Your Official Invitation

My post for this week is to officially invite you to this year's Institute on Teaching and Learning, which will take place on Friday, February 16, 2018 at Channahon Junior High School!

Check out the event's official website here!

For now, I'd like to share some highlights with you:

• We have teachers from all four buildings presenting on a wide variety of topics that are applicable to all ability levels, grade levels, and subject areas. Don't assume a session led by a primary grades teacher will only work for those who teach the itty bitties. Also don't assume a session led by a junior high teacher only works for those who teach those fun middle grades. These sessions have plenty of universal appeal!
• You have the opportunity to get your brain AND body engaged in learning that day! Our very own Mrs. Verbic will be leading an opening session at 7:45 AM in the gym of YOGA! Not athletic? Never done yoga before? No worries! This will be a nice, easy session designed to wake up your body and mind. Wear those super comfy clothes and BYO yoga mat if you've got one and meet in the gym at 7:45!
• Keynote speaker Joe Dufore will share his thoughts on teaching and learning with us. Follow him on Twitter!
• Meet the junior high's first trimester Dream Lab winners. These students created projects that caught the eye of angel investors at the expo in November. These students will be sharing their projects with you in the hallway between sessions. Prepare to be impressed with their innovative work!
• Don't miss the closing session where we will have our own CSD 17 version of a demo slam! Come learn some cool tricks and tools in a lightning fast presentation and vote for your favorite!

Now I'd like to highlight some of the topics being presented that day. We are adding sessions still, so there may be even more to come!

• Mindfulness in the classroom -- something useful for all of us, teachers AND students!
• Highlights from Carol Dweck's book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.
• Coding across the curriculum -- not just for computers class, and not just for tech experts!
• Using green screen video making in the classroom -- more than just a cool gimmick, for sure
• Google Forms -- assessment and more!
• Hyperdocs -- the coolest new way to create engaging material for students!
• BreakoutEDU in the classroom -- more than just a fun game!
• Digital primary sources -- way beyond junior social studies, great for ALL grade level and subject areas!
• Inventive problem solving -- we got an outside speaker for this one and he's kind of my favorite because he's my dad <3
• Disruptive students -- strategies for positive management.
• Helping students become socially emotionally prepared -- this goes hand in hand with academic learning!
• WeVideo -- the nuts and bolts (did you know that all CSD students and teachers have accounts with WeVideo????)
• Google VR -- strap on those goggles and discover how to use this immersive experience with students across grade levels and subject areas!
• Google Certification -- what is it, how does it happen, why do it?

There are so many exclamation points in my post this week because I am so excited about this day! For too long, teachers have thought institute days were a drag or they weren't practical, but THIS institute day is customized for OUR teachers and OUR students and OUR school culture because it is OUR leaders providing the learning opportunities that day!

Share in the comments what you are looking forward to the most!