BLC18

What better place to learn math than in Mathland? Inspired by Seymour Papert, mathland is a culture steeped in computational thinking and problem-solving where children naturally pick up the language through mathematical ways of knowing. In this hands-on workshop, we will create Mathland experience and immerse participants in maker-minded math play. Explore the mathland “maker” way of knowing through tinkering, coding, and creating and watch learning come to life!

Let’s get together, as forward thinking teachers, and move beyond the strict multiple choice model where we assess with only the end of course standardized test in mind. This is challenging when you are teaching a rigorous and highly evaluated subject area.  I challenge you to utilize every part of the assessment process including before, during and immediately after, to encourage growth in your students. . Though we teach subjects that are fast-paced and rigid, we should veer away from the model of “teach, test and move on to the next.” It is not just about a grade - it’s about learning through the process. In this session, I will give you valuable ways to continuously assess your students’ understanding outside of traditional multiple choice.

For more than 200 years the face of the classroom has remained relatively unchanged-a teacher standing in front of rows of desks with the students absorbing the information. The world outside of schools has been changing rapidly, isn't it time for the learning environment to do the same? 
East Irondequoit has emerged as a leader in digital conversion and is now focusing not only on what students use to learn but where they are learning. Through innovative technology in the classroom and flexible furniture, teachers are creating environments which are more reflective of how students are learning together in this digital age. Hear from the people who have been the ones leading the change and the kids they are teaching. 
Plus get a chance to try a hands-on demonstration of virtual reality glasses and see that the classroom is not only changing-it is limitless.

Students increasingly need to connect educational experiences to the real world, and as educators we must facilitate that in our classrooms.
This workshop will explore how teachers can use authentic, interdisciplinary units of work to better engage students, and best develop twenty-first century skills such as problem solving skills, self-efficacy, and a passion for learning.  
It will draw on the work by presenters who work in the Science faculty and Technology Faculty at Glendowie College in New Zealand, to create units of work that have bridged two or more learning areas in the junior school.  The results of this work have been highly engaging, both for students and for staff.  The presenters will share their findings about the benefits and challenges of implementing the interdisciplinary teaching programmes, and a reflection of student voice. 

Join us and experience making as a mindset, a learning modality, and as a vehicle for teaching language and literacy. Experience for yourself the affordances of making and learn how maker-inspired activities can transform teaching and make literacy more accessible and engaging for all learners. See how the “maker way of knowing” can draw your students into problem solving, close reading of a text, word consciousness, and authentic language and literacy experiences. Come play, tinker, and design with us, and experience learning in this emergent 21st century context.

The session will focus on sharing a model I used to integrate social justice issues into the English curriculum.  Students were taught the "vocabulary" of social justice and then wrote published open letters based on a local or national question of social justice.  Students tweeted at elected officials and other experts as they researched their projects and ultimately sent their work to their selected audience.

Have you heard the hyperdoc buzz? Have you been looking for a way to personalize learning in a dynamic setting? Come listen to teachers and some students (need to know how many to bring), and you will see how their educational experience was revolutionized from a typical lesson to an odyssey into digital literacy, reading, writing, and STEAM skills. Students will share their work and thinking about the change, giving you a firsthand account on why you should jump on the hyperdoc train!
Hyperdocs allows educators to work with students as they go. We are able to give feedback throughout the process. Listening to students we are able to integrate more tools and activities based on their interests. Students collaborate with their teacher, classmates, and students in other parts of the world on their hyperdocs. They are able to build a strong classroom community, learning from each other as they go through the hyperdoc. Students ask questions of each other, teaching each other skills and strategies as they work through each hyperdoc. 
Hyperdocs bring the passion back to teaching. Educators work to design creative learning experiences that meet the needs of individual students. Various digital tools are immersed in the content area when using hyperdocs. Students can work at their own pace, collaborate with classmates both synchronously and asynchronously, and standards in all areas can be applied when using hyperdocs as a tool for learning. Hyperdocs can be created with the learner in mind, using a variety of Google tools to present the activity. There are plenty of choices the educator has to make when designing hyperdocs beyond the objective and goals of the lesson. The learning model hyperdocs uses is one that engages students, asks them to explore concepts, apply knowledge, explain what they discovered, reflect on the learning process, and extend thinking. 
The energy in the classroom has shifted, and a community of learners is being built. Hyperdocs can be created in any content area or to teach specific skills such as research or digital citizenship. It is important to know this is not a digital worksheet, rather a pedagogical revolution that brings learning to life. In this session we will explore hyperdocs in the content areas K-12 that are already created, learn about the process to create hyperdocs, and then have some time for attendees to make their own hyperdocs to support learning in the classroom. Teachers will leave with ideas to implement the next school day! 

The most meaningful professional learning I have ever experienced didn't come from a keynote speaker - it came from...students! This session will provide ideas on how to incorporate student voice into your school's professional development, through opportunities such as TEDxYouth, think tanks, documentaries, student panels, and twitter chats. Show students that their voice is valued, and plan ways to make school more meaningful for them, based on what they need. 

