Welcome
Association of Teachers of Exceptional Children (ATEC)
Association of Teachers
of Exceptional Children
Cineplex Theatre - Dartmouth Crossing
October 23, 2015
Host Hotel
Hampton Inn & Suites
Dartmouth Crossing
$151. per night (includes hot breakfast and parking)
Special Rate Code: IDC
Registration Information
No Onsite Registration
Conference Fee: $100.00
Students / Substitutes / Retirees: $75.00
As per NSTU Operational Procedure 14(e)(iii): receipts of payment and attendance will not be distributed until the conference has concluded.
Registrar: Rick MacKinnon
If you are registering by mail, please make your cheque payable to ATEC and send it along with the registration form (click here) to Rick MacKinnon, 51 Yendys Street, Sydney, NS B1S 2W6
Please note this cheque must be sent within ten days or your name will no longer be registered.
Deadline for mail-in is: October 9th.
Deadline for online registration is: October 9th.
Please register early to avoid disappointment. ATEC will only accept the first 1000 participants.
Conference Agenda
| 9:00 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. | A - Sessions |
| 10:15 a.m. - 10:45 a.m. | Break |
| 10:45 a.m. - 12:00 noon | B - Sessions |
| 12:00 noon - 1:15 p.m. | Lunch (on your own) |
| 1:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Annual General Meeting (AGM) |
| 1:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. | C - Sessions |
Guest Speakers
Dr. Edmond Dixon
Dr. Edmond J. Dixon, PhD, is a human development specialist with 30+ years of experience as a teacher, administrator, writer, researcher–and parent of boys! He is the author of Helping Boys Learn in parent and teacher editions.
A pioneer in the field of Cognitive- Kinesthetics for learning he is the founder of the KEEN Differentiated Learning Group, an organization dedicated to helping teachers better engage students. His previous books, KEEN For Learning and Literacy Through Drama have been used by educators in North America to improve classroom learning. A dynamic and popular international speaker, his presentations are focused on helping to provide insights and strategies that are both fun and effective.
Dr. Erik Carter
Erik Carter, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University and a member of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center. His research and teaching focuses on evidence-based strategies for supporting access to the general curriculum and promoting valued roles in school, work, and community settings for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Prior to receiving his doctorate, he worked as a high school teacher and transition specialist with youth with significant disabilities. He has published more than 150 articles, chapters, and books in the areas of educational and transition services for children and youth with disabilities. He was the recipient of the Distinguished Early Career Research Award from the Council for Exceptional Children and the Early Career Award from the American Association for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. His research interests include adolescent transitions from school to adult life; peer-mediated interventions; inclusion and access to the general curriculum; and faith and congregational supports.
Dr. Judy Willis, M.D. M.Ed.
Dr. Judy Willis combined her 15 years as a board-certified practicing neurologist with ten subsequent years as a classroom teacher to become a leading authority in the neuroscience of learning. Dr. Willis has written seven books and more than 50 articles for professional journals applying neurosciece research to successful teaching strategies. She is on the adjunct faculty of the University of California Graduate School of Education, Santa Barbara. Dr. Willis travels nationally and internationally giving presentations, workshops, and consulting while continuing to write books and staff expert blogs for NBC News Education Nation, Edutopia, Psychology Today, and The Guardian. In 2011 she was selected by Edutopia as a “Big Thinkers on Education.”
Susan Hopkins, Ed.D., Executive Director, The MEHRIT Centre, Ltd.
As a one-time at-risk youth who quit high school twice, Susan has gone on to complete four degrees including a Doctorate in Education and Masters in Educational Technology. Over the course of Susan’s career, she has been an educator, school administrator, special education teacher, inclusive schooling coordinator, curriculum developer and educational researcher. She has taught in a variety of cultural contexts, including four years teaching international students in Italy and seven years working in an Indigenous community in Northern Canada. Her students have ranged from the early years and kindergarten through to grade 12 and on to post-secondary in her role as an instructor for Queen’s University. As the Early Childhood and Kindergarten Coordinator for the Northwest Territories (NWT), Susan led the territorial implementation of the Early Development Instrument, co-authored the Government’s Early Childhood Framework and developed the NWT kindergarten curriculum. She then led the Planning, Research and Evaluation division for the Department of Education before relocating to Edmonton to head up the Society of Safe and Caring Schools and Communities for one year. Her heart was always with the self-regulation work of Dr. Stuart Shanker and so she recently transitioned to formally join the MEHRIT Centre team as Executive Director and is now devoting herself full-time to Dr. Shanker’s organization with a focus on supporting self- regulation research, knowledge mobilization, capacity building and systemic change.
