During this time, you will have an opportunity to hear about different methods and tools that can be used to help increase engagement. Use of vertical surfaces, opened-ended questions and various assessment practices will be highlighted. Participants will be given an opportunity to collaborate about these ideas. 

This session is for anyone who wants to learn more about teaching students with ADHD or executive functioning deficits such as time management, organization, and motivation. Learn more about what ADHD is and how it presents in the classroom, good teaching practises for students with ADHD, why typical discipline and rewards systems don't work for ADHD, how to communicate with home when ADHD is in the picture, and why relationship matters so much for these students. 

This session will focus on transgender students in the English language and French immersion/core French classroom. The facilitator(s) will provide brief background information, but some basic knowledge of the 2SLGBTQ+ community would be an asset. This session is intended as a learning conversation, and the facilitator(s) will present a series of scenarios, which will be discussed amongst participants in order to gain a more nuanced understanding of provincial and district policy, best practice, and the strengths that trans people bring to our schools. 

Journey into the realm of Artificial Intelligence, discovering its incredible potential in the classroom. Together, we'll explore its impact on assessment, reflect on its uses and limitations, and explore the implications of the AI revolution in our practice. Discover how AI can transform your classroom, revolutionize assessment, and equip students with the skills to conquer an AI-driven future. No prior knowledge required—just bring your curiosity and an open mind! 

 What does Universal Design for Learning and Deep Learning have in common? What happens when we combine the two? What does it really mean to remove barriers to learning? Join us for this two hour session to start exploring some of the answers to these questions where we will follow one teacher's journey towards creating conditions for student engagement and learning for all. We will dive into how Carolyn got started with UDL and Deep Learning and follow her journey illustrating how tiny changes in her teaching and learning made huge impact,. She will share her successes along with her failures and mistakes and highlight her aha moments, especially around the importance of giving students voice and feedback. 

 Peter Liljedahl will be offering an engaging professional development session focused on his groundbreaking work and research in building thinking classrooms. Educators attending the session can anticipate a deep dive into practical strategies and methodologies that cultivate critical thinking skills among students. By exploring Liljedahl's innovative approaches, educators will gain valuable insights to create classroom environments that foster collaboration, problem-solving, and a growth mindset, leading to enhanced student learning and engagement. 

In this hands-on workshop, participants will be guided through ways Canva (a district-approved graphic design tool) can be used by students to demonstrate their learning and understanding. Participants will brainstorm and discover ways Canva can support student goal setting, planning, and showcasing their knowledge. The workshop will also cover how to capture student reflections of the learning process in Canva. 

Let’s take a look at what makes for a rich, deep learning math lesson in the K-6 mathematics classroom! Blending both digital and non-digital tools, we can create class-wide, small group, and independent invitations to learning that are sure to make a lasting impact. Focusing on non-traditional assessments, triangulation of data, differentiation, student success, and developing learner agency, the Zorbit’s Math team will walk you through their activity design process and best practices for creating next-level student-focused math lessons! 

This session will look at the use of recording options for students to use to show teachers what they know about the content that has been taught. Listening to students, we learned that this was something we needed space for in our school.  Having a recording booth available to students was something that would benefit our learning environment.  This recording booth has and will continue to help us respond to our students' needs as learners as we see the importance of access to technology for all students. 

Using Google Docs with embedded videos, you will learn at your own pace and discover how to teach science using Vernier interfaces. These devices work well for teaching Science 1206 and other intermediate and senior science courses (we include a Chemistry 3202 lab on Molar Enthalpies of Solution and Motion on an Inclined Plane for Science 1206). Once you are ready, you will use the same resources to teach the students to practice the process of science, grow knowledge, and address all the new skill outcomes. When students collect data, they develop skills while taking ownership of their findings. This develops pride plus, their work is an example of how science functions during apparatus setup, data collection, critical analysis of results, finding errors, and communication of findings (important parts of the nature of science). When you manage a student's scientific work, you reduce marking but increase their learning. Formative evaluation techniques for progressive learning and reduced bulk marking will be described. Online support via email - all questions are welcomed!

