of these aspects, please contact Billie Jo for further guidance and support.

Seesaw Reading Fluency Assessment Tool

Capture all your students' reading fluency rates with Seesaw's AI-powered Reading Fluency tool. In this quick ten-minute session learn to create and assign reading assessments that automatically calcuate crucial metrics including words correct per minute, percent accuracy, word additions, and removals. You will also discover how to access comprehensive reports for both individual students and entire classes, making data-driven reading instruction more efficient than ever. For those interested in a deeper dive into any of these aspects, please contact Billie Jo for further guidance and support.

Apple Classroom Hacks

Apple Classroom is the teacher assistant you didn't know you had! Trust me, you are missing out on some simple cool apple classroom tips and tricks that will make teaching just a tad more easier. If you can't attend sign up to receive the recording to watch at a later time! For those interested in further exploring this topic,  please contact Beth for additional support.

Book Creator Basics

Discover the creative possibilities of Book Creator, a versatile digital tool for creating interactive books. We'll explore the basic features including adding text, images, audio, and video to create engaging digital content. See how this tool can transform student projects across all subject areas. For those interested in a deeper dive into any of these tools, please contact Billie Jo for further guidance and support.

Canvas Discussions

Learn how to upgrade your teaching with Canvas Discussions. This session will show you how to adjust settings and maximize student groups. For those interested in further exploring these topics,  please contact Beth for additional support.

Create & Use Template Responses in Gmail

Learn how to create, save, and efficiently use template responses in Gmail. This quick, hands-on session will show you how to save time by turning your frequently-used email responses into ready-to-use templates. Perfect for parent communications, assignment feedback, and common student inquiries.  For those interested in a deeper dive into any of these aspects, please contact Billie Jo for further guidance and support.

January, 2025

ILEARN Checkpoints Skill Plans

Discover how IXL’s ILEARN Checkpoints skill plans can provide powerful support for your students, ensuring they meet key benchmarks in both math and ELA.  For those interested in a deeper dive into any of these aspects, please contact Billie Jo for further guidance and support.

The Best App You're Not Using

FreeForm is an app on iPads that takes taking notes to the next level. Learn how to leverage this app as a teaching tool in less than 10 minutes, watch this video now! For those interested in further exploring these topics,  please contact Beth for additional support.

August, 2024

What's New in Canvas? Grades 7-12

In this session, educators received a brief overview of the latest updates in Canvas for grades 7-12. Key topics included new Mastery Connect standard links, enhanced features in Discussions and Gradebook, feedback in New Quizzes, the Smart Search tool, and assigning modules, pages, and discussions. For a deeper exploration of these new features,  please contact Beth for additional support.

Back to School With Mastery Connect: 7-12

Kick off the new school year with this MasteryConnect refresher! In this quick yet comprehensive virtual PD session, participants reviewed the basics of MasteryConnect, including setting up profiles, creating trackers, and exploring the new standard alignment for assignments in Canvas. For a deeper dive into any of these features,  please contact Beth for additional support.

Setting Up the Gradebook in Canvas & PowerSchool

This PD session focused on setting up and optimizing the gradebook in both Canvas and PowerSchool for grades 7-12. Participants learned how to set up grade sync, whether using categories or not, and explored features designed to make managing their gradebook more efficient and effective. For those interested in further exploring these topics,  please contact Beth for additional support.

Pear Deck: Engaging Students in Real-Time: K-6

This introductory session on Pear Deck provided educators with a brief overview of how to effectively use the platform to engage students. The session covered the basics, including different question types, navigating the Pear Deck dashboard, accessing resources, providing real-time feedback, and finding Pear Deck Certified Slides. For those looking to explore these features further or to have someone come into your classroom to model with your students, please contact Billie Jo for additional support.

Pear Assessment: A Guide for Grades 2-6

In this introductory session on Pear Assessment (formerly Edulastic), educators received a brief overview of the platform's key features. Participants explored the basic layout and settings, navigated the item bank, and learned how to create and assign assessments. The session also touched on generating reports and insights to track student performance. For those interested in a deeper dive into any of these aspects, please contact Billie Jo for further guidance and support.

What's New in Seesaw? Grades K-6

This session provided a brief introduction to the exciting new features in Seesaw for this year. Educators explored updates, including lessons in the Seesaw library, attaching and grading standards, bulk-assigning activities, and utilizing the new Highlights collection and folder. The session also introduced tools such as the reading fluency assessment, read with me scaffolding, new formative assessment options, flexcards, and focus mode. For a deeper dive into any of these features, please contact Billie Jo .

iPad Management with Jamf: K-12

In this session, educators were introduced to using Jamf Teacher to manage student iPads effectively. The session covered key features of Jamf Teacher, including how to monitor student device usage, manage apps, and create a focused learning environment. 

The following Help Desk articles can be very helpful in navigating JAMF teacher:

There are also articles that you can share with parents, if they inquire about managing their student's iPad:

We also discussed that app tiles can get reordered when using Jamf teacher. To eliminate this from occurring, you will want to limit the allowed app to just one.  If you allow more than one app, it will reorder the app tiles when the restriction/lesson ends. 

For further guidance on using Jamf Teacher in your classroom, please contact Billie Jo  or Beth.