Cameron Educational Services

The Association of Christian Schools International has approved Janet Cameron to offer course work leading to Continuing Education Units for ACSI Certification in the area(s) of Educational and Biblical Studies (registration number 1396 through 4/25/2014).

In-Service Training Topic Descriptions

• Accommodations & Modifications (Grades 6-12)
  With a growing number of students with special learning needs, this workshop is designed to better equip you to increase learning for all students in every classroom. You will be able to differentiate between accommodations and modifications to determine which may be appropriate in your setting. A graphic organizer will be presented to assist in planning meeting for students with specific needs. We will also look at how processing deficits may impact student learning. Cognitive strategies to increase learning for all students will be modeled. We will briefly touch on what is a 504 Plan and how the information from this seminar could be used to meet that requirement. While the target audience is classroom teachers and administrators of grades 6-12, administrators, teachers, and special education staff for grades K-5 will also find the material applicable.
• Executive Functioning (Grades K-12)
  What is it and How to Develop Student Skills in the Classroom Executive functioning in the frontal lobe of the brain refers to the cueing of other mental functions in order to get all of our cognitive abilities to work together.   We will especially look at self-regulation skills and the differences between learning and production difficulties.  Strategies will focus on increasing production and internal control.  While our primary focus will not be on students with “a diagnosis”,  the diagnostic criteria for ADHD, OCD, ODD, Asperger’s or Autism are all conditions that include executive function deficits.
• Putting Discipleship Back Into Discipline (Grades P-12)
  Topics will include: the teaching of procedures to support rule following, the difference between logical consequences and punishment, and the difference between praise and encouragement. Positive behavior interventions will be reviewed.
• Social Skills for School Success (Grades K-8)
  Social skills are necessary not only for positive interpersonal interactions, but also to access learning. Important social skills will be highlighted, including those to develop responsibility, empathy, and self-control. Suggestions for conducting class meetings to foster community building and conflict resolution skills will also be shared.
• Student Success Teams (Grades 1-12)
  Do you need a more structured format for student planning meetings with administrators, teachers, and parents? Do you have a need to better document student interventions? Resources will be distributed, as well as some ideas for how to record the input from the meeting to assist in student success.
• Teaching Reading is Everyone's Business
  Whether you teach primary grades, older struggling readers, or a high school subject area, everyone can weave explicit reading instruction into any lesson to increase the success of all students. The five essentials of reading instruction from the National Reading Panel will be used as a framework for discussion (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension).
• Reading Fluency: The Overlooked Reading Skill (Grades K-8)
  Decoding is not enough.  Reading speed and expression DO matter.  This is one of the most overlooked areas of reading instruction and is one of the easiest to remediate.  Improving reading fluency is one of the easiest ways to improve reading comprehension.  We will discuss quick and painless ways to assess your class.  Methods for improving this area through repeated readings and other strategies suitable for both home and school will be discussed.
• How to Identify & Teach Children with Exceptional Needs (Grades K-12)
  We will discuss a number of processing deficits, what they look like in the classroom, and instructional strategies and modifications for assisting students with these deficits. Particular attention will be given to students with a specific learning disability, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), severe language delay, or severe emotional disturbance.
• Working with Public Schools for Special Education Referrals (Grades K-8)
  Are you intimidated by the lingo, law, and timelines? We will review the basics of the law and eligibility requirements for different handicapping conditions. Definitions for common special education "codes"? will be presented. Emphasis will be given to pre-referral interventions. Classroom teachers will learn the basics of how to put together academic assessment reports to assist in referrals.
• Using Positive Behavior Strategies to Enhance Learning (Grades K-8)
  A brief introduction to the ABCs of behavior management will be discussed. Hints will be shared to identify motives behind behaviors. Handouts will include charts to monitor a student’s behavior and a sample behavior plan to use in conferences with parents, students, teachers, and administrators. Emphasis will be given to positive behavior strategies and skills that students need to be taught.
• Yikes! A Crisis at Our School?!?
  Natural disasters, school violence, suicide threat, accidents, and a death of a member of the school are all events that may severely impact your school family. Suggestions for staff, student, parent, and community communications will be discussed. An overview of a method of crisis debriefing will be shared as well as suggestions to get through those first few hours and days.