Experts to Discuss Growth Mindset, Poverty/Equity, Assessment, and More at SDE National Conference

Las Vegas and Peterborough, N.H. — The SDE 2017 National Conference will cover a wide range of timely topics in a strand dedicated to helping K–12 educators differentiate instruction and reach all learners. The Differentiated Instruction strand will include sessions on foundational differentiated instruction, growth mindset/resilience, poverty/equity/access, self-regulation/social emotional learning, assessment/intervention, and more. The National Conference hosted by Staff Development for Educators (SDE) will be held July 10–14, 2017, in Las Vegas, NV.

"Classrooms are becoming increasingly more diverse. In any given room, there may be English Language Learners, struggling readers, special education students, and students from homes below the poverty level. The pressure is on teachers to set and achieve high expectations for all," Mia Leonard-Solis, SDE program developer, says.

The Differentiated Instruction strand for K–12 educators offers a learning experience like no other. Over five days, educators will engage in authentic learning opportunities led by education experts, innovators, authors, and classroom teachers.

The 200+ sessions will deliver content on the science of learning by offering research-based approaches to help bolster student achievement. Highlighted sessions include:

  • Everyday Strategies for Building Gritty Learners Who Persevere & Succeed presents explicit, classroom-ready strategies teachers can easily incorporate into their curriculum to build grit, resiliency, and growth mindset.
  • Write Like Crazy: 3 Kinds of Writing for Crushing the Standards reveals how to efficiently use three kinds of writing—provisional, readable, and polished—to increase productivity without sacrificing quality.
  • Work Worth Doing: Simplifying the Work of the PLC highlights the three critical practices PLCs should work towards and how to implement each to close achievement gaps.
  • 5 Powerful Ways to Differentiate Project-Based Learning explores an innovative unit design teachers can use to go deeper into learning and meet the needs of all learners.
  • Spectacular Social Studies Simulations: A How-to Guide engages participants in a simulation and demonstrates how to facilitate it in any content area to generate conversation and discussion.

"Professional development opportunities are key to learning and interpreting new trends in differentiation, and accessing the latest and most effective tools and knowledge. This focused strand offers complete training for educators at every stage of their differentiation journey. They'll leave with the specific, proven, and easy-to-implement strategies for manageable and successful differentiation," Leonard-Solis says.

To register for SDE's national conferences and pre-conferences, upcoming PD events, or other professional development opportunities, visit www.SDE.com, call 1-800-462-1478, or email [email protected].

Featured

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Acquires VPS Architecture

    Full-service planning, architecture, and engineering firm Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has acquired VPS Architecture, according to a news release. The move will help strengthen Wold’s education and public-sector design expertise, industries in which both companies have strong pre-existing ties and relationships.

  • From Approval to Opening: Inside Travis Unified School District’s Fast Tracked Campus Expansion

    The Travis Unified School District (TUSD) in northern California includes several elementary and high schools serving over 5,400 students. In 2024, the TUSD Board approved the addition of sixth grade to the Golden West Middle School campus for the 2025–26 school year, setting in motion an accelerated effort to bring new facilities online in less than a year.

  • Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts

    Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Indiana University Launches Capital Campus in D.C.

    Indiana University recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new IU Capital Campus in Washington, D.C., according to university news. The eight-story facility will provide a central hub for the university’s existing programs and business operations based in D.C., uniting them under one roof and providing the opportunity to expand.