The past two years, Clarenville High school and Middle school have replaced the traditional exam period with a week of Deep Learning.  During this session teachers will share their stories, student projects and creative assessment strategies. 

How do we assess the credibility of sources so that we can come to an informed view on issues? Navigating the online world can be challenging. For teachers, finding ways to effectively teach digital learning skills to students may be an even more daunting task. This workshop introduces teachers to an interactive resource that presents five digital learning skills in context. Digital Skills for Democracy is an engaging hands-on resource from Elections Canada. This free resource, available in French and English, was designed and classroom-tested by teachers across Canada. Workshop participants will learn online critical thinking skills and apply them collaboratively to detect misinformation in various real online sources. By doing the activities themselves, participants can see first-hand how their students will develop the tools they need to judge the trustworthiness of digital information. Join us to learn how you can use Digital Skills for Democracy to support your digital literacy learning goals. This engaging and interactive resource can be used online, in-person and in blended learning environments. 

In a world where functional knowledge about health is readily available to many and changes quickly, the skills to analyze, access, and use valid information, products and services; develop interpersonal communication skills; make decisions, set goals, practice health enhancing behaviors; and advocate for self and others, are essential to wellbeing. A Skills-Based Health Education approach is designed to support students' development of these skills, leading to increased self-efficacy, agency, and ultimately increased control of their health and wellbeing. Come join us to learn more about the why and what of a Skills-Based Health Education approach as we engage in guided hands-on planning that you can use in your classroom. 

Discover the power of student voice and agency in the classroom! Ditch the traditional parent-teacher interview and embrace a new student-centered approach to family communication that fosters growth mindset and collaboration. This session will show you how to design and facilitate meaningful student-led conferences that allow students to take ownership of their learning, reflect on their progress and set goals for the future. 

Student success is measured using a variety of metrics, but perhaps some of the most significant in the modern classroom are self-efficacy, motivation, and demonstrated development. Research indicates that the use of games, both digital and non-digital, in the primary and elementary classrooms elevate these metrics and many others. In this session, let’s look at some games to understand how such activities can be used to empower, elevate, and engage students of all learning abilities and diversities. At the same time, let’s look at how we can evaluate these games with a critical lens to ensure we are simultaneously addressing social-emotional learning (SEL). Participants will be invited to discuss their use of games in the classroom and will also be provided with a collection of ready-to-go game-based resources to launch an epic, empowering math adventure in their classrooms. 

Even for people who have taken and taught science courses, defining what science “is” can prove challenging. Most of us recognize that the content helps define science. We also know that how science content is developed (the process) is another part. In this session we will explore a third, less well known, aspect called the Nature of Science. We’ll also engage in an activity that can be used to help students develop a better appreciation for how scientific knowledge is developed. 

Curriculum documents have promoted the importance of scientific literacy to individuals and society. It is widely recognized that some knowledge of science content and procedures contribute to such literacy. Both of these are supported  Defining what science “is” is challenging to most people. Most of us recognize that the content helps define science. We also know that how science content is developed (the process) is another part. The third part is what is known as the Nature of Science. In this session we will engage in an activity that can be used to help students experience how scientific knowledge is developed through observation and inference.  extended by an understanding of “the Nature of Science”. This session will provide an introduction into nine aspects of the Nature of Science deemed essential in the development of scientific literacy with suggestions on how each can be addressed in K-12 classrooms. 

Join us for "Exploring Deep Learning: Learning Conversations," where participants of all levels, from those new to Deep Learning to those more experienced, are invited to delve into the captivating world of reimagining teaching and learning with Deep Learning. Uncover the six global competencies and the four fundamental elements of deep learning design as we embark on a journey through authentic Newfoundland and Labrador examples, exploring inspiring examples that will ignite your passion for the limitless possibilities of engaging learners in Deep Learning. Don't miss this opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations and expand your understanding of Deep Learning's transformative power.

Participants will explore different activities to promote family engagement in their children's mathematics learning. As well,  participants will learn how Peacock Primary has increased engagement in math with their families. 

