STLinATL

Providing a framework for STEAM and maker education activities helps ensure that their use is intentional and that meaningful learning is extracted from these experiences. The educator, using such a framework, becomes proactive in framing or frontloading the maker experiences and in facilitating reflection after their completion. This, in turn, increases the chances that significant and deep learning occurs. Framing or frontloading is making clear the purpose of an activity prior to doing it; it helps to set purpose and intention for the activity. Reflecting on the maker activities after their completion can be done through a variety of methods: talking, writing, sketching, and using technology tools.  During this interactive and hands-on workshop, you will experience this framework for maker education through doing maker activities (e.g., paper circuits and/or Gami-bots) that are introduced through framing or frontloading and then by trying out different types of reflection and sharing out techniques upon completion of the activities. This workshop can assist both educators and their students to become empowered learners, creative problem solvers, and discerning innovators.

Learn about how global and local partnerships for learning can help build students' global and intercultural competencies, as well as their ability to contribute to a more sustainable world as equity-minded global citizens. "Glocal" engagement programs founded in student-centered practices that emphasize advocacy and participation in all subjects and grade levels provide students with opportunities to learn from and with their global partners, to act on the basis of their learning without falling into a savior mentality, and to envision how a life of purpose and leadership might be crafted. This workshop will explore a variety of strategies for finding "glocal" partnerships for learning, for developing equitable learning experiences which foster proficiency in academic standards, and for building the kinds of deep learning experiences which humanize the world for students and foster the intercultural and problem-solving skills they need to become leaders of constructive change, both inside their local communities and in the world.

This workshop is designed to assist Woodward Upper School Faculty in the design and proposal process of their Maymester course for 2024. Faculty members will engage in activities designed to critically examine and reflect on their ideas surrounding a potential Maymester offering. We will discuss the basics of experiential learning and how it applies to the context of our program as well as see examples of proposed courses. At the end of the session, teachers will be better equipped to write and submit their Maymester proposal. (NOTE: attendance at one of these workshops is required for all Upper School Faculty at Woodward Academy)

Emotionally-Inclusive Practice (EIP) - is the practice of integrating emotion in to every part of the educational experience. Emotions lay the foundation for behavior that grounds us in how we see the world and respond in our everyday interactions. Developing the emotional intelligence of adults and children across our implicit bias, cultural consciousness, and understanding student and our own trauma gives us the awareness and skill to create restorative communities that prioritize all relationships.

A clear goal, a cognitively engaging task and opportunities for retrieval of what has been learned are key elements for long-term retention of learning. Shift the focus from getting information in to finding out what learners know and can do by incorporating easy to use formative recall strategies that provide immediate feedback within a lesson. Participants will consider three powerful tools for enhancing long- term retention of learning - retrieval practice, spaced practice and feedback.

Reading the Room:  Accurately Assessing and Making the Most of the Energy in Your Classroom—Effective instruction and engagement  at any level requires techniques for effectively identifying and working with the energy (moods, feelings, etc.) students bring with them into the room.  In this workshop, we will learn and share ways to assess that energy and incorporate it meaningfully into the learning experience.

School systems in diverse settings are engaging their communities to create bold visions of the competencies students need for college, careers, and civic life. These powerful visions—often called Portrait of a Graduate—become the North Star for school transformation. This session will provide strategies to ensure that your school’s vision reflects stakeholder perspectives and prepares all students to chart their own path toward the future they imagine.