David Sousa

How can differentiation be achieved -- without putting too much burden on teachers?

Thursday, April 12 4:00 p.m. EST

In this exclusive 60-minute live webcast, noted author and nationally-acclaimed presenter Dr. David A. Sousa will reveal realistic strategies that schools have implemented to allow students to succeed in classrooms that contain a diverse mix of abilities, cultures, and languages, and to create a positive and productive learning environment.

Dr. Sousa will provide theoretical and practical insight into the four major components of differentiated instruction: What to teach (content); How to teach (process); How to find out what students have learned, and the environment in which learning occurs. Attendees will:

• Discover ways to better meet the needs of increasingly diverse students
• Learn more about how the brain learns and about approaches to differentiation.
• Understand the science behind teaching the best content in the best possible way.
• Learn to create a positive and productive learning environment.

Dr. David A. Sousa is an international consultant in educational neuroscience and the author of more than a dozen books that suggest ways in which educators and parents can translate current brain research into strategies for improving learning. A member of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, he has conducted workshops in hundreds of school districts on brain research, instructional skills, and science education at the pre-K to 12 and university levels.

Dr. Sousa has a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts, a Master of Arts in Teaching degree in science from Harvard University, and a Doctorate from Rutgers University.

Dr. Sousa is past president of the National Staff Development Council (now called Learning Forward) He has received numerous awards from professional associations, school districts, and educational foundations for his commitment to research, staff development, and science education.

Dr. Douglas Reeves

Keys to Implementing the Common Core State Standards

Are you ready for Common Core? In this 60-minute, live webcast, noted author and nationally acclaimed presenter Reeves offered his practical insights into the real challenges facing educators and school leaders as Common Core standards are implemented. Key issues include:

• How do we prepare for the Common Core while also preparing for current state assessments?
• What are the greatest changes that will be caused by the Common Core?
• How can educational systems engage the intellectual energy of teachers to implement the Common Core?
• How can teachers and leaders set priorities and focus on strategies and content that will be most essential to improve student achievement?

Reeves is the founder of The Leadership and Learning Center. As part of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, a global educational leader, the Center serves school systems around the world. The author of 30 books and many articles on leadership and organizational effectiveness, Reeves has twice been named to the Harvard University Distinguished Authors Series.

Reeves was named the Brock International Laureate for his contributions to education. He also received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the Parents Choice Award for his writing for children and parents. He is the 2010 recipient of the National Staff Development Council’s Contribution to the Field Award.

In writing the foreword to Reeves’ most recent book, Michael Fullan wrote, “Reeves doesn’t just tell us what not to do. His research is so carefully documented and so clearly argued that we see precisely what should be our focus Reeves takes us further and deeper into the critical territory of whole system reform. He does it with such elegance and relentless insistence that we are drawn – indeed, compelled – to want to take action.”

Eric Jensen

Teaching with Poverty in Mind: What Being Poor Does to Kids’ Brains and What Schools Can Do about It

Teaching with Poverty in Mind has become a top-selling book and hot lecture topic because it's awakened new interest in a critical issue that's been swept under the carpet for years. Now, Eric Jensen's groundbreaking research into the effects of chronic poverty on children's brains is making a tremendous difference in student outcomes in districts across the country that are modeling his innovative techniques.

Eric Jensen, author of Teaching with Poverty in Mind, Chronic exposure to poverty can result in detrimental changes to the brain, but those changes can be reversed through a rich, caring learning environment. You’ll learn:

• Why poverty has such an adverse affect on kids in school
• What drives change at the macro (district) and micro (inside the student’s brain) levels
• Effective strategies that have worked, and how you can replicate them in your own school

Sam Wineburg

Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts: Charting the Future of Teaching the Past

Historical Thinking and Other Unnatural Acts: Charting the Future of Teaching the Past

What is historical thinking and why should we care? How does historical thinking connect with 21st century skills? What are the new forms of assessment beyond multiple choice? How should primary sources be effectively integrated into teaching history?

Acclaimed author Sam Wineburg shares some of his unorthodox answers in a lively hour of discussion and real-life classroom situations. A Professor of Education at Stanford University, Dr. Wineburg has developed a vibrant new field of research that’s changing the way history is being taught – and learned.