2021 RTI/MTSS Effective Instruction Conference: Full Schedule

Welcome! Click the session titles to expand them and see the session descriptions.

THE CONFERENCE TAKES PLACE ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
CONTACT Kathy Blanc kblanc@alaskaacsa.org OR CEANN AT asdn@alaskacsa.org (907) 364-3809 IF YOU NEED LOG IN INFORMATION.
YOU DO NOT NEED TO PRE-REGISTER FOR BREAKOUT SESSIONS. THERE WILL BE ROOM FOR EVERYONE IN ALL OF THE BREAKOUT SESSIONS.
ISSUES HAVE BEEN REPORTED WITH SIGNING IN TO MAKE A SCHEDULE. WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU USE SCHED TO VIEW SESSION AND PRESENTER INFORMATION-- BUT YOU DO NOT NEED TO SIGN IN AND MAKE A SCHEDULE ON THIS SCHED SITE. ALL INFORMATION IS ON THE CONFERENCE WEBSITE. THE LINK TO THE CONFERENCE WEBSITE IS IN EMAILS SENT ON MONDAY AND FRIDAY.

9:00am AKST

Bringing Your Best Self to School Every Day

Speakers

Jimmy Casas

Jimmy served twenty-two years as a school leader. He is a best selling author, speaker, leadership coach, and a state and national award winning principal. Under Jimmy’s leadership, Bettendorf High School was named one of the best high schools in the country three times by Newsweek... Read More →

Friday January 22, 2021 9:00am - 10:00am AKST
Online

Rural Pre-Conference Keynote, Rural Pre-Conference

9:00am AKST

IPRARS Project

Visible Learning - Foundation Day, Part 1

Speakers

David Nagel

David Nagel is an author consultant with Corwin. A former high school teacher and administrator, Dave has been a professional developer; presenting, keynoting, and coaching teachers and school administrators at all levels Pre-K-12, since 2003. His primary areas of expertise have in... Read More →

Friday January 22, 2021 9:00am - 11:30am AKST
Online

IPRARS Project - Invitation Only

10:15am AKST

Session for Alaska School Leadership Academy Principals

Session for early career principals who are participating in the yearlong Alaska School Leadership Academy. Closed session.

Speakers

Jimmy Casas

Friday January 22, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

ASLA Project - Invitation Only

10:15am AKST

Good News and Simple Tools!

In this interactive workshop, participants will learn about and practice simple tools to calm the brain, release physical tension, build self-regulation and promote healing. Dr. Chamberlain uses breath and body awareness, light pressure, rhythmic movement, focused attention and other strategies that are appropriate for children, youth and adults. These techniques are being taught in a wide range of community and therapeutic settings including schools, clinics and hospitals, juvenile facilities, prison systems, chemical dependency programs, the armed forces and parenting interventions. Organizations are integrating these tools into staff wellness initiatives to prevent burn-out, compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma.
Learning Objectives:
Demonstrate three skills to facilitate self-regulation and buffer the effects of stress and trauma.
Provide two examples of how you can integrate these tools into your organization and/or daily practices.
List two resources for simple tools to calm the brain, release physical tension, build self-regulation and promote healing.

Speakers

Linda Chamberlain

Scientist, author, professor, dog musher, and founder of the Alaska Family Violence Prevention Project, Dr. Linda Chamberlain is an internationally recognized keynote speaker and advocate for health issues related to domestic violence, adverse childhood experiences, brain development... Read More →

Friday January 22, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

Rural Pre-Conference - Morning Breakout, Rural Pre-Conference

10:15am AKST

High Leverage Practices: Effective Instruction that Yields LEARNING

The magic is in the quality of instruction, not in the newest fad. To optimize learning, students require bell-to-bell instruction, clear lesson purposes, structured lessons with an introduction, body and close, and many opportunities to respond. In this session, Dr. Archer will remind us that “Good Instruction is Good Instruction” across grades and domains.
Target Audience: All educators K-12

Speakers

Anita Archer

Anita Archer, Ph.D., serves as an educational consultant to state departments, county agencies, and school districts on explicit instruction and literacy instruction. She has taught elementary and middle school students and is the recipient of ten Outstanding Educator awards. She... Read More →

Friday January 22, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

Rural Pre-Conference - Morning Breakout, Rural Pre-Conference

10:15am AKST

Keeping Connected with Students and Families During COVID Through Place!

Indigenous history and worldview will be reviewed. Connection will be tied to the journey of the educator’s framework of integrating western and Indigenous education of place, Indigenous Knowledge, and knowledge from home. Culturally Responsive Standards-Based Wheel will be introduced and shared for participants to utilize for sharing and brainstorming examples of connecting with students and parents/families during Covid.

