OIE's 2017 Annual Education Innovation Conference

09/26/2017 10:15 AM - 10:45 AM
Mentor Mentor Session
Don Siviski
Center for Secondary School Redesign
Mentor

Mentor Session

09/26/2017 11:00 AM - 01:00 PM
Keynote (Keynote) LAUNCH Into Design Thinking
John Spencer
George Fox University
Keynote

Despite the myth of “digital natives,” most of my students have very little experience using technology as anything more than a consumer device. It doesn’t have to be this way. By using a design thinking framework, teachers can foster creative thinking in every content area and help students develop a maker mindset.  

09/26/2017 01:15 PM - 02:00 PM
45 Minute Session What does a 21st Century Administrator Look Like?
Darryl Adams
retired Superintendent of Coachella Valley
45 Minute Session

A 21st Century administrator effectively models digital-age skills and leadership to communicate and interact digitally with their constituents. These administrators always redefine ways to infuse technology for inspiring staff and students in the transformation of school culture and learning environments. Administrators in school districts all over America are learning to leverage and integrate multiple forms of digital tools and media and are role models and game changers in school transformation! 21st Century Administrators are also utilizing many skills and strategies such as visionary leadership and servant leadership to create a culture and vision that leads to boundless innovation. Dr. Adams will share his experiences and techniques that has led him to being one of the most influential 21st Century leaders in America! 

09/26/2017 01:15 PM - 02:00 PM
45 Minute Session Team Digital-Helping Build the Foundation for Student-focused Education
Rachel Schell
Team Digital
45 Minute Session Mentor Session

Arkansas has a team of digital learning support specialists (Team Digital) to assist schools with student-focused learning. The session will include introductions to Team Digital members, areas of the state we cover, and services we provide.  This session also includes a brainstorming activity centered around student-focused learning. In turn, this will provide topics for discussion pertaining to specific guidance areas provided by Team Digital Specialist. Schools can share their dream with the audience and then be provided feedback regarding the steps for achieving that dream. The purpose of the activity is to assist and explore building a foundation for their vision of the future. Team Digital will provide resources and next steps for planning and implementing student-focused learning in their district.


  • Participants will be able to identify the building blocks for implementing student-focused learning. 
  • Participants will be able to describe their vision of the future for personalized learning at their school. 
  • Participants will be able to utilize the resources provided and begin discussions to develop a plan for implementation.
  • Participants will be able to arrange a personalized envisioning meeting for their district to begin building their remixed school of the future.

09/26/2017 01:15 PM - 02:00 PM
45 Minute Session The Five Tenets of CBE and the What Why and How of Implementation
Don Siviski
Center for Secondary School Redesign
45 Minute Session

1)      Participants will investigate the five components of Competency Based Education (mastery of standards, meaningful assessments, kid friendly language, customized pedagogy and deeper learning DOK and executive skills) and explore the “What Why and How” of culture change. Each participant will gain a personal interpretation of CBE based upon CCSSO and iNACOL definition and understand how student voice and choice and agency can strategically evolve into the culture of a district. Each participant will be provided an opportunity to share and develop their own interpretation as well as share/assess those realities with colleagues.

 

09/26/2017 01:15 PM - 02:00 PM
45 Minute Session Creating and Managing School-Based FIRST LEGO League Programs
Richard Cassady
FIRST LEGO League Arkansas
45 Minute Session

FIRST is an international organization dedicated to the promotion of STEM education and careers thru competitive robotics activities. FIRST operates four K-12 robotics programs including FIRST LEGO League Jr. (ages 6-10), FIRST LEGO League (ages 9-14), FIRST Tech Challenge (junior high and high school), and FIRST Robotics Competition (high school). FIRST LEGO League and FIRST LEGO League Jr. both emphasize the FIRST ideal of #morethanrobots. In both programs, students conduct a scientific research project and build a robot using a LEGO Education platform (WeDo and/or MINDSTORMS in FIRST LEGO League Jr. and MINDSTORMS in FIRST LEGO League). Both programs also require students to present and defend their research and robotics work to a panel of judges/reviewers. Therefore, these programs develop students' skills in mechanical design, computer programming, research, and communication. In addition, FIRST is the only robotics organization that has developed materials for K-12 educators that are mapped to national education standards. In this session, I will provide an overview of FIRST LEGO League Jr. and FIRST LEGO League. This overview will include a summary of what takes place during each season and a description of what materials are required to manage an in-class or after-school program. I will also describe the ways in which I provide training for and support teachers as they become coaches and coordinators within these programs.

