Agenda 
February 22, 2019 | Hill Learning Center

8:30am           Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:00am           Welcome and Opening Activity

9:15am           Learn it Today Use it Tomorrow! Practical Strategies to Improve Executive Function Skills | Sarah Ward, Cognitive Connections

This is a practical strategies seminar!   Gain a new understanding on how students can go from intention to action to demonstrate executive function skills and a new perspective on what is meant by the term “executive dysfunction”.  You will learn dozens of functional, ready-to-use strategies for teaching students how to develop  executive function skills. 
 
Decrease Prompts! Increase the independence with which students can self-initiate, transition, decrease problematic behaviors and impulses to complete tasks with less supervision. Teach students to see and sense the passage of time,  change or maintain their pace, and carry out routines and tasks within allotted time frames.  Learn how to use the Get Ready * Do*Done Model to  turn the core curriculum and lesson/treatment plans into powerful tools to teach students executive control skills. Fresh approaches to help students develop automaticity for class routines and transitions.

11:30am         Small Group Debrief

12:00pm         Lunch

1:00pm           Breakout Session I | Select 1

Growing the MindSET for Student Success | Anne Jaeger, The John Crosland School
Join this engaging session to learn more about the growth mindset and its positive impact on students with learning differences.  Learn to model and teach students a true appreciation for the learning process through the SET (Science, Engineering and Technology activities). Participants will understand and practice growth mindset principles given a variety of fun and meaningful hands on activities.

Sensory or Behavior: How Do We Know The Difference? | Nicole Cyphert, MS, OTR/L, Director of Practice at Integration Station
Some students experience roadblocks to learning such as motor limitations, cognitive deficits, lack of communication skills, or poor executive functioning, but what about the students experiencing behavioral or sensory difficulties? Do you know a student that struggles to stay seated…follow directions…or explodes in anger? Where do these responses stem from and how do we know the difference? Learn to identify a sensory versus behavioral response and strategies to confidently address the concern when you attend the Sensory vs. Behavior: How Do We Know the Difference seminar.

Engaged and Empowered: Using iPad to Support all Learners | Shannon Nichols and Jackie Tarleton, The Fletcher School
With iPad, educators can personalize and transform learning experiences. This session will highlight an overview of iPad features and applications to support K-5 curriculum, spark student creativity, and engage all learners.  Participants will explore innovative, multisensory learning activities designed to t provide opportunities for remediation, visualizing concepts, and customized interactions with content. We will examine how to promote student enthusiasm and increase academic success using iPad for digital storytelling and product curation with digital portfolios.  Included will be an overview of the powerful accessibility features on iPad, designed to accommodate a wide variety of users, allowing students to individualize experiences to meet their needs.  Used intentionally and creatively, iPads can serve student needs through remediation, improved focus, and deeper mastery of content.

Strategies for Reducing the Cognitive Load | Jennifer Aceves, Noble Academy
Every brain has a limit on how much information it can process at once. Students with learning differences often also have weaknesses in working memory and processing speed, two factors that have a huge impact on their ability to process and learn new information. In this session we will learn more about the Cognitive Load theory and some steps and strategies teachers can use to reduce the cognitive load when delivering instruction.

Understanding and Supporting High School Anxiety | Lance Oldham, Noble Academy
This presentation will include general information about anxiety, the presenter’s experience and role as the school counselor, and what additional resources will be helpful in managing anxiety in high school students.

2:00pm           Breakout Session II | Select 1

Hands-on Language Arts to Reach Struggling Learners in Lower School | Shannon Milligan, Audrey Tancini, Hill Learning Center
This session will explore multi-sensory activities and strategies to engage students in learning, increase their motivation, and retention of information. We’ll focus on spelling, decoding, phonological awareness, and reading comprehension skills.

The Importance of Girls’ Leadership in a School Full of Boys | Kathleen Walker, MS, The John Crosland School
Students with identified learning differences are disproportionately male, resulting in a lopsided gender division in specialized learning environments. How can schools intentionally create an atmosphere where girls can connect and support one another? What tools can we add to their toolbox, including self-advocacy, leadership, and dedication to internal and external service so that they not only survive but thrive in their school environment and beyond? Explore one school’s approach and their plans for future program development.

Fostering Self-Advocacy in Students | Amanda Carter, Noble Academy
Helping students become self aware and empowered to ask for what they need, is an imperative in today's schools.  In this session we will explore the ways students can learn more about their own needs and how faculty and administration members can guide young people to have appropriate, but direct, conversations about what they require to be successful in school.

Student Broadcasting: A Path to Leadership, Teamwork, and Digital Literacy | Patti Willard Weiss and Jackie Tarleton, The Fletcher School
With carefully planned educational technology integration, students can transform their learning into enjoyable, meaningful, and productive experiences. The Falcon News Network (FNN), a student-run news broadcast program, engages 6th through 12th grade students to become effective leaders, collaborative team members, creative contributors, and skillful problem solvers. This presentation will highlight the technology, processes, and skills that guide the broadcast program. Topics include the onboarding process, daily systems and tools for script writing, communication, live broadcasting, and remote crew filming.  We will explore how FNN provides students a real-life experience and authentic agency with content and technology. As meaningful contributors to the school community, FNN allows students to feel passionate, motivated, and proud about their successes.

Hands-on Math to Reach Struggling Learners (4th grade – Algebra 1) | Sandy Silverman, Pat Porcelli, Hill Learning Center
Learn how to support your students by building math concepts rather than memorizing rules.  Demonstrations and hands-on activities will be presented on several math strands. Be prepared to leave with ideas to share and activities to use with your students and colleagues! 

3:00pm           Small Group Debrief

3:30pm           Adjourn