How to be Aware of your Educational Environment? — The “What If” mindset

Based on current trends of school violence with students and with school personnel. This session will prepare you to become aware of your environment for both your professional and personal life. Taught by a Subject Matter Expert for the Department of Defense.

Creating Innovative Reading and Math Centers

This session will provide engaging ideas for math and reading centers where students can practice and apply strategies that have been taught utilizing various methods, games and technology.

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Building Enrollment in the Early Childhood Program

Enrollment is the life blood of an early childhood program. This presentation will give specific descriptions of how successful programs have continually kept healthy enrollment numbers. Enrollment strategies from both the non-profit and for-profit sector will be shared and elaborated upon.

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Spiritual Development in Childhood

This presentation will explore four models of spiritual development in children. It will direct our attention to the attributes children possess that make them more receptive to spiritual development, the role of the adversary during the critical childhood years, and gives serious attention to childhood and our mission of making disciples.

You’ve Got to Move to Learn

Explore the importance of movement to enhance learning and prevent many behavioral issues. Receive practical ideas and strategies to use with your children.

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The Power of the Learning Environment

The learning environment includes the use and organization of your classroom and outdoor space, the structure you provide each day, and the plans you develop. Teachers will learn to optimize the learning environment to let children know what is expected, encourage exploration of new concepts, and help them feel comfortable and valued.

Letters and Sounds—Establishing the Foundation for Reading

This presentation will provide best practice techniques to teach letter sounds and letter formations. This systematic instruction will ensure that even our at-risk students will master these foundational skills and have a successful start to reading.

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Daily Oral Language Option for the Multi-grade Classroom

Learning requires a brain-compatible environment that is authentic, safe and relevant. The brain engages when there are choices and safety. I use a system in my multi-grade classroom that incorporates teaching the daily oral language target skills in a relevant, multi-level context, keeping in mind “where there is meaning, there is learning.”

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From Clay Tablets to Computer Tablets, iPods in YOUR Classroom

This session is for the teacher with access to handhelds in their classroom. This is a hands-on session (BYOD) where you will learn how to leverage these pocket supercomputers to enhance your instruction. Learn how to manage, track and share student progress in safe social networking environments.

Kindergarten Stepping Stones Language Arts

The Language Arts curriculum in Kindergarten Stepping Stones is based on routines that include the following components and activities: Phonemic Awareness, Sound-Letter Awareness, Reading Workshop, Signing-In, Writing Workshop, Fine Motor Skills, Listening/Speaking. See how these routines work together to help children enjoy literature and become lifelong readers and writers.

Kindegarten Stepping Stones Bible & Math

To provide strong support for teaching in each core subject area a cycle of routines is followed throughout the year for the areas of Bible, language arts and math. Kindergarten teachers will learn how to actively engage children in a variety of activities when teching the routines in Bible and math.

Seven Keys that Inspire Success in Common Core Writing

Increasing writing proficiency requires targeted lessons that meet the Common Core requirements. Learn how practical strategies and Common Core lessons create a high-success atmosphere that improves the writing of all students and increases test scores! You will walk away with a 15-day subscription to the Common Core writing program, eWriteSteps.

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Really Reading from A to Z

Looking for ways to obtain the best bang for your Learning A-Z Membership bucks? Hear from four teachers how they have successfully used Reading A-Z and Raz-Kids with their students.

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READY…SET…GO MATH!

REcieve an overview of the new elementary mathematics materials for the students in grades K-6. Each group will have an opportunity to look at the new “Go Math” materials, learn about the program’s organization and resources, view technology demonstrations, and interact with several activities desgined to meet the needs of your classroom.

The Power of Positive Communication

One of the most essential aspects of being an effective educational leader is being able to communicate successfully. This workshop will help you develop and refine your skills in effectively communicating every day. Leave enabled to handle challenging people, initiate communication more confidently, and self-evaluate your personal communication ability.

Get the Big Picture about Big Ideas Math

Come for the snapshot tour of the Big Ideas Math Common Core Program fro you 6-8 grade students. Big Ideas Learning will describe all the Big Ideas materials and how they will create enthusiasm, excitement and deeper understanding of mathematics for students. The album includes activities, Laure’s Notes, cutting-edge technology and more.

Movie Making in the Social Studies Classroom

Social Studies can be daunting for both students and teachers. To bring the concepts alive, it is often necessary to utilize unique ways for students to experience the material. Educators will learn how to plan, implement, shoot, and edit movies that will extend learning, engage students, and electrify the creative juices!

