SUMMER
INSTITUTE
2018
WORKSHOPS
WESTMINSTER
SUMMER INSTITUTE 2018 WORKSHOPS Hello, fellow educators! As teachers, coaches, administrators, and leaders, we are challenged to prepare our students for the 21st century with relevant, meaningful, and engaging learning experiences. This year, the Center for Teaching is pleased to offer professional development workshops in Design Thinking, STEAM, Humanities, and more! These workshops are designed for new and returning K-12 faculty and administrators and are led by faculty from private and public schools, private consultants, and national organizations. Last year, more than 300 educators attended. We look forward to seeing faces both familiar and new this summer! Feel free to contact me with any questions you may have about our program. Happy to be lifelong learners together! Sincerely, Jane Simpkins Program Manager Center for Teaching 404-609-6112
Workshop Overview WORKSHOPS
May 29
May 30
May 31
June 1
June 4
June 5
June 6
June 7
June 8
June 11
June 12
June 13
June 14
June 15
Design Thinking Design Thinking Immersive Design Challenge
$200 $150
Enhancing Teaching Practice Assessment Practice that Squares the Circle: Designing and Using Rubrics Blending the Personal and the Political: Generating and Teaching Poetry of Witness
$150 $300
Building Classroom and Team Cultures
$150
Choice Theory and Reality Therapy in Schools
$150
Creating a Critical-Thinking Classroom Environment Focus on Affinity Groups
$300 $150
“If You Would Only Just Try Harder and Apply Yourself!� Reaching the Underachieving, Disengaged, and Unmotivated Student
$150
Making Thinking Visible R.E.A.L. Discussions: Student-Led Discussion for the 21st Century (two separate sessions available)
$150 Session 1: $375
Session 2: $375
Rules of Engagement
$150
Take This Down: Note-Taking Skills and Strategies for Students
$150
The Harkness Method: Student-Centered Discussion Ultimate Lesson Planning: Plan Your Whole Year in Two Days Universal Toolbox for Surviving Your Beginning Years as a New Teacher
$300 $300 $475
WORKSHOPS
May 29
May 30
May 31
June 1
June 4
June 5
June 6
June 7
June 8
June 11
June 12
June 13
June 14
June 15
Expanding Your Digital Toolset An Introduction to Screencasting
$150
Building and Growing Your School Broadcasting Program: WCAT Model
$300
Tame Your Technology The Basics of Winning Grants
$150 $150
Humanities Atlanta Civil Rights Landmarks
$375
Leadership Building Influence as a Teacher Leader
$300
Creating a Line of Sight to Being an Effective Leader
$375
Institute for Strategic Leadership
$500
Mentoring and Instructional Coaching: Creating a Partnership Culture
$300
The Coachable School: Models, Methods, and Practice
$150
Math Strategies Create a Student-Driven Classroom in Middle and Upper School Mathematics
$150
I Hate Math! A Neurodevelopmental Understanding of How and Why Some Students Struggle with Math (and What To Do About It)
$150
Interactive Electronic Resources in the Math Classroom
$150
My Mathematical Mind
$300
Problem-Based Math Using the Workshop Model Singapore Math Strategies In Your Classroom
$150 $300
WORKSHOPS
May 29
May 30
May 31
June 1
June 4
June 5
June 6
June 7
June 8
June 11
June 12
June 13
June 14
June 15
Mindfulness Mindful Me
$150
Mindfulness and Intentional Sound in the Classroom
$375
Project Based Learning Intro to PBL
$375
Project-Based Learning: A Deep Dive Problem-Based Learning Project-Based Learning for Special Education
$300 $150 $150
Science Food for Thought: Teaching the Food System in Georgia
$300
STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) Designing, Tinkering, and Making
$400
Hummingbird Robotics: Arts. Machines, Technology
$150
Lantern Making SCRATCH: Introducing Coding Across the Curriculum STEAM Art and Cardboard Engineering STEAM Ed Learning Exchange STEAM in Action Teaching Engineering, Design Thinking, and STEAM
$300 $150 $300 $150 $200 $375
DESIGN THINKING
ENHANCING TEACHING PRACTICE
Design Thinking
Immersive Design Challenge
Design Thinking is a problem-solving strategy that can be used in conjunction with STEAM, Project-Based Learning, interdisciplinary studies, service learning, or global studies. It emphasizes building empathy, but it also promotes quick prototyping and iteration. Participants will learn the design thinking process and will have a chance to create prototypes in our Maker Space, learning how to use various hand tools, foam cutters, and power tools.
Re-imagine the Learning Space with Hands and Mind. Designing for authentic change can be challenging. We face constraints—lots of them. From lack of funding to fixed physical structures, the challenges can be overwhelming. In this workshop, we sprint, using design thinking, through an experiential immersion in how to design for change, using first our minds, and then our hands (making).