Inspiring leadership through individualized, student-driven inquiry is challenging, but it can be done! Our Exhibition model empowers individual students to pursue deeper understanding of personally meaningful real-world issues and take community-based action to positively impact the world. Join us to gain strategies for constructing purposeful year-long planning helping students develop organizational, interpersonal, and leadership skills; organizing an investigation incorporating multiple, simultaneous student-designed inquiries; and supporting student leaders in networking with the community to engage in significant community-based action related to a real-world issue.

Being able to convey stories from throughout your schools through images rather than words can be a powerful and effective way to deliver a message.  In today's world where people are pressed for time-it can also do it quickly.  Learn some tips on getting the shots and putting them together in a way that will get the job done.

Traditional educational quizzing applications or LMS quizzes are limiting and based off an old model of test taking. At our institution we found many instructors wanted to improve engagement around retention of material. Traditional models such as alternating formative and summative testing often improves test scores however it does not promote student engagement. Using the same principles of gamification found in many modern yet simple video games, we set out to create a quizzing application that instructors found easy to use and students wanted to play. Replay, a web and mobile application was created by the Purdue University Studio team to improve student engagement and learning retention. Its unique approach to quizzing makes it fun and easy for students to engage in quizzes and competitions, learn new material and compete with their peers regardless of their location.
 
During this interactive session, we will discuss the building and pilot of a recently developed teaching and learning tool, Replay. Attendees will have the opportunity to jump into the application. Additionally, there will be a brainstorming session where attendees will be able to engage with one another to virtually build a gamified application.

Mystery Skype is a game of "Yes/No" questions between two classrooms around the world. The catch? Your students have NO idea who they're Skyping! Students engage in a series of back and forth inquiry to determine the location of their new Skype friends. Join us to learn more on what this amazing activity is all about, the pros and the cons, options on structuring your class, and become inspired to create global connections!

Flexible seating, 10 point touch screens, multiple monitors and touchscreens with video capabilities, 1:1 classroom…how can all of this be used to enhance instruction? 
The presenter will talk about her experiences teaching in the “classroom of the future” and how this new setting made it possible to create student centered learning experiences.  She will describe her journey that made all of these digital tools an enhancement to the learning that was already occurring in her traditional classroom setting.  She will also discuss how the option of flexible seating helps students be their best learning self.  The present will explain her role in the classroom in the new setting as well as the student responsibilities.  She will also explain the process of how the school district was able to provide all of the new technologies and seating in her classroom.
Student operation in the classroom as well as videos/pictures of the classroom will be shared.  If it can be arranged, students will come and talk about their experiences learning in the classroom of the future.

Shawn Lockhart, Elementary School Principal and website developer saw a need amongst educators in his district to share, connect and network in ways that Twitter, Google and Facebook were not able to provide. To meet that need, Shawn co-developed BetterEducate.com. BetterEducate.com is a dynamic resource sharing and collaboration platform for teachers and school leaders to connect online and learn from each other. 
The BetterEducate community is growing all the time and the list of resources that are being shared and connections being made by BC educators is impressive. Shawn and David will share this dynamic networking tool that is developing educational capacity within schools around the province of British Columbia. 

In the first unit of my 9th grade English class, students read Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens and other psychological research related to habits, mindsets, and motivation.  Ultimately, they draft essays to be read by future students, parents, and teachers that offers advice and guidance.  In this way, students are making their learning visible, easing the difficult transition to high school for themselves and others, and leaving a legacy on their school community.

We all love games. Brain teasers, role playing, tic-tac-toe... You name it, we love it! So do our students. Adding gamified elements to your classroom will improve student engagement, build a stronger community within your classroom, and can be applied to any curriculum. Discussion points will include: gamification platforms, such as Classcraft, BreakoutEDU, and FanSchool; simulations and scenarios; quests; and more! Come play!

Follow us as we take you through the ins and outs of journey as we embark upon a 1:1 device initiative to guide students to participate in the global community.  In this session, we will share details about the development of our Instructional Technology Team, our device rollout, and how we gained support from all stakeholders for our initiatives.

Cellphones are often seen as a distraction in schools.  They can cause a plethora of problems when used as a social device rather than a tool.  Turn the cell phone into a classroom tool rather than a behavioral problem.  Apps are a wonderful way to engage students in day to day learning.  These tools can be used to capture your students and bring their skills to the next level.  With the controlled use of cellphones in classes; students can stay engaged, increase their independent analytical functioning and still learn with a smile.

Student choice.  My students are teenagers so they are all about choice.  When I give them the gift of choice, they gladly accept the responsibility of that choice.  In this session, I will present a protocol of assessment, review and enrichment that will move you from teacher to facilitator.  This involves standards based mini-assessments that students independently analyze.  The results will drive self-directed instruction and remediation based on individualized learning styles for specific content needs as determined by the students’ self reflection.  The students CHOOSE how they want the delivery of the material.  This approach empowers students from the audience to the stage and inspires them to take ownership of their own learning and success.  Participants will receive step by step instruction and ideas to happily give the gift of choice and responsibility to your own students. 