09/26/2017 01:15 PM - 03:00 PM
Workshop Leading Personalized Learning: Enhancing and Empowering Professional Development
Ryan Krohn
Institute for Personalized Learning
Workshop Mentor Session

Most professional development for teachers now misses out on a chance to create an embedded model of professional development that is centered on the acquisition of skills and the application of these practices into every classroom. The key to developing a flexible PD model begins with a willingness to break some rules. Be it new teacher development, district priorities, or personalized PD, it is the role of leadership to change the equation to create organizational learning systems that support the primary outcome: learning. Come to this session to challenge yourself, and our system, to create a new equation that resulted in learning for students and professionals.

09/26/2017 01:15 PM - 03:00 PM
Workshop Introducing Your Classroom, School or District To Blended Learning
Judy Perez
iLearn Collaborative
Workshop Mentor Session

 Educators will become blended learners.  Participants will engage in blended learning via rotation and self-blend models.  Presenters will lead discussion defining blended & personalized learning using virtual collaboration tools. Participants will experience learning via a rotation model model and will cover session topics: the "WHY", BL models, case studies of various implementations of blended learning, and  education leader, teacher, and student perspectives.  Participants can opt to continue access to a professional learning mini course via a self-blend model. 

09/26/2017 02:15 PM - 03:00 PM
45 Minute Session Leading a Culture of Change
Jon Laffoon
Star City School District
45 Minute Session

Change is a high-reward, high-risk proposition. Creating an innovation culture requires a different approach to leadership, a different way of thinking about yourself, and a different way of being mindful of your school culture.  This session is a predecessor to creating innovative change. Learn from an experienced educator about what can make change "stick".  Jon will create a roadmap for change with concrete steps for leading successful innovation. He will share his experiences in leading two different cultures of change from two different communities. 


09/26/2017 02:15 PM - 02:45 PM
Mentor Mentor Session
Darryl Adams
retired Superintendent of Coachella Valley
Mentor

Mentor Session

09/26/2017 02:15 PM - 02:45 PM
Mentor Mentor Session
Kenneth Grover
Innovations Early College High School
Mentor

Mentor Session

09/26/2017 02:15 PM - 03:00 PM
45 Minute Session CBE: Assessing where you are and how to decide next steps
Don Siviski
Center for Secondary School Redesign
45 Minute Session

1)      Participants will dive deeper into CBE and the 48 components of the “Tradition Transition and Transformational Instrument”. Participants will complete the TTT survey instrument, which will provide each participant with a starting point for their school’s journey towards CBE. Change Cycle and Leadership responsibilities, which include: influence, persistence and moral imperative will be shared throughout the presentation. Each participant will reflect upon the complexity of educational systems change and develop a personal strategic plan to engage the community and ensure collegial understanding, acceptance and support as well as a sensitivity of culture change and the “unlearning process”. Each participant will be provided an opportunity the Tradition, Transition, Transformation Survey instrument and collectively critique rough draft strategic plans.

09/26/2017 02:15 PM - 03:00 PM
45 Minute Session Genius by Design
John Spencer
George Fox University
45 Minute Session

Genius Hour (or 20% Time) has become a popular initiative within some of the most innovative companies in the world. But how do we actually pull this off in the classroom? What does it look like for standards alignment and assessment? What types of structures do we need to create to facilitate meaningful student inquiry? How do we organize it? What changes do we need to make in procedures and classroom management? In this workshop, we explore the nitty gritty details of Genius Hour through design thinking. 

09/26/2017 02:15 PM - 03:00 PM
45 Minute Session Leveraging Digital Tools to Close the Achievement Gap
Sandra Hollaway
Wynne Intermediate School
45 Minute Session

Learn how to use rigorous and meaningful curriculum and formative assessment, with an emphasis on digital tools, to co-create goals with students, identify student learning strengths and needs, to close the achievement gap. Wynne has been a School of Innovation for two years now and has identified some best practices for using a variety of multi-purpose digital tools.


