Detailed Schedule, Wednesday, December 7, 2005
9:15 – 10:15 KEYNOTE SPEAKER - BREAKOUT SESSION
Rebels with Applause – Brain Compatible Approaches for Motivating Reluctant Learners -Continued
Rick Smith, Educational Consultant
Fairfax, CA
This lively keynote speaker will provide participants with dozens of practical brain-based strategies they can use to get “rebel” students of varying abilities and learning styles involved and motivated and help them retain more.
Strand: Special Education/Subgroup Populations
Room: Salon 1 Audience: All
9:15 – 10:15 FEATURED SPEAKER
Teachin’ Cheap
Linda Holliman, Bookworks Consulting, Inc.
Centennial, CO
Linda Holliman, author of Teachin’ Cheap, will share ways children can be held accountable by recording and responding to center activities, research, and more. Why teach students how to make books and “generic formats” to use only one time? Your time is valuable! This session will be hands-on and you will leave with several examples that can be used immediately with your students.
Strand: Content/Instruction
Room: Salon 2Audience: P/I
9:15 – 11:30 FEATURED SPEAKER
Discussing the Undiscussable – Social Justice
(2-Hour Session)
Phil Hunsberger, Executive Director
Metro East Consortium for Child Advocacy, Belleville, IL
Anthony Neal, Director
East St. Louis Charter School, SIU
Clearly the national agenda for education has established the urgency of ensuring that all children receive high quality instruction in order to meet or exceed a set of standards determined and tested by individual states. Many can and will argue with regard to how realistic this expectation may be, but few would negate the righteousness of such an expectation. The irrefutable belief in the capacity for all children to learn and be successful is with little doubt a key to the realization of this goal. Educators consequently have the unique opportunity to now address the “undiscussable”, the dialogue that explores deeply the way in which we see people who are different from ourselves. What are the beliefs, the dispositions, the attitudes, and the hidden “truths” that we operate from as we address diversity in our classrooms, our hallways, and our faculty meetings? The strongest correlate for student achievement is teacher expectation. How do our expectations change, alter, or become amended when we greet students unlike ourselves? Of course, to discuss race is difficult, fraught with ways in which good-hearted people avoid the difficult discussions. However, throughout the nation, this discussion is happening, and must if we are truly to achieve this lofty righteous goal for all children. This presentation is an opportunity to reflect quietly and safely upon that which is often the “undiscussable.” The participants will examine the following definition of equity: To ensure that ALL learners receive high quality instruction in a positive learning environment where race is NOT a predictor of student outcome. Participants will examine this definition using a number of reflective instruments that focus upon personal dispositions regarding all students, lesson construction for all students, and school-wide inquiry with respect to issues of equity.
Strand: School Climate/Subgroup Populations
Room: Salon 3Audience: All
9:15 – 10:15
Comprehending Content Area Texts
Laurie Lee, Principal Consultant, ISBE
Strategies will be presented to enhance the abilities of upper elementary and middle school students to comprehend their content area textbooks. Techniques for teaching these strategies to students will be demonstrated. Participants will gain practical knowledge that may be used immediately in the classroom in order to promote student achievement.
Strand: Content/Instruction
Room: Salon 4Audience: I/MS
9:15 – 11:30 FEATURED SPEAKER
Preventative Approaches to Problem Behavior – Middle/High School
(2-Hour Session)
Dr. Terry Scott, Professor
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
Research indicates that consideration and altering of key environmental variables can decrease the probability of problem behaviors across students. This session will present a framework for the use of effective preventative approaches. Participants will see multiple examples of how such approaches have been implemented in middle and high school settings – as well as the data demonstrating positive effects.
Strands: Special Education/Subgroup Populations
Data/Assessment
Room: Salon 5Audience: MS/HS
9:15 – 11:30
Objective One: Making Learning Fun!
(2-Hour Session)
Deborah Harman, Educational Consultant
Can the way we teach something really make a difference? Why do many 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students not know their multiplication facts? Why do students thrive in some classrooms and not in others? When was the last time you heard a student say that his/her class was exciting and motivating? Maybe educators need to consider putting the fun back into learning while at the same time raising student achievement. This interactive session will address these questions as we explore different ways to teach the necessary skills that our students struggle to master. We will also look at ways to remember the information we learn. Using brain-based research and various areas of memory such as emotional memory or episodic memory, teachers can help students recall the information they have been taught. Ideas and teaching strategies on how to effectively use these areas of memory will be shared. Participants will receive a handout with this information as well as copies of a few of the actual games we will play. This is a fun, fast paced, energetic session that models the techniques we need to see in our classrooms. The audience will be actively involved in various games and strategies that will help them to both experience and understand how this type of teaching can ensure that our students not only have fun learning…they remember!