Linda Warren, M.Ed., Self-Regulation Senior Consultant at The MEHRIT Centre Ltd.
Linda Warren retired from the Durham District School Board after 31 years of working in public education. In her most recent role as the Safe Schools Officer, Linda provided leadership in the district implementation of a variety of Safe and Caring Schools initiatives to support student academic success and well-being in the development of capable adults and successful citizens. Initiatives included Positive School Climates, Self-Regulation, Character Education, Restorative Practice, Progressive Discipline, Bullying and Cyberbullying Prevention, Mental Health First Aid and Violent Threat Risk Assessment. Linda was a school principal, she taught in both elementary and secondary schools, in regular classrooms and in the school support of students with special needs. She also provided support to the district as an Instructional Facilitator K-12 and as a Special Education Facilitator.
Linda continues to work towards creating and sustaining environments where all stakeholders live, work and learn together in supportive and safe cultures that are welcoming, inclusive and respectful. Presently, Linda is a member of the Board of Directors for Frontenac Youth Services, a not for profit mental health agency for children and youth and their families. As well, she supports others in the learning of Dr. Stuart Shanker’s work on self-regulation in her role as the Self-Regulation Senior Consultant at The MEHRIT Centre Ltd.
Russ Sanche
Russ Sanche has been involved in leadership training and education with young people for over 30 years. Russell has worked in various cultures, creating the space to help young people to face adversity, take responsibility, and give back to their community. In Nova Scotia, through the Portal Youth Centre, Russ reaches out to young people and families that are stressed and challenged. He helps them to navigate through the system, getting the support they need, and rise up to a better life. Building partnerships and working to see a community care about all members, young and old is Russ’s passion. He and his wife, Cynthia have chosen to live out this next chapter of their lives in the trenches of a forgotten community (youth at risk) in the Annapolis Valley.
Jared Harris
Jared Harris is a young man that knows and understands what it means to experience poverty and homelessness. He also knows what intervention is meaningful. Jared now works closely with Russ and is determined to change his community. He has overcome great adversity and has a passion to see youth rise up, desire change, and have a better life. Jared is currently completing grade twelve and looking at his many options for the future.
Mike Isaac
Michael J. Isaac is a Mi’kmaw from the community of Listuguj, Quebec. With many lived experiences within Law Enforcement, and various Federal Departments last of which was with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). Within his educational background he holds the following degrees: B.A. in Anthropology/Sociology from Cape Breton University, a B.Ed. and M.Ed. from Saint Francis Xavier University. After teaching elementary school for more than six years, he then took the position of Student Services Consultant with the Nova Scotia Department of Education which he held for two years. Mike has returned to his community and now teaches at the First Nation Regional Adult Education Center. Mike has also taught a course at Acadia University and Cape Breton University part-time. He has also authored two books written in Mi’kmaw and English, How The Cougar Came To Be Called The Ghost Cat and The Lost Teachings.
Joanne Porter
Joanne Porter is recently retired from the Annapolis Valley Regional School Board (AVRSB) where, for the past five years, she worked as the Consultant of Autism. Previous to this, she was the first teacher of the Enhanced Support Program (ESP) in AVRSB. ESP is a specialized program established to meet the needs of students who are highly impacted by their Autism and as Consultant, she established similar programs in three additional locations. Her other teaching experiences span 25 years and include subject teacher at the Middle and High School levels; Resource at the Elementary, Middle and High School levels; and a Learning Centre teacher at the Middle and High School levels.
Becky Churchill Keating
Dr. Becky Churchill Keating is a Registered Psychologist who graduated from York University’s Clinical-Developmental program with specialization in serving a child and youth population. She has worked as a Clinical Psychologist with the Child and Youth Mental Health Team in the Annapolis Valley (Nova Scotia Health Authority) for over eight years. She currently also acts as the Director of Clinical Training for the Psychology Residency Program for Mental Health and Addictions Services. In her role at the clinic she provides assessments and interventions for children and youth with a wide range of mental health concerns but her passion is for anxiety disorders in young children. She played a role in developing the clinic’s Helping Anxious Children course for caregivers, facilitates the Cool Kids Anxiety Treatment Group for children and caregivers, and worked collaboratively with the Annapolis Valley Regional School Board to develop and carry out the School Attendance/Refusal Pilot Project in the 2014-2015 academic year at Aldershot Elementary School. Dr. Keating’s presentation will review reasons why students have attendance problems and what can be done to address such. There will be a stronger emphasis on promotion and prevention but a collaborative approach to intervention will also be discussed i.e., roles for parents, educators, and mental health service providers.