09/26/2017 03:15 PM - 04:00 PM
45 Minute Session Rites of Passage: How Teachers and School Leaders Can Advance Educational Equity
Bryant Best
Council of Chief State Officers
45 Minute Session

Access to high-quality teaching and learning opportunities should be a rite of passage for all American children. Instead, we see varied and disparate gaps not only in academic achievement across our nation’s public education system, but gaps in life outcomes as well. This session will leverage educational equity documents produced by national organizations such as the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL) in order to help teachers, school leaders, and district leaders create a common ground about what is and what isn’t educational equity as well as how we can advance it in a way that benefits all children. 

09/26/2017 03:15 PM - 03:45 PM
Mentor Mentor Session
Jim Rickabaugh
Institute for Personalized Learning
Mentor

Leadership/Personalized Learning/Transformation Processes Mentor Session

09/26/2017 03:15 PM - 04:00 PM
45 Minute Session Move Innovation to Action! Engage Your Stakeholders’ Support and Input Through Communication
Denise Airola
Office of Innovation for Education
45 Minute Session

Anxious to get started to put your ideas for innovation into action? Don’t leave your stakeholders behind - learn some ways to leverage stakeholder ideas into opportunities! In this session, you’ll engage in identifying the key concerns of your major stakeholder groups to proactively plan for engagement, communication, and innovation.

09/26/2017 03:15 PM - 04:00 PM
45 Minute Session The Nest: Come learn how Pea Ridge Elementary is transforming into a student focused learning system.
Mindy Bowlin
Pea Ridge Primary
45 Minute Session Mentor Session

Young learners make big strides when allowed to work in multi-age settings with a keen focus on meeting students where they are.  Enhancing student self-confidence and leadership skills while capturing our young students’ excitement and love of learning, makes our “Nest” a unique elementary learning opportunity.  We will share our structures, instructional practices and successes as well as lessons learned. Focus on data driven reflective practice is an integral part of the success of our program.

09/26/2017 03:15 PM - 05:00 PM
Workshop Teachers to Teachers: Transform your Professional Development through Classroom Learning Labs (Part 1 & 2)
Laura Robinson
Kent Career Tech Center, Kent ISD
Workshop

Teachers to Teachers: Transform your Professional Development through Classroom Learning Labs

 Classroom Learning Labs (Part 1):

Come to discuss how a dedicated group of individuals can learn to lead their own professional development. Teachers have so much collective wisdom to share; in opening the doors of the classroom ALL become leaders of learning! This session will focus on what a Learning Lab is, and how you can structure it to fit every unique circumstance. It is a structure that allows teachers to learn directly from other teachers through the use of structured protocols. A focus on data collection and sustainability of practice are key components of successful classroom learning labs.

 

Teachers to Teachers:  System approach to yearlong professional development

Classroom Learning Labs and Cohort groups (Part 2) Come to learn about the systematic approach we have in place to deepen learning and community; dream about possibilities that will allow you to grow and sustain your own collaborative communities. Classroom Learning Labs help teachers see and understand great learning practices. To sustain and grow the learned practices, an individualized learning community supports all levels of learning. We will discuss the components of successful implementation district wide.



09/26/2017 03:15 PM - 04:00 PM
45 Minute Session PBL @ the Campus Level
Rachel Scott
College Hill Academy of Design, Texarkana Arkansas School District
45 Minute Session

Leadership for project based learning (PBL) happens across a continuum of support.  A key component for taking PBL to scale is creating building level capacity. This workshop will focus on processes for implementing, supporting and sustaining PBL at the campus level.   Participants will leave with practitioner tools for PBL capacity building including protocols, processes and timelines that can be modified for your setting.  They will be shared from the context of the ongoing College Hill Academy of Design PBL story.




09/26/2017 03:15 PM - 04:00 PM
45 Minute Session How Student Voice and Choice Drive our Innovation
Crystal Beshears
Office of Innovation for Education
45 Minute Session

Student Panel - Moderated by Crystal M. Beshears, Ph.D.

Join Pangburn and Newport High Schools, two pioneering Schools of Innovation from Arkansas, for a heartfelt conversation on the impact of student focused learning. Both schools put students at the center-encouraging students to use their voice and increasingly make choices about their learning - with the support of encouraging adults. These schools allow learners to co-design their learning. Learners at both schools are taking greater ownership of their learning, finding meaning and purpose, and are becoming increasingly independent.

