C NFRA N TES
Tu es d ay
J ul y 1 2t h ,
2 01 6
V ol u m e
3 9
Is s u e2
C NFRA N TES Today’s Events:
Tuesday’s Opening Keynote: AARON BECKER
The Art of Storybreathing: Creativity, Imagination, and Story
Strand B 1:30-3:00 p.m. Strand C & Special Topic Sessions 3:30-5:00 p.m. Dinner 4:15-7:15 p.m. Evening Forums 7:30-8:30 p.m. ConfraChorus Rehearsal 7:00-8:30 p.m. Carnival Night Featuring “Wapatooli” Rome Patio—8:30 p.m.
Be sure to wear your neck wallet!
Storybreathing.com
Confratute was thrilled to host Aaron Becker for our Tuesday morning keynote. Aaron began his talk today by sharing that he sang in an A Capella group during his collegiate days. He led us in a creativity activity that helped us visualize creating our own magic markers, after which we joined Aaron in an interactive sing-along of “Don’t Stop Believing” to get us energized for the day. Aaron is just a few weeks away from seeing the third installment of his remarkable wordless picture book trilogy on the shelves. The first book, Journey, introduces us to a magical world. A small girl begins on a city stoop; bored and looking for adventure. She discovers a red marker and creates a doorway to a fantastic new realm. On her journey, she rescues a bird and brings it home to find a new friend. The second book, Quest, picks up the story. Both children go back to the magical world and have another adventure. In the final book, Return, Aaron wanted to come back to the beginning. He decided to bring the family back into the story and resolve some of the conflict that was introduced in Journey. The trilogy celebrates creativity and adventure; it highlights the power of imagination to help return wonder to our world. Throughout the presentation, Aaron shared details from his creative process. He emphasized the importance of helping our students learn that “one and done” is not going to produce their best work. Aaron shared his first attempts at using watercolor when he began working on Journey. He painted the same scenes repeatedly, practicing his skills and learning new techniques with each revision. This understanding is vital to help students develop task commitment and the willingness to put in the time and effort to master their art; whatever task it may be. He also shared early sketches he used to develop the storyline for Return. While satisfied with the overall ideas in these sketches, Aaron realized that more revision was needed to refine and improve the ending. After many tries, he decided that he had to start over, and did so several times until he was sure the story was the way he envisioned it. Aaron reminded us that we have to lead by example. We need to model our willingness to revise, retry, and accept that it will take more than one attempt to perfect our product. We must teach our students to work in critique groups to build their ability to give and receive constructive feedback. Help them learn to play, take creative risks, and be willing to struggle and persist. Only then will they be able to use their passions and talents to pursue their dreams.
Page 2
Volume 39 Issue2
Monday’s Book Signing: Karen Romano Young Karen Romano Young visited Confratute on Monday to share some thoughts on writing for children and young adults. Her career began in teaching, but she very quickly realized that it was not right for her when a few students played a prank in the school bathroom. Instead of being upset, Karen was amused by their creative genius. Her next stop was writing nonfiction for Scholastic News. This was perfect, because it allowed her to explore and write about the enormous variety of topics that interested her. Soon, she wanted to write longer work and began to write nonfiction books that mostly focused on science. Next, she branched into novels and using doodling in her writing. Her most recent works include an historical fiction novel called Sybil Ludington: Revolutionary War Rider under the pen name E. F. Abbott, Stuck in the Middle (of Middle School) a Novel in Doodles, and her upcoming novel Hundred Percent, which will be on the shelves August 2nd. Karen Romano Young in conversation with Susannah Richards.
Announcements
UCONN ALUMNI MEET-AND-GREET:
Welcome, alumni! Meet the new Dean of NEAG, Dean Kersaint, at 3 p.m. in GENT221!
Announcements (cont…)
CANCELLED :
Evening Forum: Dance Like a Physicist Sarah Luria
ROOM CHANGES:
Strand B: #20 Enrichment Clusters Gentry moved to BUSN 106. #21 Differentiating Curriculum & Instruction Gilson moved to OAK 112. #26 Using the Schoolwide Enrichment Model Housand & Housand moved to Oak 108. Strand C: #40 Budding Professionals Firmender moved to GENT 201. #46 iPads: Intuitive Technology Siegle & Amspaugh moved to GENT144.
