Workshops
Workshop sessions involve extensive interaction between presenters and participants around an idea or hands-on experience of a practice. These sessions may also take the form of a crafted panel, staged conversation, dialogue, or debate – all involving substantial interaction with the audience. [45 min. each]
From “What’s Wrong with You?” to “What Happened to You?” : Leading Trauma Informed Schools
Workshop Presentation Deborah Lynch
Research suggests that perhaps 25% of children experience or witness violence in their lives. Such exposure is associated with a wide range of psychological, emotional, behavioral, social and academic problems, even causing post-traumatic stress. Such problems present huge challenges to educators in schools and classrooms, particularly in high poverty, urban schools. Most educators have had no training on the topic of dealing with student trauma stemming from such exposure. Yet understanding the underlying causes of emotional and behavior disorders stemming from exposure to trauma, as well as its effects on learning, brain development and behavior, can help educators tailor the most successful interventions to student needs. Research has provided some proven strategies, approaches and models that school leaders can turn to for help in creating the kind of supportive environments to assist such struggling students. This workshop will include: a lecturette on the research on the effects of trauma on children; viewing a 7-minute video clip and reflecting on take-aways; n analysis of a mini-case study of a traumatized student: and an examination of an interactive survey instrument to assess a school's trauma preparedness in the areas of school-wide, classroom and family community involvement. At the end of the session participants will be able to: Define trauma; Explain how trauma may impact child/teen behavior and learning; Identify characteristics of trauma-informed practices in classroom/ school settings; Identify strategies and specific school-wide models and approaches for school leaders interested in leading trauma informed schools.
Community-based Art Education across the Lifespan
Workshop Presentation Pamela Lawton
This workshop for K-16 educators uses the community-based art education (CBAE) framework developed by the presenter to connect educational institutions with their local communities and build sustainable partnerships through arts-based intergenerational and transformative learning. 5 min—introduction to community-based art education, and how it can be used to develop sustainable asset-focused relationships between institutions and communities around ideas that matter. Participants will be introduced to the C.A.L.L. concept and E.R.E.C.T framework for using art to foster intergenerational and transformative learning. 2 min—Participants create an 8 page booklet. 10 min—Big idea collaborative brainstorming on the term "belonging" (demonstrates the relevancy of big ideas in designing curriculum for all ages). Facilitator writes down all responses on a large sheet of paper or board. Participants review all the ideas connected to "belonging" and create several like word groupings (no more than 5). 3 min—participants select one of the word groupings to work with. The whole group divides into smaller collaborative groups based on the word groupings selected. Facilitator asks participants to write down the words in their booklets. Facilitator explains the envisioning process—turning ideas into visual forms. Participants make preliminary sketches in their booklets for the words selected. 15 min—participants work in their small groups creating a unified visual illustrating their ideas about ‘belonging’ on a larger sheet of paper. 10—small groups report on their process. Discussion about the learning process and how this method can be used to connect various communities around shared goals.