09/26/2017 03:15 PM - 04:00 PM
45 Minute Session Diamonds Designed & Defined; Engage Student Success
Lori Lamb
Arkansas Department of Education
45 Minute Session Mentor Session

Research clearly demonstrates the value and need for skills that promote successful engagement.  CASEL, NDPN, ASCD, etc. continue to publish relevant articles, research and information concerning the whole child and developing coordinated efforts to promote success.  AR Personal Competency Initiative through the development of Goal # 3, has innovative work occurring around the topic.  Connections with competency-based and student focused personalized learning systems will be demonstrated.  Survey results, guiding principles, resources, practices within AR and so much more.


09/26/2017 04:15 PM - 05:00 PM
45 Minute Session You can have it all: The importance of teacher leadership and adult learning in sustaining innovation
Michael Davis
Blytheville High School
45 Minute Session

This session explores the role of teacher leaders in sustaining innovation.  Join Blytheville School District, Blytheville High School and Blytheville Middle School leaders to learn how they assessed their approach to teacher leadership then built a system that nurtures and engages teacher leaders and supports adult learning.

09/26/2017 04:15 PM - 05:00 PM
45 Minute Session What is Personalized Learning?
Kenneth Grover
Innovations Early College High School
45 Minute Session

Overview of the current pedagogical shift in education. Attendees will establish a common language and gain a basic understanding of what it means to personalize the learning for students in their school.

 

Learn about the do’s and don’ts as you begin to transform your classroom and school. Attendees will discuss the idea of change vs. transformation and perceived vs. real barriers in school redesign. Attendees will also have an opportunity to consider how they can incorporate aspects of personalized learning in their classrooms and school wide.

09/26/2017 04:15 PM - 05:00 PM
45 Minute Session The Learner: A Resource We Can Count on!
Ryan Krohn
Institute for Personalized Learning
45 Minute Session

Join Dr. Ryan Krohn, Director of the Institute for Personalized Learning, for an interactive conversation centered around the relationship between function and design.  Explore how improvement and efficiency efforts, instead of core purpose, contributed to the decline, and even extinction, of major companies/organizations. Connect the why behind personalized learning to an intentional how. Participants will learn about how schools and districts across the nation are building an infrastructure for the learner. Leave the session with practical strategies for re-framing your personalized learning vision and for shifting your organization's paradigm.

09/26/2017 04:15 PM - 05:00 PM
45 Minute Session SOI Application Tips
Cindy Hogue
ADE
45 Minute Session

What are the characteristics of a strong SOI application?

You will receive the latest information on the 2017­18 School of Innovation (SOI) Application Process, as well as tips on how to strengthen your proposal based on lessons learned in the first two rounds of applications. Learn more about how ADE and the OIE can help you based on where you are in the application process.

09/26/2017 04:15 PM - 05:00 PM
45 Minute Session Hitting the “RESET” Button: The 21st Century Whole Child School
Pam Hogue
Weiner Elementary School
45 Minute Session Mentor Session

The 21st Century Whole Child “RESET” transforms a student’s inward and outward vision of themselves and their future by focusing on world cultures, acquisition of a second language, technology for learning and sharing, development of soft skills, community service, and creative problem based learning. This RESET, and our SOI, believes that each child deserves the opportunity to live the life they choose --not a life determined by their circumstances.



09/27/2017 08:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Keynote Leave No Child Offline Leave No Teacher or Parent Behind
Dr. Darryl Adams
retired Superintendent of Coachella Valley
Keynote

 Keys to Transforming to a Digitalized 21st Century School Environment for All!

Digital equity and access in the 21st century are crucial to students being able to compete on a global level and teachers and parents must also be a part of the progress forward! There are few places in society where technology is not utilized or playing an important role. As a result, it’s more critical than ever that students graduate with the 21st-century literacy and technology skills they need to navigate and succeed in our increasingly interconnected, digital world. It is just as important that teachers and parents understand their role! Dr. Darryl Adams will share the story of how one of the poorest school districts in America helped to lead in the transformation of education in America by including students, teachers and parents in the process and the vision of educational equity for all! Future Ready because the Future is Now!

09/27/2017 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
45 Minute Session Leading Change Through Innovation
John Unger
Decatur Middle School
45 Minute Session

Following the design set forth in John Kotter’s book Leading Change, our team will discuss the process of leading change using an innovative design. The presentation will guide you through Decatur Middle School’s change process and will discuss the three key principles necessary to drive change in schools: developing a sense of urgency, forming a guiding coalition, and promoting leadership over management.  We will also discuss the importance of having a vision and empowering action among the teachers.  You will leave the presentation with the foundational knowledge to build a positive culture through innovation, as well as, 10 innovative ideas for teachers to implement in and out of the classroom.  

