weekly seminars

The Xerox Center presents seminars each week concerning aspects of

multicultural education, urban education, and diversity. 

Spring 2013 Xerox Seminars and Dates

February 6th, 2:30-3:30pm, Welles 26

Franchesca Gibson, from UnCommon Schools will give a presentation about their unique Charter Schools in Rochester and the methods they use to improve performace in urban students.

February 13, 2013, Welles 26

Teaching in Cambodia- SUNY Geneseo senior, Stephanie Tyree, will be presenting a Xerox seminar on obtaining TESOL certification abroad. Stephanie will talk about her experience completing a TESOL course in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and her time in two Cambodian orphanages. We will discuss the benifits associated with TESOL certification and the international teaching opportunities that come with it. This would be of special interested to those who would like to  consider teaching abroad during their career, as well as those considering teaching in the US in areas with high ESL populations.

March 11, 2013, Welles 123

Teaching Nepali Students-In 2007, refugee resettlements in Upstate NY accounted for more than 200,000 people in the upstate metropolitan areas of Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Glens Falls, and Utica a significantly larger population resettles in the NYC area.  Please mark your calendars to attend two seminars offered by Amber Powers, a TESOL teacher Jefferson and currently at School #28 in Rochester. Amber will layout some guidelines that will give you a framework to work with English Language Learners.  She will also help you understand methods that can be utilized to provide successful instruction to the English Language Learning children in your classroom.  
March 11th from 6-7pm, Welles 123

March 25, 2013, South Hall 209

Teaching Burmese Students-In 2007, refugee resettlements in Upstate NY accounted for more than 200,000 people in the upstate metropolitan areas of Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Glens Falls, and Utica a significantly larger population resettles in the NYC area.  Please mark your calendars to attend two seminars offered by Amber Powers, a TESOL teacher Jefferson and currently at School #28 in Rochester. Amber will layout some guidelines that will give you a framework to work with English Language Learners.  She will also help you understand methods that can be utilized to provide successful instruction to the English Language Learning children in your classroom. 
March 25th from 6-7pm, South Hall 209

March 27, 2013, Welles 138

Parental perspectives on difference: Thoughts on disability & diversity from a mother and teacher educator.  Leigh O'Brien, Professor from the SOE will share her experiences and perspectives on what it's like to both enroll a her child in a public school and also as a teacher. She will help you understand the legitimate concerns that parents have towards interventions in the classroom as well as the research about the effectiveness of accomodations in improving performance in children age children.

April 2, 2013

"Affirmative Action- Unfair Benefit or Necessary Redress"

As part of our commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr., this event is being sponsored in honor of MLK's contribution to promotion of social equity for oppressed people in the United States.  On Tuesday, April 2, at 5pm in Sturges Auditorium, Rita and Bill Bender will consider the Affirmative Action policy in the context of the Fisher Case currently before the United States Supreme Court.  Those attending the seminar should first listen to the Fisher case oral arguments at:  http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_audio_detail.aspz?argument=11-345

April 10, 2013, rescheduled to another date and time

Response to Intervention

Tyra Lewis, Executive Director of  Reponse to Intervention at the Rochester City School District will provide an overview of RTI framework-what it is/what it is not.  She will also address the 9 critical features for implementing the RTI framework including theTeachers responsibility to notify parent when child is receiving additional support.
 

April 17, 2013, 5-7pm, Union Ballroom

edTPA and other new teacher certificate requirements

April 18, 2013, 3-4pm, South Hall 345, computer lab

Attachment Disorders Theory, impact and implications in children.  Andrew Dorow, school guidance counselor at the RCSD will present the implications of having students with attachment disorders and how their behaviors in schools create obstacles for teachers.  Andrew will talk about some of the theories behind the disorder and what teachers can do to mitigate their behaviors.

April 24, 2013, 2:30-3:30pm, Welles 138

Celebrating Multicultural Holidays and Events, 2:30-3:30pm place TBA

A panel presentation to investigate the way schools handle celebrations and acknowledgements of culturally diverse holidays other than Christian.  This seminar will be facilitated by the Xerox Center and presented by Geneseo students from several different ethnic groups, religious groups and demonimations.  Listen to how your Geneseo peers would like to see their cultural holiday presented to majority children in schools by k-12 teachers. Students will recieve various calendars that mark the celebration of a wide variety of holidays around the world, as well as globally significant commemorative days.