Job Openings! The San Antonio, TX Independent School district is looking for several Gifted and Talented Education Implementation Specialists. The GATE Implementation Specialist will directly foster student interest and willingness to participate in challenging learning opportunities as well as build teacher learning capacity across the district and facilitate the creation of systematic and sustainable high-quality collaboration that is focused on high ability learners, an integrated/crosscurricular design, student engagement, and personalized learning, providing continual support in collaborative approaches to teaching and learning. For full job description, and additional information, please go to: https://saisd.tedk12.com/hire/ViewJob.aspx? JobID=2054.
Volume 39 Issue2
Page 3
Who’s On Deck? Weather
Tuesday’s Roundtable: W ayne Trem bly -Fitting Outcasts into Groups for Small Group Projects at the Middle School Level Wednesday’s Roundtable: W ayne Tre m bly -Differentiation at the Middle School Level: A Pain-Free Beginning Both days: 12:15-1:00 p.m. Rome Dining Hall
Tonight’s Mini-Keynotes: Today: High 86
Jann Lappien
Partly cloudy
“Developing Minds: Strategies and Tools for Scaffolding
Wed: High 87
Student Thinking”
Sunny Thurs: High 85
Marcia Gentry
Partly cloudy
“Identification and Programming Equity: Why Should We Care, What Can We Do About It?”
Don’t forget to stop by the UConn bookstore!
More Job Openings!
*Alyssa Schwager lost her glasses, and her glasses case. If you found a lost pair, please contact her at: [email protected] OR 770-316-8639. *If you are expecting mail or a package, please check the message board across from Command Central. We will post a note for you, and hold the mail at the Command Central desk. Thanks!
The Sage School, www.sageschool.org, in Foxboro, MA is an independent day school serving more than 165 students in grades Prekindergarten through Eight. Sage is a strong school community whose focus has remained on allowing gifted children to realize their full potential, being kind, compassionate, and using their talents for good in the world. Sage seeks a new Head of School for July 2017. This is a great opportunity to join a committed school community with a clear focus. The ideal candidate will be a warm, kind, intelligent school leader who will enthusiastically embrace the school’s mission; model its core values of excellence, collaboration, passion, and respect; and revel in the opportunities enabled by leading a small school—knowing each student, family, and faculty member and well-balancing the internal and external demands of school leadership. Please go to: www.independent-thinking.com for the complete position description.
Visit the UConn Dairy Bar!
Line Dancing!!
5:30-6:15 p.m. Rome Patio
With Barbara Forshag!! Tuesday
Treat yourself to a famous age-old UConn tradition. Visit the UConn Dairy Bar where we make our own ice cream! It is open from 11:00 a.m. —10:00 p.m. and is located on Horse Barn Road.
Tonight’s Social Events: Wapatooli & Carnivale Night! 8:30 p.m. Rome Patio Join us for another night of fun, mingling, and relaxation! Tonight’s events feature the mysterious, yet tasty...“Wapatooli” from the Bayou! Be sure to bring your name badge!
Did you enjoy the cookies at registration? Did you know you can order them to be delivered to your room until 3 a.m. daily? You can order online at www.insomniacookies.com, call 877.63.COOKIE, or visit their location at 1 Dog Lane #107, Storrs, CT 06269.
THE VARIETY SHOW!
We’ve gone GREEN! We no longer distribute paper handouts for strands.
Calling all performers of all levels! Sign up to perform a 2-5 minute skit, dance, and more for the Variety Show on Thursday, July 14th, at 8:30 p.m. in VDM. Sign up by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. You must attend one rehearsal on Tues. or Wed. from 3:45-6:00 p.m. in VDM. CONFRACHORUS!
Electronic copies of handouts are accessible from our Confratute website, www.gifted.uconn.edu/ confratute. Click on the “Handouts & Resources” tab at the top.
If you love to take risks, sing out loud, and be merry, then ConfraChorus is the group for you! Join today! Rehearsals are Monday through Wednesday from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in MUSB 102. Dress rehearsal will be on Thursday, July 14th from 12:151:00 p.m. in MUSB 102. **ConfraChorus debuts at the Variety Show!
Want to Earn Graduate Credit or
Continue Your Learning After Confratute!