09/27/2017 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
45 Minute Session Assessment Literacy, Student Assessment Rights, and ESSA
Sarah McKenzie
Office for Education Policy
45 Minute Session

Inspired and informed by work with the National Task Force on Assessment Education, work with schools across Arkansas and the nation, and the new flexibility provided by ESSA, Dr. Sarah McKenzie will offer insight on how assessment can support accountability and student learning, while honoring student and parent rights. Expect to expand and integrate your understanding of assessment literacy (including formative assessment), major shifts present in ESSA, and ways we can ensure students understand both where they are in their learning and what they need to do to grow their understanding.  

09/27/2017 10:15 AM - 10:45 AM
Mentor Mentor Session
Ryan Krohn
Institute for Personalized Learning
Mentor

Leadership for the Systematic Implementation of Personalized Learning Elements - Mentor Session

09/27/2017 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
45 Minute Session If they Build it - they will Stay! Utilizing Flexible Learning Environments to Personalize Education
Mark Oesterle
Fayetteville Public Schools
45 Minute Session

Flexible learning environments and personalized education are front and center when it comes to innovation in the classroom. But simply creating flexible learning environments is not enough. Utilizing student voice to create the learning space is critical to establishing a successful program. Flexible learning environments must focus on supporting the 4 C's of 21st Century Learning: Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration and Creativity.  When schools involve students and focus on the right work innovation in the classroom soars!

09/27/2017 10:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Workshop Breaking With Tradition: The Shift to CBL through PLCs
Jonathan Vander Els
New Hampshire Learning Initiative
Workshop Mentor Session

Competency-based learning is gaining significant traction throughout the United States and the world.  Jonathan Vander Els has spent the past decade facilitating this change process as a building principal, and now supports educators throughout the nation in transitioning to a model of learning based upon what students know and are able to demonstrate.  In this session, participants will learn how the four questions of a professional learning community provide the foundation to transitioning to a competency-based model, and will provide the structure to reflect on your school's progress.


09/27/2017 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
45 Minute Session Providing Students Access for Success
Matthew Swenson
Cross County High School
45 Minute Session

Districts and schools are faced with a variety of challenges, inherently. To compound the issue, challenges, especially challenges that are difficult to overcome, are complex and often appear unsolvable. In this session, you will join the leaders of CCHS as they elaborate on their journey overcoming a challenge: building a college and career access program through the lens of implementing internships in a school located in a town with a population of 700. Challenge: rural location. Solution: 41 authentic, personalized virtual internships with professionals from 17 states and 2 countries. If you value personalized learning experiences, student engagement in professional mentorship, or if you have a challenge you are ready to overcome — this session is for you!

09/27/2017 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
45 Minute Session A Team-Teaching Approach to Personalized Learning
Kate Sommerville
Institute for Personalized Learning
45 Minute Session Mentor Session

In a time of constant change and pressure, districts are faced with rethinking education to better meet the needs of the many diverse learners in their schools. Join Kate Sommerville, Professional Development Specialist for the Institute for Personalized Learning, as she shares one elementary school’s journey in creating, scaling, and implementing a personalized, blended learning model. Through team teaching, innovative spaces, and technology use, Swanson Elementary transformed from a legacy school environment to one that promotes collaboration, creativity, communication, critical thinking, and student voice and choice. As a former classroom team-teacher, Kate Sommerville will share her personal roadblocks, data results, and what a day is like for a teacher and an engaged student as part of TEAM Togetherness. She will also share the various technology tools she found most successful within her learning environment.


09/27/2017 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM
45 Minute Session How To Set Your School on F.I.R.E.!
Buddy Berry
Eminence Independent
45 Minute Session

For those that haven't heard about the introduction to the School on F.I.R.E. philosophy (from last year's keynote), this session is for you! Dr. Buddy Berry will take us through his journey in reimagining Eminence Independent Schools to design a next generation “Dream School” rooted in personalized learning, and centered around innovation and creativity. The Eminence Independent school district has redesigned its instructional experience for kindergarten through 12th-grade students with its Framework of Innovation for Reinventing Education model using online, blended and competency-based education in their quest to be the Disney World of Schools. Eminence has utilized technology as the main driver for their success combined with Yes, And thinking; Surprise and Delight; and starting to Think Differently about solutions..  



