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Copyright 2003 Leading EDGE LLC
195 Burdick Medbury Road
Norwich, NY 13815
(607) 334-EDGE(3343)
bruce@realworldlearning.info

As part of our program of professional development for educators, Leading EDGE offers a number of unique hands-on, highly interactive workshops for administrators and teachers who have been trained in the Education By Design^TM classroom model. In addition you will find listed two different specially designed EBD Institutes. One is designed for a special focus on character education and the other is designed for math & science teachers.

Browse through the sample listing below or select a title from the pull-down menu. Contact us for a custom designed workshop to meet your specific needs.

Leading EDGE LLC offers professional development programs for educators. Workshop Title: An EBD Refresher

Designed to re-immerse participants in the fundamentals of an EBD classroom. Participants will have the opportunity to re-experience and re-examine many of the most important tools, techniques, and processes of the EBD classroom with like-minded colleagues.

Participants will emerge from this session with an enhanced ability to:

¨ Build and maintain a classroom community that supports collaborative work,

¨ Design quality challenges that target NYS Standards and develop specific skills,

¨ Use specific tools and techniques to assess student work and skill development

Workshop Title: Challenging My Staff: Developing the Capacity of a Staff to Solve its Problems Collaboratively.

Designed for administrators who want to help their teaching staff "come together" to solve its own problems. Participants in this hands-on, highly interactive workshop will explore and experience a range of tools and techniques associated with successful collaborative problem - solving and the EBD classroom model.

Participants in this session will address each of the following questions:

¨ Why would I want my staff (both collectively and individually) to be better at collaborative problem-solving ?

¨ What are some specific tools and techniques I can use now to build our capacity to solve problems collaboratively?

¨ How might we assess our progress as a collaborative problem-solving team? How will we know if we are getting better?

Workshop Title: Developing EBD Leadership in your District

This two-part workshop is designed to develop the capacity of selected EBD practitioners to take on a leadership role in their district that supports the quality implementation of the EBD classroom model.

Participants will emerge from this session with an enhanced ability to:

¨ Model classroom practices that reflect a deeper understanding of the EBD classroom model,

¨ Create a framework of support within their district that helps EBD practitioners implement the EBD model more successfully,

We strongly suggest that participants enrolling for this workshop meet the following criteria:

¨ has attended Level I and preferably Level II EBD training,

¨ has a history of successfully implementing the EBD classroom model,

"has the desire and capacity to work productively as a leader/mentor with colleagues.

Workshop Title: The EBD Administrator

Designed for administrators who want to use their EBD training to influence the "culture" of their building while enhancing the quality of implementation of their EBD trained staff. Participants in this workshop will have ample opportunity to confer with like-minded colleagues and get direct feedback from experienced EBD administrators

Participants in this session will address each of the following questions:

¨ What specific EBD tools, techniques, or strategies might I use in my administrative practice to influence the culture of my building/district?

" What are the most common "issues" for EBD practitioners? How can I help them to deal with these issues effectively?

¨ How can I assess the quality of implementation of EBD practitioners in my charge? How might I provide them with feedback and guidance that will improve the quality of their implementation?

Workshop Title: Working & Learning Together: Building our Capacity for Collaborative Problem-Solving

Designed for Teachers and Administrators who want to develop the capacity of their students or staff to engage in successful collaborative work.

Participants will emerge from this session with an enhanced capacity to:

¨ Recognize the characteristics of the four collaborative decision-making styles,

¨ Use specific tools & techniques to develop and maintain collaborative teamwork,

¨ Use specific tools for planning, facilitating, and debriefing collaborative problem-solving

Workshop Title: EBD in the Intermediate Classroom

Designed to help 5th and 6th grade level EBD practitioners develop cross-curricular challenges and activities that will effectively move their students toward multiple NYS Standards. Participants will have many opportunities to confer with like-minded colleagues and get ideas and suggestions from an instructor(s) who is highly experienced with the model.

Participants in this session will address the following questions:

· What does the EBD model "look like/sound like" at the 5th and 6th grade level?

· How can the EBD model be used to help a wide range of students progress toward multiple NYS Standards simultaneously?

· What are some of the considerations that must be taken into account when designing cross-curricular "challenges" for 5th and 6th grade students?

Student centered, real-world training. Workshop Title: EBD in the K-3 Classroom: A Different Animal

Designed to help EBD trained K-3 classroom teachers adapt this classroom approach to the special needs of their student populations

Participants in this session will address the following questions:

¨ How can I build a classroom community with my young students?