CONTACT HOURS??? Educators can earn graduate credit for participation at Confratute by attending a full schedule of keynotes, strands, special topic sessions, and other activities. You can earn three graduate credits accepted through the UConn Ed Psych Dept. To receive credit, a completed application and payment must be submitted to Command Central by Thursday. Attendees can also earn up to 34 contact hours for participation at Confratute. To receive contact hours, a Planning and Documentation Guide must be completed and returned to the Credit Desk at Command Central before you leave Confratute.
Join an exceptional group of educators from all over the world to pursue graduate-level coursework in gifted education, classroom enrichment, thinking skills, and curriculum development. University of Connecticut offers graduate courses through our Three Summers Graduate Program. W e a lso offer o nline Gr a du a te Courses, as well as a Master’s Degree p r ogram. Check out page 51 in your Schedule of Events book for more information, or attend the: Informational Meeting Wednesday, July 13th 5:30 p.m. in WSRH 112
Strike a Pose! Today’s #ConfraSelfie scavenger hunt goals are… #OnThePatio #WithHusky - Find Jonathan the Husky in any form #MyArt - with an artistic creation
We’re on the Web!
Web: w w w .gifted.u con n.edu/confr atu te Facebook: S ear ch “Confratute” Twitter: @Confr atute Instagram: Co nfr atute Don't be shy - join us this week on social media! Follow Confratute on Facebook and Twitter. The new Confratute app also streamlines your social media feed. We'll be sharing information, live tweeting from the keynotes, and keeping you up to date with important announcements. Teacher Pay Teacher Users? Intellectual Property - Are your lesson plans yours? Three Summers Graduate seeking information regarding existing policies or agreements teachers may have with districts regarding the sale or ownership of lesson plans taught in your classroom. TeacherPayTeacher user? Does your district know or care? Please send replies to [email protected]. I will share what I find out with anyone interested.
If you use hashtags, be sure to use the tag #Confratute2016. Once you've added that tag to your own posts, take a moment to search it and find other educators who are also here and posting. The connections you make here can help you all year long! See page 52 in your Schedule of Events book to learn how to access wireless Internet during your time here at Confratute.
J ul y 1 2t h ,
2 01 6
V ol u m e
3 9
Is s u e2
C NFRA N TES Today’s Events:
Tuesday’s Opening Keynote: AARON BECKER
The Art of Storybreathing: Creativity, Imagination, and Story
Strand B 1:30-3:00 p.m. Strand C & Special Topic Sessions 3:30-5:00 p.m. Dinner 4:15-7:15 p.m. Evening Forums 7:30-8:30 p.m. ConfraChorus Rehearsal 7:00-8:30 p.m. Carnival Night Featuring “Wapatooli” Rome Patio—8:30 p.m.
Be sure to wear your neck wallet!
Storybreathing.com
Confratute was thrilled to host Aaron Becker for our Tuesday morning keynote. Aaron began his talk today by sharing that he sang in an A Capella group during his collegiate days. He led us in a creativity activity that helped us visualize creating our own magic markers, after which we joined Aaron in an interactive sing-along of “Don’t Stop Believing” to get us energized for the day. Aaron is just a few weeks away from seeing the third installment of his remarkable wordless picture book trilogy on the shelves. The first book, Journey, introduces us to a magical world. A small girl begins on a city stoop; bored and looking for adventure. She discovers a red marker and creates a doorway to a fantastic new realm. On her journey, she rescues a bird and brings it home to find a new friend. The second book, Quest, picks up the story. Both children go back to the magical world and have another adventure. In the final book, Return, Aaron wanted to come back to the beginning. He decided to bring the family back into the story and resolve some of the conflict that was introduced in Journey. The trilogy celebrates creativity and adventure; it highlights the power of imagination to help return wonder to our world. Throughout the presentation, Aaron shared details from his creative process. He emphasized the importance of helping our students learn that “one and done” is not going to produce their best work. Aaron shared his first attempts at using watercolor when he began working on Journey. He painted the same scenes repeatedly, practicing his skills and learning new techniques with each revision. This understanding is vital to help students develop task commitment and the willingness to put in the time and effort to master their art; whatever task it may be. He also shared early sketches he used to develop the storyline for Return. While satisfied with the overall ideas in these sketches, Aaron realized that more revision was needed to refine and improve the ending. After many tries, he decided that he had to start over, and did so several times until he was sure the story was the way he envisioned it. Aaron reminded us that we have to lead by example. We need to model our willingness to revise, retry, and accept that it will take more than one attempt to perfect our product. We must teach our students to work in critique groups to build their ability to give and receive constructive feedback. Help them learn to play, take creative risks, and be willing to struggle and persist. Only then will they be able to use their passions and talents to pursue their dreams.
