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COURSES OFFERED

Character Education, Part I: The Cultural Shift
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Cultural changes in the family structure, the shifting role of parents, and the glorification of violence, drugs, and gang activity in popular culture have all contributed to changes in the behavior dynamics that impact schools, classrooms, and teachers. Educators will learn how to use the concept of “character” to create caring relationships among students and identify ways to reduce peer cruelty, bullying, and undo peer pressure. This session also focuses on the need to build adult teams (internally and externally) to implement and sustain a “character” focus that takes into consideration the federal, state, and local mandates of 21st Century educators. The role of teachers and their influence on students will be explored as wells as the role that parents play in character development. This course can be taken alone or with Character Education Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 for additional course credits.
Session 1: Character: An Initiative with Far-Reaching Consequences		Clifton Taulbert
Session 2: Why the Character Focus: The Cultural Shift - A Society in Change		Clifton Taulbert
Session 3: The Cultural Shift: Impact Upon the Classroom		Clifton Taulbert
Session 4: Voices of Character: Professionals I Know		Clifton Taulbert
Session 5: The Role of the Teacher in the Midst of Change		Clifton Taulbert

Character Education: Community, Part 2
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Students’ feelings, emotions, perceptions, and self-esteem or the “affective” dimension are intertwined with the ability to learn; consequently, the increase in negative social behaviors on campus such as bullying not only negatively influence social interactions but impact students’ ability to acquire new skills and knowledge. Behavioral issues and their corresponding disruptions to teaching and learning in the classroom have resulted in a significant drop in test scores and have contributed to a loss of competitiveness of American schools. Participants will be given guidelines for building a classroom, school, and community that focus on character development and making “character” education a central part of the teaching and learning process, resulting in improved human relationships among teachers and students. Participants discover the avenues to create a moral community in the classroom and identify the role that they play in the process of fostering positive student character traits. This course can be taken alone or with Character Education Part 1, Part 3, and Part 4 for additional course credits.
Session 6: From 8th Century Cicero to 21st Century Lickona: The Character Journey		Clifton Taulbert
Session 7: The Role of the "Affective" Dimension of the Learning Process		Clifton Taulbert
Session 8: Character Education on Campus		Clifton Taulbert
Session 9: The Federal Government in Schools		Clifton Taulbert
Session 10: The Power of Community - Building and Sustaining		Clifton Taulbert

Character Education: Positive Role Models, Part 3
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This course encourages participants to create an environment that is conducive to learning. An atmosphere conducive to learning encourages students to have personal responsibility for their actions, create a positive moral climate, and solve conflicts, which will create safer schools. Students emulate behaviors they see and hear. Therefore, establishing positive role models at home, within the community, and in the classroom is fundamental to establishing a positive character development program. Participants are given strategies for identifying at risk students and developing a school-wide character education program that leverages community involvement from businesses, faith communities, parents, and coaches to support moral character development. Participants are given strategies to implement character education into the core curriculum and will review case histories that demonstrate successful implementation of community and character programs in schools. This course can be taken alone or with Character Education Part 1, Part 2, and Part 4 for additional course credits.
Session 11: Character at Work - 21st Century Case Histories 1		Clifton Taulbert
Session 12: Character at work - 21st Century Case Histories 2		Clifton Taulbert
Session 13: Building Partnerships - Beyond the School		Clifton Taulbert
Session 14: The Athletic Coach - A Character Development Asset		Clifton Taulbert
Session 15: Adult Behaviors Matter - Your People Will Do What They See You Do		Clifton Taulbert

