Lesley Preddy

Hosting a Bookclub with Choice: Genre Lunch in the Library

An alternative to the traditional book club, in which attendees all read and discuss the same books, is a themed book club events. Genre Lunch in the Library is so easy to plan and host and session attendees will be able to successfully implement their own genre lunch events immediately. During this session, attendees will learn how to engage and motivate readers through hosting a lunch book club program. This successful program considers the challenging time constraints of today’s busy school librarian as well as the active and social needs of today’s students. Session attendees will learn how to program, plan and implement a year-long book club which has minimal cost and time commitment. Included will be genre theme ideas, crafts, games, student sign-up procedures, advertising and promotion plans, and a wealth of suggested resources for implementation.

Room 21

David Kelly

Using Mysteries and Sports to Engage Readers and Writers

My standard presentation for elementary school visits covers a range of topics, including: how children can become writers, specific techniques I use to write the Ballpark Mysteries (setting, character, plot, suspense, etc.), the writing and editing process (with examples of what my editor at Random House does to my stories!), and what it takes to be a successful author. Generally we leave time for plenty of Q&A.

Room 22

Rajani LaRocca

Connections That Built a Debut Novel

I will describe my path to writing MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM, connect it to the topics/ideas that I loved as a kid and love as an adult, talk about its themes and what I hope readers will take away, and answer questions.

Room 23

Deborah Freedman

On Creating Picturebooks for All Ages

Room 24

Timothy Young

Inspiring Students Through a Creative Journey

One Stop Shopping: One School’s Shift to 21st Century Learning

Jordan Grossman, Jon Bishop, Kelly Conway, Kristy Johnson

Levels: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Suggested for: Classroom Teachers, School Librarians/ Media Specialists, Technology Teachers, Administrators, Technology Coordinators

This presentation will focus on the intersection of ISTE, AASL, NGSS, and C3 Framework in our integrated instruction. Participants will leave with specific and concrete examples of student experiences, projects, and activities that integrate the above sets of standards. Examples include mini-capstone, makerspace, research, robotics, and a learning commons environment. Students from the school will help share their experiences in addition to school faculty and administrators.

Apps to Preload: None

Room 16 at 9:15 a.m.

Tech Talk by Featured Speaker: Steven Anderson

Evidence-Based Instructional Strategies To Use Right Now

There are hundreds, if not thousands of various types of instructional strategies and pedagogical approaches to teaching and learning. Yet how do we know which ones work and which ones don't? And, perhaps more importantly, which can be supported through the use of technology? Join us as we will examine the research behind some of the most highly effective instructional strategies, why they work, and why their counterparts don't. Participants will explore these evidence-based practices as they apply to the modern classroom and develop a plan of implementation.

Room 16 at 9:45 a.m.

Liz Garden Talks Books

Join Liz Garden as she BookTalks the latest and greatest publications available through Scholastic BookFairs!

Room 17 [Play Area 1]

Tech Coordinator? Expertise™ the Game... and the Assessment

Michael Young

Levels: All Levels

Suggested for: Classroom Teachers, School Librarians/ Media Specialists, Technology Coordinators

What to play a game? Playful learning can be a valid assessment of 21s century digital collaboration skills. Expertise™ is a game designed to test your ISTE tech coaching skills by balancing the needs of students and administrators, while wisely integrating pedagogy, technology, and contemporary learning theory. Come play with us and see how collaborative games can test your abilities to help teachers leverage the power of technology toward achieving the CCSS.

Apps to Preload: none

Room 17 [Play Area 2]

How Do Computers Learn? A Makerspace Activity about Artificial Intelligence

Rachel Smith

Levels: All Levels

Suggested for: Classroom Teachers, School Librarians/ Media Specialists, Technology Teachers

How does a computer learn? In this session, you'll take part in a student learning activity about a basic Artificial Intelligence Concept: neural networks. Working in a small group, you'll use string, beads, paper cups, and other maker materials to create a device that classifies information by sorting objects. If you're interested in learning an easy-to-understand and replicate activity about artificial intelligence, come play!

Apps to Preload: None

Room 17 [Play Area 3]

Google Apps - Outside the Box

Carolyn McElravy

Levels: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Suggested for: Classroom Teachers, School Librarians/ Media Specialists

Tired of using Google Apps only for writing or slide presentations? Visit this Playground to learn how your students can use Google Drawings to create an interactive poster or e-portfolio. Primary students can create their own fact sheets using formulas in Google Sheets. Google Slides is a fantastic app for showcasing student e-portfolios, writing "Choose Your Own Adventure" books, creating flipbooks to demonstrate a process, or sharing class information through a newsletter. Come play with the Apps like you've never done before.

