He was an amazing speaker, funny, interesting and most important, relevant. Even with a catered lunch Ramsey ranked higher than the food, which never happens.
Ramsey Musallam is a secondary science instructor at Sonoma Academy in Santa Rosa, California. Ramsey has also has served as an adjunct professor of education at the University of San Francisco and Touro University in the San Francisco Bay Area. Prior to his role as a science instructor at Sonoma Academy, Ramsey served as a Science Instructor and Director of Inquiry and Innovation at Sacred Heart Cathedral in downtown San Francisco for 15 years. In addition his role as a science teacher, Ramsey runs invention workshops for elementary and middle school students in the greater Bay Area.
Ramsey delivers keynotes, webinars and facilitates workshops for teachers nationally and internationally with a focus on using technology as a strategic classroom partner in designing learning environments grounded in inquiry fueled by student curiosity. Additionally, Ramsey is the host of the Infinite Thinking Machine, an internet TV show dedicated to sharing innovative ideas for teachers and students. Ramsey's TED Talk "3 Rules to Spark Learning" is widely popular with classroom teachers, and was the lead talk on TEDs first ever PBS TV premiere, "TED Talks Education."
Upon graduating from the University of California Davis with a BS in Molecular and Cellular Biology, Ramsey went on to obtain a MA and Ed.D in Education from the University of San Francisco. Since graduating, Ramsey's research interests have shifted from using Multimedia to manage student Cognitive Load, to a focus on harnessing Multimedia as a tool in cultivating student curiosity, inquiry and motivation.
"As a full-time high school science teacher and department chairperson, I am passionate about building and sharing innovative learning environments grounded in inquiry and guided by curiosity. Student questions can be windows into dynamic and tailored blended instruction, but not the other way around." - Ramsey Musallam
Using examples from the classroom, research, literature and film, this session will explore curiosity as a omnipresent motivational force in our world. Simple resources and instructional strategies used to spark curiosity will be modeled, case studies will be analyzed, and personal stories will be shared. An emphasis will be made on tangible strategies for sparking student curiosity, and how technology may operate as a strategic partner in this process.
*Available as a presentation or workshop. Description and content is flexible based on need.
When analyzed side-by-side, Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey, and common representations of the Inquiry-Based Learning Cycle, have much in common. Both paths begin with an engaged, challenged participant, involve intervention from a mentor, and lead the learner to a state of physical and mental transformation. This session will provide tangible strategies for interpreting and leveraging the Hero's Journey as a lesson planning tool and instructional device.
*Available as a presentation or workshop. Description and content is flexible based on need.
Despite recent buzz, misconceptions about the "flipped" classroom are rampant. This session will deconstruct and re-define this concept, placing multimedia in the context of an inquiry based learning cycle where videos facilitate, rather than provide, knowledge construction. Current research, tangible tools, and an instructional model will be presented.
*Available as a presentation or workshop. Description and content is flexible based on need.
Despite current research that calls for educators to place exploration before explanation, the "mess" of student discovery, and awareness of student misconceptions can challenge any teacher's pedagogical tool kit. Through case studies and classroom examples, this session will help inspire educators to "embrace the mess" of active learning!
*Available as a presentation or workshop. Description and content is flexible based on need.