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LHRIC Instructional Technology
TLI Keynote Series speakers discuss the pandemic after-math as an opportunity for change

Will Richardson and Homa Tavangar, co-founders of the Big Question Institute, view this post-pandemic era as perfect for bringing innovative teaching methods to the classroom. On April 29 they presented “Passing through the Pandemic Portal: Who Will We Choose to Become as Individuals and as Institutions?” at the Technology Leadership Institute’s Virtual Keynotes Series, hosted by the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center at Southern Westchester BOCES. Read more about the symposium here.
News Feed - Lower Hudson Regional Information Center
Active-Con Invigorates Educators with Captivating, Inspiring Discussions

The joy and engagement of Active-Con returned in-person to the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center for the first time in two years. Keynote speakers Dr. John Spencer and Dr. Robert Dillon wowed audiences with thought-provoking and dynamic presentations about student choice, divergent thinking, physical space and sustainable design.

Active-Con is the LHRIC’s annual hallmark event of its TLI series. It highlights the intersection of technology, instructional design, and active and flexible learning spaces. Now in its sixth year, the event welcomed 53 educators to the Harrison campus on March 4 and hosted another 32 virtually.
News Feed - LHRIC Instructional Technology
Through innovative Twitter feed, LHRIC specialist makes data best practices fun and funny to learn

Raheela Baig, a member of the LHRIC Data Privacy and Security Service team, has been recognized for her creative approach to sharing best practices and supporting Ed Law 2-d compliance on Twitter. Students at SWBOCES's Career Services campus will benefit from her recent honor in the form of scholarships to a statewide CTE skills competition.
News Feed - Lower Hudson Regional Information Center
TLI Virtual Keynote Series kicks off with an agent of change

The Technology Leadership Institute kicked off its 2021-22 Virtual Keynote series with a speaker who specializes in an area that is exceedingly relevant in education today: change.

Highlander Institute Executive Director Shawn Rubin is his organization’s lead architect, ensuring their work serves students most of all.

A former teacher, he says the language of personalized learning has been around for a long time. Personalizing schools and classrooms requires a new approach to the change process, said Mr. Rubin, who broke down his organization’s “Pathways to Personalization” Framework and the components necessary for school redesign through stories of successes and challenges.

He is a national thought leader on coaching and consulting approaches to classroom personalization and school change management. His days are split between providing on-the-ground support in districts supporting educators and leaders, and the creation and design of new processes for systemic educational change.

In his keynote, Mr. Rubin said that his own approach as a young teacher was centered on a personalized model, but he found that it didn’t scale beyond that level. There were not enough people who understood the vision or were informed enough to sustain it, he said. There was no systems-level lens, and families didn't understand enough to advocate for the approach.

Since 2012, his organization’s theory of change has evolved in response to research and lessons learned in the field. Starting with Blended Learning, his work moved to Personalized Learning that let students see themselves in their learning. Along the way, in studying the impact of what was working, “we weren’t pleased with what we saw,” he said.

The approach didn’t put enough emphasis on safe spaces for students, their lived experiences and on building academic mindset.

“If we had been focused in on that the last 20 years, I don’t think we would have had as many challenges during the pandemic,” Mr. Rubin said.

His focus today is on the processes of getting to our aspirations as educators. He said he is shocked by how little opportunity there has been to restart coming out of the remote learning period and returning to in-person instruction. We realized, he said of his organization, students and families actually didn’t have the skill sets to succeed in a virtual setting.

“When we think about perspectives, we’re talking about how capable and supported a student is to be successful in the individual learning environment that they find themselves,” he said.

Coming up

The year ahead brings a full slate of enriching and substantive presentations relevant to educators today. The TLI committee strives to assemble a lineup of speakers and events that will positively impact instruction and help shape the way we educate our students.

Following this month’s NYSCATE Convention in Rochester, the TLI Virtual Keynote Series returns in January with Alex J. Bowers, a Professor of Education Leadership at Teachers College, Columbia University. That is followed by Active=Con and the TELL Awards presentation, which are separate March events that are both planned to return in person this school year. The year wraps up with Tech Expo in May at the Edith Macy Conference Center in Briarcliff.

