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Professional Development Workshops for Educators

Trillium Demonstration School offers a number of professional educator workshops throughout the school year. Please click here to download a PDF version of the workshops listed below.

The following workshops are open to teachers, school/board consultants, board coordinators and school/board administrators:

S - Attend onsite at the Provincial School location offering the workshop

  • All workshops are 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
  • Max. 25 participants unless otherwise indicated.
  • Fee: $30.00 per participant.


Description of Workshops

OSSLT (EQAO) and the Student with a Severe Language-based Learning Disability

Milton: S

Thursday, January 28, 2010
Facilitator: Sherrie Rain

  • Focus on helping students with L.D. who use assistive technology
  • Scaffolded writing procedures using templates for major writing tasks
  • Specific vocabulary and grammar helpful for writing assessments
  • Scaffolding up the coded levels
  • Breaking down the writing tasks into their smallest parts
  • The practice test

Click here to contact us for registration and/or further details about this workshop.

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Assistive Technology: 5-Minute Manager

Milton: S

Tuesday, February 2, 2010 - (REGISTRATION IS FULL)
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Facilitators: Jeryl Phillips/Eva MacKenna
(Max: 12)

  • Learning new technology does not need to be complicated or time-consuming.  If you only had 5 minutes to learn (and teach), what is the most effective way to begin? 
  • In this workshop, we'll cover those "5 minute" basics of popular Assistive Technology software including Smart Ideas, Clicker 5, Premier Assistive Suite, Write: OutLoud and Kurzweil 3000.  You'll come away with the confidence to successfully begin using software with your students the very next day!

Click here to contact us for registration and/or further details about this workshop.

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Understanding the Student with a Language-based Learning Disability and A.D.H.D. (Practical Strategies)

Milton: S

Thursday, February 4, 2010
Facilitators: Michelle Correia/Michael Jackman

  • A thorough approach to understanding learning disabilities and A.D.H.D.
  • How co-morbid learning disabilities and A.D.H.D. manifest themselves in the classroom.
  • Learn effective ways to modify and accommodate curriculum expectations and develop classroom management strategies. 

Click here to contact us for registration and/or further details about this workshop.

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JUMP Math and the student with L.D.: Multiplying Potential

Milton: S

Thursday, February 18, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Facilitators: Michael Jackman/Michelle Correia

  • Learn about the JUMP Math program, its philosophy and development
  • Become familiar with JUMP Math's teacher and student materials
  • Learn about anticipating ‘pitfalls’, task analysis and other JUMP Math teaching strategies
  • Discuss practical strategies and explore the importance of developing positive comfort levels with mathematics and mathematics teaching.

Click here to contact us for registration and/or further details about this workshop.

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Strategies for Learning: Secondary Focus For Students With L.D.

Milton: S

Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Facilitator: Eva MacKenna

  • Address the difficulties that students with L.D. face who are not efficient at learning how to learn. With consistency across the grades and settings, developing independent learners is attainable.
  • Restructure the way we think about shaping teaching and learning, on a foundation of research and best practices
  • Reference to the Learning for All and Differentiated Instruction documents.

Click here to contact us for registration and/or further details about this workshop.

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Using Assistive Technology to Teach Spelling, Grammar & Punctuation

Milton: S

Thursday, March 4, 2010
Facilitator: Sherrie Rain

  • Learn how to teach students with L.D. the skills necessary for sentence structure, punctuation and spelling using assistive technology.
  • Improve the grammatical quality of students’ work by learning how to teach them to self-monitor using word prediction, playback, spell check and other writing tools.

Click here to contact us for registration and/or further details about this workshop.

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Trillium Experience Day for Consultants and Educators

Milton: S

Thursday, March 25, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Facilitator: Michelle Correia

9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Cost: Free

  • Learn about Trillium’s role as a Provincial Demonstration School
  • Review criteria and application procedure for prospective students
  • Overview of the school’s academic and residential programs 
  • Gain insight into the programs offered at Trillium from the perspective of the students
  • Tour of the Trillium campus, including school and residence
  • Review resources, support and training available to school boards and schools

Click here to contact us for registration and/or further details about this workshop.

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SMART Ideas! Strategies for Learning

Milton: S

Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Facilitators: Eva MacKenna/Jeryl Phillips
(Max: 12)

  • Regardless of the grade, students with Learning Disabilities are bright individuals with difficulties processing information.  An introduction to Smart Ideas’ concept-mapping software program will support the strategies for learning, as well as representation and expression of the curriculum.
  • This OSAPAC licensed program is readily available for our students.

Click here to contact us for registration and/or further details about this workshop.

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Kurzweil 3000: Basics for Beginners

Milton: S

Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Facilitator: Dan Birkenbergs
(Max: 12)

  • Kurzweil is powerful, comprehensive assistive software that is widely used to support learners with reading and writing difficulties.
  • Learn the fundamentals of the text-to-speech, writing supports, scanning and study skills features to make all digital text available to all learners.      

Click here to contact us for registration and/or further details about this workshop.

