The Western New York region of the NYSMTP provides professional learning opportunities for all WNY teachers as part of our outreach program. CTLE credit vouchers are available upon request.
Participants have said...
“I am so thankful for the time the instructor put into this course and her willingness to share her knowledge! I have not attended a coding PD as amazing as this, ever!”
“The presenters are masters of content and pedagogy.”
“I love the energy that is cultivated among educational peers as we learn from each other with shared practices and resources.”
Upcoming Professional Development
Contact Thea Keppel at keppeltm01@buffalostate.edu with any questions or concerns regarding event registration
Problem Solving Through Games and Puzzles: The Workshop Part 2!
Erin McClure, Stephen Johnson, and Adam Eschborn
Come play games with us to build fluency, strengthen math identity, and deepen community and communication skills!
Participants will arrive ready to teach a favorite game and lead a brief pedagogical and content-focused discussion from Math Games with Bad Drawings by Ben Orlin. After several rounds of playing and reflecting, we’ll share our high school elective outline/curriculum. An optional pathway is available for teachers who want to use games for math nights, clubs, or non-curricular enrichment.
Open to grades 6–12 math teachers and math club/family night facilitators. Our goal is to adapt each game across levels—after all, “a 10-year-old can enjoy most games.”
Date: Saturday, March 28th, 8:30am-12:30pm; lunch break 11am-11:30am
Location: Buffalo State University, SAMC 259
Problem Solving Through Games Workshop Registration
Problem Solving Through Games Workshop Flyer
Canva for the Classroom: Simple Templates, Real Classroom Uses
Catherine Stojanovich
Looking for simple ways to make classroom materials more engaging without spending hours designing them from scratch? Canva offers thousands of ready-made templates teachers can quickly personalize for everyday classroom use. In this session, we will explore the basics of Canva’s template library and how to find designs that work well for classroom materials. We will then look at creating slides for warm-ups, editing PDFs, designing classroom posters, and creating templates for student projects, awards, or communication materials. The focus will be on adapting templates by adjusting text, colors, images, and layouts. Participants will explore templates, icons, images, and simple design tools within Canva. Teachers will leave with ready-to-use materials and ideas they can apply immediately. Best for K–12 educators with beginner to intermediate Canva experience.
Date: Saturday, March 28th, 9:30am-11:30am
Location: Buffalo State University, SAMC 266
Canva for the Classroom Workshop Registration
Canva for the Classroom Workshop Flyer
Click, Create, Connect: Interactive Digital Notebooks with Canva & Google Slides
Deanna Przepiora and Jamie Mancuso-Dulak
What if your interactive notebooks could be engaging, organized, creative, and paperless? In this hands-on workshop, participants will design digital interactive notebooks using Canva and Google Slides. We will explore how to build a unit-based notebook and add interactive elements such as drag-and-drop activities, reflection pages, embedded practice, and visual note-taking layouts that support student engagement and ownership. Participants will have time to begin creating their own notebook and receive design feedback during the session. Teachers should come prepared with a unit and any materials they want to use. Strategies for implementation, organization, and supporting independent learning will also be shared. This workshop is best suited for upper elementary through high school teachers (Grades 4–12) across all subjects looking to increase engagement through digital design.
Date: Saturday, March 28th, 12pm-2pm
Location: Buffalo State University, SAMC 266
Conference Ready: Proposal Writing and Workshop Crafting 101
Lisa Brosnick
You have something worth saying — so why aren't you on the conference stage yet? This session gives you the tools and confidence to submit that proposal and design a workshop educators will actually remember.
We will begin by examining what makes a conference proposal stand out, using real examples of accepted and rejected submissions. From there, we'll explore the anatomy of a compelling workshop — how to build an arc that engages adult learners and lands on a takeaway that sticks. We'll share winning workshop design elements and a peer feedback protocol to structure our work. We will conclude by drafting our own proposal language in real time and leaving with a polished working draft ready for submission.
This workshop is best for K–12 educators who are ready to take their expertise public — particularly those who have considered presenting at a regional, state, or national conference but haven't yet taken the leap.
Participants will leave with a working proposal draft, a repeatable framework for designing future workshops, and the clarity to know exactly what they bring to the professional learning conversation.
Review Roundup
Join STANYS and the NYS Master Teacher Program as they host Review Roundup, a half‑day professional learning experience designed to support educators in preparing students for NYSSLS‑based assessments. This collaborative event brings together science teachers from across the region to share expertise, exchange strategies, and co‑create high‑quality instructional resources. This event is open to all teachers, free of cost!
9am-10am: Flexible Learning Sessions
Participants may choose one of the following formats based on their interests and needs:
- One 50‑minute deep‑dive session, offering a focused exploration of a single topic. Sessions include high school Chemistry, Physics, and Earth & Space Sciences Investigations, Literacy strategies, and using AI to create 3-D lessons.
- Two 20‑minute mini‑sessions, allowing teachers to sample multiple ideas, resources, and review approaches. Sessions include: NYSSLS101, using PLDs, Educator Guides & Course Maps, and the Cluster Format of NY Science assessments.
These sessions are led by Master Teachers and experienced STANYS educators, providing practical tools for classroom use.
10am-12pm: Collaborative Work Groups
For the remaining two hours, teachers will join course‑specific work groups (e.g., Life Science: Biology, Chemistry, Earth & Space Sciences, Physics, Middle Level Science, Elementary Science). In these collaborative sessions, participants will:
- Work with colleagues who teach the same course
- Develop and refine review materials
- Share classroom strategies for three‑dimensional learning and assessment
- Create resources aligned to the NYSSLS performance expectations and exam formats
Participants will leave with ready‑to‑use materials and a network of colleagues to support ongoing collaboration.
Whether you’re creating lesson plans, grading, communicating with families, or designing student activities, AI can help you work smarter, not harder.
What You'll Learn:
✅ How to use AI for planning, differentiation, and content creation
✅ Time-saving hacks for grading, feedback, and classroom communication
✅ Tools for designing visuals, assessments, and engaging student materials
✅ Responsible and ethical AI use in education
Walk away with ready-to-use examples, templates, and confidence to put AI to work for you. Perfect for teachers of all grade levels and content areas with no tech expertise required!
Dates: Wednesdays, April 8th and 22nd; 5:00 - 7:00 pm
Location: Buffalo State University, SAMC 259
AI Tools Minicourse Registration