See http://it.lhric.org/tli for more information. Register in My Learning Plan.
News Feed - LHRIC Instructional Technology
Tech Expo '21 kicks off with keynote by podcaster and author Manoush Zomorodi

Manoush Zomorodi shared with attendees of the Technology Leadership Institute’s capstone event ways we can preserve our humanity in an accelerating world, touching on ed tech, finance, corporate governance, the connected world and all-too-disconnected tech companies.
News Feed - LHRIC Instructional Technology
TLI Keynote speaker sees opportunities to advance Blended Learning

Author and speaker Michael Horn told the TLI Keynote Speaker Series audience that the opportunities that lie ahead are indeed exciting and necessary to move beyond from the COVID threat. However, it is the threat mindset that rallies attention and resources, so a balance between the two is needed. Catch up on the the rest of his exciting presentation from our recap or watch a replay of the April 30 event. And don't forget to register for Tech Expo on May 21!
News Feed - LHRIC Instructional Technology
Reflective Keynote Speaker Helps Educators Find “The Way Forward”

In Janell Burley Hoffmann’s keynote presentation during the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center’s virtual TELL Awards ceremony, educators had the opportunity to pause and reflect on the past year from a professional and personal standpoint.

On March 16, Ms. Burley Hoffmann – a consultant, author and founder of the Slow Tech Movement – led an interactive discussion with participants about what they learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and what will serve them well in the future.

“This keynote is a reflection on what I am carrying forward,” said Ms. Burley Hofmann. “My offering is that you hold a space for yourself. The space we are creating together does not hurry. We need to hold onto the idea of ‘the way forward’ – it embodies the past, regenerates and grows from it.”

News Feed - Lower Hudson Regional Information Center
TLI Explores Creating Healthy Learning Spaces

The goal of much of Robert Dillon's work is to expand the definition of what a “healthy building” means. Most school buildings are conceptually designed for learning, but not for health, he said. His hopes are to broaden how buildings are constructed and to transition to a model that focuses on the health and wellness of students, staff members and any residents who enter.

“People want children to be in healthy buildings, but we need to expand its definition,” said Dr. Dillon, a longtime educator and thought leader who has served as teacher, principal and director of innovation. “The health of students and educators – both physical and emotional – are impacted by where they learn and teach. There’s an academic prowess to having a healthy building.”

On Feb. 26, Dr. Dillon was the engaging keynote speaker at the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center’s Technology Leadership Institute Active-Con 2021. His presentation, “Designing Learning Spaces for Health and Wellness,” discussed emerging trends, why issues of space and wellness are currently magnified, and what it means to be in a healthy building.

News Feed - Lower Hudson Regional Information Center
Technology Educator Encourages Teachers to Create Experiences, Take Risks in Classroom

Challenging, exhausting, eye-opening and long. Those are some words that participants in educator Carl Hooker’s interactive keynote address used to describe their lives since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

But, despite the unprecedented times, the past 10 months have also been enlightening and full of opportunities for those same participants. Educators in the Hudson Valley were engaged with Mr. Hooker’s presentation, “Reboot 2021,” which was the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center’s most recent offering of its TLI Virtual Keynote Series on Jan. 29. The TLI series boasts high-level events and conferences that feature instructional technology-based thought leaders and influencers.

News Feed - Lower Hudson Regional Information Center
Blended learning offers strategies for teachers to excel in the concurrent classroom

Teachers are spending more time than ever in the role of “designer,” being the architect of their students’ learning experiences. Meanwhile, they must also fill the roles of instructor and facilitator, said blended learning and online learning expert Catlin Tucker.

When teachers rely exclusively on a teacher-led “whole group” model, the challenges of teaching in a concurrent classroom are exacerbated, said Dr. Tucker, a bestselling author, international trainer and Google Certified Innovator. However, there are strategies that educators can implement to combat these challenges.

As the author of a collection of books on blended learning, Dr. Tucker was the featured presenter at the latest Virtual Keynote Series event on Dec. 9, which was presented by the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center’s Technology Leadership Institute.

News Feed - Lower Hudson Regional Information Center

Think Through Math

ABOUT THIS PRODUCT

Think Through Math is a Web-based solution that provides adaptive math instruction for New York students in grades 3 and above. Designed to motivate students in unprecedented ways, the program builds students’ confidence and competence in mathematics, while providing teachers with comprehensive data to ensure success.

Engage and motivate students for an optimal learning outcome-
Everything we do at Think Through Math is designed to engage students and transform the way they feel about math. For many students, that journey starts with productive failure. Our uniquely 21st Century motivation system, based on productive gaming theory, develops resilience, math muscle, and confidence.
Our mission: motivate students to do more math.

Productive Gaming-
With Think Through Math, the more you play, the more you learn. Each lesson begins with a “warm-up game” that serves as a cognitive primer to activate prior knowledge and prepare students for direct instruction.

Deeper Learning-
Nothing motivates like success. Because Think Through Math personalizes instruction, meeting students in their zone of proximal development, students quickly experience success.

Skills for Life-
Thinking and problem solving are essential parts of learning math. We take it a step further with Think Through Math. Students can use points to customize avatars and dashboards or they can also donate their points to charities, including PACER’S National Bullying Prevention Center and the Wounded Warrior Project.