CESW Alumni Webinar Series

The College of Education and Social Work invites our alumni, faculty, staff, and current students to join us for our Professional Development webinar series. The series covers a range of topics and strategies to keep in your professional toolbox as you grow in your careers. The series is free to the WCU community and we encourage you to send your suggestions for future webinar topics to MFisher2@wcupa.edu.


Upcoming Webinars

Our 2021 - 2022 Webinar Series will be available shortly.

Recorded Webinars

Technology in Education: Bigger, Better, Faster, and More!

Bigger - Tech is playing a bigger and bigger role in our lives, and in higher education. Better - Does tech makes teaching and learning better? Faster - Change is fast. Too fast. More - What can, and should, we do to use tech effectively? Presented by Dr. Chris Penny, Professor, Education Foundations and Policy Studies. Technology in Education: Bigger, Better, Faster, and More! Monday | September 21, 4:00 pm Bigger - Tech is playing a bigger and bigger role in our lives, and in higher education. Better - Does tech makes teaching and learning better? Faster - Change is fast. Too fast. More - What can, and should, we do to use tech effectively? Presented by Dr. Chris Penny, Professor, Education Foundations and Policy Studies..


SMART Learning Suite Online Webinar

For more information, visit the CESW Technology Center Webinar page.


How to Keep on Swimming: Managing an IEP Workload in an Ocean of Responsibility

This webinar will present key ideas and suggestions to manage an IEP caseload in addition to your other teaching responsibilities. The presentation will focus on keeping track of: (a) timelines, (b) parent/student communication, (c) student work/grades, (d) student accommodations, and (e) working with other professionals. In addition, what to do when things are not working for your students with disabilities (including behavior management) will be addressed. Presented by Dr. Colleen Commisso, Assistant Professor of Special Education. View recording.

Teaching During the Largest Civil Rights Movement of all Time - What You Need to Know about Anti-biased and Social Justice Education. 

In today's times, it is more critical than ever that teachers begin to think about teaching in a different way. It is critical to begin to recognize inequities that exist in our education systems and ways that teachers can be empowered and teach from a justice stance. Examining education challenges highlighted by the current pandemic and world wide civil rights movement, we will begin to unpack equity practices for all classroom teachers. Presented by Dr. Katherine Norris, Professor, Early and Middle Grades Education and Interim Special Assistant to the Dean - Student Support. View recording.

Writing Your Prescription for a Balanced Life: Wellness in Times of Chaos and Uncertainty.

Discover how to train the mind and establish healthy habits and simple self-care strategies that can easily be incorporated into everyday life. In a time when everyone seems overwhelmed and uncertain, practicing presence offers a much-needed change of pace. Presented by Dr. Lisa Lucas, Professor, Early and Middle Grades Education. View Recording.

Unpacking the Out-of-State Cert Process: Highlights in DE & NJ

Two May 2020 graduates, Ms. Reily Corbeil and Ms. Courtney Enyedy, will share their experiences in working with Delaware and New Jersey for certification. If you are considering getting certified in another state, in addition to Pennsylvania, attend this session to learn from their firsthand accounts. View Recording.

Teacher to Teacher-The First Year

Dr. Heather Leaman, Professor, Early and Middle Grades Education

During this webinar, a panel of early career teachers will share suggestions for success during the first year of teaching, both in the classroom and online. They will describe some of the unanticipated challenges they experienced during their first year of teaching and share strategies they used (or wish they knew) at the time, related to: daily time management, classroom management, getting to know each of your students, building great relationships with families, tips for the online classroom, tips for the traditional classroom, useful resources, and more. Participants will be able to pose questions to the webinar panel, if time allows. View Recording.

The Importance of Hands-on Learning in the Early Grades 

Dr. Donna Sanderson, Professor, Early and Middle Grades Education

The use of manipulatives is highly recommended and supported by both learning theory and educational research when it comes to young children and processing new information. This webinar will showcase how teachers can incorporate manipulative into the curriculum to support children's literacy and math skills in fun developmentally appropriate ways. Multiple examples will be highlighted and demonstrated. View Recording

Trauma Informed Instruction

Dr. Beatrice Adera, Associate Professor and Chair Department of Special Education
Dr. Vicki McGinley, Professor, Department of Special Education

Trauma-informed practices are evidence based practices that are incorporated into the school, the classroom and for individual children that may need more support. This session will introduce you to those practices and provide you with resources as to where to gain more information. View Recording.

 
Understanding Childhood Trauma

Dr. Ginneh Akbar, DSW, LSW, MSW, Department Chair, MSW Program Director, Associate Professor
Toxic stress and traumatic events in childhood impact an individual's health and well-being across the lifespan. This webinar will focus on recognizing and understanding the signs and implications of childhood traumatic stress, and its short-term and long-term impact. We will examine the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and how to integrate trauma-informed practices and strategies in our work. View Recording.

Co-teaching and Collaboration

Brittany Severino, Adjunct Instructor, Special Education 
One of the essential roles of a special education teacher is to collaborate with a student’s entire IEP team. This 60-minute webinar will discuss appropriate strategies for on-going communication and planning as a case manager. Specifically, this webinar will review best practices for co-teaching with general education teachers and to assist related service providers and paraprofessionals. Techniques will be presented regarding how to best support a student academically and behaviorally when concerns arise as a team. The frequent communication among IEP team members can ensure the success of a student. View recording.

How to Differentiate Instruction for the EL Students in Your Reading Classroom

Dr. Jessica Tobin Nagle, Adjunct Professor, Literacy Department, West Chester University
Mrs. Danielle Burns, ESL Program Specialist, Downingtown Area School District
Mrs. Allison Mastrilli, Reading Specialist, West Chester Area School District

This webinar focuses on how to address the diverse needs of EL students in a reading classroom. The panel of teachers will share effective, research-based strategies, as well as ones that are grounded in classroom experience. Suggestions will focus on both in person learning, as well as online. View recording.

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