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Welcome to the 2019 Alaska Cross Content Conference at West High School in Anchorage, AK, October 25th and 26th with follow up activities at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Sunday, October 27th.
Friday, October 25
 

1:00pm AKDT

Featured Keynote Speaker Michael Soskil: Why Teachers Are More Important Than Ever
With computers becoming ever more powerful, some have suggested that teachers will be replaced by machines soon. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, the qualities that make teachers so special are the very reasons why teachers are more important than ever in an age of Artificial Intelligence. This inspiring keynote will leave teachers knowing how much they matter.

Speakers
avatar for Michael Soskil

Michael Soskil

Executive Director, Take Action Global
I teach. I run. I plan vacations.

Sponsors

Friday October 25, 2019 1:00pm - 2:15pm AKDT
Auditorium West High School, 1700 Hillcrest Drive, Anchorage, AK, 99503
  Keynote
  • Host Organization AKCCC

1:00pm AKDT

Poster session--Profiles of Contemporary Mathematicians
Mathematics is a living and creative subject. UAA students in the Art of Mathematics classes provide a glimpse into the lives of professional mathematicians today.

Speakers
DN

Deborah Narang

Professor of Mathematics, University of Alaska Anchorage


Friday October 25, 2019 1:00pm - 6:00pm AKDT
Foyer and Hallways
  Learning to Lead

1:00pm AKDT

Vendor Hours
Come visit with national vendors during vendor open hours.

Speakers
GC

Gary Cooper

Educational Consultant, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, K-12 Outreach


Friday October 25, 2019 1:00pm - 6:00pm AKDT
West High Foyer

2:30pm AKDT

Computational Thinking - for MY Students?
Do the students in the grade level and content area that you teach need Computational Thinking? YES! You may already be teaching CT without knowing it. Attend this session to learn about the 4 basic components of CT and how they are addressed in all grade level and content area classrooms. Participate in hands-on activities that you can use in your classroom tomorrow. Find out how Computational Thinking, Computer Science, and Coding are related.

Speakers
avatar for Tammy Morris

Tammy Morris

Digital Teaching & Learning Specialist, Inspired Impact, LLC
Tammy has provided professional learning opportunities, both in-person and online, for Alaska educators statewide since 2009. Prior to that she served as a classroom teacher and as an Ed Tech PD Coordinator in the Fairbanks and Ketchikan school districts. As an independent contractor... Read More →


Friday October 25, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm AKDT
Room 21
  Connecting Across Content Areas

2:30pm AKDT

Grow New Connections for Engagement
Attendees will learn to engage students in hands on projects to capture learning for practice and review across multiple content areas.

Speakers
avatar for Karen Iris

Karen Iris

Trainer, McGraw Hill

Sponsors

Friday October 25, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm AKDT
Room 22
  Connecting Across Content Areas

2:30pm AKDT

Buddy Teachers + Buddy Classrooms = Math Success Elementary
In this game workshop, participants will learn the best math games for cross-graded, buddy settings. Come with a teacher partner - primary and upper elementary - and learn games our students can do together once a week. For older students, buddy play enhances and deepens their mathematical understanding and develops leadership skills as they coach their younger buddies. Younger students beneift from 1:1 coaching, focused practice, and opportunities to safely articulate their understanding. Participants in this workshop will receive game ideas for primary, as well as the differentiated upper elementary variations older students can do in their own classrooms. Come prepared to play and leave with a multitude of game ideas and strategies for buddy play.

Speakers
avatar for Allison Riddle

Allison Riddle

Mentor Supervisor /Consultant, Davis School District / Box Cars and One-Eyed Jacks
Allison has been an elementary educator for the past 30 years. After 27 years teaching 3rd and 5th grade, she is now the Elementary Mentor Supervisor for Davis District leading the mentoring and professional learning of over 300 new elementary teachers. Allison shares her passion... Read More →

Sponsors

Friday October 25, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm AKDT
Library Annex

2:30pm AKDT

Energy Literacy and Application in K-12 classrooms
Energy is everything: It’s how we connect, how we travel, how we work, and how we play. Clean energy (including energy efficiency and renewable energy) has many benefits including lower carbon footprint, cleaner air, and reduced energy bills, yet it is not often taught in our schools. In this workshop, participants will be introduced to energy literacy principles and explore lessons from free curriculum for teaching hands-on energy lessons all geared towards energy awareness and usage reduction. Three main (free!) resources will be highlighted in this session: AK EnergySmart, Alaska Resource Education (ARE), and National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project. Participants will explore at least one activity that can be modified for all grade levels, so be ready to move around!

Speakers
avatar for Colleen Fisk

Colleen Fisk

Education Director, Renewable Energy Alaska Project
Colleen has a Master's in Education from UAF, five years of student teaching and long-term subbing, six years as the Education Director at REAP, and extensive experience in the classroom and teacher training.

Sponsors


Friday October 25, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm AKDT
Room 24

2:30pm AKDT

Recognizing and Integrating Crosscutting Concepts
Examine crosscutting concepts through scientific discovery and build an understanding of how to integrate them into classroom instruction. This is a hands-on workshop for science, tech, art, math and language arts educators.

Speakers
avatar for Judy Sweeney

Judy Sweeney

Denali PEAK
I love playing scientist. I have been implementing Next Generation Science Standards with student scientists at schools around the world including Dubai, Shanghai and Frankfurt. Currently we investigate NGSS at Denali PEAK in Anchorage.


Friday October 25, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm AKDT
Science Room 1

2:30pm AKDT

Teaching Through Culture in the K-12 Classroom
Presenter will share proven research-based strategies for being a culturally-responsive K-12 teacher. Take part in hands-on activities and share/gain ideas for creating a safe classroom environment and respectful climate where students are engaged and want to learn.Teaching Through Culture is all about respect, relationship-building, and knowing your students.


Friday October 25, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm AKDT
Room 3
  Culturally Responsive and Place Based Teaching

2:30pm AKDT

Fearless Writing Project: Exploring Student Voice through Creative Writing
Fearless Writing Project allowed student to find their voice through the genre of creative writing. Through the study of poetry students explored the choices of poets and authorial choices themselves by imitating the choices of great writers as they developed their own voice through exploring the craft of writing (i.e. figurative language, word choice, and critical thinking skills). Because of the population of student that were involved in the program the selection of mentor text used was very intentional.

Speakers
NM

Natalie Moten

ELL Instructional Lead Teacher, Anchorage School District


Friday October 25, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm AKDT
Room 4

2:30pm AKDT

Literacy Fundamentals for Middle and High School Teachers
Middle and high school classroom teachers are responsible for helping students learn academic content within their discipline, as well as discipline-specific ways to communicate, read, and write.  Drawing upon the International Literacy Association's Standards 2017, this session will provide an overview of literacy fundamentals that support the work of middle and high school teachers.

Speakers
avatar for Dr. Laurie A. Sharp

Dr. Laurie A. Sharp

International Literacy Association Board MemberBoard Member, Tarleton State University
I have 16 years of broad experiences in PreK–12 public schools and higher education as a classroom teacher, teacher educator, and higher education administrator. I am passionate about advocating for high-quality literacy teaching and learning among learners of all levels. As an... Read More →


Friday October 25, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm AKDT
Room 5

2:30pm AKDT

Using Primary Sources to Create Reader's Theater in Social Studies and History
Create Reader's Theater from primary sources aligned with your Social Studies and History curriculum. This strategy increases both historical understanding of primary sources and literacy. Participants will create a Reader's Theater Script during the session.

Speakers
KB

Karen Beranek

Science and Social Studies Facilitator, Bering Strait School District



Friday October 25, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm AKDT
Room 6

2:30pm AKDT

Desmos Explorations in High School Math
Participants will explore a variety of Desmos activities for high school math classes, and will have the opportunity to create their own Desmos activities

Speakers
avatar for Kristina Roehrig

Kristina Roehrig

Curriculum Coordinator -Secondary, Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
I'm in my fourth year in Fairbanks and I'd love to hear how people are doing great things in mathematics. I'm a big fan of Jo Boaler, Fawn Nguyen, Dan Meyer, Annie Fetter and Fred Dillon. If you are a fellow math nerd, please come talk to me about math.


Friday October 25, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm AKDT
Room 8

2:30pm AKDT

Get Nspired in the Science Classroom
The Ti Nspire Calculators are Finally Making Their Way to Alaska. Now's your chance to check it out and explore what makes these calculators more than just a calculator! This is a hands-on class that gives you a chance to conduct scientific experiments, record and analyze data.


Friday October 25, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm AKDT
Room W11

2:30pm AKDT

What can NSTA do for you?
Come join this informal, discussion-based session to learn about NSTA resources that are available and leadership opportunities within the organization. You will also have the opportunity to provide feedback about NSTA that will be shared with the NSTA Board.

Speakers
avatar for Jeanne Chowning

Jeanne Chowning

Associate VP of Science Education, Fred Hutch Cancer Center



Friday October 25, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm AKDT
Room 1
  Learning to Lead

2:30pm AKDT

Escape Room in the World Language Classroom (AFLA registrants only, attendance capped at 25)
A hands-on session where teachers will need to actually complete the escape room activity. I have created escape rooms for my German classes this year, and teachers will learn by doing in this session. The escape room model builds community and team work, and makes students think and use all of their intelligences. It is fun and keeps interest in your language high.  

Speakers
avatar for Kristi Senden

Kristi Senden

German Teacher, Chugiak High School


Friday October 25, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm AKDT
Room 10

2:30pm AKDT

Manie Musicale: A World Language Song Competition
We explore how the use of the Manie Musicale, a song-based competition modeled after March Madness in basketball, creates opportunities for students to connect with the language and culture. There are a variety of ways in which this competition can be integrated into the World Language classroom. We will share the types of activities we have used and ideas for establishing your own competition for your students. 

