Over 20 Technology Sessions, Differentiated Instruction & technology, Classroom Management, Student Motivation, Climate improvement, and Team Building Skills!

Set aside the vision board and the meditation tapes the real “secret to success” is classroom
management and relationships. Best practices like DI, technology, and RTI are all great ONCE
YOU MASTER CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT. New teachers and veteran teachers must
attend this session. You will keep your sanity, once you learn effective management systems, partner
plans, teacher timesavers and much, much more. Come in and bring a pencil; you will want to write this stuff down!

Format: Presentation and Audience interaction
Needed: Screen and room for people to move

Need an easy to implement team building activity? The best way to build team unity in school is getting the kids engaged and understanding why we team. Come to this session, participate, and walk away with several activities that can be used on teams and in advisory programs. The spotlight is on you and you will ROCK with these great activities.

Format: Audience interaction in activities
Needed: Screen and room for people to move (Some materials need to be purchased for activities)

What makes a good team? A good team name, A celebration, or luck? Teams are an important
part of school but great teams are no accident. Teaming must be done with purpose. If you are not careful, teams will become a group of people in the same hall and team meetings will be nothing more than a glorified complaint session. This session will help you create organization & time management in a fast-paced environ- ment. Get on task & productively focused on the goals of your team and go from blah, blah, blah to Wow we really ROCK! (This is a 2-4 hour Pre-con session only)

Format: Presentation and Audience interaction
Needed: Screen and room for people to move

Lift your staff’s spirits with ideas and energy from conferences across the US! After being inspired, our school staff has had an attitude adjust- ment. We will share tips on how to wake up your staff and keep them smiling! From faculty meetings that are FUN, to quick little ways to make everyone feel special--- this session will be full of inspirational ideas to
change the climate in your building. Teachers and Administrators bring your attitude and an open mind to this session!

Format: Presentation and Audience interaction
Needed: Screen and room for people to move

History Happens!
Reading for Meaningn - How to Motiate Our Students to Read
Be A Game Show Host in the Classroom!

Learn how educators across the globe are using podcasting, blogging, wikis and other web 2.0 tools to teach the students of today (our digital natives). Many educators have found that students that create content for real audiences are motivated to create better content. Let’s tap into the “My Space” generation. They will not only walk out of your classroom knowing the facts of your topic, but they will do so in a way that engages them.

Is that all it’s really about? You came into the education field full of hope, energy, and a desire to CHANGE the world! Now you catch yourself looking at the bank attendants, and door greeters wondering how hard it would be to make the transition? Educators are care givers who give until they can’t give anymore. Dedra will help you put yourself at the top of the list, create habits that will prevent burn-out, and remember why you are where you are. This keynote will have you laughing and learning as you get reconnected to your passion for teaching.

The next generation of the web is
the new web 2.0. Collaboration websites cater to the on- demand, video game generation of today.
See how these sites can work in the classroom. Move your class into the future and out of the past
with Voice thread, Photostory, Blogs, and the ever-popular Teacher Tube website. Teacher Tube is
You Tube for the education world. See how you can learn, teach, and assess student learning all with this and many more great websites.

Format: Hands-on in Lab
Skills: Learn how to use Voicethread (free), Photostory (free), and MovieMaker (free) for class projects. See how teach- ers are using blogs, and see other sites that are interactive and made for education. Learn how to navigate and use the Teacher Tube website.
Needed: Lab, headphones, digital camera, and mics and internet

Now that you understand what podcasting is and how it can be used in the classroom, come in and make one! We will use the computers and free software to create a simple podcast. You don’t have to be a techie to make this happen. Learn the ins and outs of the podcasting basics and Audacity software and be ready to enhance your curriculum with this great tool of the digital age. (this session can be combined with “What Casting” in a 1-2 day hands-on session)

Format: Hands-on in Lab
Skills: Learn how to use Audacity (free software) and the basic tools and functions to create podcast Needed: Lab, headphones and mics ( participants will work in small groups)

Can you really make it educational? Don’t ban those IPods yet. We can show you ways to make a podcast in the classroom. Get kids hooked using the technology that they crave. Podcasts are great for lecture, reinforcements, or even student projects. All kids can podcast and so can you, ready? Come and learn what podcasting is and see how teachers are using podcast to enhance the curriculum. (this session can be combined with “Nuts and Bolts of It” in a 1-2 day hands-on session)

Format: Presentation and hands-on exploring
Skills: Learn what podcasting is and how to use podcast in the classroom Needed: Lab with internet connection and headphones

This session is a tech lover’s dream! Come in and learn about the websites that everyone is talking about (or tweeting about). No theory, lecture, or research in this session. It is an old fashion swap party. We will highlight the latest and greatest websites educators can use to teach, learn, and have fun with. You will share your favorite websites and ideas and learn everyone else’s. If you like learning.... This is the session you will not want to miss!

