2017 Experience Conference: Making Dreams Come True

Together, we’re making dreams come true. All of us in education are doing that. I truly believe that. When a student starts school, they have a vision of what they want to be when they grow up. When they’re young, they want to be construction workers, teachers, zookeepers. Throughout school, those dreams expand, get more specific and change, based on their experiences in class and life. But no matter the dream, as educators, we work to give each child the tools they need to help their dreams come true. It’s why we do what we do.

No pressure, right?

Like all jobs, particularly high-pressure ones, in education it can be easy to get laser-focused on what is in front of us and forget to step back in take in what else is happening in our field and in the world. What new ways can we be personalizing learning for students? How do we best know if a student has mastered one competency before moving on to the next? What new ideas exist for school partnerships? How can career pathways be applied in a way that benefits students, economic development and the overall school district?

The great thing about education, is that there is a community of practice from which we can learn, trade insights and better what we’re doing for the sake of each individual student. At the 2017 KnowledgeWorks Experience Conference, that’s what we’ll be doing.

We’ve put together a program that features four national speakers and presentations from education leaders like you from across the country.

• Career Readiness: The demographics of this country are changing, which has implications for the careers our current students will fill. Dr. James Johnson, Jr. from the University of North Caroline will go into more details and then we’ll break into small groups to explore the implications for different school districts.
• Equity in Education: Particularly in light of changing demographics, how do we as educators ensure that we are meeting the needs of all individuals in our community? Susan Patrick, President and CEO if iNACOL, will talk about equity and student success.
• Creativity in Learning: Students and their skill sets come in many shapes and sizes. If we too narrowly define success, we might be leaving out large swaths of students. Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman will explore the science of creativity and how, if we harness the full power of students’ creative minds, we can make them better thinkers, problem-solvers and leaders.
• From High School to Higher Ed: No two districts are the same and some have different challenges than others. For Dr. Steve Perry, his challenge was helping a student body of predominantly students of color from low-income backgrounds, not only graduate high school but transition on into higher education. He’ll share how he helped 100% of his school’s graduates go on to four-year colleges every year since its first class graduated in 2006.

Planning for the future of our country and the future of learning. Talking about equity in education. Harnessing the power of creativity. Helping all students achieve success. And those are just the keynotes.

I’m hoping you can join us in Orlando, Florida, on February 27-28, for the 2017 KnowledgeWorks Experience Conference: Making Dreams Come True. Over two days, we will all have a chance to step away from the day-to-day tasks of work and focus on the larger picture of how we help make student dreams come true. Together.

Register now.