Mr. Barry A. Bachenheimer
Director of Instructional Services
The Caldwell-West Caldwell School District is proud of its professional development program where instructional staff mold and model the concept of life-long learning. Based upon the district's established goals, multi-year initiatives are taking place as well as the subsequent Summer and in-service training to support the goals. Current district initiatives for 2007-08 include Differentiating Instruction; Use of Technology; Revising the K-12 language arts curriculum, the K-8 science curriculum, and the K-12 music curriculum; evaluating the K-12 World Language curriculum. Training is provided via in-house administrators, master teachers, consultants, graduate course work, and study groups.
Additionally, each year teaching staff needs are assessed by the district’s Professional Development Committee using a needs assessment survey to determine areas in which the district should concentrate its staff development. The committee is composed of a district administrator, a school administrator, and teachers from primary, middle, and secondary schools. By state code, every staff member has a Professional Improvement Plan (PIP) each year. Each teacher’s professional improvement plan was developed collaboratively with the building principal and reflected district curriculum and instructional goals particularly as they relate to the NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards. Based upon the district goals and the needs assessment the following are offered workshops:
Academic In-Service Workshops and Study Groups for the 2007-08 School Year Include:
Special Education Inclusion
Differentiated Instruction for New Staff
Differentiated Instruction for Middle School and High School
Differentiating Instruction for Elementary School Reading
Assessment in Language Arts Literacy
NJASK 3 & 4 Preparation
Data-based decision making with formative assessments
Curriculum Alignment
Understanding By Design
Reading Strategies
Teaching Writing
Teaching with Poetry Prompts
Critical Thinking Skills
Class Management
Harry Wong Seminar
Inquiry Based Learning
Literary Analysis
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
Right to Know
Blood Borne Pathogens Prevention
Seizures
New Teacher Orientation
Teaching Reading for 6-12 Content Areas
Mindfulness in the Classroom
Pop Up Books as an art and literacy interdisciplinary project
Language Arts Network
Technology In-Service Workshops for the 2007-08 School Year Include:
Creating Digital Documentaries
Digital Storytelling
Using the Digital Camera for Instruction
Digital Understanding By Design
Using Google Tools
Web 2.0
iPhoto and iMovie to document student Understanding
Improving Writing with Technology
Teaching visual learners with Technology
Easy Technology Tips
Web Page Design
Working Web Design
Advanced Web Page Design
SMART Board
Inspiration and Kidsperation
Blogging
Podcasting in Education
Internet Research Strategies
Easy Grade Pro Grade book Software
On Tuesday March 13, 2007, five Caldwell-West Caldwell Staff Members gave a presentation at the New Jersey Educational Computing Conference (NJECC). They were: Barry Bachenheimer, Director of Instructional Services, Casey Shorter, Principal of GCMS, Maura Lincoln, Paul Kotlewski, and Melissa Tauro, 7th Grade Teachers.
"Digital Understanding by Design (UbD)" was presented.
What do digital media hardware and software have to do with essential questions and teaching for understanding? The 7th Grade Interdisciplinary Team from Grover Cleveland Middle School in Caldwell, NJ and their school and district administrators will share how they combined a multi-year study and implementation of Wiggins and McTighe's Understanding By Design (UbD) with the use of digital media tools to produce rich learning experiences for their students. Participants in this session will learn the methodologies the teachers use, view strategies, see examples of student work, plans, assessments, and rubrics, as well as learn ways that they can implement these ideas in their own classes to differentiate learning.
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Pictures from the "Digital UbD" Workshop at Grover Cleveland Middle School
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Last Update 03/14/2008
