Charting the Course: A Road Trip to Educational Excellence
Friday, Nov. 1, 2024
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN – CLICK HERE!
This year’s Area-Wide Professional Learning day will look a bit different than in the past. There will be three locations with three exceptional presenters (see below for locations). Attendees will choose which session they’d like to attend, and then remain at that venue with that presenter for the duration of the day. Registration for your preferred session is critical, as there will be capacity limits at each venue. (Register for Professional Learning emails)
You’ll spend Nov. 1 gaining practical tools and strategies from one of our three featured “tour guides” at a designated location. Choose your lane and join us for a road trip to learning and growth!
Registration closes on Oct. 18, 2024.
Learn about the presenters for Nov. 1, 2024, below.
WSCC Model 2024-25 Focus Areas: Health, Engaged, Safe, and Challenged
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Schedule
Coffee & Networking – 8:00-8:30 a.m.
Welcome/Outcomes – 8:30-8:40 a.m.
Session Part 1 – 8:40-11:30 a.m.
Lunch – 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Session Part 2 – 12:15-2:35 p.m.
Reflection/Survey – 2:35-2:45 p.m.
Thomas Murray
Charting the Course: Creating Cultures of Engagement
LOCATION: GRAND UNITY EVENT CENTER, PETOSKEY
Address: 1106 Charlevoix Ave. (U.S. 31), Petoskey, MI 49770
After serving at the elementary and secondary levels as both a teacher and a principal, and then at the district level, Tom now serves as the Director of Innovation for Future Ready Schools, a project of All4Ed located in Washington, D.C. He has testified before the United States Congress and has previously worked alongside that body and the US Senate, the White House, the US Department of Education and state departments of education, and school districts throughout the country to implement student-centered learning. Murray serves as a regular conference keynote, and has previously been named one of the “Top 100 Influencers in Education” by District Administration, one of “20 to Watch” by NSBA, the “National/Global EdTech Leader of the Year,” the “Education Thought Leader of the Year,” and the “Education Policy Person of the Year” by the Academy of Arts and Sciences. His last two books, “Learning Transformed: 8 Keys to Designing Tomorrow’s Schools, Today,” and “Personal & Authentic: Designing Learning Experiences that Impact a Lifetime” are both best-sellers. Connect with him at thomascmurray.com.
The work we do each day is incredibly challenging. As we work through this year, how can we recalibrate our mindset where needed? How can we create a culture where both students and our team can thrive? How can we work to overcome fear and fail forward when things don’t go as planned? How can we engage students in meaningful and relevant ways? Grounded in relationships, and built upon a culture of engagement, personal and authentic experiences respect the hidden stories within each individual and are learner-centered by design. Regardless of what happens outside our school walls, together we can work to create meaningful, engaging opportunities when we hyper-focus on the things that matter most. The work is hard, but our kids are worth it!
Participant Outcomes
1. Reflect on the type of learning environment they create and how to improve it.
2. Reflect on their communication and how it impacts engagement
3. Explore a variety of highly engaging edtech tools to support their instruction
WSCC alignment: Healthy, Engaged, Safe
Audience: Teachers PreK; Teachers Kdg – Grade 5; Teachers Grades 6-8; Teachers Grades 9-12; Administrators
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN – CLICK HERE!
A.J. Juliani
Innovative Learning Design and AI: Navigating a Route for Success
LOCATION: HARVEST BARN IN EAST JORDAN
Address: 210 S. Lake St., East Jordan, MI 49727
A.J. Juliani is the Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling author of Adaptable. He serves as an Instructor for the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education (PLN) and former Director of Learning and Innovation for Centennial School District. As a Curriculum Coordinator, Tech Director, English teacher, football coach, and K-12 Instructional Coach, A.J. has worked towards innovative learning experiences for schools in various roles. A.J. is also an award-winning blogger, speaker, and author of multiple other books, including the best-sellers Empower, Launch, and The PBL Playbook. His favorite role is Dad to five kids!
Description: Discover how innovative learning design and AI can transform the classroom, enhancing student engagement and achievement. This workshop will provide K-12 teachers and school leaders with practical strategies and tools to navigate the future of education successfully.
Participant Outcomes:
- Apply Artificial Intelligence as a leader and teacher for true learning purposes
- Understand the options for innovative learning design, and how to navigate the where/when/how
- Save time, become more efficient, and create engaging experiences
WSCC Tenets: Challenged, Engaged, Supported
Audience: Teachers Kdg – Grade 5; Teachers Grades 6-8; Teachers Grades 9-12; Administrators
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN – CLICK HERE!