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Understanding Psycho-Educational Assessment Reports

Milton: S

Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Facilitators: Michelle Correia/Denise Murnghan

  • Gain an understanding of the uses of academic and psychological assessments measures, and how those results are interpreted.
  • Understand how assessment information is used and applied to a student’s I.E.P. and used for academic programming.     

Click here to contact us for registration and/or further details about this workshop.

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How to Teach Decoding to Students with Severe Language-based L.D.

Milton: S

Part 1: Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Part 2: Thursday, April 22, 2010
Facilitator: Sherrie Rain

9:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Total Cost: $60

  • How to teach reading to students with severe language learning disabilities who cannot decode words
  • Learn how the English phonetic system really works
  • Gain insights into the skills students need to know
  • 2:30-3:30 – opportunity for teachers to ask specific questions or bring miscue or spelling samples that you would like analyzed  

PLEASE NOTE: This workshop is currently FULL. A new session has just opened up and will run on May 25th (Part 1) and May 26th (Part 2) depending on registration numbers.
Please click here to register for this workshop on the new dates.

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Teach A.D.H.D.

Milton: S

Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Facilitator: Michelle Correia

  • Neuro-cognitive approach to understanding A.D.H.D.
  • Cognitive processing deficits and academic challenges related to inattention (i.e. working memory/executive functioning).
  • Instructional modifications for supporting students with A.D.H.D. in the classroom.  

Click here to contact us for registration and/or further details about this workshop.

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Unlocking Potential! Elementary Students with LD

Milton: S

Thursday, April 29, 2010
Facilitator: Eva MacKenna

  • Address the difficulties that students with L.D. face who are not efficient at learning how to learn. With consistency across the grades and settings, developing independent learners is attainable.
  • Systematic and specific instructions that are explicitly taught and modeled for students, will yield results that lead students to be independent learners.
  • Reference to the Learning for All document and Differentiating Instruction will support this workshop.

Click here to contact us for registration and/or further details about this workshop.

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Taming the Dragon! Dragon Naturally Speaking for New Users

Milton: S

Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Facilitator: Dan Birkenbergs
(Max: 12)

  • An introduction to Dragon Naturally Speaking 10. 
  • Learn to create your own voice file, make corrections, learn simple commands, export and import voice files. Tips on how to train your students, as well as providing authentic accommodations for learning and assessment will be explored.
  • Bring a memory stick to back up your completed voice file.

Click here to contact us for registration and/or further details about this workshop.

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SMART Board for Newbies

Milton: S

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 - (WORKSHOP IS FULL)
Facilitators: Dan Birkenbergs/Michelle Correia

  • Beginner strategies for effective use of SMART Boards in the classroom.
  • Orientation to the basic functions of the SMART Board
  • Exploration of curriculum links and SMART Board lessons

Click here to contact us for registration and/or further details about this workshop.

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O.S.R. Study: Connecting the Dots

Milton: S

Thursday, May 13, 2010
Facilitator: Eva MacKenna

  • Noticing some troubling characteristics? Are your classroom observations causing confusion? Where do you turn?
  • The ominous Ontario Student Record (O.S.R.) may be your next step in helping your students be the best that they can be!
  • Group investigations in this collaborative workshop will ensure you have the evidence to support your in-school team or a potential application to Provincial Demonstration Schools for students with L.D.

Click here to contact us for registration and/or further details about this workshop.

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Students with Mental Health Issues: Academic and Socio-emotional Interventions

Milton: S

Thursday, May 20, 2010
Facilitator: Dr. Peter Kondra/Dean Huyck

  • Gain further understanding re: the co-morbidity of emotional and learning problems
  • Learn how to identify students’ problems and evidence-based interventions
  • The role of the classroom teacher in this process of problem identification and classroom interventions
  • How to advocate and utilize community services effectively

Click here to contact us for registration and/or further details about this workshop.

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How to Teach Decoding to Students with Severe Language-based L.D.

Milton: S

Part 1: Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Part 2: Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Facilitator: Sherrie Rain

9:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Total Cost: $60

  • How to teach reading to students with severe language learning disabilities who cannot decode words
  • Learn how the English phonetic system really works
  • Gain insights into the skills students need to know
  • 2:30-3:30 – opportunity for teachers to ask specific questions or bring miscue or spelling samples that you would like analyzed  

Click here to contact us for registration and/or further details about this workshop.

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Setting the Literacy Standard: Improving Student Achievement Through Shared Vision & Accountability

Special Invitation to School Administrators

March 31st, 2010 - 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

When it comes to literacy, administrators have the benefit of seeing the larger picture. Using the same balanced literacy strategies for students with learning disabilities that we use for average students doesn’t seem to be closing or narrowing the gap. By junior grades, sometimes all we do is keep the gap from getting any wider. Administrators have the advantage of a broader vision regarding funding, backwards design in data-based action planning, scheduling, and prioritizing for literacy programs...

It is NEVER too late to teach students how to read.

For more information, please click here to download a flyer in PDF format.