Susan Zurawski, M.Ed.
Susan Zurawski has a Bachelor’s Degree majoring in Special Education from Augusta State University, a Master’s degree in Severe Profound Education from Boston College and a Master’s Degree in Teaching to Diversity from Mount Saint Vincent University. She has published an article with Special World Magazine titled “ Making Inclusion Work in the Classroom” (first issue, 2014). Susan has also presented methods of inclusion in Professional Development presentations at Riverside Education Centre where she works as an Extended Program Support Teacher.
This is Susan’s second time presenting for ATEC on the topic of inclusion.
Jude Gerard
Jude was born in Sheet Harbour and grew up between his First Nation community and Cole Harbour. He received a Bachelor of Commerce from Saint Mary’s University where he majored in Finance and Human Resources, a Bachelor of Education from Acadia University, and is currently working on a Master’s of Education with a focus on Inclusive Education. Jude is a former member of the RCMP, has worked for Veterans’ Affairs, and in various prisons across Canada with Correctional Services of Canada. For eight years he was the Mi’kmaq Services Specialist with the Annapolis Valley Regional School Board and for the past year has worked as the Student Services Consultant for the Mi’kmaq Services Division at the Department of Education and Early Childhood Education. Jude has presented at conferences in Canada and the United States on systemic and institutional racism in schools. Jude is currently delivering PD to school boards across the province in Cultural Proficiency and Courageous Conversations about Race. He currently lives in Aylesford with his wife Meri and is about to send his last of three children off to university in the fall.
Aaron Callaghan
Aaron is the Acting Assessment Coordinator for the Chignecto-Central Regional School Board. He has taught students from grades 5-12, primarily Mathematics, Science and Technology. Aaron has been a middle level school administrator and most recently a regional consultant.
Stacy Samson
Stacy Samson has 19 years of experience as a teacher and is currently working as an Executive Staff Officer in Member Services at the Nova Scotia Teachers Union. Her duties include contract interpretation, negotiations, grievances, answering member enquiries, supporting teachers in administrative positions and working with both Locals and Regional Representative Councils. She is also responsible for the NSTU Discipline Committee and is the NSTU representative on the Provincial and Regional Job Security Committees.
Gretchen Hanser Ph.D
Gretchen has worked in the field of assistive technology and literacy for students with significant disabilities for over 20 years. She is an educator and an occupational therapist. She has worked in a variety of educational settings developing model classrooms, developing school based assistive technology centers, providing teacher and related service provider trainings, participating in assistive technology assessment teams and working directly with students and staff in the classroom. Her primary focus has been on augmentative and alternative communication and literacy for students with the most significant disabilities. Gretchen presents nationally and internationally on these subjects. She completed her doctoral research on an integrated literacy and communication intervention with students with significant disabilities.
Full Morning Session
A1, A2, A3 and A4 are full morning sessions- Do not register for a B session
Please note: Break for A1, A2, A3 and A4 will be at 10:00am.
AB1 - Helping Boys Learn: 6 Secrets of Teaching Boys in the Classroom
Dr. Dixon
Boys underachievement in the classroom is an increasingly common problem for educators at all levels. This disengagement from learning comes at a time when school achievement is more important than ever for success in a competitive, knowledge-based world economy. Join Dr. Edmond J. Dixon for a fascinating, entertaining, and inspiring look at how the "6 Secrets of Boys Learning" can help you get a better understanding of the "male" mind and point the way towards helping the boys in your class become motivated, engaged and confident ,independent learners who bring their "game" to classroom tasks in ways that reward both students and teachers.
AB2 - Evidence-based peer support strategies: Promoting inclusion, learning, and relationships
Dr. Erik Carter
This interactive workshop will focus on the promise and possibilities of peer support and peer network interventions as evidence-based approaches for promoting the inclusion and social participation of students with severe disabilities within inclusive classrooms, extracurricular activities, and other school settings. Step-by-step approaches for implementing peer support arrangements and peer networks will be shared, along with recommendations for reconsidering the use of individually assigned paraprofessionals and other special education staff to promote school inclusion.