09/27/2017 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Mentor Mentor Session
Kenneth Grover
Innovations Early College High School
Mentor

Mentor Session

09/27/2017 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Mentor Mentor Session
Bryant Best
Council of Chief State Officers
Mentor

Mentor Session

09/27/2017 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
45 Minute Session Blue Lobster Ideas and How to Grow Them
Buddy Berry
Eminence Schools
45 Minute Session

Calling all World Changers! Blue Lobsters only occur in one out of every two million lobsters due to a rare genetic trait. What traits, habits, and dispositions can schools or teachers focus on to grow one in a million ideas. This session will be inspirational, humorous, and practical. Everyone will leave with ideas for immediate implementation

09/27/2017 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
45 Minute Session Micromessages + GIRLSwSTEAM; Inspiring Girls with Creative Innovation
Natalie Holliman
Little Rock School District
45 Minute Session


Micromessages allow students to obtain information about your dialogue.  In the STEM disciplines it's imperative that we seek language to motivate all students in these fields.  The focus of this workshop will be on Coding using Innovation with Micromessages that support all students, especially girls in the classroom. Taking a stance with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), we highlight the Principles to Actions -Access and Equity Guiding Principle in order to promote that all students have: access to a high-quality curriculum, effective teaching and learning, high expectations, and the support and resources needed to maximize their learning potential” 


09/27/2017 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
45 Minute Session Leveraging Online and Blended Learning to Innovate
Cary Stamas
MySchool@Kent, Kent ISD
45 Minute Session

How can schools work to meet the increasing need for alternatives, flexible environments, and provide service for long-term suspended, expelled or medically/psychologically fragile students? How can content be creatively embedded in advanced electives to provide flexibility for 9th and 10th grade students to explore or advance? Hear how a County-Wide ISD in Michigan has provided options and flexibility to hundreds of students and helped to keep students connected to their LEA and community by utilizing online content, blended learning environments and local community partnerships to provide alternatives to traditional brick and mortar classrooms. Parent feedback: "Thank you for having the courage to stand against the chaos eating away inside so many families these days!  Thank you for providing a place for the square-pegs-in-the-round-holes of the public school system-- not just to fit in -- but thrive!"

09/27/2017 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
45 Minute Session State Policy Strategies Towards a Long-Range Vision for the Future of Education
Maria Worthen
iNACOL
45 Minute Session

What are the essential elements of a K-12 education system capable of preparing all students to succeed in higher education, flourish in a 21st century workplace and participate effectively as citizens? How can policymakers support a vision of transformation to personalized, competency-based education to help all students to succeed? Maria Worthen, Vice President of Federal and State Policy at iNACOL will provide a national overview of policy opportunities and trends, and engage participants in an interactive workshop to identify the issues that policymakers will need to tackle to make this vision a reality.

09/27/2017 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
45 Minute Session Building Leadership Capacity While Implementing Flexible Scheduling
Courtney Jones
Lincoln High School
45 Minute Session

At the high school level, flexible scheduling opens up new doors for students and teachers and their learning journey. Such changes, however, also require leadership capacity school-wide. It is imperative to have building leaders, beyond administrators, for a solid and successful implementation of flexible scheduling. By building capacity as part of your flexible scheduling innovation, you will ensure ownership and support for one of your most valuable assets, your teachers. 

09/27/2017 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
45 Minute Session Using ESSA to Advance Social-Emotional Learning at the local Level
Bob LaRocca
Transforming Education
45 Minute Session

This session will introduce attendees to the topic of social-emotional learning (SEL), provide recent examples of SEL measurement in action, and explain how ESSA enables the advancement of SEL at the state and local levels. In particular, the session will address the following questions: What is SEL and why does it matter? How can SEL be assessed? What steps can local educators take to embed SEL measures in schools? What policies are states pursuing to incorporate SEL within their systems? How can SEL measures work to support all students and advance equity? 

