Single Sectionals
Thursday
A.1 or B.1 : Boomwhackers, Body Percussion, and Bucket Drums!
Jenise Nolte
Suggested Level: All Teachers
Location: 1st & 2nd Grade Classroom
Sectional A Time: 1:30-2:20 pm
Sectional B Time: 2:30-3:20 pm
Jump right in and have some music making fun! We'll try out boomwhackers, body percussion, and bucket drums--fun for all ages!
A.2 or B.2 : Accreditation: Worth the Time and Effort
Mike Henning
Suggested Level: All Teachers
Location: Kindergarten Classroom
Sectional A Time: 1:30-2:20 pm
Sectional B Time: 2:30-3:20 pm
A school’s accreditation rarely is found at the bottom of a box of cracker jack. A lot of hard work and time is required to get your school accredited. This presentation will give reasons to put in the work and time in order to either begin the accreditation process or maintain your current accredited status.
A.3 : Maximizing Forward Exam Results to Inform Social Studies Instruction
Nathan Gartner and Melanie Giddings
Suggested Level: Middle Grades & Upper Grades
Location: Council Room
Sectional A Time: 1:30-2:20 pm
What is the purpose of those standardized tests? Oftentimes, in our Lutheran schools these standardized tests are given to 1) check our students' achievement against the public sector or 2) provide a report to parents on student performance. However, not much more is done with the data, especially in subject areas that are not tested frequently. The goal of this sectional is to provide an additional purpose, linking Forward Exam results to intentional choices that teachers can act upon in their social studies instruction. Whether your school is currently administering the Forward Exam (or a similar test) or not, come and learn how these types of tests can inform your instructional moves.
B.3 : Maximizing iReady Results to Inform Social Studies Instruction
Nathan Gartner and Melanie Giddings
Suggested Level: Middle Grades & Upper Grades
Location: Council Room
Sectional B Time: 2:30-3:20 pm
Using assessment data to inform instruction… Huh?... What does this mean? In our relatively recent history, more and more Lutheran schools are beginning to use diagnostic assessment platforms, like iReady, to learn more about what students know and don’t know. The purpose of this knowledge is to adjust instruction, filling in the gaps of what students still need to learn before the end of the school year. These diagnostic assessments provide a great amount of data in the areas of mathematics and reading, but what about subjects like social studies? How can we maximize the data results to adjust instruction in a subject area that isn’t directly being assessed? The goals of this sectional is to provide the attendee with skills to breakdown the data and suggestions of where to go next with instruction. Whether your school is currently administering iReady (or a similar test) or not, come and learn how these types of diagnostic tests can inform your instructional moves.
A.4 or B.4: Kindergarten Centers - Balancing Play and Academics
Kelli Baas
Suggested Level: PreK & Kindergarten
Location: Preschool Classroom
Sectional A Time: 1:30-2:20 pm
Sectional B Time: 2:30-3:20 pm
This sectional is designed to provide some fun ideas to incorporate into your Learning Centers! We will explore the criteria for a successful center, different types of center activities, resources for teachers and hopefully have some time to explore a few of the centers first hand!
A.5 or B.5 : Strategies for Helping the Anxious Student
Katie B Donaldson
Suggested Level: All Teachers, Primary Grades, Middle Grades
Location: Multipurpose Room
Sectional A Time: 1:30-2:20 pm
Sectional B Time: 2:30-3:20 pm
In this sectional you will learn different signs of anxiety in children. You will practice simple strategies to help students cope with anxiety in the classroom for an individual and whole group setting. Be prepared to have a little fun! Finally, you will be able to ask questions about your specific classroom.
A.6 or B.6 : 26-ish Tips for Teaching with G-Suite
Andrew Willems
Suggested Level: Middle Grades, Upper Grades
Location: 7th & 8th Grade Classroom
Sectional A Time: 1:30-2:20 pm
Sectional B Time: 2:30-3:20 pm
G-Suite; a blessing and a curse! Do you struggle with soooo maaannyyy options? Are you a digital native or have you taught "forever" and feel the pressure to get on board digitally? So much to do and so little time? Sit down for 30 minutes and find tips that will help you save time and money. Be more G-suite savvy and be efficient. We can't cover it all today, but look for resources and ideas you can use Monday in class!
