Valdosta State University To Host 2004 Teaching/Learning Conference
February 19, 2004
Charles Harmon Director of University Relations
Valdosta State University To Host 2004 Teaching/Learning Conference
Valdosta State University's Department of Early Childhood &
Reading Education is hosting a special teaching/learning conference
entitled, "Looking at Student Work." The date is Saturday, February
21, 2004 from 8:30 a.m. till 12:00 p.m. in VSU's Education
Center.
The purpose of the conference is to showcase how accomplished
teachers manage and monitor student learning in mathematics and
language arts. Conference participants will be introduced to
"looking at student work" protocols that can be implemented to
determine if their instructional practices are having the desired
outcomes. Key issues that will be emphasized include the need for
collegial review of student work and how even small samples of
student work can inform instruction.
"In his book, Inventing Better Schools: An Action Plan for
Education Reform, Phillip Schlechty advocates rethinking the
assumptions upon which our system of school is based," said Sheryl
Dasinger, chairman of the Teaching/Learning Conference Committee.
"The teacher's performance should not be the most important thing
that occurs in the classroom. The teacher's performance is
important, but student performance is more important."
Dasinger said teachers need to have a clearer notion of what they
need to encourage students to do rather than just knowing what they
as teachers need to do to or for students.
"Learning must be an active process where students use ideas,
concepts, problem-solving skills, analytic skills and apply facts
to achieve some end," Dasinger said. She added, " The goal of
looking at student work is to help teachers provide students with
engaging work. Students can not learn from work that is not
engaging."
The VSU conference will offer pre-service and in-service teachers
an opportunity to examine their teaching practices and document the
resultant student learning. Candidates seeking certification by the
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) will
find the conference especially beneficial as careful examination of
students' work is required in a portfolio entry.
Speakers at the conference will include Ann J. Hatchell, reading
consultant at Oconee RESA, and Ginny Kasper, the Comprehensive
School Reform consultant for Oconee RESA. Both Hatchell and Kasper
have received special training at Harvard University.
The costs for the conference are $20.00 for adults and $10.00 for
students currently enrolled at VSU. The registration fee includes a
professional literature selection. For more information about
registration, please contact Dr. Lynn Minor at 229-333-5929 or
lcminor@valdosta.edu.
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