Speakers
NA

Nicole Ayers

French Teacher, Anchorage School District
H

Hopkins_Aline

Anchorage School District


Friday October 25, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm AKDT
Room 12

2:30pm AKDT

Special Person Interview
How can teachers start speaking in the target language with students from the very first day? With the Special Person Interview, students are immersed in language and can start learning about one another right away.  We will cover the basics of the Special Person Interview, share videos from the university and possibly elementary classrooms, and offer a demo in Russian. 

Speakers
avatar for Michele Whaley

Michele Whaley

Teacher, Pacific Northern Academy/UAA
My top three passions in school are using comprehensible input to connect with students, collaborating with other teachers, and finding ways to use technology to make teaching more effective. Most important outside school: being with my family (including our sled dog), rowing, playing... Read More →


Friday October 25, 2019 2:30pm - 3:30pm AKDT
Room 13

3:45pm AKDT

Learning that Lasts: Connecting School and Community
A panel of interdisciplinary civic education presenters will share national programs available to Alaskan teachers. These multi-literacy projects connect school with community in real life applications. Accessible resources, collegial support, and parental involvement are explored.

Speakers

Friday October 25, 2019 3:45pm - 4:45pm AKDT
Room W7

3:45pm AKDT

Laying the Foundation - Early College & Career Exploration Programs
Learn about Early Career Explorers classroom resources, and the I Know I Can and Kids2College early college/career awareness programs. Programs and resources are designed for Pre-K through 6th grade, with flexibility for multi-grade classrooms. Understand program details, review success statistics, learn how to bring these programs to their schools, and discover potential partners.

Speakers
avatar for Shelly Morgan

Shelly Morgan

K-12 Specialist, Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education
As the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE’s) K-12 Specialist, I manage the early college & career exploration programs I Know I Can and Kids2College, connect schools with Early Career Explorer classroom resources, and assist upper elementary and middle school classrooms... Read More →


Friday October 25, 2019 3:45pm - 4:45pm AKDT
Room 14

3:45pm AKDT

Mineral and Energy Resources of Alaska
Explore the basics of Alaska’s mineral and energy resources. This session will provide you with a snap-shot of Alaska’s mineral and energy resources. We will cover where the resources are, how we get them, what we use them for, and the careers associated with them. We will also try out some hands-on activities that you can easily incorporate in your classroom. Jelly belly geology, mine a cookie, finding oil in a cupcake, and wind blade design to name a few! All activities include new vocabulary, meet state science standards, and can be applicable to science, social studies, Alaska Studies, Natural science of Alaska or a variety of other ASD classes.
 This course is great for all grade levels as all of our activities are easily adaptable. You will also have the opportunity to get a free Alaska Resource Kit!

Speakers
BT

Beki Toussaint

Program Director, Alaska Resource Education

Sponsors

Friday October 25, 2019 3:45pm - 4:45pm AKDT
Science Room 4
  Connecting Across Content Areas

3:45pm AKDT

Featured Speaker Michael Soskil: Help Students Learn M.O.R.E.
​Most teachers have been taught to start with the curriculum and find interesting ways to teach it. What if there was a better way? By reversing that model and starting with exciting learning experiences we can motivate students so that they cannot wait to be in our classes. In this keynote, I'll share how embedding the required curriculum into those experiences will make learning Motivating, Organic, Relevant, and Experiential.

Speakers
avatar for Michael Soskil

Michael Soskil

Executive Director, Take Action Global
I teach. I run. I plan vacations.


Friday October 25, 2019 3:45pm - 4:45pm AKDT
Library Annex

3:45pm AKDT

Mathematical Modelling In 3 Acts
Mathematical Modeling in 3 Acts: Further your understanding of the research behind and the meaning of Mathematical Modeling. By analyzing the modeling cycle, you will walk away with more insight of what truly constitutes Mathematical Modeling. And, of course, you will have the opportunity to experience several highly engaging modeling examples. By the conclusion of this workshop, you will have ideas that can be used immediately in your classroom to meet required modeling standards!

Speakers
avatar for Andrew Byrns

Andrew Byrns

National K-12 Mathematics Specialist, Pearson
Andrew loves learning about ways to engage students to be enthusiastic mathematicians and problem solvers.

Sponsors

Friday October 25, 2019 3:45pm - 4:45pm AKDT
Room 17

3:45pm AKDT

Science and the Stewardship of the Outdoors
The Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies has been providing place-based education programs at the Peterson Bay Field Station for 35 years.These hands-on, experiential education overnight programs serve as a starting point to begin building a connection to place and the outdoors. The 1st 30 minutes will explain how these programs work to inspire youth to make decisions that promote the health of our environment as well as promote personal growth and communication skills. The 2nd 30 minutes will be hands-on activities from our curriculum.

Speakers
avatar for Seth Spencer

Seth Spencer

Education Program Coordinator, Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies
Hello All! This is Seth Spencer with the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies in Homer. I have been the Education Program Coordinator for 4 years now, and am excited to share with you how our program engages students in hands-on, experiential learning in the amazing ecosystems of Kachemak... Read More →


Friday October 25, 2019 3:45pm - 4:45pm AKDT
Room 19

3:45pm AKDT

You Be The Chemist
Learn about the free You Be The Chemist programs for educators from the Chemical Educational Foundation and participate in a Essential Elements workshop based on the 5E Learning model.

Speakers
avatar for Larry Sernyk

Larry Sernyk

Certified Instructor, Chemical Educational Foundation


Friday October 25, 2019 3:45pm - 4:45pm AKDT
Science Room 5

3:45pm AKDT

Climate Change and My Community
Teachers will learn activities and tools from the Arctic and Earth STEM Integrating GLOBE and NASA Assets project, which engages learners in climate change research and action from local to global scales. This hands-on session will model activities to develop a scientific investigation and stewardship action project that aligns with changes elders and community leaders have identified as important, student observations and interests, curriculum standards, and data needs in climate science at larger scales.

Co-Presenters: Elena Sparrow (UAF International Arctic Research Center), Greg Kahoe (UAF School of Education)

Speakers
KS

Katie Spellman

professor, UAF


Friday October 25, 2019 3:45pm - 4:45pm AKDT
Room 2

3:45pm AKDT

Youth Engagement in Sustainable Communities in a Changing Environment
How can environmental educators build bridges between schools and rural and Indigenous communities to engage youth in efforts to respond and adapt to environmental change? Learn about training and supporting teachers to build community connections and engage students in community problem-solving with the support of a toolkit on AdaptAlaska.org.


Friday October 25, 2019 3:45pm - 4:45pm AKDT
Room W8

3:45pm AKDT

Featured Speaker Clare Landrigan: Using Mentor Texts to Scaffold Writers
The right book at the right time can make all of the difference in our writing instruction. Mentor texts serve as an additional teacher in the room when we model how to use them to lift the quality of writing and support new learning. When students can choose authors and texts as their own mentors, we also foster creativity, voice, and agency. Join me in exploring ways to use mentor texts with students to scaffold learning how to write different genres; apply new instructional standards; and connect curriculum from year to year.

Speakers
avatar for Clare Landrigan

Clare Landrigan

I am a staff developer who is still a teacher at heart. I lead a private staff development business and spend my days partnering with school systems to implement best practices in the field of literacy. I believe that effective professional development includes side by side teaching... Read More →


Friday October 25, 2019 3:45pm - 4:45pm AKDT
West High Library Main Area

3:45pm AKDT

Featured Speaker Katherine McKnight: Literacy Across the Curriculum: Concrete Strategies for Adolescent Student Success
Today’s students are worldly, wired and widely exposed to a host of trans-media influences. So how does a modern-day educator meet the mandates of a standards-based curriculum while providing dynamic, student-centered instruction that amplifies literacy across the curriculum? Come discover concrete strategies adolescent student success with proven tools that are firmly rooted in decades of research about language, learning, teaching, and assessment across the disciplines. All in all, instead of trying to force the curriculum into our students’ live, effective teaching first considers our students, and then places their lives into the center of the curriculum. A session sure to provide ample solutions to real classroom challenges.  This session is based on my recent book, Literacy & Learning Centers: Content Area and Disciplinary Literacy Tools for Grades 4-12.  

Speakers
avatar for KATHERINE  MCKNIGHT

KATHERINE MCKNIGHT

Engaging Learners
I am looking forward to presenting at the Alaska Cross Content Conference! I am a national expert in adolescent literacy and disciplinary literacy. and I teach and collaborate in classrooms all over the United States and internationally . As an author of 18 books and educator for... Read More →


Friday October 25, 2019 3:45pm - 4:45pm AKDT
Room W10

3:45pm AKDT

Get Nspired For the Math Classroom
The Ti Nspire Calculators are Finally Making Their Way to Alaska. Now's your chance to check it out and explore what makes these calculators more than just a calculator! This is a hands-on class that gives you a chance to check out quick polls, spreadsheets, scatter plots, geometry page, graphing screen, TVM program, and much more.


Friday October 25, 2019 3:45pm - 4:45pm AKDT
Room W11

3:45pm AKDT

Virtual Field Trips & Learning Opportunities
Virtual Field Trips do what? Want to take your class learning to great
new heights? Find out the epic ways to introduce your students to
the world beyond Alaska, from space exploration scientists and
innovative climate change scientists sharing out their expertise, to
explorers, authors, and experts in so many fields. Be prepared to
get excited for your year and take your class on epic journeys.

