{"success":true,"data":[{"ID":461,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1414880433,"CreatorID":79,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"Closing the Gender Gap in Innovation: Engaging Girls in STEM","Handle":"closing_the_gender_gap_in_innovation--engaging_girls_in_stem","ShortDescription":"This conversation will focus on how to empower young women to enroll and succeed in STEM based courses. Here from a panel of four innovative young women enrolled in Burlington High School's Student Technology Innovation and Integration course. Learn about their programs best practices and leave with student generated ideas on how to increase enrollment among young women in the STEM courses offered at your own school.","Description":"Currently, there is a shortage of women pursuing STEM based degree programs, resulting in a shortage of women in STEM based careers. It is crucial that educators find ways to empower and nurture the young women of today and provide them with skills, knowledge, and confidence to be the great thinkers, makers, and creators of tomorrow. Join Instructional Technology Specialist Jennifer L. Scheffer and four of her female students for a critical conversation about how we can close the innovation gender gap and engage young women in STEM related courses. Under Jennifer's leadership, she has been able to bring four exceptionally talented women into the Student Technology Innovation and Integration course at Burlington. She plans to continue to recruit, inspire, and develop female STEM leaders. Her passionate and \"grit driven, learn by failing and doing\" approach has resonated with girls and the results have exceeded her expectations. There are still many challenges ahead in closing the gender gap, but a frank conversation about the realities of girls in STEM and what we can do to get them on a level playing field with their male counterparts is an essential first step. Jennifer will share curriculum best practices, but more importantly, she will share the voices of her female students. Each young lady, all high school seniors, will explain her reasons for joining the Technology Innovation course as well as her intended career goals. They will discuss the obstacles for girls in STEM and offer strategies for helping girls realize STEM is a viable and exciting potential career path.","Link":["http:\/\/bhshelpdesk.com","http:\/\/catastrophicblog.wordpress.com","https:\/\/johnson0helpdesk.wordpress.com","http:\/\/miramehdi.wordpress.com","https:\/\/brainyobrien.wordpress.com"],"Audience":["High School"],"Practice":"While we do plan to bring a presentation of slides, the purpose of the slides will be to share student work exemplars as well as resources for session attendees. We plan to design this conversation as a spontaneous and interactive discussion. We will provide a platform to exchange ideas, ask questions of the student panelists, and will curate all that is shared using a Google Doc or a similar tool. We would also like to give participants the opportunity to actually SEE the innovative work student panelists have done through live demonstrations. This may include demonstrating an augmented reality experience or a live Google Hangout On Air. The ultimate goal is to share as much student voice as possible, as that will be the most powerful.","Presenter":["Jennifer L Scheffer","Mira Mehdi","Cat Hoyt","Kristin Johnson","Kelsey O'Brien"],"PresenterAffiliation":["ISTE- Digital Citizenship PLN","Mass CUE"],"PresenterEmail":["jscheffer@bpsk12.org"],"ScheduleSlotID":43,"ScheduleLocationID":2,"SubmitterID":79,"AdditionalComments":"Burlington High School is entering its fourth year as a 1:1 Apple Distinguished,  Google Apps for Education learning environment. Our Help Desk program serves as a model,for student run tech teams across the globe. Our blog has 125,000 view and counting.","LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":null,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":4},{"ID":409,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1411420763,"CreatorID":79,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"Can we and should we assess character?","Handle":"can_we_and_should_we_assess_character","ShortDescription":"Grit.  Curiosity.  Integrity.  Empathy.  Our national (and global) educational conversation is increasingly about the importance of these skills.  Can we and should we assess them in our schools? Let's discuss.  Among other things, we'll look at the Mission Skills Assessment, which measures Teamwork, Creativity, Ethics, Resiliency, Curiosity, and Time Management.","Description":"The Mission Skills Assessment is currently used in 100 schools globally, and is open\/available to all types of schools (for grades 6-8).  It measures student proficiencies and growth in Teamwork, Creativity, Ethics, Resiliency, Curiosity, and Time Management.  \r\n\r\nA recent 2013 report by the RAND Corp for the Asia Society deemed it the singularly best tool available for \"measuring 21st century competencies.\"  I recently researched and wrote a 64 page user's guide and toolkit for MSA schools, and found lots of great examples of how schools are using this character assessment-- and I heard concerns, as well.   \r\n\r\nIn this session we'll look at sample questions and items, discuss the methodology, discuss the applications, and debate the value of doing this kind of character assessment.   