Workshops

Workshops

A Good Molé!

Grades K-12
Laura Garcia

The library is the place where I practiced my English through books when I was younger. I grew up in the city of Newburgh - a place rich with stories. I have met so many different people who have granted me the privilege of listening to their stories. I've heard hundreds of narratives from middle school and high school students, parents and abuelitos, and they all remind me of a good molé. Why molé you ask? Molé is traditional, generational, and there are many ways to make it. Members of my community are just like that. They consist of three main ingredients that have helped them to survive in this country: resiliency, a belief in the power of education, and understanding of the importance of human connections. In this workshop, participants will learn about the power of storytelling.

Zooming In: Using Digital Technology to Expand Vocabulary 

Grades PreK-5
Karen Maher

Words matter. Levels of understanding in reading, writing, speaking and listening differ greatly, dependent upon known words and conceptual knowledge; the stronger the connections, the deeper the understanding. Being literate, then, opens a world of possibilities for ourselves and others. In this session, discover how primary students used digital cameras and a digital platform to grow and share their spoken and written word repositories, content knowledge, and their reading and writing identities.     

TO BE A WRITER: Identity & Identification

Grades K-12
Rebecca Quackenbush

Everyone is a writer.  I tell my students this all of the time.  But what happens when they actually begin to believe me? In this workshop, we will explore what happens when students internalize and identify as writers.  Implications for future teaching and learning will be considered, as participants engage in their own self-reflection. Throughout the workshop, student work will be shared and explored.  In addition, promising practices to nurture a writerly mindset will be presented.  

The ART of Writing

Grades K-12 
Nicole Sibiski
Jessica Turner

Participants in this workshop will gain an understanding in how art supports language learners in reading, writing, speaking, and listening in order to enhance their language acquisition as new members of the community. High school students will share their testimonies as to how they discovered their strengths and how they found their voices throughout the reading and writing process all through the power of art!     

Visual Language and the Education of All Language Learners 

Grades 6-12
Jan Aiello

Learn best practices for using visual metaphors in the classroom and create opportunities in your lessons for visual art connections. In this workshop participants will explore strategies on using visual arts to express personal and cultural ideas through puppetry, poetry/collage and ceramics.

Children's Literature Supporting Name Identity

Grades Prek-12
Amy Peluso Prasky 

Naming is a nearly universal tradition, the world over.  No matter where our students come from, they have a name that is part of their identity.  In this one hour session, participants will gather children's literary titles (mainly picture books) and hear about them through brief book-talks from the presenter.  Participants then have the opportunity to view them up close with a "book buffet", and leave with a list/bibliography and short description of each text to add books that support cultural naming to any classroom or school library!