Instructors: Courtney Bryant, STEAM Projects Manager, Charles R. Drew Charter School; Sue Davenport, Lower School Integration Specialist, Westminster; Jane Simpkins, Program Manager for the Center for Teaching, Westminster
June 7 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $200
Design challenge: Within this expedition, you will work collaboratively with your workshop team to establish design drivers that will inform how a physical learning space is designed. We will frame the workshop with a warm-up activity that encourages creative confidence and ideation absent of constraints, and then synthesize human-centered ideas born out of empathy interviews. To conclude, your team will build a prototypical learning space, using 3D modeling, that reflects the situated design drivers you and your team created. Instructor: Jennifer Baker, Middle School Visual Arts Teacher, Westminster
May 30 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $150
Assessment Practice that Squares the Circle: Designing and Using Rubrics Rubrics are effective tools for assessing complex tasks. Beyond that, rubrics can help students plan and organize a task, strategize for performance, set goals, build metacognitive awareness, adopt growthmindset language, and reflect on past performance. In this workshop, participants will learn how to build strong rubrics and maximize rubric use in their teaching practice. Participants who come with instructional materials, lesson/unit plans, and/or past assessments will put them to good use. Otherwise, come willing to build assessments and activities from the ground up...starting with the rubric itself. This workshop is appropriate for teachers K-12. Instructor: Ted Sadtler, Middle School Director of Teaching and Learning, Westminster
May 30 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $150
Blending the Personal and the Political: Generating and Teaching the Poetry of Witness In what ways can poetry “extend the document” of reality? Can literature change the political climate? What is the role of the poet laureate, the literary appointee, the spoken word artist? Join us for a two-part session to discuss and workshop the poetry of witness. We will spend the morning reading, listening to, and talking about historic and contemporary models of poetry concerned with documenting the social and political landscape. In the afternoon, we will generate and share our own poems addressing the place where our personal stories meet the public sphere. Instructors: Mario Chard, Assistant Director of the Writing Center, Westminster; Jen Dracos-Tice, Director of the Writing Center, Westminster
May 30-31 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $300
Building Classroom and Team Cultures “If you only want the fruit and ignore the root, the tree will die.” Whether you’re a teacher or a coach (or both!), the culture of your team or classroom can make or break your year. Enjoy a day exploring how we establish the culture of a team or classroom, develop leaders, and help teens understand and evolve their roles within the system. All Middle School and Upper School teachers and coaches are welcome. Instructor: Katie Argall, Middle School Mathematics, Westminster
June 13 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $150
ENHANCING TEACHING PRACTICE Choice Theory and Reality Therapy in Schools
Creating a Critical-Thinking Classroom Environment
Choice theory and reality therapy are frameworks aimed at fostering internal control. When applied in the classroom or school, choice theory helps teachers and administrators view student behavior (academic, personal, and social) through a common lens in terms of students needs (belonging, power [competence], freedom, fun, and survival). Reality therapy is the use of tools and strategies aimed at supporting students as they learn to make decisions that help them effectively meet their own needs. Fundamental to reality therapy is the ability to use self-evaluation tools that support students in their quest to make positive decisions and choices. This workshop will set the foundation of choice theory/reality therapy. At the same time, we will develop common language and skills to help teachers and administrators positively work to create the conditions where students are able to satisfy their own needs while allowing others to do the same.
Have you tried to get students to ask why instead of what? To grapple with “so what?” Of course, we want our students to engage in meaningful discussions that go deep, discussions that seek to unpack the multifarious ways we can understand ideas. We want concrete learners to experience learning in a more dynamic way. Creating a classroom environment that promotes critical thinking is no easy task. The needs of the 21st century demand critical thinking, a reasoning skill that allows us to interpret and analyze the deeper significance of phenomena. In the classroom, critical thinking is an approach to learning that allows students to make sense of content, which they evaluate and analyze. In this context, students are forced to take responsibility for their own learning, as they question, think, and form their arguments. Ultimately, critical thinking is about allowing students to develop and harness reasoning skills that can be applied in their future endeavors—and in life. How do we create such a classroom culture? This workshop is appropriate for educators teaching grades 9-12.