09/27/2017 12:15 PM - 02:00 PM
Keynote A New Era for Learners and Learning
Jim Rickabaugh
Institute for Personalized Learning
Keynote

Keynote:
Today’s learners and educators are trapped in an education system that was designed to serve the needs of a by-gone era. We have spent decades pressuring people and demanding greater accountability. Yet, the problem we face is not one of effort and will not be solved through pressure; it is a problem with the design of the system itself. The time has come to rethink much of what we have assumed about teaching and learning. Our challenge is to develop high capacity, flexible learners, not just good students who are capable of being taught. This opening session will explore the drivers of this new era for learners and learning.


09/27/2017 02:15 PM - 03:00 PM
45 Minute Session Personalized Learning for Students with Disabilities: Learning Transformation or Fad?
Ace Parsi
National Center for Learning Disabilities
45 Minute Session

Is personalized learning a passing fad, or is it a legitimate means to provide educational excellence and equity for all students? The

answer to this question is still being written. This presentation will cover learning from two years of National Center for Learning

Disabilities' exploration of this question and will present findings on unique challenges and benefits personalized learning presents

for students with disabilities and actions local and state stakeholders can take to turn the challenges into benefits.


09/27/2017 02:15 PM - 02:45 PM
Mentor Mentor Session
Buddy Berry
Eminence Independent Schools
Mentor Mentor Session

This session will focus on how to implement a "best practice" approach to teaching through "next practice" systems. Highlights will include how to use technology to drive student engagement, blended classrooms, prescribed learning, student collaboration, critical thinking, and much more!

09/27/2017 02:15 PM - 03:00 PM
45 Minute Session Tapping the Power of Personalized Learning: A Conversation with the Author
Jim Rickabaugh
Institute for Personalized Learning
45 Minute Session Mentor Session

This session will feature a brief introductory presentation on the history of the Institute for Personalized Learning and practical strategies on how to use Tapping to Power of Personalized Learning. The remaining time will feature an extended conversation about the issues, opportunities, skills and strategies associated with introducing and growing personalized learning. Bring your experiences, questions and insights.  


09/27/2017 02:15 PM - 03:00 PM
45 Minute Session Assessment is More Than a Test - What does it mean to be innovative in assessment?
Hope Allen
Arkansas Department of Education
45 Minute Session Mentor Session

Assessment is an integral part of effective teaching and learning.   Being innovative in assessment can move student performance to a whole new level.   Participants will see examples of innovative assessment from around the state and nation as well as learn about supports available from ADE.  

09/27/2017 02:15 PM - 02:45 PM
Mentor Mentor Session
Kate Sommerville
Institute for Personalized Learning
Mentor

Team teaching; Personalized learning in an elementary setting; Assessment in elementary PL classroom

09/27/2017 02:15 PM - 03:00 PM
45 Minute Session Creating a Collaborative Learning Culture through Student Voice
Blaine Alexander
Arkansas Leadership Academy
45 Minute Session Mentor Session

 The dynamics of public schools traditionally reflect the model in which adult educators are assigned the responsibility of creating, designing and leading the educational journey for the students in the school.  Adults make the majority of decisions based on what is determined paramount through the adult perspective.  Traditionally, student views and opinions are discounted as having less legitimacy than the views of adults, but as attitudes toward students and young people change, different views
have arisen associated with these changes (Manefield et al., 2007).  As student voice becomes defined, the meaning does not merely suggest that students have the opportunity to communicate ideas and opinions, but also have the power to influence change (West, 2004).  Fletcher (2005) describes student voice as “validating and authorizing students to represent their own ideas, opinions, knowledge and experiences throughout education in order to improve our schools” (p. 5).  Students become active participants in their education, including making decisions about what and how they learn and how their learning is assessed. Mitra (2009) defines these student-teacher partnerships as “relationships in which both youth and adults have the potential to contribute to decision making processes, to learn from one another, and to promote change.”  Mitra (2009, p. 409) suggests that “providing youth the opportunity to participate in school decision making that will shape their lives and the lives of their peers, and increasing student voice in schools offers a way to re-engage students in the school community.”  Increasing student voice in our public schools means there will be a cultural change where traditional, ineffective practices no longer exist.  The culture will be one of collaboration, trust, and mutual respect between teachers and students.  

This session will address how to build a collaborative learning culture between the adults and students by formalizing processes to create opportunities for increasing positive student-teacher relationships.  Participants will be introduced to research that shows a correlation between student voice and student engagement and student achievement.  

