Global education is 20/20

Bringing the world to all your students

2020 Breakout Sessions

Participate Learning Network Symposium

During breakout sessions, you will get a chance to learn from colleagues in our network who are leading and teaching in global and dual language schools and districts.

Friday Breakouts

Learning About the World With the World: Transforming School and Community Culture in a Rural North Carolina School

Steve Hall | Principal, Alleghany County
Maggie Murphy | 2019 Participate Teacher of the Year

What happens when a rural school decides to focus on learning about the world with the world? Join Principal Steve Hall and Middle School Global Educator of the Year Maggie Murphy as they share the story of the transformation of their school, Piney Creek Elementary, and their surrounding community.

Leading a 50/50 Dual Language Model School

Alison Covington | Principal, Pitt County
Courtney Dubis | Instructional Coach, Pitt County

How to create structures and a culture of collaboration for success!

Dare Dual Language: Best Practices for Launching DLI Programs

Dr. John Farrelly | Superintendent, Dare County Schools
Johanna Parker | Innovation Director, Dare County Schools
Dr. Keith Parker | Communications and Middle School Director, Dare County Schools

Dare County Schools is the only school district in North Carolina where every student has a choice of learning bilingually. After an extensive visioning process starting in 2017, Superintendent Dr. John Farrelly asked the community a simple question: What are your hopes and dreams for your child’s future? An overwhelming response was a need for a more holistic, global educational experience. From this, the idea to launch Spanish Dual Language Immersion programs emerged. Come join our session to learn about our lessons learned and best practices from launching DLI program in all five of our district’s elementary schools.

Tools, Techniques, & Tips for Case 21 Interim Assessments

Dr. Sharyn VonCannon | 2019 UCPS Principal of the Year, Union County
Viviana Vanegas | Teacher, Union County
Vera Woolard | Program Manager, Participate Learning

Gain insight into the benefits of using Case21 assessments and best-practices in using its data results to conduct data-dives. Participants will obtain data analysis templates that help pinpoint patterns/trends to formulate reteaching, relooping, and intervention plans.

A Tale of Two Schools: Wear An “S” On Your Chest!

Kathy Keane | Principal, Catawba County
Michael Lee | Assistant Principal, Catawba County
Patrick Holmes | Principal, Person County

Transforming the culture of a school is hard work. Implementing school-wide programs bring additional challenges. There’s no magic bullet, but we — school leaders from two different schools and counties — are here to share what worked, and continues to work for us. We’ll break down what “best for the students” actually means in practice and how we rallied our staff and community around implementing our dual language immersion program and becoming a global school.

Global Connections, Competencies and Curriculum

Eman Ziada Brandt | Teacher, Wake County
Chris Gower Hahner | Magnet Coordinator, Wake County

The Wiley community empowers innovative learners who explore and enhance our changing world. Discover what global learning looks like at our K-5 international studies magnet elementary. Learn how to make connections and integrate the global competencies and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into your daily curriculum.

Saturday Breakouts

Own the Way to Mastery

Diana Obando | Teacher, Greene County

Implementation of apps or web pages like wordart, pluckers, seesaw, edpuzzle and Flipgrid to develop literacy skills. (Audience: All teachers)

Data Groups in DLI Math: Let’s Explore, Explain, Extend and Assess!

Saulo Aconcha | Teacher, Union County Schools

This session will help you implement the 3E Math lesson structure that allows using data and formative assessment to drive instruction. (Audience: Dual Language teachers)

Culturally Responsive Morning Meetings

Vicki Wrigley | 2019 Participate Teacher of the Year, Wake County

Explore how to create morning meetings that are inclusive, equitable and engaging for all learners in order to strengthen and grow a positive classroom community. (Audience: Elementary teachers)

Keeping it Real with Math

Kerron Miller | Teacher, Prince William County

Using real world problems and dialogue to enhance the learning of Math in the 21st century classroom.

Relationships and Relevance as Drivers of Instruction

Tracy-Ann Campbell-Walcott | Teacher, Prince William County

Deepen relationships with your students through project-based learning to create a globally engaged classroom. Experience strategies like “Starbooks Cafe” and using vulnerability as the basis of strong teacher-student relationships. (Audience: Elementary teachers)

US Travel Bootcamp

photo of the Makepeace family on a bridge

Caz and Craig Makepeace | YTravel

Maximize your cultural exchange experience by learning travel tips and tricks from Caz, a Participate Learning alumna, and Craig Makepeace, a couple of travel addicts from Australia, who now live in North Carolina, but call the world their home! (Audience: All teachers)

Being a Global Educator: A How-to Guide to Virtual Exchanges

Yudi Suarez | Teacher, Dare County

(Audience: All teachers)

If Walls Had Ears, What Cultures Would They Hear Your Students Discussing?

Jose Rodriguez | Teacher, Dare County

Learn how to use every part of your classroom to encourage diversity, to create empathy, and tolerance. Learn how to use books, technology and the community to create social change agents. (Audience: All teachers)

Strengthening Socio-Emotional and Academic Relationships Through Project Based Learning (PBL) in Our Dual Language Classes

Indira Soto | Participate Teacher of the Year 2019, Union County

Project based learning is a teaching method that allows students to acquire and develop their knowledge based on the interest they have on what is studied. With this active and engaging method, students learn from and for the world. Dual Language teachers will have the opportunity to know the steps that they should follow for creating and developing a project in their rooms, starting from the required academic standards and the interests that the students have until the public presentations where oral bilingual skills are fostered. (Audience: Dual language teachers)

The Joy of K-2 Reading Instruction

Calum Stewart | Teacher, Wake County

Participants will learn new approaches to creative and stimulating reading practice that holds students’ attention, and how it breaks from traditional norms and leads to significant early growth and attainment. (Audience: Elementary teachers)

Bright Spots Chats

Bright Spots chats are our take on TedTalks. These will be 10 minute presentations running consecutively on stage. Presenters will inspire and ignite new ideas as they share bright spots from their work in a visually engaging and fast-paced way.

Kennia Fuentes