Renee Hobbs and her colleagues provies staff development programs locally, nationally and internationally on a wide range of topics related to media, technology, children, adolescents and learning.

Read about our instructional philosophy, which makes active use of hands-on lesson plan modeling, small group discussion, and viewing and discussion. All programs are customized to meet the needs of the specific group. Call Renee Hobbs at (978) 201 9799 to find out about scheduling availability and program fees. 

Learn more about the Powerful Voices for Kids Summer Teacher Institute (July 6 - 10, 2009), held at the Russell Byers Charter School in collaboration with the National Writing Project and WHYY Learning Lab, in a program generously funded by the Verizon Foundation. 

A sample of our most popular current topics include: 

Conquering Copyright Confusion: What 21st Century Educators Need to Know about Copyright and Fair Use

This program clears up copyright confusion and helps teachers understand their responsibilities and rights under copyright law, especially in relationship to the increased use of digital media, mass media and popular culture as tools for building students' critical thinking and communication skills.

Integrating Media and Technology into English Education

Ready to go beyond Read the Book, Watch the Movie?  This program demonstrates meaningful, rich learning experiences that help students strengthen writing, reading, speaking and listening skills through media literacy education. This program offers simple but powerful teaching strategies for developing reading comprehension, vocabulary, composition and public speaking skills using students' interest in reality TV, celebrity culture, videogames and more. This progam can customized by five different levels of focus: primary, elementary, middle, high school and college.

Digital Media, Current Events and Social Studies Education 

Asking students to bring in newspaper articles simply doesn't do justice to the diverse forms of news and information about political and social events that are current in contemporary society. Learn how you can build students' critical thinking skills about newspapers, TV news, blogging and other new forms of journalism that are emerging.  And see how easy it can be to build a digital newsroom right inside your classroom or school to make the "news connection" come alive with students in grades K-12.  

Watching What You Eat: Understanding How Advertising and other Media Messages Affect Healthy Choices

Explore the connection between K-12 health topics and media influences. Customizable program explores junk food advertising, hair and beauty products, nutritional supplements, cell phones and technology gadgets, or tobacco and alchohol advertising.