Speakers

Panigkaq Agatha John-Shields

Panigkaq Agatha John-Shields, Ph.D., is the daughter of the late Dr. Chief Kangrilnguq Paul and Anguyaluk Martina John of Toksook Bay, Alaska, where she was raised in a traditional and cultural community by many elder mentors. Agatha was a Yup’ik teacher and a principal for Lower... Read More →

Friday January 22, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

Rural Pre-Conference - Morning Breakout, Rural Pre-Conference

10:15am AKST

Teams & Teamwork for Sustained Implementation of Trauma-Informed Behavioral and Social-Emotional Supports

To truly meet the needs of our students, we have to focus on long term implementation of trauma-informed behavioral and social-emotional supports. We cannot do this work alone, we need to work together with our colleagues, students, families, and community partners. This session will focus on teams and teamwork to support long-term implementation of trauma-informed practices and ways to assess their impact and build teachers’ collective efficacy in responding to the needs of their students. In many respects, this session is the most important one of the entire series. If we don’t have a system in place to monitor the impact of our efforts then there is no way to sustain and improve them.

Speakers

Ricky Robertson

Ricky Robertson has had the privilege to work with students from pre-K to 12th grade who have persevered in the face of adverse experiences and trauma. Drawing from experience as a teacher and Behavior Intervention Specialist, Ricky coaches educators in developing a relationship-based... Read More →

Friday January 22, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

Rural Pre-Conference - Morning Breakout

11:30am AKST

Friday Lunch Break

Friday January 22, 2021 11:30am - 12:30pm AKST

Lunch

12:30pm AKST

Session for Alaska School Leadership Academy Principals

Session for early career principals who are participating in the yearlong Alaska School Leadership Academy. Closed session.

Speakers

Jimmy Casas

Friday January 22, 2021 12:30pm - 1:45pm AKST
Online

ASLA Project - Invitation Only

12:30pm AKST

High Leverage Practices: Effective Independent Practice that Yields LEARNING

It is virtually impossible to become proficient at a mental task without extended practice.
Willingham, 2009
Despite the truth of Willingham’s statement, we still hear practice being marginalized with statements such as “That is just Drill and Kill” when, in fact, it should be “Drill and Skill.”
This Session will focus on research-validated procedures including: 1) Deliberate Practice, 2) Retrieval Practice, and 3) Spaced Practice. When these procedures are intentionally used, learning outcomes can be significantly increased, often doubled. Dr. Archer will present research on practice and give many examples that will illustrate the use of these procedures in elementary and secondary classes.
Target Audience: All Educators K-12

Speakers

Anita Archer

Friday January 22, 2021 12:30pm - 1:45pm AKST
Online

Rural Pre-Conference Afternoon Session, Rural Pre-Conference

12:30pm AKST

Progressing with Reading Instruction: Data-Based Decision-Making and Teaming During COVID-19

Making the best decisions possible using the best information available! Assessment used in schools during the pandemic should provide data to meet two distinct purposes: support effective teaching and learning and determine the potential learning gap that exists due to the unconventional learning structures present during COVID-19. The data needed to meet these goals come from three types of assessments, which yield different types and levels of information. Diagnostic, formative and interim as well as summative assessment to assist with planning for the coming year. This session will provide suggestions for how to use data to make the best possible decisions during this unusual time.
Learning Goals:
Understand the comprehensive assessment system and options within your school district.
Understand how to make data based decisions within the current teaching and learning structures.
Target Audience: All ELA teachers, interventionists, and sped teachers

Speakers

Lexie Domaradzki

Lexie Domaradzki started as an elementary school teacher more than 20 years ago and has since dedicated her professional life to high quality education for all. She provides consultation and professional development services to the Alaska, Oregon, Montana and Idaho Departments of... Read More →

Shelby Skaanes

Shelby is passionate about working right alongside educators as they work to meet the literacy needs of their students, K-12. She has been in education for over 27 years, ten of which were as an elementary school teacher and reading specialist. Shelby has a proven ability to develop... Read More →

Friday January 22, 2021 12:30pm - 1:45pm AKST
Online

Rural Pre-Conference Afternoon Session, Rural Pre-Conference

12:30pm AKST

Turning the Tide: Preventing Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Trauma

Having a prevention plan for compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma is the cornerstone of trauma-informed practices. The effects of compassion fatigue often go unrecognized.
Compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma are predictable and preventable occupational hazards when we are exposed to the suffering of others. Unaddressed, these issues affect our work, relationships and health, leading to systemic dysfunction in an organization.
Participants will learn to identify the warning signs of compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma at both the personal and organizational level. Best practices for self-care and organizational response will be highlighted along with strategies to nurture vicarious resilience.

Learning Objectives:
Describe compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma.
List three warning signs of vicarious trauma for an individual and three
warning signs at the organizational level.
Identify two resources that would be useful in addressing compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma in your organization.
Describe two strategies that you can use in your work/organization to promote vicarious resilience.

