Teaching and Learning CoLab 2024: Full Schedule

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10:00am MDT

Math Education Mastery for Leaders: Transformative Strategies for Math Education Success

Unveil the magic of math education leadership! Dive into the secrets of successful math classrooms, even if numbers aren't your forte. Discover the keys to engaging, fun math experiences and learn how to support them. Gain expert tools to evaluate any classroom in a 5-minute walkthrough, empowering you to boost student and teacher math enthusiasm and effectiveness. No equations needed—just a passion for transforming math education! Join us to revolutionize teaching practices, make math enjoyable, and empower your entire school community.

Speakers

Jason Cushner

Math Specialist, Colorado Department of Education

Jason Cushner is a PAEMST awardee who comes to us from Estes Park, where his career has included teaching, instructional coaching, and service as a school board member.

Colabs Leadership math presentation pptx

Wednesday May 29, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am MDT
ES French Room 126

Best First Instruction

Company K - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8, 9 -12

10:00am MDT

Social Emotional Learning in Schools: Creating a Caring Classroom Environment

Our schools and classrooms are in a constant state of change, particularly over the past few years. This session will discuss how to assess what students need from a social/emotional wellness perspective; how to ensure we provide supports for social/emotional learning for all students and will give some ideas for how we can redesign schools with a focus on building stronger relationships.

Speakers

Michelle Malvey

Behavioral Health Training Specialist, CDE

Michelle Malvey is a Behavioral Health Training Specialist in the Heath Education Unit at CDE. She is a former principal, district MTSS Coordinator, school psychologist and teacher with a passion for making sure everyone in the school environment gets what they need on a daily... Read More →

Creating a Caring Classroom CO Lab presentation, final.pptx pdf

Wednesday May 29, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am MDT
Hays Student Center TAG

Best First Instruction

Company K - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8, 9 -12

10:00am MDT

Transforming the Status Quo: Adaptive AI's Uncharted Territories in Public Education

In this interactive session, we will challenge the status quo use of AI as a mere technical tool, urging a more thoughtful approach. Participants will delve into the distinctions between technical and adaptive AI, reflect on their pedagogy, and design learning ecosystems to foster innovation and measurable outcomes, steering away from perpetuating ineffective practices. Learning Objective: Participants will explore how AI transcends its technical tool status in education and apply strategies to emphasize its potential benefits in redesigning teaching methods, personalizing learning, and meeting the needs of diverse students.

Speakers

Antonio Vigil

Director of Innovative Classroom Technology, Aurora Public Schools

Born and raised in North Denver, Antonio is a servant leader who has taught in, learned from, opened up, transformed, and regenerated schools throughout the city and country over the past twenty-six years. As a throughline for all these professional experiences, Antonio has dedicated... Read More →

Wednesday May 29, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am MDT
ES French Room 124

Best First Instruction

Company K - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8, 9 -12

10:00am MDT

Digital Treasures: Exploring the Library of Congress

This workshop delves into the extensive collection of digital primary sources accessible via the Library of Congress website. Housing over 70 million digital resources available for free and out-of-copyright, our nation's library offers an unfettered look into the history of the United States. No matter the age or subject area, primary sources inspire critical thinking through the use of inquiry and analysis. Join us to discover teacher-created, ready-to-use materials suitable for enhancing lessons in literacy, social studies, STEM and beyond.

Speakers

Keith Patterson

Director, TPS Western Region

Kile Clabaugh

Program Manager, TPS Western Region @ MSU Denver

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about Library of Congress primary sources or granting opportunities.

Wednesday May 29, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am MDT
Hays Student Center Room 219

Disciplinary Literacy Standards Implementation Best First Instruction

Company K - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8, 9 -12

11:15am MDT

DEI in the Science Classroom: A Practical Approach to Inclusivity

Have you been wondering what DEI is, how to implement it, and what it has to do with science? In this presentation teachers will learn what DEI is and how we as science educators can use it in our classrooms. You will also learn how to use scientifically accurate inclusive language and how that supports your students. A curriculum audit tool specific to DEI created by myself in conjunction with, UCCS and CU Denver's SHED department graduate school faculty will also be available for you to take back to your schools and use.

Speakers

Joanne McGuire

CAST Board, Stargate School (Charter in Adams 12 Five Star)

Wednesday May 29, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm MDT
ES French Room 125

Disciplinary Literacy

Company K - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8, 9 -12

11:15am MDT

Entry Points For All Students

Participants will be able to take one of their lessons and create four levels for students to choose which one they will complete. The four levels include: Emerging, Progressing, Meets, and Exemplary. No matter where is student is on the learning progression, they will be able to feel successful for choosing one assignment to do... no opt outs.

