MAINEducation+2008

=MAINEducation 2008 = = = = = =Thursday's Preconference Workshop- Thursday, Oct. 16, 2008 - 2:00-5:00 PM = Networks and Communities: How We Share Teaching Practice in the 21st Century How do we promote the knowledge, skills and sense of urgency for 21st Century teaching and learning among all teachers in our schools? As the physical and virtual worlds converge to become the 'real world' of teaching and learning, virtual exchanges, online mentoring and other Web-based environments will play increasingly important roles in educational reform. The presenter will share "lessons learned" from her seven years of experience in designing and leading virtual communities of practice. Participants will develop their own communities of practice using common Web 2.0 tools and hear recommendations on the roles within a community including that of community organizer. Tools to be discussed include: Twitter, Delicious, wikis, Skype, Elluminate and several community platform sites such as NING, TappedIN, and SchoolNet's Global Net.

=Friday Keynote= Schooling for the 21st Century: Unleashing Student Passion A passionate student is a learning student. As the people of the world are becoming increasingly connected, the nature, use, ownership, and purpose of knowledge are changing in profound ways. Our goal as educators is to leverage these connections and changes as powerful means to improve teaching and learning in our schools.
 * 8:00am - 9:00am Welcome and Opening Keynote**

=Friday Workshops=

11-12noon
//The Dimensions of Change within Schools in the 21st Century// Today's changing world challenges us to re-envision what we do in our schools and classrooms or risk a growing irrelevance in our students' lives. And at the core of this challenge is how well we realize the potentials of today's emerging technologies in our own professional and personal learning practice as educational leaders. Participants will discuss how schools have changed and how they need to change to meet the demands of a modern world and remain relevant in the lives of the students they teach.

1:20-2:20pm
Implementing 21st Century Skills: Steps to Build Momentum  If using technology is so easy, why is implementation so difficult? Preparing students for the 21st Century calls for collective action of all stakeholders and this workshop looks at the steps needed to build momentum and garner buy-in from the entire school community. Participants will discuss ways to plan collectively and strategically for the future, develop a professional development plan for 21st Century skill building, and make sure all students have equitable access to a 21st century education.