Speakers

Friday October 25, 2019 3:45pm - 4:45pm AKDT
Science Room 2
  Integrating Technology Into Learning

3:45pm AKDT

MEDIAte New Resources - Activities for Commercials and Music Videos
Join for a variety of activities to use to include authentic commercials and music videos from your own target language. I will share the resources that stemmed from my Werbmeisterschaft week, in which I pitted five years of commercials from a German grocery store against its Swiss counterpart inspired by the March Madness Musical challenge.  I will share different ideas of how to incorporate the commercials and different activities I devised, as well as the tricks/format I used for different styles. I will also extend this to use with music videos to incorporate more music in the classroom. This is very much a "Grab & Go" variety show of different activities, some basic, others novel. The idea is to get them all in one place to draw on when creating activities.
Presentation via Google Docs at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/198Q8sDBMDVpo65bNjIuBpHyi9gQU7ZUx/view?usp=sharing

Speakers
avatar for Charles Beattie

Charles Beattie

Classroom Teacher - Math, Anchorage School District


MEDIAte pptx

Friday October 25, 2019 3:45pm - 4:45pm AKDT
Room 22

3:45pm AKDT

Planning for and Implementing an Indigenous Immersion Program: Success with Federal Grant Writing
This presentation highlights the last several years of work of an indigenous language revitalization movement in Anchorage, with the development and implementation of a Yup’ik dual language immersion program, starting with kindergarten, within the Anchorage School District. The session examines how a 3-year U.S. Department of Education federal grant has allowed for the establishment of a Yup’ik immersion program in a K-12 public school setting, one of the first indigenous language immersion program in an urban U.S. public school system. This work showcases the rights of Indigenous peoples of Alaska while revitalizing an Alaska Native language in a public school system. With no guarantee of ongoing funding beyond the grant, this research looks at how local entities perceive the development and implementation of the program, and its language revitalization efforts, specifically researching overall community impact and sustainability. With 21 official indigenous languages in Alaska, this project is the first and only Alaska Native language immersion program within the Anchorage School District, the only true urban setting within Alaska. We are two years into a 3-year federal grant and have important updates and “lessons learned” to share since the initial grant application.

Speakers
avatar for Brandon Locke

Brandon Locke

Director, World Languages and Immersion Programs, Doctoral Candidate, LCLE, Indiana University, Anchorage School District
Brandon Locke is Director of World Languages and Immersion Programs for the Anchorage School District, Anchorage, Alaska. He provides leadership and professional development for ASD’s 160 world language teachers, including K-12 language immersion programs in Chinese, German, Japanese... Read More →


Friday October 25, 2019 3:45pm - 4:45pm AKDT
Room 23

3:45pm AKDT

TPRS-based instruction in Russian courses
Join facilitators Svetlana Nuss and Christina Nuss for a roundtable symposium style meeting about the use of TPRS in the World Language Classroom. Conducted in English with Russian handouts. Everyone working with TPRS (all languages) welcome to attend.  This session will not be a demonstration, but will be held in a discussion format. 

Speakers
avatar for Svetlana Nuss

Svetlana Nuss

FNSBSD STARTALK Program Director, FNSBSD, UAF
Connect with me at svnuss@alaska.eduEducation is my natural habitat. I work with teachers of ELs in an Alaskan school district and teach Russian at the University of Alaska, but often feel like I never graduated: I love learning and – in the right mind – will never stop. I deeply... Read More →


Friday October 25, 2019 3:45pm - 4:45pm AKDT
Room W9

4:45pm AKDT

Vendor Reception (Appetizers and Door Prizes)
Visit with vendors with a chance to win door prizes. Appetizers included.

Speakers
GC

Gary Cooper

Educational Consultant, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, K-12 Outreach


Friday October 25, 2019 4:45pm - 5:45pm AKDT
West High Foyer

6:30pm AKDT

AFLA Welcome Dinner (AFLA Registrants Only)
Open to all AFLA registrants. Join us at Gallo's Mexican restaurant for dinner (on us) and drinks (on you)! Rachel Williams, Program Director of the Alaska World Affairs Council, will speak briefly.  Silent auction items will also be set out for bidding.  Come enjoy some good food and social time with your World Language colleagues.

Friday October 25, 2019 6:30pm - 8:30pm AKDT
Gallo's Mexican Restaurant 8615 Old Seward Highway
 
Saturday, October 26
 

7:00am AKDT

Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching Breakfast
PAEMST Awards Breakfast

Speakers
JJ

Joey Jiglotti

PAEMST Alaska State Coordinator, Presidential Award for Excellent Teaching in Science
I have been teaching primary grades K-3 in the Anchorage School District. I still love my work. I love working with students, their families and other teachers. I was the 2014 science awardee for elementary. It was an amazing experience. I became the PAEMST Alaska State Coordinator... Read More →

Sponsors

Saturday October 26, 2019 7:00am - 8:00am AKDT
Crowne Plaza Hotel Anchorage 109 W. International Airport Road, Anchorage, AK 99518

8:00am AKDT

Vendor Hours
Come visit with national vendors during vendor open hours.

Speakers
GC

Gary Cooper

Educational Consultant, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, K-12 Outreach


Saturday October 26, 2019 8:00am - 6:00pm AKDT
West High Foyer

8:30am AKDT

Featured Speaker Richard Thoman Keynote: Climate Change and Communities
Alaska's climate and environment are changing as rapidly as any place on earth, and this is impacting individuals, businesses, communities and cultures. The Alaska that your students will live in as adults is certain to be in many ways quite different than that of their grandparents. But experiences with the changing environment vary greatly, mediated by age, personal history and cultural background. This presentation will provide an overview of where the changes we've seen and the changes we're likely to see. We'll talk about western science as a way of making sense of the changes around us and relating that to local experience.

Speakers

Saturday October 26, 2019 8:30am - 9:30am AKDT
Auditorium West High School, 1700 Hillcrest Drive, Anchorage, AK, 99503

8:30am AKDT

AFLA Breakfast and Keynote: Dr. Cynthia Chalupa "Moving Forward Together: Articulation, Proficiency, and the Role of Assessment" (AFLA Registrants Only)
Breakfast & Coffee (8:30-9:15)
Welcome & Announcements (9:15)
Keynote (9:30-10:30)

In the current educational climate, when world language programs are among the first to be eliminated amid growing budget crises, it is imperative, more than ever before, to retain students in the K-16 curriculum. Key to student retention is a clear path from the early days of language exploration and play to the demanding preparation for the AP curriculum and exam. Throughout this multi-year process, the role of the world language educator and the strategies for building proficiency and measuring success play a key role in student retention. If students see a clear path from elementary and middle-school programs, through high school to college language study, we, as a body of language and culture education professionals, are more likely to ensure the safety of our programs as well as the success of our students in the future.

In this talk, I will examine the role that articulation plays in program-building and student retention as well as how assessment figures into ensuring clear and transparent program articulation. By looking at our programs in terms of the broad K-16 spectrum and focusing our efforts on attracting, maintaining, and transitioning students from one level to the next, we can build programs that are viewed as crucial to the acquisition of 21st-century skills and the creation of global citizens

Speakers
avatar for Cynthia Chalupa

Cynthia Chalupa

Assoc. Professor of German and Director, Basic German Language Program, West Virginia University


Saturday October 26, 2019 8:30am - 10:45am AKDT
West High School Cafeteria

9:45am AKDT

Anchorage Museum Resources for Teachers
Did you know ASD teachers can visit the Anchorage Museum for free? Learn about this and other ways the Anchorage Museum can support teachers and students both onsite and in classrooms. This session will cover everything from field trip offerings to primary sources and activities available for free online to professional development opportunities for teachers.

Speakers
GG

Grace Graham

Science Educator, Anchorage Museum

Sponsors

Saturday October 26, 2019 9:45am - 10:45am AKDT
Room W11
  Connecting Across Content Areas

9:45am AKDT

Observational drawing for all-ages and subjects
Kristin Link is an artist and scientific illustrator.  During this hour session participants will get to draw from life, and consider how drawing helps one see. Drawing helps in understanding how something really looks and functions, and the language of visual arts provides tools for explaining what one sees. Participants will work to create descriptions with pictures and words, expanding our ability to communicate.  We'll discuss applications for observational drawing with science and other subjects.  Kim Sweeney is a long-time AAEC board member who will assist and introduce the Alaska Arts Education Consortium.


Saturday October 26, 2019 9:45am - 10:45am AKDT
Room W10

9:45am AKDT

Educator Chat: Identifying Barriers, Challenges, and Possible Solutions to Teaching and Learning
Educators today encounter a number of challenges that hinder effective classroom instruction and create barriers to student success.  Join this session to participate in an interactive discussion about current barriers and challenges in education as a first step towards generating possible solutions.

Speakers
avatar for Dr. Laurie A. Sharp

Dr. Laurie A. Sharp

International Literacy Association Board MemberBoard Member, Tarleton State University
I have 16 years of broad experiences in PreK–12 public schools and higher education as a classroom teacher, teacher educator, and higher education administrator. I am passionate about advocating for high-quality literacy teaching and learning among learners of all levels. As an... Read More →


Saturday October 26, 2019 9:45am - 10:45am AKDT
West High Library Main Area

9:45am AKDT

Ethics: The Other Side of Technology
What I have learned from teaching ethics in technology.

Speakers
avatar for Virgil Fredenberg

Virgil Fredenberg

Professor, University of Alaska Southeast
How can we get more people into teaching?


Saturday October 26, 2019 9:45am - 10:45am AKDT
Room W8

9:45am AKDT

Exploring the Essential Actions of Instructional Leadership in Mathematics Education
What are the essential actions that must be present in mathematics education? This hands-on session will explore the NCSM eight (8) essential actions in mathematics education and how we as teacher leaders, coaches, site-based leaders and district level leaders can incorporate these into our practice.

Speakers
avatar for Denise Trakas

Denise Trakas

Western 1 Regional Director, NCSM: Leadership in Mathematics Education
NCSM is a mathematics education leadership organization that equips and empowers a diverse education community to engage in leadership that supports, sustains, and inspires high quality mathematics teaching and learning every day for each and every learner.NCSM is the premiere mathematics... Read More →


Saturday October 26, 2019 9:45am - 10:45am AKDT
Room W7

9:45am AKDT

Featured Speaker Michael DiSpezio: Learning and the Brain
Join Michael for an engaging, informative and entertaining general session in which you’ll experience best practices as you construct an understanding of how the brain learns. From discovering inertia to revamping experiences for higher level engagements, you’ll add not only new activities and approaches to your teaching repertoire, but construct a better understanding for maintaining a brain-friendly classroom environment.