Speakers

Linda Chamberlain

Friday January 22, 2021 12:30pm - 1:45pm AKST
Online

Rural Pre-Conference Afternoon Session, Rural Pre-Conference

12:30pm AKST

Welcoming the Kids Back! Reinvigorating the Positive School Climate

While there are many unanswered questions, one thing is certain: Students need us, as educators, to be guiding forces, calming influences, and effective teachers. Students will return to school in some way, either physically, remotely, or some sort of hybrid. Whatever the form school takes, students will need rigorous instruction paired with a welcoming and supportive setting. This session will provide specific tips on structuring your entire school and each classroom for success while meeting your students' basic need for a safe, welcoming, and nurturing environment.

Speakers

Susan Isaacs

Susan Isaacs began her career in education teaching children with emotional and behavior disorders. For over 17 years, she worked with this student population in both elementary and secondary schools.She was a behavior consultant for the Kentucky Behavior Consultant Network, which... Read More →

Friday January 22, 2021 12:30pm - 1:45pm AKST
Online

Rural Pre-Conference Afternoon Session, Rural Pre-Conference

12:30pm AKST

IPRARS Project

Visible Learning - Foundation Day, Part 2

Speakers

David Nagel

Friday January 22, 2021 12:30pm - 3:00pm AKST
Online

IPRARS Project - Invitation Only

2:00pm AKST

Powerful Teaching = Everyone Reading: Systemic Literacy Planning for YOUR School

Speakers

Anita Archer

Friday January 22, 2021 2:00pm - 3:00pm AKST
Online

Rural Pre-Conference Keynote, Rural Pre-Conference

9:00am AKST

The Data Revolution K-12

We are in an exciting time in terms of the knowledge we can all access, and the ways knowledge is being communicated. Our world is filled with data and data visualizations and a new, important goal for our teaching is to help students become data literate, learning to make sense of data in their lives and separate fact from fiction. All teachers can teach with a data perspective, integrating the ideas from data science into their teaching. Students can learn to ask questions that are meaningful to them, to explore and study patterns and to communicate with cool data visualizations. I am co-leading a K-12 data science initiative with Steve Levitt (economist & Freakonomics author) and this session will share ideas and resources for teachers and leaders.

Speakers

Jo Boaler

Dr. Jo Boaler is the Nomellini & Olivier Professor of Education at Stanford University. Former roles have included being the Marie Curie Professor of Mathematics Education in England, and a mathematics teacher in London comprehensive schools. She is author of 18 books, numerous articles... Read More →

Saturday January 23, 2021 9:00am - 10:00am AKST
Online

Keynote

9:00am AKST

IPRARS Project

Visible Learning - Foundation Day, Part 3

Speakers

David Nagel

Saturday January 23, 2021 9:00am - 11:30am AKST
Online

IPRARS Project - Invitation Only

10:15am AKST

Session for Alaska School Leadership Academy Principals

Session for early career principals who are participating in the yearlong Alaska School Leadership Academy. Closed session.

Speakers

Jimmy Casas

Saturday January 23, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

ASLA Project - Invitation Only

10:15am AKST

Elementary Reading – Comprehension is an OUTCOME not a Strategy

In order to ensure that elementary students comprehend text, four big ideas must be addressed with research-validated practices.
1. Can students read the words?
2. Do students know the meaning of critical vocabulary?
3. Do students have the necessary background knowledge for the passage?
4. Do students use powerful strategies for focusing cognition on critical content in text?
In this session, Dr. Archer will address each of these questions with current research. Leave with procedures that you can put into practice immediately.
Target Audience: Elementary Educators

Speakers

Anita Archer

Saturday January 23, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

Saturday Morning Breakout

10:15am AKST

Leading for Equity and Excellence as an Educator

School Leaders, Teachers, and Paraprofessionals that embrace courageous leadership and lead the process of creating equitable learning environments for ALL through the implementation of comprehensive and systemic professional development. Explore key concepts for Cultivating and Leading for Equity and Excellence that provide pathways for transforming professional and organizational cultures of learning. Examine essential elements for eliminating educational disparities based on poverty, race, language, and other dimensions of difference. Leave with knowledge, skills, and tools to courageously lead every day with equity and excellence in mind.

Target Audience: K-12 educators

Speakers

Nicole Law

Dr. Nicole Law is a dynamic and passionate educator who provides relevant professional development to schools and districts across the country. Nicole focuses her experience to present instruction on Professional Teacher Teams, Leadership Improvement Practices and Structures, Data... Read More →

Saturday January 23, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

Saturday Morning Breakout

10:15am AKST

Managing the Virtual Classroom

The unknowns this year are greater than ever before. Whether shifting between platforms or delivering an entire year of online instruction, teachers need practical strategies to effectively manage the virtual learning environment. Using the evidence-based STOIC framework, teachers will design efficient beginning and ending routines for synchronous instruction to maximize instructional time and define and communicate clear expectations for student behavior to minimize distractions and disruptions.

Learning Objectives:
Apply the STOIC framework to the virtual classroom
Design efficient and effective beginning and ending routines for synchronous instruction
Define and communicate clear expectations for the virtual classroom

Target Audience: K-12 educators and leaders - Please Note! This session will focus on adapting traditional brick & mortar strategies to asynchronous on-line instruction.

