Participant Perspective: Lucia Dominak

Lucia Dominak
Intervention Specialist
Brecksville-Broadview Hts. Schools

Why are you coming to EdCamp Cleveland?

It sounded interesting and different.  I have a lot of different perspectives to share, i.e. parent, student, part-time educator, full-time educator, public school educator, private school educator.

What have you been learning lately?

brushing up on my Spanish a little.  documenting family history.  learning another language.

If you could attend a session on any topic, what would it be about?

improving student motivation and increasing their intellectual curiosity.
getting students to resist the influence of popular culture

If you could change the world…

Have students value learning for the sake of learning, and not try to get by with the minimum.  Give students with a history of academic failure chances to succeed and maintain hope in the educational process.

The ideal classroom is…

a place where students want to learn and achieve enough success along the way to keep them motivated.  a place where student learning is not always evaluated by testing.

What’s the best book you’ve read this year?

The Five People You Meet in Heaven

Participant Perspectives highlight some of the people who are planning to attend EdCamp Cleveland. If you would like to be profiled too, please fill out this form and we’ll take it from there.

25% More EdCamp, Same Great Price

We’ve listened to the feedback from EdCamp Cleveland 2012 and adjusted the schedule to include FIVE sessions instead of four. At the same time, we have also adjusted the length of each session from 50 minutes to 60.

To make this work, we’ve reduced the amount of down-time in the morning, shortened the opening and closing sessions, and shaved a few minutes off lunch. Here’s the new, improved schedule:

Schedule for the Day

8:00 – 8:30	Registration & Build the Schedule
8:30 – 8:50	Welcome Session
9:00 – 10:00	Session 1
10:10 – 11:10	Session 2
11:20 – 12:20	Session 3
12:20 – 1:00	Lunch
1:00 – 2:00	Session 4
2:10 – 3:10	Session 5
3:15 – 3:45	Closing Session & Giveaways

We’ll be sure to finish on time, because everyone has to be out of the building by 4:00. And, of course, EdCamp is still free. Please register online to let us know you’re coming, and we’ll see you June 14.

 

Sponsor Spotlight: Brecksville-Broadview Heights Education Association

The Brecksville-Broadview Heights Education Association represents more than 200 licensed staff members working in the Brecksville-Broadview Heights schools.

BEA provides collective bargaining representation for its members. Additionally, it provides legal services for teachers, advocacy for retirement interests, and a voice in state and national political arenas.

Through its affiliations with the Ohio Education Association and the National Education Association, BEA is committed to helping improve public education and the lives of Ohio’s children. The association is dedicated to working in partnership with parents, community leaders and elected officials to help children and improve public education.

BEA and OEA also provide myriad professional development opportunities for its members, with the goal of improving teaching and learning in classrooms across the state.

The Brecksville-Broadview Heights Education Association contributed $100 to help offset the costs of EdCamp Cleveland. We are grateful for their support.

Participant Perspective: Sue Grodek

Sue Grodek
Title 1 Teacher
Brooklyn City Schools

 

Twitter: @suegrodek

Why are you coming to EdCamp Cleveland?

A friend who is volunteering invited me.  It sounds like one of those high energy, very motivating days where you get to hang out with other teachers, share and create new ideas. I hope to come away with my head spinning with the possibilities.

What have you been learning lately?

I’ve spent a lot of time working on assessments related to CCS this year for our first grade team.  It has been a definite learning experience for me.

If you could attend a session on any topic, what would it be about?

It is easier to say what I would stay clear of- OTES, SLO, SGM, PARCC.

Seriously, early elementary education spin on topics like project based learning and assessing for CCS. Also, managing small group instruction and no new instruction blocks.

The ideal classroom is…

Peaceful, inviting, and engaging. A space where all people are valued for their talents and interests.

What’s the best book you’ve read this year?

My list of professional books this year is short, Teach Like a Pirate.  It is an engaging read. I made several highlights.   My list of non-professional books looks like a list of brain candy and nothing worth noting here.

Participant Perspectives highlight some of the people who are planning to attend EdCamp Cleveland. If you would like to be profiled too, please fill out this form and we’ll take it from there.