Fall 2012 past seminars:

September 19, 2012
Summer Multicultural Teacher Education Learning Panel

The Xerox Center for Multicultural Education starts the year off by hosting a panel that will talk about their summer teaching experiences.  Nine pre-service teachers work in highly diverse settings, i.e. teaching english to children in a Cambodian orphange; camp counselor for children with cancer;  directing a musical production for ELL and native speakers; working with gifted talented children with social adjustment issues; and teaching other unique populations of children. The panel will be facilitated by RYSAG camp director and will ask critical questions discussing the similarities, differences  and intersections of student learning and methodology.

September 26, 2012

Mapping the Field of Urban Education in Rochester

An overview of the current context of educational, community and political concerns in the city of Rochester and the broad effects that it has on schools, teachers and students.  This presentation will help inform students about the fascinating and politically active field of urban education in Rochester. The city is home to an ever changing and emerging educational enterprises that deals with issues of poverty and low rates of graduation in a variety of ways including:  closing local schools;  launching public charters;  turn around schools; and alternative high schools.  Rochester city ranks #11 in the nation for children living in and among poverty.  In New York State, Rochester City School District has among the lowest graduation rates in the entire state.

October 3, 2012

Getting Real About Race in Education

This seminar is an introduction to becoming more culturally responsive in diverse professional settings and also understanding how to cross cultural boundaries in a sensitive manner. We will provide samples of conversations with colleagues who are working in the community using current media examples. Participants will be able to use the strategies in the seminar and apply them to k-12 classroom situations or in training environments where urban professionals are working with diverse populations.

October 10, 2012

Becoming aware of privilege, power and teaching

This seminar will help pre-service teachers recognize how power and priviledge play out in school systems.  Games and inventories will be used to help students get a better understanding of how their upbringing and comfort level with diverse cultures will influence the way they approach classroom management, accomodations for learning differences and cultural differences

October 31, 2012

The Xerox Center will hold a seminar on understanding bullying.  Please join us for the "The Golden Rule of Bullying" at 2:30-3:30pm, in Welles 26.  We are excited to host one of the most passionate guidance counselors you will ever meet.  Andrew Dorrow, Guidance Counselor at School #3  goes out of his way to advocate for city school students.  Andrew will talk about  the motivation behind bullying and his experiences with victims and perpetrators in his role as a guidance counselor for the past 15 years.

November 7, 2012

Introductory look at the Common Core Standards for k-12 Science, in Welles 26.
Joe Zuniga, Lead Teacher at the Rochester City School District office for Science and trainer for Science teachers in the Common Core will be speaking at our next Xerox Seminar.  Joe will discuss how The Common Core Standards and the Framework for K-12 Science Education were developed, and their role in the development of Next Generation Science Standards.  We will investigate the impact of these documents on science education both nationally and in NYS. I will share how they are, and will be, impacting curricula and assessment in the Rochester City School District and NYS.

December 1, 2013

Common Core Social Studies

Monday, December 1st, 2012 at 2:30-3:30pm, in Welles 24, we have invited Steve LaMorte, former Geneseo student, current  Ex. Director for Social Studies to come and talk with future teachers about the Common Core Standard, Data based Decision making, and fielding any questions you may have about teaching.  This includes asking him about getting the experiences you need to be competitive for  for upcoming job interviews.
Please join us for an engaging presentation on the changing standards in teaching.  Steve is very interested in helping his fellow Geneseo students with their teaching professions.  Steve has been able to make a great career of being a social studies teacher, I hope you will join us to talk with him about his experiences.

December 5, 2013

Art Therapy for Teachers Wednesday, Dec. 5th, 2:30pm, Welles 26
Come in for a break! De-stress with gentle holiday  music, cookies, and wassail.   We will have our art therapy teacher centers in the form of decorating holiday cookies, making gingerbread houses, stringing pop corn, decorating cards,  writing holiday greetings to soldiers, and more.