Speakers
avatar for Michael DiSpezio

Michael DiSpezio

author and educator, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
From hosting National Geographic broadcasts to shepherding the Discovery Channel to their first Emmy Award nomination, Michael is a globally respected renaissance educator, speaker, TV host and science education author. A former marine biologist, Michael completed his graduate studies... Read More →

Sponsors

Saturday October 26, 2019 9:45am - 10:45am AKDT
Auditorium West High School, 1700 Hillcrest Drive, Anchorage, AK, 99503
  Learning to Lead

9:45am AKDT

Teacher Autonomy in the Service of Learner Autonomy
This session will present a synopsis of the research basis that links student autonomy and achievement with teacher agency and teacher professional autonomy, along a summary of my own teacher agency research project and findings. This presentation will conclude with an inter-active discussion among the educators that choose to attend this session.

Speakers

Saturday October 26, 2019 9:45am - 10:45am AKDT
Room 20
  Learning to Lead

9:45am AKDT

What is the Alaska Education Network?

The Alaska Education Network – Project ECHO is a statewide initiative focused on uniting Alaska’s educational leaders with the intention of building a support network to reduce isolation while strengthening the link between leadership and student achievement.
As educators, our job is to support students, but who is supporting us? Having support from people with similar interests and passions greatly enhances your chances of success. It is important to have a good support network that you can bounce ideas off of and get feedback from. A good support network offers benefits that cannot be achieved otherwise. Most research seems to agree that an educator’s feeling of support (or lack thereof) can make or break a decision to stay in the field. (Philosophy of Education, Article 2)
Come to this session and find out about how to be part of this network which will help you reduce that feeling of isloation and get you connected to your peers and counterparts in education from across the state.  

The Alaska Education Network is here to support you. FREE and open to participate. There are 43 online sessions offered via Zoom from October 2 - April 29. That means you can join from anywhere. You can choose to attend just one session or multiple sessions. Each session has an opportunity for information-sharing and problem-solving about everyday practices.  Check us out at www.echoeducationak.com.
Together we are better.
Moving Knowledge Not People! 


Speakers
avatar for Raquel Schroeder/Carey Gray

Raquel Schroeder/Carey Gray

Project Coordinators, Alaska Education Network - Project ECHO

Sponsors


Saturday October 26, 2019 9:45am - 10:45am AKDT
Room 2

11:00am AKDT

Do science labs support learning? The effects of a paired laboratory experience on introductory biology student course outcomes
Science labs are fundamental to the curriculum, and it is rare to see a secondary or postsecondary science class without one. Researchers at the University of Alaska Anchorage examined data from thousands of introductory biology students - some who took just the lecture section, and others who took the same course with a paired lab. We match students on a variety of academic, demographic, and course characteristics to infer a causal relationship between the lab and course outcomes. The presentation and planned discussion will consider how the findings support science curriculum, assessment, and policy.

Speakers
DD

Dayna DeFeo

ISER faculty, UAA
Dr. Dayna DeFeo joined ISER in 2014 and is currently a research assistant professor and the director of the Center for Alaska Education Policy Research. She holds a PhD in Curriculum & Instruction form New Mexico State University. Dayna's primary research interests include college... Read More →


Saturday October 26, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm AKDT
Room 19

11:00am AKDT

Need a booster class for Evolutionary Science? We can help
The Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science is an entirely teacher-run project to help middle school science teachers. We provide evolution content and ready-to-use resources for the classroom, including presentation slides, online sites, and hands-on labs. Everything is free and high-quality. With over 92 workshops completed across the country in just three years, our goal is to inform interested middle school science teachers about the most up-to-date concepts of natural selection and evolution. The session has four parts. It includes a bell-ringer activity on evolution misconceptions, a presentation with valuable evolution content, a brief tour of the peer-shared resources on our webpage, and an inquiry-based activity illustrating how the environment and genetic variation contribute to natural selection. Everything will be free and

available to the participants, including many active learning ideas for the classroom found in the slide presentation.

Speakers
avatar for Jamie Kupfner

Jamie Kupfner

Teacher, TIES



Saturday October 26, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm AKDT
Science Room 3

11:00am AKDT

Argument-Driven Engineering in Grades 6-8: STEM Design Challenges
This session is an introduction to a new approach to instruction called Argument-Driven Engineering (ADE). ADE gives students an opportunity to learn how to use crosscutting concepts, core ideas from mathematics and science, and science, engineering, and mathematical practices to design a solution to a meaningful problem. This instructional approach also provides context to help students develop foundational literacy skills because they must read, write, speak, and listen in order to obtain, evaluate, and communicate information during each design challenge. In this session, participants will learn about the stages of the ADE instructional model, how it was designed, and how it integrates standards across disciplines.

Speakers
avatar for Jennifer Kaszuba

Jennifer Kaszuba

Graduate Research Assistant, UT Austin STEM Center
Jennifer works to find ways to engage all students in authentic science experiences to help them realize the wonders of science.


Saturday October 26, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm AKDT
Science Room 2

11:00am AKDT

Building Collaborative Teams In Your Classroom
In many classrooms, students’ sitting together in teams does not guarantee effective mathematical discourse. Activities will be modeled that encourage students to talk, write and share ideas. Status is important so some of these activities will address this issue. Participants will experience study team and teaching strategies that particularly deal with discourse and see how the Standards for Mathematical Practices will be tied into and highlighted by these strategies.

Speakers
avatar for Darrell Trussell

Darrell Trussell

RC/Instructional Coach, CPM Educational Program
I have a great desire to support math teacher with implementing student engagement activities. This simple change from a teacher centered to student center classroom changed my perspective on how students learn and retain information. I would love to share what I have learned, the... Read More →

Sponsors


Saturday October 26, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm AKDT
Room 13

11:00am AKDT

Energy Literacy and Application in K-12 classrooms
Energy is everything: It’s how we connect, how we travel, how we work, and how we play. Clean energy (including energy efficiency and renewable energy) has many benefits including lower carbon footprint, cleaner air, and reduced energy bills, yet it is not often taught in our schools. In this workshop, participants will be introduced to energy literacy principles and explore lessons from free curriculum for teaching hands-on energy lessons all geared towards energy awareness and usage reduction. Three main (free!) resources will be highlighted in this session: AK EnergySmart, Alaska Resource Education (ARE), and National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project. Participants will explore at least one activity that can be modified for all grade levels, so be ready to move around!

Speakers
avatar for Colleen Fisk

Colleen Fisk

Education Director, Renewable Energy Alaska Project
Colleen has a Master's in Education from UAF, five years of student teaching and long-term subbing, six years as the Education Director at REAP, and extensive experience in the classroom and teacher training.

Sponsors


Saturday October 26, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm AKDT
Room 12

11:00am AKDT

Featured Speaker Michael Soskil: Innovating for Good: Developing Lifelong Problem Solvers
As the world becomes increasingly technological, our students will be faced with new ethical and societal challenges. We must teach them to to both identify and solve the unique and unforeseen problems in their future. This workshop explores ways teachers and schools can develop socially conscious problem solvers that prepare for both future careers and a global, technological world.

Speakers
avatar for Michael Soskil

Michael Soskil

Executive Director, Take Action Global
I teach. I run. I plan vacations.


Saturday October 26, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm AKDT
Library Annex

11:00am AKDT

Seminars in the Science Classroom: Social Dimensions of Argumentation
We will explore the Science and Engineering Practice (SEP) of Argumentation, specifically its important social and discursive dimensions. Learn about using seminars in the science classroom and have the opportunity to participate in a sample seminar. We will also discuss existing resources for scaffolding argumentation in the classroom.

Speakers
avatar for Jeanne Chowning

Jeanne Chowning

Associate VP of Science Education, Fred Hutch Cancer Center

Sponsors


Saturday October 26, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm AKDT
Room 10

11:00am AKDT

Shake Up Your Fact Fluency Practice - Math Shakers K-5
Get ready to shake up your math application with the newest math manipulative: a modified pill container-math shaker. Using math 'shake breaks' offers students the much-needed opportunity to move, partner, and explain their thinking. Perfect for both whole class and in rotating centers. Shaker activities are easy to differentiate and provide engaging practice for concepts including subitizing, place value from tens to millions, decimals, operational fluency, fractions, patterns, and more. Journal masters, student samples, and classroom management tips will be shared. Come prepared to play, move, engage with colleagues, and best of all, shake up your math practice!

Speakers
avatar for Allison Riddle

Allison Riddle

Mentor Supervisor /Consultant, Davis School District / Box Cars and One-Eyed Jacks
Allison has been an elementary educator for the past 30 years. After 27 years teaching 3rd and 5th grade, she is now the Elementary Mentor Supervisor for Davis District leading the mentoring and professional learning of over 300 new elementary teachers. Allison shares her passion... Read More →


Saturday October 26, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm AKDT
West High Library Main Area

11:00am AKDT

Become a National Geographic Certified Educator
In this interactive session, educators will discuss how they teach with a global and geographic perspective, reflecting on their teaching missions and collaborating to build upon one another’s best project ideas. They’ll also be introduced to National Geographic’s Learning Framework, which is a set of attitudes, skills, and knowledge areas that embody the attributes of an explorer—one who seeks solutions to our world’s most pressing problems.

This session counts as Phase 1 of the free professional learning program known as the National Geographic Educator Certification Program. As educators go on to complete Phases 2 and 3, they will have the opportunity to try out new lessons and activities that challenge students to solve real-world problems. National Geographic Certified Educators also receive special access to National Geographic education resources and an online community of like-minded peers.

