Teacher Education and Professional Development

Motivation is a tricky word because it can be difficult to quantify. Many students struggle with this concept because their lack of "follow through" can look like they don't care, or they just aren't motivated. What if there was a better way to recognize and support the underlying skill gaps that lead to a presentation of lack of motivation? In this presentation we will explore all the different presentations of motivation and where it really stems from and how you can best support your students to produce outcomes. We will also look at how motivation is rooted in a student's social and emotional wellbeing.

Instructor Bio-

Through her warmth and kindness as well as her extraordinary powers of observation, Jenny seeks to create healthy and productive working relationships with her clients. She is highly skilled at the evaluation process, which allows her to diligently assess the needs and desires of people of all ages, including young children. Her approach is proactive, exploratory and creative which promotes growth and identity development within an individual as well as the family. Jenny seeks to help her clients live a life that is a good fit for them.

As a listener, Jenny has an uncanny ability to integrate what she hears and notices things that others often do not. Jenny activates self-awareness in others through her mastery of combining honesty and a sensitivity to other’s vulnerabilities. She has personal experience with physical disability and has spent many years conducting workshops and facilitating group discussions pertaining to the challenges of creating identities beyond disability or exceptionality.
 

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Many gifted individuals who undergo intellectual and neuropsychological assessment find that processing speeds are lagging behind in their overall development. This presentation serves as a primer to understand how better to support the development of processing speeds in real-life contexts with functional application.
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Instructor Bio- 
Mark has been counseling gifted individuals for over 10 years and is the owner and director of the Center for Identity Potential. Mark's experience with gifted counseling began in 2012 under the mentorship of Andy Mahoney, a pioneer and expert in the field of counseling the gifted. Mark is highly respected in the field of gifted counseling and has published numerous articles on topics related to giftedness and counseling. He is also a sought-after speaker and consultant, and has provided training and consultation services to schools, universities, and mental health organizations throughout the United States.

A former video game professional, Mark utilizes his knowledge of gaming and technology to create a strong relationship with many of the kids with whom he works. Through his own personal struggle with executive functioning, validating his giftedness, and finding purpose and meaning in this world, Mark has developed an expertise in the education and skills necessary to help gifted children activate their potential and live more authentic, fulfilling lives.

Ms. Anna Morgan, former UW-Parkside adjunct, hosts a two session virtual workshop on getting to know and connect with your English Language Learners and their families. These sessions will focus on understanding the basics of language acquisition and levels of English your students may have, building rapport, and practical ways to assist students in the classroom. 

Our second session will focus on using assessments for students with varying levels of English. We will also differentiate between students who may need further support due to lack of English fluency versus those who may need academic support due to a learning disability.

Anna Morgan is an educator passionate about reaching second language learners and students with unique abilities. She worked many years in Milwaukee Public Schools in the areas of language immersion, DUAL language and Special Education. For the past 5 years, Ms. Morgan has enjoyed teaching educators at University of Wisconsin-Parkside. She currently is spending time with her children and provides pro-bono English translation.

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The history of mathematics is rich with culture and creativity. People from all around the world have contributed to this growing body of knowledge by inventing strategies and notations to symbolize and generalize their conceptual understanding of mathematics. However, the standardization of school mathematics has (in)advertently put a focus on conventional notations and strategies (i.e. standard algorithms). While there is value to learning to communicate mathematical ideas in a conventional way, ignoring the history and development of such conventions can make mathematics seem rigid, closed, and disconnected.

The common core and NCTM standards attempt to restore the humanness of mathematics partially through the practice standards and partially through content standards that speak to strategies alongside algorithms. Wisconsin's own vision of mathematics states "Mathematics is a human activity of experiencing, interacting with, and relating to the world." To realize this vision, and bring back the richness of culture and ingenuity to mathematics, it comes down to day to day activities that allow students to invent their own strategies and notations alongside learning conventional ones. In doing so, we inspire students to engage in the art of doing mathematics.

Hosted by Mr. Dan Krill and Ms. Nicole O'Connor - Hamilton School District

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Engagement is a key to learning. So, what are the teacher moves that help increase student engagement? This session will share the research that informs our engagement efforts, and will provide easy and intentional moves to increase student engagement across the school year. Bring a planner so that you can embed the specific practices that will work in your classroom. We will explore ideas that work best with Kindergarten all the way through high school and beyond. Build these intentional engagement moves into your school year to support student learning.

Instructor Bio - 
Mary Jo Ziegler is an experienced education consultant and instructional coach. Her career spans over 36 years in diverse educational settings, including rural and urban classroom, school, district, and state level leadership. She spent the first 15 years of her career teaching grades 2-8, and has completed two Master’s Degrees, one in curriculum with a reading specialist certification, and one in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis both from U.W.-Madison. These led to roles as instructional resource teacher, coach, literacy coordinator, PK-12 director of instruction, and DPI Consultant for Title I and reading followed.

Throughout the years, Mary Jo has worked to support educators as they design engaging and effective learning opportunities to motivate achievement by building routines and scaffolds that increase access for all learners. Most recently, through her training as an implementation specialist, MJ has honed skills in supporting district and school leaders as they plan and implement innovations to ensure effective learning across the system. 

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Haidt’s book, about how smartphones and social media have transformed childhood and adolescence, is scary but convincing. Its premise states that starting in the early 2010s, there was a “great rewiring” of an entire generation’s social and intellectual development. 

What makes The Anxious Generation different from other books on similar topics is Haidt’s deduces that we’re actually facing two distinct crises: digital under-parenting (giving kids unlimited and unsupervised access to devices and social media) and real-world over-parenting (protecting kids from every possible harm in the real world). The result is young people who are suffering from addiction-like behaviors, while struggling to handle challenges and setbacks that are part of everyday life. 

Participants need not have read the book to attend. 

Instructor Bio- Dr. Keylly Seichter, Consultant for CESA9; Retired C&I Director, Principal, and AL Coordinator

With a rich and diverse background spanning various roles in education, I bring a wealth of experience to our work. From my beginnings as an elementary teacher to serving as a reading specialist, advanced learner coordinator, principal, director of instruction, CESA consultant, and adjunct university instructor, I've cultivated a unique expertise that informs my approach to diverse instructional challenges.

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