Page 2
Volume 39 Issue2
Monday’s Book Signing: Karen Romano Young Karen Romano Young visited Confratute on Monday to share some thoughts on writing for children and young adults. Her career began in teaching, but she very quickly realized that it was not right for her when a few students played a prank in the school bathroom. Instead of being upset, Karen was amused by their creative genius. Her next stop was writing nonfiction for Scholastic News. This was perfect, because it allowed her to explore and write about the enormous variety of topics that interested her. Soon, she wanted to write longer work and began to write nonfiction books that mostly focused on science. Next, she branched into novels and using doodling in her writing. Her most recent works include an historical fiction novel called Sybil Ludington: Revolutionary War Rider under the pen name E. F. Abbott, Stuck in the Middle (of Middle School) a Novel in Doodles, and her upcoming novel Hundred Percent, which will be on the shelves August 2nd. Karen Romano Young in conversation with Susannah Richards.
Announcements
UCONN ALUMNI MEET-AND-GREET:
Welcome, alumni! Meet the new Dean of NEAG, Dean Kersaint, at 3 p.m. in GENT221!
Announcements (cont…)
CANCELLED :
Evening Forum: Dance Like a Physicist Sarah Luria
ROOM CHANGES:
Strand B: #20 Enrichment Clusters Gentry moved to BUSN 106. #21 Differentiating Curriculum & Instruction Gilson moved to OAK 112. #26 Using the Schoolwide Enrichment Model Housand & Housand moved to Oak 108. Strand C: #40 Budding Professionals Firmender moved to GENT 201. #46 iPads: Intuitive Technology Siegle & Amspaugh moved to GENT144.
Job Openings! The San Antonio, TX Independent School district is looking for several Gifted and Talented Education Implementation Specialists. The GATE Implementation Specialist will directly foster student interest and willingness to participate in challenging learning opportunities as well as build teacher learning capacity across the district and facilitate the creation of systematic and sustainable high-quality collaboration that is focused on high ability learners, an integrated/crosscurricular design, student engagement, and personalized learning, providing continual support in collaborative approaches to teaching and learning. For full job description, and additional information, please go to: https://saisd.tedk12.com/hire/ViewJob.aspx? JobID=2054.
Volume 39 Issue2
Page 3
Who’s On Deck? Weather
Tuesday’s Roundtable: W ayne Trem bly -Fitting Outcasts into Groups for Small Group Projects at the Middle School Level Wednesday’s Roundtable: W ayne Tre m bly -Differentiation at the Middle School Level: A Pain-Free Beginning Both days: 12:15-1:00 p.m. Rome Dining Hall
Tonight’s Mini-Keynotes: Today: High 86
Jann Lappien
Partly cloudy
“Developing Minds: Strategies and Tools for Scaffolding
Wed: High 87
Student Thinking”
Sunny Thurs: High 85
Marcia Gentry
Partly cloudy
“Identification and Programming Equity: Why Should We Care, What Can We Do About It?”
Don’t forget to stop by the UConn bookstore!
More Job Openings!
*Alyssa Schwager lost her glasses, and her glasses case. If you found a lost pair, please contact her at: [email protected] OR 770-316-8639. *If you are expecting mail or a package, please check the message board across from Command Central. We will post a note for you, and hold the mail at the Command Central desk. Thanks!
The Sage School, www.sageschool.org, in Foxboro, MA is an independent day school serving more than 165 students in grades Prekindergarten through Eight. Sage is a strong school community whose focus has remained on allowing gifted children to realize their full potential, being kind, compassionate, and using their talents for good in the world. Sage seeks a new Head of School for July 2017. This is a great opportunity to join a committed school community with a clear focus. The ideal candidate will be a warm, kind, intelligent school leader who will enthusiastically embrace the school’s mission; model its core values of excellence, collaboration, passion, and respect; and revel in the opportunities enabled by leading a small school—knowing each student, family, and faculty member and well-balancing the internal and external demands of school leadership. Please go to: www.independent-thinking.com for the complete position description.