AB3 - The Balanced Literacy Overview for Students with Disabilities
Dr. Gretchen Hanser
The prospect of teaching students with significant disabilities to read with comprehension and write generatively may seem daunting. This presentation will review a Balanced Literacy Club approach, working as a team to support all teachers, therapists and aides. This project included: a full-day presentation, short monthly presentations including make-it projects, in-class modeling and coaching, and team celebration of success. So far, the clubs have spanned a dozen school districts and 100+ classrooms, and include a range of students with cognitive impairments, autism spectrum disorders, physical impairments and using AAC devices. I will share: assessment ideas, videos, data, and specific strategies for all parts of balanced literacy (word study, guided reading, writing and self-directed reading), and tips for getting EVERYONE onboard and excited about pushing for quality, research-based literacy instruction. For each area, you will see several apps and how to use those apps interactively.
AB4 - Characteristics of Autism and Teaching Strategies
Joanne Porter
The session will look at the core and associated features of Autism and give teaching strategies to address these features and thus support students with ASD in the classroom.
A - Sessions
A5 - Obtaining and Sustaining the Brain's Attentive Focus
Dr. Judy Willis
Multimedia access has changed the way students attend to their environment. The digital age presents a new set of challenges, but neuroscience has revealed the stimuli and circumstances that grab and sustain the brain's attention. After experiencing the power of the "alien" that controls what sensory information gets into their own brains, participants will have greater awareness of what interventions are needed to get input accepted by the involuntary attention filter.
This topic focuses on using the correlations from neuroscience research to increase educators' toolkits for sustaining students' attentive focus, motivation, and memory by using strategies that promote their brains to want to know what they have to teach.
A6 - Self-Regulation and the Learning Environment
Susan Hopkins
When we talk about how important it is to create safe and caring learning environments, we are talking about creating the kind of environment, emotional, as well as physical, that turns off a child or adolescent's alarm. This produces a shift from what neuroscientists call the "survival brain" to the "learning brain." The learning going on here doesn't just concern what goes on in class. It's learning about what's going on inside your body; understanding your feelings and emotions; knowing what others are thinking and feeling; recognizing the impact of your actions and utterances on others. Gather some practical strategies from the field that can be applied in any classroom to begin creating a more self-regulation promoting learning environment.
A7 - A Strength's Based Approach to Creating Safe and Caring Classrooms and School with Progressive Discipline and Self-Regulation
Linda Warren
Safe and caring classrooms and schools provide a framework for promoting academic success and well-being. In this workshop, you will investigate how self-regulation, progressive discipline and engaging student voice and leadership will promote a positive learning climate. Participants will be provided with a template for planning based on classroom/school strengths.
A8 - Using Formative Assessment to Inform Teaching in Elementary Grades
Aaron Callaghan
In order to make the best decisions to support learners in the classroom, teachers must frequently check for student understanding of the intended learning targets. In a similar manner, learners who regularly engage in self and peer assessment gain a deeper understanding of the intended learning and are better able to produce quality work. This session will examine the big ideas of formative assessment and review several practical strategies for checking-in on student learning.
A9 - The Four R's to Aboriginal Success in Schools
Jude Gerard
An in-depth look at what is needed to ensure the success of Aboriginal students within the public school system. Various findings are broken down and presented in a traditional First Nation view using the Medicine Wheel. Based on the research of the Canadian Council of Learning, Gabriel Dumont Institute, Dr. Marie Battiste, Jacqueline Ledoux, Ted Amendt, Yatta Kanu, and the Shuswap School District, this staff workshop takes a look at the Four "R's" in Aboriginal education (Resiliency, Relevance, Relationships, and Respect) and what we can do to ensure each of these areas is being nurtured. Staff is given an opportunity to view several resources that can be used to incorporate First Nation culture, knowledge, and traditions, throughout the curriculum.
A10 - School Refusal
Becky Churchill Keating
The session will provide participants with a greater understanding of school refusal and the risks associated with not addressing this increasingly challenging problem in our schools. Participants will leave knowing more about the many reasons children may refuse to attend school and how to work with parents, administration, and mental health professionals to address school attendance problems early. The emphasis will be on early intervention as a way of possibly preventing issues with chronic school refusal in older children and youth but there will be some discussion of how to best help youth who have longstanding school refusal. A new pilot project that provided early intervention in two elementary schools in the Annapolis Valley during the 2014-2015 academic year will be reviewed. Participants will be able to implement some of the project's interventions in their own schools.