Speakers
avatar for Alexandra Perrotti

Alexandra Perrotti

Alexandra (she/her/hers) serves as Director of Educator Network at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C. Each and every day she has the pleasure of working with young people and educators who are addressing the planet's most pressing problems. Previously, Alexandra... Read More →

Sponsors

Saturday October 26, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm AKDT
Room 2

11:00am AKDT

Featured Speaker Clare Landrigan: Who’s in Your Library? Creating Classroom Libraries That Reflect the Passions, Interests, and Identities of Our Readers
A classroom library is the heart and soul of a classroom community. When we organize and reorganize our books into collections that reflect the students in front of us, we let them know that they are the centers of their reading lives. Better yet, when we involve them in the process of curating the book collection in the classroom library, we help them develop the habits and dispositions of a reader. Assessment, instruction, community, book love, and fun all rolled into a classroom library.

Speakers
avatar for Clare Landrigan

Clare Landrigan

I am a staff developer who is still a teacher at heart. I lead a private staff development business and spend my days partnering with school systems to implement best practices in the field of literacy. I believe that effective professional development includes side by side teaching... Read More →


Saturday October 26, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm AKDT
Room 9

11:00am AKDT

Featured Speaker Katherine McKnight: Affect Impacts Effective Literacy Skill Development
The ability to read, write and speak with proficiency is essential for student success. Students who struggle in school may not possess accurate literacy tools or self-regulation strategies for college and career readiness. This inspiring presentation will showcase how an integrated school-wide literacy and self-regulation plan resulted in at least 15% student growth in one academic year and how you can lead your school to a similar outcome. Research suggests that academic improvement can occur when a self-regulatory model is integrated with strategic literacy instruction that fosters self-efficacy and independence.

Speakers
avatar for KATHERINE  MCKNIGHT

KATHERINE MCKNIGHT

Engaging Learners
I am looking forward to presenting at the Alaska Cross Content Conference! I am a national expert in adolescent literacy and disciplinary literacy. and I teach and collaborate in classrooms all over the United States and internationally . As an author of 18 books and educator for... Read More →


Saturday October 26, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm AKDT
Room 8
  Integrating Literacy Across Content Areas

11:00am AKDT

Bringing History Alive! Teaching Content in the Target Language
We both work in the German Immersion program at the Rilke Schule. Elizabeth works with 3rd and 4th grade students whose proficiency target ranges from Novice High to Intermediate Low. Sasha works with 6th grade students whose proficiency target ranges from Intermediate Mid to Intermediate High. We will focus on sharing strategies and techniques that we use for teaching Social Studies content, particularly history, in the target language. We both employ drama techniques and partner activities to enable students to imagine themselves as historical characters, and to promote proficiency across all four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. 

Speakers
avatar for Sasha Johnson

Sasha Johnson

German Immersion teacher, Anchorage School District
I currently teach German language and German immersion social studies to sixth grade students at Rilke Schule German School in the Anchorage School District. I have been teaching for fourteen years, with experience in college and secondary classrooms. At Rilke Schule, I use theater... Read More →
ER

Elizabeth Robertson

Anchorage School District


Saturday October 26, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm AKDT
Room 5

11:00am AKDT

How to be a World Language Guitar Hero with Just Three Chords and the Truth
Chad Rice and Aaron Mitchell teach Spanish at Colony High School.  They have had a lot of fun over the years playing guitars and singing in class.  They use music teach basic skills, introduce cultural elements, and memorize declamation poems without being accomplished singers or players.  All of the songs are simple 2 or 3 chords that anyone, with a little practice, could learn.  Guitar playing is not the backbone of their curriculum or presentation style.  It is a tool that they and their students really enjoy.  The goal isn't to give people a song book (which only exists in their heads) or teach people to play the guitar. They hope this presentation can be the motivation someone needs to learn a new skill that can be a fun part of a world language classroom.



Speakers
AM

Aaron Mitchell

Colony High School
CR

Chad Rice

Colony High School


Saturday October 26, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm AKDT
Room 4

11:00am AKDT

Taking the Leap with Student Travel
Travel offers unique opportunities for our students. Whether going through a travel company or establishing an an exchange, there is potential to offer students a way to connect to the language and culture beyond the confines of the classroom.  This session examines the benefits from different types of student travel along with what current research says about the actual impact of these experiences.

Speakers
NA

Nicole Ayers

French Teacher, Anchorage School District


Saturday October 26, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm AKDT
Room 3

12:15pm AKDT

ASLA General Membership Lunch
ASLA Membership Lunch.

Speakers
JW

Jessica Willis

teacher, Anchorage School District


Saturday October 26, 2019 12:15pm - 1:15pm AKDT
Room 4

12:15pm AKDT

ASTA Membership Lunch
ASTA Membership lunch. Boxed lunch will be provided to current members and those who join by 10/20/2019.

Speakers
avatar for Patty Brown

Patty Brown

President, Alaska Science Teachers Association
I am a mostly retired Alaska public school educator, 22 years teaching grades 4-12. Currently a consultant as "Chilkat Learning and Academic Support Services" in Haines. MS in Environmental Education from University of Washington, BS in Natural Resources Management from Humboldt State... Read More →

Sponsors

Saturday October 26, 2019 12:15pm - 1:30pm AKDT
West High School Cafeteria

12:15pm AKDT

AFLA Lunch: AATG Business Meeting and Group Rooms
AFLA registrants have several options:
1. Alaska Chapter American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) business meeting. Room 3
2. Gather in Rooms 1 and 2 to eat your lunch with other World Language Teachers
3. Go explore a lunch option off campus!

Speakers
avatar for Elizabeth Dick

Elizabeth Dick

German Teacher, South Anchorage HS (ASD), Anchorage School District

Sponsors

Saturday October 26, 2019 12:15pm - 1:30pm AKDT
Rooms 1, 2, & 3

1:45pm AKDT

Your Seat in the Alaska Professional Learning Network
AkPLN is free of charge for AK educators and is quickly becoming the ONE place for AK educators to go for professional learning (independently or for credit), communication, and collaboration with other AK educators. In our 4th year, we have almost 2000 members and every year we expand in membership as well as offerings for professional learning. Join us in this session to explore the opportunities awaiting you in the Alaska Professional Learning Network.

Speakers
avatar for Tammy Morris

Tammy Morris

Digital Teaching & Learning Specialist, Inspired Impact, LLC
Tammy has provided professional learning opportunities, both in-person and online, for Alaska educators statewide since 2009. Prior to that she served as a classroom teacher and as an Ed Tech PD Coordinator in the Fairbanks and Ketchikan school districts. As an independent contractor... Read More →


Saturday October 26, 2019 1:45pm - 2:45pm AKDT
Room 20

1:45pm AKDT

An introduction to the new Science Standards for Alaska
Please join DEED staff as they outline and highlight the updated Science Standards for Alaska. These standards mark a significant update to the Science GLEs and bring Alaska in line with other state standards based on the Framework for K-12 Science Education. The new standards place a greater focus on comprehension and problem-solving, and integrate content from across the curriculum.

Speakers
avatar for Deborah Riddle

Deborah Riddle

Division Operations Manager, DEED

Sponsors

Saturday October 26, 2019 1:45pm - 2:45pm AKDT
Science Room 1
  Connecting Across Content Areas

1:45pm AKDT

Embedding Storytelling Throughout the Science Learning Cycle
The use of narratives in science education has been promoted as a way to increase the enthusiasm, interest, and knowledge retention in science. This hands-on workshop will engage participants in several classroom and community learning activities for using storytelling throughout the science learning cycle model. We demonstrate how this model has been used in a berry citizen science project, and share the early results on how it is impacting student learning. You will leave this workshop with lesson plans for community story landscapes, story boarding with student observations, and scenarios storytelling with student data that can be adapted to any grade level or environmental science topic area.

Co-Presenters: Christine Villano (CV Education), Doug Cost (UAF School of Education), Sarah Satnley (UAF English Department)

Speakers
KS

Katie Spellman

professor, UAF


Saturday October 26, 2019 1:45pm - 2:45pm AKDT
Science Room 4

1:45pm AKDT

Hands-on lessons to start teaching Evolutionary Sciences now
The Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science is an entirely teacher-run project to help middle school science teachers. We provide evolution content and ready-to-use resources for the classroom, including presentation slides, online sites, and hands-on labs. In this hands-on session, teachers will have a chance to see and even participate in at least 2 different lessons to take back to their classrooms immediately. More lessons if time allows in person and links to the lessons will be provided for even more information. Everything will be free and
available to the participants, including many active learning ideas for the classroom found in the slide presentation.

Speakers
avatar for Jamie Kupfner

Jamie Kupfner

Teacher, TIES



Saturday October 26, 2019 1:45pm - 2:45pm AKDT
Science Room 3

1:45pm AKDT

Symmetry - Geometry and Art
Paper folding and cutting connecting geometry and art through symmetry.

Speakers
avatar for Virgil Fredenberg

Virgil Fredenberg

Professor, University of Alaska Southeast
How can we get more people into teaching?


Saturday October 26, 2019 1:45pm - 2:45pm AKDT
Room 21
  Connecting Across Content Areas

1:45pm AKDT

Argument-Driven Inquiry in Grades 3-5: Three-Dimensional Investigations that Integrate Science, Literacy and Mathematics
This session is an introduction to a new approach to science instruction called Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI). ADI gives children in grades 3-5 an opportunity to learn how to use the core ideas, practices, and crosscutting concepts of science to make sense of natural phenomena. This instructional approach is designed to use science as way to help children develop literacy (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) skills and learn important mathematical concepts. In this session, participants will learn about the stages of the ADI instructional model, how it was designed, and how it integrates standards across disciplines.

Speakers
avatar for Jennifer Kaszuba

Jennifer Kaszuba

Graduate Research Assistant, UT Austin STEM Center
Jennifer works to find ways to engage all students in authentic science experiences to help them realize the wonders of science.