Attendees will learn more about this particular tool and about the broader work of assessing character and 21st c. skills.","Link":["http:\/\/www.21k12blog.net"],"Audience":["All School Levels"],"Practice":"Working groups studying assessment items. \r\nSmall group discussion of a case study. \r\nFull group discussion and debate","Presenter":["Jonathan Martin"],"PresenterAffiliation":["Independent Writer and Consultant"],"PresenterEmail":["jonathanemartin@gmail.com"],"ScheduleSlotID":45,"ScheduleLocationID":2,"SubmitterID":79,"AdditionalComments":null,"LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":null,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":4},{"ID":487,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1415124035,"CreatorID":79,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"The Race Discussion for Beginners\/Dummies: Crafting Transformative Classroom Conversations about Loaded Topics","Handle":"the_race_discussion_for_beginners-dummies--crafting_transformative_classroom_conversations_about_loaded_topics","ShortDescription":"SLA Teachers share a toolkit for planning and facilitating powerful classroom discussions, especially the important conversations about identity, race, and power. SLA students will discuss the benefits and challenges of participating in inquiry-driven conversations, and will offer tips for success from their perspectives.","Description":"Using Identity, Race and Power as a lens; we will discuss how to build an environment that encourages students to . . .\r\na) Listen patiently and actively to each other.\r\nb) Recognize and work towards shared and personal goals.\r\nc) Develop their academic resiliency.\r\nd) Speak honestly and openly in a diverse environment.","Link":[],"Audience":["High School","Middle School"],"Practice":"We will challenge teachers and student to add to our toolkit. We will make this tool kit public.","Presenter":["Matt Kay and Pearl Jonas"],"PresenterAffiliation":["Science Leadership Academy"],"PresenterEmail":["pjonas@scienceleadership.org","mkay@scienceleadership.org"],"ScheduleSlotID":46,"ScheduleLocationID":2,"SubmitterID":79,"AdditionalComments":null,"LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":null,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":4},{"ID":493,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1415994905,"CreatorID":88,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"Convergence Re-imagining Education Project: Envisioning the Future of Learning.","Handle":"convergence_re-imagining_education_project--envisioning_the_future_of_learning.","ShortDescription":"Over the last 18 months, a startling group of diverse, extraordinary education practitioners and advocates came together, built trust and resilient relationships, and aligned on a vision of learning that addresses questions like: What do we want most for our children? They are now acting together to realize their vision.","Description":"The Convergence Re-imagining Education Project began with these questions: What do we want most for our children? And what learning experiences and environments can best foster that? \r\n\r\nOver the last 18 months, a startling group of diverse, extraordinary education practitioners and advocates came together, built trust and resilient relationships, and aligned on a vision of learning that addresses those and other questions. They are now acting together to bring their vision alive and transform education.\r\n\r\nParticipants in the Convergence Re-imagining Education project include, for instance: Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers; Lily Eskelsen, President of the National Education Association; Stuart Butler, Senior Fellow at Brookings and former Director at The Heritage Foundation; Stephan Turnipseed, Executive Director of Strategic Partnerships, LEGO Foundation; Liz Fogel, Director of Education, Walt Disney Company; Maddie Fennell, former Nebraska Teacher of the Year; Michael Hinojosa, former District Superintendent, Cobb County, Georgia; Bobbi Macdonald, Founder and Executive Director of City Neighbors Charter School; Marc Magee, CEO of 50CAN; Jen Humke, Program Officer, MacArthur Foundation; David Andrews, Dean of Johns Hopkins School of Education; and Sam Chaltain, writer. \r\n\r\nThe group came together recognizing they had strongly held and often divergent views on a number of current issues and controversies in public education. They were tired of the same recurring debates about what is wrong with today\u2019s education system and who is to blame for its inadequacies, and realized that no amount of tweaking the current, industrial-era system would create a truly fulfilling learning environment. The group was determined to create a vision of the future of education that could achieve that and unite them. And they did. \r\n\r\nAfter engaging in a challenging, dialogic process spanning six 2-day meetings, the group stands united behind a vision of a learning environment that is structured with the learner at its center. In this vision, all children thrive, are able to deeply engage in their own communities and the global community, truly enjoy learning, and are prepared and excited for their future. Learners are seen and known as wondrous, curious individuals with vast capabilities and limitless potential. \r\n\r\nLearners seek mastery not only of core knowledge but also of skills (such as communication, collaboration and metacognition) and dispositions (such as curiosity, adaptability and resilience) that promote lifelong success. To ensure development in these three domains for all learners, the group envisions learning experiences characterized by five interrelated elements. Taken together, they form a new design for learning:\r\n\r\n\u2022\tCompetency-based\r\n\u2022\tPersonalized, relevant and contextualized\r\n\u2022\tLearner agency\r\n\u2022\tSocially embedded\r\n\u2022\tOpen-walled\r\n\r\nIn addition to the elements, the vision addresses core components of a transformed system, including for instance: how learning spaces might be