Maker spaces have been growing like kudzoo in our schools over the past half decade. What kind of cultural impact are these spaces having on our learning communities? More importantly, are these spaces having a positive impact on the type of global innovator, leader, and beacon for change we are trying to cultivate in our schools? In this session an experienced Maker/Teacher/Innovator with almost two decades of independent school technology experience will share findings on the cultural change shaping these spaces across the country, as well as dig into hot topics discussed over the past three years in conferences around the country. In this two-part session, participants will not only hear about the cultural impact of Makerspaces but also will get hands-on with different types of Maker Tools to gain a deeper understanding of how these tools/spaces can enhance learning.
During this session participants will be hands-on with several different types of emerging MakerSpace technology including Microbits, air-compressed rockets, design in virtual reality, and programming drones using Tynker and Scratch. Be ready to MAKE in this session.
All of us are unique, with varying talents and challenges - but one thing that is universal is that we are essentially creative beings. Some would argue that it is what makes us “human”, and others stress that agile, creative thinking is “the” skill of the future - particularly in light of an unpredictable world and increased automation. How can we foster creative confidence and habits of mind in our schools - not just for students, but for the community as a whole? Creativity is often confused with “art”, but it is much broader...it is often defined as something “novel”, but it’s more about making connections. This keynote explores the why and the how of creativity in learning, addressing how creativity works as well as offering some practical strategies for implementing creative and critical thinking in any discipline or division, and as a framework for an organization’s culture. Creativity is truly content agnostic.
Amy shares insights from her book with Dan Ryder: Intention: Critical Creativity in the Classroom, which stems from the belief that “if they build it they will get it”. Critical Creativity is students using creative expression to demonstrate deeper thinking and the nuances of understanding content. When students make connections, transform knowledge, and articulate the reason behind their creative choices, learning becomes more sticky, meaningful, and authentic.
Every student has a special story to share and can be empowered to do so in a myriad of mediums.
The world our students are entering demands both appreciation for nuances/diverse perspectives and courage to enter critical conversations. Using Clint Smith’s collection “Counting Descent,” this session will offer strategies for engaging in topics of race and class to build students’ critical thought and expression. Presenters will share a unit and assessments that aim to push students to seek, not avoid, complex voices and issues.
This presentation will explore the successes, challenges, and ongoing work of developing a new approach toward teacher professional growth. Rather than settling with the inadequate practices of infrequent observations, congenial conversations, generic procedures, and the anxieties of being evaluated, we will explore a process to build professional growth at your school, one that will provide new approaches to mentoring, collaboration, guidance, feedback, and customized professional support to enhance teacher learning.
Is this going to be on the test? Why do we have to know this? Is this for a grade? Can you tell me what I need to do to get this right? These questions haunt each and every teacher that is on the receiving end of such inquiry. When teachers use intentional and purposeful approaches to teaching that foster and nurture engagement, questions like these evaporate from our schools and classrooms while our students deep dive into STEM learning. This workshop shows you how! Participants will experience targeted and specific strategies for finding the right level of rigor, striking the ideal balance between surface and deep learning, and identifying the perfect level of challenge for each student. Participants will take part in an out-of-your-seat experience that models these principles for deep thinking and understanding.
By the end of this workshop, participants will:
(1) compare and contrast surface-level thinkers (snorkelers) with deep-level thinkers (scuba divers).
(2) understand the relationship between surface and deep level learning.
(3) explain the role of opportunities to respond and feedback on teaching and learning in the STEM classroom.
Participants will learn that we don’t need to look like our students to be successful with our students, but we must with purpose and process engage in learning who our students really are, including; their customs, traditions and respect of their language. In this session participants will learn how educators are using a Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) framework to “calibrate” their schools definition of CRT while at the same time using data to drive their decisions and discussions of what teachers “value” about culture and diversity, and learning more about the “frequency” by which those values are enacted in classrooms. Participants will learn strategies that schools are using to build real and relevant relationships with diverse students. Additionally, participants will learn about the various data tools and protocols educators are using to measure and discuss the culturally responsive teaching “gaps” that exist in their schools.
Research across multiple fields strongly supports our understanding that Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Executive Function (EF) skills are critical for academic and personal success. This session provides a brief summary of the research and focuses on how schools and parents can collaborate to help all kids be their best S.E.L.F.
