LOOKING FOR AN ENGAGING SPEAKER FOR YOUR NEXT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EVENT?
Elevate Learning Through Expert Workshops
Welcome to a curated selection of transformative workshops designed for educators seeking impactful strategies and tools to foster student success. These sessions are adaptable for both in-person and virtual formats, offering flexibility to meet your professional development needs. Session durations are either 60 minutes, 90 minutes, or half-day, ensuring in-depth exploration and engagement.
The Empathy Lens: Connecting with Students Across Cultural Differences
Duration: 90 minutes
Overview: Empathy is the cornerstone of creating inclusive classrooms. This workshop equips educators with tools to understand and bridge cultural differences, enhancing relationships with students from diverse backgrounds. Participants will practice using "The Empathy Lens," a structured framework to recognize and adapt to varied cultural values, fostering deeper connections and improved classroom dynamics.
Key Takeaways:
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Recognize the impact of cultural norms on student behavior.
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Develop strategies to adapt teaching approaches for inclusivity.
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Practice actionable steps to build trust and rapport with diverse learners.
Peer Power: How Collaborative Feedback Transforms Learning
Duration: 60 minutes
Overview: This session delves into the art of peer assessment, moving beyond traditional paper-swapping to foster a culture of constructive feedback and collaboration. Educators will learn to design peer feedback activities that are culturally responsive and centered on growth.
Key Takeaways:
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Design engaging peer feedback exercises.
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Understand the cultural implications of peer assessments.
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Equip students with the tools to provide and receive meaningful feedback.
Gamifying Project-Based Learning: Strategies for Student Engagement
Duration: Half-Day
Overview: Bring excitement and relevance to the classroom through gamified project-based learning (PBL). This immersive session guides educators in creating gamified frameworks that promote critical thinking, teamwork, and creativity, aligned with curriculum goals.
Key Takeaways:
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Understand the principles of gamification in education.
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Develop customized PBL scenarios for your classroom.
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Foster engagement through game-based challenges and rewards.
Duration: 60 minutes
Overview: Storytelling is a powerful tool for self-expression and learning. This workshop empowers educators to incorporate storytelling techniques in their teaching, helping students articulate their experiences and perspectives while building empathy among peers.
Key Takeaways:
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Learn storytelling techniques for classroom use.
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Foster students' confidence in sharing their narratives.
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Build a supportive environment for sharing diverse perspectives.
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Keynote Options
In this session, Dr. Eakins answers 4 questions for STEM educators:
- How can we make STEM memorable?
- How can we make STEM considerate?
- How can we make STEM familiar?
- How can we make STEM emotional?
Confidence is the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something. This is not always an easy feeling to achieve. However, as we work through various challenges that test our levels of comfort, we can slowly develop our confidence as educators. Confidence in having difficult conversations and moving up professionally are just some of the daily experiences that we face. In this keynote presentation, Dr. Eakins shares personal stories and research regarding the significance of being confident as educators when facing uncomfortable situations.
Take a journey with Dr. Eakins as he shares his experiences as an educator living overseas and his introduction to culturally responsive practices. Session attendees will understand the value and impact of addressing their biases to teach through a culturally diverse lens.
The Legend of Zelda was released on the original Nintendo in the US in 1986. This game revolutionized the gaming industry in many ways, including an open-world format and the ability to save your game and not have to start from the beginning every time you turn on your Nintendo. What does this have to do with education? In this presentation, Dr. Sheldon L. Eakins will share with the audience how to harness their “Triforce of Power” (Power, Wisdom, and Courage).
This session discusses ways parents can learn to advocate for their children at school. Dr. Eakins will share personal stories on helping parents ensure equitable practices for their children's needs.
Some of Our Partnerships
"I have been attending a lot of different seminars addressing racial justice issues this semester and this has been by far one of the best ones I've attended."
Lux
Educator
"The recent one on microaggressions was particularly helpful. I wish I had had those suggestions 26 years ago when we adopted our daughter from China! "
Nancy
Founder and Executive Director
"You are an amazing presenter and I enjoy hearing your thoughtful insights. Your positivity is uplifting."
Sarah
Biology Teacher
Training and Workshops
An intensive professional development program for educators looking to ensure ALL students have access to the resources they need to succeed academically and socially.
The Four Tenets of the Purposeful Teaching Academy
- Self-Awareness: Self-awareness and recognition of Implicit Bias in teaching.
- Instructional Design: Creating a learning environment where studentsā€™ cultures and languages are seen and respected daily.
- Co-Teaching: Seeking opportunities for students to learn from each other and view the world through different lenses.
- Advocacy Work: Taking a conscious advocacy approach to developing an equitable and socially just learning environment in which the students receive the resources and attention they need to be successful.