Speakers

Tricia Skyles

Tricia McKale Skyles is an educational consultant with Randy’s Sprick’s Safe and Civil Schools.Skyles began her career in education as a middle school teacher in Delphos, Kansas. After several years in the classroom, she began working as an instructional coach with Pathways to... Read More →

Saturday January 23, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

Saturday Morning Breakout

10:15am AKST

Schoolwide Trauma-Responsive Practices

A trauma-informed approach is a schoolwide approach to supporting the social-emotional and behavioral needs of all students, especially those impacted by ACEs and trauma. In this virtual workshop, we will explore student behavior as a form of communication and develop classroom-based and schoolwide strategies to support students. Participants will deepen their understanding of relationship-based teaching and acquire skills to foster safety, trust, and belonging in their classrooms and schools. They will be introduced to strategies that support students’ abilities to communicate, problem-solve, regulate, and develop a sense of accountability and hope.
Target Audience: K-12 educators

Speakers

Ricky Robertson

Saturday January 23, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

Saturday Morning Breakout

10:15am AKST

Sound Walls: From Phonemes to Graphemes

Beginning readers need to learn that letters represent the speech sounds of our language (the alphabetic principle). One instructional tool to facilitate this understanding is a sound wall. A sound wall begins with the speech sounds of spoken English and organizes them by place and manner of articulation. Using a sound wall as an instructional tool teachers’ support the mapping of speech sounds (phonemes) to graphemes (a letter or letter pattern). Organizing words in this manner from speech-to-print promotes the connection between phonology and orthography for early readers.
This training provides the foundational knowledge and skills necessary to move from a word wall to a sound wall, grounding the learning in a seminal theoretical framework.
Target Audience: K-2 teachers, K-4 special education teachers, instructional coaches, interventionists

Speakers

Pam Kastner

Pam Kastner, Ed.D., is an educational consultant at the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) Harrisburg, where she serves as the State Lead Consultant for Literacy. Pam currently co-leads Pennsylvania’s Dyslexia Screening and Early Literacy Intervention... Read More →

Saturday January 23, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

Saturday Morning Breakout

10:15am AKST

The Data Revolution in Practice in the Classroom

In our workshop we will engage teachers in data exploration. Teachers will learn some new tools that will enrich their students’ classroom experience and help develop data literacy. We will look at some Alaskan data during the

Target Audience: instructional coaches, teachers, central office leaders, principals

Speakers

Jo Boaler

Cathy Williams

Cathy Williams is the Co-Founder and the Executive Director of youcubed. Previously Cathy served as the Director of K-12 Mathematics in the Vista Unified School District where her professional development series earned a California State Golden Bell Award. The professional development... Read More →

Saturday January 23, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

Saturday Morning Breakout

10:15am AKST

What’s Essential in Developing Student Self-Efficacy?

Student self-efficacy are the judgments students make about their own capability to accomplish what they are being asked to do. Students who have low self-efficacy doubt their abilities. Students with a high sense of self-efficacy are very confident in themselves. In this session, participants will learn how efficacy beliefs create differences in students’ learning experiences. Participants will also consider ways to increase students’ self-efficacy.

Participants will learn about:
· the role of student’s self-efficacy in face-to-face and remote learning environments;
· what’s essential in developing student self-efficacy (with considerations to COVID-19).

Speakers

Jenni Donohoo

Jenni Donohoo, PhD, is a three-time, best-selling author and professional learning facilitator with more than 20 years experience in leading school change. Jenni’s three books include: Collaborative Inquiry for Educators: A Facilitator’s Guide to School Improvement, The Transformative... Read More →

Saturday January 23, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

Saturday Morning Breakout

10:15am AKST

Writing to Improve Reading Comprehension

Which writing skills directly improve Reading Comprehension? For decades researchers have emphasized the strong connection between reading and writing. Numerous studies have demonstrated that writing can improve comprehension. What has been less clear is what specific writing practices research supports as being effective at improving students’ reading. This session will provide the research base as well as classroom based practices that you can implement in your classroom immediately! Join us for this highly interactive session!

Learning Goals:

Deepen understanding of the relationship between writing and comprehension and the evidence based practices shown to improve reading and writing.
Learn to implement research-based, approaches to developing the writing skills of your students.

Target Audience: Grades 5-12 (all teachers: SPED, ELA, content teachers, interventionists)

Speakers

Lexie Domaradzki

Shelby Skaanes

Saturday January 23, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

Saturday Morning Breakout

11:30am AKST

Saturday Lunch Break

Saturday January 23, 2021 11:30am - 12:30pm AKST

Lunch

12:00pm AKST

Conference Credit Course Information

Learn more about the conference credit with Tammy Morris, the instructor of record.

