With the introduction of ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Claude and other GenAI platforms, educators are faced with adapting our instructional and assessment practices. In this session we will examine key elements of GenAI while we tackle a few key questions: How can educators use AI tools in their practice to save time and devote energy to other things such as assessing student learning? What are some critical shifts in assessment occurring at post-secondary and elsewhere that can guide our decisions? How might the existence of AI impact grading practices and homework? What are some effective approaches to instruction and assessment in an GenAI world? What skills should we focus on in the GenAI era, and how can we identify them? How can we increase student voice, engagement, and personalization through planning instruction with GenAI?
As generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) expands throughout all sectors of society, teachers have numerous apps and platforms specifically geared for them. One of the most notable is 'Magic School', and it offers an incredible array of support for teachers. Perhaps the most useful element of Magic School is that it is scaffolded for teachers, with easy to use prompt boxes that eliminate the need to write effective prompts from scratch. By completing a few fields, teachers can obtain customized rubrics, unit plans, text leveling, Math word problems, YouTube video questions, and much, much more. Recently the makers of Magic School have introduced 'Magic Student' - a teacher monitored portal where some tools can be added to a 'classroom' and students can access AI tools in a controlled environment. Join this session to get an in-depth look at Magic School, where participants are encouraged to bring a laptop, iPad or similar as time may be provided to explore and share.
* We’ll remove the laptops immediately to protect the ecosystem According to the most recent research, globally the average person spends around 7 hours per day looking at a screen. For Gen Z (ages 11-25) tack on an extra two hours, and if current trends continue, they'll soon surpass 10 hours a day! If screen time was an issue before COVID, it was exacerbated by the pandemic through remote learning, Zoom sessions, and other ways we were forced to connect digitally. While it’s clear that technology plays an integral role in learning, perhaps it’s worth exploring ways to periodically ‘switch off’ the screens and explore other avenues. In this session, we’ll explore a variety of ways to introduce face-to-face conversations, movement, and the outdoors. We will also dust off 'old school’ stuff like Lego, Play-Doh, and action figures and examine how we can purposefully incorporate these engaging elements into our instruction and assessment routines.
What are enemies that prevent efficacy from developing and how can teams prevent the enemies from derailing their improvement work? Collective teacher efficacy is a significant belief system that impacts student outcomes. To ensure that collective efficacy remains strong in schools, it’s important to understand what influences a team’s beliefs about what they can accomplish. It’s important to know what strengthens efficacy and factors that weaken it. During this session, Jenni will share ‘enemies of efficacy’ and describe ways to overcome the enemies in today’s schools. Success Criteria Participants will be able to: Describe the relationship between collective teacher efficacy and people’s receptiveness to change. Identify things that hinder the development of collective teacher efficacy. Describe strategies for overcoming the enemies of efficacy. Determine how, when, and why to utilize various strategies for overcoming the enemies of efficacy.
As educators, our own beliefs about our abilities and potential can greatly impact our effectiveness in the classroom and our professional growth. In this session, participants will learn practical strategies to cultivate mindsets for improvement. We’ll explore how to reframe challenges as opportunities, provide constructive feedback that promotes learning and resilience, and create a supportive professional culture that fosters effort, progress, and growth. Building on ideas from session 1, participants will engage in reflective exercises and collaborative discussions to examine their own mindset and learn how to encourage a growth mindset amongst team members. Participants will be able to: Recognize ‘out there’ versus ‘in here’ thinking and how educators get stuck in unhelpful stories. Recognize how mindsets influence behavior and outcomes. Gain a deeper understanding of mindsets for improvement. Practice practical strategies for checking assumptions, biases, and cultivating a growth mindset with colleagues.
Self-efficacy refers to students’ beliefs in their ability to succeed in specific tasks or situations. This mindset significantly impacts their approach to learning and academic challenges. In this session, participants will learn how self-efficacy shapes students’ learning experiences, the contrast between high and low self-efficacy behaviors, and practical strategies to boost students’ confidence in their abilities. Together we will explore how to transform self-doubt into self-assurance, helping your students become more confident, motivated, and persistent learners. Success Criteria Participants will be able to: Identify at least three specific behavioral indicators that distinguish high self-efficacy from low self-efficacy in students (e.g., task approach, response to setbacks, goal-setting patterns). Understand the sources that influence student efficacy-beliefs and identify ways to incorporate sources into learning activities and structured feedback. Identify research-based strategies to help increase student self-efficacy
Self-efficacy refers to students’ beliefs in their ability to succeed in specific tasks or situations. This mindset significantly impacts their approach to learning and academic challenges. In this session, participants will learn how self-efficacy shapes students’ learning experiences, the contrast between high and low self-efficacy behaviors, and practical strategies to boost students’ confidence in their abilities. Together we will explore how to transform self-doubt into self-assurance, helping your students become more confident, motivated, and persistent learners. Success Criteria Participants will be able to: Identify at least three specific behavioral indicators that distinguish high self-efficacy from low self-efficacy in students (e.g., task approach, response to setbacks, goal-setting patterns). Understand the sources that influence student efficacy-beliefs and identify ways to incorporate sources into learning activities and structured feedback. Identify research-based strategies to help increase student self-efficacy