Join us as we build connections together!  Come as you are and embrace restorative justice in a holistic way.  Understanding the importance of relationships in schools, we will build upon existing skills and explore moving forward together. This session will begin with fundamentals of restorative justice in education while being responsive to the needs and wants of participants.  It will embody the Indigenous practices of Two-Eared Listening and Two-Eyed Seeing as modeled by Chief Misel Joe and Elder Dr. Albert Marshall. You will also have the opportunity to hear from Administrator Connie Willcott who has just begun the restorative justice education journey with her whole school. 

This session will provide participants with an overview of current research on the role of hope in achievement, and identify practical strategies to incorporate hope in mathematics instruction in order to increase belonging, resilience and curriculum engagement for all students. 

High School English is a required course for students in the NL school system. In her classroom, Alison Edwards tries to empower the voices of her students to have input into what they do within the classroom and the curriculum. In this session, Alison will discuss what she does, but also provide time for participants to discuss and debate the topic and hopefully collaborate and plan a lesson for the return to school in the 2023-2024 school year. 

Joy is not just the fluffy stuff, it is essential to any meaningful learning. In this session we will explore what joy is, joy's relationship to learning and ways to build joy into our learning environments. In this way we consciously create emotionally safe spaces, where identity, dignity and belonging are prioritized.

This session aims to shed light on the unique challenges faced by school-age children and adolescents who stutter, particularly during their formative years of self-concept and self-esteem development. The experience of stuttering can lead to negative emotions such as fear, shame, and embarrassment, often resulting in avoidance of speaking situations and attempts to hide the stutter. By sharing personal experiences as a covert stutterer, the session seeks to increase teachers' capacity to serve as allies and champions for students who stutter, fostering awareness, understanding, education, and acceptance to effectively support them and identify those at risk. 

Participants will explore some practical math talk examples that they can use daily in their math class to promote the mathematical processes. 

Cultural relevancy in mathematics removes the barrier that exists between school and the lived experiences of students. Through highlighting real-life situations, students engage in making meaning and recognizing how mathematics can assist them in understanding and solving problems that they themselves will encounter. Mathematical modelling is the framework through which students can apply to solve everyday-life problems. In this session, I will engage participants in applying the mathematical modelling framework and how such a framework requires that mathematizing of thinking within an iterative process. 

This session is for primary and elementary educators who want to explore the connection between oral language and literacy and how they can support students to improve their literacy skills.  The main focus will be on primary students but the information can be applied to older students as well.  It will be a speech to print approach with an emphasis on oral language as the foundation for later literacy.  A celebration of talking! 

To present the research on play, and play therapy and how to incorporate the two worlds in a play based classroom. 

This session is designed to explore professional learning and how we can create meaningful learning experiences for our educators. It will focus on elements of design thinking, critically examine some common tools and choices, as well as give participants experience designing professional learning with colleagues. 

If you are interested in exploring daily habits and routines that will enable yourself and students to remain in a calmer state then this session is for you. We will pair yoga asanas with breathing techniques that work with our own nervous system to rest and restore our bodies into homeostasis. 

In this session you will learn about the soft skills that tech employers look for.

You will learn about how soft skills are used everyday in a tech workplace.

You will learn about activities you can do to develop soft skills in your classrooms.

You will learn about common methods and tools that are used in tech workplaces.

SSL! is Newfoundland and Labrador's first podcast about living with communication differences, aimed at uplifting and inspiring individuals while dismantling myths and stigma. This professional learning session explores how SSL! can be used as an educational resource to enhance teachers' understanding and acceptance of stuttering, ultimately creating a supportive environment for students who stutter to feel understood and valued. By promoting inclusive language and themes, SSL! helps rebuild confidence and emphasizes that it's the message, not the method of communication, that truly matters. 

In this session we will introduce the importance of teaching reading comprehension strategies to support students’ ability to navigate text-based, science content. Educators will develop an understanding that reading is a process comprising three equally important stages. Each stage of the reading process has specific actions and requirements that support the reader in making sense of textual content. This session will provide specific strategies for grades 4 to 12 and is applicable to teachers in both STEM and non-STEM subjects. 

