Program Descriptions
Summer 2003 

Administration

1.      Title: From Assessment to Action: The Importance of Social Context in Executing Change

2.      Audience: 25 school Directors and Assistant Directors who have been in their current positions for fewer than five years. Administrators who have never attended an A.P.P.L.E. Summer Seminar are strongly encouraged to apply.

3.      Description: This seminar will focus on school policies that affect students, teachers, administrators, and policy-makers. Participants will discuss the implications of policies such as compulsory schooling ages, curriculum, education funding, student discipline, and creating a safe learning environment. Participants will develop action plans that promote change in the classroom and improve the learning climate of the school. Participants will work in small groups as they share their expertise and experiences with their colleagues and the strand lecturers.

4.      Lecturers:

• Barbara Henriques, EdD, Acting Director, Educational Studies Program at Trinity College in Hartford, CT, USA
• Audra Skukauskaite, doctoral student (ABD) and instructor at the University of California in Santa Barbara, CA, USA
• Phil Taylor, PhD, Professor and Division Head of Interpersonal & Organizational Communication, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA

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Computer Science

Program I

1.      Title: New Technologies for School Administrators

2.      Audience: 12 school directors and administrators with basic computer skills.

3.      Description: Computers have dramatically changed the social context of education. This program will teach basic computer skills to administrators who want to learn to use the software program Mimosa for scheduling and Microsoft Office in the administration of a school. Participants will gain the information and skills needed to access the internet and conduct efficient web-based research using web browsers, plug-in software, and search engines.

4.      Lecturers:

• Amanda Muliolis, Technology Coordinator and Teacher (Retired), St. Augustine Academy, Lakewood, OH, USA
• Sarah Paliulis, BA, Research and Information Coordinator for Data Skills Online, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC,

Computer Science 

Program II

1.      Title: Computer Applications in Schools

2.      Audience: 12 computer science teachers

3.      Description. In this program, teachers will develop Microsoft Office skills and classroom applications; create projects for their students in applying Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access; and develop their understanding of HTML, Javascript, and Adobe Acrobat for use in school Web pages. For those interested, additional instruction will be available in the use of spreadsheets, databases, and web page design programs.

4.      Lecturers:

• Amanda Muliolis, Technology Coordinator and Teacher (Retired), St. Augustine Academy, Lakewood, OH,
• Sarah Paliulis, BA, Research and Information Coordinator for Data Skills Online, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC

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Elementary Education

 Program I

1.      Title: Cooperative Activities to Enhance Learning in Math, Reading, and Art

2.      Audience: 25 elementary school teachers

3.      Description: This program will focus on art, mathematics, and reading for children in grades 1-5. Participants will explore the role of community and culture in transmitting basic information; and they will examine instructional methods that facilitate collaboration and strengthen school climate. To develop positive social context with the classroom, they will explore and create Learning Centers to teach Time, Creative Writing, and The Earth and its History. Using discussion, cooperation, direction, and demonstration, participants will construct “make-and-take” projects to use during the year.

4.      Lecturers:

• Lynda Dodge, Elementary Math Teacher, Cutler High School, Hamilton, MA, USA
• Sister Loretta Hoag, Coordinator of Religious Education for Children with Handicapping Conditions, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Utica, NY, and Director of Art, Roarke Center, Troy, NY, USA
• Vida Anton, Reading Specialist, Howell Township School System, Howell, NJ, USA

Elementary Education

 Program II

1.      Title: Creating a Cooperative Learning Environment

2.      Audience: 25 elementary school teachers

3.      Description: The degree to which a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation between teachers and parents is a key factor in the success of students. This program will incorporate ideas that teachers can use to foster this valuable relationship. Participants will develop site plans that include parents in the educational process. They will learn how to conduct effective meetings that support student learning and the attainment of social skills. They will develop behavioral plans and create solutions to difficult problems or challenging events. Participants will learn about in-service education programs for parents that will have them develop effective strategies for helping their child/children with reading, written language, mathematics and social skills. At the end of the program, each participant will have a repertoire of strategies and activities that can create strong relationships between home and school.