Speakers

Jessica May

Teacher of the Year, Turner Middle School, Thompson School District

Jessica May was born in St. Cloud, Minnesota and moved to Colorado in 1977. She began teaching in 1997 in the Thompson School District at the middle school level, from English Language Arts and social studies, to math, science, life skills, and her current position at Turner Middle... Read More →

Wednesday May 29, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm MDT
ES French Room 218

Disciplinary Literacy Standards Implementation Best First Instruction

Company 6 - 8

11:15am MDT

Building Health Skills to Support SEL

This session will explore Colorado Comprehensive Health Education Standards related to social emotional learning. Based on the standards participants will identify key health skills of communication, self-management, decision making, and advocacy. Participants explore and create strategies for introduction, reinforcement, and mastery of the skills.

Speakers

james hurley

Health and Physical Education Content Specialist, Colorado Department of Education

Health Skills and SEL pptx

wrightfamily pdf

Wednesday May 29, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm MDT
Hays Student Center Room 230

Standards Implementation Best First Instruction

Company K - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8, 9 -12
Skills Resources Website https://rmc.org/resources-tools/

11:15am MDT

Teaching HB 21-1200 – “How Do You Teach Your Students about Their Next Financial Steps After High School?”

House Bill 21-1200 (and the corresponding revisions to state standards) require districts and schools to teach students a variety of new topics to prepare for life after high school. But even more importantly, these are the skills parents and former students say they wished they had learned before they graduated. College costs and student loans, aid applications like FAFSA and CASFA, the home buying process, retirement plans and pensions, and many other PFL topics need to find places in your classes by Fall of 2024. This session will look at strategies to integrate these topics (and others) into your existing classes, as well as free lesson resources that already exist to boost your efforts.

Speakers

Jay LeBlanc

Education Program Director, Economic Literacy Colorado

ELC covers a variety of PD training for teachers in financial literacy and economics topics, as well as student programs like the Stock Market Experience and Invest In Girls. Visit our table for more details about summer and fall classes and programs!

Wednesday May 29, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm MDT
ES French Room 124

Standards Implementation Best First Instruction

Company 6 - 8, 9 -12

11:15am MDT

You Got ANTs - Stop Ranting and Start Living

Your mind is naturally prone to Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs). Uncover the most persistent types of ANTs and acquire techniques to halt these troublesome patterns. ANTs wreak havoc in your life. This program empowers participants to enhance their self-awareness and communication skills, enabling them to overcome obstacles in work, school, and home. Are you prepared to break free from what's hindering your progress? Have negative beliefs and behaviors taken root? Everything begins with a thought. Align your thoughts, transform your life.

The most effective way to address the Mental Health crisis is through a proactive mental fitness program. Stay ahead by nurturing your mental well-being. And nurture enhanced communication within yourself and with others to positively impact the lives of one another and our students.

Speakers

Cindy Saylor

NLP-P & Mental Wellness Speaker, Saylor's Journey, LLC

Visit Saylor's Journey to learn more about Mental Fitness Bootcamps. Personal & professional development programs focusing on emotional, social, and mental fitness. You got ANTs... and not what you think. ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts).

Wednesday May 29, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm MDT
Hays Student Center TAG

Standards Implementation Best First Instruction

Company K - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8, 9 -12

1:00pm MDT

CANCELLED - Trauma-informed strategies in Visual Arts Education

Art can plan an important role in the education of students who have experienced various forms of trauma. Effective and evidenced-based interventions can help provide a sense of agency within students and encourage a sense of safety and empowerment. This session introduces a variety of resources, strategies, and tips for teachers that can be incorporated into art-making.

Speakers

Donna Goodwin

Visual Art Content Consultant CDE/Director of the School of Art and Design at UNC, CDE

I am the Visual Arts Content Consultant for CDE in the Standards and Instructional Support office as well as the Director of the School of Art and Design at the University of Northern Colorado and am so happy to be with you today discussing CDE's researched Best, First Instruction... Read More →

Wednesday May 29, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm MDT
ES French Room 218

Best First Instruction

Company K - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8, 9 -12

1:00pm MDT

Leaders Building a Culture of "We Care" for School Staff

This session will provide an opportunity for school leaders explore how to create a culture of "We Care". Our schools and classrooms are in a constant state of change, particularly over the past few years. This session will discuss how school leaders can assess what students and staff need from a social/emotional wellness perspective; how to ensure we provide supports for social/emotional learning for all student and staff and will give some ideas for how we can redesign schools with a focus on building stronger relationships.