Getting Grading Right with Differentiated Instruction

Based on the research work of thought leader Robert J. Marzano, this presentation looks at the purposes and processes of classroom grading with the goal of establishing precise, efficient, and systematic grading systems.

Adventist Robotic League (ARL)—In the Classroom and Beyond

Robots are all around us and our students are fascinated with how they work and what they can do. ARL introduces students to robotics and pushes them to solve problems using logic, math, and science. If one of your science goals is to have your students solve problems then ARL is for you.

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Healthy on Purpose: Hands-on Nutrition

Hands-on learning is the best way to get kids enthused about making healthy choices. This program teaches your students basic nutrition principles and then gets their hands dirty as they make up simple recipes that introduce good food choices. A PowerPoint highlights many healthy foods from cultures around the world.

What is Response to Intervention and what about SDA schools?

This session will inform attendees of the most recent literature on RtI and explain implementation of RtI. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of RtI, and be able to explain to all stakeholders the structure, the characteristics of participants, design and measurements that are used for intervention.

Playing With Probability

Join us for a fun filled way to teach probability using games. You will play several different games and learn how to teach students to evaluate them for fairness, predict what will happen, and organize outcomes in several ways. Real-life hands-on math, here we come.

Effective Teaching in a Multi-grade Classroom

This presentation aims to explore teaching strategies in a multi-grade classroom. Educators will participate in simulations of the multi-grade classroom experience. The exercise will encourage teachers to be creative and confident as they face their multi-grade classrooms. The presentation will also contain research-based findings about multi-grade teaching.

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The Effects of Visual Learning: “Now I See It”

This presentation will review the current research and literature supporting the model of multi-sensory teaching, with a special emphasis on visual and hands-on experiences. The attendees will be exposed to teaching various subjects employing the use of puppetry, drama, illusions, music, and movement.

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Making Sense of Nonsense: Encouraging Critical Thinking Through Nonsense Poetry

In this workshop, poet-songwriter-educator Mike Mennard shows how nonsense poetry and literature helps critical thinking. By encouraging sense made from disparate images, nonsense poetry is the beginning of analytical thinking. The session makes use of the works of Edward Lear and others. Teachers will leave with activities for the classroom.

Imitating the Master Teacher

Jesus, the Master Teacher, captured His listeners’ curiosity, lifted their affections to God, taught them the truth, and anchored His greatest ideas and teachings in their hearts and minds. Discover Jesus’ methods and learn to use them in your classroom.

Help—I have to teach music!

Stuck with giving assignments about dead composers for music? Want to meet curriculum requirements, especially when planning time and resources are at a minimum? This session explores avenues to music literacy through technology and creativity, tapping higher level thinking skills while meeting NAD and NAfME standards for music education.

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The Plan of Salvation through the Lens of Math

Teachers will see multiple examples on how to connect math instruction to the plan of salvation. Teachers will engage in a mini workshop, creating their own examples.

By Design: A Journey to Excellence through Science for Grades 1-8

This engaging, rigorous, and developmentally appropriate curriculum nutures a child’s natural curiousity as they explore the wonderment of God’s creation through the lens of the Bible. The program focuses on the users’ experience so that all elements invite, engage, instruct, and motivate students and teachers to continue learning and buildling their science knowledge.

The Missing Link: CIRCLE for Early Childhood and Elementary Teachers

Searching for Adventist lessons aligned to new NAD K-8 math standards? Need more Pathways materials? Free second language learning tools? Discover Adventist early childhood education and elementary ready-to-use resources freely available through CIRCLE.adventist.org. Learn how faith- and technology-integrating teachers earn money for classroom-tested units, multi-grade activities and more.

Iowa Assessments, The Future is Now

Iowa Assessments are changing! Learn how the new tests integrate Common Core learning standards and improve a teacher or administrators access to understand results. In preparing for full digital testing many new features will be in the hands of classroom teachers and school principals. Learn how to maximize the test data to drive decisions about helping each student succeed.

Using Grants to Fund STEM Education in My Classroom

This presentation will be on using grants to fund STEM learning in science classes. It will highlight STEM projects in the presenter’s classroom that were funded by grants, as well as give teachers resources for finding these funds.

How To Teach the Sanctuary (In 5 Days)

Learn the core values of God’s greatest gospel visual aid, the Sanctuary, and how to teach them in a way that engages all of the senses and reaches the heart of every student in any grade—in 5 days!

Mission Trips and Community Service

Learn how one academy progressed from dates on a calendar to spreading the gospel message around the world. Who are the key stakeholders? What challenges will be faced? What benefits will be realized?

