Hello, Ed Cases. So sorry I haven’t done any posting around here for the past couple months, but just too dang busy with other stuff: work at Search Institute, some consulting with schools on their PD and curriculum, researching/drafting my next book, etc., etc. I hope to get back to a blogging groove in the months ahead, as my queue of post-sketches is near-overflowing.
All that said, another thing I’ve been devoting a lot of time to of late is organizing the next researchED US conference. We’re on for 27 October in Philadelphia, at the beautiful St Joseph’s Preparatory School.
You can see more about the program, buying tickets, etc., HERE. Check back in coming weeks especially, as we’ll be fleshing it out with more content shortly.
If you’re new to researchED and would like to learn more about the concept and conferences, see this interview I did last year with Rick Hess at Ed Week, this blog by Blake Harvard/Effortful Educator, or this summary of the Washington, DC, conference a couple years ago by Twitter’s @polymathish.
Though I could spend a few thousand words telling you about why I’m so excited for it, here are just a few quick points:
- For the first time since I’ve been organizing rED US conferences, we were approached with a venue by an interested teacher (Dave Fortin, that is — follow him on Twitter at @stuckinphilly1) who is helping considerably with logistics, promotion, etc. A big step forward, I’d say, in the whole grassroots steam thing we’re hoping to build.
- Another amazing lineup of education experts that includes Dylan Wiliam (keynote), Daisy Christodoulou, Karin Chenoweth, Ian Rowe, Audrey Watters, Pedro de Bruyckere, Tanji Reed-Marshall, and many more.
- Fabulous practitioner-stars talking about ways they’re applying research to their own teaching practice: Blake Harvard, North Landesman, Andrew Lyman-Buttler, Amy Holbrook/Rebecca Parker/Mandy Polen (instructional coaches from Dayton, OH, recently featured on the Knowledge Matters Campaign’s School Tour), etc.
- Some new directions we’re thrilled to include, namely something on music education featuring Stanford Thompson (from Play On Philly! and as seen in the great documentary Crescendo) and a parent-advocacy panel featuring Mona Davids of the NYC Parents Union, Clive Packer, Robert Pondiscio, and moderated by Erika Sanzi.
…and seriously? That’s just the beginning. I told you up top I was going to hold myself back from going on and on.
Exciting or what?!
Oh, and I’ve actually heard that some nearby districts are actually arranging party buses to take lots of teachers. (Really, I have heard that.) If that’s your thing, make sure to contact me to see what we can do to get discounted blocks of tickets. Really, we want MORE TEACHERS at these things. It’s who they’re for.
Again, check out the site, follow us on Twitter (@researchED_US or me, @erickalenze) for updates, or just be in touch here if you have questions. We’d love to see you there!