How can a robotics module enhance a media literacy unit? In what ways does “appreciation of the aesthetic” connect to computer programming?  How do math concepts and skills link with real-world scenarios? The answers to questions like these can take your STEM-based instruction to the next level! Skills and concepts presented through technology instruction are integral to the development of 21st century learners, but can be even more impactful when investigated through the lense of occasionally outside-the-box, cross-curricular connections.  Gain strategies for identifying interdisciplinary connections between STEM and other subject areas; integrating transdisciplinary and inquiry-based teaching methodologies within the classroom; and expanding the reach of STEM curriculum in your school.

Facilitating student agency and placing students in the front seat of an inquiry leads students to build inquiries driven by students’ curiosity about the world around them accommodates for those eureka moments which enhances authentic learning experiences. 
This workshop looks at innovative learning programmes developed in the Science and Technology faculties at Glendowie College, New Zealand.  It will explain the approaches, implementation, benefits, barriers of student-led inquiries in today’s classroom.
Areas of focus from these case studies include:
 

• Facilitating Student-agency
• Shifting to a more student-centred environment
• Learning to learn strategies
• Authentic experience and exposure to critical thinking
• Improving student engagement

 
The workshop will also consider the effectiveness and the future enhancement of the approaches that were measured through student voice and teacher reflection. 

This session is for those who have some basic understanding of Google tools but would like to see examples of specific Google documents that can be used for scheduling, planning, curriculum development and providing structures for teacher collaboration. Small section of the session will allow the participants to experience creating a simple collaborative project using a shared document.

Have you heard the hyperdoc buzz? Have you been looking for a way to personalize learning in a dynamic setting? Come listen to teachers and some students (need to know how many to bring), and you will see how their educational experience was revolutionized from a typical lesson to an odyssey into digital literacy, reading, writing, and STEAM skills. Students will share their work and thinking about the change, giving you a firsthand account on why you should jump on the hyperdoc train!
Hyperdocs allows educators to work with students as they go. We are able to give feedback throughout the process. Listening to students we are able to integrate more tools and activities based on their interests. Students collaborate with their teacher, classmates, and students in other parts of the world on their hyperdocs. They are able to build a strong classroom community, learning from each other as they go through the hyperdoc. Students ask questions of each other, teaching each other skills and strategies as they work through each hyperdoc. 
Hyperdocs bring the passion back to teaching. Educators work to design creative learning experiences that meet the needs of individual students. Various digital tools are immersed in the content area when using hyperdocs. Students can work at their own pace, collaborate with classmates both synchronously and asynchronously, and standards in all areas can be applied when using hyperdocs as a tool for learning. Hyperdocs can be created with the learner in mind, using a variety of Google tools to present the activity. There are plenty of choices the educator has to make when designing hyperdocs beyond the objective and goals of the lesson. The learning model hyperdocs uses is one that engages students, asks them to explore concepts, apply knowledge, explain what they discovered, reflect on the learning process, and extend thinking. 
The energy in the classroom has shifted, and a community of learners is being built. Hyperdocs can be created in any content area or to teach specific skills such as research or digital citizenship. It is important to know this is not a digital worksheet, rather a pedagogical revolution that brings learning to life. In this session we will explore hyperdocs in the content areas K-12 that are already created, learn about the process to create hyperdocs, and then have some time for attendees to make their own hyperdocs to support learning in the classroom. Teachers will leave with ideas to implement the next school day! 

Google describes Forms as a way to ‘create and analyse surveys’. In the context of education, Forms can have many uses both behind the scenes and in student’s hands. This session will explore various ways this powerful tool that can be used in and around the classroom. We will explore examples of ways teachers can use Forms to work more efficiently. Beyond this, the session will shed light on how Forms can be incorporated into different parts of the learning cycle to facilitate, support and drive student learning. Participants will leave this session with practical strategies to be used in their classrooms in the coming school year.

Follow us as we take you through the development of Student Tech Squads in each of the buildings in our school district.  In this session, we will provide examples of student applications, resumes, interview questions, and agendas for training sessions that can be used to create your own Student Tech Squad.  Come listen to our students tell you first-hand about their experiences on our Student Tech Squads.

Recent research shows that the brain development continues well into a person's twenties, and sometimes into their thirties. In classrooms, supports are put in place to strengthen a student's executive functioning and teach coping strategies and routine building. Adult learners may be left to figure out how to develop these on their own, approaching rising demands without a fully formed pre-frontal cortex. Lesson planning, and the delivery of a well-planned lesson, require a high level of organization, planning, and moment-by-moment decision making. To further complicate matters, these skills are also factors a supervisor considers when measuring a teacher's effectiveness during observations. 
 
In this session, participants the executive functions and their relationship to education (organization, task flexibility, time management, working memory, etc.). Attendees will also review current research pertaining to teaching, executive function, and discuss what leaders can do to support faculty members of all levels.