{"success":true,"data":[{"ID":526,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1444683666,"CreatorID":4735,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"Can students find their passions through independent study?","Handle":"can_students_find_their_passions_through_independent_study","ShortDescription":"We know that students learn best when they seek answers to their own questions, but what happens when they aren\u2019t sure what those questions are? How might we empower students not only to follow their passions but to discover them as well? Let's discuss.","Description":"What if you told a group of high school students, \u201cYou can study anything you want this semester. What\u2019s it gonna be?\u201d Would you get excited smiles? Blank stares? A little of both? How would you guide that group of folks to explore their passions in an academic setting, focusing on the growth and discovery instead of on acquiring someone else\u2019s content?\r\n\r\nBy their freshman year, the majority of students in the US have been trained to define academic success as being sufficiently engaged in what others have told them to do. While most of this has been identified as developmentally appropriate education (though the jury\u2019s still out on that, depending on whom you ask), schools like SLA have proven that high school is a powerful time to begin empowering students to explore their own interests. \r\n\r\nRather than asking young people what they want to be when they grow up, The Miami Valley School in Dayton, OH is asking high school students what they want to be NOW. We are currently in the third year of an experimental course we\u2019re calling \u201cThe Learning Project\u201d that has aspects of traditional group-taught courses and independent study. Come hear what we\u2019ve learned so far about the differences between engagement and empowerment, what our students have had the most difficulty with, and what processes we\u2019ve built to support this work.","Link":["http:\/\/www.bryanlakatos.com","http:\/\/www.newteachingnewlearning.com","http:\/\/www.mvschool.com"],"Audience":["High School"],"Practice":"We\u2019ll include time throughout for us all to discuss ideas of academic ownership, engagement, and empowerment. At the end, after we get a definition of student \u201cempowerment,\u201d we\u2019ll share stories of successes and not-yet-successes when empowering students. Also, if at all possible given bandwidth and time, we\u2019ll set up a live vidchat with Learning Project students so that participants can find out what it\u2019s like to be a student in such an environment directly from the source.","Presenter":["Bryan Lakatos"],"PresenterAffiliation":["www.mvschool.com","www.dtk12chat.com"],"PresenterEmail":["bryan.lakatos@gmail.com"],"ScheduleSlotID":61,"ScheduleLocationID":5,"SubmitterID":4735,"AdditionalComments":"Thanks for continuing to make space in this world for the important conversations!","LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":null,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":5},{"ID":545,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1446052796,"CreatorID":4735,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"Effective Project Based Learning in High School","Handle":"effective_project_based_learning_in_high_school","ShortDescription":"Presenters will discuss the writing of original high school curricula grounded in inquiry and PBL. Participants will learn effective project design and assessment and view examples of student work created in high school subjects. Students from Philadelphia Performing Arts\u2026 will participate in the conversation. Participants can contribute ideas and practices.","Description":"This conversation will explain how two teachers at Philadelphia Performing Arts: A String Theory Charter School write original curricula for their high school math and English courses that is grounded in projects that drive student inquiry and learning. The facilitators will address and explain how teaching in a 1:1 iPad and Apple Distinguished School enables them to use the iPad, iTunes U, and iOS apps to enhance and up-level student learning and create rich learning experiences via these tools and project assignment. Both facilitators have multiple years of experience teaching in a 1:1 learning environment and graduate degrees (in instructional technology and school leadership respectively). Facilitators plan to bring student guest to share work and participate in the discussion.\r\n\r\nParticipants will gain an understanding of what project based learning is and why it is successful in high school classrooms. Participants will also gain an understanding of how to create an effective project based learning experience in each major academic subject area. Participants will see and be inspired by specific examples of project based learning experiences originally designed by the presenters and their colleagues for the major academic subject areas and student work created for these projects that show the success these projects have met. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to share knowledge and experiences and interact with the presenters so that conversation can be tailored to the specific interests of the participants.\r\n\r\nThroughout our presentation we will demonstrate the ways we present our projects and material to students through iTunes U and iOS apps.","Link":["https:\/\/about.me\/cohencasey","http:\/\/www.ledfordbarbara.com"],"Audience":["High School"],"Practice":"Student guest speakers and participants will participate in the sharing of ideas and best practices throughout the conversation. Today\u2019s Meet will be used as a back channel and a reference. The #educoninquiry will be used to continue to the conversation.","Presenter":["Casey Cohen","Barbara Ledford"],"PresenterAffiliation":["Philadelphia Performing Arts: A String Theory Charter School"],"PresenterEmail":["ccohen@stringtheoryschools.org","bledford@stringtheoryschools.org"],"ScheduleSlotID":63,"ScheduleLocationID":5,"SubmitterID":4735,"AdditionalComments":"Vote for us. :)","LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":null,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":5},{"ID":601,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1446437964,"CreatorID":4735,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"Back(ground) to