BREAKOUT SESSION DESCRIPTIONS 2015 IB CONFERENCE OF THE AMERICAS CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (USA) 23 – 26 JULY #IBCHI2015 TABLE OF CONTENTS Friday • 11:15 – 12:30.............................2 • 14:00 – 15:15.............................19 • 15:45 – 17:00.............................37 Saturday • 11:15 – 12:30.............................55 • 14:00 – 15:15.............................72 • 15:45 – 17:00.............................90 Sunday • 09:00 – 10:15.............................107 #IBCHI2015 FRIDAY, 24 JULY 11:15–12:30 #IBCHI2015 3 Friday, 11:15 – 12:30 A redefinition of CAS STRAND: DP ROOM: Erie CAS has undergone a revision that invites a more realistic and meaningful experience for the already busy IB student. This session focuses on how the changes will impact the role of the CAS coordinator and the IB student. Presenter(s) Theresa Biggs, Coordinator of Advanced Academics, Plano Independent School District, Plano, Texas, United States 2015 IB Conference of the Americas Breakout Session Descriptions Friday, 11:15 – 12:30 4 Friday, 11:15 – 12:30 Admissions case studies STRAND: Higher Ed ROOM: Mississippi Join a mock admission committee session and experience what reading applications is really like. Participants will review sample applications in a holistic manner, paying close attention to the added dimension of the IB programmes. Presenter(s) David Zutautas, Assistant Director of Student Recruitment, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Kirk Brennan, Undergraduate Director of Admission, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States Michael Lai, Student Outreach Lead – North America, Minerva Schools at KGI, San Francisco, California, United States Pamela Joos, University Counselor, Washington International School, Washington, District of Columbia, United States Jim Bock, Vice President and Dean of Admissions, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, United States 2015 IB Conference of the Americas Breakout Session Descriptions Friday, 11:15 – 12:30 5 Friday, 11:15 – 12:30 Approaches to teaching and learning: Best practice in the IB Diploma Programme STRAND: DP ROOM: Michigan A This session will introduce DP teachers to the rationale, practice and results of effective ATL. The session will also briefly explore the latest brain research, which informs pedagogical classroom strategies. Presenter(s) Richard Hood, Independent Consultant, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 2015 IB Conference of the Americas Breakout Session Descriptions Friday, 11:15 – 12:30 6 Friday, 11:15 – 12:30 Expanding PK‐12 access to IB: The Chicago project STRAND: General ROOM: Missouri Chicago Public Schools, the third largest school district in the US, has gone from offering only one IB programme in 1997 to offering more IB programmes than any other school district in the US to date, serving over 15,000 IB students. Through the expansion of the IB in Chicago, more students are provided with access to this high‐quality education in PK–12. This session will include the strategies that have been used to provide more citywide access to the IB. Presenter(s) Sara Leven, Secondary Magnet and IB Schools Coordinator, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago, Illinois, United States Tanya Baxter‐Bateson, MYP and PYP Schools Coordinator, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago, Illinois, United States 2015 IB Conference of the Americas Breakout Session Descriptions Friday, 11:15 – 12:30 7 Friday, 11:15 – 12:30 Gamification and enrichment in an IB classroom STRAND: General ROOM: Arkansas Games and enrichment—are you using them in your classroom? Our session will provide educators of all levels of experience with practical strategies for incorporating gamification and enrichment into your curriculum and classroom. These fun and engaging strategies will increase student motivation, engagement and promote lifelong learning while providing your curriculum with the rigour that is expected from an IB class. Presenter(s) James Hron, Project Lead the Way and Science Teacher, Fridley Middle School, Fridley, Minnesota, United States Joel Weingart, 6th Grade Math Teacher, Fridley Middle School, Fridley, Minnesota, United States 2015 IB Conference of the Americas Breakout Session Descriptions Friday, 11:15 – 12:30 8 Friday, 11:15 – 12:30 Getting it right! STRAND: General ROOM: Chicago 9 Hands on learning works best when you get it right! Not only does it engage your students in everyday learning, it also motivates them to keep trying; understanding that failure is a process not a destination. If learning involves collaborative, socially relevant projects, students will also develop important social skills such as teamwork, communication, and leadership skills. Stephan Turnipseed of LEGO® Education will discuss how a hands‐on, minds‐on