¨ What does a "challenge" look like/sound like" at this level?

¨ How can I balance "student ownership and choice" with my own need for classroom control at this level?

Workshop Title: Using Games and Initiatives Effectively in an EBD Classroom

Designed for grade 4-12 EBD teachers who want to use games and initiatives more effectively as an integral part of their EBD classroom experience.

Participants in this session will address the following questions:

¨ What considerations must I keep in mind whenever I use a game or initiative in my classroom?

¨ How can I use games and initiatives to address specific classroom issues?

¨ What are some specific strategies I can put in place so students "get the point" of any game or initiative I use?

Workshop Title: Focus on "Classroom Community"

Designed for all levels of EBD practitioners who want to delve more deeply into the issues and challenges of developing a classroom community that is safe for learning and supports collaborative work.

Participants in this session will address the following questions:

¨ What do we really mean by a "classroom community"?

¨ How can we develop and maintain a classroom community in a "test driven/results oriented" school environment?

¨ How can we assess the health and development of our classroom community

Workshop Title: An EBD "Crafting" Day: Designing Quality Challenges in the EBD Classroom

Designed for all levels of EBD practitioner who want to delve more deeply into the design of high quality challenges that target selected NYS Standards in ways we can assess. Participants will have time to work on challenges for their own classroom/learning environment.

Participants in this session will address the following questions:

¨ What are the essential qualities of all high quality challenges?

How do we "design with the end in mind"?

¨ What kinds of strategies must we have in place to enable our students to move through a challenge successfully?

Workshop Title: Teaching for the Tests: Addressing the ELA High School Regents using EBD

Designed for Middle and High School teachers of ELA who want to use their EBD training to help their students develop the specific content knowledge and skills necessary for success in the ELA Regents examination

Participants in this session will address the following questions:

¨ What kinds of specific content and skills does the ELA exam require my students to master?

¨ What kinds of specific EBD tools, techniques, and activities can I use with my students to better prepare them for the ELA Regents exam?

Workshop Title: Assessing Targeted Knowledge and Skill in the EBD Classroom

Designed for all EBD practitioners who want to focus more clearly on the issues of assessing student knowledge and skill development in their challenges. Participants will have an opportunity to share ideas and strategies with other EBD practitioners as well as receive direct instruction and feedback from experienced EBD institute coordinators.

Participants in this session will address the following questions:

¨ What must I consider when selecting a "product" or a "targeted skill" as part of my challenge design?

¨ What kinds of practical strategies can I employ to gather accurate data about individual student knowledge and skill development?

¨ How can I turn all of this into a grade?

Workshop Title: Teaching for the Test: Addressing NYS Assessments in an EBD Middle School Math Class

Designed for middle school teachers of mathematics who want to use their EBD training to help students develop the specific content knowledge and skills necessary for success in the NYS. Participants in this workshop will have ample opportunities to confer with like-minded colleagues as well as get direct assistance from experienced EBD practitioners/instructors.

Participants in this session will address the following questions:

¨ What kinds of specific content and skills do the NYS assessments in Mathematics require my students to master? Which of these might be fruitfully addressed using an EBD approach?

¨ What kinds of specific EBD tools, techniques, and activities can I use with my students to better prepare for the exams?

Workshop Title: Processing Student Experience in an EBD Classroom

Designed to help EBD practitioners focus on the art and science of "debriefing" student experiences in their classrooms.

Participants in this session will address the following questions:

¨ Why is it so important to help students to "process" their learning?

¨ What are some of the most important considerations I should keep in mind when helping students "debrief" an experience?

¨ What are some practical tools, techniques, and strategies for debriefing that work within the hectic schedule of a normal classroom environment?

EBD Institute: Character Education Focus

This six-day institute is a full-fledged EBD Level I Institute focuses on the Character Education Partnership's Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education^TM. Character education is an inherent part of the Education By Design classroom model it is not an add-on. Participants will learn to create a student-centered, problem-based, collaborative classroom to meet NYS learning standards while at the same time address issues of character education.

EBD Institute: Math Science & Technology Focus

This six-day institute is a full-fledged EBD Level I Institute that focuses on the specific issues relevant to MST teachers. Participants will learn to create a student-centered, problem-based, collaborative classroom to meet NYS MST