Speakers

Tammy Morris

Tammy Morris is a 21st Century Learning Specialist with 20 years of experience in Alaska school districts as both classroom teacher and district educational technology coordinator. Her insight into the needs of today’s Alaskan educators and students comes from serving as an Alaska... Read More →

Saturday January 23, 2021 12:00pm - 12:30pm AKST
Online

Lunch Workshop

12:30pm AKST

Session for Alaska School Leadership Academy Principals

Session for early career principals who are participating in the yearlong Alaska School Leadership Academy. Closed session.

Speakers

Jimmy Casas

Saturday January 23, 2021 12:30pm - 1:45pm AKST
Online

ASLA Project - Invitation Only

12:30pm AKST

IPRARS Project

Visible Learning - Evidence to Action, Part 1

Speakers

David Nagel

Saturday January 23, 2021 12:30pm - 1:45pm AKST
Online

IPRARS Project - Invitation Only

12:30pm AKST

Breaking the Ice: Combating Learned Helplessness in the Math Classroom

We will explore ways to mitigate the learned helplessness we see from students in our math classrooms. How do we unlock student thinking so they will begin to engage in solving rich tasks and discussing mathematical thinking? We will look at how to use culturally relevant tasks that promote critical thinking and rich discourse.

Learning Objectives:
We will learn how to mitigate learned helplessness in math students.
We will learn how to find culturally relevant math tasks that encourage deep mathematical thinking.

Target Audience: K-12 Math Teachers, Interventionists, Instructional Coaches

Speakers

Bobbi Jo Erb

Bobbi Jo Erb is a self-proclaimed “Math Geek”. Currently, she works as a math consultant with districts in Alaska and Idaho on best practices in mathematics instruction. Formerly, she was the Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction and the STEM: Math Curriculum Coordinator... Read More →

Saturday January 23, 2021 12:30pm - 1:45pm AKST
Online

Saturday Afternoon Breakout

12:30pm AKST

The Reading Brain and the Science of Reading

What really happens in the brain when we engage in the process of reading? Through 40 years of research findings from numerous fields of study, we have a thorough understanding of how the brain works when engaged in the reading process. In this session, we will deepen understanding of the research behind how individuals learn to read, the brain regions involved in reading and we will take a closer look at models of skilled reading that provide information to educators of the necessary elements of reading instruction. As we work together, we will also discuss the relationship between the Science of Reading and Dyslexia.

Learning Goals:
Understand how the brain works with the reading process.
Understand what is happening in the brain related to reading difficulties.

Target Audience: All ELA teachers, interventionists, and sped teachers

Speakers

Lexie Domaradzki

Shelby Skaanes

Saturday January 23, 2021 12:30pm - 1:45pm AKST
Online

Saturday Afternoon Breakout

12:30pm AKST

Ensuring Equity in Teacher-Student Relationships from a Distance

In this workshop, Dr. Nicole Law will share the Importance of developing strong Student – Teacher Relationships at a distance to ensure a sustainable and fortifying relationship with students in a virtual environment. She will also discuss the importance of ensuring dynamism, competency, trust and connectedness with students and the intersection of building an equitable learning environment. The orientation to dialogic, rather than monologic teaching suggests that the teacher takes students ideas seriously and allows them to hear how and what students are thinking or processing. This session is aligned with the Distance Learning Playbook (Hattie, Fisher, Frey)

Target Audience: K-12 educators

Speakers

Nicole Law

Saturday January 23, 2021 12:30pm - Sunday January 24, 2021 1:45pm AKST
Online

Saturday Afternoon Breakout

12:30pm AKST

Gauging Engagement within the Virtual Classroom

There are so many barriers to students fully engaging in asynchronous and synchronous instruction. Whether students are disengaged or you are wanting to move students from strategic compliance to authentic engagement, this session will provide practical strategies to get students to the virtual platform and motivate them once they’re there.

Learning Objective:
Increase student engagement within the virtual classroom

Target Audience: K-12 educators. Please Note! This session will focus on adapting traditional brick & mortar strategies to asynchronous on-line instruction.

Speakers

Tricia Skyles

Saturday January 23, 2021 12:30pm - Sunday January 24, 2021 1:45pm AKST
Online

Saturday Afternoon Breakout

12:30pm AKST

Pulling the Plug: Unplug and Connect to Expand Oral Language and Literacy

During this unprecedented time, as educators we have been grateful for the outpouring of virtual resources offered freely and generously by many from across the globe to promote literacy. But what if it’s time to unplug and connect? In this session you will revisit the “Big Five of Reading” and find easy ways to use everyday low tech items to maximize oral language and literacy while simultaneously making those all-important personal connections our children deserve!
Target Audience: K-1 teachers, K-4 special education teachers, instructional coaches, administrators