09/27/2017 02:15 PM - 04:00 PM
Workshop Do They Really Know It? Why Performance Assessments Provide the Evidence
Jonathan Vander Els
New Hampshire Learning Initiative
Workshop

Many traditional assessments rely on students' ability to memorize and regurgitate facts.  So how do collaborative teams develop performance assessments that actually measure students' competency, or ability to transfer their learning in and across subject areas.  Jonathan Vander Els led his own school in rethinking assessment practices and in developing performance assessments to help determine who was truly proficient.  Because of his district's success, they were one of the original four nation-wide granted a waiver by the USED to utilize teacher-created performance assessments as an integral component of their assessment and accountability model.

09/27/2017 02:15 PM - 04:00 PM
Workshop At the crossroads: Student Agency meets authentic community projects
Bud McMillion
Arkadelphia High School
Workshop

Are your students partnering to tackle your community’s challenges?  Arkadelphia High School will present their award-winning micro-shelter project, developed for the Students Design for Change challenge through Arkansas Tech University.  Students will be joined by teachers and district officers, who will talk about the value of authentic community connections as a vital component of student engagement and the drivers for shifting instructional practices to ensure more learners are designers.

09/27/2017 02:15 PM - 03:00 PM
45 Minute Session Personalized Learning For the Whole Child
Darryl Adams
retired Superintendent of Coachella Valley
45 Minute Session

"Personalized Learning For the Whole Child: Helping Them Find Their Passion in Life So They Never Have to Work A Day in Their Life!" 

 

Special education students have had Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for decades. It is way past time to allow all students to have the same specialized attention and program. Many school districts are changing the script and changing the game from a traditional 20th century education system to a truly 21st century personalized individualized education system based on student interest, talent and passion. I call it the “Help them find their passion in life and they never have to work a day in their life" system. Personalized learning  programs and plans, done correctly, prepare students to become who they want to be as opposed to what we want them to be! Dr. Adams will discuss and explore his experience with this innovation prospect for systemic change!  

09/27/2017 03:00 PM - 03:30 PM
Mentor Mentor Session
Pam Hogue
Weiner Elementary School
Mentor

21st Century Whole Child

09/27/2017 03:15 PM - 04:00 PM
45 Minute Session Flip, Snap, & Tweet! Become a digital tools superhero!
Anna Warriner
South Central Service Educational Cooperative
45 Minute Session

Want to add some super powers to your assignments, classroom, or professional learning community by adding a digital component?  Join us for this interactive workshop in which we explore how digital tools can increase engagement and allow for students to have voice and choice in responding and completing assignments. We will be diving into Flipgrid, Pic Collage, See Saw, Twitter, and Snapchat (Yes, really!).  In fact, you will learn how the #BookSnaps sensation is sweeping across the country.  Use your superhero technology skills to create a Twitter and Snapchat account before you come.


09/27/2017 03:15 PM - 04:00 PM
45 Minute Session Personalized Learning ends: Powerful Outcomes-Innovations Story
Kenneth Grover
Innovations Early College High School
45 Minute Session

If your students could design their school, what would it look like? If you could design a school, what would it look like? Attendees will find out what happened when a school asked these very questions and then had the courage to implement them! 

09/27/2017 03:15 PM - 04:00 PM
45 Minute Session Beyond the classroom: A Personalized Adventure Education
Stan Karber
Lincoln Consolidated School District
45 Minute Session

The Lincoln Middle School has a very personalized educational approach that is based on adventure activities and getting our students "outside" of their comfort zones. We have an amazing resource in Lincoln, Lincoln Lake, a 130 acre recreational park that has rock climbing, hiking, canoeing, mountain biking, and fishing. It's located just 6 miles from our campus and provides our district with an opportunity to take our students out of the classroom and incorporate core educational concepts with any of the available adventure activities. We have intertwined leadership skills, team building, academic integration and physical challenges to help further develop personal relationships with our students that we believe is vital to their success. Lincoln Personalized Adventure Education is enriching lives, developing relationships, and leaving memories that reach far beyond classroom walls.  Rethink the 4 walls of your school and learn some ways to build powerful and meaningful relationships with your students.

09/27/2017 03:15 PM - 04:00 PM
45 Minute Session Designing The School of the Future . . . Today!
Buddy Berry
Eminence Independent Schools
45 Minute Session

This session will focus on how to implement a "best practice" approach to teaching through "next practice" systems. Highlights will include how to use technology to drive student engagement, blended classrooms, prescribed learning, student collaboration, critical thinking, and much more.