Speakers

Michelle Malvey

Behavioral Health Training Specialist, CDE

Leaders Building a Culture of We Care for School Staff (CoLab Sterling), updated.pptx pdf

Wednesday May 29, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm MDT
ES French Room 126

Best First Instruction

Company K - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8, 9 -12

1:00pm MDT

Using AI to Speed Up Formative Assessment

Educators have too much on our plates without something to help. If only we had a team of grading assistants, graphic artists, instructional designers, junior writers, assessment developers, and student tutors who could read, write, and generate images faster than the most effective team. Come to this workshop and you'll leave with that team in your pocket.

We'll review AI programs that are free or low-cost for educators, and will run on any internet-enabled device. These tools can help draft teaching materials, integrate formative assessments, provide feedback on student work, encourage student-self-assessment, and support family communication and engagement.

These tools can also help ease school administrators' duties, and help a district team streamline operational duties as well.

In short, you'll leave this session with tools to make being an educator more sustainable, and the confidence to use them.

Speakers

Andrew Gitner

Jeffco Ed Tech Specialist, Golden High School

After teaching at a charter school for 3 years, Andrew Gitner was extremely insecure when he first got the job at Golden. He was convinced he would be fired at any minute for any reason because, you know, charter drama. This insecurity pushed him to learn a ton of skills, pedagogies... Read More →

AI for Formative Feedback (COLabs, Sterling 2024) pdf

Wednesday May 29, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm MDT
Hays Student Center TAG

Best First Instruction

Company 6 - 8, 9 -12

1:00pm MDT

Open Educational Resources to expand your curriculum options

The OERColorado Project is a statewide initiative to provide digital collections of free openly licensed curriculum resources for PK-12+ educators to use in their teaching and classrooms. Open Education is a movement to increase access to educational resources across all disciplines and subject areas. The resources in the OERColorado digital library include free lessons, classes, textbooks, simulations, games, rubrics, icebreakers, and many other tools for teachers to use in face-to-face, online and blended learning environments. OERColorado as a searchable repository of free resources supports teachers in customizing their classroom experience to their learner demographic and context. Educators attending the session will create an OER adoption plan for their classroom, school or district context with the support of the OERColorado professional development coordinator. Learn more about adopting OER textbooks, complete curricula or just locating support materials. All at no cost to you or your district. Think “Teacher’s pay teachers,” but Free!

Speakers

Mallorie Klemm

Blended Learning Education Senior Consultant, Colorado Department of Education

Mallorie Klemm, Blended Learning Education Senior Consultant

Wednesday May 29, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm MDT
Hays Student Center Room 230

Disciplinary Literacy Best First Instruction

Company K - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8, 9 -12

1:00pm MDT

SEP 2- Developing & Using Models to Unravel Phenomena

Come join us for a collaborative hands-on session, where we will learn and practice some practical evidence-based strategies that will allow you to better weave the Science and Engineering Practices of Modeling into your current lessons and labs, in ways that replicate the way that real scientists and engineers use models. Expect something that you can use in your classroom tomorrow to get your students using and developing Models.

Speakers

Tim Blesse

Teacher Programs Consultant, Denver Museum of Nature and Science

Tim Blesse, has 31 years of experience as a classroom science educator in both private and public schools, teaching students from grades 3-12. He also has had 25 summers of experience working as an interpretive naturalist and hiking guide in Rocky Mountain National Park, working for... Read More →

No Media CDE2024 Scientific Models pptx

Wednesday May 29, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm MDT
Hays Student Center Room 219

Disciplinary Literacy Standards Implementation

Company 6 - 8, 9 -12

2:15pm MDT

CANCELLED - Equity Toolkit Introduction

This session will introduce the NEW Equity Toolkit, developed through a CDE/WestEd partnership and designed to support educators to understand self, understand others, and understand community context to notice things we may not have noticed before. This work will support increased intentionality in effectively serving all students, families, and staff, being responsive to individual and group identities defined by race, ethnicity, socioeconomics, language, religion, sexual orientation, gender, and ability. Resources for preparing teachers and leaders to examine and impact mindsets, policies, practices that will support culturally responsive instruction will be highlighted.