Instructors: Rob Richardson, Senior Academy Counselor, Charles R. Drew Charter School; Leslie Schaffer, Senior Academy Social Studies Chair, Charles R. Drew Charter School
June 11 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $150
Instructor: Barrington S. Edwards, PhD, The Paideia School
June 4-5 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $300
Focus on Affinity Groups Are you passionate about making your affinity group dynamic? Are you looking for ways to reignite your group’s momentum? In this collaborative workshop, we will identify, review, and reassess norms and goals. We will discuss ways to create programming that attracts students and addresses their needs. Time will be designated to create affinity-specific activities that can immediately be used with groups. Participants will leave with a clear vision and action plan for what they will offer students and how their affinity group will help support the school as a whole. This workshop is appropriate for educators teaching grades 6-12 who facilitate or aspire to facilitate an affinity group. Instructors: Rachel Coleman, Middle School Math Teacher, Westminster; Amanda Barksdale Lyttle, Middle School Teacher and Coach, Westminster
May 31 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $150
“If You Would Only Just Try Harder and Apply Yourself!” Reaching the Underachieving, Disengaged, and Unmotivated Student A frequent source of frustration for educators is the perception that some students are not motivated to learn. Often, the result of this impasse is for well-intentioned educators to coax, cajole, and coerce, which results mainly in increased student “resistance” and words such as “lazy” and “underachieving” being ascribed to the student. In this workshop, participants will learn about barriers to student engagement, including factors within the student’s learning profile and external factors in the student’s environment affecting motivation. This workshop will also provide participants an introduction to “Motivational Interviewing”, a research-based approach designed to increase effective communication and collaboration with individuals resistant to changing behaviors that interfere with academic success. Armed with this approach, educators can more effectively engage students who might otherwise shut down. Instructors: Scott Hamilton, Assistant Head of School for Academics, The Howard School; Tamara Hamilton, School Counselor, Cliff Valley School
June 5 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $150
ENHANCING TEACHING PRACTICE Making Thinking Visible Visible Thinking started through Harvard’s Project Zero. It is a research-based approach to teaching thinking and develops students’ thinking dispositions while deepening their understanding of the topics they study. The protocol includes a varied collection of practices, including thinking routines, small sets of questions, and steps to document student thinking. Using this process, thinking becomes visible as the students’ different viewpoints are expressed, documented, discussed, and reflected upon. Come learn and practice these routines for yourself and how you can apply them in your classroom. This workshop is appropriate for educators teaching grades K-8. Instructor: Ashley Gayanilo, Middle School History Teacher, Westminster
June 15 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $170
R.E.A.L. Discussions: Student-Led Discussion for the 21st Century It’s no secret that the world needs citizens able and willing to engage in meaningful discussions… and that humanities classrooms offer a critical context for cultivating these real-life skills in our students! This workshop will equip humanities teachers of grades 7-12 to teach Discussion as a Discipline by using R.E.A.L., a taxonomy based in four fundamental skills: Relate, Excerpt, Ask, and Listen. Over two days, participants will engage current research, share experiences, and solve for common pain-points of student-led
discussion. They will leave prepared to implement R.E.A.L. Discussion in their classrooms next year and may choose to be supported by student materials aligned to the R.E.A.L. framework. Learn more at www.realdiscussion.org! Instructors: Liza Cowan, Upper School English Teacher and Grade Chair, Westminster; Kay Solomon, Upper School Biblical and Religious Studies Chair, Westminster; Elizabeth Davidson, Upper School Bible and Latin Teacher, Westminster
Two separate sessions are being offered. May 31-June 1 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $375 June 13-14 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $375
Rules of Engagement We often engage very young children in learning through all of their senses. As children get older, however, sometimes we pull those multisensory engagement strategies away. This interactive workshop will help you develop practices that will keep older students engrossed in learning through engaging all their senses. Discover strategies and resources that keep your students (and you!) engaged in an exciting and interactive classroom. This workshop is geared to educators, curriculum specialists, and coaches for grades 4-8. Instructor: Donya Kemp, Dean of Academics, Price Middle School
June 13 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $150
Take This Down: Note-Taking Skills and Strategies for Students Note-taking requires a constellation of skills more complicated than you may think, in more ways than you probably imagine. Successful note-taking requires either the mastery of a highly complex developmental language progression or very sophisticated strategies and work-arounds—and these are seldom fostered by the direct classroom instruction they require. In this workshop, we offer a K-12 trajectory model for developing successful note-taking skills, which emphasizes processing over capture and provides many of the tools teachers need to ensure that their students approach mastery by the time they graduate high school. Instructors: Scott Goode, High School Principal, The Howard School; Victoria Brickenden, Speech Language Pathologist, The Howard School; Joseph Walsh, Speech Language Pathologist, The Howard School
June 1 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $150
The Harkness Method: Student-Centered Discussion We often hold discussions in our classrooms, but we don’t necessarily teach students how to have meaningful conversations that lead to genuine learning and growth. This workshop will introduce teachers to the Harkness method of student-centered discussion, through which students learn how to listen to one another, ask questions, and develop critical thinking skills. We will have a central topic and readings so that participants can prepare for and engage in discussion just as their students will do. We will introduce participants
to Harkness methods such as discussion prep, warm-up activities, discussion tracking, and feedback. We will also provide examples from our own experience so we can process some of the challenges and rewards of this method. This Harkness method applies to all disciplines, so we invite teachers from diverse fields to join us. Instructors: Kristin Hunter, Upper School English Department Chair, Westminster; Mary Heald, Upper School English Teacher, Westminster
June 11-12 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $300
Ultimate Lesson Planning: Plan Your Whole Year in Two Days Leave this two-day workshop with lesson plans for the entire 2018-19 school year. In this course, participants will quickly and efficiently design objective-based units and lessons. Get a jump start for next year, take the rest of the summer off, and start your school year stress-free! This workshop is appropriate for educators teaching grades K-12. Instructor: Peyten Williams, Middle School Director of Teaching and Learning, Westminster
May 31-June 1 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $300
ENHANCING TEACHING PRACTICE Universal Toolbox for Surviving Your Beginning Years as a New Teacher This residential, three-day seminar is for teachers relatively new to the profession. Participants will examine the components of building a positive learning climate through self-reflection and research-based best practices. We will explore the concept of a Professional Learning Community through igniting dialogue around preparing for your first years as a teacher. We will provide practical strategies in a host of areas: designing effective lessons; setting up your classroom to foster a positive learning environment; developing realistic classroom policies and procedures; understanding the role of instruction in classroom management; creation of student portfolios; communication with parents; and current topics in education. We will help you identify your personal style and expand your professional network with colleagues from a variety of teacher training backgrounds. The primary goals of the seminar are: (1) to engage teachers in scholarly enterprise while expanding and deepening supportive relationships; and (2) to support creative, leadership, and collaboration skills within a cohort of like-minded new teachers.