Visit the UConn Dairy Bar!
Line Dancing!!
5:30-6:15 p.m. Rome Patio
With Barbara Forshag!! Tuesday
Treat yourself to a famous age-old UConn tradition. Visit the UConn Dairy Bar where we make our own ice cream! It is open from 11:00 a.m. —10:00 p.m. and is located on Horse Barn Road.
Tonight’s Social Events: Wapatooli & Carnivale Night! 8:30 p.m. Rome Patio Join us for another night of fun, mingling, and relaxation! Tonight’s events feature the mysterious, yet tasty...“Wapatooli” from the Bayou! Be sure to bring your name badge!
Did you enjoy the cookies at registration? Did you know you can order them to be delivered to your room until 3 a.m. daily? You can order online at www.insomniacookies.com, call 877.63.COOKIE, or visit their location at 1 Dog Lane #107, Storrs, CT 06269.
THE VARIETY SHOW!
We’ve gone GREEN! We no longer distribute paper handouts for strands.
Calling all performers of all levels! Sign up to perform a 2-5 minute skit, dance, and more for the Variety Show on Thursday, July 14th, at 8:30 p.m. in VDM. Sign up by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. You must attend one rehearsal on Tues. or Wed. from 3:45-6:00 p.m. in VDM. CONFRACHORUS!
Electronic copies of handouts are accessible from our Confratute website, www.gifted.uconn.edu/ confratute. Click on the “Handouts & Resources” tab at the top.
If you love to take risks, sing out loud, and be merry, then ConfraChorus is the group for you! Join today! Rehearsals are Monday through Wednesday from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in MUSB 102. Dress rehearsal will be on Thursday, July 14th from 12:151:00 p.m. in MUSB 102. **ConfraChorus debuts at the Variety Show!
Want to Earn Graduate Credit or
Continue Your Learning After Confratute!
CONTACT HOURS??? Educators can earn graduate credit for participation at Confratute by attending a full schedule of keynotes, strands, special topic sessions, and other activities. You can earn three graduate credits accepted through the UConn Ed Psych Dept. To receive credit, a completed application and payment must be submitted to Command Central by Thursday. Attendees can also earn up to 34 contact hours for participation at Confratute. To receive contact hours, a Planning and Documentation Guide must be completed and returned to the Credit Desk at Command Central before you leave Confratute.
Join an exceptional group of educators from all over the world to pursue graduate-level coursework in gifted education, classroom enrichment, thinking skills, and curriculum development. University of Connecticut offers graduate courses through our Three Summers Graduate Program. W e a lso offer o nline Gr a du a te Courses, as well as a Master’s Degree p r ogram. Check out page 51 in your Schedule of Events book for more information, or attend the: Informational Meeting Wednesday, July 13th 5:30 p.m. in WSRH 112
Strike a Pose! Today’s #ConfraSelfie scavenger hunt goals are… #OnThePatio #WithHusky - Find Jonathan the Husky in any form #MyArt - with an artistic creation
We’re on the Web!
Web: w w w .gifted.u con n.edu/confr atu te Facebook: S ear ch “Confratute” Twitter: @Confr atute Instagram: Co nfr atute Don't be shy - join us this week on social media! Follow Confratute on Facebook and Twitter. The new Confratute app also streamlines your social media feed. We'll be sharing information, live tweeting from the keynotes, and keeping you up to date with important announcements. Teacher Pay Teacher Users? Intellectual Property - Are your lesson plans yours? Three Summers Graduate seeking information regarding existing policies or agreements teachers may have with districts regarding the sale or ownership of lesson plans taught in your classroom. TeacherPayTeacher user? Does your district know or care? Please send replies to [email protected]. I will share what I find out with anyone interested.
If you use hashtags, be sure to use the tag #Confratute2016. Once you've added that tag to your own posts, take a moment to search it and find other educators who are also here and posting. The connections you make here can help you all year long! See page 52 in your Schedule of Events book to learn how to access wireless Internet during your time here at Confratute.
