The Holmes Center for School Partnerships and Educator Preparation provides professional development and partnership opportunities for educators and school districts in New Hampshire’s Lakes Region and North Country. Our goal is to support current and future educators throughout New Hampshire.
The Holmes Center offers on-site graduate courses, coaching, conferences and educator suppor for school districts. In addition, there are professional development opportunities for educators at Plymouth State during the Fall and Spring semesters. We will work with your school or district to design customized professional learning activities. If you have any questions or want to learn more, please email psu-holmescenter@plymouth.edu or call 535-2220.
Enhancing Classroom Interaction & Using Technology to help English Language Learners (ELLs) develop language skills at all levels
Date: March 6
Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Plymouth State University
Presented by Dr. Sarah Jusseaume in HUB Hage room
This workshop will begin with strategies and tips for increasing ELL engagement in the classroom, with a focus on improving peer-to-peer interaction. We will also discuss strategies for using technology and online discussions to help ELLs develop language skills at all levels. Connections will be made to Common Core standards.
Creating Curricular Access: UDL, Differentiation and Adaptations in the Classroom
Date: March 7
Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Plymouth State University
Presented by Dr. Sara Scribner
This session will focus in on the key components of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), differentiation, and accommodations and modifications in the classroom, as well as key differences across these various approaches to student support. Furthermore, attendees will consider how these different approaches can compliment one another and be applied within the classroom.
Fundamentals of Co-Teaching and Collaboration for Educators
Date: March 28
Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Plymouth State University
Presented by Dr. Sara Scribner
Within this session, attendees will consider key skills and dispositions for effective collaboration within schools. Furthermore, the 6 main co-teaching models will be explored, including which models are most effective for supporting student engagement and learning.
Teaching and Assessing English Language Learner (ELL) Speaking and Listening
Date: April 3
Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Plymouth State University
Presented by Dr. Sarah Jusseaume
This workshop will focus on teaching and assessing speaking and listening skills, which often develop separately from reading and writing. Focus on the difference between Basic Interpersonal Conversation Skills (BICS) and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP). Special emphasis on how oral language develops, how to have more academic conversations with ELLs, and how to evaluate an ELL’s comprehension and production of spoken language.
Managing Student Mental Health while Navigating Social Media
Date: April 3
Time: 3:30 - 4:40pm
Cost: Free
Location: Webinar
Presented by Dr. Kate Murphy
Social media has become an integral part of our society. But, this does not come without some implications to the mental health of our students and ourselves. Join us for a discussion related to these implications and how to support students effectively.
Humanistic Behavior Supports: Supporting Students with Challenging Behavior
Date: April 11
Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Plymouth State University
Presented by Dr. Sara Scribner
Within this session, attendees will engage with critiques of common behavior practices in schools to consider more humanistic, positive, and proactive approaches to challenging behavior.
Bright Spots in English and Social Studies Education
Date: April 12
Time: 9:00am - 2:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Plymouth State University
Presented by Kenneth Logan and Kelsie Eckert
Please join middle and high school English and Social Studies teachers for conversations about bright spots in teaching. What's working well in your classroom? What are practices, assignments, or routines that are worth sharing? This is a small, informal conference. Our aim is to give teachers time to talk with one another, ask questions, and get excited to try something new. Lunch will be provided.
Book Arts: Student Engagement through Paper Engineering
Date: April 12
Time: 10:00am - 3:00pm
Cost: Free; All materials and tools will be supplied
Location: Plymouth State University
Spend the day at Plymouth State’s beautiful art building, Draper & Maynard, with Erin Sweeney making several book structures (both folded and sewn) that can be utilized in a thousand ways in your classrooms. We will look at many book models, make several cool structures, and discuss ways that these books can be utilized as pre- and post-assessments, social emotional learning gauges, and as final projects that reflect student learning in new and fun ways.
The BFA Exhibition opening is that afternoon beginning at 4pm. We hope you can join us in celebration of our 2024 graduates at the Museum of the White Mountains and at Silver Center after our workshop!
Trauma Informed Practices for Classroom Teachers
Date: April 16
Time: 9:00 - 11:00am
Cost: Free
Location: Plymouth State University
Presented by Dr. Rachele Hartley
Description:
- Learn why trauma-informed practices are important
- Learn and discuss various strategies that can be easily integrated into everyday classroom practices
- Discuss how and practice implementing trauma informed practices and resilience building in the classroom
Media Literacy Symposium
Date: October 18
Time: 9:00am - 3:00pm
Cost: Free
Location: Plymouth State University
Spend this beautiful fall day on campus in Plymouth with Dr. Pam Harland and the Library Media and Digital Learning Specialist faculty while we host Mike Caulfield, the creator of the SIFT framework and author of Verified, as our keynote. The symposium will include lunch and presentations from school librarians around the state.
Get ready to unleash the power of media and information literacy and empower our K-12 students to:
- Navigate the digital world with confidence and competence;
- Become discerning consumers of information, immune to manipulation and bias;
- Embrace a lifelong love of learning, fueled by the ability to evaluate and synthesize information effectively.
“The collaboration between Franklin public schools and Plymouth State University is a win-win for teachers and students at Franklin and for the faculty and student interns from PSU. By investing in a master’s degree course that is offered at no cost to our teachers, and the addition of PSU’s in-classroom faculty support, we hope to strengthen educator skills and limit turnover while improving the educational experience for teachers and students alike."
- Daniel LeGallo, School Administrative Unit 18 Superintendent