Format: Presentation and possible hands-on exploring Needed: Internet, Screen

Learn what digital storytelling is all about and how you can use it in your classroom. This is where students’ creativity can come alive while dem- onstrating the understanding of major concepts in the classroom. We will share great project examples and a multitude of resources that can be used to make these projects happen in your classroom. All core areas will be highlighted for these projects.

Format: Presentation
Skills: Learn what digital storytelling is and how it can be used in a variety of classrooms and subject areas Needed: None

“Whatever it Takes” is the motto for keeping the multitasked generation active and engaged in our class- rooms. Come in and learn what tools are out there for IPads and IPods to facilitate learning, collaborating, and creating. This session is always changing as the best apps have yet to be released!

Format: Presentation and hands-on exploring
Skills: Learn the basic concepts of iPads in the classroom and apps that are best for your classroom. Needed: internet and iPads (unless this is an overview session then no iPads are needed)

(This session can be modified for any IWB)
Is the Interactive white board in your classroom/building used as a fancy overhead ? Smart Boards can be used as more than just "Write and Wipe," if you know the capabilities. We often provide our teachers with the initial "where the buttons are" training for Smart boards, but they need the next step of training that shows how to take this new tool and get the most student involvement out of the technology. In this session, we will use the Smart Board© Software and simple classroom interactive principles to get students raising their hands, raising their scores, and truly interacting with the board/instruction like never before. Smart Boards+ Smart Teachers= Smart Students.

Format: Presentation and hands-on exploringjavascript:document.form1.submit();
Skills: Learn the basic concepts of a good IWB lesson nd walk away with tools, tricks and lessons to use in the class-room.
Needed: Lab, internet, Smart Board

Ok, so you know how to use PowerPoint, but what else is out there? Do you want to learn to make your own movies with pictures and
live video? Better yet, get the students make their own creations for assessments of major concepts, and they will remember those concepts for life! There’s no better way to assess learning than to have students create curriculum content movies that are mini-masterpieces. Come in and be a movie maker with this FREE, EASY SOFTWARE that is included on any Windows XP computer!

Format: Presentation and hands-on
Skills: Learn the basic functions of Movie Maker/Photo Story. Learn ways to use video for student projects. Needed: Lab with Windows XP and Movie Maker or Photo Story (free programs computers) Digital cameras

This session is a shortened version of the Keynote “Reaching Digital Learner”
Learn how educators across the globe are using podcasting, blogging, wikis and
other web 2.0 tools to teach the students of today (our digital natives). Why not tap into this “My Space” genera- tion’s interests and skills? They will not only walk out of your classroom knowing the facts of your topic, but they will do so in a way that engages them.

Format: Presentation style (modified from the keynote presentation)
Skills: Understanding of why technology should be integrated, ideas on technology in the classroom, and an overall reali- zation that technology can be used effectively.
Needed: Lecture set up with screen

Have you seen the little black and white 2D square boxes on posters and products? They are QR (quick Re- sponse) codes. Cell phones are everywhere, why not capitalize on them in the classroom and across the dis- trict? Simple, free QR generators allow you to create codes that can link to just about anything-YouTube, text message, voice recordings, email, URLs, and so much more. This is not something only the tech nerds can do! It really is easy. Learn how this technology can be used to engage students in a variety of learning activities and resources, such as test reminders, checking answers, scavenger hunts, providing supplemental materials or tutorials, promoting school or class events, and more. Want to get the attention of the iGeneration? Then use a simple techie tool in your school or classroom.

United Streaming or Discovery Education
Google (From igoogle to Google docs)
Website, Blog, or wiki Creation
Blogging, wikis, and Twitter in schools
Clickers for CPS or other question software
One-Computer Classroom Ideas
4teachers.org help teachers need
Websites in a subject area
Websites that help all teachers
Social Networking for Parent Outreach
Sexting Texting and Internet Safety
Any Technology Session YOU can think of