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KEYNOTES
Are
You a Thermometer or a Thermostat?
A
thermometer is an instrument that can
accurately measure what is. It gives us
the facts. A thermostat, on the other
hand, can change the temperature. It
doesn't just tell us what is; it has the
ability to change the status quo into
something better. In this keynote, Carolyn
compares thermometers and thermostats to
the attitudes and actions we may have as
educators. This keynote will inspire you
to live your life as a thermostat rather
than as a thermometer!
Educational
Leadership in a Time of Change
Our
world has become a global village, and
this has immense implications for
educators! Like the explorers of long ago,
we are forging into new territory as we
lead students into the 21st century. In
this motivational keynote, Carolyn helps
us to see our dreams, set our visions and
communicate clearly. She then points us,
our students, and our colleagues in the
direction where we might journey
together.
Encouraging
Achievement
So
many of the mind sets common to 21st
century life discourage rather than
encourage achievement. How can we reverse
this and be the encouragers, the nurturers
and the promoters of student achievement?
In this keynote filled with both
enthusiasm and practicality, we will
consider ways to encourage all of our
students to be passionate about learning,
persist and grow through times of failure
and discouragement, and take
responsibility for their own work.
Sparking
Your 'Sparkle' Throughout the School
Year
How
can we spark our own enthusiasm? What are
the keys to self-motivation? How do we
encourage others? In this upbeat keynote,
Carolyn answers these questions as she
talks about developing and maintaining our
'SPARKLE' &endash; Strengths,
Participation, Attitude, Recognition,
Kindness, Laughter, Enthusiasm and
Energy.
WORKSHOP
DESCRIPTIONS
Solving
the Assessment Puzzle
How
and why we assess students are the
essential questions of this workshop. We
will look at how to develop and use types
of performance and authentic assessments,
especially when differentiating classroom
instruction. Included
is how to link standards to curriculum
units, how to develop assessment criteria
for specific products and performances,
how and when to create complex rubrics,
how and when to use product criteria cards
and the use of student logs, rating
scales, checklists, portfolios, student
self assessments and group assessment
procedures.
Challenging
the "Hidden" Gifted Underachiever
Many
gifted students slide by in school,
getting reasonably good grades and scoring
well on standardized tests, but put forth
little or no effort. Following a
different pattern of underachievement than
the one traditionally recognized, these
students could be called "hidden"
underachievers. In this session (or
keynote) we will look at reasons for this
type of underachievement and examine ways
to guide such students to embrace academic
challenges and choose demanding learning
activities instead of the easiest
ones. We will discuss how to
encourage them to persist through times of
disappointment or failure, how to learn
from their mistakes and how to take
responsibility for and find joy in their
own learning.
Developing
Critical and Creative Thinking Skills
This
workshop gives teachers the opportunity to
learn the basic principles of both
creative and critical thinking, and
shows ways to teach these skills in a
standards-based classroom. Thinking skills
in all levels of Bloom's Taxonomy are
considered and workshop participants are
active participants in learning how to
incorporate higher-level questioning
into their classroom
activities. Questivities, a new way
to encourage and teach research
skills, higher level thinking and active
questioning using a variety of learning
styles and multiple
intelligences, are introduced in this
exciting and motivational workshop.
Differentiating
Curriculum for AP and Pre-AP Students
The
Advanced Placement Program provides
rigorous curricular guidelines with a
reliable common assessment for all
students. Students of differing
abilities, learning styles and modalities,
study habits, etc. are likely to be
enrolled in AP and Pre-AP courses.
Differentiated curriculum will help
students attain this national standard for
excellence. Lots of practical
strategies and planning formats that can
be used right away!
Differentiating
Curriculum for Middle School Students
Differentiation
works best when students are motivated to
learn, have good time management, study
and organizational skills, and know how to
work productively both independently and
in various types of small groups. Most
middle school students, regardless of
ability or readiness level, need structure
and guidance in learning how to do these
things. In this workshop, we will discuss
ways to develop these skills, consider how
to best manage classroom organization and
flexible grouping and see sample planning
formats for differentiated units of
work.