This workshop is appropriate for public, private, and charter school teachers who are new to the teaching profession (less than three years of experience) and want to continue growing into their profession. The workshop will be held at Darlington School in Rome, Georgia. It will be a residential program with people arriving by 1:00 p.m. Sunday, June 3. The program will end by 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, June 6. The cost of the program includes room and board (single dorm occupancy with community bath) and meals (three breakfasts, two lunches, and three dinners). Instructors: Hope Jones, Lower and Middle School Division Head, Darlington School; Matt Peer, Upper School Division Head, Darlington School; Robert Ryshke, Executive Director of the Center for Teaching, Westminster
June 3-6 | 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. | $475
EXPANDING YOUR DIGITAL TOOLSET An Introduction to Screencasting This session is an introduction to screencasting, the creation of digital lessons and recording them on a computer. Screencasts allow teachers to create engaging lessons, flip their classrooms, or create materials that allow students to review or learn at their own pace. There are a lot of options in regard to screencast software, and decisions should be made based upon the needs of the lesson. This session will look at a variety of screencast options that are available for iPads and Macbooks. Some of the apps that we will be exploring are: Explain Everything, Procreate, Clips, TouchCast, and Puppet Pals. Participants should come with materials or ideas to create a screencast. Instructor: Shawn Canney, Senior Academy Language Arts Teacher, Charles R. Drew Charter School
June 5 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $150
Building and Growing Your School Broadcasting Program: WCAT Model Work to create, build, implement, and deliver a student-run school broadcast program with online streaming. Build and grow the program as a club, an extracurricular, a stand-alone course, or integrated into an ongoing class. Participants of this workshop will learn: • Technology and equipment needs • How to use the equipment: cameras, audio, editing (Adobe Premiere, Final Cut and more) • Streaming platforms available for free or for a nominal fee • Curriculum ideas for Broadcast Journalism Participants will create their very own newscast and broadcast a live event. They will also edit and upload the events.
Schools with an existing streaming platform will learn how to take the production to the next level with additional cameras, replay, and graphics. WCAT received the 2017 National Student Production EMMY Award for Live Sports Broadcast and was honored as the 2017 School Broadcast Program of the Year by the NFHS Network. You can watch WCAT broadcasts at bit.ly/wcatnfhs (live sports) and youtube.com/ WestminsterWCAT Instructor: Daniel Searl, Director of Hispanic Student Development, WCAT WebTV Coordinator, Westminster
June 6-7 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $300
Tame Your Technology Has your email inbox become an overflowing mess? How about your Google Drive, Schoology resource page, and the documents folder on your computer? Learn how to regain control of your online spaces through organizational tips and tricks. This one-day workshop will be an intensive digital “spring cleaning,” with participants focusing on organizing email and Google Drive in the morning, and Schoology and documents folders in the afternoon. Instructor: Leah Roberts, Middle School Science Curriculum Coordinator, Westminster
May 30 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $150
EXPANDING YOUR DIGITAL TOOLSET
HUMANITIES
LEADERSHIP
The Basics of Winning Grants
Atlanta Civil Rights Landmarks
Building Influence as a Teacher-Leader
Funding opportunities for educators are everywhere, but accessing these resources can feel overly complicated and out of reach. This workshop will demystify the grant application process and will prepare teachers to pursue smaller-scale grants that can fund projects, classroom materials, or even professional learning experiences. Participants will learn where to locate the right funding opportunities; what funders look for in applications; how to write clear, compelling answers to every question; and how to make your application stand out from the rest. The workshop will also feature an overview of grant management best practices if you do win funding, including how to accurately record expenses and fulfill the funders’ reporting requirements with fidelity. Participants will prepare a basic proposal for a project or opportunity for which they are seeking funding and that can be adapted for future grant applications.
In this two-day workshop, teachers will tour Civil Rights landmarks in Atlanta. Beginning with Oakland Cemetery on day one, we will focus on landmarks from 19th century Atlanta. Day two will focus on 20th century landmarks, ending at the King Center in the Sweet Auburn historic district. This workshop will serve as a buffet of potential field trips for interested humanities teachers. Sites will include Piedmont Park, Atlanta University Center, the Henry Grady statue, Brookwood Station, and Rich’s Department Store. We will also eat at the Busy Bee Café and Mary Mac’s Tea Room. Come along if you want to learn how to incorporate local Civil Rights curriculum into your humanities classrooms.
In today’s educational world, it’s not enough to just be a teacher. If we want our students to be leaders, we need to be strong leaders. In this twoday workshop, you will discover ways to cultivate your leadership qualities, build your influence in the school, and model leadership for your students. Gain immediate takeaway resources for future learning, and finish with a plan for your leadership during this upcoming school year.