A11 - Teachers and the Law
Stacy Samson
The Teachers and the Law Presentation will examine the following:
- Contractual framework (collective agreements)
- Statutory framework (applicable laws, regulations)
- Teacher (employee) Safety
- Injury on Duty
- Student Safety
- Criminal law issues
B - Sessions
B5 - Brain's Responses to Emotion and the Strategies that Promote Perseverance, Growth Mindset, and Self-Motivated Learners
Dr. Judy Willis
Some students come to us already discouraged, with negative baggage about their own potential, school in general, or the subjects we teach. Other students, who have already mastered the material, are bored. When boredom or frustration occurs frequently, the consequences include fixed mindset, reduced effort, and increasing "behavior" problems.
When stress is high the brain's emotional filter (the amygdala deep in the limbic system) becomes hyperactive. This "emotional switching station" determines whether information flows up to the highest thinking prefrontal cortex to become memory or down to the lower "reactive" brain, where memory is not constructed. In addition, if high stress causes this structure to block access to the higher brain (prefrontal cortex) the brain's output in terms of behaviour is involuntary and limited to reactive responses.
This section offers interventions to increase engagement and motivation to reduce the stressors that cause the blocked flow into and out of the prefrontal cortex (PFC).
These interventions will increase flow to the PFC, so learning can become memory, and allow the reflective neural networks in the PFC to stay in control of emotional responses, to reduce students' involuntary stress-activated lower brain reactions of "act out" or "zone out".
Interventions include building a supportive classroom climate with the focus on the empowerment of the learners and planning instruction and formative assessments with relevance and connections to students' strengths. The components that motivate video game players' perseverance will also be "translated" into teaching strategies without the use of the video games. The components that power gamer perseverance are presented as strategies to be applied in the classroom promoting student "buy-in" to goals and providing learning at their levels of individual achievable challenge to achieve the outcomes of internal motivation and growth mindsets.
B6 - ​Rethinking the Meaning of "Safe": Stress, Bullying and Self-Regulation
Susan Hopkins
There are certain unmistakable signs of when a child doesn't feel safe: the child is very withdrawn and subdued; emotionally volatile; overly anxious; highly impulsive; inattentive, or easily distracted --- or bullying other children. We have so much research now telling us how important it is for children's well-being that they feel safe. So, what exactly does "safe" mean for all children, including those acting aggressively towards others? The problem with seeing "safe" solely in terms of stamping out bullying is that this may lead us to think that this is simply a problem of self-control. But it's not. Children (and adolescents) can only exercise self-control when they are calm, and that requires knowing when and why they are agitated and what they can do to return to being calm. In other words, when they self-regulate.
B7 - ​Rethinking Challenging Behaviours with Strategies to Support Students in the Classroom
Linda Warren
Participants will have the opportunity to reflect on Dr. Stuart Shanker's Five Domains of Self-Regulation and the impact of stress on student behaviour. In particular, methods for assessing the difference between stress behaviour and misbehaviour will be considered and strategies to support students will be provided.
B8 -Using Formative Assessment to Inform Teaching and Learning in Secondary Grades
Aaron Callaghan
In order to make the best decisions to support learners in the classroom, teachers must frequently check for student understanding of the intended learning targets. In a similar manner, learners who regularly engage in self and peer assessment gain a deeper understanding of the intended learning and are better able to produce quality work. This session will examine the big ideas of formative assessment and review several practical strategies for checking-in on student learning.
B9 - Working Towards Engagement for Success
Mike Isaac
Within the frame work of Cultural Proficiency, educators will through an inside outside approach to lifelong learning begin to value the three pillars for success (Relationship - Content - Pedagogy). Through an awareness of Mi'kmaq academic knowledge, educators will build on cultural continuity into both content and instructional approaches within all subject areas. Thus allowing improved student engagement and success! Strong relationships are prerequisites of growth and learning! Then an engaged student will have fun learning and create the critical thinking student we all strive to develop.
B10 - The Diverse Classroom: Models, Methods and Tips for Inclusive Teaching
Susan Zurawski
​There are models of Teaching to Diversity in the classroom that EVERYONE can use and there is a basic scaffolding that can be put into place to ensure lasting support and effective learning for all students. This session is designed to help teachers and educators build their own scaffolding and find the type of model that will enhance an inclusive environment and make the curriculum outcomes easier to teach and reach to all learning abilities. The session will end with a question period using audience participation for problem solving.
