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Agenda- Empowering Every Learner

  • 9:00-9:30 Welcome, coffee and registration
  • 9:30-9:40 Opening remarks
  • 9:40-10:55 Keynote 1: The true story of expertise with a facilitated discussion (with Gene Kerns Ed.D., Vice President and Chief Academic Officer of Renaissance Learning)
  • 10:55-11:15 Coffee/tea and refreshments
  • 11:15-12:30 Keynote 2: Linking research, evidence, and pedagogy to drive high achievement for all with a facilitated discussion (with Georgina Cook, Education Specialist for Language and Literacy at GL Education) 
  • 12:30-13:00 Keynote 3 Part 1: Facilitating deliberate practice in the EAL classroom (with Carol Johnson PhD, International Education Officer at Renaissance)
  • 13:00-14:00 Networking lunch
  • 14:00-14:30 Keynote 3 Part 2 : Facilitating deliberate practice in the EAL classroom (with Carol Johnson PhD, International Education Officer at Renaissance)
  • 14:30-15:15 Keynote 4: Reading - so much more than decoding words on a page (with Margaret Allen, Education and Curriculum Specialist at Renaissance)
  • 15:15-15:45 Discussion Panel and Questions with Gene Kerns, Carol Johnson and Georgina Cook, facilitated by Margaret Allan
  • 15:45-16:00 Closing remarks

 

Keynote 1 (9:40–10:55) - The true story of expertise with a facilitated discussion (with Gene Kerns Ed.D., Vice President and Chief Academic Officer of Renaissance Learning) 

Do you know the secret of “the most powerful approach to learning that has yet been discovered”* and the true story of expertise?   

*Source: (Ericsson and Pool, 2016) 

Educators help students build expertise. Despite their critical role in the overall process, many teachers are unaware of the research on how expertise is truly developed.  Guided by the inaccurate folklore around talent, we unconsciously limit the aspirations of our students and ourselves and fail to align our schools and classrooms for optimal growth.  You can promote expertise systematically and consistently, and research documents this. 

During this session, Gene Kearns reviews the research on world class performance with the particular goal of distilling it for educators. Specific topics examined in this interactive forum include: 

  • Essential research covering the 100-year span of the study of expert performance 
  • The actual role that genes and innate talent play in our overall success 
  • The qualities of “deliberate practice,” heralded as “the most powerful approach to learning that has yet been discovered” 
  • Practical ideas on implementing the “science of expertise” in our schools and classroom 
  • How Renaissance Learning’s products and best-practices support the development of expertise. 

 

Keynote 2 (11:15–12:30) Linking research, evidence, and pedagogy to drive high achievement for all with a facilitated discussion (with Georgina Cook, Education Specialist for Language and Literacy at GL Education) 

In this session, we will start by establishing basic knowledge related to data measures, metrics, and standardized assessment. We'll then delve into collaborative interpretation of data, exploring what leaders should be looking for in their data and how this influences pedagogy, with a focus on assessments like CAT4, PASS, and NGRT tailored to an Asia context. We'll address common misconceptions about data usage and discuss ways to understand student need beyond the data. You will have the chance to deep dive into your own GL data and ask questions about next steps.  Get ready to explore how to effectively use data in the classroom to drive forward high attainment for all! 

  

Keynote 3 (12:30–13:00, 14:00-14:30) - Facilitating deliberate practice in the EAL classroom (with Carol Johnson PhD, International Education Officer at Renaissance Learning) 

Given the powerful effect of deliberate practice on learning overall, this session will discuss three aspects of its application in an EAL classroom: a well-defined goal, repetition, and feedback. Viewed through the lens of language learning, the following topics will be addressed: 

  • The National English Language Curriculum Framework 
  • Comprehensible input by CEFR level 
  • Student feedback and growth 

 

Keynote 4 (14:30–15:15) Reading - so much more than decoding words on a page (with Margaret Allen, Education and Curriculum Specialist at Renaissance Learning) 

Learning to read is a complex process with many factors influencing the way in which children build comprehension skills. Early exposure to picture books plays a crucial role in helping children form a "mental model" of the text.  However, true comprehension develops further through a combination of firsthand experiences, and exposure to similar themes, characters, and patterns across various books and reading materials. This repetition and familiarity allow children to transfer knowledge between books, improving their ability to recognize patterns and signals in future reading, ultimately enhancing their overall understanding. 

In this session Margaret will explore how technology can enhance the teaching of reading and further develop language acquisition and vocabulary. 

“Only a fraction of our interpretation of language is licensed by what is explicitly stated.” Professor Jane Oakhill, Sussex University