{"success":true,"data":[{"ID":73,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1320112680,"CreatorID":62,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"What's Your Problem?! Designing Curricula for Problem Seeking","Handle":"What-s_Your_Problem-Designing_Curricula_for_Problem_Seeking","ShortDescription":"Explore three pilot projects focused on developing student problem seeking in elementary, secondary, and university settings. Experience a hands-on exercise for problem seeking, review and discuss various approaches to engaging students in problem seeking, examine tools, and share ideas about the connections of problem solving with leadership, learning, and schools.","Description":"Development of student facility in problem seeking (identification of problems) may be just as important a skill as problem solving, according to educational leaders such as Ewan McIntosh and Alan November. In other words, being able to find and define meaningful problems is as crucial a skill as working to address or resolve them.\r\n\r\nMost programs in problem-based learning rely on teachers to define problems for students to work on. This approach continues the practice of placing the student in a subordinate position. Problem-seeking emphasizes student initiative and leadership in selecting and defining problems for investigation, study, and resolution. In this setting, the role of the teacher is to establish the learning environment by guiding, facilitating, and motivating.\r\n\r\nJames Lerman and Jeremy Angoff have piloted three small projects, and are planning additional endeavors, in problem seeking among students in elementary and high schools near Boston, and in a NJ university near NYC. This session will explore their experiences and approaches after one semester of involvement in problem seeking with students.\r\nStudents from at least one of these pilots have been invited to participate with us at the conference. \r\n\r\nWe will all participate in a hands-on exercise used in the project, share thoughts on the objectives of a problem-seeking approach, examine tools and protocols used in the project, and share thoughts on the efficacy of various approaches to student problem seeking.","Link":["http:\/\/whatstheproblem.org"],"Audience":["All School Levels"],"Practice":"1. All attendees will participate in a two-step, hands-on exercise used in the project to begin the process of problem identification. This will be highly participatory.\r\n\r\n2. Discussion of the question, \u201cWhat does good problem seeking have to do with leadership, learning, and schools?\u201d\r\n\r\n3. Presenter and participants share and discuss experiences with and strategies for teaching these skills (tools, protocols, successes, lessons learned, etc...).\r\n\r\n4. Presenter and participants share thoughts on the efficacy of problem-seeking.","Presenter":["James Lerman & Jeremy Angoff"],"PresenterAffiliation":["Kean University; OunceIT","LLC; Cambridge School of Weston; Atrium School; The SteppingStone Foundation\/College Success Academy"],"PresenterEmail":["lermanj@gmail.com","jeremy@ounceit.com"],"ScheduleSlotID":6,"ScheduleLocationID":8,"SubmitterID":62,"AdditionalComments":null,"LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":46696,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":1},{"ID":41,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1319132119,"CreatorID":185,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"Synergy - Questions are the waypoints on the path of wisdom","Handle":"Synergy_-_Questions_are_the_waypoints_on_the_path_of_wisdom","ShortDescription":"Like a tribe around the fire, lets discuss how we implement PBL as an entire course rather than as an input to a class. The conversation starters will describe Synergy  an 8th grade community-issues course. Then, through story exchange, we will share a variety of PBL ideas and implementation methods.","Description":"In Westminsters 8th grade, we are experiencing year two of a new course called Synergy 8. Synergy is a non-departmentalized, transdisciplinary, non-graded, community-issues, problem-solving course. While we begin with an alpha project to practice project process, we use the Falconer method to empower student questioning and curiosity. From the student questions, the entire team generates the projects on which learners of all ages ultimately work. \r\nOur conversational focus will be PBL (project-based learning, problem-based learning, passion-based learning, place-based learning, etc.). We intend to generate ideas from an exchange of current practices and possibilities. We hope to move beyond mere conversation and bridge into collaboration by building for the future more student-learner generated PBLperhaps even big, hairy audacious PBL that unites our various schools and increases the mass of folks working on the problems which define our world.