Save the Date: Edcamp Firebird

Teacher Professional Development has come a long way in recent years, thanks in part to the Edcamp movement in which teachers take charge of their own professional learning. Some basic Tenets of the Edcamp Model:

• Free & Open to All: Edcamps never charge a fee, and are open to educators of all levels and subjects.
• Participant-Driven: Edcamps allow participants to collaboratively determine session topics the day of the event.
• Experience, not Experts: Edcamps encourage participants to facilitate sessions by sharing experiences; conversations--not planned presentations.
• Rule of Two Feet: Edcamps suggest participants find sessions that meet their needs to maximize learning.

Edcamp sessions typically range from basic conversations around teaching methods to sessions sharing digital projects by students or sessions based around just having fun. Many Edcamps include sessions about using technology in the classroom, but a technology focus is not necessary. However, it is suggested that you bring a laptop to an Edcamp as many presentations will be interactive. This year, teachers at Phoenix Central School District will be hosting Edcamp Firebird during February Break. See the details below:

Edcamp Firebird

Thursday, February 21, 2019

8:15 am - 12:15 pm

Emerson J. Dillon Middle School, 116 Volney Street Phoenix, NY 13135

Eventbrite Registration
MLP Registration

Superintendent's Conference Day: January 28, 2019

The next Superintendent's Conference Day is scheduled for January 28, 2019. Please take a moment to review the agenda and register for any professional development sessions appropriate for your role.

Click here for the Agenda and all registration links.

Reflecting on the Past and Looking to the Future

Happy New Year! I love this time of year as it offers us an opportunity to reflect on the past and resolve to make changes for a better future. This shouldn't really come as much of a surprise, but the next generation of students that are entering our classrooms will have access to more information than any other generation in history. My godson, pictured at left, is only 17 months old and is mesmerized by the warm glow of his parent's phone. He knows how to swipe through the various apps and open the ones he likes. He also knows how to take a selfie. So how will we as educators meet his needs when he is of school age in just 3 more years? Will we continue to teach as we have always done with the same materials and pedagogical strategies? Or will we accept the fact that access to information is virtually ubiquitous and our role as educators will have to shift to help him and his cohort of students understand how to process all of the information they will have at their fingertips? The infographic below does a nice job articulating some of the generational changes that have taken shape over the years--food for thought as we ponder how teaching and learning will change in Digital Age...

source: http://langwitches.org/blog/2013/08/22/kids-of-the-past-vs-kids-of-the-internet/