Ready, Set, Write!

What are the essential writing skills that academy students need for success in academic writing at the college level? This presentation will help academy English teachers know what to teach their students to prepare them for college composition

The Key to Classroom Success: Self-Awareness

The classroom is the theater in which both student and teacher wear masks; masks that cover true feelings and one’s identity. These same masks disconnect the teacher from the students. The teacher willing to take off the mask and get honest with him/herself is the teacher students will trust and approach.

No Such Thing as Lazy

A revolutionary approach to maximizing student learning potential by identifying and honoring all of the learning styles of the students in your classroom. This presentation includes a discussion of one school’s experience in transitioning to a learning styles environment.

Making Science Real with Lab Notebooks and Whiteboards

Any demonstration or lab activity can be enhanced by having students use lab notebooks to record data and observations. Large white boards can be used as a presentation tool where students are able to display their data, graphs, diagrams, or lab results.

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The American Civil War: Humanitarian Acts and Rules of War

Discover how to connect American history to contemporary laws and develop your students into caring, global citizens. Lessons highlight the development of humanitarian standards to protect wounded and sick soldiers, prisoners and civilians. Students listen to bystander stories, learn about laws developed by President Lincoln, and redesign prison camps.

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Response to Intervention in Adventist Academies

The focus on learning is crucial to the academic success of all students. With the need to provide access to excellent education for all students, it becomes imperative that educators provide a systematic approach to the implementation of our curricula, assessments, the monitoring of student progress, and their ultimate success.

Basic Christianity: Teaching First Year Religion to ESL/International Students

Based on 10+ years of personal experience, this seminar will explore presenting Christianity to students from unreligious or non-Christian backgrounds. See proven projects and various other media and web resources that can help communicate the gospel more easily.

Running an Efficient and Safe Gymnastic Practice

Planning your gymnastic team’s practice for maximum success and safety.

SHOPTALK: Secondary Music

SHOPTALK: Secondary Practical Arts

SHOPTALK: Boarding Academy Pastors/Chaplains

High School Mathematics: Tying it all Together with Critical Thinking

Are your students developing concepts, or are they learning passively, with shortcuts? This workshop will explore why high school mathematics instruction is often difficult, and develop strategies to help students “think.” We will discover response indicators which evidence critical thinking, and generate sound classroom strategies that will generate good thinking.

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Classroom Beekeeping

Add excitement to your classroom by opening a window to the hidden world of the honeybee. Observation beehives allow students to observe the industrious work and life cycle of the honeybee. Discover the passion and commitment needed to make your classroom beekeeping project a success.

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Media on the Brain

It’s this generation’s obsession: TV/movies, music, Facebook, gaming, etc. But what does the latest science say about the mind-altering effects of these media? And what is the spiritual agenda in the entertainment industry? Come acquire the tools to free the minds of your students and lead them to Jesus.

Hands-On Equations

Hands-On Equations teaches linear equations via the use of manipulatives. Students learn the legal moves that will enable them to arrive at the correct answers. HOE enables students to avoid, or overcome, a fear of Algebra while gaining competence and confidence. Beneficial for grades 3 through GED.

Effective Classroom Management

This workshop will address simple structures and strategies that you can use from the first day of school in keeping control of your classroom. We will review positive behavior supports that you can incorporate into your classroom.

Is Summer Over Yet? Getting Students Excited about Learning…and School

This presentation offers a platform for providing meaningful and relevant experiences for middle and secondary learners across disciplines. Incite students to own their academic journey with an attitude of empowerment.

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Making Ellen G. White User-Friendly in Your Classroom

Learn about resources created by the White Estate to teach Adventist history and introduce Ellen White to elementary and high school students, including a tutorial for the White Estate’s new website.

How to Reach, Teach, and Treat African American Boys

This workshop provides tools for young men to use to close the education achievement gap between black and white boys. Discuss factors that contribute to the fourth grade failure syndrome experienced by young black males, receive strategies for parents, and hear some “Rules of Thumb” in teaching African Americans.

Adventure Activities for Classroom Teachers

This interactive workshop is designed for teachers to explore the role of games—low- and high- element courses—in adventure education. Learn key concepts and core skills for effective facilitation and leadership preparation in adventure programming. Sample activities and resources are provided. Expect to participate.

EXSEED: K-12 STEM Education with a Mission-focused Learning Perspective

Come find out how participating in EXSEED can expand and support you and your students in STEM. Learn what EXSEED educators are doing and how you can join them. Online resources, STEM student activities and collaborative projects, access to the latest research, and much more are available to Adventist K-12 educators.