Front","Handle":"back-ground-to_front","ShortDescription":"Inquiry requires students to consult sources, but those sources often assume that audiences have background knowledge that not all students possess. This session will help educators be conscious of the tools that they use to fill in background knowledge and plan strategies to help students build those tools for themselves.","Description":"Participants will begin in small groups reading articles about subjects that they are likely to be unfamiliar with. (Examples: articles from the Guardian about a Test cricket match or a British parliamentary procedure.) They will identify phrases or references that they are unfamiliar with and share how this unfamiliarity made them feel about finishing the article. This will lead to a brief session-wide discussion of the importance of background knowledge for inquiry. \r\n\r\nIn the small groups again, participants will brainstorm a list of the types of sources that they might expect their students to consult during an inquiry process, and the background knowledge that these sources might expect from their audience. The groups will then share out their results.\r\n\r\nThe presenter will describe a couple of techniques for providing students with background knowledge, including prepared vocabulary lists and the use of \u201cexplainer\u201d sources. Them the small groups will brainstorm additional techniques and resources and share those results with the group.","Link":["http:\/\/www.notnews.org"],"Audience":["High School"],"Practice":"Throughout each round of brainstorming and sharing, the presenter and participants will work on creating a shared Google doc that will serve as a reference guide and record of the proceedings.","Presenter":["Dave Thomer"],"PresenterAffiliation":["Parkway Center City"],"PresenterEmail":["davethomer@comcast.net"],"ScheduleSlotID":64,"ScheduleLocationID":5,"SubmitterID":4735,"AdditionalComments":null,"LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":null,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":5},{"ID":525,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1444507924,"CreatorID":4735,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"Create Something Great","Handle":"create_something_great-2","ShortDescription":"How do you bring the most innovative teachers in a school district together to network with experts in education, industry, and technology to shift instructional practice? You Create Something Great! Join the conversation about a think tank that ignited passion and enthusiasm for innovation with teaching and learning.","Description":"Create Something Great: an innovative shift in instructional practice. \r\nShifting instructional practice from a traditional model to an innovative constructivist learning model for a large school district can be a daunting task. It starts with one small statement between two educators. The statement, \u201cWhat we need is a think tank for teachers.\u201d became a catalyst for change in the Douglas County School District.  It just takes a vision for collaboration and networking.  You can do this too. \r\n\r\nA think tank was created for teachers by teachers to come together for a three day think tank to reinvent American education. Incorporating the design thinking protocol participants created prototypes for shifting instructional practice. This highly successful think tank has transformed teaching and learning from an event to a culture of innovation.  As a follow-up the teachers created a network that has evolved into monthly meetups to support the implementation of their prototypes. \r\n\r\nTo quote some of our participants, \r\n\u201cI loved being pushed to think outside the box and develop truly innovative ideas.\u201d\r\n\u201cOne of the best professional development opportunities in my 21 years as a teacher.\u201d\r\n\u201cI feel incredibly inspired about next year.\u201d\r\n\u201cThis was a fabulous experience. I can\u2019t wait to continue the journey.\u201d\r\n\r\n\r\nJoin us in a conversation and share ideas regarding the expansion of this local network to a national conversation that will empower educators, community members, and industry to collectively transform the culture of American education by building common understandings, designing specific solutions, and implementing sustainable reform.","Link":[],"Audience":["All School Levels"],"Practice":"Presenters will share the change that they have experienced through this think tank in their district. We will show a video with students and teacher members of CSG network to hear how it has impacted instruction and learning. The idea building and conversation will continue through the Create Something Great site.\r\nA challenge will be provided for the participants and the Sharing Best Practices protocol will be used to guide participants to explore ideas and ways to expand this project. \r\nChallenge: How do we expand this local conference to a national think tank for shifting instructional practice?\r\nParticipants will address and share with others through empathetic dialogue three items that address issues that can shift mindsets.\r\nThe changes that have happened with instructional practice in their own school district\r\nHow they can scale the positive direction of any change in instructional practice,\r\nDetermine whether a shift in practice is or can actually grow, or if it resides in pockets without a way to expand and grow.","Presenter":["Mary Murphy","Russell Loucks"],"PresenterAffiliation":["Douglas County School District Colorado"],"PresenterEmail":["mary.murphy@dcsdk12.org","russell.loucks@dcsdk12.org"],"ScheduleSlotID":69,"ScheduleLocationID":5,"SubmitterID":4735,"AdditionalComments":"We presented at the 2015 EduCon conference and we are excited about the possibility of presenting at the 2016 conference.  Thank you for extending an invitation to us!","LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":null,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":5}],"conditions":{"Status":"Accepted","ConferenceID":5,"ScheduleLocationID":5},"total":4,"limit":false,"offset":false}