Breakout Session 1 | 10:45 AM - 11:45 AM
Presenters: Kathryn Smith Rouse, Corbett Prep of IDS
Early Childhood, Kindergarten
Title: Finding Light and Learning in Uncertain Times
Description: A private International Baccalaureate school for PreK3 through 8th grade, Corbett Prep offers an educational approach that is child-centered, engaging and research based. Connecting all the buildings are boardwalks and decks that make up Corbett Prep's biggest classroom of all – its lakeside campus of towering cypress trees. It's a canvas for murals, a backdrop for kindness campaigns, a living laboratory, a peaceful setting for reading and a safe spot for messy hands-on learning. During the current COVID-19 pandemic we have had to flex. We created flexible learning environments where teachers can continue to engage students and keep their minds active in meaningful ways. Corbett Prep Early Primary teachers have become masters of technological instructional tools, and are striking a balance between active learning and novelty, and between online and paper-based learning, all while remembering the whole child. We look forward to sharing some of the positive gains we have made through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Presenter: Liz Knowles, Boca Prep International School and Cognitive Advantage
Early Childhood, Kindergarten, Grades 1 – 3
Title: Brain Fitness for All Young Learners
Description: Brain fitness games and activities can make learning so much more efficient. Cognitive skills such as processing speed, focus and attention, memory, and reasoning are all important and necessary for developing confident young learners. The first task is to provide information about the brain: the parts, their function, and what the brain does and does not do. This is important even for the very young. The terms fixed and growth mindset, the value of making mistakes, and the power of yet - are also necessary lessons. A firm foundation in cognitive skills can level the playing field and prepare all students for deeper learning and understanding in the early grades. And it can be easily accomplished with meaningful repetition of specific games and activities!
Presenter: Carrie Usher, NSU University School
Early Childhood, Kindergarten, Grades 1 – 3
Title: Implementing the Choose Love Program in Your Classroom
Description: Come hear from a former Sandy Hook Elementary teacher about her experiences with implementing the Choose Love Program in her individual classroom. Her story will provide you with inspiration and practical ideas to enhance social-emotional learning with all students.
Presenter: Sloane Castleman, Riverside Presbyterian Day School
Early Childhood, Kindergarten, Grades 1 – 3
Title: Wee Solve-it: Children as Problem-Solvers
Description: Empowering children with the social and emotional skills they need to solve problems with growing independence is a key goal for early childhood educators. This presentation will delve into one approach to scaffolding respectful and collaborative problem-solving skills in young learners.
Presenters: Kim Daniel and Cathy Hicks, Maclay School
Early Childhood, Kindergarten, Grades 1 – 3
Title: The Joy Of Shaking Up eMpathy
Description: On your campus, what brings you joy? Let us share with you the way we shake up some sunshine on our campus! At a point in history when humanity feels more fractured than ever, empathy has become a topic of great interest. Empathy allows us to make meaningful connections across diverse experiences and with those who are different than us. Teaching empathy doesn’t need to be a stand-alone lesson, it can be incorporated into all subjects with all people on your campus. Let us share with you how infusing empathy in our school and culture has worked for us. This integrated curriculum theme encompasses a variety of media using the mind, heart, brain breaks and art together. All educators / disciplines can benefit, let us share with you what has worked for us. #attitudecheck #shakeshakeshakethattambourine
Presenter: Lang Hudepohl, The Cushman School
Early Childhood, Kindergarten, Grades 1 – 3
Title: Little Master's Art Program to Inspire Young Learners
Description: To present diverse perspectives in Art is fundamental for children to embrace the differences in others and one's self. This exploration into the different historical art figures can be tied into all the areas of growth academically and socially for children as they create and learn to empower uniqueness as their gift. Just like the Masters did!
Breakout Session 2 | 11:50 AM - 12:50 PM
Presenter: Kathryn Smith Rouse, Corbett Prep of IDS
Early Childhood, Kindergarten
Title: Happiness Inside and Out
Description: Educators have a powerful role in creating a happy learning environment for young children. How do we achieve this when our adult world is constantly changing, morphing and with additional never-before-seen stressors? We will explore in this session methods that can be used for both adults and the children to create happy, healthy and learning classrooms. Kathryn Smith Rouse has been an educator of young children for more than 15 years in Australia, the United Arab Emirates and now the USA. Kathryn is also a PhD student in Quality Management with a focus on employee's staying power from Mid Sweden University.
Presenter: James Dean, Thinking Maps
Early Childhood, Kindergarten, Grades 1 – 3
Title: Oh, The MATH They Will THINK!
Description: Let’s make Math fun again! In this highly engaging session, participants will leave with some new ideas on how to make THINKING visible and tangible in the primary math classroom. Let’s play and learn together on understanding Patterns and Relationships that are the foundation for mathematically understanding.
Presenters: Andres Joubert and Jennifer Lightman, Park Maitland School
Early Childhood, Kindergarten, Grades 1 – 3
Title: Jumping out of their seats for Jamboard
Description: A digital whiteboard with sticky notes, text boxes, shape creation, and image uploading, it's like Jamboard was created just for the early childhood classroom! Come learn what Jamboard is all about and how it can get your little learners jumping out of their seats with engagement and collaboration! During this session, attendees will have a blast contributing to Jamboards, accessing samples, and creating their own!
Presenter: Ines Taylor, Gulliver Schools, retired teacher
Early Childhood, Kindergarten, Grades 1 – 3
Title: Improving Verbal Skills in Young Children
Description: This session was created to help Early Childhood teachers bridge the communication gap and guide young children in their individual development of verbal skills. Participants will learn a wide variety of activities and games, based on current research, that will help young students to express their ideas, feelings, questions, and reflections. Ready, set, let's talk!
Presenter: Megan West and Tricia Bennett, Center for the Collaborative Classroom
Early Childhood, Kindergarten, Grades 1 – 3
Title: More than Literacy: Strategies to Support SEL in Literacy Instruction
Description: Literacy is, at its heart, both a social and an emotional transaction. As such, SEL is most powerful when woven into the fabric of how our students learn to read, write, and respond to literature and each other. This session builds on the SEL core competencies from CASEL (the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning) and links those competencies directly to specific best practices in literacy. Participants will explore engaging teaching practices which exemplify how best to integrate SEL into daily literacy instruction.
