2024 Great Ideas in Education Conference

Join us as we share how an early childhood system critically examined its STEM-focused, preschool curriculum for ways to intentionally embed literacy content in play domains. Guided by the KS Early Learning Standards and knowledge that children “show what they know” in play, educators, the instructional coach, and regional consultant considered how to intentionally plan for literacy in play as well as how to supplement and enhance the core curriculum with structured literacy supports. We invite others to engage with us as we share our building processes, like our examination of curricular read-alouds for purposeful planning of vocabulary and language comprehension teaching. Consider current research for preschoolers’ acquisition of phonemic awareness, the segmenting and blending of phonemes, and letter identification and association of letters and sounds to see if, and how, your curriculum is “framing” such explicit instruction: What literacy elements are visible in your young children’s play? Let’s collaboratively “light paths” together as we strive to build effective instruction!

Our littlest learners are filled with wonder! Are you curious how you can support sensemaking in the elementary science setting? Join us for a session centered around how to best align lessons to our state science standards and engage students in knowledge building. This session will feature elements of lesson design, opportunities for cross-content integration, and how to support our early readers as they grapple with building vocabulary and background knowledge.

Join us for an engaging professional development session tailored to administrators looking to enhance math instruction in their schools. In this session, we will delve into the myriad benefits of integrating IXL into your daily curriculum.

IXL serves as a powerful ally in supporting the core curriculum, offering a comprehensive diagnostic tool that allows educators to precisely gauge students' knowledge levels. By leveraging this tool, teachers gain valuable insights into each learner's proficiency, enabling them to craft personalized next steps for optimal growth.

One of the key features of IXL is its ability to provide up-to-date insights whenever needed, ensuring educators have access to real-time data to inform their instructional decisions. Through personalized practice and the innovative recommendation wall, students are empowered to take ownership of their learning journey, fostering a sense of autonomy and engagement in the classroom.

IXL's versatility extends to whole class instruction, allowing educators to seamlessly integrate targeted skills that complement their core curriculum. With a wealth of quizzes at their disposal, teachers can tailor assessments to suit the needs of their students, fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth.

Furthermore, administrators will discover how to tap into IXL's robust analytics to identify students in need of additional support and tailor interventions accordingly. Armed with insightful information, educators can effectively plan next steps to address individual learning needs and propel students towards proficiency.

Don't miss this opportunity to explore the transformative potential of IXL in your school's math instruction. Join us as we unlock new possibilities for personalized learning and student success.

Dive into the fascinating world of Playful Learning in this dynamic workshop designed for educators. "Playful Learning = High=Quality Instruction" will delve into the crucial impact of play on child development, guided by insights from neuroscience. Participants will explore both free play and guided play, learning to identify and apply the six stages of play in their classrooms. This session will provide practical strategies for meaningful data collection and tools for understanding each child's individual needs. Additionally, educators will consider the Kansas Approaches to Learning Standards to align instruction and intervention. Join us to enhance your understanding and application of play as a powerful tool for fostering development and learning in young children.

This presentation targets principals and building leaders who want to learn more about how to support ESOL staff, general education staff, English Language Learners, and their families.

What about writing?  While a focus centered on reading has been beneficial for schools,  the use of writing to cement and transfer the learning yields a greater positive effect than reading alone. The new KSDE Writing Tenets will assist Kansas teachers in providing quality writing instruction. Moreover, these tenets will support Kansas students in learning to write clearly, express themselves with intentionality, and communicate effectively with their targeted audience.

KSDE Teacher Leaders are pleased to share new alignment tools for high quality instruction in a secondary science classroom. During this session come and explore what science instruction aligned to the three dimensions of the science standards and student sense-making look like in a secondary science classroom using a science-specific walk-through tool.

In this session, educators will be introduced to the Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC) in Mathematics framework, designed to foster deep mathematical understanding and student engagement through problem-solving, collaboration, and independent thinking. Participants will explore practical strategies for creating dynamic, student-centered learning environments where thinking is valued and celebrated. Through hands-on activities and real-world examples, teachers will learn how to implement rich tasks that promote critical thinking, teamwork, and ownership of learning, transforming traditional math instruction into an engaging, thought-provoking experience.

Discover the impact of vocabulary on student success in this session, "Vocabulary Matters: Effective Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary." We will explore essential research and evidence-based practices to enhance vocabulary instruction. Learn practical strategies for daily classroom use and collaborate with fellow educators to develop consistent vocabulary routines across your district and/or building. Gain actionable tools and resources to enrich your students' language skills and support their academic growth. Join this session to elevate your vocabulary teaching practices and make a lasting educational impact.

Sense making in a science class has the expectation that students think. This session will engage participants in a thinking classroom in which thinking to make sense of a phenomena is the norm, and students are discouraged from slacking, stalling, mimicking, and faking their way through the science content. Thinking classroom practices create the optimal conditions for learner-centered, student-owned science thinking and learning, and have the power to transform classrooms.