\r\nFor more detailed stimulus about Synergy and PBL, see categories and tags on Bos and Jills blogs: Its About Learning, http:\/\/itsaboutlearning.wordpress.com (Bos blog) and Experiments in Learning by Doing, http:\/\/jplgough.wordpress.com (Jills blog).","Link":[],"Audience":["Middle School","All School Levels"],"Practice":"Jill Gough and Bo Adams intend to facilitate a participatory discussion and work session through various Gamestorming processes and other active-engagement protocols. Depending on the particular session dynamics, we will use a web 2.0 tool or two to facilitate ongoing work on big-picture PBL.","Presenter":["Bo Adams","Jill Gough"],"PresenterAffiliation":["The Westminster Schools and The Center for Teaching"],"PresenterEmail":["boadams@westminster.net","boadams7@gmail.com","jillgough@westminster.net","jplgough@gmail.com"],"ScheduleSlotID":8,"ScheduleLocationID":8,"SubmitterID":185,"AdditionalComments":null,"LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":46294,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":1},{"ID":111,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1322077328,"CreatorID":62,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"Differentiated Support for Math Students: Strategies to Foster Success Across Math Levels","Handle":"Differentiated_Support_for_Math_Students-Strategies_to_Foster_Success_Across_Math_Levels","ShortDescription":"This session will focus on strategies to support students in math classes. Included will be discussions on designing new courses\/curricula, utilizing Student Assistant Teachers, introducing standards based grading, and creating structures outside of class to help students.","Description":"This session will focus on strategies to support students in math classes. The conversation will include discussion of in-the-moment tactics to help struggling students and also the structures schools and teachers can put in place to help struggling math students succeed.\r\n\r\nBrad Latimer, head of the SLA math department, and Luna Frank-Fischer, SLA class of '12, will also explain the specific strategies Science Leadership Academy uses to support students who struggle in math class.","Link":["http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/89c2k2v","http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/76yptc4"],"Audience":["High School"],"Practice":"Whole group discussion and small group discussion","Presenter":["Brad Latimer","Luna Frank-Fischer"],"PresenterAffiliation":[],"PresenterEmail":["blatimer@scienceleadership.org"],"ScheduleSlotID":9,"ScheduleLocationID":8,"SubmitterID":62,"AdditionalComments":null,"LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":46295,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":1},{"ID":101,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1320437424,"CreatorID":62,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"Coaching a Winning Team: What are the best ways to get in the trenches & stimulate a culture of learning and collaboration within our schools?","Handle":"Coaching_a_Winning_Team-What_are_the_best_ways_to_get_in_the_trenches-stimulate_a_culture_of_learning_and_collaboration_within_our_schools","ShortDescription":"We\u2019ll discuss the coach as a catalyst for change, advocate for teacher\/student learning & a builder of a climate of sharing & collaboration. We\u2019ll explore various structures, strategies and ideas that help coaches become necessary instructional leaders.  Who's responsible for starting the conversation of change?  Where do admins fit & what\u2019s their role?  We will follow these threads with the goal of developing some new ideas that will increase student learning.  This conversation isn\u2019t meant for just coaches.  Anyone who\u2019s wants to be an instructional leader should join us.","Description":"We will talk about the role of a coach (full time coaches & teacher-leader coach types) as a catalyst for change, an advocate for teacher & student learning, all while maintaining meaningful relationships with those being coached.  We will also look at different structures that we currently have in place or can put into place within our schools and districts that will help coaches leverage their power as force multipliers for their team.  Are coaches responsible for starting the conversation of change and equipping their players to make the change?  Where do administrators fit into this conversation?  What if administrators served more as coaches and less as formal evaluators?  We will follow these different threads related to instructional coaching and with the goal of developing some new ideas that can help us do our jobs better.  This conversation isnt just for coaches.  Anyone who wants to be or is a leader in the movement for professional growth in our schools will have something to add to this conversation.","Link":[],"Audience":["All School Levels"],"Practice":"Plan on sharing your ideas and experiences. We will form small groups to discuss the topics listed above, counting on participants to share the good, the bad and the down-right ugly coaching practices.  Personal experiences are key in this conversation.  There will be a backchannel in-place so that offsite participants can share their ideas as well.","Presenter":["Jeff Richardson","Suzan Brandt"],"PresenterAffiliation":["Hoover City Schools","Hoover Alabama; Mtn. Brook City Schools","Mtn. Brook Alabama"],"PresenterEmail":["jrichardson30@gmail.com","suzanbrandt@gmail.com"],"ScheduleSlotID":14,"ScheduleLocationID":8,"SubmitterID":62,"AdditionalComments":"I will be creating a wiki w\/resources for coaching as Educon approaches.  