Guiding Children Successfully, Episode 2: Helping Children Use Their Gifts

Dr. Wally Goddard shares with educators how high self-esteem has become more detrimental than helpful to children. Instead, he believes we should help children use their gifts. In this episode, Goddard explains three ways he believes we can achieve this. First, teachers must focus on a child’s strengths because every person has a gift. Second, it is necessary to teach children that no one has every gift. Third, we all need to use our gift to help others through some kind of service. Ultimately, by using our gift to help others; our gifts will help make the world a better place and individual’s self-esteem will be raised.

Guiding Children Successfully, Episode 3: Parents and Teachers Working Together - Parental Involvement

This course instructs teachers and parents on how to work as partners to assist children. Three main points for parent and teacher cooperation are discussed by host and Family Life Specialist, Dr. Wally Goddard. Also among the topics discussed are negotiation skills, strategies for helping children succeed in school, and strategies for handling hostilities.

Student-Centered Coaching: Introduction

In this course, Diane Sweeney introduces student-centered coaching and explains the theory and practices behind this coaching model. She compares the different models of coaching, setting goals for coaching and the steps for launching student-centered coaching. Ms. Sweeney also covers the partnership with the school leader and distinguishes the roles between the principal and coach.

This student-centered coaching course with Diane Sweeney was created in cooperation with Western Arkansas Educational Service Cooperative and was recorded on September 12, 2013 at Western Arkansas Educational Service Cooperative.

Student-Centered Coaching: Using Student Evidence to Plan Differentiated Instruction - Literacy

In this course, Diane Sweeney demonstrates how to conduct a student-centered coaching lab using a third grade literacy class as an example. Beginning with a brief background on student-centered coaching, she identifies characteristics of the coaching model, then discusses the overlapping roles of school leaders and coaches. Working with a team of teachers, she conducts a typical coaching lab which includes the pre-brief session, observation of a lesson, a debrief session, and a final reflection. 

This student-centered coaching course with Diane Sweeney was created in cooperation with Western Arkansas Educational Service Cooperative and was recorded on January 28, 2014 at Western Arkansas Educational Service Cooperative and in a third grade classroom in the Fort Smith School District.

Student-Centered Coaching: Using Student Evidence to Plan Differentiated Instruction - Math

In this course, Diane Sweeney focuses on the power of coaching a team and the practices associated with student-centered coaching. Working with first grade math teachers, Ms. Sweeney presents strategies for using student evidence to improve instruction and how to best support teachers throughout the evaluation process. Working with a team of teachers and instructional facilitators, she conducts a typical coaching lab which involves the pre-brief session, observation of a lesson, a debrief session, and final reflection. 

This student-centered coaching course with Diane Sweeney was created in cooperation with Western Arkansas Educational Service Cooperative and was recorded on January 29, 2014 at Western Arkansas Educational Service Cooperative and in a first grade classroom in the Greenwood School District.

Student-Centered Coaching: Showcasing Successful Coaching with Co-Planning and Co-Teaching

In this course, Diane Sweeney focuses on the power of coaching a team and the practices associated with student-centered coaching. Working with eighth grade social studies teachers, Ms. Sweeney presents strategies for using student evidence to improve instruction and how to best support teachers throughout the evaluation process. Working with a team of teachers and instructional facilitators, she conducts a typical coaching lab which involves the pre-brief session, observation of a lesson, a debrief session, and final reflection. 

This student-centered coaching course with Diane Sweeney was created in cooperation with Western Arkansas Educational Service Cooperative and was recorded on April 22, 2014 at Western Arkansas Educational Service Cooperative and in an eighth grade classroom in the Fort Smith School District.

Resource: Using PBS LearningMedia in the Classroom

Educators work hard to support their students. They are mentors, guides, and champions, helping students develop life's most important skills. And educators know better than anyone else how to prepare their students for the road ahead. That's why PBS and WGBH partnered to create PBS LearningMedia, a trusted source for pre-K-12 classroom resources. 

This resource page will provide an array of documents for educators to explore and learn how to utilize the PBS LearningMedia platform in their classrooms. PBS LearningMedia offers free and easy access to thousands of lesson plans, videos, interactives, productivity tools, and curated collections to give every teacher the chance to create one-of-a-kind learning experiences that ignite students' curiosity. And with PBS LearningMedia's Google Classroom and Remind integration, assigning the lesson you've created just takes a few clicks.

Notice: Professional development credit for these resources is not available from ArkansasIDEAS.

Grab Your Students By Their Brains with Humor and Passion

In this course, LouAnne Johnson discusses reaching seemingly unreachable students. Ms. Johnson is the author of the New York Times bestseller Dangerous Minds, which was turned into a movie by the same name. The book and movie recount the difficult time she had at the beginning of her teaching career. Ms. Johnson now uses those experiences to teach others how to "grab" their own students "by their brains" using humor and passion, just as she did.

This presentation was taped at the 2015 AASCD summer conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Closing the Attitude Gap

Mr. Baruti Kafele, Principal presents advice to help educators transform student attitudes. He emphasizes the importance of teacher self-reflection, overwhelmingly positive environments, and the students' will to strive. He also explains how students who live goal-oriented lives are more likely to achieve success. By focusing on closing the “attitude gap,” teachers enable students to soar with purpose in their own lives.

This presentation was taped at the 2015 AASCD summer conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Grey Matters: Teaching the Way the Brain Learns

The Brain-Targeted Teaching Model creates a framework that combines neuroscience research and best practices. The aim is to give teachers practical strategies that result in helping students connect to content in meaningful ways to achieve deeper learning and can be applied in any subject area. This course is an introduction to the model in action, seen through the eyes of students, educators, and Dr. Mariale Hardiman, author of The Brain-Targeted Teaching Model for 21st-Century Schools.