2017 GACIS Fall Conference
Visible Learning for Literacy
September 28 - 29, 2017
Classic Center Athens, GA
Keynote Speakers
Nancy Frey, Ph.D., is a Professor of Educational Leadership in the School of Teacher Education at San Diego State University and a teacher leader at Health Sciences High & Middle College. She is co-author with John Hattie and Douglas Fisher of the newest books in John Hattie’s Visible Learning series: Teaching Literacy in the Visible Classroom, Grades 6-12; Teaching Literacy in the Visible Classroom, Grades K-5; Visible Learning for Mathematics, Grades K-12; and Visible Learning for Literacy, K-12. Frey has co-authored several other books on literacy including: Text Complexity: Raising Rigor in Reading; Text Dependent Questions and Rigorous Reading with Douglas Fisher. If you agree with the authors’ statement that “every student deserves a great teacher, not by chance, but by design”, you must attend the GACIS 2017 Fall Conference!
Melissa Fincher, Ph.D, is the Deputy Superintendent for Assessment and Accountability at the Georgia Department of Education. Melissa oversees the development of all Georgia assessment and accountability programs including the Georgia Milestones. Current test results, accountability measures and steps being taken to implement SB 211 will be shared. SB211 requires the administration of formative assessments in English language arts/reading and mathematics in grades one and two, flexibility for state and local assessments and a comparability study of national assessments alignment to state standards. Assessment and accountability updates including the State ESSA Plan and time for Q & A will be provided.
Breakout Session Presenters
Christopher Lehman is an international speaker, education consultant and New York Times bestselling author. He is also the Founding Director of The Educator Collaborative, a think tank and educational consulting organization working to innovate the ways educators learn together. His books include: Falling In Love With Close Reading with Kate Roberts; Energize Research Reading and Writing; Pathways to the Common Core with Lucy Calkins and Mary Ehrenworth; and A Quick Guide to Reviving Disengaged Writers. The presentation will focus on understanding the role of close reading and discovering ways of structuring teaching so students develop habits to carry across the variety of texts they read.
Bruce Lesh was a high school teacher and social studies department chair for twenty-two years in Baltimore County Public Schools where he taught American history, world history, and Advanced Placement United States Politics and Government. A past president of the Maryland Council for the Social Studies and vice-chair of the National Council for History Education. What Bruce loves most about teaching is making historical events come to life for his students. "It is that magic moment when a student gains an appreciation for the past that fuels my desire to stay in the classroom," he says. Bruce believes that it is important for teachers to connect with other professionals facing similar challenges. "The interaction engendered by quality professional development provides a forum for teachers to link the realities of their instructional environment to new evidence found in research. It allows the intellectual batteries to be recharged."
Pamela Weber Harris a former secondary mathematics teacher, is a K-12 mathematics education consultant, a T^3 (Teachers Teaching with Technology) National Instructor, and a nationally known speaker. She is the author of Building Powerful Numeracy books and the Building Powerful Numeracy Facilitator’s Guide. She is the new lead author of Discovering Advanced Algebra, and author of Building Powerful Numeracy for Middle & High School Students, Lessons & Activities for Building Powerful Numeracy, and Building Powerful Numeracy: A Facilitator’s Guide. Lately, her work has focused on teaching algebra content through problem strings and truly problematic situations. Math class should be an activity of constructing mathematical ideas as they arise out of real-world situations.
Jeff Barker, Ph.D. has served as the Associate Director at the Georgia Center for Assessment (GCA) since March 2014. The Georgia Center for Assessment is a part of the College of Education at the University of Georgia (UGA) and serves as a bridge between the research community at UGA and all learners (students, parents and educators). GCA also supports teaching and learning in school systems and schools across the state of Georgia. Before joining GCA, he served as the Director of Assessment at the Georgia Department of Education and Executive Director of Accountability and Assessment in Gwinnett County Public Schools. Jeff’s presentation will focus on science assessments to inform instruction.
Lodging Information
For Registration issues please contact Pat Myers pmyers@gael.org
* Please note our cancellation policy: Due to commitments to our facilities and partners, cancellations are subject to a $50.00 fee up to one week before the event. After that, the full fee will be charged. No-shows at the event will be charged the full fee. Cancellations must be in writing. Please email gsmith@gael.org to cancel.
For Program Information please contact Deborah White: dwhite@gael.org
Registration for this event is closed.