Full Day Session - 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
WF11: Innovate-Educate-Lead: Moving from the Why to the How (K-12, College, University and Community)
Dr. David Thornburg, Founder and Director of Global Operations, Thornburg Center
Jim Brazell, CEO and Founder, Ventureramp, Inc., TX
Join Dr. David Thornburg and Jim Brazell as they help educators establish a framework to develop action plans for professional development that address the often conflicting goals of “industry-driven training and curricula” versus the general education goals that promote civil discourse, a shared culture, critical thinking, and creativity. Understand why the nation’s priority to foster innovation focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math (S.T.E.M.). Learn what teachers and administrators can do across disciplines and grade levels (P-20) through professional development within their own districts to develop a common purpose between the camps to transform and expand the definition of educational excellence, increase transitions to higher learning, provide the human talent to solve the world’s big challenges, and evolve pedagogy to engage 21 st century learners. Through the use of interactive activities and scenarios, educators will move beyond simply understanding why they need to change their thinking, but leave with new tools and strategies to help them implement educational innovation when they return home.
Pre-Conference Half Day Sessions
Morning Sessions - 9:00 am – Noon
WH1 Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works: Setting Objectives, Identifying Similarities and Differences, and Cues, Questions and Advance Organizers
Howard Pitler, Senior Director, McREL (CO)
Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works is a best selling book that weds research-based teaching strategies with technology in a way that enhances pedagogy. This hands-on session will provide participants with concrete examples of resources and Web 2.0 tools they can use right away in the classroom. The morning session will focus on Setting Objectives, Identifying Similariaties and Differences, and Cues, Questions and Advance Organizers. Select just this morning session, or explore additional topics by registering for WH6 in the afternoon.
Please Note: Each participant must bring his or her own laptop with wireless Internet connectivity to participate in this pre-con session.
WH2 The Right Data at the Right Time: How to Identify which Data really Help Schools Improve Student Achievement- An Executive Summary for Decision Makers
Jake Schlumpf, Director, Education and Business Alliances, TERC (MA)
Diana Nunnaley, Project Director, TERC (MA)
Data can be analyzed and that information used to change instruction and improve student achievement. But real change needs to occur at the point of instruction…where teachers and students connect. What is the best way to find that data and make sure it is available? Real change needs to occur at the point of instruction…where teachers and students connect
This workshop for school board members and school leaders will present insights gained over ten years of continuing work with learning communities who have used data to improve student learning.
WH3 Invent Another Life for Learning: Exploring Virtual Worlds for Professional Learning Communities and Coursework
Bernajean Porter, Bernajean Porter Consulting (CO)
Peggy Sheehy, Information Specialist, Ramapo Central School District (NY)
According to Gartner Inc., by the end of 2011, 80 percent of active Internet users (and Fortune 500 enterprises) will have an avatar in at least one virtual world platform.
How can virtual worlds be a viable teaching and learning environment for adults? Participants will explore new horizons that let educators and administrators leverage the benefits of learning in a virtual world as well as prepare them to assist students using today’s expanding educational frontiers.
Create a cost-effective, innovative and fearlessly engaging opportunity for educators to connect in real-time meetings, collaboration tasks and participation in rigorous coursework using 3-D immersive worlds with educators. Immersive worlds are sensory-rich learning landscapes providing both synchronous learning (interactive and real-time) as well as on-your-own asynchronous (any time any where) learning. 3D virtual environments are also being found to increase participation and improve content retention.
WH4 Open Source Software: Evaluating the Promise and the Reality for Schools
Steve Hargadon, Educational Technology Consultant, CoSN (CA)
Randy Orwin, Director of Technology, Bainbridge Island School District (WA)
Heather Carver, Technology Director for Albany Unified School District (CA)
This session will look at schools and districts that are using Open Source Software, how it is making a difference for them, and what lessons they have learned. Specifically addressed will be real-world information from curricular and technology personnel on their implementation and use of Open Source Software, large-scale infrastructure projects, desktop hardware deployments, software application use, and conversion issues. There will be an emphasis on what has made implementation successful and what the financial and educational results have been.