Apps to Preload: Google Apps - Drawings, Slides, Sheets

Room 17 [Play Area #4]

Bridging the Writing Skills Gap with Technology

Gary Rubin & Alyssa Marinaccio

Levels: All Levels

Suggested for: Classroom Teachers, School Librarians/ Media Specialists, Technology Teachers, Administrators, Technology Coordinators, Higher Education

The technology tool WriQ has been built to empower students and teachers with an assessment tool that enables students to become more successful writers while allowing educators to provide more accurate and precise feedback in less time than ever before. WriQ allows insight to relevant data for improved curriculum and instruction.

This session is a must-attend for administrators, classroom teachers and tech coordinators. Participants can download and use extension with students immediately upon returning to the classroom.

Apps to Preload: Texthelp WriQ: https://text.help/L9MBOI

Room 17 (Play Area #5)

Using technology as a tool in teaching Elementary Social Studies

Monica Cavender

Levels: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Suggested for: Classroom Teachers

Dr. Monica Cavender is an Associate Professor for the Master of Arts in Teaching in the School of Education at Quinnipiac University. She has been a teacher for 30 years with the combined experience of teaching elementary children, in-service and pre-service teachers. She has spent the last 4 years working with teachers and teacher candidates in creating engaging instructional design in elementary social studies. Her areas of expertise are in curriculum design and instruction.

Apps to Preload: None

Room 17 (Play Area #6)

Perma-Bound Books

Ken Kuckle

9:45 a.m.

Irina Tuule, Eduporium

Creating a Vibrant Learning Environment in the Library Using a MakerEd Mindset and Tools

Room 12

Making Global Connects with Students

Lisa Romasanta & Shonya Collier

Levels: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Suggested for: Classroom Teachers, School Librarians/ Media Specialists, Technology Teachers, Technology Coordinators

This "Making Global Connections with Students" workshop will include curated resources, "Global" lesson plans, and Q&A session that will connect to current global issues, United Nation's sustainable development goals and curriculum standards in a classroom and library/makerspace environment. This knowledge comes from a team of educators at a "Global Studies" Magnet Middle School.

Apps to Preload: None

Room 13

Courtroom 600: Teaching Empathy & Resistance through Virtual Reality

Stephen Slota

Levels: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Post -Secondary, Adult

Suggested for: Classroom Teachers, School Librarians/ Media Specialists, Technology Teachers, Administrators, Technology Coordinators, Higher Education

Despite ubiquity of terms like “screentime” and “digital natives,” deep and broad examples of emergent technologies being leveraged to bridge gaps between creative problem-solving in the classroom and the real world are often overlooked. This presentation will detail the advantages and challenges of applying such technologies-specifically, games and virtual reality-in instructional design, citing development of Courtroom 600 (an interactive, virtual reality recreation of the post-World War II 1945-46 International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg).

Apps to Preload: None

Room 14

Design Your Own PD with Fund For Teachers

Jenna Cinelli

Levels: Pre-K, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Suggested for: Classroom Teachers, School Librarians/ Media Specialists, Technology Teachers

Looking for professional development that will truly impact your teaching and lead to student achievement? Ever wanted to create your own professional development experience? Fund For Teachers grants can help you do just that! FFT grants allow teachers to design their own professional development experiences all around the globe! Come hear all about FFT grants from a former FFT Fellow, get application tips and start applying today!

Apps to Preload: None

Room 15

Banning Books: Conversations with Students

Janet Kenney

Levels: 9, 10, 11, 12

Suggested for: School Librarians/ Media Specialists

Learn how picture books are used with 9th graders during Banned Books Week. Students use the picture books to engage in small group discussions about book banning, the first amendment, and the important role that libraries play in a democracy. Participants who attend this session will walk away with a list of books, and links to the materials used in this activity which they can use with their own students.

