Generating Standards-Based Lessons:
Planning and Implementing Lessons in the Age of Standards

Presenter: John Lester

In the Age of Standards, learning is directly related to the instructional needs of students and to the learning skills and concepts found in the standards. This workshop focuses on 10 changes that need to take place in the classroom in order for teachers to create effective differentiated lessons that challenge all learners and create First Class Teaching™. How can teachers create meaningful, challenging and creative lessons from the common core standards? Highlights from the book, “Generating Standards-Based Lessons” (Lester, 2007) are shared along with essential changes that need to take place in order to create effective lessons and assessments that lead to greater student achievement. Workshop includes teacher inventories, video clips, humor, and teacher activities.

RtI and DI:
Making the Connections Explicit

Presenter: Dr. Diane Heacox

The 2004 Reauthorization of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) prompted many American schools to change to a new paradigm. Response to Instruction/Intervention and differentiation are closely linked; however, some school leaders fail to make the connections. As RTI is implemented, differentiation is deepened because its strategies become even more specific to a learner’s needs. This institute will focus on developing an understanding of the explicit connection between RtI and DI and how it has the potential to strengthen and deepen the practices of differentiation in the classroom therefore leading to increased student achievement.

Classroom Management

Presenter: Robert Hudson

Teachers play various roles in a typical classroom, but one of the most important is that of classroom manager. Effective teaching and learning cannot take place in a poorly managed classroom. But a well-managed classroom doesn’t just happen. It takes a good deal of effort to create—and the person who is most responsible for creating it is the teacher. Take away tips and tools from this session to improve classroom management and positively impact student learning.

Technology in the 21st
Century

Presenter: Lee Crockett

Today’s world is different for our children. The technologies we take for granted or simply don’t understand have become a part of our children’s identities.  This digital bombardment is shaping who they are and who they will become.  We must realize they live in a different world, and speak a different language.  Participants will explore the characteristics of the new digital generation and how education can be modified to enhance their learning experiences while support both traditional literacy and essential new 21st Century Fluencies.  Attendees will see how the digital generation thinks, learns, views the world and interacts as they are followed through the digital landscape.  If we want to take part in nurturing those who will be the architects of our future it is up to us to learn their language and step into their world.

Meeting the Challenges of
ELL and Poverty

Presenter: Dr. Gloria Landson Billings

Educating teachers to work well in multicultural classrooms has become an all-important educational priority in today’s schools.  Participants at this institute will learn that culturally relevant teaching is not a matter of race, gender, or teaching style, but what matters most is a teacher’s efforts to work with the unique strengths a child brings to the classroom.  This session will illustrate how good teachers can meet the challenges of teaching students from highly diverse backgrounds.