STLinATL

The imperative and urgency to educate young people with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required to thrive in an interconnected world and to take on inherently interconnected challenges has perhaps never been more apparent. No matter the grade level or subject area, educators can teach students global competencies like open-mindedness, intercultural communication, creative problem-solving, and cultural humility through focused curriculum design and key global pedagogies. Join this session to hear about numerous models of assignments, projects, units, courses from across GEBG’s nearly 400 member schools and to workshop your own curriculum utilizing GEBG’s Curriculum Toolkit and other curated resources.

Facilitated by Chad Detloff, GEBG Director of Professional Learning and Curriculum

How can students be in the driving seat of their learning experience? And why should they be? In times of generative AI, machine learning, and easy access to knowledge, students cannot be passive recipients of that knowledge anymore. We need to meet the students where they are, not where we think they should be. That means students should be encouraged to be creators of knowledge and to transfer their knowledge to novel situations. As they design their learning experience, they become problem-solvers and critical thinkers, content experts, and collaborators. Students grapple with authentic, non-linear, interdisciplinary work that requires a focus on skills over content. Our student-directed projects are at the core of our student-driven learning approach. Students are active explorers driven to answer an essential question they created. Through this non-linear, interdisciplinary inquiry, students engage in deeper learning as they construct, transfer, and make sense of their knowledge. An approach that promotes student agency, choice, and investigation. Come and hear about our journey to make this change happen, the highs, the not-so-highs, the need to let go of some of
our beliefs about how schools should work and students should learn.

Engaging in giving or receiving feedback is fraught with challenges like defensiveness, relationship tension, and lots of other big feelings. Participants will learn how to understand and approach feedback with more curiosity and grace.

This presentation will explore how Mindset Math, a global nonprofit with over 100 members, is redefining math education through innovative programs that integrate interdisciplinary studies and creative teaching strategies. Founded in November 2023, Mindset Math now reaches diverse student groups across Mexico, Asia, and other underserved communities.

I will share insights from three core programs designed to engage students in unique learning experiences:

Mindful Mathletes: Combines psychology with math tasks to foster a growth mindset and deepen mathematical thinking. STEM & Stitches: Blends math, crochet, and science to raise climate change awareness, support the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and promote the importance of interdisciplinary studies. Around the World in 80 Math Problems: In partnership with the National Math Foundation, this program incorporates movement mats and kinesthetic learning to teach real-world math applications. Participants will gain insights from my teaching experiences at Woodward Academy’s Lower and Middle Schools, Horizons summer camp, and virtual classes, along with evaluations of program outcomes. I will also provide practical strategies for incorporating these methods into traditional classrooms, fostering creative STEM education practices.

The session will conclude with key takeaways on launching a student-driven nonprofit, project development, and creating engaging STEM curricula. Sample presentations and hands-on resources will be shared to support classroom implementation.

Attendees will leave with actionable ideas for enhancing STEM education and promoting interdisciplinary learning.

Discover how schools and teachers across the country—whether working with students who excel or those who struggle— are using practical, research-backed grading improvements to enhance learning, strengthen the integrity of report cards and transcripts, reduce student stress, and even boost teacher satisfaction. How are these common sense grading practices more accurate, fair, and motivational than our century-old way of grading students, as demonstrated by academic research as well as classroom-based evidence? Explore both incremental and transformative upgrades to grading that build on what educators already do and believe. Learn effective strategies to address skepticism and misconceptions, ensuring that all stakeholders understand how equitable grading fosters higher expectations, deeper learning, and greater success for every student.