Ensuring that your classrooms are filled with high quality instruction and high quality materials is vital. Walk-throughs may be required, but are they resulting in the reflective practices and the educator support that you want to provide? Often teachers view walk-throughs in a negative light; our new tool provides you with a different approach to the process. Join us in unpacking the NEW History, Government, and Social Studies (HGSS) Constructive Coaching tool developed by Kansas educators to elicit meaningful and productive conversations between observers and classroom educators regarding high quality instructional practices, HGSS content and skills, and professional growth reflection.

Mathematics classrooms are often littered with rules that expire and tricks without meaning or connection. These rules and tricks create a weak mathematical foundation. Rather than simplifying mathematics instruction, implement routines that amplify deep mathematical learning. In this session, participants will get an introduction to the eight mathematical language routines and strategies to implement in the classroom.

Teacher retention and leadership development are critically important to the health and sustainability of schools. This interactive session, designed for teachers and administrators, is based on the notion that true leadership is not about titles but rather influence through relationships, courage, character, and service. Teachers are some of the most influential people in schools and their communities and by empowering them to be their own “Classroom CEO”, they will develop a sense of mastery, purpose, and autonomy, leading to increased job satisfaction and retention, which ultimately supports students. Additionally, this session will give administrators insight into how they can develop teacher leaders within their own teams, thus supporting the overall mission and vision of their schools. If you want a renewed sense of professional purpose by uncovering the leader within you and your team, this session is for you!

Attendees will be able to:

• Highlight findings from The Opportunity Myth & The Opportunity Makers
• Connect High-Quality Instructional Materials to School Improvement
• Describe Curriculum-Based Professional Learning and How it Supports Quality Instruction

Research over the last decade has provided strong evidence that instructional materials can be one of the most cost-efficient and effective school improvement measures. States that have sought to increase access to high-quality instructional materials (HQIMs) have reported significant gains in student reading proficiency, mastery of mathematics standards, teachers’ perceived support, improved alignment to state standards, and student engagement. The bottom line is that the selection and implementation of HQIMs, supported by curriculum-based professional learning, is a transformative school improvement measure that has been underutilized.
In this session, we'll explore TNTP's national research that highlights the role of HQIMs in standards-aligned instruction, describe the role HQIMs play in supporting quality instruction, and introduce curriculum-based professional learning as a mechanism that supports school improvement.

Math on IXL is FREE through KSDE with no end currently stated. Come learn the ins and outs of the program to help in classroom whole-group instruction, support classroom instruction, and individual growth. IXL is aligned with Kansas State Standards and major textbooks. Ties in with MAP and ACT preparations. Provides real-time, continuous diagnostics to support Tier instruction along with enrichment. Immediate feedback to students with additional support through supporting lessons and videos. Teacher "Live Classroom" allows immediate intervention for struggling or disengaged students. Multiple analytics are available to see individual and group data.

This session explores the concept of "Thin Slicing," which delineates a sequential progression of a lesson from prior knowledge to grade level standard. Learn how to quickly gather insights into student thinking through targeted tasks and observations. Discover how Thin Slicing can inform your instruction, differentiate learning, and propel students towards deeper mathematical understanding. Math teachers will experience and work together to create thin sliced lessons. They will collaborate on how to launch the lesson and provide tasks that increase rigor and ability to avoid frustrations and boredom while instilling perseverance and patience.

We've all heard the terms, standards and text complexity, but what do they mean…really? Confusion and misconceptions surround standards and text complexity. See what text complexity is, why paying attention to it is important, and why coaching students with relevant strategies is vital to student growth and confidence in reading. We will focus on qualitative and quantitative measures as well as address the importance of text sets.

The research on Building Thinking Classrooms shows that when students work on thinking tasks in random groups on a vertical whiteboard, they are capable of co-creating incredible amounts of mathematical meaning and collective knowing-and-doing. In this session, participants will look at the Thinking Classroom practices that help students move this collective knowing-and-doing into individual knowing-and-doing while, at the same time, beginning to take responsibility for their own learning. These practices support note-making and individual work. They will intertwine with, and make extensive references to, the recently published book, Building Thinking Classrooms (Grades K-12): 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning.

In today's rapidly evolving world, mathematical fluency is a foundational skill essential for success in both academic and real-world contexts. As elementary educators, administrators, and curriculum directors, it is our responsibility to ensure that our students develop fluency not just in recalling math facts but also in performing mathematical operations efficiently, flexibly, and accurately. This presentation aims to provide an overview of math fluency and number sense, offering practical strategies, engaging activities, and valuable resources to support educators in fostering mathematical fluency in students.

Resources
Math Fact Fluency by Jennifer Bay Williams
Figuring Out Fluency in Mathematics Teaching and Learning Series by Jennifer Bay Williams and John SanGiovanni
Do The Math by Marilyn Burns
Creative Mathematics by Kim Sutton