I will have that available for the participants if the conversation gets approved.  Also, I may have a few colleagues who will be attending from my district and they may join me in leading the conversation, but I don't have confirmation on that just yet.","LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":46296,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":1},{"ID":116,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1322078876,"CreatorID":195,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"PLCs: Developing a Shared Vision","Handle":"PLC-s-Developing_a_Shared_Vision","ShortDescription":"After several years of science department meetings that focused primarily on logistical issues, we decided to move towards using our common time for growth and reflection.  Please join the conversation and help us further our understanding of how colleague-to-colleague feedback can be used as an effective professional development tool.","Description":"After several years of science department meetings that focused primarily on logistical issues, we decided to move towards using our common time for growth and reflection. We developed a system of peer observation, unit tuning, and critical feedback to identify areas for growth within our own practice. In this conversation, we would like to share what we have tried and what we have learned. Please join the conversation and help us further our understanding of how colleague-to-colleague feedback can be used as an effective professional development tool.","Link":[],"Audience":["All School Levels"],"Practice":"Workshop","Presenter":["Tim Best","Stephanie Dunda","Rosalind Echols","Gamal Sherif","Matthew VanKouwenberg"],"PresenterAffiliation":["SLA"],"PresenterEmail":["tbest@scienceleadership.org","sdunda@scienceleadership.org","rechols@scienceleadership.org","gsherif@scienceleadership.org","mvankouwenberg@scienceleadership.org"],"ScheduleSlotID":16,"ScheduleLocationID":8,"SubmitterID":195,"AdditionalComments":null,"LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":46297,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":1},{"ID":131,"Class":"Conversation","Created":1326240504,"CreatorID":62,"RevisionID":null,"Status":"Accepted","Title":"Learning to Learn through Business Creation","Handle":"Learning_to_Learn_through_Business_Creation","ShortDescription":"As an entrepreneur, you must actively and deliberately seek the skills, knowledge and resources needed to succeed.  You must be a fast and effective learner.  In this group, we will discuss the core tenants of the entrepreneurial process as a learning strategy and how to integrate them into any classroom and across subjects.","Description":"As an entrepreneur, you must actively and deliberately seek the skills, knowledge and resources needed to succeed.  It requires iterative learning, knowledge of self and others, attracting resources, and deliberate action, all of which are universally relevant.  \r\nCultivating this skill set of self-directed, rapid, continual learning through real world feedback results in an educational experience that is immediately applicable and remains relevant for the rest of the students\u2019 lives.  In combination with principles and strategies borrowed from the scientific method, rapid prototyping, and lean manufacturing, high school students can build highly successful startups that address real world problems they are passionate about solving.  \r\n\r\nThese concepts are not unique to entrepreneurship but are quite different from traditional business theory.  Instead of a focus on maximizing efficiency and profits, which is the function of business, entrepreneurial success rests on proving core assumptions correct or incorrect, thus learning key facts that validate or invalidate a new concept.  Therefore, entrepreneurship is truly a learning process that is relevant in all fields and especially in an uncertain economy regardless of career.  \r\n\r\nIn this group, we will discuss the core tenants of the entrepreneurial process as a learning strategy and how to integrate them into classrooms and across subjects.  When guided effectively, numerous subjects can be integrated into a single project or business, therefore increasing relevancy, real world application, and understanding.  Further, when students select and own the businesses they create, they are intrinsically motivated to pursue further learning.","Link":[],"Audience":["High School"],"Practice":"What? So What? Now What? discussion about how to utilize these concepts more effectively in business creation as well as use them in other subjects.","Presenter":["Christian Kunkel","Matt Sherman"],"PresenterAffiliation":["Startup Corps"],"PresenterEmail":["christian@startupcorps.org","matt@startupcorps.org"],"ScheduleSlotID":17,"ScheduleLocationID":8,"SubmitterID":62,"AdditionalComments":null,"LiveChannel":null,"Hashtag":null,"VokleID":46298,"RecordingURL":null,"ConferenceID":1}],"conditions":{"Status":"Accepted","ConferenceID":1,"ScheduleLocationID":8},"total":6,"limit":false,"offset":false}