Instructors: Jesse Breite, Upper School English Teacher, Westminster; Sarbeth Fleming, Associate Director of College Counseling, Westminster
Creating a Line of Sight to Being an Effective Leader
Instructor: Caitlan Cole, Grants Coordinator, Charles R. Drew Charter School
May 29-30 | 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | $375
This three-day workshop guides current and aspiring educational leaders— including deans, chairs, associates, and division heads—through a variety of activities designed to explore individual strengths, opportunities, and challenges in leadership in order to support teaching and learning. We will use StrengthsFinder 2.0, an inventory of personal strengths.
May 29 | 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. | $150
Instructor: Peyten Williams, Middle School Director of Teaching and Learning, Westminster
May 29-30 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $300
The format will include seminar-style discussions around readings on selected topics, classroom observation techniques, case studies on having difficult conversations, collaborative design work in small and large groups, and reflection on practice in the leadership role. Topics include: supervising teachers and providing essential resources, feedback, and coaching; managing the schedule and details of the job; envisioning and leading a department or team; guiding transformative teaching; initiating and planning dynamic curricular change; cultivating teacher leadership within the department or team; and running effective meetings and developing culture. Special emphasis will be on “vertical leadership”—transforming your mindset as a leader. Participants will use knowledge and experiences
from the workshop—and from one another—to develop a “leadership plan” for the upcoming year. Instructors: Thad Persons, Dean of Faculty, Westminster; Robert Ryshke, Executive Director of the Center for Teaching, Westminster
June 11-13 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $375
Institute for Strategic Leadership School leaders at all levels face increasingly complex problems and challenges. Seeing around corners day to day requires a flexible, integrated way of thinking, while developing a sustainable vision for the future tests our ability to influence others and lead change. In meeting these challenges, the principles of strategic leadership offer a vocabulary and a framework that can lend clarity to decision-making and sharper focus to planning. In this workshop, we will introduce time-tested tools for strategic thinking, as well as an integrated model for leadership development both for oneself and for administrative teams. Case studies from schools and the for-profit sector will illuminate concepts like strategic alignment, developing an enterprise strategy, and making tradeoffs, to name a few. Keith Evans has served as a teacher, coach, and administrator in independent schools for more than 30 years. He earned his undergraduate degree in religion from Davidson College and graduate degrees from Harvard University and the University of Tennessee and is a two-time Fellow of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Instructor: Keith Evans, President, Westminster
June 4-5 | 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. | $500
LEADERSHIP
MATH STRATEGIES
Mentoring and Instructional Coaching: Creating a Partnership Culture
The Coachable School: Models, Methods, and Practice
Participants will learn the principles of good mentoring and design a mentoring curriculum that includes key topics and relevant case studies. In addition, participants will work on providing and receiving instructional feedback based on the partnership principles put forth by Dr. Jim Knight’s Instructional Coaching Group, including reviewing best practices for using videotaping and student feedback to support growth. Administrators will leave with design ideas for establishing an effective mentoring program. Experienced faculty will gain knowledge, skills, and understanding of what it takes to mentor a teacher new to your school. In addition, participants will practice ways to help new teachers set and reach their goals. This workshop is appropriate for all faculty interested in or currently mentoring other teachers, as well as for school leaders seeking to design a mentoring program.
Coaching is a form of leadership grounded in trust, curiosity, and growth. Participants in this workshop will examine the anatomy of various coaching models and the methods of highly successful instructional and corporate coaching systems. With a foundation of models and methods, we will spend some time role-playing situations typical to the school context. Even if you don’t have a coaching program in your school, participants will leave with a new toolset for engaging colleagues in powerful, trusting conversations—the first step to creating a coachable school.
