Sessions: Thursday Morning

9:30 a.m. – 11 a.m.

Affirming Cultural and Linguistic Identities in the Classroom—Part 1
Students need to see themselves reflected in the classroom, be able to learn about their peers, build relationships with one another, and connect with cultures and experiences that inspire their thinking and open their eyes to the world around them. In this session, educators will take part in a hands-on collaborative learning experience in which we research and engage in practices that leverage social emotional learning to affirm the cultural and linguistic identities of our students. Participants will leave inspired and motivated to create new opportunities for all students to engage meaningfully in their prekindergarten and elementary classrooms and school learning communities. Part 2 will be held at 3:30 p.m. today. Participants must attend both sessions to qualify for a certificate.
Presenters: Stephanie Byrd, prekindergarten inclusion teacher, Boston Public Schools; Lea Serena, second-grade teacher, Boston Public Schools

Contemporary Perspectives: Representing Native American Culture in Schools
Native Americans and Native American culture are widely misrepresented and misappropriated. Learn how to present history from a native perspective while helping your students, both native and non-native, see Native American culture as current and thriving. This session will provide various ways of integrating native themes into the curriculum—from food sovereignty in science and social studies to literature to reading selections.
Presenters: Leander Houston, science and mathematics teacher, University High School, Orlando, Fla.; Giselle Lundy-Ponce, executive assistant to the executive vice president, American Federation of Teachers: Kristine Montgomery, social studies teacher, Legacy High School, Bismarck, N.D.

The Current Events Classroom: Teaching About Bias, Diversity and Social Justice—Part 1
Are discussions about the #MeToo movement making their way into your classroom? Do you want to discuss other news topics with your students, such as the Muslim ban, voting rights, immigration and “taking a knee,” but are not sure how to do it? Are you concerned that these discussions will backfire, leading to arguments, discord and less understanding? Young people—through overheard conversations and their social media feeds—constantly hear about controversial issues in the news, especially those that concern bias, hate and social justice. Using the Anti-Defamation League’s anti-bias framework, interactive strategies and curriculum content about current events, participants will gain confidence and skill in turning “teachable moments” into enriching classroom lessons and conversations. Part 2 will be held at 3:30 p.m. today. Participants must attend both sessions to qualify for a certificate.
Presenter: Michelle Magner, assistant education director, Anti-Defamation League (ADL)

Get Your Glow On: Teaching Bioluminescence and Light
Join this session if you’re looking for grade K-2 Next Generation Science Standards-aligned lessons exploring light and bioluminescence. Participants will learn engaging ways to integrate literacy, technology and hands-on engineering into their science lessons involving light. These activities directly correlate to the NGSS topic of “Waves: Light and Sound” and can be differentiated for elementary grade levels and STEAM nights.
Presenters: Sandra Cappelli, first-grade teacher, West Warwick (R.I.) Public Schools: Tammy Stegeman, STEM coach, Quincy (Ill.) Public Schools

Integrate Technology in the Classroom with Google’s Applied Digital Skills—Part 1
Come explore Google’s free digital literacy units—Applied Digital Skills—which are useful for every content area. This session will deliver an overview of the why, what and how to get it free for your middle and high school classroom. Then, participants will be guided through the helpful resources included with each of the Applied Digital Skills units with a series of collaborative challenges. This session will prepare you with the tools you need to integrate real-world-based digital learning into your classroom. (Participants will need to bring a laptop.) Part 2 will be held at 3:30 p.m. today. Participants must attend both sessions to qualify for a certificate.
Presenter: Bradley Lands, director of technology and innovation, The Langley School, McLean, Va.

Interactive Constitution: Civic Education for 21st-Century Learners
Are you interested in learning more about the National Constitution Center’s Interactive Constitution? Attend this session to explore innovative, free online tools and resources for making the Constitution’s history, changing interpretation, global context, and modern debates meaningful and dynamic for students through primary source analysis and shared expertise from top constitutional experts. This session will also highlight opportunities for high school students to participate in online, synchronous, video-conference “exchanges” where classrooms from around the country engage in moderated, civil dialogues about complex constitutional questions.
Presenter: Tim Rodman, National Board Certified Teacher in social studies, Walter Johnson High School, Montgomery County (Md.) Public Schools

Nine Ways Educators Can Support Children Who Are Experiencing Trauma
Join our partner, First Book, in an interactive session where you will learn about childhood trauma, its effects on students’ learning, and receive research-based action steps to support students. See how First Book Marketplace can support educators’ work in this area, and get tools and materials to take back to your school.
Presenters: Katie Donlevie, senior manager of partnership development, First Book: Julye Williams, Director of Resource and Program Development, First Book

Promoting the Achievement of ELLs by Increasing Family Engagement—Part 1
Looking for approaches you can use to develop effective home-school partnerships with families of English language learners? In this session, you will examine ways to increase familiarity with the diverse cultures of your community to better identify their needs, create a more welcoming school environment, and develop culturally responsive, two-way communications to strengthen meaningful engagement with diverse families. Part 2 will be held at 3:30 p.m. today. Participants must attend both sessions to qualify for a certificate.
Presenter: Susan Lafond, assistant in educational services, New York State United Teachers

Research-Based Strategies for Effective Instruction—Part 1
You taught it, but your students didn’t seem to get it. Explore high-quality research that shows you how to create effective learning conditions in your classroom through the use of proven instructional and learner strategies. This session will engage participants around effective lesson planning and teaching, while providing insight on student motivation, checking for understanding and ensuring clarity. Participants will leave this session craving more of AFT’s Strategies for Student Success modules! Part 2 will be held at 3:30 p.m. today. Participants must attend both sessions to qualify for a certificate.
Presenters: Jerelle Hendon, operations support specialist, Birmingham (Ala.) City Schools; Tammy Jackson, career technology instructor, Birmingham City Schools

Waves Aren't Just at the Beach: A Physical Science Design Challenge—Part 1
Gain knowledge in record keeping, classroom setup and classroom management while taking part in a physical science design challenge. You will be introduced to methods of teaching the fundamentals of waves and discover different ways for elementary and middle school students to demonstrate their knowledge of waves by building their own wave generators. This session is targeted at middle school, and we will show how such lessons can be adapted up or down. This session combines AFT’s Foundation course with science content developed by AFT’s Science Cadre. Part 2 will be held at 3:30 p.m. today. Participants must attend both sessions to qualify for a certificate.
Presenters: Dan Reinhart, instructional coach, Toledo (Ohio) Public Schools; Dolores Samson, middle school science teacher, Larchmont Elementary School, Toledo, Ohio