Wednesday, August 20

8:30 AM (* asterisk denotes repeated session, check schedule for time and location)

• Library (*Instructional Strategies for Classrooms with English language learners, Sandy Garcia, ESC VI ELL Program Coordinator) A brief overview of the state-required ELPS for English Language Learners in addition to course TEKS as well as research-based scaffolding techniques to assist struggling learners in reducing language barriers to understanding content.
• Cafeteria (What are Navasota Students Telling Us?, Kevin Haggarty) This session will help you look at data from the RSVP youth survey in order to better understand how risk and protective factors impact academic achievement. We will also discuss areas of strength and weakness in the Navasota School Data.
• 103 (Staying Connected with Your Teen, D. Ghylin-Bennett) A program for people who are parenting (or teaching teens!)" Teens aren't easy. Ever wonder why we spend the first couple years of a child's life telling them to walk and talk...and then spend the next 15 years or so telling them to sit down and be quiet? If you have tens, or work with teens, come learn more about the program Staying Connected With your Teen. You'll experience activities from this program which will soon be available to parents and others in the Navasota School District.
• 104 (*Are They Getting It? Tips & Techniques to Check for Student Understanding, S. Chapman) In this session, you’ll learn how checking for student understanding can deepen student learning and give teachers the information they need to make instructional decisions.  Learn quick formative assessment techniques you can use at various points in a lesson to ensure students understand the learning target and have feedback on their performance.
• 106 (*Chillin' in August, PK-6, T. Utley) Let's break the ice and chill to some exciting and inviting activities that provide fun opportunities for teacher to student connections and student to student connections. The students will be able to start the year, class or lesson with more enthusiasm!! New and seasoned teachers will want to make this session a must in their symposium experiencel!
• 110 (*Blended Teaching, PK-5, S. Meisel, S. Stanfield) "I just don't have time to teach everything I need to teach AND teach social skills too!!!" Ever feel like that? Well, good news for you! Social skills does not need to be a seperate curriculum. It can be blended right into everything you teach! Learn how easy it is to intergrate social skills into your daily teaching experiences.
• 112 (Here's Your Room, Now What?, PK-5, G. Murray)  You have your room and a head full of ideas. But are you really ready to meet the educational needs of all your students? This session will address room arrangement, stations/centers set up, and will include a conversation time to address the needs of the audience. Remember, "This room is a magical place, we are creating the future."
• 201 (*Giving Math Meaning, PK-5, S. Harrison, S. Brak) This make and take session will give you techniques to make "hands on" math more meaningful. Easy to make, easy to use. Participants will leave with examples of terrific materials for classrom use. Don't miss this one!
• 202 (*Professional, Proactive, & Productive, 6-12, C. Anderson) ProActive Classroom Management is a great way to turn your classroom into a "well oiled machine". Routines and procedures will help it run smooth and effectively. Come learn how to best implement the concepts taught by RSVP for ProActive Classroom Management and create your own classroom filled with learning and positive relationships!
• 204 (Organizing the Chaos in August, C. Falco) ESL, 504, and Schedules, Oh My! What do I do with all this information and all these papers? Let's get all this chaos organized into a user friendly system. Tips and suggestions will provide the needed guidance to handle the chaos of the beginning of school paperwork. Never again say, "It's here somewhere.". You'll be so proud of your organization skills and how smooth your beginning days flow.
• 205 (Cooperative Learning Strategies Round Table, M. Wilkinson) Kagan cooperative learning strategies have been used to make students more involved in their learning. It is all about engagement! When students are engaged, they pay attention, they're motivated, they learn more, and the learning sticks. Each of these sessions promises to give useful techniques for engaging students to reach higher success in learning. 
• 206 (*Using Choice to Motivate Students, C. Merritt, S. Piper) This session will explore how to make the PBL project relevant and fun for all involved. Session leaders will demonstrate how to find opportunities to  highlight the individual strengths of your students. Come join and learn new ways to make PBL "worth it"!
• 413 (*Reaping What We Sow: Authentic Learning and Critical Thinking in Early Education, PK-1, A. McLaughlin, M. O'Neill) This session will discuss the importance of authentic engagement and learning in early education for the success of learners. Through neuroscience and policy, we will discuss how the critical thinking abilities of this overlooked population are being under-served, which can lead to long-term cognitive deficits for learners. In addition, we will analyze and discuss ways successful communities facilitate and harvest these abilities through innovative pedagogy.
• 702 (*Listening in the Digital Age: Why "Sit Still" and "Be Quiet" Are Not Enough, J. Henson, J. Barrett) We will explore the listening standards and strategies for teaching students to listen to diverse media and evaluate information, understand argument and reasoning, and evaluate digital sources.