Character Education: The Proactive Educator, Part 4
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Participants will explore the role of leadership in creating the desired “community” to impact student behavior and will be introduced to the concept of “igniting” leadership at all levels to create an environment where positive relationships are treasured. The value of face-to-face communication and interpersonal skills will also be addressed. The eight habits of the heart are introduced including Nurturing Attitude, Responsibility, Dependability, Friendship, Brotherhood, High Expectations, Courage, and Hope, and participants will explore the dynamics of these timeless and universal principles as lived out by ordinary people during the 20th Century and their relationship to building the “affective” dimension of 21st Century classrooms. This course can be taken alone or with Character Education Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 for additional course credits.
Session 16: Empowering Your Intent - Personal Leadership		Clifton Taulbert
Session 17: Empowering Your Intent - Timeless Habits 1		Clifton Taulbert
Session 18: Empowering Your Intent - Timeless Habits 2		Clifton Taulbert
Session 19: Empowering Your Intent - Timeless Habits 3		Clifton Taulbert
Session 20: The Proactive Educator - Knowledgeable and Committed		Clifton Taulbert

Challenging Gifted Students Using the SCG Model I
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This course will cover an in-depth set of topics that describe the School-wide Cluster Grouping Model to educators, parents, and administrators. The SCGM is a method for providing full-time gifted services without major budget implications. Implementing these strategies has the potential to raise achievement for all students. With the SCGM, all students are purposely placed into classrooms based on their abilities and potential. Participants will learn the responsibility of the SCGM and the training necessary to become an SCGM teacher or administrator. There will also be video of primary classroom demonstrations in which participants will be shown the name card game and other differentiated instruction techniques. The course will also cover teaching strategies for students in primary grades.
Description of the SCGM to Educators		Susan Winebrenner
Description of the SCGM to Parents		Dina Brulles
Description of the SCGM to Administrators		Susan Winebrenner
Teaching Strategies for Students in the Primary Grades		Dina Brulles
Demonstrations in Primary Classrooms		Dina Brulles

Challenging Gifted Students Using the SCG Model II
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This is the second course in the School-wide Cluster Grouping Model. The course will present the gifted specialists, mentor training, and gifted student placement. The course will define the term cluster variation, introduce strategies to involve parents, and strategies to create a supportive school culture. The course will provide effective evaluation techniques for maintaining the SCGM and provide further details about the name card game. Students taking this course will receive in-depth insight into the taxonomy of thinking, extension menu, and the evaluation contract. Participants will also view classroom demonstrations of gifted cluster teaching skills, and they will also be introduced to teaching and questioning strategies for the gifted classroom.
Training for Gifted Specialists and Mentors		Dina Brulles
Teaching Strategies for Students in the Intermediate Grades		Susan Winebrenner
Demonstrations in Intermediate Classrooms		Dina Brulles
Demonstrations in Middle School Classrooms		Dina Brulles
Using Effective Questioning Strategies		Susan Winebrenner

Challenging Gifted Students Using the SCG Model III
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This is the third course in the School-wide Cluster Grouping Model. The course will offer further details about using extension menus and differentiated instruction skills. The course will also cover when to have cluster meeting for teachers, mentors, and specialists and what the meetings should cover. Participants will benefit from the sample cluster teacher meetings as well observing a meeting with panel of administrators and a panel of coordinators. Participants will also have the opportunity for more professional development training.
Creating and Using Effective Extension Menus		Susan Winebrenner
Gifted Cluster Teacher Meeting		Dina Brulles
Gifted Specialist/Mentor Meeting		Dina Brulles
Panel with Gifted Program Coordinators		Susan Winebrenner
Panel with Administrators		Dina Brulles

Challenging Gifted Students Using the SCG Model IV
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This is the fourth course in the School-wide Cluster Grouping Model. The course will cover methods for monitoring the progress and evaluating the SCGM, placing gifted students in appropriate cluster groups, and evaluating student growth. Participants will also learn how to create a database for tracking gifted students and how to handle special population gifted students. Participants will also observe classroom demonstrations of differentiated instruction techniques as well as research surrounding the SCGM theories. The final presentation will explain how to start the SCGM, SCGM meetings, and guidelines for observing SCGM teachers.
Evaluating the SCGM		Dina Brulles