2017 NH Educators’ Summer Summit

Keynote Speakers

Jamie R. Vollmer, J.D.
Welcome to the Great Conversation: Building public support for public schools one community at a time.
Wednesday, August 2, 2017

The keynote builds on themes presented Vollmer’s book, "School Cannot Do It Alone," proclaimed by the American School Board Journal as “One of the top ten books of the year.”

Jamie reviews his transformation from public education critic to ally by retelling the popular "Blueberry Story." He talks about his life-changing experiences working as a teacher’s aide. He discusses his discovery of "Nostesia" – the mental affliction that locks Americans in old notions of “real school.” He uses what he calls his “magic list” to expose the public’s lack of understanding of the mandates that have been placed upon America’s public schools. The audience learns how they can connect the dots and make the case that everyone in the community benefits when they support their local schools.

At each stage, Jamie employs humor, logic, and statistics to encourage teachers, support staff, administrators, and board members to build a new conversation that increases community support for their schools. He concludes with an inspiring story that makes it clear that the people working in our schools are heroes, and this is public education’s most hopeful time.

Jamie Vollmer is an award-winning advocate of public education. He has worked for the past twenty-five years to help schools and their communities remove the obstacles to student learning, both in and out of school. His goal is to uplift his audiences and praise their success while showing them that they have the power to create a community-wide climate that supports rising student achievement.

James Rickabaugh, Ph.D.
All Learning is Personal: Designing School with the Learner in Mind
Thursday, August 3, 2017

We have within our reach what could be the greatest era of learning since the creation of the common school. However, we must act with courage, thoughtfulness, intelligence and commitment to transform the opportunities before us into rich experiences for our learners. We can no longer rely on the industrial age school design to meet this challenge. The future of today’s learners will be far different from what their parents and grandparents faced. Our challenge is to nurture in our learners the skills, knowledge and experiences necessary to prepare them for success in an era of learning and innovation. The new design must feature more flexible, personal and purposeful learning experiences. This keynote will explore the forces driving the movement, key elements of this personalized approach and how a growing number of educators, leaders and schools are transforming learning with their students.

Dr. Jim Rickabaugh serves as the Senior Advisor to the Institute for Personalized Learning, an education innovation lab dedicated to the transformation of public education. Jim formerly served as the Director of the Institute for six years and as a superintendent in several districts in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Dr. Rickabaugh was Wisconsin Superintendent of the Year in 2008 and Minnesota Superintendent of the Year in 1996. Dr. Rickabaugh is the author of "Tapping the Power of Personalized Learning: A Roadmap for School Leaders," focused on helping principals and other educational leaders to engage their staffs in designing and implementing personalized learning ecosystems.

Daniel Willingham, Ph.D.
Critical Thinking for Educators: Is it Really “Research-based?”
Friday, August 4, 2017

Few phrases in education are as pervasive (and as justifiably mistrusted) as “It’s research-based.” Educators are expected to evaluate the research base of practice and products even though their training of most educators emphasizes practice, not research. In this talk Dr. Willingham will use theories of learning styles and multiple intelligences as illustrations of how research can be abused and misinterpreted, but the bulk of the talk will focus on ways that people with little background in research can evaluate the soundness of a research claim. In particular, Dr. Willingham will emphasize the ways to clarify research claims, to evaluate evidence, and to maintain a scientific mindset when you try something new.

Daniel Willingham earned his B.A. from Duke University in 1983 and his Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from Harvard University in 1990. He is Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia, where he has taught since 1992. He writes the “Ask the Cognitive Scientist” column for American Educator magazine, and is the author of "Why Don't Students Like School?" "When Can You Trust the Experts?" "Raising Kids Who Read," and "The Reading Mind" (forthcoming). His writing on education has appeared in fourteen languages. In 2017 he was appointed by President Obama to serve as a Member of the National Board for Education Sciences.

Plus Eight Strands, with Multiple Breakout Sessions

• 21st Century After School Programs
• Assessment Literacy: Understanding and Using Data
• Early Childhood
• Family and Community Engagement
• Innovative Teaching Practices
• Performance Assessment for Competency Education
• Personalization/Student Engagement
• Student Wellness

Pre-register and chose the sessions you wish to attend!

