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Cognitive Training In Cognitive Training In Catholic SchoolsCatholic Schools

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KATHY’S BACKGROUND• EDUCATION

The Ohio State UniversityMaster of Arts in Educational Administration

The Ohio State UniversityBachelor of Science in Elementary Education

• EXPERIENCE

17 years as an elementary principal 11 years at Saint James the Less6 years at Saint Brigid of Kildare

10 years as an educator at Saint Paul’s Elementary School in Westerville

Kindergarten3rd grade

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Saint Brigid of Kildare

Mission Statement:Mission Statement:

The Saint Brigid of Kildare School community provides Catholic faith formation and strong academic foundations to inspire life long learners and leaders in the twenty first century.

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Belief Statements:

1. Catholic faith formation through student learning is the priority of our school.

2. Our school’s culture respects the diversity of all God’s people and creation.

3. Each student is a valued individual with unique spiritual, intellectual, physical, social, cultural, and emotional needs.

4. Each student is provided with a variety of instructional approaches and meaningful experiences in order to reach his or her greatest potential as a Catholic citizen.

5. Administrators, teachers, students, parents, and the parish community share the responsibility of living out our Catholic school’s mission.

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• EDUCATIONThe University of Michigan-DearbornIn Progress: Master of Special Education

The University of AkronMaster of Arts in Communicative Disorders: Speech-Language Pathology

The Ohio State UniversityBachelor of Arts in Speech and Hearing Science

•CERTIFICATIONCertification of Clinical Competence in Speech-Language PathologyAmerican Speech Language Hearing Association

State of Ohio License in Speech-Language PathologyBoard of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology

Special Education K-12 in Speech-Language PathologyOhio Board of Education

LAURA’S BACKGROUNDLAURA’S BACKGROUND

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LAURA’S CONTINUING EDUCATION LAURA’S CONTINUING EDUCATION HIGHLIGHTSHIGHLIGHTS

• Ready S.E.T. Go! Sensorimotor Early Childhood Themes

• Working With Children With Auditory Processing Disorders

• It Takes Two To Talk: The Hanen Program

• Involving Parents As Language Facilitators • Autism/Asperger’s

• Ritalin, Prozac & Kids

• The Explosive Child

• Asperger’s Disorder: Diagnosis, Neurobiology & Treatment

• Attention Deficit Update

• Beyond Multisensory: Integrating Movement, Language and Meaning

• Orton-Gillingham Multisensory Approach To Learning

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America is enduring an epidemic right now that causes its victims lifelong pain and misery. It’s called the high school dropout crisis. Each year, approximately 1 million students do not finish school in time to graduate with their peers. First, we need to recognize that this is not just a high school problem. It’s a kindergarten-Grade 12 problem. It starts in the elementary years, when standards and expectations are set. Children who do not learn to read or do basic math in the early grades find it very difficult to catch up in the faster-moving middle and high school years.

SO. . .WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?SO. . .WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

FACT SHEETS, OP-EDSNational Epidemic, Economic Necessity

This op-ed by Secretary Margaret Spellings and Senator Edward M. Kennedy appeared in The Politico on May 12, 2007.

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Math Scores Rise, but Reading Is Mixed

By Sam Dillion

America’s public school students are doing significantly better in math since the federal No Child Left Behind law took effect in 2002, but gains in reading achievement have been marginal, with performance declining among eighth graders, according to results of nationwide reading and math tests released Tuesday.

The results also showed that the nation had made only incremental progress in narrowing historic gaps in achievement between white and minority students, a fundamental goal of the federal law.

The New York Times

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September 26, 2007The New York Times

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SO . . .WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT THE SO . . .WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT THE PROBLEM?PROBLEM?

Our current ideas are:

1. focus on the strengths of a student

2. accommodate for the student’s learning struggles

3. provide tutoring in deficit areas

4. modify the underachieving student’s curriculum

5. refer to physicians who would provide medication for students who do not perform like a

“typical” student

Any new ideas???

A definition of INSANITYINSANITY:

Repeating the same activity over and over while expecting a

different outcome.

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GOT MILK?

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NO?!

WHAT ABOUT COGINTIVE SKILLS

TRAINING?

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Given that 90% of what we know about the brain has been learned in the past ten years, it is time that we as educators move past simple "right brain-left brain" theories to embrace new ideas to accommodate for learning differences in our students.

-Eric Jensen

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SO . . .WHAT ARE COGNITIVE SKILLS?

Cognitive skills are not the same as academic subjects taught in school.

• Cognitive skills are mental tools needed to process and learn what is taught in the academic environment.

• Cognitive skills are also called intelligence, learning skills, critical thinking and processing skills.

• Cognitive skills are a set of skills to process and generate information and beliefs.

• Cognitive skills are the habit, based on intellectual commitment, of using those skills to guide behavior.

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SO. . .WHY DO WE NEED COGNITIVE SKILLS?

It’s not how much you know (the information that has been crammed into your head), but how effectively you process the information you have received.

Cognitive skills are the processors of this incoming information.

In other words, cognitive skills are the learning skills used to:

–Attend to and retain information

–Process, analyze, and store facts and feelings

–Create mental pictures, read words, and understand concepts

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SO. . .WHICH COGNITIVE SKILLS ARE MOST IMPORTANT FOR SUCCESS?

• Attention– Sustained Attention: enables you to stay on task for a

period of time.– Selective Attention: allows you to stay on task even when

a distraction is present– Divided Attention: allows you to handle two or more tasks

at one time.

