Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference

In the ever changing landscape of the "real world," it is imperative that students acquire new basics to navigate creative problem solving, collaboration, iteration, visual communication skills, coding, and empathy. Yet, if teachers are the designers, why do so many teachers feel disempowered or disconnected from their ability to enact these basics? From administrative hurdles, to standardized testing constraints, to physical spatial barriers, the design process is hindered or stopped. So what do you do? At Beaver Country Day School the goal for tackling these parallel dynamics is working to build a collaborative culture not only in the classroom but among the faculty, both within and across departments. It is empowering teachers to share their expertise, creativity, and time that changes the culture around effective collaboration and the sophistication of the products created by the student body. Teachers who attend this session on building collaborative culture can expect to learn about the Tech Summit, internal professional development, spotting interdisciplinary opportunities within the curriculum, the Committee of Teachers, changes in student products, and positives of increased faculty morale. (Presenter(s): Melissa Alkire, History Teacher and Tech Specialist, Beaver Country Day School, and David Ingenthron)