B11 - Poverty: A deep hole that makes it hard to see the horizon
Russ Sanche/ Jared Harris
Imagine walking in their shoes. Not sure where you will sleep or what you will wear. Eating is optional, if possible. The pain and sorrow is great. Rejected, alone and hopeless. "You want me to get an education? How could I even imagine that being possible? What's the point? I am doomed to the life my parents lived." Poverty is like being in a deep hole that makes it hard to see the horizon.
Children and youth facing the intense challenge of poverty and homelessness are often unseen and their stories are seldom heard. When it seems that everyone else has more and things are easy, how could the young person speak up? Would you or I know what to say? What questions could we ask? What does an effective intervention look like? How do we express empathy and demonstrate care that is practical? How do we navigate the layers of trauma? Teachers have an opportunity to see the indicators of stress and throw a lifeline into the hole and play a part of seeing the young person climb out into the daylight.
C - Sessions
C1 - Teaching the Kinesthetic Learner in the Classroom
Dr. Dixon
Many students need to use their bodies to learn effectively. Otherwise they lack the engagement and understanding necessary to reach their potential in school. But how can their needs be met in a busy classroom crowded with bodies and curriculum expectations? That is the focus for this fun, hands-on and practical workshop that will introduce you to the power of "Cognitive Kinesthetics" and give the insights and strategies that you need to help kinesthetic learners the very next time you go into the classroom.
C2 - Promoting rigor, relevance, and relationships: Equipping youth with disabilities for a good life after high school
Dr. Carter
This presentation will focus on what we know works best for equipping students with the skills, supports, opportunities, and relationships that set them on a course for living a "good life" after high school. Dr. Carter will highlight current research addressing effective approaches for supporting students with disabilities to (a) access rigorous learning opportunities in their school, (b) connect to relevant school and community experiences that prepare them for adulthood, and (c) develop supportive relationships with peers and caring adults. Every educator - across all grade levels - plays a critical role in supporting successful transitions. Learn how your efforts can support the long-term success of students.
C3 - Shared Writing: Get Going!
Dr. Gretchen Hanser
From the very start, writing is an essential, unquestioned component of literacy development for typically developing children. For students with significant disabilities who cannot hold a pencil, writing may be laborious and frustrating, and may not even be on the radar. This workshop will change that so that students engage in writing EVERY day! A wide range of meaningful classroom writing activities and strategies will be demonstrated with tools to support student success, such as alternative pencils, augmentative and alternative communication devices and other forms of assistive technology. Videos and writing samples will be shown of real students with the most significant disabilities in elementary to high school classrooms. Sample goals and ways of assessing writing will be shared. Suggestions for using the same activities with students with mild disabilities will be discussed.
C4 - The Brain, Empathy and Self-Regulation
Susan Hopkins
All children and youth are naturally predisposed to be caring: this is, in fact, a basic property of the human social brain. So instead of asking how we can teach a child to be caring (let alone force!), we need to be asking: what are the factors that are blocking this natural trait, what can we do to mitigate those factors, and how can we teach children and youth skills so that they can manage this for themselves. Self-reg is a process, not a program. There are no "quick fixes" to teach children (or adults!) but reframing "mis" behaviour to "stress" behaviour and learning some practical strategies for applying the five steps of self-reg with children and adolescents who are not demonstrating empathy provides us a solid place to start.
C5 - Constructing and Sustaining Memory
Dr. Judy Willis
The application of the neuroscience research to teaching offers keys to accessing the brain's most powerful information processing networks for memory construction, accuracy, durability, and retrieval. This workshop connects the up to date neuroscience memory research with classroom instruction strategies to help students construct long-term, conceptual memory.
The section begins with information about how the brain uses patterning to construct physical links between new information and prior knowledge when short-term memory is first encoded. This must be followed by mental manipulation to activate the neuroplasticity response through which memories are consolidated into larger circuits that are sustained in memory storage and retrieved efficiently for subsequent applications.
The focus will be about the most effective mental manipulation practices that can be used to promote the brain's short-term memory encoding and activate the neuroplasticity that constructs sustained, durable, and efficiently retrievable long-term memory.
C6 - How to Teach Students about Self-Regulation using Existing Resources
Linda Warren
This workshop will provide an overview of the implementation of Dr. Stuart Shanker's Five Domains of Self-Regulation into a secondary school with grade nine students. Participants in this workshop will be provided with a brief overview of Dr. Stuart Shanker's Five Domains of Self-Regulation, an overview of lessons and a review of a tool, "How are you doing?" that is being utilized in elementary and secondary schools for co-regulation and self-regulation.