Session Block 3

1 pm to 2 pm

Removing the Burden of the Grade: Ungrading in a Graded World - Panel Discussion

Grading has been a core part of the school experience for teachers and students alike for about 200 years in the U.S. In recent years, however, educators in the P-16 have drawn attention to the negative results of traditional classroom grades: grades reduce students' interest in learning itself; they stifle creativity; they aren't valid, reliable, or objective; grades reduce the quality of students' thinking; and they only work as extrinsic motivators, among other concerns. Consequently, teachers and professors across the country have experimented with "ungrading" practices and assessment approaches that remove or reduce the onus of grades. In this session, a panel of educators will discuss their "ungrading" practices and are interested in hearing about your experiences.

Audience

Middle School | High School | Higher Education | School Leaders

Continuing Education Strands

Presenter Information

Greta Jenkins (moderator) | Panelists: Kris Glesener, Jenean O'Brien, Matt Ridenour, Beth LaVigne, Neil Witikko

Session Resources

None

How to Be an Active Ally

What do we mean when we say we are an “ally?” What does allyship look like in action? In this session, we will discuss what is meant, as a collaborative team, when we discuss active allyship or being a disrupter. The importance of having shared meaning around terms and definitions. How can we put social justice allyship into practice by leveraging our privilege? What privileges do we have to leverage? How we can strengthen our confidence in being a disruptor without overstepping into white saviorship. We will be using Jamboard and small group work in this session. Come prepared to create a safe space for active listening and learning.

Audience

All

Continuing Education Strands

Cultural Competency

Presenter Information

Jennifer Niemi

Session Resources

Slides

Primary Research, Composition, and Civic Engagement for a Real-World Audience

This session will explore the research proposal writing process for a real-world audience by utilizing an assessment in a collegiate-level academic writing course. The model provided is an assessment in which students research an issue affecting their community, conduct primary and local research on the nature of this issue, and propose a detailed solution to address this issue. The completed proposals are mailed directly to the city mayor, who then visits the classroom in person to engage the students in a discussion on the feasibility and next steps for their proposed solutions. Participants in this session will gain useful strategies for increasing the civic mindfulness and activeness of their students; building collaborative and communicative student teams with community connections; instructing students in collecting, integrating, and evaluating primary sources; and supporting students in developing skills in the proposal research writing process.

Audience

High School | Higher Education | School Leaders

Continuing Education Strands

Accommodation/Modification/Adaptation | Cultural Competency

Presenter Information

Minden Hultstrom

Session Resources

Slides

Building the Plane While We’re Flying It: CS/STEAM Pathways

This presentation will share information about developing middle and high school computer science (CS) and STEAM courses and how they can become a cohesive pathway. Presenters will give an overview of a middle school STEAM course and a high school Exploring Data and Computing course. They will share concepts, curriculum, and teaching strategies used in each course as well as how they are aligning these to build on each other. Presenters will share how the courses, curriculum, and other resources prepare schools and teachers to meet the inclusion of CS benchmarks in Minnesota state standards. Strategies for engaging all students, including Universal Design for Learning and projects that connect to student interests, and for encouraging students to enroll in the high school elective will also be discussed. Presenters will also share future plans for refining their CS program. Participants will be able to try a design thinking activity and discuss current CS/STEAM activities in their school, successes and challenges, and future plans.

Audience

Middle School | High School | School Leaders

Continuing Education Strands

Accommodation/Modification/Adaptation

Presenter Information

Liesa Klyn | Edyn Kemp | Jen Rosato

Session Resources

Slides

Mindfulness Strategies for Elementary Classrooms

Mindfulness practices in the classroom help students (and instructors) focus and manage their own emotions. Specific strategies geared toward elementary classrooms will be discussed and practiced. Participants may design an action plan for implementation in their own classrooms.