4.      Lecturers:

• Nancy Hanssen, MS, Clinical Teaching Faculty at the University of San Diego, CA, USA
• Karen Fetter, MS, Core Adjunct Faculty at National University at the Stockton and Sacramento campuses in California; Project Director for National Evaluation Systems, Inc., USA

English As a Second Language (ESL)

1.      Title: How to Apply and Impart the Four Communication Skills in the Classroom

2.      Audience: 25 teachers of English at the primary and secondary school levels.

3.      Description: In order to master the English language, students must develop confidence and aptitude in listening, speaking, reading and writing at expected proficiency requirements for their grade level. Teachers participating in this seminar will experience practical applications of these four skills at various levels of challenge and difficulty. They will receive samples of many creative materials to take with them to apply in their own classrooms. Various group work exercises and games involving English language practice will be demonstrated and analyzed.

4.      Lecturers:

• Irena Ross, MEd, Professor of English and Communication (Retired), George Brown College in Toronto, Canada
• Sharon Lorinskas, MA, teacher at Carbondale Community High School in Carbondale, IL, USA
• Egle Sleinotiene, Valstybes instituciju kalbu centro direktore, Vilnius, LT
• Roma Valiukiene, Former Peace Corps TEFL Manager, Vilnius, LT

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History

1.      Title: Using Newer Teaching Methods and Skills to Help Students Study History

2.      Target Audience: 25 history teachers

3.      Description: Students are more likely to understand the changes happening today if they can identify and understand the major historical forces of earlier periods. Participants will explore alternative interpretations of selected historical periods to show the importance of a careful weighing of evidence. A review of the standard topics of history will help participants gain new perspectives on the Renaissance; the Enlightenment; 19th and 20th century nationalism; and peoples' struggles for equality. Participants will examine topics of contemporary interest and relevance, including the social context of the Lithuanian Constitution; the treatment of women; and the importance of international associations such as the UN, NATO, and the European Union. The human impact change will be examined in the context of demographics, modernization/globalization, disease (plague and HIV/AIDS), and trade. Participants will learn to use simulations, games, panels, class discussions, and debate. They will examine strategies for developing vocabulary for oral, written, and visual presentations and interpretation of documents, pictures, and cartoons.

4.      Lecturers:

• Anne Virginia Bergen, MA, Division Director, Washington, DC, USA
• Edward Eagles, MA, Folger Chair in History (Retired), St. Albans School, Washington, DC, USA
• Judith Sedaitis, PhD, Social Studies Faculty at School of the Holy Child in Rye, NY, USA

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Inclusion

1.      Title: Moving from Benevolence to Belonging

2.      Audience: 25 teachers, administrators, special education teachers, therapists, school social workers, psychologists, and others who work with children in agencies and residential centers.

3.      Description: Participants will use questionnaires, rating scales, and guided group discussion to determine the current climate for inclusion of special-needs children in regular education programs. They will study examples of accommodations and resources used in model inclusion programs in the US. Working in groups, they will determine which strategies might be appropriate for Lithuanian schools. Participants will explore ways to determine which students are appropriate for inclusion and what training is necessary for administrators and faculty. The final phase of the seminar will focus on strategies for systemic change that promotes inclusion.

4.      Lecturers:

• Michael Termini, PsyD, Cooke Center for Learning and Development, New York, NY, USA
• Kathryn Simic, BA, Cooke Center for Learning and Development, New York, NY, USA

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Language Arts

Program I

1.      Title: Social Contexts of Teaching Academic and Creative Writing

2.      Audience: This course is designed for middle school and secondary school 25 teachers who wish to expand their knowledge of methods of teaching a variety of forms of writing in social contexts.

