Breakout Sessions

After School Program Kid Power - Room 126

Presented by: Fairbury Public Schools

2nd grade students meet after school from 3:15-5:30. They participate in yoga on Monday’s provided by high school teacher, Julie Petersen. Everyday they receive snack, homework support, maker-space, stations. We also are being trained in Character Strong a social emotional program for PreK-12. Once trained the junior high and elementary students will be meeting to fulfill challenges. The junior high students serve as mentors to elementary students each Monday. We currently have 22 second grade students participating each day. Each month the two teachers plan a theme to fulfill the month with activities, learning and fun. Teachers have guest speakers from the community.

CliftonStrengths - Going Beyond the Assessment and Into the Classroom - Room 129

Presented by: Freeman Public Schools

Many schools and organizations take the strengths assessment, but neglect to develop it any further. Freeman is implementing strengths into our curriculum. ALL staff plus students in grades 7-12 have learned their top 5 strengths and grades 5-8 have learned their top 3 strengths, while students in grades K-4 are learning the terminology. We will share our journey into strengths and how we use CliftonStrengths continuously in our district, using it to guide our teaching and interactions among students and staff.

AQuESTT Connections to School Improvement- Room 131

Presented by: Thayer Central Community Schools

Is your district wanting to get a "more bang for your buck" within the Continuous School Improvement Process? The Thayer Central CIP Team will be sharing their experiences with focusing in on the AQuESTT tenets to strengthen the total CIP process. Ideas will be shared in each tenet and the ways to strength opportunities in Positive Partnerships, Transitions, Educator Effectiveness, Educational Opportunities and Access, Assessment, & College and Career Readiness. The team will also share the structure that we used to get ALL of the staff involved in the improvement process.

Digital Age Pedagogy - Room 134

Presented by: Beth Kabes, ESU Coordinating Council

Digital Age Pedagogy is the enhancement of best practices associated with Instructional Models through Technology Integration. The focus is on Differentiation during Direct Instruction, Student Choice during Knowledge Deepening, Student Voice during Knowledge Application, and Empowering Learners. During the 2018-19 academic year, ~40 educators (K-12, multiple content areas) participated in a paid professional learning experience to illustrate these best practices. In this session we'll explore those resources AND we're excited to share that we have secured funding through a partnership between ESUs and our Nebraska Department of Education to offer another iteration of the paid ($500 to coaches, $400 to participants) professional learning experience. Interested in earning money to illustrate best practices in Digital Age Pedagogy? This session is for you! Applications are due Nov 8.

Makerspace - Room 135

Presented by: Dr. Nick Ziegler, ESU 5

Interested in engaging students with exploratory experiences promoting digital age skills like design and computational thinking? ESU 5 is developing a curriculum of tech-enhanced Makerspace activities (~30 minute lessons) focused on grades K-8, but could be leveled-up for 8-12 students. In this session we'll explore the curriculum and have time to play with some of the activities. Tools include: ozobots, 3D pens, 3D printers, minecraft, cricut, and bloxels. The curriculum is available to all for free and the tools are available for checkout as well.

EKCO - Room 137

Presented by: Matt Dworak, ESU 5

Have you heard about the new ESU 5 program EKCO (Exposing Kids to Career Opportunities)? Do you like working with technology? Would you like to do more with technology tools, but are not confident in your skills? Come learn more about how EKCO can introduce K-12 students to careers through your existing curriculum. Find out what technology tools will be available to you through the program along with help in your classroom through Matt Dworak.

Let me Google that for You - Room 139

Presented by: Ryan McDowell and David Camara, ESU 5

Search, learn, share! Brought to you by ESU 5 Tech Department. Want to learn some tips and tricks to improve your computer efficiency? In this session we will go over some computer and chrome browser tools to include Keyboard Shortcuts, Advanced Search Techniques, and some basic ways to protect you and your device online.

Vaping Information - Room 202 (Secondary Only)

Presented by: Cole Stark, MA, LIMHP, ESU 5

This presentation provides basic information on vaping and electronic cigarette use, primarily focusing on what vaping is, why it is increasingly popular with youth, negative effects of vaping, and how youth are being targeted by e-cigarette companies. Educators can expect to leave this breakout with information they can use to help educate the youth they work with on the dangers of this new trend.

No Small Matter - Fine Arts Center - This session will run from 1:45-3:00

No Small Matter is the first feature documentary to explore the most overlooked, underestimated, and powerful force for change in America today: early childhood education. Through poignant stories and surprising humor, the film lays out the overwhelming evidence for the importance of the first five years, and reveals how our failure to act on that evidence has resulted in an everyday crisis for American families, and a slow-motion catastrophe for the country.

No Small Matter is a documentary that identifies the critical need for high-quality early childhood care and education. The implications of not having high-quality early childhood care and education affects the future of not only the child but the community and nation.