Saturday October 26, 2019 1:45pm - 2:45pm AKDT
Science Room 2

1:45pm AKDT

Featured Speaker Katherine McKnight: Yes…and for the Classroom
Dr. McKnight is the foundational researcher and developer of using improvisation in the classroom to develop literacy skills content knowledge within a social emotional learning experience. Her powerful research in this area has led to insights into creating classrooms where all students are charged up about learning. In this engaging and active session, learn how to create focused learning activities that are classroom ready. Dr. McKnight co-authored The Second City Guide to Improv in the Classroom, the “go-to” resource for improv in the classroom.  See https://engaginglearners.com/sites/default/files/EL_YesAndClassroom_Web.pdf . for the white paper and resource guide for this presentation!

Speakers
avatar for KATHERINE  MCKNIGHT

KATHERINE MCKNIGHT

Engaging Learners
I am looking forward to presenting at the Alaska Cross Content Conference! I am a national expert in adolescent literacy and disciplinary literacy. and I teach and collaborate in classrooms all over the United States and internationally . As an author of 18 books and educator for... Read More →


Saturday October 26, 2019 1:45pm - 2:45pm AKDT
Library Annex

1:45pm AKDT

Featured Speaker Michael DiSpezio: Awesome STEM Activities for the 21st Century Classroom
Join Michael for a motivating, informative and exciting hands-on session during which you’ll participate in a variety of inexpensive and easy-to-repeat activities for the 21st century elementary school classroom. During this session, you’ll explore the pedagogy changes inherent to 3D teaching and apply them to a variety of activities in both science and engineering. From engineering a paperclip wheel-and-axle to exploring the science of flight, you’ll experience understanding through the facilitation of process experiences. You’ll also explore sound by constructing a variety of instruments that will be used as a landscape on which the SEPs are applied to further understanding in physical science. So why not join Michael for a fun, practical and enlightening workshop from which you’ll leave with a variety of new ideas for teaching science!

Speakers
avatar for Michael DiSpezio

Michael DiSpezio

author and educator, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
From hosting National Geographic broadcasts to shepherding the Discovery Channel to their first Emmy Award nomination, Michael is a globally respected renaissance educator, speaker, TV host and science education author. A former marine biologist, Michael completed his graduate studies... Read More →

Sponsors

Saturday October 26, 2019 1:45pm - 2:45pm AKDT
West High Library Main Area

1:45pm AKDT

Long Division: It's Not Synthetic Anymore
Manipulatives in a secondary math classroom? You will see how successful it can be. Actively engage with algebra tiles and the area model to multiply polynomials before moving to factoring and completing the square. Use the area model to do polynomial long division. Supporting students transition from the concrete (manipulative) to the abstract (paper and pencil) is the goal.

Speakers
avatar for Darrell Trussell

Darrell Trussell

RC/Instructional Coach, CPM Educational Program
I have a great desire to support math teacher with implementing student engagement activities. This simple change from a teacher centered to student center classroom changed my perspective on how students learn and retain information. I would love to share what I have learned, the... Read More →

Sponsors

Saturday October 26, 2019 1:45pm - 2:45pm AKDT
Room 22

1:45pm AKDT

Culturally Responsive Instruction: Pedagogy & Practices
Alaska schools represent great student diversity, and classroom teachers must create learning environments where all students experience success.  This session will explore the importance of culturally relevant pedagogy and describe specific classroom practices that promote educational equity.

Speakers
avatar for Dr. Laurie A. Sharp

Dr. Laurie A. Sharp

International Literacy Association Board MemberBoard Member, Tarleton State University
I have 16 years of broad experiences in PreK–12 public schools and higher education as a classroom teacher, teacher educator, and higher education administrator. I am passionate about advocating for high-quality literacy teaching and learning among learners of all levels. As an... Read More →


Saturday October 26, 2019 1:45pm - 2:45pm AKDT
Room 23

1:45pm AKDT

Build and Program Games with Arduino
Looking for an introduction to physical computing (Arduinos) designed for grades 7-12 that is rigorous, engaging, and inexpensive? In Build and Program Games with Arduino, students learn how to program and solder together a reflex game in the form of Tug-o-War, and a classic memory game - Simon. This is a great way to add a hands-on component to your programming course.

Speakers
MB

Michael Backus

Computers Teacher, Teeland Middle School
I love programming, robotics, and building/inventing things that use microcontrollers. I am also a firm believe in the work smarter not harder mantra, and have developed add-ons and plugins to make grading go quickly while still improving outcomes. If you have questions about programming... Read More →


Saturday October 26, 2019 1:45pm - 2:45pm AKDT
Room W7

1:45pm AKDT

Climate Change - Model Mathematically Data from The Climate Reality Project Leadership Training with Al Gore
Have your students model the most current data about climate change, its causes and consequences, and discover the correlations among various sets of data. Find out what we learned from attending the Climate Reality Project Training with former vice president Al Gore (An Inconvenient Truth) this past August for 3 days. Obtain all materials: data, student worksheets, teacher notes and solutions, and a detailed step-by-step blog.

Speakers
avatar for Tom Reardon

Tom Reardon

Math teacher and technology specialist, Fitch High School / Youngstown State University
Tom Reardon taught mathematics for 35 years at Fitch High School, where he served as department chair, and for 39 years at Youngstown State University in Ohio. He has been doing Professional Development in mathematics technology for school districts across the U.S. and internationally... Read More →


Saturday October 26, 2019 1:45pm - 2:45pm AKDT
Room 24

1:45pm AKDT

Cultural Connections via Indigenous Stories
Culturally connecting to students through Indigenous stories is powerful and urgent.  Indigenous as well as original, non-Indigenous stories, are combined with diversity positive language strategies in this workshop that shows teachers a way to access stories of relevance to students’ own histories and lived experiences. C.I. methods are the vehicle to deliver this content.  We use English (and some Japanese for modeling).  No language restrictions. This workshop focuses on a decolonized storytelling approach that is centered on compelling input.

Speakers
BP

Betsy Paskvan

Anchorage School District


Saturday October 26, 2019 1:45pm - 2:45pm AKDT
Room W11

1:45pm AKDT

Embedded Reading from the Bottom-Up
Want to get students excited about reading, while improving their fluency? Join the Embedded Reading session for a quick review of the technique, a demonstration and tips for success.  Prepare to participate (and maybe even surprise yourself with newfound abilities). Demo language will be Russian.

Speakers
avatar for Michele Whaley

Michele Whaley

Teacher, Pacific Northern Academy/UAA
My top three passions in school are using comprehensible input to connect with students, collaborating with other teachers, and finding ways to use technology to make teaching more effective. Most important outside school: being with my family (including our sled dog), rowing, playing... Read More →


Saturday October 26, 2019 1:45pm - 2:45pm AKDT
Room W9

1:45pm AKDT

Expecting Students to Speak
This session will be an exploration of methods that I use at each language level to ensure that students are talking 30-50% of the time in every class period. It will be about setting up the environment, actual activities built into my German program, and exploring the progression of memorized sayings and songs, to debate and discussion. 

Speakers
avatar for Kristi Senden

Kristi Senden

German Teacher, Chugiak High School


Saturday October 26, 2019 1:45pm - 2:45pm AKDT
Room W8

3:00pm AKDT

Conceptual, Hands-On Metric Lesson
This lesson guarantees a conceptual understanding of the metric system by following the patterns involved and using manipulatives.   Over the years, it has been immediately successful for students in grades 3 through High school. This is a true STEM activity, supporting students in both their math and science classes and activities.

Speakers

Saturday October 26, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm AKDT
Room 3
  Connecting Across Content Areas

3:00pm AKDT

Meshing Science and Math with Hands-On Tech
Join us for an exploration of Vernier's Video Physics app and how to engage students in Physical Science, Physics and Algebra 1 and 2 students in relevant coursework with projectile motion and parabolas! Come for some hands on activities that bundle standards and pique interest for students. Let's have some fun combining science, math and technology!



Saturday October 26, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm AKDT
Science Room 4
  Connecting Across Content Areas

3:00pm AKDT

Argument-Driven Inquiry in the Life, Physical, and Earth-Space Sciences: Lab Investigations for Grades 6–8
This session is an introduction to a new approach to lab instruction called Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI). ADI is an innovative instructional model that is based on current research about how people learn science and is designed to foster the development of science proficiency. ADI gives students an opportunity to learn how to use core ideas, practices, and crosscutting concepts of science to make sense of natural phenomena. This instructional approach also gives students an opportunity to learn how to read, write, and speak in the context of science. In this session, participants will learn about the stages of the ADI instructional model, how it was designed to address the shortcomings of current laboratory experiences, and how it helps students develop discipline-specific literacy skills.

Speakers
avatar for Jennifer Kaszuba

Jennifer Kaszuba

Graduate Research Assistant, UT Austin STEM Center
Jennifer works to find ways to engage all students in authentic science experiences to help them realize the wonders of science.


Saturday October 26, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm AKDT
Science Room 2

3:00pm AKDT

Earth Day Every Day! Integrating Waste Reduction and Recycling Education into Your Curriculum
In this session, learn about activities and lesson plans to teach your middle school students about the modern waste crisis and its solutions. Attendees will explore interdisciplinary strategies for engaging students in solving this complex problem. The session includes an introduction to Green Star's Earth Day Every Day! curriculum for 6th-8th graders that can be adapted to any classroom in Alaska!

Speakers
avatar for Sarah Clement

Sarah Clement

Program Director, Green Star of Interior Alaska


Saturday October 26, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm AKDT
Room 2

3:00pm AKDT

Featured Speaker Richard Thoman: Alaska's Changing Environment: Fitting the Puzzle
We'll dive into some of the details of showing how the climate and environment are changing and think about ways to work with the information in ways appropriate for your students.

Speakers

Saturday October 26, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm AKDT
Science Room 5

3:00pm AKDT

Preventing Teen Dating Violence Through the Alaska Safe Children’s Act: Grades 7-12
This presentation will provide an overview and update on the state developed curriculum for grades 7-12 to meet the requirements under the Alaska Safe Children's Act. In addition it will provide an overview of the resources, materials and supports that are currently available as well as the activities and events planned for Teen Dating Violence Prevention and Awareness Month.