WH5 Digital Interactive Learning with Web 2.0: Making the Global Connection for Education
Dr. Howie DiBlasi, Emerging Technology Evangelist, Digital Journey (NM)
Web 2.0--it is colorful and thrilling. This session will explore how the shifts described as Web 2.0 impact instruction and are enhanced by a focus on information fluency and educational technology. Discover how Web 2.0 applications, digital stories/podcasts, blogs, Wikis, new handheld devices, and annotation software provide more engaging and collaborative personal computing environments for students and teachers. ePortfolios can address different purposes (introduction of self, reflection, rich multimedia artifacts) with emerging Web 2.0 development tools. Contemplate the classroom applications and discover how to build an infrastructure for continual professional development using Web 2.0 tools.
Afternoon Sessions - 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
WH6 Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works: Nonlinguistic Representation, Generating and Testing Hypothesis, and Homework and Practice
Howard Pitler, Senior Director, McREL (CO)
Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works is a bestselling book that weds research-based teaching strategies with technology in a way that enhances pedagogy. This hands-on session will provide participants with concrete examples of resources and Web 2.0 tools they can use right away in the classroom. The afternoon session will focus on Nonlinguistic Representation, Generating and Testing Hypothesis, and Homework and Practice. Select just this afternoon session, or explore additional topics by registering for WH1 in the morning.
Please Note: Each participant must bring his or her own laptop with wireless Internet connectivity to participate in this pre-con session.
WH7 Show me the Learning: Project-Based Learning in Virtual Worlds
Peggy Sheehy, Information Specialist, Ramapo Central School District (NY)
Bernajean Porter, Bernajean Porter Consulting (CO)
It's time to take the leap into Virtual Worlds for learning. What does it look like, and how does it support the NETS? Join Peggy Sheehy as she demonstrates how standard-based learning translates into engaging and rigorous participation for students using Second Life, Quest Atlantis and other multi-user virtual environments. What does the "guide on the side" really look like and how can busy teachers embrace and utilize 3-D virtual worlds for learning?
WH8 Hot Legal Topics in School Technology
Tom Hutton, Senior Staff Attorney, National School Boards Association (VA)
The increasing technological sophistication of school districts has raised a host of new legal issues and created new twists on old ones. The list is long and growing: cell phone policies with the growing trend of using cell phones as teaching tools, technology contracts, cyberbullying, online threats, personnel policies, records management, and more. Update your knowledge on today's hot ed tech legal issues, and explore the roles of school boards, administrators, and technology personnel in confronting them. Come with your own questions for the group and be ready to explore legal challenges as well as take a closer look at the new administration and the impact of new policies on your district.
WH9 Planning for Green Computing CANCELLED
Rich Kaestner, Project Director, CoSN’s Green Computing Leadership Initiative (OR)
Whether you consider green computing to be a political, ethical or financial imperative, green computing plans and policies need to be in place. This workshop will include discussion and tips for green purchase/disposal, energy consumption savings and use of computers to reduce waste. Participants will work in small groups to develop a green technology plan for their district, use CoSN’s Energy Usage Calculator and prepare for CoSN and EPEAT Green Computing Certifications.
This session will break down the broad concepts of green computing into major categories and interactively discuss how you can get started with each category and plan for future enhancements to your technology infrastructure while following best practices for responsible green computing.
WH10 Moodle: An Open Source Learning Management Solution
Steve Hargadon, Educational Technology Consultant, CoSN (CA)
Randy Orwin, Bainbridge Island School District (WA)
Join us for an in-depth look at the Open Source course management software program called Moodle. More than just a presentation, you’ll benefit from this hands-on exploration of Moodle’s functionality, the variety of ways it can be used, and how it compares with other Learning Management Solutions.