Afternoon Sessions

Teaching Historical Thinking, Reading, and Writing: Problems of Practice. Instructors: Brad Fogo and Daisy Martin

This workshop will focus on engaging students of varied abilities and interests in challenging, literacy-based, history/social science tasks. We will use sample standards-based lessons to identify and discuss common teaching problems related to this goal. Participants will also have the opportunity to share and discuss classroom artifacts. Throughout our time together, we will draw on the expertise of the group. Additionally, the workshop will include a demonstration of new digital resources for teaching World and U.S. History and Civics.

Science Explorations Through the Lens of Global Climate Change. Instructors: Paul Grossi, Kyle Cole and Jennifer Saltzman

Global climate change is a scientific, social, and political issue that is as prevalent in news headlines as it is in your classroom. This workshop will include lectures from Stanford faculty interwoven with hands-on multidisciplinary activities for middle and high school science classrooms. These lectures and activities will help you answer several questions: How does climate work? How does human activity affect climate? What are the impacts on the planet from large-scale rapid climate change? Can technology help minimize those effects? In addition to answering these questions, the workshop focuses on tools scientists use to advance research. In discipline-specific breakout groups, you will have the opportunity to reflect on how to implement the workshop content into lessons for your classroom.

Building and Sustaining a Culture of Writing in Secondary Classrooms. Instructors: Marvin Diogenes, Andrea A. Lunsford and Clyde Moneyhun

Building and Sustaining a Culture of Writing will focus on concrete ways to bring more--and better--writing into the curriculum and to engage students in writing activities that will lead to deep learning. We will cover a range of topics, from crafting assignments and activities, to collaborative writing projects, multimedia writing and speaking, student writing exchanges, and responding to student writing. Throughout, we will be identifying ways to put the spotlight on student writing and to celebrate the achievements of young writers.

Teaching Mathematics. Instructors: Keith J. Devlin, Shoba Ferrel and Megan W. Taylor

With this workshop under your belt, you should be well placed to answer - in several different ways - that eternal student math question, "What is this good for?" Also, in addition to looking at ways to tie mathematics into the everyday world, including taking a look at some useful resources to help do this, we'll investigate just what it is about mathematics that makes it so hard for so many people to learn, and try to understand why so many smart people seem to have such widely different opinions as to how best to teach math. To top it off, we'll speculate as to how new technologies may change the way we teach (some) mathematics. And finally, we'll spend time incorporating these ideas into your existing classroom practices.

Teaching Humanities. Instructors: Pam Grossman, Nikole Richardson and Bryan Wolf

This workshop will investigate approaches to teaching the humanities in secondary school in ways that both respect disciplinary ways of reading and writing and allow for interdisciplinary explorations. We will focus on a core text that is commonly taught in high school humanities classes and look at ways of layering literary, historical, and artistic texts and images to create a truly interdisciplinary curriculum.

Teaching Elementary Math. Instructor: Aki Murata

This session will focus our attention to key elementary mathematics and science topics and consider how best to teach and learn these topics in classrooms. Drawing upon research-based student learning trajectories, we will analyze different student work samples, examine instructional approaches (lessons), and try out mathematics and science activities together.  Teachers are encouraged to bring their own experiences and questions to the session, and we will have an opportunity to develop plans for your own classroom teaching.

Leadership for the Schools we Want. Instructor: Diane Tavenner

Leadership participants will engage in a Problem-based Learning Experience focused on the skills of leading a strategic planning initiative. Integral to the PBL will be utilizing skills and strategies to productively engage all members of a faculty and to build and maintain a professional culture. The experience will culminate with an authentic “assessment”. Participants will be asked to complete some reading in advance of the session.

 

Creating a Community of Writers in Elementary Classrooms. Instructor: Sheryl Dugan

Join us as we lay the foundation for becoming a community of educators who embark on a journey together as teachers of writing.  This session will balance igniting the writer within you with an introduction to the nuts and bolts of writing workshop—its theory and practice.  We will explore the writing process and how to use your own writing experiences as the basis for effective lessons, as well as how to use the authors of children’s literature as your co-teachers.  We will examine student work in relation to writing standards.  Whether you are building a school or grade level team or venturing into writing workshop on your own, this session will connect you to a broader group of educators who share your commitment to strong writing instruction that empowers both students and teachers.  Whether you’re a first year teacher or a veteran, you will acquire the tools to begin to create a community of writers in your classroom.  You will have the opportunity to stay connected with your colleagues as you journey forward, and you will leave with resources to assist you as you return to your classroom in the fall.