Course Descriptions & Objectives

1. Promoting Healthy Relationships and Communication in OST Programs

Description: Children who have strong social skills benefit in many ways. This includes improved academic performance, school attendance and strong relationships with peers and adults OST programs can support children in building social emotional skills that result in positive relationships with others. During this training, participants will review the MA Core Competency for guiding youth in OST programs and identify techniques to support the development of positive relationships with peers and adults. We will also discuss strategies for addressing and preventing bullying.

Objectives:

Analyze current practice with MA Core Competency #2 for guiding youth in OST programs;
Identify techniques to support development of the social-emotional skills of problem-solving/conflict resolution skills in children;
Compare and contrast open and close-ended questions and recognize the benefits of using open-ended questions as a strategy to help children build social-emotional skills;
Differentiate between the roles of bully, bystander and target and identify the types of bullying;
Discuss the connection between effective communication skills in OST and more positive peer interactions and
Identify strategies for integrating new learning into program practices.

2. Creating Interactive Math Experiences in OST Programs

Description: This course is designed to increase OST providers’ ability to assist their program participants in homework completion and in the advancement of their participants’ mathematical confidence and ability. By tackling their own math anxieties and learning how to create interactive math experiences, providers will learn how to model positive attitudes around math and how to make connections between Common Core Math Standards, youth interest, and everyday situations.

Objectives:

Identify and reduce math related anxieties amongst out of school time providers
Display increased confidence in out of school time provider's ability to assist their participants with homework working with math Common Core Standards
Apply elements of the DESE's Guiding Principles for Math in OST settings
Demonstrate how to highlight math for program participants in their everyday routines, activities they participate, and in real-life situations
Plan, create, and implement interactive math experiences by linking common core standards to participant interest

3.Ensuring Quality in Afterschool & OST Programs

Description: The ASOST field is calling for ever-increasing quality in programs that serve school-aged children through the Quality Rating Improvement System, yet many programs still struggle with meeting all the expectations around quality as specified in the licensing regulations. This training will address the major areas that licensors say programs are often challenged by in their pursuit to attain a higher level of quality, including: curriculum; staff-child interactions; managing transitions; staff training, development and supervision; interactions with parents; and effective staff communication. The goal of this training is to give participants a greater understanding of what “quality” looks like in each of these areas, and to present information and resources that they can take back to their program and implement quality enhancements.

Objectives:

Explain how the SACERS and other measurement tools help assess quality in programming
Understand the importance of quality staff-child interactions in OST programs and how to foster them in themselves and in their staff.
Summarize aspects of quality curriculum in OST programming and access tools that will help them plan curriculum
Identify strategies for addressing challenging transition times
Foster effective communication among OST program staff and with parents and families
Describe and begin to develop effective approaches to staff supervision and supporting their professional development

4. Supporting Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Description: Develop specific expertise in working with children who are experiencing the unique challenges associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Learn about supporting ASD for all ages of child. Explore behaviors associated with children on the Autism Spectrum as well as commonly co-occurring issues. Learn about the diagnosis and common symptoms, concrete, specific strategies, tools, and activities to support children with Autism. Prevent or manage meltdowns and overcome disengagement and peer discomfort; build tools for connection, communication, and social-skills development. Build an understanding of the unique challenges faced by families with a child who has Autism Spectrum Disorder and connect to, dialog with, and support families. Opportunities to practice skills and tools are a key element of this course.

