Stephen E. Dembo

Workshops

• 22nd Century Skills... Today! Bringing Future Tech into the Classroom: Why is everyone focusing on 21st century skills? That skill-set is over a decade old! Rather than looking back, we will look to the future and identify technology trends that educators need to know about. From flying cars to nanotech, we'll explore the bleeding edge of technology and how to begin incorporating it into classrooms today.
• Learning to Speak Native: How Education is Being Transformed in 140 Characters or Less: We live in an era that has seen the democratization of knowledge, the flattening of the earth, and the rise of wikinomics. The amount of information online keeps increasing while the barriers to accessing it continue to decrease. 21st century students aren't merely products of these shifts, they are the instigators at the forefront of the next digital revolution. Are you prepared for students that live online in a state of transparency, defining 'private' as only being seen by a few thousand people? In order to guide students to safely navigate this new digital frontier, teachers have to learn to speak the same language. Thankfully, thousands of teachers are giving free lessons every hour of every day. While the tools may evolve at a dizzying pace, educators who create a personal learning network will always have the resources they need to stay ahead of the curve. Come learn how teachers worldwide have banded together to become their own best source of professional development.... and lost their digital accent along the way.
• The New Permanent Record: Teachers used to threaten that if students didn't behave, it would go down on their permanent record. While there was no such record in the past, there is now. Students are leaving a trail of their online activities behind them that will last far longer than they ever might expect. This presentation delves into specific actions that students are engaging in now that have long term consequences for them and how we, as educators, can guide them to the right path.
• The Power of Glass Schools: Web 2.0 technologies break down the barriers to publishing teacher and student created content on the internet. Schools that do so are finding the benefits reach far beyond the classroom walls. By making learning transparent, many schools are creating a strong sense of community while offering their students the opportunity to collaborate with others on a global level. See how some districts have embraced these new technologies while still maintaining high standards and keeping their students safe.
• Building Bolder Schools: It Doesn't Hurt to Be First: Who wants to be the line leader? Ask that in any elementary room and every hand would go flying into the air. And yet, schools seem to be terrified of being the first ones to adopt new ideas in technology. Somewhere between kindergarten and our last faculty meeting, the role of line leader seems to have gone from the best job on the board to a position that's just a little terrifying. When did we become so terrified of being a trailblazer? During this presentation, we'll explore the risks, benefits, and transformations that can occur when a school embraces risk and is willing to step up and be first.

Concurrent Sessions

• Putting Students First with Technology: The time for teacher-centricity has passed. If technology doesn¹t put students at the center of their own learning, then we¹re doing something wrong. Explore ways to differentiate instruction, individualize learning, and provide students new ways to express their creativity in the classroom. From integrating digital media in your lessons, to expanding learning far beyond the classroom walls, we¹ll demonstrate how to leverage online resources to let students lead their educational journey.
• Shining a Spotlight On Our Schools: Social media is redefining the relationship schools have with their students inside the classroom as well as outside of it. Explore ways to foster student evangelists as a powerful force for your telling your school¹s story!
• Policies, Safety and Social Networking: In an era when student missteps can linger on the internet for years, and stories of predators and cyber bullies dominate the news, there are plenty of reasons for schools to tighten their firewalls. But is banning really a viable response? How do we help students learn to leverage the powerful new tools that are available to them? What policies do we set that ensure that learning and safety goes hand in hand? See how some districts have embraced new technologies while still maintaining high standards and keeping their students safe.
• Extreme Makeover: Education Edition: No blog? No podcast? No problem! The world of Web 2.0 has something for everyone, but it can be a rather overwhelming pool to dive in to. We'll take the absolute beginner and give them a complete digital makeover. This practical, non-linear, hands on session will demonstrate exactly how to get started in the world of online Web 2.0, which sites educators absolutely must have a presence on, and tricks for avoiding information overload. Enter a newbie, leave a Web 2.0 guru!
• Little Hands, Giant Reach: The world of Web2.0 isn't just transforming middle and secondary schools, it's also having a profound impact on early childhood and early elementary classrooms! Instead of showcasing your student’s work on a bulletin board, use it to connect and collaborate with a global audience. See how innovative classroom teachers are using free technologies to improve communication, impact student learning, and above all... make learning exciting!
• Storytelling for the YouTube Generation: Every student has a camera in their pocket and easy access to video tools that rival professional movie studios. How do we use these powerful technologies in the classroom? Explore non-traditional ways to harness the power of digital storytelling to tap into student creativity throughout the curriculum. In this session, we will explore a series of several different YouTube videos and genres. We will analyze the original each video and break down what exactly is so appealing about it and how we can use simple technologies to replicate those ideas.
• Untangling the Web: Free Tools to Power Up Your Teaching: Web 2.0 has brought online versions of most of the programs you use on a daily basis. Alternatives to Word, PowerPoint, Photoshop and others are available for free! Based on the book of the same name, we will demonstrate the sites every educator should know about and how you can use them to power up your own teaching.