A.7 or B.7 : Crafting Discussion Questions that Promote Critical Thinking
Brian Kopp
Suggested Level: Middle Grades, Upper Grades
Location: 3rd & 4th Grade Classroom
Sectional A Time: 1:30-2:20 pm
Sectional B Time: 2:30-3:20 pm
Good discussion questions facilitate student critical thinking, engagement, and learning. Students are challenged to think and reason at the upper end of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, not simply recall and comprehension. This presentation will explore how to draft discussion questions that demand higher order thinking skills from students. This approach is grounded in the work of Richard Paul, an international expert in critical thinking (www.criticalthinking.org)
A.8 : Math Facts - Fun and Memorable
Alyssa Kelley
Suggested Level: Primary Grades
Location: Aftercare Room
Sectional A Time: 1:30-2:20 pm
Participants will learn a little of the current research on fact fluency and automaticity and how the presenter has incorporated that into her classroom. Participants will spend most of the session actively engaged in playing math games and will leave with a list of games, materials and ideas to make learning math facts both fun as well as memorable for students.
B.8 : Lesser Known Paint - Get to Know Gouache
Kathy Koch
Suggested Level: All Teachers
Location: Aftercare Room
Sectional B Time: 2:30-3:20 pm
We will use gouache to practice color theory, make art, and enjoy what gouache does.
A.9 or B.9 : Science Demos & Activities Guaranteed to Knock Your Socks Off
Dan Schulz
Suggested Level: Level: Middle Grades, Upper Grades
Location: Sunday School Room
Sectional A Time: 1:30-2:20 pm
Sectional B Time: 2:30-3:20 pm
Dan will be sharing some of his favorite science "must-have" activities and demos. He will be sharing ideas that will be both affordable and fairly low in prep time, and yet abounding in educational value.
A.10 or B.10 : Social Development in ECE
Jamie Walta
Suggested Level: PreK, Kindergarten
Location: Music Room
Sectional A Time: 1:30-2:20 pm
Sectional B Time: 2:30-3:20 pm
Join me for a discussion on social skills at the early childhood level! Behind our #1 priority of sharing Jesus with our littles, I believe a close second is that of helping young children learn social skills that allow them to live and work and play positively in the same space with others.
A.11 or B.11 : Thyme to Spice Up Your Grammar Instruction
Jon Roux
Suggested Level: Primary Grades, Middle Grades, Upper Grades
Location: ELA Room
Sectional A Time: 1:30-2:20 pm
Sectional B Time: 2:30-3:20 pm
This sectional will review the ingredients for your grammar instruction and offer ideas for introducing, practicing, and applying the parts of speech in your classroom.
Single Sectionals
Friday
C.1 or D.1 : Focus on Faith and Fitness- Prioritizing a Healthy Life in Our WELS Schools
Noah Panzer
Suggested Level: All Teachers
Location: Music Room
Sectional C Time: 8:50-9:40 am
Sectional D Time: 9:50-10:40 am
I created an after school fitness program that I call Panzer's Power Hour. This is a program that can be implemented into any school. My hope is to build a community of schools that prioritize their spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional health. Through my experience as an Educator and Certified Personal Trainer I hope to share my passion for health and fitness in ways that can be implemented into our WELS grade schools.
C.2 or D.2 : Using ClassDojo in Your Classroom Management Plan
Daryl Johnson
Suggested Level: All Teachers
Location: Preschool Room
Sectional C Time: 8:50-9:40 am
Sectional D Time: 9:50-10:40 am
Are you looking to update your classroom management plan by incorporating a little technology into the mix? This presentation might just be for you. I have been using ClassDojo in my classroom for the last seven years. I have found it to be a very effective way to help in my classroom management. This presentation will introduce those unfamiliar with ClassDojo to the basic aspects of the free online resource and how it can be used in your classroom. It is also connected with getting rewards through scratch off tickets that my students really enjoy. I also use a Dum Dum sucker head as a reward system connected with ClassDojo. Even though my ideas are mostly from my 5th & 6th grade classroom, other grade levels could also benefit from ideas provided in this presentation.
C.3 or D.3 : Making Number Sense a Daily Routine
Ashley Steinmetz
Suggested Level: PreK, Kindergarten, Primary Grades
Location: Multipurpose Room
Sectional C Time: 8:50-9:40 am
Sectional D Time: 9:50-10:40 am
We will look at different ways students learn to make sense of numerals with the skill of number sense. I hope you walk away with a few new ideas or excitement that you are already laying a great foundation for your students as they continue on their mathematical journey.
C.4 or D.4 : Why Do I Need to Teach Digital Citizenship?
John Schleis
Suggested Level: All Teachers
Location: 1st & 2nd Grade Room
Sectional C Time: 8:50-9:40 am
Sectional D Time: 9:50-10:40 am
More than making smart decisions on what you post, teaching Digital Citizenship gives our students the perspective on how to live their faith online and off. This isn’t just for upper grades, but middle grades strongly benefit from Gospel driven, Digital Citizenship. Why not train our students how to drive, before they start “behind the wheel” My goal is to provide you with resources that you can use in your classroom, no matter how much time you have to dedicate to teaching Digital Citizenship. Please bring a device to explore resources, and games.
