Conference to promote academic achievement for all students
Establishing high standards of achievement for all students and creating classroom environments that support successful learning are key topics for an upcoming conference sponsored by the School of Education.
The Second Annual Conference on Differentiation and Inclusive School Reform is scheduled for Monday-Tuesday, March 29-30, at The Pyle Center, 702 Langdon St.
The conference’s keynote speaker will be Norman Kunc, noted disability rights advocate. Together with other educators and practitioners, Kunc will highlight ways to transform schools and classrooms into responsive learning environments.
For many students with diverse learning needs, however, full participation and true membership in the general education classroom continue to remain out of reach. Research and best practices indicate that if students are to become committed to and involved in schooling, they need:
- caring instructional relationships,
- challenging and differentiated curriculum,
- opportunities to exercise choice and responsibility,
- collaborative student interactions, and
- active engagement in interpersonal and academic learning experiences.
“A central tenet of inclusive education is that belonging is an inherent need of all people and must not be reserved solely for the ‘best of us.’ Learning to value and work with a diversity of people is the first step in building an education system which fosters a sense of belonging among students and staff,” Kunc says.
Interactive breakout sessions planned for the conference will center on four important issues: reforming school-wide structures and programs, facilitating professional relationships, addressing student needs through differentiated curriculum and instruction, and responding to conflict in the school and classroom.
Attendance at the conference provides 1.1 continuing education units (CEUs). For information on UW–Madison credit options, contact Julie Seaborg, (608) 263-5140 or seaborg@education.wisc.edu.
A conference brochure and registration form are available online, or contact the Office of Education Outreach, (608) 263-5140 or outreachinfo@education.wisc.edu.