Apps to Preload: none

Room 25

Building a Digital Footprint with Flipgrid

Mariana Psenicnik & Judy Salemme

Levels: 4, 5, 6

Suggested for: Classroom Teachers, School Librarians/ Media Specialists, Technology Teachers, Administrators, Technology Coordinators

Learn how to purposefully use online video discussion platform Flipgrid to build a collaborative bridge between peers in different schools with a focus on applying Digital Citizenship standards. Students will start cultivating a positive digital identify in a safe environment through the use of this collaborative platform. Participants will actively join trial sessions with other teachers in the group in order to gain familiarity with the application while building connections.

Apps to Preload: Google or Flipgrid web based account / Flipgrid App (for some devices)

Room 26

CANCELLED

Engaging K-12 Students Through Story

Mary Kuechenmeister

Levels: All Levels

Suggested for: Classroom Teachers, School Librarians/ Media Specialists, Technology Teachers

The Story Preservation Initiative Learning Lab is a whole-school resource that engages students through story, builds literacy, content knowledge, and fosters creative and critical thinking skills.

Story Preservation is an educational nonprofit. The Learning Lab resource is available to schools free of charge.

Apps to Preload: none

Room 27

Student Created STEAM Based Games

Jennifer Krayewski & Nicole Boruchin

Levels: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Suggested for: Classroom Teachers, School Librarians/ Media Specialists, Technology Teachers, Technology Coordinators

What's more fun for a child than designing and building their own game? See what happens when students are introduced to hands-on game building! This session will give examples on how students can collaborate to design, create, and build their own STEAM based games using traditional materials in conjunction with circuits, conductive materials and Scratch!

Apps to Preload: N/A

Pre-Function Area [Table 1]

Khromebooks in Kindergarten

Kim Luiz & Jessica Bedford

Levels: K, 1, 2

Suggested for: Classroom Teachers, School Librarians/ Media Specialists, Technology Teachers, Administrators, Technology Coordinators

We created this presentation to share the amazing learning experiences we had this year piloting the integration of Chromebooks with two Kindergarten classes in our district. We hope that with the glimpse into the teaching, learning and creations we will provide, you can gain an understanding of what our students were able to accomplish, and discover just how incredible introducing these tools as an everyday resource to help us learn, grow, collaborate, create and express ourselves has turned out to be. Kindergarteners are outstanding digital citizens and have whole heartedly embraced the introduction of using Chromebooks demonstrating they are empowered learners!

Apps to Preload: Google Classroom, Google Drive

Pre-Function Area [Table 2]

Make Digital Citizenship Engaging with Authentic Digital Literacy Tools

Renee Mitchill

Levels: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Suggested for: Classroom Teachers, School Librarians/ Media Specialists, Technology Teachers

The presentation offers ideas for connecting digital citizenship learning with digital literacy projects for kindergarten through 5th grade. Learners use engaging tools to practice digital citizenship and digital literacy skills by creating authentic digital products. Examples of projects include video PSAs in kindergarten, comics in 2nd grade, and memes in 4th grade. Some tools include Google Draw, Make Beliefs Comix, quoizio.com, and breakyourownnews.com.

Apps to Preload: None

Traditional Session: 2:30 p.m. in Room 15

Pre-Function Area [Table 3]

Build Bridges and Increase Student Engagement Through Service Learning

Sue Shaw

Levels: All Levels

Suggested for: Classroom Teachers, School Librarians/ Media Specialists, Technology Teachers

Increase student engagement and motivation through service learning projects. Come learn how our 5th graders successfully organized community service projects (Sandwich Club to benefit the St. Vincent De Paul shelter and the Card Making Club to benefit Animals for Life Rescue organization) while incorporating skills across different disciplines. The students planned, organized, created displays and presentations, used math, art, language arts, and technology skills to promote and complete their projects. Participants will start to brainstorm opportunities for community service projects and plan for collaboration within their own schools.

Apps to Preload: None

Playground Session: 2:30 p.m. Table #1 in Room 17

Pre-Function Area [Table 4]

Building Peer-to-Peer Bridges using Google Drawings as a Foundation

Tim Cayer & Shannon McNeice

Levels: All Levels

Suggested for: Classroom Teachers, School Librarians/ Media Specialists, Technology Teachers

Participants will create materials that can be used and shared immediately with any audience. Materials created can be easily updated to include the latest digital tools and research resources. Most importantly, the creations will address the differentiation needs of all learners and workshop participants will have FUN and be CREATIVE!

Apps to Preload: Loom --Chrome Extension

[Most will use GSuite for Education accounts.]

Traditional Session: 10:45 a.m. in Room 14