Learning First Alliance / Rhode Island                     Technology Conference 

 

We want to welcome you to register for our 2nd Annual Technology Conference, "Digital Learners: Empowering Educators". Rhode Island leading educators will be presenting a variety of topics and welcome you to "Bring Your Own Device" (BYOD) so that you can engage in an interactive learning opportunity. 

Schedule of Events  

Registration, Vendor Exhibits, Breakfast                                                                       8:00 - 8:30 am

Opening Remarks                                                                                                  8:30 - 8:40 am

Session A (select one from below)                                                                         8:45 - 10:15 am

Workshop A-1: Update and Upgrade Your Existing Units by Integrating Technology for Secondary Teachers                                                                      

Bring along that unit or lesson that you have been teaching for years and learn how to update it with technological tools available to you for free! A variety of examples will be presented on how you can enhance what you already do and transform it by incorporating technology like PollEverywhere, Wallwisher, Livebinder and Evernote. Participants should bring a laptop or tablet to this workshop.

Target Audience: Middle Level, HIgh School Teachers

Presenter: Dr. Andrea R. Pleau, Smithfield Public Schools

Workshop A-2: Building Capacity for Innovative Instruction                               

Chariho High School has dedicated this year to preparing for our 1:1 Initiative in the fall of 2014. Led by a Technnology Fellow, Librarians, Model Educators and Pilot Teachers, CHS staff members will provide attendees with a professional Development Plan, Innovative applications of technology in the classroom, and a reflective examination of our preparations for transforming instruction and learning through technology. Participants should bring a laptop or tablet to this workshop.

Target Audience: High School teachers, Administrators

Presenters: Jessica Geremia, Craig Mackenzie, Mary Moen, Chariho High School

Workshop A-3: Designing Supprts for Online Inquiry in Grades K-6                   

Join us as we explore instructional techniques that actively engage elementary aged children in the beginning stages of inquiry using the internet while building skills in reading comprehension and critical thinking. Learn paractical ideas for how to design and implement internet inquiry baskets, Mystery Photos, Guided Reading Inquiry Centers, and Structured Inquiry Projects. Come prepared for both demonstration and discussion about how these ideas might play out with your students. Walk away with access to PowerPoint slides and a companion website of online resources to use as a springboard to inquiry in your classroom. Participants should bring a laptop or tablet to this workshop.

Target audience: Elementary Teachers

Presenter: Julie Coiro, Associate Professor, University of Rhode Island 

Workshop A-4: Digital Formative Assessment                                                   

This is an interactive workshop that will guide you step - by - step in the creation of digital formative assessment using Google Forms, Flubaroo and (time permitting) Socrative. To fully participate in this workshop, you willl need a laptop. Educators will be provided access to a flipped lesson on Digital Formative Assessment via the Sophia platform to support their continued learning. Through  this workshop educators will be supported in using 21st Centruy Skills aligned to NETS.S standards 2, 5 to develop and provide high quality instruction and formative assessment.

Target Audience: K-12 Teachers, Higher Ed., School Administrators, Central Office Administrators, School Counselors, Support Staff

Presenter: Paula Dillon, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Barrington Public Schools

Workshop A-5: Transforming Your Math Classroom with Real World Applications                               

With a larger emphasis placed on mathematical modeling and 21st century skills, there is an increased need for real world applications in the classroom. In this workshop, educators will learn about free programs that they can use in their math classrooms to teach geometry, algebra, and functions (grades 7 - 10) in a creative and innovative way. Students can learn career-oriented skills: such as coding and architecture, to democtrate mastery of math comcepts. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop to this workshop.

Target Audience: Middle Level Teachers, High School Teachers

Presenter: Roshni Mirchandani, Highlander Institute

Workshop A-6: Content Curation for Student Inquiry Learning                    

Internet access has made student-driven inquiry learning and teaching easier than ever. One large challenge facing teachers and students is how to digitally curate, or effectively organize and share materials for both collaborative and personal learning. This sesion will introduce teachers to numerous curation tools, provide time for participants to explore the tool that best meets their needs, and feature a discussion of how these tools can be used to facilitate meaningful inquiry and cross-discipline projects and products. Participants should bring a laptop or tablet to this workshop.

Target Audience: Middle Level Teachers, High School Teachers

Presenter: David Quinn, Ph. D. Student and Graduate Assistant - URI / RIC Ph. D. in Education

 

Workshop A-7: Social Media for Educators CANCELLED

This session is on basic use of popular social platforms, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. In addition to discussing how to use the tools, there will be a focus on how to use the tools to share stories and advocate for the profession.

