This is a must-have book for anyone who works with young adolescents. "If You Can't Manage Them, You Can't Teach Them" dispenses straight-talking advice and can-do strategies that help every educator succeed at building the relationships, mutual respect, routines, and expectations for running a classroom without stress or chaos. Told in the manner of one teacher having a personal conversation with another, this is an ideal guide to building the behaviors that are the foundation of an effective classroom. BOOK:  “If You Can’t Teach Them, If You Can’t  If You Can’t Manage Them” by Kim Campbell  ISBN ‏ : ‎ 9780865305137   Read more

This concise and practical guide integrates effective reading strategies from each perspective. Every chapter of Shifting the Balance focuses on one of the six simple and scientifically sound shifts reading teachers can make to strengthen their approach to early reading instruction in these areas: ·         Reading Comprehension ·         Phonemic Awareness ·         Phonics ·         High-Frequency Words ·         Cueing Systems ·         Text Selection Practical Instruction for Primary Grades: Whether your students are just learning to read or building more advanced reading comprehension skills, Shifting the Balance is designed to help teachers meet the instructional needs of K-2 students.   Six Manageable Shifts: Each chapter focuses on a key shift that helps educators understand common misconceptions and adjust their thinking around some common instructional practices that teachers have been using for decades. Evidence-Based Instruction: Burkins and Yates offer busy educators a blueprint for integrating findings from brain research, cognitive science, and child development into their daily instruction, while keeping meaningful experiences with books a priority.   BOOK:  Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1625315104 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1625315106 This course is free for members or $50 for non-members. You can earn either 15 CECH (continuing education contact hours) at no cost OR 1 graduate credit from Augustana University for $50.   Read more

In this much anticipated follow-up to their groundbreaking book, Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom, authors Jan Burkins and Kari Yates, together with co-author Katie Cunningham, extend the conversation in Shifting the Balance, Grades 3-5: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Upper Elementary Classroom. This new text is built in mind specifically for grades 3-5 teachers around best practices for the intermediate classroom. Shifting the Balance, Grades 3-5 introduces six more shifts across individual chapters that: Zoom in on a common (but not-as helpful-as-we-had-hoped) practice to reconsider Untangle a number of “misunderstandings” that have likely contributed to the use of the common practice Propose a more science-aligned shift to the current practice Provide solid scientific research to support the revised practice Offer a collection of high-leverage, easy-to-implement instructional routines to support the shift to more brain-friendly instruction The authors offer a refreshing approach that is respectful, accessible, and practical – grounded in an earnest commitment to building a bridge between research and classroom practice. As with the first Shifting the Balance, they aim to keep students at the forefront of reading instruction. BOOK:  Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to Bring the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 162531597X ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1625315977 This course is worth either 15 CECH (continuing education contact hours) OR 1 graduate credit from Augustana University ($50).      Read more

This course initiates the purpose and direction of student-teacher relationships to fully conceptualize teaching and learning in this context. Fundamental understanding of the building of relationships, communication practices, student teacher needs, strategies and planning for collaborative efforts, and recognition of professional teaching attributes will form the core of this course. In addition to registering for the course itself on this site, you have the option to earn 15 CECH hours or you can sign up for one graduate credit ($40) through USD here: EDFN 592: Cooperating Teacher - 24SP-27229 (usd.edu) This link  works for cooperating teachers whose student teacher placement begins in January.  Those whose student teachers have split placements(fine arts, SPED, etc) may also register for the course; there is a condensed course schedule recommended for split placements.  The course grading period runs from January 15-May 3. The last day to register is January 24, 2024 for USD credit. After that date, only CECH will be available.   **Please note that while there are 32 modules, many modules can be completed in ten minutes or less. The total estimated time commitment for this course is 15 hours.  Read more

PROFESSIONALISM ONLINE "An estimated 74% of Americans over the age of 18 use social networking websites. Naturally, some of these adults are educators. But with news stories of teachers being fired or disciplined for tweets, status updates, and Instagram photos becoming more common, educators can be (understandably) anxious when using social media."   --Rachael Nichol (The American Board Blog)   This course will take educators some of the basics of being professional online and is worth 1 CEU credit.   ***This publication is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for specific legal or other professional advice.  If you have specific questions about your legal or contractual rights, contact your UniServ Director.  This guidance will be updated periodically based on new information and guidance, so please refer back to this link for the most current information. Read more

This short module will walk one through what micro-credentials are, how they work, and leveraging them for personal and professional growth. Read more