CELL Conference Offers Unique Sessions for New Techs, CELL: Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning

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CELL Conference Offers Unique Sessions for New Techs

CELL’s annual Indiana Education Transformation Conference on November 16–17, 2009, will feature national experts, local leaders, and nearly 70 breakout sessions to transform education across Indiana. Several sessions are geared toward the New Technology High School model to provide new ideas and support to Indiana’s New Tech Schools.

Indiana’s Future: Bold Choices. Better Schools. will provide cutting-edge information, innovative strategies and useful resources to improve educational opportunities throughout the state. Uri Treisman of the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin will launch the conference on November 16 with a keynote address to promote innovation in American education. November 17 will feature Ken Kay of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills to help participants create the connection between education and the economy using 21st Century Skills. Carmita Vaughan of the America’s Promise Alliance will provide strategies for improving education opportunities to help all students succeed in school.

CELL will host a meeting of the Indiana Network of New Technology High Schools on November 16 beginning at 8:30 a.m. Michael DiMaggio, Tim Presiado, Matt Williams and other representatives from the New Tech Network will lead the meeting and work with members to support New Tech implementation for Indiana’s schools and communities. November 17 will feature several sessions of particular interest to Indiana New Tech Network members:

Leadership for Instructional Change: Implementing Project-based Learning in Schools and Classrooms
Developing a culture to support project-based learning requires both creative vision and strong leadership. In this two-hour session, Micheal McDowell of the New Tech Network will help participants explore the various leadership strategies that are necessary to support students, teachers, and administrators in building, maintaining, and sustaining a school centered in project-based learning.

Project-based Learning in Middle School: A Panel Discussion
Project-based learning (PBL) is a perfect environment for engaging middle-grade students for improved academic achievement while nurturing independent learning habits that will serve the students well in high school, college and beyond. During this panel discussion, hear from experienced teachers and administrators to learn about the benefits and challenges of implementing PBL in middle school.
New Technology High School: More Than Just Another Educational Fad
New Technology High School is rapidly expanding in school corporations across Indiana. However, some people think its popularity makes it just another educational fad. Michael DiMaggio, Tim Presiado and Matt Williams of the New Tech Network will discuss the national momentum for this innovative school model, its long-term student success and how New Tech is changing the educational landscape of the United States.

The Real Story of New Tech: Parents and Students Speak Out
What is it like to be a parent of a 21st-century learner? What is it like to be that learner? This panel will answer these questions and more to provide the real story of New Tech from the perspectives of parents and students. Students will provide their opinions of life inside New Tech and give a unique inside look into this new school model. Parents will talk about the adjustments they have had to make and the true impact they have seen on their children.
Project-based Learning Splash
New to Project-based Learning? Alfred Solis of the Buck Institute for Education will provide an introduction that will get your feet wet by pooling best practices in PBL design, management and assessment.

Project-based Learning with the Tough Stuff
Having a hard time adapting the project-based learning approach? Let Alfred Solis of the Buck Institute for Education provide support to teachers and instructional leaders by deconstructing examples and strengthening your creative muscles to conquer subject areas that seem difficult to achieve through PBL.

Technology for Information-age Instruction: How Games, Virtual Environments & Educational Software Can Transform Education
This session, presented by William Watson of the Purdue Center for Serious Games and Learning in Virtual Environments, will argue that there is a pressing need for a significant shift in the current approach to instruction and that technology plays an important role in making that shift. Digital games and virtual worlds offer great promise for effective and engaging instruction for today’s learners while also modeling a key move to learner-centered approaches for instruction. Learning Management Systems (LMS) and other educational software also will need to play a key role in truly transforming our educational systems to promote learning for all students.

Using Technology for Project-based Learning
Technology used to support projects enhances the hands-on, real-life qualities for students so that they are using real tools for real purposes. Technology provides students with a window to the world and allows them to move beyond seeing themselves as “just students” and closer to professionals who aspire to the quality of work they see outside of their school walls. Michael McDowell of the New Tech Network and Drew Schrader from Bloomington New Tech High School will highlight particular technology tools and strategies most effective in the PBL classroom to promote real-world, engaging learning.

Indiana’s New Tech Implementation Models—Whole Schools, Small Learning Communities & New Schools
This panel will highlight the implementation of the New Tech model in a variety of school settings: schools which share a campus, new start-up facilities and whole school conversions. Panelists will highlight their successes, challenges and next steps.