Strand: Content/Instruction
Room: Salon 6Audience: P/I/MS
9:15 – 10:15
Distributed Learning Here and Now
Sandi Atols, Manager for Distance Learning
Chicago Public Schools, Chicago, IL
Research suggests that distance education course offerings and enrollments have proliferated at post-secondary education institutions within recent years. There is anecdotal and now quantitative evidence from the Dept. of Education that 36% of all public schools offer some form of distance education, and of those, 76% are high schools. Technology based education at the secondary level enables school districts to expand the range of courses available to their students and facilitates more flexibility in students’ schedules and instructional delivery. By providing choice, addressing students’ individual needs and learning styles, and using the tools millenniums have used, school becomes more meaningful and valuable. Online students are re-engaged in learning skills needed to succeed in today’s global society. Chicago has been partnering with the Illinois Virtual High School to provide online course opportunities for its high school students. In a second prong of CPS’ distributed learning program, beginning this year a cadre of teachers will be trained to use on line tools and make these available to their traditional classes. All of the students in these traditional classes will have the same 24 hour access to online tools giving the students opportunities for collaboration, communication, and sharing with their instructors, their peers, and experts, as well as access to posted resources and web links. Recognizing that teenagers are social beings that long to communicate, this should prove to be a catalyst for renewed interest in learning and subject matter understanding.
Strand: Content/Instruction
Room: Ben HoganAudience: HS
9:15 – 10:15
Capture, Analyze, Action: A Complete End to End Process!
Sid Siddiqui, Founder and Chief Technology Officer
MazikUSA, Inc., Park Ridge, IL
Attend this session to see how a combined SIS assessment and Data-analysis solution could help your school district, staff and teachers automate and speed-up the decision making process for low achieving students. When it comes to improving student achievement scores, timely intervention on desired actions is the key to the success. The goal for this discussion is to go over a one-solution approach vs. multiple data silo approach. Learn the benefits of using such a system and take a peek in to the future and what kind of solutions are emerging on the horizon. There will be plenty of “What If” scenarios and a brief discussion on the benefit for educators!
Strand: Data/Assessment
Room: Jack NicklausAudience: All
9:15 – 10:15
Preparing Teachers and Students to be Technology Literate
Educational Platinum Sponsor – CPS eLearning
Tracy Arrington-Wesson, Chicago Public Schools
Ashanti Jefferson, Chicago Public Schools
Learn how a large urban school district has responded to the challenge of ensuring that: 1) All students are technology literate by the end of 8th grade, and; 2) All teachers are able to integrate technology effectively. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) developed a comprehensive approach based on the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for Students and Teachers. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) will feature the CPS project in its new book on Resources for Student Assessment. Presenters will share lessons learned from pilot testing and implementing assessments, professional development, andcurriculum enhancements based on the NETS. Participants will receive support materials they can use in their own districts.
Strands: Content/Instruction
Data/Assessment
Room: Arnold PalmerAudience: All
9:15 – 11:30
Working with Students from Poverty
(2-Hour Session)
Linda Delimata, Educational Consultant
Lee/Ogle ROE # 47, Grand Detour, IL
This workshop provides strategies for helping students in the low-income sub group increase academic achievement. The information is based upon the works of Ruby Payne in “The Framework for Understanding Poverty.” Information will also be provided on the law regarding education of students who may be considered homeless.
Strand: Subgroup Populations
Room: Preservation AAudience: All
9:15 – 11:30 FEATURED SPEAKER
Standards-Based Grading Practices that Provide Effective Feedback
(2-Hour Session)
Dr. Debra Pickering, Educational Consultant
Littleton, CO
This session will present specific recommendations for, and examples of, transforming K-12 grading practices. Building on Robert Marzano’s book, Transforming Classroom Grading (ASCD), and drawing from experiences working with elementary and secondary teachers, Dr. Pickering will help participants increase their understanding of the issues related to changing grading practices and provide opportunities to practice using record-keeping formats that are both feasible and informative. The challenges unique to elementary and secondary implementation, including issues related to parent communication, will also be addressed.
Strand: Data/Assessment
Room: New Orleans BallroomAudience: All
9:15 – 10:15
Reading Across the Content Areas Using Digital Tools
Kellie Doubek, Educational Consultant
Plainfield, IL
Active learning strategies will not only build literacy skills, they will also increase students’ comprehension of content area you teach! This session isn’t about “adding” to your already packed curriculum. It’s about using effective strategies that have been proven to increase achievement. Get management tips and technology how-to’s for success. Bring your textbooks and leave with practical activities that you can start using immediately!
Strand: Content/Instruction
Room: Ruby – Computer LabAudience: MS/HS
9:15 – 10:15
Moving New Teachers Forward
Vicki Hensley, Assistant Regional Superintendent
Nicki Rosenbaum
I-KAN ROE, Kankakee, IL
Come to this session to hear about the new and improved statewide Induction initiative, Induction for the 21st Century Educator. Through a partnership with the New Teacher Center, University of Santa Cruz, the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards were put under the microscope and examined. The question is, how can the standards be more user friendly for our new teachers? The product of this partnership will be shared with all those who attend the session.
