Enhancing Practice through Teacher Labs - All grades

Learn how one Michigan district utilized a job-embedded professional learning model to collaboratively explore and improve teaching practice with a focus on readers' workshop through a structured classroom observation process. Develop an understanding of the benefits of this model relative to standards of professional learning and research. Receive protocols and practical examples to guide the effective implementation of lab classrooms in your building or district.

Presenter: Sandy Cook is a Differentiated Instruction Specialist at Elms Road Elementary in Swartz Creek, MI. She has taught in Swartz Creek for twelve years as a Pre-K teacher, a 2nd grade teacher and as a D.I.S. Sandy loves spending time with her husband and children, and is an avid reader. Her mission as an educator is to inspire all learners, both students and teachers, to reach their goals, to achieve their highest potential, and to always strive to be a lifelong learner. Follow Sandy on Twitter @SandyCook29.

Can We Talk About This? - All grades

How do we talk about the difficult topics of bigotry, intolerance and racism with our children? During this presentation Matt Faulkner will share his process in creating two books that deal specifically with these issues- A Taste of Colored Water (Simon and Schuster) and Gaijin: American Prisoner of War (Disney/Hyperion) and talk about ways in which we can help our students deal with these sad aspects of our culture. He'll also touch on ways in which Gaijin: American Prisoner of War can be aligned with Common Core State Standards. This promises to be a very interesting conversation.

Presenter: With 36 illustrated books to his credit, Matt Faulkner enjoys working on projects of both historical and fantastical natures (and he concentrates very hard not to get them confused). His author/illustrated book A Taste of Colored Water (Simon and Schuster) won the Comstock Honor award from the Minnesota State University and was also chosen as a finalist by the California Commonwealth Club for its 2009 Book Award. And the Horn Book said of his recently released graphic novel Gaijin: American Prisoner of War (Disney/Hyperion)- "Faulkner creates a vivid and compelling internment-camp drama for young readers"! Matt is married to author, librarian and national speaker on early literacy, Kris Remenar and lives with their children in the lower right hand corner of Michigan. His websites are mattfaulkner.com & gaijinamericanprisonerofwar.com.

Close Reading - All grades

This session will be about why and how to start close reading with your students. Close reading is a “microscope” approach to reading text, and can be a wonderful part of the literary ecosystem in a classroom. We’ll talk about how the approach can be used in a variety for formats—whole-class, small group, and workshop—with the goal of having each of our learners using close reading strategies for themselves.

Presenter: Carmel McDonald is the Instructional Coach at Paragon Charter Academy in Jackson, MI. When not teaching and coaching, she can be found drinking coffee, avoiding housework, running, reading, cooking questionable meals, and chauffeuring her kids around town. She’s a Canadian import, so she occasionally is hard to understand, but will consistently follow up with an “I’m sorry.” She taught middle school language arts for 8 years, and survived only because of her immaturity and general quirkiness. And early adopter of close reading, Carmel thoroughly enjoyed the experience of trying it, repeatedly tweaking it, and then letting it take effect in the lives of her students. She has a book coming out on close reading in early 2015. You find read some of her crazy ramblings at www.eduMcation.net.

Readers Workshop: Keeping the Individual at the Heart of Small Group Instruction - All grades

Thoughtful small group instruction supports and challenges students in all grade levels to grow as readers. In this session, we'll explore ways to form and plan groups as part of the workshop structure, with an emphasis on choice and individual growth.

Presenters: Franki Sibberson and Gretchen Taylor

Franki Sibberson is a 3rd grade teacher in Dublin, Ohio and is the author of The Joy of Planning: Designing Minilesson Cycles in Grades 3-6. Gretchen Taylor is a 7th grade Language Arts teacher in Dublin, Ohio. Both Franki and Gretchen write for Choice Literacy.

Building Relationships at the Start of a School Year - All grades

Relationships in our classrooms are beneficial to classroom management, creating a classroom community, and helping our students grow as readers and writers. In this session, we will discuss ways to foster relationship at the outset of a school year between teachers and students, teachers and parents, and between the students in the classroom.