Target Audience: Teachers, School Counselors & Support Staff

Presenter: Asher Huey, Online Communications, American Federation of Teachers

 

Networking and Vendor Visits                                                                                 10:20 - 11:05 am

Session B (select one from below)                                                                       11:10 am - 12:40 pm

Workshop B-1: Collaborating in the Cloud      

Participants will learn cloud platforms to support collaboration and extend skills in the Common Core. BYOD and participants will use Google hangout, Dropbox, and Vocethread to conference, organize, and post information. The presenter will provide a learning extension for all participants with voluntary Hangouts on three future dates.

Target Audience: All

Presenter: Laura Miceli, Principal, Edward Everett Elementary School, Boston Public Schools

 

Workshop B-2: Re-Defining Professional Development: A Blended Approach

Participants will understand the three esential elements: collaboration around a targeted practice, embedded dialogue/reflection/resource sharing, and increasing capacity/scale up utilizing technology rather that only face-to-face. A model that is currently being used in Rhode Island schools will be demonstrated. This model consists of mostly free tools. Presenter will lead a discussion on how this could be developed in your school/district.

Target Audience: All

Presenter: Nicole Bucka, RTI/MTSS Technical Assistance, Education Consultant, Northern Rhode                          Island Collaborative

 

 

Workshop B-3: Teaching Adolescents How to Critically Evaluate the Quality of Online Information                    

This workshop pairs several critical evaluation challenges with a corresponding set of comprehension strategy lessons that address the Common Core State Standards while supporting students across the curriculum in Grades 6 - 12. Participants will learn about the faulty criteria adolescents typically use to judge the quality of online information and then explore ideas for teaching students how to evaluate the relevancy, accuracy, reliability, and stance of information they encounter on the Internet. Walk away with several online activities you can use immediately in your classroom. Participants should bring a laptop or tablet to this workshop.

Audience: Middle Level Teachers, High School Teachers, Higher Education

Presenter: Julio Coiro, Associate Professor, University of Rhode Island

 

Workshop B-4: Selecting Tools for Technology Integration                                

This is an interactive workshop that will guide you step-by-step in the creation of blended lessons that empower, engage, and enhance student achievement. We will review the SAMR and TPACK model and align tools to objectives. We will also explore resources to help you strategically upgrade units and lessons through technnology integraton. To benefit from full participation in this workshop, participants should bring a laptop computer. Through this workship educators willl be supported in using 21st Century Skills to develop and provide high quality instruction aligned to NETs 1, 2 & 3 and will receive access to a Sophia flipped lesson to continue their learning.

Target Audience: All

Presenter: Paula Dillon, Director of Curriculum Development, Barrington Public Schools,                                                      Adjunct MAT Professor, Bryant University

 

Workshop B-5: Using Social Media in the Classroom                                                            

Outside of school, most students (and adults) utilize social media to learn, create, or share information with their peers. It is time to break down school walls and bring social media into the clasroom.. In this interactive workshop, participants will learn how to integrate sites such as Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, anf Vine into their classrooms as effective tools for engagement and mastery. Participants are encouraged to bring a smartphone or tablet for this workshop.

Target Audience: Middle Level Teachers, High School Teachers, School Administrators

Presenter: Roshni Mirchandani, Highlander Institute

 

Workshop B-6: Personalizing Learning Using Digital Technology                                

Participants will learnd statewide steps taken to integrate technology as an essential element in the process of personalizing learning. national medels and trends will be shared as lessons learned from the Rhode Island Department of Education's (RIDE) Innovation Powered by TEchnology. Presenters will provide valuable resources to support digital transition and blended learning. 

Target Audience: K-12 Teachers, School Counselors, School Administrators

Presenters: Sharon Lee and Holly Walsh, Office of Multiple Pathways, RIDE

 

Workshop B-7: Share My Lesson & Common Core: Collaborative Opportunities for Educators   CANCELLED

Developed by teachers for teachers, Share My Lesson offers over 300,000 resources covering all subjects and grades. The site also houses the most Common Core resources available for teachers. Come to this session to find out how to find resources and how to share your own resources. Following the motto of “by teachers for teachers” participants will also learn about our unique professional development opportunities where educators from across the country come together to develop and/or review resources to share with their colleagues. The Share My Lesson weekend events focus on Common Core resources, early childhood education (toddler to Pre-K), formative assessment techniques and more! 

Target Audience: All

 

We look forward to having your participation in this second annual conference of the Learning First Alliance / Rhode Island. Please review the contact information at the top of the screen if you need more information.

 

Mission: The Learning First Alliance / Rhode Island is a partnership organization whose members believe that public education is the basic right of every child in a democratic society, the bedrock of the American Dream and the best hope for American success in the 21st Century. These beliefs unite a unique and diverse group of educational partners speaking with a single voice to advocate for public schools.

Registration is $30.00 per registrant. Registration is online only but payments can be submitted by credit card, PayPal, or check. If you are interested in completing a purchase order for members of your community, please e-mail using the contact information above. Cancellations on or after March 3 will forfeit registration fee.

 

Register Now!