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Teach Math! Teach Jesus!

An extensive hands-on workshop on integrating faith and learning in the K-12 math curriculum using technology, examples of students’ work, and a simple teaching method. This workshop will support any math curriculum and help students to solve math problems while having an experiential relationship with Jesus.

Active Students are Sucessful Students

Research has confirmed inspiration again. Physical activity for students ensures engagement and success in learning. Learn ways that your school can increase student wellness and academic success with innovative ideas for increasing student activity. Also, provide input on a developing new curriculum for health education thoroughly aligned with Adventist values.

Planning for Special Needs at the School-House

We’ve often heard the phrase “and all thy children shall be taught of the Lord.” What about the gifted or the special learner, is Adventist education for them? It is becoming increasingly difficult to operate a church school. How can small churches afford a school?

Valuegenesis III – Developing Faith, Values, and Commitment in Adventist Students

A complete report of the findings of this significant study of Adventist youth in Adventist education and the influence of family, school and church on faith maturity, values adoption, and a commitment to the church. This third survey provides valuable trend data built off the first two Valuegenesis studies that began in 1990 and 2000.

Google Activities for Kids

Google offers a variety of applications that allow students to create, collaborate, and share. See some clever activities for students – ideas that are not only quick and easy, but also require creativity and higher-level thinking. Activities will be demonstrated from start to finish, using Google’s free suite of Web 2.0 tools.

iPad Apps for STEM

Hundreds of iPad apps exist for STEM curriculum (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). A variety of apps will be explored such as reference apps, apps that include experiments, and apps that promote productivity as well as apps to intrigue the younger student to become engaged in STEM courses.

Practical Applications of Technology Education

See how Science, Technology Engineering, and Math (STEM) can be incorporated to stimulate student interest in related professions and occupations. The combination of hands-on activities and academics tend to engage students more thoroughly than just academics alone.

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Wikis for Collaboration: Face-to-Face, Online, and Across Schools

Wikis are a great way to support collaboration in your classroom, in online courses or for projects with students around the world! Learn about the possibilities, best practices, and free tools.

Developing Effective and Sustainable Online Programs for K-12 SDA Education

Despite the promise that online teaching and learning has for education in general and SDA education in particular, if it is to meet its potential, a systematic approach for designing and delivering such a system must be followed. This workshop focuses on developing effective and sustainable K12 SDA online programs.

Google Apps for Education: More Than Just Gmail

Google Apps for Education is offered free to schools. Learn how teachers are using this cloud-based service with its multi-authoring capabilities to increase student engagement and productivity while simplifying your technology requirements.

Newscasts and Video Production

Learn how to begin or improve school TV newscasts on any size budget, creating student video productions that have the professional look of network TV. Learn how to use green screen technology to produce and share your students’ broadcasts.

Geometer’s Sketchpad—Intro to Intermediate Skills

Geometer’s Sketchpad is an alternative to the conventional use of a compass and straightedge in a classroom. This dynamic geometric software teaches spatial reasoning and visualization by sketching three-dimensional objects from two-dimensional perspectives, or two-dimensional perspectives from three-dimensional objects, and by solving related problems.

Servant Leadership and Principalship

The presentation will provide a brief overview of leadership theories, biblical basis for servant leadership, and Spears 10 characteristics of servant leadership. Additionally, it will provide a practical guide and application for principals.

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RenWeb’s Donor Connect/Donate Online

Automate the management of your donor lists and spend more time cultivating relationships using Donor Connect’s on-demand donor information platform. Sync demographic information from RenWeb School Management. Import donations for often hard-to-reach family and friends using Donate Online, acquiring new donors who often do not respond to traditional postal mail.

RenWeb’s NAD Data Roll UP Reporting

RenWeb partner schools will receive orientation to reporting expectations and training for configuration/submission of data to the North American Division.

InformationNOW Classroom Attendance, Rosters, and Reports

This hands-on style session, designed for the classroom teacher, will guide InformationNOW users through the process of taking attendance, viewing and managing rosters and seating charts, and running reports from within the classroom menu.

InformationNOW Classroom Lesson Plan, Grade Book Setup and Entry

InformationNOW teachers will be led through a hands-on style session that will cover initial grade book setup, daily activity and lesson plan entry, and using the grade book as tool to communicate with parents.

Easily Managing the Multigrade Classroom with SSM

This session will demonstrate ways of creating classes to help teachers easily enter assignments in a multigrade setting. Following the short presentation there will be time for participants to receive individual help.