Jimmy Casas
Mile Markers: Words on the Wall that Build a Culture of Learners
LOCATION: EMMET COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, PETOSKEY
Address: 1129 Charlevoix Ave. (U.S. 31), Petoskey, MI 49770
Jimmy Casas has been an educator for over 30 years, serving 22 years as a school leader, including 14 years as Principal at Bettendorf High School. Under his leadership, Bettendorf was named one of the Best High Schools in the country three times by Newsweek and US News & World Report.
Jimmy was named the 2012 Iowa Secondary Principal of the Year and was selected as runner-up NASSP 2013 National Secondary Principal of the Year. In 2014, Jimmy was invited to the White House to speak on the Future Ready Schools pledge. Jimmy is also the author of nine books, including the best-selling books “Culturize: Every Student. Every Day. Whatever It Takes,” “Live Your Excellence: Bring Your Best Self to School Every Day,” and “Handle with Care: Managing Difficult Situations in Schools with Dignity and Respect.” Jimmy’s newest release, “Recalibrate the Culture,” is already a top-selling book on Amazon.
Jimmy is the owner and CEO of J Casas & Associates, where he serves as a professional leadership coach for school leaders across the country. In January 2020, Jimmy launched ConnectEDD, a publishing company aimed at giving back to the profession by supporting educators to become published authors.
Session Description: Are you looking for ways to proactively address challenging behaviors in your classroom or school? This session offers a roadmap for moving beyond the posters, billboards, slogans, and acronyms that adorn our walls to concrete actions educators can take to make observable impacts in classrooms and throughout schools. In this session, Jimmy will share a supportive and scaffolded process for putting your words into action. Using a framework based on the 4 Core Principles of the Washington Post best-selling book “Culturize,” he will help you examine your own values and craft checkpoints that lead to observable impacts. If you are looking for tools and ideas to guide you in identifying what we as adults can do differently to promote a positive response from our students, this is the session for you!
Participant Outcomes:
- Re-establish their why & their purpose for the work they do.
- How to develop processes and frameworks for restorative practices.
WSCC Tenets: Engaged & Supported
Audience: Teachers PreK; Teachers Kdg – Grade 5; Teachers Grades 6-8; Teachers Grades 9-12; Administrators; Counselors; ISD Staff; Paraprofessionals
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN – CLICK HERE!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Why are we not having this year’s conference at Boyne Mountain?
Boyne Mountain was not available for us to utilize this year as they had a multi-day conference booked that was using all available meeting spaces. - Why is this year’s conference in three different locations?
There are no other nearby venues that hold 900-925 people for a keynote AND offer large spaces for breakout sessions. We saw this year as an opportunity to think “outside the box!” As a result, we identified three locations that would comfortably accommodate approximately 300 people each with seating that allows for conversation and collaboration. - Where are the three locations?
Harvest Barn in East Jordan, Emmet County Fairgrounds in Petoskey, and the Grand Unity Center (formerly Knights of Columbus) in Petoskey. - Do I need to register for a session or should I just show up at the one I’m interested in attending?
Attendees will need to register online for the session they are interested in attending, due to capacity limits at each venue. - Will there be a limit to how many people can attend each session?
Yes. Each session will be limited to approx. 300 attendees. Online registration will close for each venue once capacity is reached. - Can I change sessions part way through the day and go to another one?
No, you will not be able to change sessions on Nov. 1. You will need to stay with the session you selected at registration. - Can I change my session selection after registering? You will be able to change your session after registering, as long as it is before the registration deadline of Oct. 18, 2024. You will need to log into WisdomWhere, cancel your current registration, and re-register for the new session you’d like to attend. You will only be able to change after cancelling your initial registration.
- Will there be a keynote presenter?
There will not be a keynote presenter this year. - How did you decide on the three sessions that are being offered?
We looked at a variety of data sets including last year’s AWPL Survey, anecdotal data from conversations with district leaders, data from the SWOT analysis conducted by our special education and early childhood departments, and data from the Behavioral Health listening tour. Three themes emerged from these data sets: Innovative Learning Design, Navigating Challenging Behaviors, and Positive School Culture. - Will I be able to select breakout sessions?
You will not need to register for breakout sessions for this year’s conference. You will stay with the presenter for a full day of in-depth learning and application. - Should I attend the session closest to my school district?
You should register for the session that most interests you, which may not be the one geographically closest to your district. - If I can’t attend, will I be able to watch a recording of the presentation?
Unfortunately, our presenters will not allow us to video record their presentations. - Will I need to bring my own lunch?
No, lunch will be provided. You will be able to indicate dietary restrictions during registration, which opens Sept. 23 and closes on Oct. 18, 2024.
REGISTRATION NOW OPEN – CLICK HERE!
Questions, further assistance
If you have questions about Area-Wide Professional Learning Day, please contact Pam Ciganick, Char-Em ISD Professional Learning Coordinator.