Microsoft OneNote can revolutionize the way you lesson plan and run your classroom... and Office365 is free for education! Come explore this free app that is available on any device. We will specifically dive into Class Notebooks, which help you streamline how you distribute handouts, engage in interactive digital content, collect homework, grade assignments, and have your students collaborate digitally. Administrators can apply what we do with Class Notebook to Staff Notebooks to model this versatile software and way of working for their staff.
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
(1) identify the essential components of an effective and engaging learning experience in STEM.
(2) support instructional decisions with research from the science of learning.
(3) summarize the role of formative assessment and feedback in teaching and learning.
Can the assumptions we make of our students halt their learning and success? When our relationships with students are not authentic we see an increase in classroom disruption and a decrease in student learning. Teacher-student relationships should be real and relevant, not based on a series of assumptions. In this presentation participants will learn strategies they can use in their classrooms to build real and relevant relationships with their students. Participants will learn a non-punishment behavior intervention strategy that leverages our relationships with students. Participants will walk away with strategies they can use immediately in their diverse classrooms; they will also walk away with ideas for leading these types of strategy discussions at their school.
https://bit.ly/2sDEYvy
Buddy Circles allow students to recognize themselves as leaders, to feel empowered in purpose, and to establish a sense of belonging.
Buddy Circles are a formalized approach to self-advocacy and peer mentorship, and an avenue for collaborative strategizing for problem-solving. Born out of a naturally occurring conversation between peers who were able to express themselves without judgment, we were moved to keep the dialogue going in a meaningful, proactive way, and find opportunities for all students to participate.
Change is hard! This hands-on Session on “Leading Transitions” will focus on the necessary steps to take before moving forward on any change initiative including filling Administrative positions. Leading begins with self assessment and desired outcomes. Next, you will learn how to apply the ten step practicals necessary in assessing the organizational needs. Finally, you will have the chance to assess a school’s organization when you will use these ten steps, many of which are assumed but rarely addressed, by inculcating them into well planned, change processes.
The musical Hamilton has taken Broadway by storm. American History has come to life and energized millions. A new take on old events can bring breath and life into any content, allowing us to "write [our] way out" of material previously viewed as "boring." How do teachers tap into this in the classroom? What about in fields other than history? Bring theatrical devices into your classroom while still teaching the content that you must. How? Use Creative Drama as a Medium for Learning. As a process-oriented approach, creative drama uses improvisation games to improve risk-taking, break down fears of public speaking, and open doors to experiencing content in all fields. Learn to "ham it up!" Utilize fun theatrical techniques within simple frameworks/devices, and emphasize content-specific material that you want your students to internalize. Learn different structures that can be used for timeframes you need -- 30 second breaks, 5 minute games, 15 minute activities, one class, a week- or unit-long project.
Assessment is a communication tool. What and how you assess says as much about the assessment writer and what he/she values as student results say about the learning. While American assessment has focused nearly exclusively on psychometric validity and reliability, this session will challenge attendees to focus instead on assessment that centers on meaningful, valuable outcomes that prepare students for life beyond school.
How do teachers create a learning framework that supports creating activities or assessments to meet the needs of all learners? In order to reach diverse learners, we need diverse teaching strategies. Student voice and choice should lie at the foundation of every classroom. When voice and choice are honored, the one-size-fits-all learning model transforms into multiple pathways for student growth. Join this session if you are ready to embrace a learning framework that provides multiple pathways for ALL learners.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are all around us, from Google Maps to the navigation systems in your car or mobile device. In the social studies classroom, GIS tools open the door for deeper understanding and analysis. This session will offer a brief introduction to GIS tools, focusing in particular on ArcGIS. Participants will learn about how 9th graders programmed their own Story Maps to visually represent their research on Transatlantic Trade, see how ArcGIS offers tools to make data-enriched maps, and how to use short, interactive GeoInquiries with your students. Come explore the landscape of GIS technology and begin to imagine how you can use it with your students to help them make sense of the world.
For the full slides from the presentation, please visit https://goo.gl/wxDVzz
St. Clair High School reduced Fs for Freshmen from 66 Total for first semester to 9 Fs TOTAL for first semester! We had a student apathy problem. Now we have system of Support, and a proven way to help support our students. AND IT WORKS. Come hear about the Power of ICU!
