Workshop 1 - Thursday, October 19, 2017 - 4:00-7:00 p.m.

“Blended Learning: Floating, Failing, and Filling Tetris Gaps. Ideas and best practices to maximize technology for differentiation”

presented by Nate Wills, C.S.C.
Remick Leadership Program, University of Notre Dame

In this presentation, Fr. Nate will discuss how technology is beingused and misused in school settings. Fr. Nate presents different models and examples of Blended Learning from schools across the nation while helping participants understand how schools have utilized technology to differentiate and personalize instruction to gather actionable student data. This is a high energy, interactive, and at times (dare we say?) even humorous presentation that will give teachers practical and research-based suggestions and provide creative ideas for using a blended learning approach in their classroom.

Fr. Nate Wills, C.S.C., a native of St. Paul, MN, completed a double major in Theology and Computer Applications from the University of Notre Dame and soon after taught at a Catholic high school outside of Chicago through the Alliance for Catholic Education. He completed his M.Ed. from Notre Dame in 2003 and his M.Div. in 2005. Fr. Nate was ordained in the spring of 2006 and served as the associate pastor of a parish with a K-8 school in South Bend, IN. After that, he entered graduate studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed his Ph.D. in 2015, studying and writing his dissertation on blended learning and technology policy in K-12 Catholic schools. He joined the faculty of Notre Dame’s Remick Leadership Program in the fall of 2015, instructing aspiring Catholic school principals. Fr. Nate’s research interests include blended and personalized learning, innovative uses of technology in the classroom, and leadership in Catholic schools. Over this past year, Fr. Nate designed and oversaw the implementation of a whole-school blended learning program at a Notre Dame ACE Academy in Indianapolis, Indiana. Based on the program’s success, the program was expanded to two more schools in Indianapolis this fall as a part of a comprehensive Catholic school turn-around program. Fr. Nate speaks to schools, school leaders, and dioceses throughout the nation and world on innovative uses of technology in K-12 schools. He enjoys running, Star Wars, and while he loves coming to Boston for many reasons, the two he dreams about are Santarpio’s pizza and Giacomo’s seafood linguini.

Workshop 2 - Tuesday, December 5, 2017 - 4:00-7:00 p.m.

“Study Skills Strategies: Managing Time, Materials, and Information”

presented by Linda Gross, M.A., CCC-SLP
Educational Consultant, Landmark School

This workshop will provide an overview of study skills that educators can explicitly teach their students. An emphasis will be placed on supporting students with a language-based learning disability (LBLD) and an executive function deficit. More specifically, it will identify three components that are essential to student success: managing time, materials, and information. Particular strategies will be highlighted that educators can implement to help students achieve their goals.

Linda Gross, M.A., CCC-SLP is a certified speech-language pathologist with 30 years of experience. She joined Landmark School in 1994 where she has held a variety of positions including expressive language program director and speech-language consultant on the high school campus. Additionally, Linda is a faculty member of Landmark’s Outreach Program. In this role she consults to public and private schools, and develops and teaches face-to-face and online graduate level courses. Her focus is on training educators in using strategies that support students with language-based learning disabilities (LBLD) and co-morbid deficits. Linda is the author of the booklet, Understanding Language-Based Learning Disabilities: Social Communication Skills, as well as numerous articles on related topics.

Workshop 3 - Tuesday, March 20, 2018 - 4:00-7:00 p.m.

“Accompanying Our Students to Wholeness and Holiness:    Sex, Gender and Relationships ”

presented by Ernest Collamati
Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Regis College