re-imagined; how a coordinated network of adults will support each and every learner; the meaningful use of data and technology; and, assessments \u201cfor\u201d and \u201cas\u201d learning. \r\n\r\nThe group\u2019s vision document is designed to catalyze a new national conversation about education transformation and to become a rallying point for a network of pioneers who are already, or would like to be, working along similar lines.","Link":["http:\/\/www.convergencepolicy.org"],"Audience":["All School Levels"],"Practice":"We expect this to be an interactive, dialogic process involving everyone in the room. We will ask people to explore questions like: How do you see a child? What beliefs about children are embedded in the current system? We will also solicit an exchange on our vision, including the elements and system components.","Presenter":["Kelly Young"],"PresenterAffiliation":["Director","Convergence Re-imagining Education Project"],"PresenterEmail":["kelly@convergencepolicy.org"],"ScheduleSlotID":51,"ScheduleLocationID":2,"SubmitterID":88,"AdditionalComments":"Hello Chris, As we discussed on the phone, we would like Kelly to present with one of the educators in our group. I have asked Maddie Fennell, a former Nebraska Teacher of the Year and a current literacy coach at Miller Park Elementary School in Omaha, to join us. If Maddie cannot join us, we may bring Dwight Davis, an educator here in Washington, DC. Both would be excellent. Thank you!  Laura","LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":null,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":4},{"ID":407,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1411406984,"CreatorID":15,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"Getting our Kum-ba-ya On","Handle":"getting_our_kum-ba-ya_on","ShortDescription":"Mindfulness is the new buzzword in EduCircles these days. But what is it, exactly? What does it look like in different incarnations and different settings? Is it a relaxation technique, a stress reducer, or the feel good hit of the new school year? Is Mindfulness a passing fad or the key to powerful teaching and learning- or something in between?","Description":"In light of the ever-increasing pressures facing students and teachers, is it any wonder that we're reaching for new tools to keep us focused and balanced? Mindfulness seems like an easy solution. It does't cost much, there are no expensive materials and really- how hard is it to teach people to breath and be present? As a result, myriad programs have sprung up around the concept- some of dubious quality, all introducing the ideas from different perspectives.  What's the difference between the good ones and the weak ones? What is *your* experience with Mindfulness in schools? Has it worked for you kids? Why (or why not)?","Link":["http:\/\/mindfulnessineducation.wordpress.com"],"Audience":["All School Levels"],"Practice":"I'll spend just a few minutes (no more than 10) sharing some examples of what I mean by Mindfulness, followed by discussions focused around the questions included above using either a whole group (if the group is small) or small group to large group (if it's large) discussion format.","Presenter":["Susan Dreyer Leon"],"PresenterAffiliation":["Antioch University New England"],"PresenterEmail":["sdreyerleon@antioch.edu"],"ScheduleSlotID":53,"ScheduleLocationID":2,"SubmitterID":15,"AdditionalComments":"You can also find me on Twitter and Pinterest @MindfulEducator","LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":null,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":4},{"ID":504,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1420581229,"CreatorID":88,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"Approaching Authentic Assessments","Handle":"approaching_authentic_assessments","ShortDescription":"Project-based learning gives\r\nteachers the opportunity to bring learning closer to students' real\r\nlives. But how can we make sure the final projects we ask students\r\nto create both require them to use real-world skills and spark\r\ntheir curiosity, inquiry, and imaginations? Instead of asking\r\nstudents to make projects that approximate real-life for the\r\nfuture, how can we ask them to do meaningful assessments that\r\nmatter for real life today?","Description":"Project-based learning gives\r\nteachers the opportunity to bring learning closer to students' real\r\nlives. But how can we make sure the final projects we ask students\r\nto create both require them to use real-world skills and spark\r\ntheir curiosity, inquiry, and imaginations? Instead of asking\r\nstudents to make projects that approximate real-life for the\r\nfuture, how can we ask them to do meaningful assessments that\r\nmatter for real life today?","Link":[],"Audience":["All School Levels"],"Practice":"Project-based learning gives\r\nteachers the opportunity to bring learning closer to students' real\r\nlives. But how can we make sure the final projects we ask students\r\nto create both require them to use real-world skills and spark\r\ntheir curiosity, inquiry, and imaginations? Instead of asking\r\nstudents to make projects that approximate real-life for the\r\nfuture, how can we ask them to do meaningful assessments that\r\nmatter for real life today?","Presenter":["Max Rosen-Long"],"PresenterAffiliation":["Science Leadership Academy @ Beeber"],"PresenterEmail":["mrosen-long@slabeeber.org"],"ScheduleSlotID":54,"ScheduleLocationID":2,"SubmitterID":88,"AdditionalComments":null,"LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":null,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":4}],"conditions":{"Status":"Accepted","ConferenceID":4,"ScheduleLocationID":2},"total":6,"limit":false,"offset":false}