Presentation Resources: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1NVsU_JGh9fR4BT3IPKr8-udTs5I0joFRUzeih2fArD8
Neuroscience is everywhere and yet we don't always know how to harness the tidal wave of information for application in the classroom. This practical session will focus on specific ways we teach students to learn about learning and think about thinking.
Explore how one fifth grade classroom engaged elementary-aged students in conversations about privilege to foster anti-racist understanding. This workshop will have hands on exercises and concrete tools to support upper elementary/middle school-aged students’ understanding of privilege. Learn ways to begin a conversation about whiteness and white privilege using the BBC’s documentary The Delmar Divide, along with experiential activities, role play scenarios, and other approaches. In this workshop, we will explore how to engage students and teach them how to respond to situations and be an “upstander,” standing up against microaggressions and interrupting racism.
Continuing to carry out the greatness of a building is challenging for school leaders. We want our audience to learn about our struggles & celebrations of our path in regards to the continued education excellence Ridgewood Middle has seen throughout the past decade. Our team of educators collaborate & work together with limited resources & time in order to make the "dream work" here at Ridgewood. Our population of students is challenging at times - 40% free or reduced lunch population, however working as a strong group of leaders (which included everyone, staff, students, & parents) we continue to see growth, while thinking outside the box to see greatness happen for our students' success. You will leave this session with ideas to collaborate with key staff stakeholders, how to involve everyone as a team, and what to do when things aren't working out!
Our session will address middle school issues grades 6-8, however high school could easily have many take aways as well to implement into their schools.
Link to our presentation: https://bit.ly/2LYgBkW
Reading strategies are thinking strategies and are used across all curricular areas. How do we teach thinking to any student? By making it fun! Adopting an attitude of play, we begin with pre-reading strategies and move through the reading process (before, during, after) to teach students meta-cognition. If they can adopt the ability to think about their own thinking they can realize the need to adjust their reading speed, ask more questions, look up an unfamiliar word, or keep an on-going list of symbolism that they recognize is recurring in a text.
This will be an interactive session modeling various culturally responsive teaching protocols that can be used in the Elementary classroom. With a focus on literature we will enjoy a variety of activities that can be used to reach culturally diverse learners.
When the word "data" is mentioned in a school, hallways are suddenly empty, dining halls are abandoned, and meeting areas become as silent as libraries. It seems that there is a trepidation around the collecting and interpreting of data. This session aims at making numbers a lot more friendly and data a lot more manageable to the novice interpreter. In this session we will explore what data says and doesn't say, and how to best engage with data when it is presented to us. We are swimming in information throughout our school days. It is a huge opportunity to begin interacting with that information in ways that will help us help our students better.
In this session participants will learn how to incorporate various types of content and assessments into their PBL units. The session will also include real world examples that are currently being used in the classroom while dispelling common misconceptions about project based learning.
In this session, there will be a panel of practitioners (Building Principal, Math teacher, ELA teacher and retired administrator-Author of Power of ICU) that will discuss many topics including the elimination of missing assignments, better teaching practices in the classroom, and creating a team culture within the school. The session will allow time for Q&A from the audience.
There are so many wonderful ideas, strategies, and programs that are available to teachers. How do we fit everything into our already tight schedules? In this session, we will share ideas and resources that work in our classrooms as well as suggestions for how to blend everything together to create a cohesive, effective program. Participants are encouraged to bring at least one strategy or resource used in their classroom. A comprehensive list will be compiled and shared with all participants.
My session will show how I have incorporated technology to facilitate differentiated instruction in a student-centered science classroom. I will discuss how I use pre-testing, multiple learning modalities, student choice, and varied assessments to reach a diverse range of learners. By moving away from the traditional lecture format, my students are able to learn the material in a format that works best for each of them, including watching videos, reading text, attending a mini-lecture, or working with hands-on activities. In this format, I am not directly instructing the whole class but meeting with students individually or in small groups to provide more nuanced feedback. Students are able to take the assessment at any point in the process and can retake it up to three times to encourage mastery of the material and a growth mindset. In addition, those who master the material quickly can pursue independent extension projects. Every student in the classroom is unique and our instruction should match this diversity rather than attempt to conform it to one model.
