Professional Development Opportunities

FOR EDUCATORS

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Social Networking Today and Tomorrow One hour Web-Based Interactive Presentation Tuesday January 9, 2007 3:30pm to: 4:30pm Presented by the Southern Regional Institute and Educational Technology Training Center (SRI/ETTC)

Mention the word MySpace and parents quake in their shoes, administrators bar the doors, teachers scratch their heads, and kids just smile. MySpace and social networking has taken the adult world by surprise and put us in a reactionary mode. As disruptive as the current social networking sites are, they may only be the tip of the iceberg that is floating right into the path of the educational Titanic. Get a better understanding of social networking facts and fears.

The SRI/ETTC has created the Cyber Safety and Information Literacy Certificate Series to help teachers understand the connection between the online world and the real world. Presented in real time through web-based interactive presentations, these workshops will help participants understand the value as well as the dangers associated with today's "online" communities. This one hour web-based interactive presentation in Real Time counts towards the Cyber Safety and Information Literacy Certificate Series. The Cyber Safety and Information Literacy Certificate Series includes 12 one-hour workshops that are hands-on guided professional development sessions offered at your desktop. Material presented is aligned to the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards, including the newly adopted Technology Literacy Standards, and to the Cumulative Progress Indicators specific to each set of grade levels.

Participants may register for each session individually and after completing nine of the workshops will be issued a certificate signed by the Southern Regional ETTC and WiredSafety.org. To register, visit http://www.ettc.net/ or call (609) 626-6040.

Philosophy for Children: An Introductory Workshop Friday, January 12, 2007 9:00am to 3:30pm Montclair State University's Children's Center Upper Montclair, NJ

The Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children (IAPC) announces a workshop designed for school teachers, graduate students and college/university professors interested in educational philosophy and classroom inquiry. The registration fee for the workshop is $225 and will include:

- Workshop fee & materials - Lunch & morning coffee/tea - IAPC Curriculum Set (novel & manual) - Philosophy in the Classroom - Issue of Thinking: The Journal of Philosophy for Children

The workshop will provide 6 hours of professional development credit. To register, contact Joanne Matkowski at matkowskij@mail.montclair.edu or call 973.655.4278.

Recognized by the American Philosophical Association for excellence and innovation, the Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children provides curriculum materials for engaging young people (pre-school through high school) in philosophical inquiry and provides teacher preparation in the pedagogy of the classroom community of inquiry. The IAPC also conducts philosophical and empirical research in teaching pre-college philosophy and the uses of philosophy for educational objectives including critical and creative thinking, social democracy and ethical judgment. For more information, visit http://cehs.montclair.edu/academic/iapc/.

It's All About Character® Instilling Character In Young People Dr. Mike Thomson, Presenter Thursday, February 8, 2007 8:00am - 3:00pm Crystal Point Yacht Club Point Pleasant, NJ

Hosted by Prevention First and the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Council of Ocean, Inc. (ADACO), this workshop will give participants opportunities to look at how the skills of good character can be instilled into the classroom, locker room and throughout multiple environments. For more information, contact Donna Greene (732) 367-5515 x15 or e-mail her at donnag@adaco.org.

Responsive Classroom® One-Day Workshops Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. March 14, 2007- Embassy Suites Hotel - Piscataway, NJ March 30, 2007 - Sheraton Crossroads - Mahwah, NJ

Workshops will provide an overview of the Responsive Classroom approach; how Responsive Classroom practices can help to foster trust and respect in the classroom; integrate the teaching of academic and social skills; and set clear, meaningful boundaries for student behavior. Tuition is $179. Workshop participants will gain General principles of the Responsive Classroom approach and an awareness of two components:

Morning Meeting - This daily whole-class gathering is a powerful way to build trust and respect among students, increase their investment in learning, improve social and academic skills, and give them daily practice in effective communication. You will be introduced to:

- The goals and purposes of Morning Meeting - The four components of Morning Meeting - Leading Morning Meeting in the classroom

Rules and Logical Consequences - This positive approach to discipline respects children and helps them take responsibility for their actions, recognize and learn from their mistakes, and develop self-control. You will be introduced to:

- The goals and purposes of rules and logical consequences - Generating and supporting rules with children - The power of teacher language

To register, or for more information about Responsive Classroom, visit http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/ or call their registration hotline at 800-360-6332 x130.

National and State Recognition Opportunities

FOR EDUCATORS

NATIONAL AND STATE RECOGNITION OPPORTUNITIES

Character Education Partnership Promising Practices Awards The Character Education Partnership (CEP) gives Promising Practices Awards to schools and districts for implementing unique and specific strategies in character education that others may learn from and even replicate. If selected, schools or districts receive an award citation and the practice is included in CEP's annual book/CD. All applications are to be completed online in 2007. Application Guidelines for the 2007 Promising Practices Awards are currently available for download at CEP's website, www.character.org. The online application, which will be coming soon, can also be found on CEP's website. Deadline for submitting the online Promising Practices application is March 15, 2007. If you have questions regarding the Promising Practices program, please contact Lara Maupin at (202) 296-7743, ext. 28 or lmaupin@character.org.

Best Practices

2005 National School of Character and Promising Practice Recipients Click here to read about the 23 award winning character education program descriptions from schools across New Jersey.

2004 National School of Character Cranford High School Leading a Life of Consequence program captures prestigious National School of Character Award. Cranford H.S. is one of ten schools in the country to receive this prestigious award. Promising Practices in Character Education NJCCE is proud to note that ten New Jersey schools received Promising Practice Citations, far more than any other state, for their innovative approaches to character education and moral development. Promising Practice Citation recipients are: Cherry Hill Cherry Hill High School East             In-School Support and Feng Shui Kingston Elementary School             A Different Mask East Brunswick Robert Frost Elementary School             Character in Context Fair Lawn Memorial Middle School             Points of Light - A Character Galaxy Haskell Haskell Elementary School             Leaving a Legacy Jersey City Gladys Cannon Nunery - PS 29             Do Something Club Martin Luther King Jr. No. 11 Elementary School             Pre-K Buddies Long Branch Long Branch Alternate School (MS/HS Alternative Program)             Lead by Example Plainfield Plainfield High School             Students of Character South Amboy South Amboy Elementary School             Schoolwide Writing Project The NJ State Board of Education recognized these accomplishments, and honored the NJ CEP award winning schools at a special ceremony at its meeting on January 5, 2005 in Trenton. For press release and photos, visit the New Jersey Department of Education website at: http://www.state.nj.us/njded/chared/. Award Winning Program Resources Available from CEP CEP highlights all selected schools and districts in its annual National Schools of Character publication, "2004 National Schools of Character: Award-Winning Practices". This publication contains winning character education program descriptions as well as reproducible pages of sample tools such as classroom contracts, surveys, modeling guidelines and character report cards. CEP's Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education are included as an additional resource. This publication, as well as other resources, can be found by visiting the CEP website at www.character.org.