Speakers

Pam Kastner

Saturday January 23, 2021 12:30pm - Sunday January 24, 2021 1:45pm AKST
Online

Saturday Afternoon Breakout

12:30pm AKST

Secondary Reading – Implementing High-Leverage Practices

Can we improve the reading of students in secondary schools? Absolutely!
Begin by bringing this adage to life: “Every day, in every class, we read and write and speak. Every day, in every class, we read and write and speak.” Next, focus on evidence-based, high-leverage practices: 1) actively teaching vocabulary in all classes, 2) having students think deeply about text, 3) challenging students to compare and contrast items, and 4) having students read orally (e.g., partner reading, team reading, choral reading, close reading) to increase fluency (e.g., accuracy, rate, expression).
Target Audience: Secondary Educators

Speakers

Anita Archer

Saturday January 23, 2021 12:30pm - Sunday January 24, 2021 1:45pm AKST
Online

Saturday Afternoon Breakout

12:30pm AKST

Trauma-Informed Social Emotional Learning

Social-emotional learning is a critical component of quality core instruction. To truly have an impact, social-emotional competencies must be integrated into daily classroom routines and management. Students’ social-emotional outcomes improve when they see healthy behaviors regularly modeled, practiced, and reinforced. In this session, participants will develop a plan for integrating culturally responsive and trauma-informed social-emotional learning competencies into their curriculum and instruction.
Target Audience: K-12 educators

Speakers

Ricky Robertson

Saturday January 23, 2021 12:30pm - Sunday January 24, 2021 1:45pm AKST
Online

Saturday Afternoon Breakout

12:30pm AKST

What’s Essential in Developing Student Self-Efficacy?

Speakers

Jenni Donohoo

Saturday January 23, 2021 12:30pm - Sunday January 24, 2021 1:45pm AKST
Online

Saturday Afternoon Breakout

2:00pm AKST

Developing the Innovator’s Mindset in Any Learning Environment

Carol Dweck’s work has focused on the ideas of “fixed” and “growth” mindset, yet educators will need to go a step further with these notions to create the learning opportunities that our students and schools deserve. We need to focus not only on what we know, but what we do with what we know, and all that we have learned this year. In this talk, George will discuss the idea and characteristics of “The Innovator’s Mindset” and share persuasive examples on why this is so crucial for all educators, especially during the disruptions caused by COVID-19.

Speakers

George Couros

George Couros is a leading educator in the area of innovative leadership, teaching, and learning. He has worked with all levels of school, from K-12 as a teacher, technology facilitator, and school and district administrator, and is the author of the books, “The Innovator’s... Read More →

Saturday January 23, 2021 2:00pm - 3:00pm AKST
Online

Keynote

3:00pm AKST

Q and A with George Couros

Ask George questions about supporting an innovators mindset, teaching and leading in a pandemic, or the future of online learning. Find out why he thinks all Alaskans should start calling winter beanies tuques.

Speakers

George Couros

Saturday January 23, 2021 3:00pm - 3:30pm AKST
Online

Keynote

9:00am AKST

The Challenge of Assessment in Distance & Blended Learning

Learning; that’s our goal. But how do we know if our students have learned what we taught? Assessment connects the teaching and the learning and allows us to design additional experiences to close the gap between what students already know and what they need to know. Distance learning has created an assessment challenge as everything is now “open book.” Thankfully, there are new tools and formats that teachers can use to assess students’ understanding. These new ways of assessing learning will impact schooling for years to come as they are better and more authentic than many of the tools we had been using before the pandemic.

Speakers

Douglas Fisher

Douglas Fisher, Ph.D., is Professor of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University and a teacher leader at Health Sciences High & Middle College having been an early intervention teacher and elementary school educator. He is the recipient of an International Reading Association... Read More →

Sunday January 24, 2021 9:00am - 10:00am AKST
Online

Keynote

9:00am AKST

IPRARS Project

Visible Learning - Evidence to Action, Part 2

Speakers

David Nagel

Sunday January 24, 2021 9:00am - 11:30am AKST
Online

IPRARS Project - Invitation Only

10:15am AKST

Building Connections with Students and Families for Distance Learning

Distance learning should not be seen as “school as usual,” simply delivered in a home environment. Distance learning is providing us an opportunity to invite families to truly partner with us in their child’s learning. This session will identify things to consider when building this partnership including strengthening relationships, building our families’ capacities to provide authentic learning opportunities at home and connecting community resources to families’ needs.

Learning Objectives:
Provide personalized, two-way communication between families and schools
Build family capacity and confidence to support their child’s learning
Engage the greater community to help meet the basic needs of families

Target Audience: K-12 educators and leaders

Speakers

Tricia Skyles

Sunday January 24, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

Sunday Morning Breakout

10:15am AKST

Engaging Students Cognitively and Physically to Maximize Learning in Math

We will explore ways to engage students that target high cognitive demand and high levels of participation. Join us as we consider how to enhance tasks to ensure they are cognitively demanding, and pair those tasks with strategies for high-level participation from all students. Ultimately, we will see how a focus on engaging students connects to the Leading for Mathematical Proficiency Framework. Ideas are based on Everything you Need for Mathematics Coaching.