3.      Description: One challenge of teaching writing is the matter of communities: how members of various communities write to express shared values and how they acquire skills to make meaning in this context. This course covers a wide range of methods of teaching students to successfully write within and across communities. Through workshops and lectures,  participants will learn to:

• Build community through writing poetry;
• Get students out of insular “cocoons;”
• Apply the Vidunas method to enlightenment;
• Connect personal experiences with universal ones;
• Teach writing and reading about other cultures such as the “American West”;
• Use methods of teaching academic writing; and
• Expand democratic practices in the classroom.

4.      Lecturers:

• Marie Nelson, PhD, National-Louis University, Tampa, FL, USA
• Nina Orechwa, candidate, M.F.A. in Writing, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
• Jurate Sucylaite, MD, Occupation Therapist (poetry therapist), Kaunas Psychiatric Hospital, Kaunas, LT

Program II

1.      Title: Social Contexts of Teaching Literatures and Strategies for Including Students with Special Needs (Emphasis on Teaching Reading)

2.      Audience: This course is designed for 25 middle school and secondary school teachers who wish to learn methods of using social contexts in teaching reading instruction.

3.      Description: Reading interpretive communities from shared backgrounds, interpretive skills, and special needs of readers within those communities. This course will teach participants to:

• Use social contexts to interpret literatures such as the American/Vietnam War of the 60s;
• Teach for social justice;
• Include students with special needs in reading communities; and
• Expand democratic practices in the classroom.

4.      Lecturers:

• Philip Dickinson, PhD, Lecturer, Department of English, Bowling  Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, USA
• Marie Nelson, PhD National-Louis University, Tampa, Florida, USA
• Julie Leitnick Roberts, M.A., English teacher and Diversity Education Facilitator, Delaware City Schools, Delaware, Ohio, USA.

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 Library Science 

1.      Title: Creating and Managing a School Library

2.      Audience: 25 school librarians at any level from beginning to advanced

3.      Description: Participants learn to work with teachers to ensure that students know how to use a school library and the information systems available to them in Lithuania and through the Internet. They will learn how to teach information literacy skills to students to improve student research and writing. Using the computer, participants will develop individualized management and procedure manuals that will help them run their school libraries. Finally, they will discuss the rich literary heritage of Lithuania and ways to share this with students.

4.      Lecturers:

• Blanche Woolls, Professor and Director of the School of Library Science and Information, San Jose State University, CA, USA
• Barbara Immroth, PhD, Professor and Interim Graduate Advisor, School of Information, University of Texas at Austin, TX, USA

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Mathematics

1.      Title: From the Classroom to the Work Place: Using Math and Enjoying It!

2.      Audience: 25 middle and high school mathematics teachers

3.      Description: Because students learn most effectively when they are actively involved, this seminar will concentrate on teaching tips that reinforce math concepts in a fun and stimulating environment. Participants will receive instruction in using games, puzzles, and magic tricks based in mathematics. These can be adapted to arithmetic, algebra, geometry, or trigonometry; and they can be used to review for a test or provide a more enjoyable way of doing drill and practice. Participants will study modular arithmetic and its many applications to the field of art, business, and cryptology. Using data collection activities, participants will generate data and develop a mathematical model that describes a real-world situation. Guest lecturers will focus on classroom management techniques, pupil support, and establishment of a cooperative learning environment in a math classroom.

4.      Lecturer:

• Beverly Taylor, MS, Professor of Mathematics at Valencia Community College, Orlando, FL, USA

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Pupil Support

1.      Title: Creating Student Success Teams to Enhance Classroom Learning

2.      Audience: 25 teachers, administrators, social workers, special education teachers, and psychologists.

3.      Description: This program will help teachers and other educators determine and meet individual student needs. Participants will learn to use proven techniques to improve school climate, increase positive parent and community involvement, and enhance student learning. Topics will include organizing a Student Success Team; recognizing, intervening, and referring students with problems; training teachers to work as team members to triage student needs; identifying barriers to learning; and managing bullying and other aggressive acts; 

4.      Lecturers:

• JoAnn Hammer, EdD, Professor, National University, CA, USA
• Jackie Allen, EdD, Counseling and Student Support Office, California State Department of Education, CA, USA

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Religion and Ethics

1.      Title: Culture and the Process of Education

2.      Audience: 25 religion and ethics teachers and others who want to deepen their spiritual lives. This course is based on Christian values and beliefs.