Differentiating
Curriculum in the Multi-Ability
Classroom
How
can teachers meet the needs of all their
students when these needs and ability
levels are so diverse? This workshop
focuses on practical strategies showing
teachers the "how-to" of
differentiation. Strategies include
flexible grouping, tiered lessons and
units, curriculum compacting, independent
study, learning centers, learning
contracts, ways to give students choices
of learning activities, classroom
management strategies in a differentiated
classroom and more.
Differentiating
for Gifted Students in the Regular
Classroom
Similar
to the workshop described above including
many of the same strategies, but with an
emphasis on meeting the needs of gifted
and high ability students. Teachers
will learn how to assess and document what
their students already know, how to plan
for and monitor challenging alternate
activities, and how to design and
implement learning activities that promote
higher level thinking.
Differentiation
for LEP (Limited English Proficient)
Students
LEP
(or ESL) students need different
approaches to learning due to their
cultural backgrounds and/or level of
language acquisition. We'll look at
cultural differences and discuss
of several basic principles of second
language development. These
provide us with guidelines that can be
used as a basis for differentiation. In
this workshop, you will learn 30 practical
strategies for working with these students
in a regular classroom setting and will
receive a copy of Carolyn's
teacher-friendly "Push-In Unit
Planner" to help you plan
differentiated units for LEP/ESL
students.
Differentiating
Instruction in American History
In
this practical and interactive
workshop/workshop series, participants
will explore differentiation
strategies that work to engage
all students as they learn more about
American history and government.
Rich in both content and innovative
strategies, it will help teachers instruct
their students more effectively, thereby
increasing their understanding of and
appreciation for our nation and our
democracy.
Encouraging
Achievement: Challenge, Responsibility and
Persistence
How
can we encourage students to embrace
academic challenges and choose demanding
learning activities instead of the easiest
ones? How do we encourage them to persist
through times of stress, disappointment or
failure and take responsibility for their
own learning? How do we teach students to
plan long range assignments and
independent study so that they make the
best use of their time? How do we
encourage discouraged students? Find some
answers to these and other similar
questions in this workshop.
'Giftedness':
What It Is -What It Isn't: How To Deal
With Those Who Are
In
this workshop Carolyn gives a broad
overview of giftedness, including myths
about gifted students. Identification,
service delivery models, scheduling and
logistics, appropriate curriculum,
grouping patterns and strategies, and ways
to work with parents are discussed.
Provides excellent overview for
administrators and/or general education
teachers.
Motivating
Underachievers
Frustrated
by students who have potential to achieve
but somehow do not? This workshop focuses
on these students...our underachievers. We
will examine the causes of
underachievement, and explore numerous
practical strategies that can be used by
teachers, counselors, and parents
to help and encourage underachieving
students. Suggested strategies are
practical and can be implemented in any
school setting.
Seven
Steps to Successful Student Achievement
(3-12)
Discover
seven steps that will lead your students
to higher achievement: ·
• Developing self-confidence
• Setting short and long term
goals
• Becoming motivated to learn
• Managing time and organizational
skills
• Improving study skills
• Learning how to take tests and
other assessments
• Dealing with 'the system'
In this practical and interactive
workshop, you will learn a variety of
proven strategies for each of the seven
steps that you can use with your students
immediately!
Standards-Based
Activities and Assessments for the
Differentiated Classroom
Today's
classrooms focus on the standards.
Mastering them is the goal for all
students. How does this goal fit with the
philosophy and implementation
of differentiation? In this workshop,
examine three approaches to
differentiation that can be used
with your standards. Learn how
to develop both the differentiated
activities and the corresponding
assessments, including appropriate
extensions that challenge gifted and high
ability students.
Teaching
Tools for the 21st Century
This
session provides practical, concrete
methods for individualizing lessons and
units which meet the needs of all
students, and gives specific teaching
strategies and techniques which can be
used with a variety of learning styles and
ability levels. Includes opportunities for
student choices, multiple intelligences,
learning modalities, Bloom's taxonomy, use
of new technologies and alternative
assessment strategies. Teachers attending
this workshop will develop lesson plans
which they will be able to use in their
classrooms.
Using
Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences
in the Differentiated Classroom (K-12)
How
do we meet the needs of the many different
types of learners in today's classrooms?
In this workshop we will review learning
styles, learning modalities, and multiple
intelligences and learn practical
strategies for meeting individual student
needs. Learn how to create individualized
lesson plans and units you can take back
to your classroom and use
immediately!
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