Presenter: Katherine Sokolowski (@katsok) is a fifth grade teacher in Monticello, Illinois. She blogs at http://readwriteandreflect.blogspot.com/ and writes for Choice Literacy.

Revise Your Workshop and Awaken Your Purpose - Grades PreK - 5

The words of each writer have never been written before. As teachers, we are observers of these words. Awaken your purpose with tools to better respond to the writers you influence each day. Participants can look forward to tightening up their writing workshop and easily incorporating elements of a routine to their daily writing. We will engage in conversations about conferring and monitoring student work as well as what to do once the information is collected.

Presenter: Betsy Hubbard is a certified early childhood educator. She received her B.A. in Early Childhood Education in 2001. Her teaching career began in Kalamazoo, MI with preschool and kindergarten students. She has continued to teach early and primary grades and is currently a K/1 looping teacher in Olivet, Michigan. She loves collaborating with teachers Prek-12, sharing ideas, celebrations and all things related to writing instruction and best practice. As a co-author of Two Writing Teachers, Betsy is able to share this learning with readers across the globe. Betsy is the creator of Chalk-A-Bration, a monthly celebration of poetry and poem illustrations using chalk. She loves music, running and blowing on dandelions. She is a wife and mother residing in Battle Creek, Michigan. Betsy can also be found at Two Writing Teachers [http://twowritingteachers.wordpress.com], I Think in Poems [http://ithinkinpoems.blogspot.com], Teaching Young Writers [http://teachingyoungwriters.blogspot.com], and on Twitter @Betsy_writes.

Demystifying Argumentative Writing - Secondary

This interactive demonstration breaks down the key moves of academic writing, providing students with sophisticated brushstrokes that allow them to practice the language of scholars and learn formal structures without totally losing their autonomy as writers.

Presenter: Erica Beaton (@B10LovesBooks) spends her days teaching high school English and US history and some of her nights teaching literacy studies courses as an adjunct instructor at GVSU. The rest of her time, she is pretty much either reading or working to fill her classroom library.

Nerd Up!

All grades

As a member of Nerdy Book Club, you already believe in and share the love of reading with your students. Now it's time to Nerd Up and apply this same practice to writing. We'll look at our favorite Nerdy reads as mentor texts, engage in writing and goal-setting with Teachers Write, and explore technology that helps us ramp up our wiring instruction Nerdy Book Club-style. In the true spirit of nErDcamp, this session will be highly interactive and leave you energized and full of ideas to implement with your students.

Presenter: Jen Vincent

Jen Vincent is a Coordinator of Instructional Technology for School District U-46 in Elgin, Illinois. She is a former special education teacher who worked with students who are deaf and hard of hearing from preschool through high school. Her passion is modeling and inspiring others to live with a growth mindset in all aspects of their life but especially in teaching and learning. She believes in the power of being a connected educator and in providing professional development opportunities for teachers that honor adult learning theories - there will be no sit-and-get in her sessions! Jen writes for Choice Literacy, hosts Sunday Check-Ins for Teachers Write and blogs at www.teachmentortexts.com

Poetry Throughout the Year and Across the Curriculum - All Grades

Poetry doesn't need to be limited to a single unit taught in April during National Poetry Month. A poem is a short text to read closely, to write richly, to spark thinking, to synthesize learning. Session participants should be ready to read poetry, write poetry, and talk about poetry. But don't worry -- poetry-phobes will be welcomed and gently encouraged to participate within their comfort level.

Presenter: Mary Lee Hahn

Mary Lee is a fifth grade teacher in Dublin, Ohio. Her poetry can be found in the Poetry Friday Anthologies (K-5, 6-8, Science), on the blog she writes with Franki Sibberson (A Year of Reading http://readingyear.blogspot.com), and on her website (MaryLeeHahn.com). When she's not teaching or writing poetry (and sometimes when she is), you can find her working in a garden fly fishing, or baking the most amazing 3-layer from scratch chocolate cake in the universe.