• Working Memory– The ability to retain information for short periods of – time while processing or using it

• Processing Speed– The rate at which the brain handles information

• Long-Term Memory– The ability to both store and recall information for later use

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• Visual Processing– The ability to perceive, analyze and think in visual

images

• Visual Discrimination– Seeing differences in size, color, shape, distance, and

the orientation of objects

• Auditory Processing– The ability to perceive, analyze, and conceptualize what

is heard and is one of the major underlying skills needed to learn to read and spell

• Logic and Reasoning– The abilities to reason, prioritize and plan

SO. . .WHICH COGNITIVE SKILLS ARE MOST IMPORTANT FOR SUCCESS?

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Cognitive Skills Training consists of a variety of exercises designed to help improve functioning in areas such as:

Sustained Attention Selective Attention Divided Attention Working Memory Processing Speed

If an individual is having attentional or learning problems, tutoring or drill and practice in academic areas are often not effective.

The principle underlying cognitive training is to help improve the "core" abilities and self-control necessary before an individual can function successfully academically.

So . . . WHAT IS COGNITIVE SKILLS TRAINING?

Long-Term Memory Visual Processing Visual Discrimination Auditory Processing Logic and Reasoning

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ThinkAnalogy Level B Demo.lnk

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We now have the opportunity to identify-and even localize-the essential brain processes and “neurodevelopmental functions” that must be activated in a student for optimal learning and productivity to be realized.”

-Dr. Mel Levine

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Dr. Mel LevineAll Kinds of Minds

www.allkindsofminds.org

Attention Memory Language Neuromotor Functions Spatial Ordering Temporal-Sequential Ordering Higher Order Cognition Social Cognition.

“As we continue to understand more about how the brain functions and its essential role in learning, we adjust and amend the material we provide to teachers and administrators,” says Mary-Dean Barringer, CEO, All Kinds of Minds.

“This program equips teachers to make the best instructional decisions to ensure that each student can find academic and social success. When implemented within schools, this program enriches the way all children are educated.”

Schools Attuned Program:provides a focused study of eight neurodevelopmental constructs that affect learning and building successes in school:

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SoundSmart® consists of three modules:SoundSmart® consists of three modules:A. ATTENTION COACH (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced): Spoken instructions become increasingly complex as you progress through these alphabet games. You must remember what to do even when the instructor gives multi-step instructions, then changes her mind.

B. MATH & MEMORY COACH (Levels A, 1, 2, 3, and 4): Improve working memory by learning to do math in your head. When set up for a child, each of these five programs addresses the corresponding grade level of the elementary school math curriculum, grades K through 4. Adult users are presented with more challenging problems.C. SOUND DISCRIMINATION COACH  (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced): These challenging phonemic awareness drills train the player to listen well under all types of conditions.

Captain's Log®...Captain's Log®...builds attention, reasoning, memory, listening skills, impulse control, processing speed...the basic skills you need for academic and life success. Provides over 1000 hours of challenging, exciting training exercises for ages 5 to 105. Ranges from very simple tasks all the way up to programs that challenge normal adults.

BrainTrainChanging The Way People Think Since 1989 www.braintrain.com

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SmartDriver®Visual Attention Builder

Trains visual attention and perception, visual tracking, & self-control; 90 progressive levels of difficulty with detailed record-keeping.

• SmartMind Neurofeedback System with Captain's Log and Evaluator $5,995.00

• Captain's Log Complete $3,595.00

• Captain's Log Complete with Evaluator $3,995.00

BrainTrainChanging The Way People Think Since 1989 www.braintrain.com

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Mind Benders® $9.99Deductive thinking puzzles, develop the logic, reading comprehension, and mental organization skills vital to achieving high grades and top test scores in all subjects. They're also great for developing real-life problem-solving skills.

Methods:Students carefully analyze each Mind Benders® story and its clues, identifying logical associations between people, places, and things. The key is to start with the most obvious associations, then deduce less obvious associations until everything finally fits together.

The Critical Thinking Co.www.CriticalThinking.com

Memory Challenge! $64.99

Program for developing and testing visual memory skills. Its beginning through advanced levels of challenge make it useful for students of all ages and abilities.

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Grades 2-3 Software Bundle $375.99

Building Thinking Skills® Level 1 Software Mind Benders® A1-A2 Software Memory Challenge! Reading Detective® Beginning Software Editor in Chief® Beginning Software Science Detective® Beginning Software Math Detective® Beginning Software

The Critical Thinking Co.www.CriticalThinking.com

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Lash and Associateswww.lapublishing.com

Pay Attention! Attention Training for Children Ages 4-10

Cognitive Remediation on attention and memory for children with traumatic brain injury, ADD, ADHD, brain tumors. By Jennifer Thomson and Kimberly Kerns.

Price:  $350.00

Attention Process Training APT-II for Persons with Mild Cognitive Dysfunction Cognitive rehabilitation training for adults with attention and memory disorders and mild cognitive dysfunction from post-concussion syndrome or traumatic brain injury. By McKay Moore Sohlberg and Catherine Mateer

Price:  $450.00

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Scheduling Ideas

• Where do we find the time?

• seeing Kindergarteners during morning KEDS program (kindergarten extended day school)

• Early Bird Sessions? • Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday?• Take most needy students out of Spanish during the

day?• After School Sessions?• Integrating cognitive skills training into classroom

time?

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•SPICE Program

•Grants

•Auxiliary Services

Funding Ideas

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Questions? Please Contact:Questions? Please Contact:

7175 Avery RoadDublin OH 43017

phone: 614-718-5825fax: 614-718-5831

Kathy O’Reilly Principalkoreilly@cdeducation.org

Laura GranInclusive Education Specialistlgran@cdeducation.org