Keeping It Real for Kids

Presenter: Dyane Smokorowski

What do we want students to remember when they are 40, not just for the test on Friday? That is the teacher essential question for curriculum design, and it lays the foundation for life-long learning alongside our content areas. We all know rigor and relevance are more than ideals for great curriculum and dynamic classroom experiences. They hold the keys to providing authentic learning and assessment for our students, but knowing where to start can be a challenge. During this interactive plenary, we will explore how to fuel curiosity in students, tie in current events to learning, and enlist student voice and choice, so the classroom experience is meaningful and dynamic for every child.

When: Saturday, October 25, from 2:45-4:00 PM

Dyane Smokorowski is the 2013 Kansas Teacher of the Year and is currently serving as an Instructional Technology Coach in the Andover Public schools. Mrs. Smoke, as she’s known to her students, believes in a project-based, student-centered classroom that helps students build skills in communication, planning, research and project implementation. She wants her students to develop a love for literature, communication, and technology, but also to understand how to use that love and passion to advance their own future, as well as that of their community.