Speakers

Saturday October 26, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm AKDT
Room 5

3:00pm AKDT

STEM Collaboration in the Community and the Classroom
The Juneau School District and the Juneau STEM Coalition are partners in providing STEM professional development that brings community practitioners and teachers together. Through this dynamic collaboration, teachers learn how computational thinking is used in various private and public business and service applications, and community experts learn how to prepare information to serve the needs of student learners.

Speakers
avatar for Ted Wilson

Ted Wilson

Director of Teaching and Learning Support, Juneau School District
I am currently the Director of Teaching and Learning Support. I was previously a multigrade (4/5) teacher and principal at Glacier Valley Elementary for 17 years. My current projects include conference-style inservice planning, curriculum integration work, computational thinking PD... Read More →



Saturday October 26, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm AKDT
Room 20

3:00pm AKDT

They Should Already Know This - Catch Up Math Games For 3 -8
This session will focus on games and strategies teachers can use to help their upper elementary/middle years students catch up on concepts they should have already mastered. Well-structured game play helps rebuild and deepen understanding, provides engaging, meaningful practice, lessens math anxiety, and can be modified for indivdual needs. This session will include games focused on concepts such as operational fluency, place value, fractions, geometry, and logical reasoning.  Participants will leave with new game ideas that incorporate the use of cards, dice, double dice, and multi-sided dice. Come prepared to play!

Speakers
avatar for Allison Riddle

Allison Riddle

Mentor Supervisor /Consultant, Davis School District / Box Cars and One-Eyed Jacks
Allison has been an elementary educator for the past 30 years. After 27 years teaching 3rd and 5th grade, she is now the Elementary Mentor Supervisor for Davis District leading the mentoring and professional learning of over 300 new elementary teachers. Allison shares her passion... Read More →


Saturday October 26, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm AKDT
West High Library Main Area

3:00pm AKDT

Culturally Responsive Teaching - Implicit and Explicit Biases
It's a misconception that culturally responsive instruction has to mention race. There is so much more! Culturally responsive instruction involves getting to know your students' values, interests, and ultimately helping them find their identity and navigate the world through their identity.  Educators have to talk openly about bias and become aware of their own implict biases to create healthy student-teacher relationships and narrow interpretations of learning that ignore the incredible cultural tools that students bring to class. Let's utilize active learning strategies, personal stories and practices to engage all learners. In this session we will be positively open about who we are and how we can form meaningful relationships to foster academic success.

Speakers
avatar for Danielle Riha

Danielle Riha

2019 Alaska State Teacher of the Year
Teaching in rural Alaska for seven years is where I learned the value of culturally responsive teaching and the incorporation of indigenous knowledge. I worked with community members to develop a successful reading program that included Yup’ik elders telling traditional oral stories... Read More →


Saturday October 26, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm AKDT
Room W9

3:00pm AKDT

Math Trails: Visited and Revisited
Teachers will learn about the components of a math trail, including how to lead students in creating a math trail in their own communities. Examples of existing math trails will be shared, and time to develop a plan to engage students in creating a math trail will be given. Let’s share ideas about math trails and how we can leverage a trail to bring the math practices alive!


Saturday October 26, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm AKDT
Room 8

3:00pm AKDT

Featured Speaker Clare Landrigan: Using Poetry to Expand Content Knowledge and Structure Informational Text
Poetry is a structure that writers can use in any unit of study. This session will make the case for including poetry in content area and nonfiction literacy units of study. In reading, it is a great way to build one’s schema in a content area and to synthesize the big idea in an area of research. In writing, poetry offers choice in terms of how a writer wants to convey information. We will explore poetry mentor texts and craft moves to teach your students. Join me in exploring how to incorporate poetry in your informational reading and writing units of study.

Speakers
avatar for Clare Landrigan

Clare Landrigan

I am a staff developer who is still a teacher at heart. I lead a private staff development business and spend my days partnering with school systems to implement best practices in the field of literacy. I believe that effective professional development includes side by side teaching... Read More →


Saturday October 26, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm AKDT
Library Annex

3:00pm AKDT

Mathematical Modeling and Social Awareness: Pay Day Loans, Opioid Deaths, Plastic Straw Pollution
Use current and important real-world data to teach mathematics and make students aware of social problems, situations, and solutions. Have the students discover the whopping interest rates charged by Pay Day Loan companies. Make students aware of how many people are dying from opioids. And be amazed at the number of plastic straws that we use in the US daily. Regressions, math modeling, problem solving, units conversion, technology. Obtain all materials.

Speakers
avatar for Tom Reardon

Tom Reardon

Math teacher and technology specialist, Fitch High School / Youngstown State University
Tom Reardon taught mathematics for 35 years at Fitch High School, where he served as department chair, and for 39 years at Youngstown State University in Ohio. He has been doing Professional Development in mathematics technology for school districts across the U.S. and internationally... Read More →


Saturday October 26, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm AKDT
Room 24

3:00pm AKDT

Spend Less Time Grading and Get Better Results with Evaluator Add-ons for G-Suite
Want to spend less time grading? Want to receive higher quality work from your students? Start using my Document Evaluator, Slideshow Evaluator, and Spreadsheet Evaluator add-ons. I have spent years developing and refining my system and have finally made it publicly and freely available. I will walk you through how to define your own checklist of requirements for each assignment, how to manage peer evaluations, and how to communicate the reasoning behind your grades to your students in such a way that they know exactly what they need to do to meet your expectations.

Speakers
MB

Michael Backus

Computers Teacher, Teeland Middle School
I love programming, robotics, and building/inventing things that use microcontrollers. I am also a firm believe in the work smarter not harder mantra, and have developed add-ons and plugins to make grading go quickly while still improving outcomes. If you have questions about programming... Read More →


Saturday October 26, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm AKDT
Room W7

3:00pm AKDT

Growing Teacher Leadership for School and System Transformation Through a Grass-Roots, Teacher Lead Professional Learning Network
Participants will learn about the theory of action, the practical work and the impact for teachers of a blended Professional Learning Network (PLN), AKRISE (Alaska Rural Innovation and Student Engagement Network), designed to engage educators from rural schools across Alaska in face-to-face collaborative design work (to be implemented virtually between face-to-face meetings) to tackle contextual challenges and share impactful instructional practices. The theory of action of the network is grounded in the theories of professional capital (Hargreaves and Fullan, 2012) and collaborative professionalism (Hargreaves & O’Connor, 2018); that by engaging teachers in deeper, specific types of collaborative joint work (action research, lesson study, co-curriculum design, and video reflection) through a blended PLN of both face-to-face and commitment to connecting virtually, rural teachers experience increased sense of belonging and connection, willingness to risk-take and innovate, ability to self-regulate their own learning, agency and empowerment, and equity of student learning experiences. Teachers who are usually the only teacher at their grade-level or site develop deeper pedagogical content knowledge and expertise by the opportunity to work with other teachers at their grade-level or content area, as well. It is important for teachers to know that this is not extra work! A goal of the network is to develop the capacity and collective efficacy of teachers in districts to meet the goals, priorities and needs of their home districts and address authentic questions from their contexts—not to add an additional initiative.

Speakers
KM

Karen Martin

Instructional Coach, Denali Borough School District


Saturday October 26, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm AKDT
Room 6
  Learning to Lead

3:00pm AKDT

Reading Across the Curriculum: Developing Students' Interpretive Skills by Looking Between the Lines (all languages)
Reading is a key component of communicative competence and important to student success throughout the K-16 curriculum. But how can teachers best help their students develop good skills? Moving beyond the identification of facts, this session describes different strategies for working with reading texts by focusing on skills like summarizing, inference, and identifying tone and audience.

We will examine two main strategies for developing learners' abilities in reading. First, we will focus on identifying and formulating inference and tone questions, and second, we will use the "VISION" approach (Vocabulary, Identification, Summarizing, Interpretation, Organization, Nuances) for comprehending reading texts of all difficulty levels. Vocabulary activities help students recognize important terms and transition words and move them into working with the new lexical items. The identification of the content helps students recognize the main ideas of the text with supporting details. Summarizing activities require students to understand the content and relate it in their own words. Interpretation tasks move students beyond detail questions to examine the deeper message of the text, the audience, and tone. Organizing activities require students to describe how a text is constructed and why, while nuances tasks require students to use inference skills to identify points the author makes but does not explicitly state.

The acronym "VISION" helps teachers remember important phases in working with reading and provides students with an easy strategy for approaching unfamiliar texts. The model will help teachers prepare their students for Integrated Performance Assessments (IPAs) as well as the World Language AP exam, and they will receive tips on finding suitable authentic texts.

Speakers
avatar for Cynthia Chalupa

Cynthia Chalupa

Assoc. Professor of German and Director, Basic German Language Program, West Virginia University

Sponsors

Saturday October 26, 2019 3:00pm - 5:00pm AKDT
West High School Cafeteria

4:15pm AKDT

Adventures Across Alaska
Have you ever walked across Alaska? Followed the Iditarod Trail? In this session participants will do just that, while learning about key landforms, bodies of water, absolute location, and points of significant historical value. The National Geographic Society has gifted each state with a Giant Traveling Map for use by schools across the state. Measuring 20’ X 20’ this map, and its accompanying materials, will be available for checkout by educators attending this session. This resource is excellent for use by grades K-12 and college/university geography and education preparation classes. All participants must be wearing socks.

Speakers
avatar for Susan Smith

Susan Smith

Principal-Teacher 3rd-5th, Iditarod Area School District
This is my third year teaching in Takotna, Mile 329 on the Iditarod Trail. I retired in Oklahoma after 30 years and moved to Alaska in 2015. I currently hold National Board Teacher Certification.


