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Gamified Learning to Engage Students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD
Have you ever taught Humanities to Junior High students? The most common complaint is how do I make it engaging? Danielle Manchak, grade 7 teacher at Foothills Academy, has found a way! She uses gamified learning to meet the grade 7 Social Studies curriculum. What is gamified learning exactly? "The common concept of what gamifying a classroom means: implementing game components by simply trading out the parlance of pedagogy for that of gaming culture?" (Stott & Neustraedter, 2013).
This technique is not only useful for Social Studies. Research supports its benefit for students in all subjects, for instance, boosting enthusiasm toward math. For many budding learners, math can prove to be a dry subject unless the student has a natural aptitude for math. A recent study conducted by Deakin University states that the gamification classroom helps give students a more positive attitude toward mathematics in general.
Sincerely,
Kim Tackaberry
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 E-Course: LD & ADHD Essentials
Summer 2016 Session July 4 - 30
If you're too busy to take our E-Course over the school year, perhaps our shortened version will work for you this summer. This Essentials course covers the following units:
- Overview of LD
- Dyslexia
- Dyscalculia
- ADHD
Register online or call 403-270-9400 ext. 202.
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Secret to Teaching Students with LD/ADHD: Personal Connections Mini-E-Course
Spring 2016 Session - Open until June 30
Summer session begins July 1st
Imagine a class full of students who are productive, motivated and hardworking. One secret to setting this scene is the development of strong student-teacher relationships. This on-line workshop will share evidence based strategies to help build these relationships through videos, articles and connection opportunities with other teachers.
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Study Skills Online Workshop - Teacher Companion
Spring Session - Open until June 30
Summer Session begins July 1st
Many students can benefit from explicitly learning about note taking, study and test taking strategies. This online workshop allows students to learn and review study strategies. The Online Study Skills Workshop can benefit all students from grade 6 through to post-secondary. Participants can opt to complete it on their own or with the guidance of a parent, tutor or teacher. Additional information is provided to support students with LD and ADHD. Learn and review through videos, narrated Powerpoints, on-line surveys, polls and more.
Topics covered include:
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Precision Reading
Session 2:
July 9 & 13 - 10 - 11:30 am (3 hours total) (aimed at parents but educators are welcome to register)
Fee:
$45/person
Precision Reading is a short, daily, research-based remedial reading activity designed to improve fluency, sight word vocabulary, and passage comprehension. It enables students from grades three to twelve with low/poor reading abilities to make progress quickly and efficiently. Precision Reading is a one-on-one instructional activity that takes less than ten minutes a day to implement. This program was created by
Dr. Rick Freeze, professor at the University of Manitoba
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Going Beyond the Basics: End of Summer LD & ADHD Workshop Series (In-Person Workshops and Webinars)
August 22 - 25th
Creating an inclusive classroom means learning more about your specific areas of interest. Our "Going Beyond the Basics of Learning Disabilities and ADHD Workshop Series" allows you to build your own professional development schedule. We have aimed to make this series as flexible as possible to fit into busy schedules.
- Register for one workshop, all workshops or somewhere in between (workshops are priced individually)
- All workshops are available either in-person or via webinar with the exception of Read/Write and Empowering Writers which are only available in-person. In-person workshops take place at Foothills Academy (745 37 Street NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4T1)
- All webinars (except Read/Write) are available live or as a recording after the webinar takes place
You will have two weeks to view the webinar recording at a time that is convenient to you.
- Whether you attend in-person or via webinar, these workshops are a great opportunity to connect with other educators interested in similar issues
- Registration deadline for all workshops (live or webinar) is August 1, 2016
Click on each workshop title to see more details
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Times
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Mon., Aug. 22
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Tues., Aug. 23
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Wed., Aug. 24
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Thurs., Aug. 25
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| 8:30 am - noon |
Jill Morgan
* in-person only
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Read/Write (P1) continued
Jill Morgan
* in-person only
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Jill Morgan
* in-person only
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Read/Write (P2 continued)
Jill Morgan
* in-person only
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| 9 - 11:30 am |
Melissa Miller
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Les Redick
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Carla Cameron
* in-person only |
Tanya Keto
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lunch break (own your own)
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lunch break (own your own)
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lunch break (own your own)
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lunch break (own your own)
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| 1 - 3 pm |
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Kim Tackaberry |
Ayra Kelly |
Nicole Caines |
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Read/Write Training (Phonological Awareness)
(In Person Workshops)
During our training, teachers are invited to learn how to creatively teach the following:
Part # 1 (Foundation) i) consonants & vowels ii) simple syllables
Part #2 (Next Step) iii) vowels/vowel digraphs/dipthongs iv) complex syllables
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Empowering Writers: An Introduction to Narrative and Expository Writing
Date: August 24
Time: 9 - 11:30 am (MDT)
Narrative: This session is geared for any teacher responsible for teaching narrative writing with a focus on grades 2-7. Empowering Writers has a proven methodology that not only identifies the skills that good writers of all ages need, but delivers powerful, developmentally appropriate lessons that transform the way we teach and students learn. A comprehensive handout will be provided.