Sponsor Spotlight: Educational Service Center of Cuyahoga County

The Educational Service Center (ESC) of Cuyahoga County provides high quality assistance to school districts and agencies in order to offer a broad range of resources to support their missions to serve all learners.

These services can include everything from staffing to professional development services to options for alternative schooling. In many ways, the ESC acts as an intermediary between the school districts and the state, helping schools to comply with state regulations, interpret and address school report card data, and help with the administration of federal and state programs, initiatives, and grants.

One of the most valuable services provided by the ESC is the catalyst for collaboration. ESC districts are working together on shared services, professional development, technology programs, and other projects that mutually benefit the districts involved. By encouraging schools to come together to share best practices and working solutions, they increase the value provided by the school districts and the educational opportunities available to students.

For information on the programs and resources available for teachers, visit the ESC’s web site.

The Educational Service Center of Cuyahoga County supported EdCamp Cleveland by donating $1,000 to defray expenses of the conference. This money covered the cost of lunch for all participants. We are extremely grateful for their continued support.

Fostering Conversations

EdCamp is about conversations. But most of the people attending EdCamp aren’t used to being in sessions where everyone is asked to contribute. As facilitators and participants, it’s helpful to have some models to help foster the conversations.

Fortunately for all of us, Stephanie Sandifer put together this awesome page for facilitators for the Educon conference. Just about everything in this post is shamelessly stolen from her.

So how do we get everyone out of “presentation” mode and into “conversation” mode? Here are a few tips:

1. Rearrange the room. In all probability, the room you’ll be using is an English or Social Studies classroom. Most of them have traditional student desks. Move them around. Arrange the room however it best makes sense for the session. It’s summer — the teacher isn’t going to notice anyway.
2. Forget the Powerpoint. Sure, there are projectors and Smart Boards in the classrooms. Feel free to use them. They’re great for introducing a topic or getting started in a conversation. But don’t present for more than five minutes, and don’t let someone else do a presentation either.
3. Practice using probing questions. Encourage people to think more deeply about the topic being discussed. Don’t be afraid to challenge assumptions and motivations. “Why” can sometimes be the best question to ask.
4. Include everyone. Who isn’t participating? Why? Be aware of body language, of the conversation that’s not being spoken. Take a look at these Considerations for Responsive Facilitation.
5. Acknowledge and value everyone’s contribution. Try to make people feel that their contributions are necessary, valuable components of the session. Encourage them to speak up and share their perspectives.

It’s easy to say that these are all the responsibility of the presenter. But in an EdCamp, there is no presenter. This is a participant-driven conference, and everyone is responsible for leading the sessions. Sure, someone will get the ball rolling, but if everyone works hard to include all voices, we’ll have a much more successful event.

Plus, this gives us good practice for using these models with students.

Participant Perspective: Jacqui Berchtold

Jacqui Berchtold
Teacher
Brecksville-Broadview Hts. Schools

Twitter: Berchtoldj

Why are you coming to EdCamp Cleveland?

Last year’s EdCamp was fantastic and I learned how much I need to learn!  I’ve enjoyed connecting with others through Twitter since then and hearing about their EdCamp experiences.  I want to keep learning and continue to be excited about the best practices in education.

What have you been learning lately?

How to slow down and listen to people to find out what they need and then try to help them.  My first reaction for how to solve the problem may not be the best one.  I am learning to be more patient and let things play out and listen and watch.

If you could attend a session on any topic, what would it be about?

the best and easiest ways to effectively use technology to differentiate instruction in a primary classroom.

If you could change the world…

Students would not be grouped by grade levels or ages.

The ideal classroom is…

No desks.  Lots of movement.  Lots of ages.  Students active.  Lots of play.  Lots of mistakes happening and lots of learning from those mistakes.  Different students working with different things depending upon what they are learning at the time:  pencils and paper, manipulatives, ipads, computers, SmartBoard, etc.  Teacher floats in order to ask questions and answer questions.

What’s the best book you’ve read this year?

Connie Schultz – Life Happens

One more thing…

I’ve been thinking about the next EdCamp since last summer!

Participant Perspectives highlight some of the people who are planning to attend EdCamp Cleveland. If you would like to be profiled too, please fill out this form and we’ll take it from there.