The 2011 FNO San Francisco Seminar
October 27-28

Managing the 1-on-1
iPad or Laptop Classroom

Making Laptop Writing and Thinking Powerful and Persuasive

 

After all the money spent on laptops, how much has student
reading comprehension, problem-solving and writing improved?

It takes more than good equipment to see results.

Why not come to San Francisco for the seminar and then stay for the weekend. The first 20 registrants get a free copy of Jamie's new book Lost and Found.

Whether you work in a classroom with 8, 12 or 30 laptops or have started to use iPads, chances are this seminar will serve you well and help you to identify strategies that will optimize student learning.

Location:
Holiday Inn Express Fisherman's Wharf

550 NORTH POINT ST
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94133

Jamie McKenzie is an international speaker and writer who has devoted his career to understanding how to nurture the questioning skills of students. He is the author of several books that explore that challenge in depth. He has also been working with laptop classrooms for more than a decade, identifying those strategies that work best.

Jamie McKenzie's resume

All participants should bring their wireless equipped laptops to the seminar, as the workshop includes hands-on activities. There will be wireless access to the Internet.

How can schools make sure laptops actually contribute to student performance?




You can register and pay on line for this conference at
http://fno.org/fnopress/books.html

Schedule of Events
Thursday, October 27, 2011

8:45 AM - Registration

9:00 AM - 12:30 PM (with a mid morning break)

Managing the Laptop Classroom to Get Results: Effective Pedagogy

Many schools have underfunded professional development to support teachers as they consider the best ways to use new technologies with students. The PD they do offer is usually about driving the software and equipment rather than effective instruction.  In this session, Jamie outlines many of the moves, tactics, tricks and strategies required to win attention and student success in hands-on laptop classrooms.  He argues that pedagogy does matter and that PD should focus on how to manage such learning environments.

A successful lesson results from mindful devotion to the following elements, each of which will be in this presentation:

1. Lesson objectives, content and design
2. Classroom landscape
3. Classroom culture
4. Teaching moves, strategies, tactics and procedures
5. Equipment
6. Assessment procedures

An effective teacher knows how to orchestrate these elements to match the characteristics of the students, adapting to each group as the lesson proceeds.

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Lunch

1:30 AM - 3:00 PM

Addressing Tech A.D.D. (Technology Attention Deficit Disorder)

Some students (and adults) suffer from what Jamie calls Tech A.D.D. (Technology Attention Deficit Disorder - defined in the Urban Dictionary) but many argue that the young are a special breed — digital natives who are supposedly superior to their elders because they grew up immersed in things digital. In this session, challenges this notion, arguing that it masks serious issues and challenges teachers, schools and families should be addressing. He differentiates between facile, glib and sure-fingered on the one hand and deep, thoughtful and proficient on the other hand. He introduces his Tech A.D.D. Quiz and suggests a half dozen strategies to counter the drift toward Tech A.D.D.

Studying Complex Concepts such as Beauty, Truth and Courage in Depth

Students are rarely challenged to dig down deep in order to create rich definitions of complex ideas. In this session Jamie shows how teachers can use a series of digital explorations to deepen and extend students' understanding of such concepts. Students learn that dictionaries usually pay short shrift to complex ideas, and they even learn to improve the definitions they encounter.

Friday, October 28, 2011

8:45 AM - Registration

9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Laptop Writing and Thinking:
Secrets of Success

An entire day devoted to best practices.

If you believe that the best professional development involves learning by doing, then this is the perfect workshop for you.

Designed with teachers of upper elementary, middle and high school in mind, this session will focus especially on persuasive writing across several disciplines — science, social studies, language arts, the arts, etc.

Laptops could make a huge difference in the quality of student writing, but it takes some cleverness and strategy to realize that promise. Schools with laptops will see a major improvement in student writing when they teach students how idea processing and word processing can combine thanks to exciting software.

Jamie will involve the group in a process that takes advantage of mind mapping software, idea generators and synthesis strategies along with concept attainment, enrichment of vocabulary and the Traits of Effective Writing — all tailored to exploit the potential of laptops and electronic text.

You will experience first hand a mix of writing and thinking techniques that turn a laptop into a powerful tool for expression.

Costs

Each Day Alone - $ 125.00

Both Days - $ 225.00

This price covers the workshop, wireless and a mid morning coffee break, but lunch is not provided.

An additional discount is available for schools sending 5+ staff members. Email Jamie at

for details.

We will also accept mail registrations accompanied by a check in payment, but they must arrive prior to the seminar.