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Professional Growth

As one of our workshops in partnership with Mount Pleasant and Southmoreland School District, Intermediate Unit personnel Kate Zingarelli spoke about Building Blocks of Literacy. Like the other workshops in the partnership, parents, teachers, and SPSEA members were invited to this informative and insightful workshop about how to develop literacy. The content was applicable to all students, but it mainly aimed at students with disabilities.

Building Block of Literacy Workshop

  • Kendra Hudachek

  • Francesca DeCarlo

  • Megan Kirkpatrick

  • Megan-Berg Swope

  • Brittani Malik

  • Kelley McNally

  • Daniella Pagano

  • Abigail Cox

  • Lindsey Wittkopp

  • Mioni Robb

  • Amanda Stein

  • Mckenzie Brooks

  • PJ Dumnich

  • Courtney Shomo

  • Marcus Trincia

  • Christie Ricco

  • Allison Popelas

Members in Attendance

In conjunction with the  faculty-based Community for the Advancement in Teaching, our SPSEA chapter sponsored a workshop with Mr. James Beegley, teacher and technology-guru extraordinaire. He provided examples of how to use technology to not only gain students’ attention, but to make them think critically. Each attendee, both SPSEA Member and campus Faculty Member, left with a huge list of websites, programs, apps, and ideas to use with students of all ages.

Critical Thinking through Technology

  • Latosha Maurer

  • Brittany Peddicord

  • Allison Popelas

  • Christie Ricco

  • Miona Robb

  • Amanda Stein

  • Taylor Coyner

  • PJ Dumnich

  • Chelsea Holmes

  • Marcus Trincia

  • Kaylee White

  • Lindsey Wittkopp

Members in Attendance

As part of a partnership between Pitt-Greensburg, Mount Pleasant Schools, and Southmoreland Schools, Dr. Kenneth Williams, Assistant Superintendent of Mt. Pleasant Schools, provided a presentation to SPSEA members, teachers, and parents about the use of educational apps, especially for use with students with special needs. His workshop was really insightful and exciting with immediate applications for everyone in attendance.

Educational App Workshop

  • Bryan Edwards

  • Michelle Etling

  • Andrew McDonald

  • Samantha Nagel

  • Jason Rivenburg

Members in Attendance

  • Amanda Sepp

  • Zach Simms

Joe Ortman, a Psychology Major at Pitt-Greensburg (and SPSEA member) has autism. He also is inspirational and wants to change the way that people, especially teachers, view student with autism. Joe spoke to our SPSEA chapter about what it is like to have autism, to be at college, and about what teachers need to know and do for their students. The most powerful thing he shared was that all he ever wanted was to be included. Now, he wants to spread the message to everyone.

In College with Autism

Members in Attendance

  • Jenna Aleski

  • Randy Duke

  • Andrew McDonald

  • Mina Waldron

  • Kerigan Fabert

  • PJ Dumnich

  • Jessica Williams

  • Matti Tyskewicz

  • Frank Laspin

  • Megan Kirkpatrick

  • Brittani Malik

  • Allison Popelas

  • Francesca DeCarlo

  • Amanda Stein

  • Courtney Shomo

Pitt-Greensburg SPSEA members were asked to judge Franklin Regional Middle School’s National History Day contest. Because it was on a Friday during school hours, only five SPSEA members were able to go. But all who went were so impressed with the projects of the middle schoolers, whose projects reflected the theme “changing the world.”  The  SPSEA members felt it was a great learning opportunity as they saw the type of research, web design, and speaking abilities middle school students are capable of with just a little support and encouragement.

National History Day

  • Frank Laspin

  • Andrew McDonald

  • Kasey McInosh

  • Amanda Sepp

Members in Attendance

  • Lucinda Wracher

As part of the Pitt-Greensburg curriculum, every education major creates a working portfolio based on the INTASC standards and the Danielson Model. This is difficult, especially without examples. Therefore, each year, Pitt-Greensburg SPSEA sponsors a portfolio share where upper level students bring in their portfolios for underclassmen to peruse, ask questions about, and steal ideas from in order to improve their own chances of getting hired post-graduation.

Portfolio Share

In March, Dr. Christopher Clayton, the highly esteemed state coordinator of SPSEA, presented at Pitt-Greensburg as part of his “Western Swing.” In this workshop, he discussed what project based learning (PBL) and Inquiry Learning are, why they are used, and how they help students develop 21st century skills in our classrooms. As always when Dr. Clayton presents, it was a wonderful workshop.  

Members in Attendance

  • Allison Popelas

  • Kaylee White

  • Courtney Shomo

  • Eli Imbrogno

  • Sam Nagel

  • PJ Dumnich

  • Andrew McDonald

  • Randall Dukes

  • Lucinda Wracher

Project Based Learning & Inquiry Workshop

Screenagers is a documentary showing the effects of screen time on teenagers and tweenagers, most of whom are addicted to their phones. This addiction and the social, psychological, and educational outcomes of the addiction were the focus of this very powerful film. Pitt-Greensburg was the first place to get the rights to show it in Western Pennsylvania, showing it twice in a 24-hour span: once on a Thursday evening, which was open to the public and two which all secondary cooperating teachers were invited, and once Friday at lunch, only for Pitt-Greensburg students. Pitt-Greensburg SPSEA co-sponsored the showing with Psi Chi, the Psychology Honors Society on our campus.  

Screenagers Special Showing at UPG

Pitt-Greensburg is really proud of their student teaching abroad in New Zealand program. So, for this workshop, SPSEA invited SPSEA Alum Zach Simms, Bryan Edwards, David Postelthwalt, & Kiersten Brown to speak about their experiences, what they had learned, and why everyone should take advantage of the opportunity to teach in New Zealand for half their student teaching.

Student Teaching in New Zealand Workshop

Members in Attendance

  • Kendra Hudachek

  • Francesca DeCarlo

  • Brittani Malik

  • Sam Nagel

  • Nicole Boriacci

  • Megan Kirkpatrick
     

  • PJ Dumnich

  • Jessica Williams

  • Luke Falbo

  • Amanda Sepp

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