Instructors: Thad Persons, Dean of Faculty, Westminster; Brooke Hight, Director of Teaching and Learning, Grades Pre-First through Second, Westminster
June 14-15 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $300
Instructor: Ted Sadtler, Middle School Director of Teaching and Learning, Westminster
May 31 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $150
Create a Student-Driven Classroom in Middle and Upper School Mathematics Always feeling short on time? Under pressure to cover content but simultaneously motivated to inspire critical thinkers of the future? Free up time for exploration and virtually remove lectures from your classroom. Whether you are interested in tossing out the textbook or exploring guided inquiry, Project-Based Learning, flipping the classroom, or Design Thinking, come learn from years of trial and error about how you can integrate these methods into your classroom. This workshop is appropriate for educators teaching grades 6-12. Instructor: Katie Argall, Middle School Mathematics, Westminster
June 7 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $150
I Hate Math! A Neurodevelopmental Understanding of How and Why Some Students Struggle with Math (and What To Do About It) Why do some students struggle and develop an aversion to math despite our best efforts? This session will help participants understand how students develop mathematical thinking, considerations for a supportive environment to encourage math development, and stateof-the-art math teaching methods. The presenters will first describe the underlying cognitive processes associated with math thinking and math achievement, including number sense, executive functions, discrimination, visualization, comparison, and working memory. Next, the presenters will discuss the classroom environmental considerations important for successful math education, with a
particular emphasis on reducing math anxiety. Finally, the presenters will discuss specific pathways to math skill development, including classroom techniques to help students develop number sense, how to match instructional techniques to particular cognitive breakdown points affecting math learning, and how to create and encourage effective math thinkers in and out of the classroom. Instructors: Tara Terry, Lower and Middle School Principal, The Howard School; Liz Walsh, Math Lab Teacher, The Howard School; Scott Hamilton, Assistant Head of School for Academics, The Howard School
June 4 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $150
Interactive Electronic Resources in the Math Classroom Math classes often fall back on lectures and dated textbooks. When students have electronic devices, why stick with the ordinary? Come learn about some frequently used math class favorites. These tools can be used for formative assessments, classroom competitions, differentiation of content, data collection, and platforms for student projects. Tired of Kahoot? Learn about Desmos, online quiz platforms, and Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II student project ideas. This workshop is appropriate for educators teaching grades 6-12. Instructor: Katie Argall, Middle School Mathematics, Westminster
June 11 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $150
MATH STRATEGIES My Mathematical Mind This workshop will explore mathematics in a way that is interactive and engaging for participants. The first goal is establishing an understanding of Math Identity and how to help students develop a healthy one. The second goal will be to explore Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI). CGI is based on an integrated program of research focused on the development of students’ mathematical thinking and how that knowledge can guide and should influence instruction. The third goal would be to delve deeply into problem solving. The development of number sense and math flexibility will be highlighted. Bar models, number bonds, open number lines, area models, and other tools and invented algorithms will be discussed as ways to assure students have the firm foundation needed to establish algebraic reasoning and conceptual understanding. Instructor: Deborah Peart, Lower School Lead Teacher, Westminster
June 5-6 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $300
Problem-Based Math Using the Workshop Model This workshop will focus on how to use the workshop model (opening, worktime, closing) to facilitate math learning among students. Teachers will learn how their role as facilitators can be most effective when teaching math, how the workshop model works, and how to produce meaningful, tiered word problems that make students become engaged and independent thinkers. Teachers will learn the benefits of having a “closing” in order to allow students to learn from each other. Emphasis will be placed on running a successful math
MINDFULNESS block and how to find and produce word problems to stimulate problem solving and communication skills among students. This workshop is appropriate for educators teaching grades K-5. Instructor: Angelica Yanten, Elementary Academy Teacher, Charles R. Drew Charter School
June 12 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $150
Singapore Math Strategies in Your Classroom Join us for a two-day workshop as we translate Singapore’s “concrete to pictorial to abstract” instructional sequence into practical application in your classroom. Develop your students’ mental math skills with games and activities that include number bonds, partwhole relationships, branching, and compensation. Teach students the visual and concrete model-drawing approach to solving word problems. Create effective and engaging lessons with Anchor Tasks. Illustrate links to algebra as you teach to mastery. Appropriate for K-5 teachers seeking an introduction and general overview of Singapore Math Strategies. Instructors: Taiwana Amos, Math Coordinator, Purpose Built Schools; Jane Simpkins, Program Manager at the Center for Teaching, Westminster
May 30-31 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $300
Mindful Me This workshop will address issues that arise with student stress and anxiety and will explore healthy habits and routines that can minimize these manifestations. Participants will engage in activities designed to support students as they learn to self-regulate and manage their emotions. We will share breathing techniques, chair yoga, mindfulness practices, and more. As an added bonus, we will experience together some supports for teachers as we strive to create healthy classroom environments and become the anchors in our rooms. This workshop will be very hands-on and includes some art exploration and lots of movement. Instructor: Deborah Peart, Lower School Lead Teacher, Westminster
June 8 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $150