9:30 AM (* asterisk denotes repeated session, check schedule for time and location)

• Library (*Instructional Strategies for Classrooms with English language learners, Sandy Garcia, ESC VI ELL Program Coordinator) A brief overview of the state-required ELPS for English Language Learners in addition to course TEKS as well as research-based scaffolding techniques to assist struggling learners in reducing language barriers to understanding content. 
• Cafeteria (Flipped Classroom, T. Nesloney, M. Donnelly) Consider “flipping” the class—moving the content coverage to outside the class in order to devote precious, in-class time to practice of important course skills. By participating in structured activities in class, the students rehearse aspects of critical thinking with their peers and gauge their own proficiency. Come see how to get started and what to expect! 
• 401 (*Voices for Children - Casa of Brazos Valley, E. Becker, L. Lowey) Ensuring our children's safety is everyone's responsibility. This workshop will teach participants possible indicators of abuse or neglect, requirements for reporting to the appropriate authorities, as well as responding to a child when they disclose abuse or neglect.  
• 403 (*Google Extensions, C. Smith, L. Nobles) Extensions are extra features and functionality that you can easily add to Google Chrome. Come check out how to get the most out of Google Chrome.
• 404 (*Skyward: The 2nd Year and Beyond, K. Finke) Skyward, after the first year of learning the basics, is the topic for this session. You know how to take attendance and how to enter grades, but what other things can you do in Skyward? 
• 415 (*Using Eduphoria to Grade Your Tests, 6-12, P. Downie) The "Aware" application in Eduphoria can be used to create exams and scantrons.  During this presentation you will learn how to use Eduphoria to create exams and scantrons.  This application can accompany your favorite text making program by making a custom scantron for each of your students.  Tests can be graded in minutes.
• 501 (*Board Talk, R. Gesch) Informal conversation with members of the Navasota ISD Board of Trustees and Superintendent of Schools. 
• 602 (*X-Rays or Autopsies: Formative Assessment, L. Bailey) Formative assessment plays an important role in student learning. Emphasizing the instructional side of formative assessment, this session explores the use of classroom questioning and timely feedback to facilitate effective learning environments for students.
• 603 (*Strategies to be a Classroom Whisperer, N. Robinson) This is a short presentation on strategies on classroom management and instruction to improve the culture of your classroom. This is a presentation for first time and young teachers to improve management skills and veteran teachers to learn new skills.
• 604 (*Going with the Flo, PK-5, M. Cavazos) Looking for an easy way to engage your students in the learning experience? Let me introduce you to "Flocabulary". It is an easy to use, motivating, active teaching addition to any curriculum. Hear how easy it is to access and how it has been successfully used in Navasota elementary classrooms.
• 606 (Think Through Math, 3-8, M. O'Neill, A. Glaab) Come learn about Think Through Math. It is a free program for grades 3-8 that is very rigorous and STAAR formatted. I will be sharing some of the basics this program has to offer.
• 607 (*Emergency Management, D. Bowman) Did you know there is a Teacher Emergency Guide in your classroom? Do you know what to do in the event of a fire, severe weather, or bomb threat? Come find out why preparation is important and how to be a leader during an emergency.
• 608 (Keep Track of Your Professional Development, C. Woehler) Are you in need of keeping track of all professional development in order to keep your certification up-to-date?  Do you have a folder with all those certificates and want to have a digital copy that is ever at your fingertips?  Then come to this session to learn how to put the information into Eduphoria.
• 609 (What You Don't Know You Don't Know, J. Moreland) Google has lots of research features that we need to share with our students! Come learn what you don't know you don't know about what Google can do for you and your students!
• 702 (*PLN Speed Dating, Ronnie Gonzalez) Have you ever experienced speed dating?  It's a fantastic way to meet new, exceptional people in minutes. Basically, you sit across the table from these intriguing people and share a little about yourself. After a minute of sharing something about yourself the person across from you will share their experiences for one minute. You then move on to meet someone new and exciting. What if we took this concept, “tweaked” it a bit, and put an educational spin on it? What if we told you that you could walk away from this session with 24 new ideas, new instructional strategies, new educational websites, new people to network with, or simply the possibility of meeting new passionate educators just like you?  What if we could do this all in 48 minutes? Would you be willing to take the leap and PLN speed date?
• 709 (Bizzell Academy, K. Jones) Come find out about Bizzell Academy after year one. What happened? What's to come?
• 710 (*Add-ons for Google Docs,  D. Wilson) Plug-in scripts and apps for Google Docs - some useful for teachers, some useful for students, some for both.
• 706 (*"Classroom" by Google, 4-12, M. Guerrero, C. Moreland) Classroom will be part of Google Apps for Education, a free suite of productivity tools including Gmail, Docs and Drive. Classroom is designed to help teachers create and collect assignments paperlessly, including time-saving features like the ability to automatically make a copy of a Google Document for each student. It also creates Drive folders for each assignment and for each student to help keep everyone organized. Students can keep track of what’s due on the Assignments page and begin working with just a click. Teachers can quickly see who has or hasn't completed the work, and provide direct, real-time feedback and grades right in Classroom.