Objectives:

Describe the history of Autism Spectrum Disorders with particular note given to changes in the last 20 years
Explain the features of Autism Spectrum Disorders and their impact on child development, as well as understand common challenges and barriers for children with ASD and their families
Differentiate between types of Autism Spectrum Disorder, and understand that all children with ASD are different from one another
Apply strategies to support children experiencing different symptoms and delays associated with ASD and their families
Examine case studies and determine best practices
Identify concrete, practical strategies to be used at the student’s program

5.Supporting STEM: Hands on Strategies to Spark Curiosity

Description: Spark children's curiosity and sense of play with STEM activities. Learn about STEM for different learning types. Become familiar with Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks (Common Core). Explore not just science and math, but also engineering and technology, and learn about including all four of these key areas into your program in ways that are fun and exciting to staff and children. Learn about Thematic Curriculum and Project-Based learning and create lesson plans infused with STEM. Connect to your sense of fun in STEM! Surprising, slightly messy, and great fun... guaranteed!

Objectives:

Define STEM and describe the similarities and differences between Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
Describe key barriers to STEM learning across different populations (age, gender, home language, etc.) and how to overcome them
Describe learning styles, needs and corresponding appealing activity components relevant to learners across different ages in early education and OST
Understand Standards and Best Practices: STEM the QRIS, MA-CF, Next Generation Science Standards and Universal Design for Learning
Examine case studies and determine best practices
Design an activity and extension components to improve STEM infusion in program curriculum

6. Promoting Positive Behavior

Description: Learn foundations of child development and understand the causes behind difficult behavior. Explore tools for positive and beneficial communications, interactions, and relationships. Learn to build a positive peer culture and create and implement a positive behavior management system. Motivate positive behavior in children exhibiting challenging behaviors. Learn concrete tools to promote positive behavior and positive communications. Learn about conflict resolution and mediation techniques. This training course is experiential with many opportunities to observe and practice new skills.

Objectives:

Understand and describe the motivators behind negative behaviors
Compose and use positively stated instructions and rules
Identify types of positive behavior for all learning and ability levels
Redirect negative behavior into positive behavior
Assess and develop or improve Behavior Improvement Plans
Promote a culture of positive behavior in the classroom and program

Conference Workshop Descriptions:

1. Promoting Healthy Relationships and Communication in OST Programs

Meets QRIS requirements for: Curriculum and Learning: 1B Teacher-Child Relationships & Interactions

2. Creating Interactive Math Experiences in OST Programs

Description: This course is designed to increase OST providers’ ability to assist their program participants in homework completion and in the advancement of their participants’ mathematical confidence and ability. By tackling their own math anxieties and learning how to create interactive math experiences, providers will learn how to model positive attitudes around math and how to make connections between Common Core Math Standards, youth interest, and everyday situations.

Meets QRIS requirements for: Curriculum & Learning – 1A Curriculum, Assessment & Diversity

3.Beyond Licensing: Ensuring Quality in Afterschool & OST Programs

Description: The ASOST field is calling for ever-increasing quality in programs that serve school-aged children through the Quality Rating Improvement System, yet many programs still struggle with meeting all the expectations around quality as specified in the licensing regulations. This training will address the major areas that licensors say programs are often challenged by in their pursuit to attain a higher level of quality, including: curriculum; staff-child interactions; managing transitions; staff training, development and supervision; interactions with parents; and effective staff communication. The goal of this training is to give participants a greater understanding of what “quality” looks like in each of these areas, and to present information and resources that they can take back to their program and implement quality enhancements.

Meets QRIS requirements for: Curriculum & Learning; 5. Leadership, Management & Administration

4. Supporting Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Meets QRIS requirements for special education and meeting the needs of children with disabilities in standards 3b.2.2 & 3a.4.2 (OST).

5.Supporting STEM: Hands on Strategies to Spark Curiosity

Meets QRIS requirements for curriculum frameworks overview and supporting mathematics development in standard 3b.2.2 (OST).

6. Pomoting Positive Behavior

Meets QRIS requirements for for strategies to support open-ended conversations, sharing of ideas, problem-solving techniques, & positive peer interactions in standard 1b.2.2 (OST) & conflict resolution and mediation techniques in standard 1b.3.3 (OST)

funded by the Southeast Education Professionals Partnership

Sponsored in part by the Department of Early Education and Care

Child Development and Education, Inc. - Lead Agency