Saturday October 26, 2019 4:15pm - 5:15pm AKDT
West High Library Main Area

4:15pm AKDT

Teach About Wildfire in Alaska's Changing Climate
Whether you have students directly affected by Alaska’s recent wildfires, or students in communities who will be affected by climate change and Alaska’s fire regime in the future, this session will give you the tools needed to engage students in exciting learning experiences relating to fire ecology, fire effects, fire management, FireWise practices and climate change and fire.  The Alaska Natural Resource and Outdoor Education Association (ANROE) has developed a number of classroom ready resources now available to assist K-12 educators in teaching about fire. Learn about engaging hands-on PD opportunities in the upcoming year. You will walk away from this session with a flash drive containing ready-to-go curricula and powerpoint presentations for MS and HS, as well as ideas for teaching about wildfire to elementary students.  You will view samples of the new Project Learning Tree online Alaska fire modules just launched. The session will be presented by Cathy Rezabeck, Project Coordinator and Deb Berg, elementary teacher from Tok.

Speakers
CR

Cathy Rezabeck

Contractor, Alaska Natural REsource & Outdoor Education Association
The Alaska Natural Resource and Outdoor Education Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting & implementing excellence in natural resource, outdoor and environmental education for all Alaskans. We are implementing the Alaska Natural Resource and Environmental Literacy... Read More →


Saturday October 26, 2019 4:15pm - 5:15pm AKDT
Science Room 1
  Connecting Across Content Areas

4:15pm AKDT

Visualizing Algebra with Algebra Tiles (Penny Williams for Sandy Schoff)
Algebra can be as visual as geometry.  Algebra Tiles allow students to "see" the models behind the zero principal in addition and subtraction, solving linear equations, solving for unknown variables, multiplying and dividing polynomials,  factoring, and completing the square.  Totally hands-on class.

Speakers

Saturday October 26, 2019 4:15pm - 5:15pm AKDT
Room 3
  Connecting Across Content Areas

4:15pm AKDT

Argument-Driven Inquiry in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics: Lab Investigations for Grades 9–12
This session is an introduction to a new approach to lab instruction called Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI). ADI is an innovative instructional model that is based on current research about how people learn science and is designed to foster the development of science proficiency. ADI gives students an opportunity to learn how to use core ideas, practices, and crosscutting concepts of science to make sense of natural phenomena. This instructional approach also gives students an opportunity to learn how to read, write, and speak in the context of science. In this session, participants will learn about the stages of the ADI instructional model, how it was designed to address the shortcomings of current laboratory experiences, and how it helps students develop discipline-specific literacy skills.

Speakers
avatar for Jennifer Kaszuba

Jennifer Kaszuba

Graduate Research Assistant, UT Austin STEM Center
Jennifer works to find ways to engage all students in authentic science experiences to help them realize the wonders of science.


Saturday October 26, 2019 4:15pm - 5:15pm AKDT
Science Room 2

4:15pm AKDT

Critical and Analytical Thinking: Why are We Failing to Develop Critical Thinking Consistently and Reliably in Students?
This session will demystify, discuss, and provide application techniques for fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills in secondary schools. Primarily for research-based transformative implementation of best practices the discussion will review leveraging The College Board® resources. In an academic context, attendees will draw connections by briefly becoming research-practitioners through analyzing and critiquing case studies. Assessing data trends in Analytical Essay writing. Best practices for instructing problem-solving will be reviewed and illustrated including how to clarify weighing alternative instructional solutions, analytical essay instruction, vertical curriculum alignment, MTSS, and how and when to re-calibrate instructional practices.

Speakers
avatar for Maureen Cronin

Maureen Cronin

Anchorage School District


Saturday October 26, 2019 4:15pm - 5:15pm AKDT
Room W9

4:15pm AKDT

Inspiring kids through FIRST Robotics (it's so much more than robots!)
Make a mark in your community and your school! FIRST is a robotics community that prepares young people for the future. Ninety-eight percent of participants report improved problem solving skills and 88% better understand how STEM is used to solve real-world problems. Come learn how you can use robotics to inspire your kids and build tomorrow's leaders. Options for all grade levels. Learn about FIRST, talk to participants, and play with robots! All session participants will be entered to win a robotics kit for your classroom.

Speakers
avatar for Rebecca Soza

Rebecca Soza

Statewide Coordinator, FIRST in Alaska
FIRST is a community of learners that are excited about so much more than robots and LEGO! Find me or join our session to learn about how FIRST can inspire your students and our next generation of STEM leaders. We have programs for kids in grades K-12 with participation across the... Read More →


Saturday October 26, 2019 4:15pm - 5:15pm AKDT
Room W11

4:15pm AKDT

Project Invent: Making & Coding for Social Good

Want to empower students through Project Based Service Learning and help close the gender gap in STEM education? Project Invent's free on-line resources may be your answer. Start a team or simply incorporate these hands-on activities into your existing STEM curriculum. Turn your Maker Space into an impactful space driving social change.
Project Invent empowers students with the 21st century skills to succeed individually and impact globally. Our goal is to create a generation of fearless problem solvers. Project Invent's free digital curriculum is written by real engineers turned educators. Utilizing design thinking, engineering, and entrepreneurship, Project Invent's 7 lesson plans and 30+ tools guide students through solving real problems with technology.
Hear how Girdwood K-8 School is implementing Project Invent in their community and learn first-hand from 6th Grade students as they share the mini-lessons they're teaching to K-5 classrooms and prototype inventions they've developing with community partners to solve real-world problems.
If this sounds like the type of important work you want to be doing, then come learn how you can bring Project Invent to your community. https://projectinvent.org/

Speakers
avatar for Leola Rutherford

Leola Rutherford

6th Grade Teacher, Anchorage School District
6th Grade Teacher at Girdwood K-8 School in the Anchorage School District. Code.org CS Discoveries Facilitator and Certified Pear Deck Educator.


Saturday October 26, 2019 4:15pm - 5:15pm AKDT
Room 23

4:15pm AKDT

Braiding Indigenous and Western Science Curriculum
We will walk you through the process of how to intertwine Indigenous knowledge and western science (GLOBE, observations and measurements) in investigating our changing environment through hands on activities and group discussions.

This session will help you and your students think critically and holistically, and consider the importance of multiple knowledge systems in STEM teaching and learning.

You will walk away with ready-to-use lesson plans.

Co-Presenters/Co-Contributors: Malinda Chase, Marie Dayton, Nicole James (Association of Interior Native Educators), Elena Sparrow, Katie Spellman, Christi Buffington (UAF International Arctic Research Center)

Speakers
avatar for Maxine Dibert

Maxine Dibert

Third Grade Teacher, Fairbanks School District


Saturday October 26, 2019 4:15pm - 5:15pm AKDT
Science Room 3

4:15pm AKDT

Building ELL student literacy through instructional coaching of classroom teachers
This is a facilitated roundtable, a symposium-style collaborative session. Helping mainstream teachers of ELs facilitate literacy acquisition brings questions: How is building literacy of ELs different? What are the research-supported models of EL coaching? and more. This session is of special interest to EL coaches and anyone involved in the professional development of mainstream teachers working with English learners.

Speakers
avatar for Svetlana Nuss

Svetlana Nuss

FNSBSD STARTALK Program Director, FNSBSD, UAF
Connect with me at svnuss@alaska.eduEducation is my natural habitat. I work with teachers of ELs in an Alaskan school district and teach Russian at the University of Alaska, but often feel like I never graduated: I love learning and – in the right mind – will never stop. I deeply... Read More →


Saturday October 26, 2019 4:15pm - 5:15pm AKDT
Room 21
  Integrating Literacy Across Content Areas

4:15pm AKDT

Creative Activities, Strategies and Technology to Better Prepare Your Students for the Revised SAT
The content on the SAT is what we teach but the questions are worded very differently. Get interactive activities that align directly to the types of questions that are on the newly revised SAT that promote conceptual understanding and de-emphasize memorizing procedures and formulas. Also obtain proven SAT test-taking strategies that encourage multiple solution paths. We will integrate graphing technology to help achieve our goal: students learn and retain the math better, not just score better on the SAT!

Speakers
avatar for Tom Reardon

Tom Reardon

Math teacher and technology specialist, Fitch High School / Youngstown State University
Tom Reardon taught mathematics for 35 years at Fitch High School, where he served as department chair, and for 39 years at Youngstown State University in Ohio. He has been doing Professional Development in mathematics technology for school districts across the U.S. and internationally... Read More →


Saturday October 26, 2019 4:15pm - 5:15pm AKDT
Room 24

6:00pm AKDT

AFLA Awards Dinner and Business Meeting (AFLA Registrants Only)
Sponsored by Avant Assessment and Vista Higher Learning.  AFLA's annual business meeting, organization elections, and awards.  Silent auction items out for final bidding!

Speakers
avatar for Elizabeth Dick

Elizabeth Dick

German Teacher, South Anchorage HS (ASD), Anchorage School District

Sponsors

Saturday October 26, 2019 6:00pm - 9:00pm AKDT
Crowne Plaza Hotel Anchorage 109 W. International Airport Road, Anchorage, AK 99518
 
Sunday, October 27
 

9:00am AKDT

Authors' Brunch
Meet and hear from Alaskan authors over brunch. Books for purchase at the event.

Sunday October 27, 2019 9:00am - 11:30am AKDT
Crowne Plaza Hotel Anchorage 109 W. International Airport Road, Anchorage, AK 99518

9:00am AKDT

AFLA Brunch and Roundtable Sessions (AFLA Registrants Only)
1. Brunch 9:00-10:00
2. Round Table #1 10:00-10:45
3. Round Table #2 11:00-11:45

Join us for brunch followed by two roundtable sessions covering topics such as games in the WL classroom, travel abroad, tech tools, and more.  If you are inspired by one of the sessions you've attended and have a topic you'd like to discuss further during this time talk with AFLA president Elizabeth Dick.  We will have one 'open' session in each round available for this.

Speakers
avatar for Elizabeth Dick

Elizabeth Dick

German Teacher, South Anchorage HS (ASD), Anchorage School District


Sunday October 27, 2019 9:00am - 12:00pm AKDT
Crowne Plaza Hotel Anchorage 109 W. International Airport Road, Anchorage, AK 99518
 


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