Mindfulness and Intentional Sound in the Classroom Experience how to invite mindfulness and intentional sound into your teaching and into the classroom. Specific activities, lots of handouts, and informative research interspersed with experiential moments will immerse you in an awareness of mindfulness, that of bringing attention to the present moment. It is through this practice we can open to compassion and gratitude, become masters of emotional selfregulation, and free ourselves from limiting beliefs. Among other benefits, students and teachers working with mindfulness techniques in the classroom can respond rather than react in potentially stressful situations, allowing for relaxed and enhanced learning environments. Candace is a professional musician who, before becoming certified in mindfulness for teaching, has developed and facilitated workshops that plunged into the depths of sound and music for stress relief. She now integrates mindfulness with intentional sound creating a unique and “harmonious” classroom resource for teachers and students. Instructor: Candace Keach, Music Teacher, Westminster
May 29-31 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $375
PROJECT-BASED LEARNING Intro to PBL How might you authentically engage, intrinsically motivate, and challenge students? Project-based learning (PBL) is a teaching strategy that uses authentic learning activities to engage student interest and motivation. Join us for a three-day introduction to PBL where we will share with you the Buck Institute’s Eight Essential Gold Standard Project Design Elements necessary to engage students in active and powerful learning! Come as a team or as an individual to collaborate with us and create new, or develop and enhance existing, work using the best aspects of PBL. We’ll discuss and share best practices for designing, developing, implementing, and supporting PBL. This workshop is geared toward teachers, curriculum specialists, and department chairs. Instructors: Dr. Keisha Hancock, Dean of Academics, Charles R. Drew Charter School; Jane Simpkins, Program Manager for the Center for Teaching, Westminster
June 13–15 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $375
PBL - A Deep Dive Project-Based Learning (PBL) is a teaching strategy that uses authentic learning activities to engage student interest and motivation. But what does it really look like in the classroom? What are the practical strategies and tools you need to make PBL work? Join us for a two-day deep dive where we will share with you how PBL can be used to engage students in active and powerful learning! We will discuss how to align standards and assessments and how to differentiate through PBL. Discover ways to scaffold to ensure mastery of standards and maximize student achievement. Come as a team or as an individual. We’ll discuss
SCIENCE and share best practices of designing, developing, implementing, and supporting PBL. This workshop is geared towards K-12 teachers, curriculum specialists, coaches, and department chairs. Instructor: Donya Kemp, Dean of Academics, Price Middle School
June 11-12 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $300
Problem-Based Learning Problem-Based Learning (PrBL) describes a learning environment where problems drive the learning. That is, learning begins with a problem to be solved, and the problem is posed in such a way that students need to gain new knowledge before they can solve it. Problem-based learning empowers students to understand that they know more than they think they do and that understanding doesn’t necessarily surface until prompted by a problem. Come as a team or as an individual. We’ll discuss and share best practices of designing, developing, implementing and supporting PrBL. This workshop is geared toward teachers of grades 3-12, curriculum specialists, coaches, and department chairs. Instructor: Tammisha Butler, Junior Academy Instructional Coach, Charles R. Drew Charter School
May 29 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $150
Project-Based Learning for Special Education
Food For Thought: Teaching the Food System in Georgia
PBL is a teaching strategy that uses authentic learning activities to engage student interest and motivation. PBL is an excellent strategy to differentiate instruction for special education students in inclusion settings. The project design elements and teaching practices associated with PBL are geared toward the dynamic and engaging environment that is conducive for learning by a variety of students. This workshop is geared toward teachers of grades 3-12, curriculum specialists, coaches, and department chairs.
We all need to eat. This basic biological fact will always be one of the strongest connections that exists amongst the human species. This need for sustenance, tied with the need to consume water, is something that binds each of us together across all divides, whether they are cultural, political, or geographical. We all need to eat; however, the specific way in which we go about getting that food is constantly changing.
Instructors: Tammisha Butler, Junior Academy Instructional Coach, Charles R. Drew Charter School; Miz Holmes-Ferguson, Special Education Lead, Charles R. Drew Charter School
May 30 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $150
This hands-on workshop will afford learners the opportunity to not just learn about the food system in our state and beyond but to also explore ways to bring an understanding of food issues to their own students. Instructors will utilize experiential learning techniques to relate material, and participants will work as individuals and in groups to delve into the particulars of our food system. All teachers are welcome! Instructors: Emily Horne, Discovery Leadership Program, Upper School Garden Coordinator, Westminster; Joey Jarrell, Garden and Greenhouse Manager, Middle School Science, Westminster
May 31–June 1 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Fee $300
STEAM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ART, MATH) Designing, Tinkering & Making From the “Learning Is Open” website, “to ‘tinker’ is to make small changes in something, often to repair or improve it. In the context of learning, tinkering is a part of a hands-on, trial and error-based process that rewards persistence, resourcefulness, and self-sufficiency. ‘Making’ is part of the DIY culture and emphasizes learning through doing, often in a social environment. It encompasses a very wide spectrum of activities from traditional hobbies and crafts to robotics and 3D printing.” In this three-day workshop designed for educators from all backgrounds, settings, and experience levels, you will learn how tinkering and making develop the capacity for innovative problem solving by engaging students in hands-on projects that integrate science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM). Participants will engage in tinkering and make activities that have emerged as new standards for blending science and art explorations. Come and see how tinkering and making exemplify best practices for critical thinking and creativity. Instructors: Courtney Bryant, STEAM Project Manager, Charles R. Drew Charter School; Sue Davenport, Lower School Integration Specialist, Westminster; Jane Simpkins, Program Manager for the Center for Teaching, Westminster
June 4-6 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $400