"Research provides evidence that when student voice and agency are elevated in schools, students are more likely to develop a sense of self-worth, be engaged in learning, and have a sense of purpose. In an effort to be more responsive to our Provincial Data, we have engaged student voices through focus groups, sharing circles, and value walks. As a result of providing space for students to share their stories and become agents of change, we are beginning to see evidence that when students “Engage the World” they can indeed “Change the World” (Fullan, Quinn, and McEachen, 2018). 

Participants will be provided examples of applying mathematical concepts and skills in authentic, real-life contexts outside the classroom. 

Educators attending this session will have an opportunity to reflect on the Science of climate change and some of the social, economical, ecological and health impacts of this complex and all-encompassing issue. Drawing from the perspectives of residents of Newfoundland and Labrador, climate experts, educators and policy-makers in the field, participants will have an opportunity to engage in the discussion around how these changes impact life in Newfoundland and Labrador now and in the future. Participants will be invited to explore and share their feelings around this topic and offer insight into how we can move the conversation forward, while allowing space for the emotional processing required when learning about difficult things. This session will end with suggestions for practically teaching about climate change impacts and solutions, and make connections between taking climate action, engaging in Deep Learning Initiatives and how the Universal Design for Learning Framework aligns with achieving a just and sustainable future. 

This is an introduction to the Circle of Courage - a framework for education developed initially to reconnect indigenous youth back to school - but unites all children in our quest to ensure classrooms are engaging and purposeful. 

Join Michael for an interactive session where we will dive into the world of podcasting and explore its potential for use in the classroom. In this intro to podcasting session, we will cover the basics of podcast creation and production, including choosing equipment and software, scripting, recording and editing, and distributing your final product. You will learn about the various benefits of incorporating podcasts into your lessons, including engaging students, promoting critical thinking, and supporting personalized learning. Whether you are a seasoned teacher or just starting to explore the use of technology in your lessons, this session is designed to provide you with the foundation you need to start using podcasts in your classroom today. So come with an open mind, your questions, and be ready to be inspired! 

Curriculum documents have promoted the importance of scientific literacy to individuals and society. It is widely recognized that some knowledge of science content and procedures contribute to such literacy. Both of these are supported and extended by an understanding of “the Nature of Science”. This session will provide an introduction into nine aspects of the Nature of Science deemed essential in the development of scientific literacy with suggestions on how each can be addressed in K-12 classrooms. 

Are you interested in knowing more about Universal Design for Learning (UDL), but don't know where to begin? Have you been hearing about UDL but is not sure what it's all about or how it fits into your practice? If so, this is the session for you. During our time together, we will explore the basic tenants of UDL by examining the big ideas and relating it to our work in education. We will explore the core beliefs and examine how we can use the UDL Guidelines to predict barriers in learning to intentionally design learning opportunities for ALL.  This session is designed for educators who are just beginning their learning journey in UDL or who would like to join the UDL conversation to learn more about how to remove barriers to learning with the ultimate goal of creating expert learners in our spaces. 

Have you ever heard students say "I forget doing that"? Far too often, classroom tasks prioritizes short-term performance at the expense of learning. This session is about students engaging in learning tasks that support mixed and spaced practice. Such a retrieval practice approach to learning strengthens student mathematical understanding and their ability to recall previous learning, all the while supporting students in developing their metacognition. In this session, I will share effective instructional and learning strategies that can be introduced into any classroom. 

What do every student want teachers to know? In this session, students from Clarenville High School will share their perspective on learning and education. Participants will have an opportunity to converse with students and hear their ideas on how to make school a better place.  

Are you overwhelmed with regards to evidence based reading instruction? Are you looking for direction when it comes to effective reading instruction and how it relates to inclusive practices?  If you are, join us as we ZOOM in on evidence based reading instruction and ZOOM out on using inclusive practices to ensure success for ALL!  During this time we will explore the foundational skills of literacy and reading instruction and HOW we can use UDL practices to embed effective literacy instruction throughout the day!