Target Audience: instructional coaches, teachers, central office leaders, principals

Speakers

Jennifer Bay-Williams

Jennifer Bay-Williams is a national leader in mathematics education, working with teachers and leaders for over thirty years to support effective mathematics teaching. She has authored 18 books, 40 journal articles, and 23 book chapters, and offered over 400 presentations and workshops... Read More →

Sunday January 24, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

Sunday Morning Breakout

10:15am AKST

Good News and Simple Tools!

Speakers

Linda Chamberlain

Sunday January 24, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

Sunday Morning Breakout

10:15am AKST

Leading for Equity and Excellence as an Educator

Speakers

Nicole Law

Sunday January 24, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

Sunday Morning Breakout

10:15am AKST

Scaffolding Reading Comprehension of Narrative, Argumentative, and Informative Text

Helping students to identify the structure of text assists them in attending to critical information and improves their comprehension. For example, the students can be taught the elements of narrative text known as story grammar. Dr. Archer will share structural analysis of the three major types of text using content across domains.
Target Audience: Intermediate and secondary educators

Speakers

Anita Archer

Sunday January 24, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

Sunday Morning Breakout

10:15am AKST

Sound Walls: From Phonemes to Graphemes

Speakers

Pam Kastner

Sunday January 24, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

Sunday Morning Breakout

10:15am AKST

Trauma-Informed Restorative Practices

Trauma-informed schools respond to conflict in ways that build trust and accountability. In this virtual workshop, participants will be introduced to the fundamental principles of Restorative Practices. Participants will be introduced to Tier 1 community building circles for both staff and students. Then we will explore the core principles of Restorative Practices and some useful tools to engage in restorative dialogue and problem-solving. Participants will consider next steps for integrating these principles and practices into their classrooms and schools.
Target Audience: K-12 educators

Speakers

Ricky Robertson

Sunday January 24, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

Sunday Morning Breakout

10:15am AKST

What’s Essential in Maintaining Teacher Efficacy During and After COVID-19? (Part 1)

Collective efficacy is about the overwhelming power that school teams have to impact change when they join together to solve problems. Collective teacher efficacy results the confidence, resiliency, and persistence needed to overcome inequities and challenges. At a time when efficacy beliefs may be waning, it’s important to consider the role of collective efficacy in relation to building educator’s capacity to confront and adapt to the consequences of COVID-19. It’s ever so important to capitalize on the sources of efficacy so that we can shape learning environments in which everyone shares the belief that individually and collectively they have the capability to impact positive change.

Participants will learn about:
· the relationship between collective efficacy and a community’s adaptive capacity to deal with challenges;
· how efficacy beliefs are formed (four sources)
· how to address concerns (emotions/feelings) during and after COVID-19.
Target Audience: This session isn’t just designed with formal leaders in mind - if you’re a teacher leader or an educator that works closely alongside your colleagues - this session is meant for you!

Speakers

Jenni Donohoo

Sunday January 24, 2021 10:15am - 11:30am AKST
Online

Sunday Morning Breakout

11:30am AKST

Sunday Lunch Break

Sunday January 24, 2021 11:30am - 12:30pm AKST
offline

Lunch

12:30pm AKST

IPRARS Project

Visible Learning - Evidence to Action, Part 3

Speakers

David Nagel

Sunday January 24, 2021 12:30pm - 1:45pm AKST
Online

IPRARS Project - Invitation Only

12:30pm AKST

Beyond the Flashcard: Foundations and Practices for Building a Large Sight Word Vocabulary for Students

Developing a large sight word vocabulary depends upon orthographic mapping, “a process that involves the formation of letter-sound connections to bond the spelling, pronunciations, and meanings of specific words in memory. It explains how children learn to read by sight, to spell words from memory, and to acquire vocabulary words from print.” (Ehri, 2014).
This session will review orthographic mapping and the essential differences between phonemic awareness and phonemic proficiency upon which orthographic mapping depends. In addition, the confounded terms: high frequency words, irregular words and sight words will be clarified.
Best practices in structured literacy instruction and instructional routines for teaching high frequency words will be shared to increase reading accuracy and automaticity of word recognition for students.
Target Audience: K-1 teachers, K-4 special education teachers, instructional coaches, administrators

Speakers

Pam Kastner

Sunday January 24, 2021 12:30pm - 1:45pm AKST
Online

Sunday Afternoon Breakout

12:30pm AKST

Connecting with Students Across Learning Platforms

The emotional well-being of students, educators, families and communities have never been more of a priority. In this session, educators will go over practical research-based strategies to intentionally build connections with students whether in person, online or at home learning.

Learning Objectives:
Self-reflect on relationship building skills
Identify specific strategies to build relationships across learning platforms

Target Audience: K-12 educators

Speakers

Tricia Skyles

Sunday January 24, 2021 12:30pm - 1:45pm AKST
Online

Sunday Afternoon Breakout

12:30pm AKST

Leading for Mathematical Proficiency through Coaching

In this session, we will explore ways to engage teachers (and students) in the mathematical practices that define mathematical proficiency. We will connect these desired student actions to the eight effective mathematics teaching practices (NCTM, 2014) and explore ways to improve instruction to improve learning outcomes for all students. Ideas will connect to the book Everything you Need for Mathematics Coaching.