Just a Few iPads: Amazing Learning Opportunities Without Being 1:1 - Elementary

Are you at a loss for how to embed a few iPads (or even one!) into your existing lessons? Don't have a device for every student? Let me and my students show you how to have technology play an important role in your classroom without being the focus. You'll see what our classroom looks like and how it is managed minus the 1:1. Students can still be fully involved with only a few iPads. Bring your own laptop or iPad and be ready to CREATE from your new learnings!

Presenter: Breanna Davey (@studiobree) is a 4th grade teacher in Spring Arbor, MI. She loves integrating technology in creative and effective ways in her classroom. When she isn't teaching, you can find her working on her new house, spending time with her family, or playing with her camera.

No More Blank Pages: Writing Tools that Inspire Using Technology to Facilitate Writing - All Grades

Ever wonder how technology can engage and inspire young writers? In this session you will learn about tools that spark students' interest in writing and provide authentic writing opportunities reaching beyond the four walls of the classroom. We will look at different blogging options, sites that inspire writing opportunities, and more!

Presenters: Brad Wilson and Stacey Schuh

Stacey Schuh is an Educational Technology Consultant for the Jackson ISD. Stacey is a former 6th grade teacher who enjoys working with teachers and students on implementing technology to support best teaching practices. Stacey's favorite part of her job is working in classrooms and talking with educators about what they want to do in their classrooms and how technology can facilitate learning and instruction. Stacey is also a self-proclaimed foodie and cupcake connoisseur!

Brad Wilson is a former fourth grade teacher turned Ed Tech Consultant and Speaker. He has the privilege of supporting educator in Jackson County, MI and also enjoys working to empower teacher and student voice through the #MichED movement. Brad has created iPad apps to inspire kids to write and capture stories and is an Eventful Learning evangelist.

Professional Development Through Twitter Chats - All Grades

Educator​s around the globe are connecting through social media engaging in real time conversations taking place everyday of the week on various educational topics. Learn how Twitter “chats” are being used as a learning tool to improve and enhance instructional practices. This session will look at sample chats such as #edchat, #digcit, and #edtechchat as examples of how educators are connecting to share resources and learn from one another.

Presenter: Shannon Degan is the Director of Technology for the Jackson County Intermediate School District, providing technical services to 22 school districts across two counties serving nearly 30,000 students. As a former elementary and middle school teacher, he believes in empowering and connecting educators to improve teaching and learning.

KidBlog Top 10 - All Grades

1. Blogging is a confidence builder.
   
2. Blogging is cross-curricular.
   
3. You can grow your own PLN (personal learning network).
   
4. Authentic writing for authentic audiences.
   
5. Exposure to technology.
   
6. Collaborative experiences.
   
7. Each student can build their own writing portfolio.
   
8. Non-traditional writing option for "reluctant" writers.
   
9. KidBlog is FREE!
   
10. Instant engagement!

Bring your own laptop (preferred) or iPad and be ready to EXPLORE and CREATE!

Presenter: Michelle DuBois (@michelleldubois) is a fourth grade teacher in Michigan Center, Michigan. Her missions is to inspire and empower students to take ownership of their learning and to share their ideas, thoughts, projects, and successes with the world. http://dailydubois.blogspot.com/

Purposeful Tech in a Reading Workshop - Elementary, MIddle

Tech tools have changed how we look at reading, but we still need to keep authentic reading as the focus for our reading workshops. We can't ignore online reading or eReaders, but simply making these tools available won't necessarily help our students develop the habits that will lead to becoming lifelong readers. In this session participants will learn strategies to blend tech use into reading workshops with purpose and intentionality in order to maintain the focus on reading.

Presenter: Tony Keefer is a fourth grade Language Arts teacher in Dublin, Ohio. His number one goal is to teach children how to maintain a life of reading and writing after they leave fourth grade. He writes for Choice LIteracy and you can find him on twitter (@tonykeefer). When he isn't teaching or reading you can probably find Tony hanging out with his family or at a local pub watching proper football.