Explore the arts in grades PreK-2, particularly as they relate to brain development, creative activities, early learning and overall development. Session topics include visual arts, music, dance, and literature/drama.

Enhance your 21^st century technology skills and engage students using Web 2.0 tools! Learn the educational uses of tools such as VoiceThread, Glogster, Prezi, Wordle, and Voki.

One of the most important tasks for children in the first five years of life is the development of language. Children enter early care settings with vast differences in vocabulary and oral language development, and early educators can meet this challenge by providing language-rich learning environments. This workshop will provide early childhood educators with an understanding of young children's oral language development and appropriate approaches for promoting language and emergent literacy in their classrooms. This workshop will focus on effective methods for developing children’s vocabulary knowledge through book reading and discussions, and advancing children’s language through extended conversations. Additionally, participants will learn to create opportunities for rich discourse and build children’s background knowledge. Workshops assignments will invite participants to apply relevant content and plan meaningful, language-rich curricular activities.

Just when you thought that you could not bring all of your technology needs together under one umbrella in order to make your life as an educator more efficient, you found this course. Ah yes, Google - that may be the ticket! If you are thinking that Google has some great ideas and may be the answer to many of your needs as an educator, then you are in the right place.
In this course, participants explore three very useful Google applications: iGoogle, Google Gmail (Gmail), and Google Documents from the perspective of a teacher/educator. Each application offers unique features that will save teachers time and give them the ability to use technology collaboratively in so many ways. This is the portal to a whole new way of thinking and teaching. The Google tools and applications will have you redesigning and renovating your old teaching structures as well as making useful additions. This course is designed to get you to think about collaboration with your students, colleagues, school, and learning communities in new ways.

Note: These Google applications are all free!