Monday+Symposium


 * MONDAY SYMPOSIUM**

The keynote speaker, David Warlick, provided much insight into 21st century education and technology. His keynote speech "Literacy and Learning in the 21st century" questioned the fact that educators have been trying to integrate technology into learning during the past decade or two. Warlick's thesis was that educators should be more focused on redefining what literacy is in this new information world, and then education should be structured accordingly. Considering this topic, the speaker shared a quote that emphasizes the difficulty of educating students today. "For the first time in history, our job as educators is to prepare our children for a future we cannot clearly describe..." Warwick closed his keynote address with the four E's: (1) Expose what is reliable, (2) Employ information that is important, (3) Express ideas in a compelling way, and (4) Ethical frameworks understood/created. This was a very provocative presentation as we consider how virtual learning environments (webpages, e-books, etc.) are replacing our paper-filled world of textbooks and essays.

Great information was also provided by another speaker, K. Mulder, about the basics for "Working with SMART Response Systems." The SMART Reponse System replaces the Senteo clickers. The new systems can be used for various types of assessments and can provide students, as well as teachers, with instant results on student knowledge. Mulder showed how to design various types of tests, plus actually administered a 22 point test with multiple choice, yes/no, and opinion questions.