approach helps students actively take ownership of the learning process and develop 21st‐century skills such as creative thinking and problem solving. Presenter(s) Stephan Turnipseed, President Emeritus and Executive Director ‐ Strategic Partnerships, LEGO Education, Pittsburg, Kansas, United States 2015 IB Conference of the Americas Breakout Session Descriptions Friday, 11:15 – 12:30 9 Friday, 11:15 – 12:30 Leading school transformational change through MYP assessing, grading and reporting STRAND: MYP ROOM: Superior Current research in assessment challenges traditional practices in terms of grading, recording and reporting and aligns nicely with MYP criterion‐related assessment. Until schools fully embrace and implement these assessment standards as common and standard practices across the school, full implementation of the MYP is often limited by conflicting traditional grading practices. Learn how two schools with diverse student populations challenged the status quo of traditional grading and implemented MYP criterion‐related assessment as a transformational change process. Presenter(s) Tom Dodd, Principal, Lesher Middle School, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States Farr Prickett Quinn, Math Teacher, Alice Deal Middle School, Washington, District of Columbia, United States Louis Marchesano, Educational Consultant, Ed‐Lightenment Educational Consulting, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States 2015 IB Conference of the Americas Breakout Session Descriptions Friday, 11:15 – 12:30 10 Friday, 11:15 – 12:30 Leading through capacity building STRAND: Leadership ROOM: Michigan B International research consistently confirms the most important in‐school variable for improving student outcomes is teaching quality. The second most important variable is the quality of leadership. This presentation examines the research into effective leadership practices that have been demonstrated to impact student outcomes; it will then explore a range of strategies to build the capacity of leadership teams and present models for evaluating the effectiveness of teaching practice within your school. Presenter(s) Gerard Calnin, Professor, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 2015 IB Conference of the Americas Breakout Session Descriptions Friday, 11:15 – 12:30 11 Friday, 11:15 – 12:30 Learning for life through playful ways of knowing STRAND: PYP ROOM: Huron Learning—what’s play got to do with it? Come and discover PYP developments that aim to tease out the relationship between developing the attributes of the IB learner profile and PYP students’ playful ways of learning and knowing. This interactive session will give you insights about types of play and their impact on learning. IB educators will share how they might collectively form a powerful professional community of practice around the importance of learning through play. Presenter(s) Cecile Doyen, PYP Curriculum Manager, International Baccalaureate, The Hague, The Netherlands 2015 IB Conference of the Americas Breakout Session Descriptions Friday, 11:15 – 12:30 12 Friday, 11:15 – 12:30 Mindfulness, compassion and happiness: Innovative strategies for the implementation of ATL STRAND: PYP ROOM: Columbus This session will present techniques and strategies that have been shown to be effective in implementing the new ATL component of the DP. Based on scientific evidence from the most recent research in neuroscience from the west, and integrated with ancient philosophies from the east, it will provide participants with experiential opportunities to explore the impact of compassion and mindfulness practices and develop strategies as to how to incorporate them inside and outside the classroom. Presenter(s) Lorne Young, Educator, Upper Canada College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Claudia Santos, CAS Coordinator, Weston Collegiate Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 2015 IB Conference of the Americas Breakout Session Descriptions Friday, 11:15 – 12:30 13 Friday, 11:15 – 12:30 One IB : The way forward STRAND: Leadership ROOM: Chicago 8 David Hawley was appointed IB Chief Academic Officer in January 2015. Join him as he discusses four priorities that are emerging: focusing on the student experience with a clear and coherent ‘One IB’ philosophy across all programmes; being more explicit about how we develop, value and measure the competencies and qualities of character that are part of the the IB Learner Profile; taking more of an “outside in” approach when we are developing curriculum and include student voices and perspectives along with global experts to complement the contributions of IB educators; finding ways to promote more real‐life applied problem solving, project based learning and deep conceptual understanding, particularly within the IB Diploma Programme. Presenter(s) David Hawley,