Expository: This session is geared for any teacher responsible for teaching expository writing with a focus on grades 2-8. Our emphasis on the reading/writing connection through annotation and the deconstruction of text increases comprehension while improving writing. "Empowered writers" begin to read with "author's eyes," readily understanding the why and how of author's craft, becoming much more analytical when approaching any and all literary tasks. In the process they become confident, enthusiastic writers and better informed readers. A comprehensive handout will be provided. Come learn our "Recipe for Success."
Click here to register for this workshop (in-person only).
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IN PERSON or WEBINAR WORKSHOPS
In Person workshops take place at Foothills Academy
Webinars - Can't make the scheduled time?
Register prior to the webinar date and we'll send you an on-demand version of the webinar after the presentation.
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Looking Beyond the Behaviour:
Motivating and Supporting Students with High Functioning ASD in the Classroom
Date: Auguust 22
Time: 9 - 11:30 am (MDT)
Navigating the world as a child on the Autism Spectrum can be a confusing and many times frustrating experience. Learn practical tools designed to help you guide your high functioning ASD students towards success in the classroom. This webinar is designed to explore the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder as it appears in the classroom, with a focus on children with high functioning Autism (formerly referred to as Asperger's Syndrome). We will explore methods of functional behaviour assessment, classroom intervention, and proactive behaviour management.
To register for this workshop, click here.
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Gamified Learning
Date: August 22
Time: 1 - 3 pm (MDT)
We've all been there at some point in our careers... Standing in front of a class of students with blank stares, completely disengaged in what they should be learning. If you have been in this situation, you most likely asked yourself some of the following questions: How can I make this subject matter more interesting to my students? How do I keep my students motivated to learn? How do I help my students to connect this information to their own experiences?
This session will hopefully help you to find solutions to the above questions. Gamified learning is a relatively new concept in the educational world. However, by turning units or lessons into a collaborative game, students will become more engaged, more intrinsically motivated, and able to relate their experiences to the content being taught. As an added bonus, both you and the students will also have fun. Click here to register for this workshop or webinar.
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Understand Me: Living with ADHD
Date: August 23
Time: 9 - 11:30 am (MDT)
Les Redick knows what it's like to have ADHD. He grew up with ADHD; has raised a child with ADHD; and, he has taught students with ADHD for over 20 years. Through Les' personal stories, parents will gain a clearer understanding of what it is like to be a child, as well as an adult with ADHD. They will also gain insight into what ADHD is and how it reveals itself at home. Les will share examples of how children with ADHD struggle with Executive Functioning and share strategies to provide support at home. Be prepared to be teary one minute and laughing the next!! Click here to register for this workshop or webinar.
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Dyslexia: Exploring the Three Subtypes
Date: Auguust 23
Time: 1 - 3:00 pm (MDT)
Join us and learn how dyslexic brains work differently. This workshop will focus on best practices in reading with a specific focus on supporting students with Dyslexia. The three types of dyslexia will be reviewed along with evidence based practices for each. To conclude, we will discuss four factors that support the development of reading comprehension.
Click here to register for this Dyslexia workshop or webinar.
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How Mindfulness can Help Students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD
Date: August 24
Time: 1 - 3 pm (MDT)
Mindful Schools states that mindfulness means 'maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment'. Ayra will share specific techniques to help students with LD/ADHD manage stress and develop mindful ways of thinking, both at home and at school. Participants will leave with simple and easy ways to integrate these methods into classrooms of all levels.
Click here to register for the workshop or webinar.
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Executive Functioning - Who's in Charge?
Date: August 25
Time: 9 - 11:30 am (MDT)
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Supporting Anxious Students
Date: August 25
Time: 1 - 3 pm (MDT)
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders in youth. Sometimes anxiety is easy to identify in the classroom, but other times it may present itself in unexpected ways, such as tummy aches, disruptive behaviour, restlessness, clinginess, or attendance problems. Serious untreated anxiety tends to get worse over time and may lead to serious consequences. The good news is that children and adolescents can learn to manage and overcome anxiety, and you can help them do that. In this session, you will learn practical strategies for helping your students overcome anxiety. Click here to register for the workshop or webinar.
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Catching Children Before they Fail...
The Right to Read On-Line Workshop
Concerned about early
reading
skills? Are you teaching beginning readers?
This in-depth on-line workshop will provide K-1 teachers with the Reading Readiness Screening Tool, complete with a comprehensive set of interventions to support each of the tool's subtests. Screening with this easy-to-use tool will help you determine which students may have difficulty learning to read and how to build the necessary skills before they fail.
Registration is ongoing online through this link.
This online workshop is a collaboration between the Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta and Foothills Academy.
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Why Not Bring a Foothills' Speaker to You?
Are you interested in having one of our presenters bring a workshop to your school or conference? We can arrange to come in person or through videoconfering or webinar. Check out our full list of workshop offerings. We are happy to customize our workshops to meet your needs. Contact Kim Tackaberry at k[email protected] or call 403-270-9400 ext. 236 for details.
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