by
JUDITH AQUINO
Recently, over 320 teachers and administrators gathered at P.S.
124 for the 5th Annual Curriculum, Community, Collaboration and
Celebration Conference presented by Teachers Network, a non profit
organization. The conference consisted of workshops providing
fresh approaches to helping students improve their academic performance,
particularly in science and literacy. Teachers Network is trying
to alleviate the chronic problem affecting secondary schools
-lack of certified science teachers--by inviting experienced
teachers to share their knowledge and ideas with other educators.
The
workshops were a great success as attendees worked
together on activities and strategies they would
incorporate into their classes. "I'm excited
about learning how to apply concepts to the actual
classroom, concepts that I had only heard about in
Teachers College," exclaimed Margaret Avila
after attending the workshops, "How to Set Up
an Effective Elementary Classroom," and "Teaching
Science Across the Elementary Grades."
'
The workshops also provided many networking opportunities. "I
appreciated the open discussion format of the workshops and it
was really helpful to hear from other teachers," said Doris
Mackey.
An
increasingly popular topic among teachers is how
to incorporate more technology into the curriculum.
Educators are interested in learning how to harness
the power of the Internet and integrate it into the
classroom. |
According
to Communications and Development Associate, Whitney
English, two of the most popular workshops were "Technology
Tools to Promote Scientific Thinking" in which
science teacher Conrad Fernandez of the Mott Hall
School discussed strategies' for using computer probes
in the secondary classroom and the "21st Century
Classroom" where teachers learned how to enhance
their lessons with technological tools such as the
Internet. Even workshops that did not directly address
technology included websites for teachers to log
onto for additional information. As more students
rely on digital resources to complete their assignments,
it is important that teachers become "tech savvy" as
well.
Supporting
the needs of teachers has always been the purpose
of Teachers Network. "There is a huge demand
right now for Internet training, but we're ready
for the onslaught," stated Teachers Network
President and CEO, Ellen Dempsey. Dempsey pointed
out that Teachers Network built its website ten years
ago, long before it was common for companies to have
websites. As Deputy Chancellor Carmen Farina observed
during her closing remarks, "Teachers Network
has always been at the forefront of what teachers
need to succeed." Just as today's conference
empowered teachers to find new ways to improve student
learning, Dempsey confirmed that Teachers Network
will continue to address the challenges teachers
face through workshops and other resources. # |
