I swear my life this weekend will be difficult for my family. I may be absent most of the weekend, definitely distracted but very engaged. (Just not with those in my house). Reform Symposium 3 is here and I am thrilled to not just be presenting twice but also to be learning alongside with educators from all around the world. So as I sift through the schedule I decided to pick a couple of don't misses for me that fit my learning journey. This was very hard as there are many presentations happening simultaneously so thank goodness for the archives.
Here in time order are the presentations I am hoping to catch:
Here in time order are the presentations I am hoping to catch:
- John T Spencer's presentation "It's Personal - From Differentiating Instruction to Customizing Learning." I have seen John present before and he always makes me think, his blog is a must read for me, and this is a topic I am passionate about.
- Ann-Caryn Cleveland's presentation "Empowering Women and Girls in Technology." I am not familiar with Ann-Caryn but thrilled that she will be presenting on this topic and hope to get lots of ideas for empowering my own female students.
- Joe Bower's presentation "You Say You Want This so then Why are You Doing That?" Joe is a huge reason for why I had the courage to get rid of grades in my classroom so this presentation is a can't miss for me. Joe continues to inspire and push my thinking as an educator and is a must follow. However, it coincides with two other amazing presentations that I have to catch on the archives or I may jump from room to room.
- Will Chamberlain's and Paula Naugle's presentation on "The Power of the #Comments4Kids Hashtag" This hashtag was an integral part of my classroom last year and led to so many global connections for us, I would love to hear these two great presenters speak about it.
- Deven Black's presentation "My One Great lesson This Year or What Happens When the Teacher Get Out of the Way" is another presentation that is sure to spawn a lot of ideas. Deven's idea has been one that has also driven me so I am excited for others to hear about it and hopefully get out of the way as well.
- Mary Beth Hertz's presentation "Teaching with Video Games in Mind" looks fascinating. I would love to be able to take ideas from this and integrate it into my curriculum. Mary Beth always brings new things into perspective and her blog is also a must read.
- Chris Mayoh's presentation "Pupils as Teachers - Digital Leaders in the Classroom" also ties in with what I am trying to accomplish in my classroom. I am always looking for ways to create more autonomy and pave the way for student-centered learning.
- Brad Patterson's presentation "Sharing values in the Classroom: When, How, and Why...and Why Not" simply looks like it will be a worthwhile discussion. I often wonder whether to share something or not and am definitely looking for guidance and discussion on this.
- Terie Engelbrecht's presentation on "Differentiating Instruction for Today's Learners" will be of great value for me as this is a huge part of my district's philosophy and I have been differentiating my heart out with mixed results. Anyone that can give me ned things to ponder is welcome.
- Mark Barnes will be presenting on something I am very passionate about "21st Century Assessment: How Narrative Feedback is Eliminating the ABCs" I think if you are still doing just traditional letter grades you are doing your students a disservice. This should be an excellent discussion for anyone interested in exploring moving away from traditional letter grades.
- Michele Anthony will be presenting on bullying in "Little Girls Can Be Mean" on Saturday. As a 5th grade teacher who is currently reading "Odd Girl Out" I look forward to hearing how to prevent bullying more systematically within our schools.
- Josh Stumpenhorst speaks about his quest for "Student Driven Learning" Josh is not only well-spoken but on an exciting journey to discover how to give his students a bigger voice in the classroom. Josh is lucky or unlucky depending on your view because at the same time as his presentation there are 2 other intereting presentations happening:
- Steve Johnson's "Let's Talk About How to Help Kids that Come to Us from Poverty" and Henrietta Miller's "Taking PD to the Next Level with Tech Brekkies and TeachMeets" Both of these look very thought provoking and useful.
And this is only Friday and Saturday. I do not think I will be able to catch many presentations on Sunday due to family time but I will also be trying to grab some keynotes as well as panel discussions. As you can see, there is so much to choose from! So whether you go to one presentation or go to many, I know the learning will be deep and you are guaranteed to be inspired. Don't miss out on this amazing FREE professional development opportunity.
