PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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PACT Professional Development Days (PDD) will  be virtual and in-person in 2022-2023. 

PACT held a virtual fall event and is holding an in-person event for the spring offering 3 COK hours .  Please see below for details. 

Spring Professional Developmental Day

Thursday, March 23, 2023 from 9:00am-1:30pm in Rockville, MD

 "Hands Up! Hands-On!: Active Multicultural Literacy through Signing, Stories, and More” 

by Kathy MacMillian 

The workshop will be held at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Rockville located at 100 Welsh Park Drive #1900, Rockville MD 20850. 

Workshop Description: 

Session 1: Little Hands Signing in the Classroom (2 hours): Studies show that using American Sign Language with hearing children can improve vocabulary, and reading comprehension, defuse behavior issues, support a variety of learning styles and increase overall interest in learning! Learn the fascinating reasons behind this phenomenon as well as strategies for incorporating it into your classroom. The best part is, you don’t have to be fluent in the language for your students to reap the benefits. 

Session 2: Multicultural Storytime Magic (1 hour): Learn how to seamlessly weave engaging rhymes, stories, songs, and activities representing the diverse experiences of people around the world into your storytimes and lessons, no matter what the theme! In this high-energy workshop, you’ll get lots of practical ideas you can apply in your classroom right away. 

1 COK/Curriculum, 1 COK/Special Needs, 1 COK/Curriculum 

Presenter's Biography:

Kathy MacMillan (she/her) is a writer, nationally certified American Sign Language interpreter, librarian, and signing storyteller. She writes picture books, children’s nonfiction, middle-grade and young-adult fiction, and resource books for librarians, parents, and educators. She has presented hundreds of programs for children and families and is the author of the Little Hands Signing series (Familius Press), as well as Little Hands and Big Hands: Children and Adults Signing Together (Hands Up Press) and Multicultural Storytime Magic (ALA Editions). Find her online at www.storiesbyhand.com. 

Registration 

Registration and payment can be completed HERE. Please sign up individually to ensure your email is recorded. Registration should be submitted by Thursday, March 16. 

Current Members (dues paid for the 2022-2023 school year): There is no additional fee to attend this spring’s professional development day. You are still required to complete the registration using the link above. 

New and Returning Members: There will be a $40 fee to attend this spring’s professional developmental day. You must complete the registration using the link above and pay the $40 fee. By completing the Spring PDD registration, you are also receiving a membership to PACT for the remainder of this school year. 

Credit Hours

Attendance at the in-person Spring 2023 PDD will earn  In accordance with MSDE regulations, members are required to attend the full 3-hour workshop, and complete a content assessment and presenter evaluation to receive the 3 Core of Knowledge credit hours. 

Assessments and Evaluations 

Members will be asked to complete a content assessment and presenter evaluation  via a Google form. The link will be provided to registered participants following the in-person PDD to be completed within 24 hours. 

Certificates 

Personalized certificates will be emailed in 7-10 business days, in compliance with MSDE regulations. **Requirements by MSDE also stipulate that members from MD must pass the assessment with a score of 70% or higher.  

Presenters

Trainers who would like to present a workshop at a future PACT Professional Development Day, please complete the Presenter's Proposal Form and submit to Bernadine Occhiuzzo and Doreen Bunten