Health, Healing, and Hope

The Adventist heritage of health has demonstrated its value through vibrant living and longevity. The Adventist ministry of healing continues to serve humanity, relieving pain and restoring health. The Adventist belief in Christ’s return and inheritance of an earth made new provides ultimate hope for a future beyond the grave.

Culture, Identity, and Pedagogy: Critical Considerations for Preparing the Army

This presentation is for school stakeholders who are willing to critically investigate how individual and institutional identities impact our classrooms, our leadership, and our schools. Participants will be challenged to consider critical intersections between race, culture, identity, and pedagogy in Seventh-day Adventist education.

Enrich Your Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Program by Emphasizing Emotional Intelligence

This session gives participants a clear understanding of what emotional intelligence (EQ) is; why a high EQ is so important; learn how emotions work; and leave with EQ skill-building exercises proven to increase a child’s emotional intelligence.

Trust as a Critical Success Factor in Educational Organizations

Research literature suggests that trust components of benevolence, competence, reliability and transparency are critical success factors in education leadership.

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Unlocking the Book of Nature

Unlocking the Book of Nature provides the keys to understanding how God speaks to man through nature. If you are attracted to the beauty of God’s creation, come and take a “reading lesson” in God’s picture book… the Book of Nature!

Thinking About Retirement? Part B

This is the second of two workshops designed for those approaching retirement from the denominational retirement plans. Outline: A.The Defined Contribution Plan B.Bridges Between the Two Plans C.The Healthcare Plan D.Decisions To Make at Retirement.

Meeting with the Mentor in the Mirror: Becoming a Reflective Practitioner

Teachers make more daily judgment calls than ER physicians. We have no time left for reflection, right? Actually, “reflection-on-action” is a critical investment in our growth as educational practitioners. We’ll explore reflection strategies including self-coaching, reflective writing, storytelling, critical incident analysis, professional blogging, and audio/videotape analysis.

The Role of the Holy Spirit in Adventist Education

This presentation will consider the work of the Holy Spirit in the school system ordained (set apart for a holy purpose) by God. The presentation will focus on the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Adventist educators and how they can go deeper in their relationship with God.

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Introduction to “Successful Fundraising,” the Handbook for Churches and Schools

A special, customized handbook has been prepared for church and school personnel who wish to undertake project or long-term fundraising for their institutions. This session will be a coaching session for those who want to learn how to use the handbook for maximum success in their campaigns to raise money.

Student Employees and Wage and Hour Legislation

Raise your level of awareness about wage and hour pitfalls common in our educational institutions.

Food Service Risks and Loss Prevention

Food service safety is more than proper food handling. Additional risks can expose staff, students and visitors to illness or injury. This presentation will address the “expected” and “unexpected” risks you may face in your cafeteria, smaller food service operation or during outings.

Putting the “Super” in Supervision

The Clinical Evaluation is designed to assist educational professionals in assessing their current perceived skill sets and assisting them in a growth and development management plan for both the short and long term.

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How an Architect Can Help an Adventist School

Whether starting new or renovating, building projects are dynamic, exciting and create lasting impact. The results should be useful, durable and delightful to experience. This seminar will help you get the quality school facility you desire at the right cost using a process that keeps you in control.

Essential Elements of Multi-Component Marketing for K-8 Schools

Discover practice-tested strategies for increasing enrollment and community support for your K-8 school. Learn fun and innovative ideas, including home visitations. In addition, we will look at the different components of marketing, so you can avoid the common pitfall of focusing on a one-audience segment.

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Marketing and Recruiting on a Small Budget

This session will be targeted at academies but will apply to elementary schools as well. We will discuss simple and inexpensive websites/maintaince, building champions for your school, the “small” things that matter, advertising on the cheap, whether to recruit international students, and Adventist v. non-Adventist schools.

The Principal: the Keystone of the School

According to research (Pierce, 2000), the principal is the “keystone” of the school. This session will define and explore the role, job description, and expectations associated with the Adventist principal. Whether you are a small, elementary, junior academy, senior academy or boarding school principal, this interactive session is for you.

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Your Fundraising Toolbox: what are they and how do I use them?

A toolbox filled with nothing but hammers isn’t all that effective. Neither is a fundraising program utilizing only one of the many tools at your disposal. This session will explain all the tools available, how to determine which ones are right for you, and how to become proficient in the tools of your choice.

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Effective Student Retention

A thorough look at the systems and approaches that both small and large schools can use to retain more current students. Includes the role of the Principal, strategies for earlier enrollment, re-enrollment nights, as well as the philosophy and mechanics of an assumptive re-enrollment.