3.      Description: This program focuses on the interrelationship between culture and the process of education. Participants will study the principles advanced by Joseph Holland and Peter Heniot, both of the Society of Jesuits. These principles provide a lens through which participants can recognize, analyze, and judge contemporary movements in Lithuanian culture. Participants will study key concepts from Vatican II and excerpts from the writings of Pope John Paul II on solidarity with the poor. They will learn principles for evaluating embedded values and spiritual influences in the media. Using the chronicles of Lithuania, participants will learn to discuss religious topics with youth, including the connection between social experiences and the formation of faith; the problems of addition, suicide, and depression; and other contemporary issues. Participants will develop the ability to engage parents in creating a shared value-system between home and school.

4.      Lecturers:

• Sister Jeanette Lucinio, S.P., DMin, Associate Professor of Religious Education, Director of the Masters Program, and Director of Field Education (Retired), The Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, IL, USA
• Rev. James Halstead, OSA, PhD, Associate Professor and Department Chair, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA
• Sister Cathleen Campbell, SP, MA, Coordinator of Marketing and Publication, School of Education, Dominican University, River Forest IL; DMin candidate, Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, IL, USA  

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Social Work

Program I

1.      Title: The Family in the Classroom

2.      Audience: 25 teachers and others in child-caring agencies, residential centers, and schools.

3.      Description: What happens outside the classroom has a profound effect on a child’s ability to be successful within the classroom. Participants will understand how family experiences affect children, including those not living at home. They will explore stressors that exhaust a child’s energy to learn: different parenting styles, handicapping conditions, membership in minority groups, socio-economic status, and physical or mental illness. They will identify strengths that offset stressors; learn positive, effective discipline methods; identify ways to involve families; and learn ways to engage families in making decisions. They will establish ways to make the school a welcoming place for families.

4.      Lecturers:

• Steve Hayes, Certified Social Worker, Guilford County Department of Social Services, Greensboro, NC, USA
• Joanne Caye, MSW, Clinical Lecturer, School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA

Social Work

Program II

1.      Title: Understanding and Responding to Suicide and Other Losses

2.      Audience: 25 teachers, counselors, social workers, psychologists, administrators, and others who work with children in agencies or residential centers. This program is appropriate for any level of skill development, from beginner to advanced.

3.      Description: This session will address the risks that children and adults encounter in the face of suicide, divorce, sudden deaths, natural or man-made disasters and other losses. The program is divided into two one-week segments. The first week will cover the causes of suicidal behavior, strategies to prevent this behavior, and professional responses to grief following sudden death or suicide. The second week will cover other types of losses and the effective use of counseling techniques to respond to those in need. Guest lecturers will present Lithuanian case studies.

4.      Lecturers:

• Kim Strom-Gottfried, PhD, Associate Professor, School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA (Week 1)
• George M. Gottfried, PhD, Field Advisor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA (Week 1)
• Jack M. Richman, PhD, Dean and Professor, School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA (Week 2)
• Katherine Dunlap, PhD, Clinical Associate Professor, School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA (Week 2)
• Mara Servaites, BA, MSW Intern, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA

Regional seminars

      1.      Title: Implementing Educational Reform
2.      Sponsor: Joniskis School Board
3.      Audience: 25 administrators, assistant administrators, teachers, policy makers, and community leaders
4.      Dates: July 21-25
5.      Description: Lithuanian and international documents have declared that education is of primary importance in the development of a democratic society. This 1-week program will help participants understand the external and internal factors that influence the ability of teachers to implement reforms and to effect educational and social change. Participants will discuss and evaluate education reform, its documents, and its effects on all those who are involved in education. By the end of the seminar, participants will create action plans for implementing reforms in their own schools. 6.      Lecturer:

• Audra Skukauskaite, doctoral candidate (ABD) and instructor, University of California in Santa Barbara, CA USA

      1.      Title: Program Planning in Agricultural Science Programs
2.      Sponsors: Week 1—Zemaitija College in Rietavas; Week 2—Daugai Agriculture School
3.      Audience: 25 secondary agricultural educators and science teachers
4.      Description: In two one-week regional seminars, participants will explore methods of teaching agricultural education, program planning, experiential education, the importance of ecology, the role of biodiversity, and the social context of agricultural education in Lithuanian schools. The seminar will explore practical methods of integrating science concepts, experiments, and activities into agricultural education classes. Participants will explore the development of youth organizations, including program planning, leadership development, and activities that develop specific skills.
5.      Dates: July 7-11 and July 14-18
6.      Lecturers:

• James J. Connors, PhD, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Education, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

• Jim Brousseau, MS, MEd, teacher, Milan High School, Milan, MI USA

• Sage Morse, MS, MEd, teacher, Pinellas County Schools, FL USA

Computer Science I

      1.      Title: Computer Science for Teachers (Microsoft Word on Personal Computers)
2.      Sponsors: Sirvintai Region, Galvonu Vidurine Mokykla (session 1) and Ukmetge Region, Pabaisko pagrindine mokykla (sessions 2 and 3)
3.      Audience: 12 teachers interested in learning to use personal computers for business correspondence, classroom enrichment, and Internet research
4.      Description: This program consists of three 1-week introductory courses in computer science. Teachers will learn to use Microsoft Word to create, save, copy, and print documents. They will learn to import graphics, develop tests, and prepare business correspondence such as the business letter, a letter of reference, a resume, memos, and a report based on data.
5.      Dates: Session 1: June 30-July 4; Session II: July 7-July 11; Session III: July 14-July 18.
6.      Lecturer:

• Sue Kohfelt, Teacher, Michigan Virtual High School, Milan, MI USA

1.      Title: Computer Science for Teachers (ClarisWorks on MacIntosh Computers)
2.      Sponsor: Sedos vidurine mokykla, Mazeikiu raj.
3.      Audience: 12 teachers interested in learning to use the MacIntosh personal computers for classroom enrichment, text processing and spreadsheet applications in education.
4.      Description: This program is a 1-week introductory course in computer science to teachers from schools that received MacIntosh computers through Tautos Fondas. Teachers will learn to work in the Mac operating system environment, to use ClarisWorks text processor to create, save, copy, and print documents, import graphics, develop tests.  They will use the ClarisWorks spreadsheet to calculate grades and will work with the draw and paint parts of the ClarisWorks package.
5.      Dates: June 30 - July 4
6.      Lecturers: 

• Amanda Muliolis, Technology Coordinator and Teacher (Retired), St. Augustine Academy, Lakewood, OH USA

• Algirdas Muliolis, Consultant, Lakewood OH USA

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Elementary Education

1.      Title: Activities that Teach Children to Learn 
2.      Sponsor: Pasvalys School Board
3.      Audience: 20 elementary classroom teachers
4.      Description: This 1-week seminar will offer specific, practical activities for teaching math, language arts, and reading. Participants will learn how to challenge brighter students in mathematics. They will review the writing process, learn to make books, and review ways to have students present book reports. In reading, they will learn to use the newspaper as a teaching tool. For each of the three areas, participants will develop folders of activities and learning games that can be used in the classroom.
5.      Dates: July 21-25
6.      Lecturer:

•  Vida Anton, Reading Specialist, Howell Township School System, Howell, NJ USA

History

      1.      Title: History in Action: Development of Modern Consciousness   
2.      Sponsor: Joniskis School  Board
3.      Audience: 15 secondary teachers of history and related subjects
4.      Description: The 1-week program will explore the development of the modern conscious by examining the expressions of individuality in the Renaissance; declarations of human universals during the Enlightenment; the propagation of Western European middle-class values during the late 19^th century; and the struggles for equality during the later 20^th century. It will explore the frameworks of commercial societies and investigate the benefits and costs of larger trade integration. Participants will learn to use simulations; visualizations; games; class and panel discussions; debating techniques; and oral, written, and visual student presentations.
5.      Dates: July 21-25
6.      Lecturer:

• Edward Eagles, MA, Folger Chair in History (Retired), St. Albans School, Washington, DC USA

Pupil Support

      1.      Title: Creating Student Success Teams that Enhance Classroom Learning  
2.      Sponsor: Vasaginas School Board
3.      Audience: 25 teachers, administrators, counselors, social workers, and psychologists
4.      Description: This 1-week regional program will help teachers and educators determine and meet individual student needs. Participants will learn techniques that improve school climate, increase parent and community involvement, and enhance student learning. Topics will include establishing a Student Success Team, recognizing students’ problems; designing effective interventions; training other teachers to work in teams; managing student behaviors; and decreasing barriers to learning.
5.      Dates: July 21-25
6.      Lecturers:

• JoAnn Hammer, EdD, Professor, National University, Sacramento, CA USA

• Jackie Allen, EdD, Counseling and Student Support Office, California State Department of Education, Sacramento, CA USA

1.      Title: Let the Children Come to Me 
2.      Sponsor: Lithuanian Catechetical Center
3.      Audience: 30 teachers of religion from elementary and secondary schools interested in serving children with mental disabilities
4.      Description: The mandate for the Religious Education regional seminar is two-fold: to resource teachers of religion, i.e., to enhance their understanding of theology, liturgy, catechesis, scripture and moral & faith development; and, to offer strategies for conducting the religion session. The goal is to help the religion teacher gain a better understanding of Catholic Tradition to enhance his or her role as faith witness and faith community leader. This seminar will include a examination of the needs of the mentally handicapped.
5.      Dates: July 7-11
6.      Lecturers:

• Vivian E Williams, MA, Parish Catechist, Chicago, IL USA

• Sue Perez, MTheo, PhD candidate at Northern Illinois University, Chicago, IL USA

Religious Education II

1.      Title: What is a Catholic School?  
2.      Sponsor: Lithuanian Catechetical Center
3.      Audience: 30 teachers of religion and ethics from elementary and secondary schools interested in forming Catholic children and their families.
4.      Description: The goal of this seminar is to help the teacher gain a better understanding of what it means if a school calls itself "Catholic." The topics will include discussions on the mission and values of the Catholic school; the role of the administration and faculty; and, a tool for assessing the school's mission and values.
5.      Dates: July 14-18
6.      Lecturers:

• Vivian E Williams, MA, Parish Catechist, Chicago, IL USA

• Sue Perez, MTheo, PhD candidate at Northern Illinois University, Chicago, IL USA
   

1.      Title: Promoting Systems for Positive Youth Development Through Multi-professional Teaming  
2.      Sponsor: Mazeikiai School Board
3.      Audience: 25 beginning school social pedagogues, social workers, psychologists, administrators, special pedagogues, and teachers.
4.      Description: Using an ecological approach, this program will examine effective multi-professional interventions that promote student resilience, build a constructive school climate, and prevent barriers to learning. Interventions will target schools, homes, and communities. Effective team building and the potential roles of social pedagogues will receive special attention. Discussion and small group problem solving will be encouraged. Examples will be drawn from Lithuanian schools and practices in the US and other nations. Participants will learn about early intervention programs, legal issues, risk indicators, and a range of risk and protective factors.
5.      Dates: July 7 - 11
6.      Lecturers

• Gary L. Shaffer, Ph.D., Associate Professor and School Social Work Coordinator, School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA

• Jolita Buzaityte-Kasalyniene, doctoral candidate, Assistant, Vilnius University, Social Work Department