Target Audience: instructional coaches, teachers, central office leaders, principals

Speakers

Jennifer Bay-Williams

Sunday January 24, 2021 12:30pm - 1:45pm AKST
Online

Sunday Afternoon Breakout

12:30pm AKST

Short Writing Often in All Classes: Brain Drains, Summaries, Comparisons, Answering Questions

To promote growth in writing in the upper grades, students must write short products often not just long products seldom. This training will focus on short writing in all domains that will foster learning content while improving writing skills. Writing of summaries, comparisons, and explanations in a variety of domains.
Target Audience: Intermediate and secondary educators

Speakers

Anita Archer

Sunday January 24, 2021 12:30pm - 1:45pm AKST
Online

Sunday Afternoon Breakout

12:30pm AKST

Teacher Credibility and Teacher Clarity at a Distance

Do your students believe that they can learn from you? The credibility a teacher has with their students changes; it’s dynamic. It’s not the same for all students at the same time. Developing Teacher Credibility in learning- remote or otherwise is a foundation in student learning. This parallels equally with Teacher Clarity in ensuring strong relationships, understanding how to develop Clarity at a Distance, and ensuring a strong foundation for learning intentions and success criteria. This workshop will explore the importance of Clarity of Organization, Clarity of Explanation, Clarity of Examples and Guided Practice, and Clarity of Assessment of Student Learning. This session is aligned with the Distance Learning Playbook (Hattie, Fisher, Frey)
Target Audience: K-12 educators

Speakers

Nicole Law

Sunday January 24, 2021 12:30pm - 1:45pm AKST
Online

Sunday Afternoon Breakout

12:30pm AKST

Teams & Teamwork for Sustained Implementation of Trauma-Informed Behavioral and Social-Emotional Supports

Speakers

Ricky Robertson

Sunday January 24, 2021 12:30pm - 1:45pm AKST
Online

Sunday Afternoon Breakout

12:30pm AKST

Turning the Tide: Preventing Compassion Fatigue and Vicarious Trauma

Having a prevention plan for compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma is the cornerstone of trauma-informed practices. The effects of compassion fatigue often go unrecognized.
Compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma are predictable and preventable occupational hazards when we are exposed to the suffering of others. Unaddressed, these issues affect our work, relationships and health, leading to systemic dysfunction in an organization.
Participants will learn to identify the warning signs of compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma at both the personal and organizational level. Best practices for self-care and organizational response will be highlighted along with strategies to nurture vicarious resilience.

Learning Objectives:
Describe compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma.
List three warning signs of vicarious trauma for an individual and three warning signs at the organizational level.
Identify two resources that would be useful in addressing compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma in your organization.
Describe two strategies that you can use in your work/organization to promote vicarious resilience. Target Audience: K-12 educators

Speakers

Linda Chamberlain

Sunday January 24, 2021 12:30pm - 1:45pm AKST
Online

Sunday Afternoon Breakout

12:30pm AKST

What’s Essential in Maintaining Teacher Efficacy During and After COVID-19? (Part 2)

To improve student learning, collective teacher efficacy is the most powerful influence a school leader can foster. At a time when efficacy beliefs may be at-risk based on the challenges posed by COVID-19, it’s important to consider how to maintain collective efficacy and remind educators that together they have what it takes to overcome challenges. During this session, participants will consider a framework for leading collective efficacy (Donohoo, O’Leary, & Hattie, 2020).

Participants will learn about:
· five enabling conditions for collective efficacy;
· leadership practices to strengthen enabling conditions;
· how to develop individual and collective efficacy during and after COVID-19.

Target Audience: This session isn’t just designed with formal leaders in mind - if you’re a teacher leader or an educator that works closely alongside your colleagues - this session is meant for you!

Speakers

Jenni Donohoo

Sunday January 24, 2021 12:30pm - 1:45pm AKST
Online

Sunday Afternoon Breakout

2:00pm AKST

Building Resilience and Equity Through Culturally Responsive Social-Emotional Learning

When we view equity through a social-emotional lens, we see the critical role that relationships play in fostering success for all students. This journey toward cultural competence begins when we consider who we are in relation to the students that we serve. Our practice evolves with our growing self-awareness and willingness to approach our own biases with a growth mindset. We form relationships with students in ways that affirm their cultures and identities while addressing their needs for safety, belonging, and feeling valued. In this session, we will draw knowledge and tools from social-emotional learning, trauma-informed practices, and culturally responsive teaching to support our efficacy and impact.

Speakers

Ricky Robertson

Nicole Law

Sunday January 24, 2021 2:00pm - 3:00pm AKST
Online

Keynote