Hummingbird Robotics: Arts, Machines, Technology The Hummingbird Robotics platform is both simple to use and incredibly versatile. The kit comes with a motherboard, sensors, and motors that use SCRATCH coding to program the robots across all disciplines. Our classes this year have tied their projects to something they are passionate about, creating positive change in the world, an animated character, and as a machine to make marks, ultimately programming the bot to make a work of art. As a prototype, we even programmed a lantern to move and talk. This interactive, hands-on class will allow teachers to work with craft materials to create an animated robot in an assigned project. For teachers with no prior knowledge of SCRATCH, we recommend the Summer Institute course SCRATCH: Introducing Coding Across the Curriculum (offered May 31) as a helpful prerequisite. We will have time at the end of the day to present and see the diverse ideas and creative solutions each teacher comes up with. Visit hummingbirdkit.com for more on how you can use Hummingbirds in your classroom. Instructors: Lynn Luster, Engineering Design Instructor, Charles R. Drew Charter School; Catherine Muller, Engineering Design Instructor, Charles R. Drew Charter School
June 1 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $150
Lantern Making This hands-on lantern workshop is a wonderful beginning-of-the-year STEAM project for students of all ages to create an originally designed lantern. Teachers will work through the design process to create their own lanterns designed around a theme. This project is perfect for homeroom classes, engineering, art, theater, literature, and even robotics. Depending on size and detail, lanterns can be completed in a few days or several weeks. Our first workshop day will cover design and armature building. On day two we will cover and tissue-mache the lanterns. All skill levels are welcome. Anyone can make a lantern! Within the Atlanta community there are several opportunities for your students to display or present their work—the Beltline Lantern Parade and Grant Park Lantern Parade to name a few. Instructor: Lynn Luster, Engineering Design Instructor, Charles R. Drew Charter School
June 14-15 | 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. | $300
SCRATCH: Introducing Coding Across the Curriculum In this introductory course, you will jump into block coding, a very accessible way for students of all ages to begin coding. Students use SCRATCH, a free website, to create games, animations, narratives, commercials, and many other projects. Participants will learn to utilize the software in this one-day workshop and will be provided with a range of examples of how teachers across disciplines use it or plan to use it in their classrooms. For teachers with no prior knowledge of SCRATCH, this is a helpful prerequisite to the Hummingbird
Robotics: Arts, Machines, Technology class that follows on June 1. By the end of the workshop, teachers will have created an animation in SCRATCH and will have a preliminary plan for incorporating a SCRATCH lesson into their curriculum for the upcoming school year. Instructors: Lynn Luster, Engineering Design Instructor, Charles R. Drew Charter School; Catherine Muller, Engineering Design Instructor, Charles R. Drew Charter School
May 31 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $150
STEAM Art and Cardboard Engineering A two-day Design Thinking workshop that explores many different ways of using cardboard for 3D structures. Drew Charter School’s STEAM Artist-in-Residence, sculptor Jeff Mather, will provide tools and materials for working with different kinds of cardboard. Participants will discover how expressive lowly recycled cardboard can be. This workshop will cover how to safely use a range of tools with students, including laser cutters, which are now hotter than 3D printers, to work with cardboard. The benefits of having students do 3D design with cardboard are that it is plentiful, free, and relatively easy for students at all grade levels to handle. And the results don’t need to look anything like cardboard. This is a hands-on workshop. Wear art-making clothes, and bring extra cardboard if you’d like! Instructor: Jeff Mather, Artist in Residence, Charles R. Drew Charter School & Atlanta Partnership for Arts in Learning
May 31-June 1 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $300
STEAM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ART, MATH) STEAM Ed Learning Exchange Drew Charter School’s STEAM Artist-in-Residence, sculptor Jeff Mather, will lead a STEAM research jam workshop. STEAM Ed and Maker Ed resources have become plentiful, but there never seems to be time to sift through them to identify the most useful ideas. A learning exchange is a workshop format that respects the previous experiences of all participants and allows for peer-to-peer sharing of discoveries. Jeff has been a presenter at several STEAM and Maker Ed conferences and will bring a bookshelf full of resources as well as many online resources worth looking at. This learning exchange will run on a rhythm of individual excursions into available resources, alternating with times for sharing discoveries with the group. It will be a lively and informative chance to catch up with great stuff you didn’t have bandwidth to consider during the school year. Please bring a laptop or iPad with you. Instructor: Jeff Mather, Artist in Residence, Charles R. Drew Charter School & Atlanta Partnership for Arts in Learning
June 6 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $150
STEAM in Action Why transform STEM into STEAM, and who is doing it? We’ll discuss ways of bridging K-12 programs with colleges/universities and industry as we strive to create tomorrow’s innovators. We’ll explore Atlanta to see STEAM in action and look for best practices for how to integrate art and design into STEM. This workshop is geared towards K-12 teachers, curriculum specialists, and department
chairs. Seats are limited, so register today if you don’t want to miss out on this opportunity! Instructors: Courtney Bryant, STEAM Project Manager, Charles R. Drew Charter School; Sue Davenport, Lower School Integration Specialist, Westminster; Jane Simpkins, Program Manager for the Center for Teaching, Westminster
June 8 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $200
Teaching Engineering, Design Thinking, and STEAM This course is paired with a summer school course for students. The content is focused on teaching real-world engineering problemsolving and is applicable to teachers interested in engineering, Design Thinking, and interdisciplinary STEAM. The course is hands-on and will allow teachers to learn about, develop, or improve courses or projects that interest them. About half of each day will be spent on topics such as curriculum and project design, grading rubrics, and analyzing the impediments that students have. The second half of the day will be focused on more technical and teaching aspects. Teachers have the opportunity to work on projects and develop their skills and to interact and help guide students who are also working on their own projects. This workshop is being offered as a threeday course with an invitation to continue learning and join for an additional two days. Instructor: Shaffiq Welji, Mathematics and Engineering Teacher, Westminster
June 11-13 | 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | $375
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