Speakers

Christina Adeboye Sullivan

Program Coordinator, Colorado Department of Education

Dr. Christina Adeboye Sullivan is a native of Iowa, a long-time educator in Minnesota, and now a proud resident of Colorado. She served as a principal and district administrator for 20 years, prioritizing equitable and effective instruction for each student. She earned her PhD in... Read More →

Wednesday May 29, 2024 2:15pm - 3:15pm MDT
ES French Room 218

Best First Instruction

Company K - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8, 9 -12

2:15pm MDT

Colorado Multi-Tiered System of Supports: Improving education by supporting the whole human

Colorado Multi-Tiered System of Supports (COMTSS) is a prevention-based framework for school improvement. In order for it to be effective, leaders need to understand and support both staff and students’ whole human needs. Staff and students need to believe that school is somewhere to feel safe, seen, accepted, and believed in as well as challenged to learn and grow. This session will provide a research base surrounding the positive impact of teacher-student relationships and administrator-teacher relationships, as well as provide concrete examples from the field of how to build those relationships. In this session, participants will also learn how to support the key human needs we all share to create an environment of safety and support that encourages engagement and achievement. Presenters will share practical strategies and content from the research and their experiences.

Speakers

Rebecca Knighton

Multi Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) Specialist, CDE

Rebecca Knighton is an MTSS Specialist with the Colorado Department of Education. She has a background in middle school general education behavior intervention, gifted education, and systems-level change. She has led professional development at the school, district, and state levels... Read More →

COMTSS CDE CoLab 2024 pdf

Wednesday May 29, 2024 2:15pm - 3:15pm MDT
Hays Student Center Room 230

Best First Instruction

Company K - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8, 9 -12

2:15pm MDT

St. Vrain Valley Schools' Approach to AI Training for Educators

In today's rapidly evolving society, St. Vrain Valley Schools are prioritizing AI in education to prepare students for a globalized world. Through the year-long "Exploration AI" professional development program, educators are equipped with the skills to use AI effectively, ethically, and critically. This program includes a Professional Learning Network (PLN) using social media and online platforms, blending asynchronous and synchronous learning, and gamified incentives. Monthly after-hours events feature an EdCamp/Unconference format, tailored to educators' interests. The biggest takeaway for participants is a comprehensive understanding and practical skillset in utilizing AI within educational contexts, aimed at deepening their grasp of AI's potential and ensuring that well-informed teachers can facilitate students' effective use of AI in learning.

Speakers

Jason Kelsall

Learning Systems Strategist, St. Vrain Valley Schools

Learning Systems Strategist District Technology Services Helped to lead our district wide Generative AI PD "Exploration AI" Presenting at ISTE, COSN on similar topics

Wednesday May 29, 2024 2:15pm - 3:15pm MDT
Hays Student Center TAG

Best First Instruction

Company K - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8, 9 -12

2:15pm MDT

The Power of Student Choice in K-12 Physical Education

When students have choice within the physical education curriculum, instruction, and assessment process, they develop a sense of autonomy that can be highly motivating. The purpose of this session is to introduce strategies for integrating student choice and voice into your K-12 physical education program.

Speakers

Brian Dauenhauer

UNC

TBE

Wednesday May 29, 2024 2:15pm - 3:15pm MDT
Gymnasium

Standards Implementation

Company K - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8, 9 -12

2:15pm MDT

Understanding Career and Technical Education- it is for all students."

"Understanding Career and Technical Education - its for all students."

Speakers

Dana Anderson

Assistant State Director for CTE Program Quality, Colorado Community College System

Dana is the Assistant State Director of CTE Program Quality in Colorado, where she previously served as the Program Director for Business, Marketing, and Entrepreneurship. She has worked with CTE programs at the state level for over six years after she left her very successful Business... Read More →

Wednesday May 29, 2024 2:15pm - 3:15pm MDT
ES French Room 125

Standards Implementation

Company 6 - 8, 9 -12

2:15pm MDT

Utilizing the Highly Effective Evaluation Process

This session will offer the opportunity to explore utilization of the Highly Effective Evaluation Process. The part-information session, part-collaborative discussion will explain the Highly Effective evaluation process as well as the process for determining whether it is a good fit for your district. Key considerations and ideas for leveraging stakeholders (e.g., 1338 councils) in planning for implementation for the 2024-25 school year will also be discussed. Districts will have the opportunity to ask questions of the presenters and collaboratively discuss the merits of utilizing the Highly Effective evaluation process in their schools.

Speakers

Leslie Burkholder

Educator Effectiveness Manager, Colorado Department of Education

CDE Educator Effectiveness Manager, Leslie Burkholder

Wednesday May 29, 2024 2:15pm - 3:15pm MDT
Hays Student Center Room 207

Standards Implementation

Company K - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8, 9 -12