University of New Hampshire, Durham Campus

Conference Check-in
Memorial Union Building (MUB), Granite State Room
83 Main Street, Durham, NH

Please arrive thirty minutes early to allow time for parking and transportation to the MUB.

Breakout Session Locations

Classroom Buildings on Campus:
Memorial Union Building, Holloway Commons, Murkland Hall,
and Paul College of Business Education. Other sites may be added if required.

Participants should anticipate walking between buildings on campus between sessions.
Download a campus walking map.

Parking and Transportation

Download a map for UNH parking and accessibility.

Participant Parking

Parking fees are included in your registration. Participants will park in Lot A which will be serviced by extended service of the Wildcat Service Connector which will operate from in front of the Visitor Center. Pick-up in front of the UNH Visitor Parking and Transit Center and drop off in front of the MUB at the Holloway/Main Street Stop.

Wildcat Connector Bus Service for the Ed Summit (Lot A-From Visitor Services Center to Holloway Commons stop at the Memorial Union Building on Main Street)

• Wednesday, Thursday and Friday Morning - 6:30 - 8:30 am
• Wednesday and Thursday Evening - 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.
• Friday Afternoon - 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.
  Extended Service buses during the hours list above for the Ed Summit are marked "Special" and will have signage. Pick up at the Visitor Center - Lot A.

  Regular service Wildcat Connector buses run every 20 minutes between 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  Regular service Wildcat Connector picks up at the Field House up the stairs from Lot A. or ask for assistance at the Visitor Center.
  You may take either bus service. Buses are wheelchair accessible.

Handicap parking for individuals with the handicap parking permits may park without paying a meter on the UNH Campus. Handicap spots are located at:

• MUB in the circular drive leading to the MUB off of Main Street,
• Paul College on Garrison Avenue, &
• the Thompson Hall Lot.

Individuals without a handicap permit needing accommodations should call the UNH Visitor Parking and Transit Center at 603-862-1010 to make special arrangements.

Speakers Parking

Speakers will receive parking instructions and a code to pay UNH kiosks via email.

Meals

Breakfast and lunch are provided each day. Afternoon snacks and drinks will be provided on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons.

A continental breakfast with coffee is provided each morning outside of the Granite State Room in the MUB.

Your nametag is your pass to lunch on Wednesday and Thursday in Holloway Commons Dining Hall attached to the MUB.
Holloway Commons provides a wide selection of food options and caters to all dietary restrictions.

Lunch on Friday will be a box lunch provided outside of the Granite State Room.

Dinner is on your own in Durham or you may want to explore nearby towns of Portsmouth and Dover.

We encourage you save on waste and BRING your own water bottle to fill at ELKAY filtered water dispensers throughout campus.

On-campus Housing

Moderately priced housing in conveniently located dormatories are available for those who wish to stay overnight in Durham.

Housing Contact:
UNH Conferences & Catering
603-862-1900
conferences@unh.edu

Accessibility

The University of New Hampshire is committed to creating inclusive and welcoming campuses for individuals with disability. If you require reasonable accommodation(s) to participate in the NH Educators’ Summer Summit, please contact us by July 2 to make arrangements.

Phone: 603-431-0214

Technology

Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop computer, iPad or tablet.

Handouts

Digital speaker materials will be made available online through 2Revolutions on the NH Network Platform.

Participants may sign up in advance on the NH  Network Platform by contacting 2Revolutions.

Speakers should contact 2Revolutions to upload presentations and materials by July 18, 2017.

Email: rachel@2revolutions.net
For More Information: NH Network Ed Summit 2017

Evaluations

Information available soon.

WiFi Access

Issues concerning the Wi-Fi connection should be directed to the UNH IT help desk.

UNH IT phone: 603-862-4242 or 2-4242 from a campus phone.

General network access is available to guests of the University via both wired and wireless connections.  There are limitations to where wired connections are available, and not all wired connections will allow for guest access.

To register on UNH Wireless as a Guest:

1. Connect to the UNH Public wireless network
2. Go to wifi.unh.edu
3. Check the box next to I agree to the Acceptable Use Policy.
4. Click the Start button
5. Click the Guests button
6. Enter the required information:

• Last Name
• Email Address
  1. Click Continue
  2. Wait 2-3 minutes for your registration to complete.

An illustrated version of these instructions may be found here.

Guest users are required to abide by the University’s “Acceptable Use Policy” located in the On-Line Policy Manual.