This year’s Teacher Education Conference at Friends will be offered June 25-26 and will focus on “The Big Idea: Developing Skilled Thinkers.” Educators will learn how to reframe the material they teach to empower students to examine it in new, more thoughtful ways.
Keynote speaker Dr. Kevin D. Washburn is the executive director of Clerestory Learning, where he focuses on synthesizing current findings from diverse fields, including neuroscience and cognitive psychology to distill educational implications and equip teachers for more confident, effective classroom instruction. He has worked with students as young as first-grade and as experienced as graduate students. He has extensively researched various topics – learning, creativity, critical thinking, instructional design, neuroscience and writing – believing they can profoundly influence the quality of education. He is also the author of “The Architecture of Learning.”
“A teacher’s role in developing a student who is equipped to not only survive, but also provide a positive impact in this world requires best practices in critical and creative thinking,” said Lisa Schmidt, director of graduate workshops. “This conference will give educators the tools needed to foster these important skills in their students.”
Friends University will offer two graduate-level credits (as well as an option for auditing), which can be used for re-licensure, career advancement or degree completion.
To learn more about the conference or to register, visit friends.edu/thebigidea or call 316-295-5516. Space is limited to 150 attendees.
Friends University, a Christian University of Quaker heritage, equips students to honor God and serve others by integrating their intellectual, spiritual and professional lives.