Strand: Content/Instruction
Room: CoralAudience: All
9:15 – 11:30
Teaching with M.E.R.I.T. (2-Hour Session)
Carol Weimer, Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction
Rotolo Middle School, Batavia, IL
Students are excited about learning when they “perceive a need” to pay attention. Teaching with MERIT ensures that the learning experience will be highly engaging for the student. “M” stands for memory enhancement, “E” represents the emotional component in a lesson, “R” represents relevance, “I”stands for the integration of learning styles and subject areas and “T” represents transfer of the knowledge to other areas. Participants will learn how to incorporate these ideas in their lesson plans and create a highly engaging classroom.
Strand: Content/Instruction
Room: SapphireAudience: MS/HS
9:15 – 11:30
An Easy-to-Use SIP Template (2-Hour Session)
Jack Stoudt, Educational Consultant
ROE #28, Bureau, Henry, Stark Counties
This workshop is designed for teachers and administrators who are responsible for school- or district-level School Improvement Plans. Participants will see a school improvement template suggested by ISBE, but with many features added by ROE consultants. The template is prepared as a MS WORD “form” document, allowing easy entry of data. It includes instruments for analyzing a variety of data, including essential data drawn from the NIU Illinois Interactive Report Card (IIRC) web site and other relevant sources. The data analysis leads to an “action plan” (the heart of a SIP) and suggests responses to the required narratives in the plan template. This template could save you time and effort! The template will be available to Illinois schools without charge.
Strand: Data/Assessment
Room: Turquoise A- Computer Lab Audience: All
9:15 – 11:30
Constructivism: Learning’s an Inside Job
(2-Hour Session)
Elaine Bauman, Consultant
Robust Connections, Oak Park, IL and West 40 ISC# 2, LaGrange Park, IL
Which ball do I drop? Teachers ask this question—only sometimes out loud—as they examine research-based learning, learning styles, MI and EI. Robust Connections links ways to build up students’ brain/mind Power Tools to encourage inside-out learning. Students who are aware of and make use of their own styles, intelligences and mind powers are able (and most often willing) to fully participate in their own learning. At the workshop and in your classroom, have fun, reduce stress, and achieve!
Strand: Content/Instruction
Room: Turquoise B – Computer LabAudience: All
9:15 – 10:15 FEATURED SCHOOL
Connecting Curriculum Through the Humanities
Dr. Andrew Tinich, Principal
Catherine Joyce, Art Teacher
Leann Despotes, Librarian
Ann Patricia Duffy, Assistant Principal, 8th Grade LA &
Social Studies Teacher
Lincoln Elementary, District 299, Chicago
The Abraham Lincoln Elementary School has systematically increased academic achievement in a heterogeneous environment through the development of a horizontally and vertically articulated standards-based curriculum which includes art, music, French language and culture, library science and physical education. Each grade level instruction works with his/her peers to develop a common learning experience of high academic quality for all students. Performance based assessments are integral to learning. A safety net of extended day instruction before and after school is utilized for at risk students.
Strands: Content/Instruction
Data/Assessment/
Special Education/Subgroup Populations
Family/Community/School Climate
Room: JadeAudience: P/I/MS
10:30 – 11:30 KEYNOTE SPEAKER - BREAKOUT SESSION
Conscious Classroom Management: Bringing Out the Best in Students and Teachers
Rick Smith, Educational Consultant
Fairfax, CA
This lively session provides teachers with an understanding of the often invisible skills needed to successfully manage their classrooms. Participants will walk away with reduced anxiety and many specific strategies they can use immediately.
Strand: School Climate
Room: Salon 1Audience: All
10:30 – 11:30 FEATURED SPEAKER
Literacy Centers I
Linda Holliman, Bookworks Consulting, Inc.
Centennial, CO
In this session Linda Holliman, author of The Complete Guide to Classroom Centers will discuss Curriculum, Clock and Classroom so that centers will be successful long term. Literacy centers should be purposeful and meaningful, curriculum driven not extra work, and a support for guided reading. We will explore all of these issues as well as looking at utilizing classroom space with both stationary and mobile centers.
Strand: Content/Instruction
Room: Salon 2Audience: P/I
10:30 – 11:30
Leadership and Literacy for Learning
Glenn “Max” McGee, Superintendent
Wilmette School District #39, Wilmette, IL
While the Achievement Gap continues to be the most critical problem facing Illinois Education, several Golden Spike and Spotlight Schools across the state are finding solutions to it. They are closing the gaps, making steady improvement and sustaining high levels of student achievement. Likewise, a handful of high poverty, high performing schools across the country have also identified what it takes to eliminate the achievement gap. Having researched and visited several of these schools, the presenter will discuss the common elements they all share: leadership and literacy as well as how they are connected in order to make real gains and sustain them over time. Learning from successful cases in rural, urban and suburban schools, participants will walk away with rich, real world examples of how leaders create a shared, common vision, deliver professional development that improves teaching and learning; and craft a culture of literacy where reading comes first.
Strand: Content/Instruction
Room: Salon 4Audience: All
10:30 – 11:30
Getting Ready for ISAT Math, Grades 3-8
Linell Lasswell, Asst. Supt. Of Curriculum/Instruction
DeKalb Community School, DeKalb, IL
Participants will review the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) goals, standards and assessment framework for mathematics. A sample of activities related to the most critical math standards will be explored along with resources available on the ISBE website and other web resources.