C.5 or D.5 : Water. Paper. Paint.
Peter Schaewe
Suggested Level: All Teachers
Location: Aftercare Room
Sectional C Time: 8:50-9:40 am
Sectional D Time: 9:50-10:40 am
Watercolor paints are accessible to children, but learning to deal with their unique qualities is helped by instruction and practice. Teachers are invited to come and explore processes and techniques of basic watercolor painting that they can share with students at all levels.
C.6 or D.6 : A Walk Through the Summative Teacher Evaluation Form
Kyle Bender
Suggested Level: All Teachers
Location: ELA Room
Sectional C Time: 8:50-9:40 am
Sectional D Time: 9:50-10:40 am
This presentation focuses on getting to know the new WELS MGEP Summative Teacher Evaluation form. Participants will gain an understanding on using the content of the new form for continued teacher growth. Examination of the five sections will walk the participant through the various degrees of changes from minimal to distinguished and will allow participants to discuss types of evidence to support the rating. This presentation is for teachers and principals. Principals in attendance will gain an understanding on how to introduce this form in a professional development format to their staff.
C.7 or D.7 : Hymns for Life: Intentionalizing Hymn Study in the Classroom and Beyond
Jeremy Bakken
Suggested Level: All Teachers, Administration
Location: 5th & 6th Grade Room
Sectional C Time: 8:50-9:40 am
Sectional D Time: 9:50-10:40 am
This sectional will explore Hymns for Life, the WELS hymnology curriculum released in 2020. We’ll explore the components of the curriculum and discuss integrating and enriching hymn study in the classroom and beyond.
C.8 or D.8 : Quizizz - An Engaging Tool
Kurt Gosdeck
Suggested Level: Level: Primary Grades, Middle Grades, Upper Grades
Location: 7th & 8th Grade Room
Sectional C Time: 8:50-9:40 am
Sectional D Time: 9:50-10:40 am
Quizizz is a learning platform and assessment tool that allows teachers to create and host interactive lessons and quizzes for synchronous and asynchronous learning. After giving students a unique access code, a quiz can be presented live in two ways, classic mode and instructor mode, as a timed competition. To use asynchronous learning, a teacher can assign the quiz as homework with a specific deadline. After the quizzes have been completed, teachers and/or students can review the answers to see where learning is lacking or excelling. Please bring a computing device for participation and training.
C.9 or D.9 : Patterns of Power
Cheryl Root
Suggested Level: Primary Grades, Middle Grades, Upper Grades
Location: Kindergarten Room
Sectional C Time: 8:50-9:40 am
Sectional D Time: 9:50-10:40 am
If you are looking for a way to apply grammar in 'an engaging and authentic way in just 10 minutes a day,' then Patterns of Power is a teaching method you will want to explore. Developed by educator and author; Jeff Anderson, along with educators Travis Leech and Melinda Clark, this program uses excerpts from high-interest young adult and middle school mentor texts to invite students to ‘NOTICE,’ ‘COMPARE AND CONTRAST,’ ‘IMITATE,’ ‘CELEBRATE,’ ‘APPLY,’ AND ‘EDIT.’ While the focus will be on the presenter's experiences using Patterns of Power at the middle school level, there will be a video clip and some information regarding the elementary program as well.
C.10 or D.10 : Building on Christ Light
Phillip and Claire Rehberger
Suggested Level: All Teachers
Location: 3rd & 4th Grade Room
Day: Friday
The Christ Light curriculum, by the grace of God, has served as a distinct blessing for the Wisconsin Synod over the past several decades, but the nature and implementation of the curriculum has at times allowed for educational gaps to develop, giving opportunities to supplement and sharpen the focus for WELS schools and individual teachers. This presentation will provide insight into the instructional framework of the Christ Light curriculum, present opportunities for building on Christ Light, and then provide opportunity for participants to discuss and sample approaches. The first half will build theory based on God's Word, and the second half will give opportunity to look at materials, discuss approaches, and share ideas. Trusting in the Holy Spirit for guidance, the prayer is to provide each participant with concrete ways to build on the Christ Light curriculum implementation.
C.11 : Selecting Music for Children to Sing in Worship
Rachel Petermann
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D.11 : A Classroom Community Built on
Christ
Karla Aden
Suggested Level: All Teachers
Location: Church
Day: Friday
Karla will present research-based classroom community building techniques for all ages that result in strong relationships within the classroom and extend into the homes. Pulling the best from Love and Logic and Conscious Discipline and centering them around our amazing privilege of applying Law and Gospel in our classrooms as we make disciples for Jesus will be the focus of this presentation.