10:30 AM (* asterisk denotes repeated session, check schedule for time and location)

• Library (*Instructional Strategies for Classrooms with English language learners, Sandy Garcia, ESC VI ELL Program Coordinator) A brief overview of the state-required ELPS for English Language Learners in addition to course TEKS as well as research-based scaffolding techniques to assist struggling learners in reducing language barriers to understanding content. 
• Cafeteria (Explaining Accountability, Dr. Bobby Parker) An explanation of the current state of school accountability in Texas and how it relates to Navasota schools. 
• 103 (Resources that Support RSVP, PK-5, H. Wisnoski) Webb Elementary has valuable resources available to teachers that support the concepts of RSVP. Come learn what is available and how to access these resources to help your classroom become even more awesome!
• 104 (*Fostering Grit, C. Lee) Grit is tenacity, hanging in, being resilient, not giving up, and forging ahead despite difficulties. Do you have the grit to create a classroom that fosters not only the three R's but also teaches our students to have grit? Come join us and learn the nitty-gritty of grit!
• 106 (Would You Like a Corn Dog?, J. Pool) What we say to our students can make all the difference? If you are interested into learning more, gaining new words to use effectively with your students, and creating a positive environment in your classroom, this is the session for you! Come and share in the corn dog experience!
• 110 (*Blended Teaching, PK-5, S. Meisel, S. Stanfield) "I just don't have time to teach everything I need to teach AND teach social skills too!!!" Ever feel like that? Well, good news for you! Social skills does not need to be a seperate curriculum. It can be blended right into everything you teach! Learn how easy it is to intergrate social skills into your daily teaching experiences.
• 112 (*Grading and Group Work, 4-12, H. Gesch) Grades report individual learning to students and their parents. Yet collaborative work is an important part of classroom learning. How do educators assess individual learning when students work together? Participants in this session will learn strategies to separate group participation from individual learning and focus on each one separately. 
• Old Gym (*Teaching Soft Skills in KickStart, B. Mendez) This session is an interactive approach to show how Kickstart kids introduce the values of discipline, respect and inner strength while setting daily classroom standards and pre-framing student performance expectations. Come see how to "kickstart" your school year!
• 202 (T.R.U.N.K.S. Teaching Real-life Uniquely Neat and Cheap Kid-friendly Skills, PK-5, H. Witherwax, P. Kniffin) This session invites you to receive terrific and various educational activities and strategies that can be made easily in a home or school setting at a minimal out-of-pocket expense. Come find ways to use and reuse many free and/or inexpensive resources to make learning motivating and fun!
• 204 (*Pick Me! Pick Me!, K. Ramsey)  Ever wonder what the best advice is for team formation? If so, this is the session for you! Kagan has several recommendations for forming mixed ability teams. Learn how to best put your students into cooperative groups so that they are engaged, pay attention, and are motivated to learn!
• 205 (How to Communicate More Effectively with Students, Parents, & Others, R. Lester, C. Lester) Come join us for an interactive course on ways to work with challenging students or other individuals. This session will share strategies on ways to communicate more effectively with parents, students, and co-workers. The session will help participants understand the importance of communication skills and ways to deal with difficult individuals. 
• 206 (Changing the Challenge of Challenging Children, PK-5, D. Cleveland) Are you ready to change challenging behaviors in your classroom? Buiding relationships, demonstrating expectations, and setting up a learning environment of respect are all steps to making positive changes in the elementary classroom. Come learn how to make the changes that can make the difference in your classroom. It's a good thing!
• 413 (What We Learned Our First Year, C. Balusek, J. Price, A. Fuqua) Once upon a time we were new teachers. We not only survived our first year, but were stronger, better teachers at the end of the experience. Come join us as we talk about our first year. Learn what strategies worked great, which concepts fell flat, and which magical moments made us smile.
• 415 (Stress, a Good Thing?, D. McClure) There is no way to avoid stress. Learn how to deal with stress to make your year go by easier, faster, and more enjoyable.