Albright, Rachel, Nancy Blachman, Paul Zeitz, and Joshua Zucker -- Cultivating Creativity and Passion for Mathematics through Math Circles
Math circles originated in Hungary more than a century ago. They spread over eastern Europe and Asia, and since then have produced many of the great scientists from those parts of the world, in mathematics and in other disciplines. They usually have presented mathematical problems, puzzles, and activities that are not covered in standard math classes. Their goal has been to get the students excited about the mathematics. In a well-run math circle, the atmosphere is fun, intensive, and playful. Joshua Zucker and Paul Zeitz will lead some activities, as is typically done in a Math Circle. Nancy Blachman will describe how to start your own math circle on the basis of her experience in founding the Nueva Math Circle, which is typically attended by 100-200 preK-8th graders and their parents.

Bennett, Dan -- Lesson Study: Exploring the Efficacy of a Formative Assessment Lesson in the Classroom
This demonstration lesson in a middle school algebra classroom of a formative assessment lesson written by the Shell Center in Nottingham, England will show how teachers and students can effectively use formative assessment in the classroom to surface student misconceptions, address these misconceptions, and have hard data to verify learning. Afterward, observers will meet with the teaching team to discuss the process of using formative assessment lessons in the classroom. Access to 20+ formative assessment lessons will be provided.

Berman, Matt and Peter Bowers -- A Modeled Structured Word Inquiry Lesson 
As a practical illustration of what Structured Word Inquiry can look like in the classroom, guest speaker Peter Bowers and Nueva school teacher Matt Berman will jointly teach a lesson with a grade 4 class, applying the principles of linguistic science while an audience of teachers observes and participates in the same inquiry. The lesson will investigate the structure and meaning of words that students have not specifically studied before but, as in a typical Structured Word Inquiry lesson, it will draw on vocabulary relevant to the students' studies and build on orthographic problem-solving skills and tools the students have been working with. In particular, students will work with the word sum and the orthographic matrix to guide scientific inquiry, testing potential connections of structure and meaning between sets of words. Various paper and on-line references will also be used to support the testing of orthographic hypotheses. Following the students' work, a question and answer session with the observing teachers will help them make the most of the session.

Chiu, Sin-Tung -- Music and the Accelerated Student
Nueva Menuhin violin instructor, Sin-Tung Chiu, presents a violin master class showcasing how facilitated instrumental study can accelerate student musicians. The challenges inherent in classical music -- including harmony, rhythm, accurate interpretation, and tone production -- all guide students through an interesting process of decision making and problem solving. The master class will feature young solo and small chamber ensembles, focusing on the development of the whole child through innovative teaching and curricula. Students are in grades 3 to 8.

Combs, Cory -- The Modern Sounds of Indonesia: Using Music in the Classroom to Discuss Race and Culture
There are literally hundreds of regional musical forms and styles spread across the thousands of Indonesian islands. Most established traditional styles, like the well-documented Gamelan tradition, grew to support dance, theater, and the web of religious traditions throughout the region. While those traditional forms blend many external influences, they are rightly seen as markers of Indonesian cultural identity. Though traditional Indonesian music is respected and loved both nationally and by musical scholars, modern popular sounds have a far stronger pull on the youth of the region, where artists have borrowed from a wide-range of international musical influences, forming music that is unique and expressive of a new cultural identity. During the lecture, we will focus on the modern sounds of Indonesia, including kroncong, dangdut, protest music, modern Indonesian hip-hop, the avant-garde and more, and look at some key issues, such as how music represents a nation, how consumer technology influences the growth of new styles, and how cultural identity forms through the creative fusion of both local and Western sounds. And, importantly, we will discuss how teachers can use music as a classroom tool to discus race and cultural identity.

Comstock, Jana -- Making Fractions Fun, Intuitive, and Challenging
Fractions provide insight into the structure of our familiar number systems, simplify routine calculations, and are absolutely indispensible for many beautiful results in mathematics. Nonetheless, fractions can be a tough sell, and students often go to great lengths to try to avoid them or replace them with a decimal. Jana willl share some of the techniques and lesson arcs she uses to communicate her enthusiasm for the fraction with her classes, ranging from simple, fun games and activities to practice basics and fundamentals through some highly sophisticated applications suitable for advanced students grades 6-12.

Connolly, Heather and Laraine Ray -- Da Vinci: Supporting Young Innovators
Leonardo da Vinci has become emblematic of creativity and innovation in Western culture. Painter, sculptor, musician, poet, architect, engineer, geologist, anatomist, botanist, physiologist, astronomer, mathematician, philosopher -- da Vinci's interests and accomplishments will be placed in its historical context and woven together with an examination of the ways that he acquired knowledge. Learn how you can teach about the intersections among science, math, technology, art, and culture by studying this Renaissance figure in your classroom. Inspire your students to embrace da Vinci's approaches to learning and innovation. This presentation is designed to provoke and motivate you! Be inspired by Leonardo's revolutionary feats to innovate a new curriculum, and unlock your own creativity!

Elsner, Jo, Peggy McLean, Neha Pall, and Marjorie Woodwell -- Differentiation in the Elementary Math Classroom
Learn strategies for meeting the needs of all types of learners through discussion and direct observation of a differentiated lesson. Focusing on a single concept, each step of the differentiation process will be demonstrated. Watch teachers implement these techniques with a third grade classroom. The handout includes examples of strategies in assessment, grouping, activities, and reporting techniques.

Estes, Fred and Carolee Fucigna -- Composting with Young Children to Teach Inquiry and Science Process Skills
Young children delight in exploring the natural world and in finding a meaningful place for themselves. In turn, we need our children to understand ecology, sustainability, and the limiting factors in earth's systems to preserve our planet. Adding a composting and gardening strand to the early childhood curriculum achieves both goals and provides immediacy, impact, and inquiry. In building and maintaining a compost pile, children learn about decay and decomposition; insects and other decomposers; food, diet, and waste; and energy transfer within an ecosystem. This builds a deeper understanding of earth and life cycles, as well as our place within that system and our responsibility to our earth.

Estes, Fred and Devin Wolfe -- Tech Rocks: Integrating Earth Sciences & Technology Through Student Videos
This presentation describes our experience with integrating technology and science by having middle school students use presentation technology to convey science content in geology. For the past two years, we have collaborated on a Geology Video project with fifth grade students. The results are fun for our students, consolidate their technology and science learning, and are useful assessments of their work during this unit.

Frankenstein, Diane -- Conversational Reading: Thinking and Making Connections
Precocious readers often do not understand everything they read; hence they don't get all they can from their reading. Conversational Reading makes reading an interactive experience by encouraging children at all levels to read for meaning, building the critical thinking skills they need to read deeply. Participants will learn techniques to build conversational skills and will practice the Conversational Reading method, which ensures a child's reading ability is commensurate with their comprehension skills. The most important outcome may not just be how many books children have read, but how many conversations they have about them. In our fast-moving, media-saturated world, reading with children and talking with them about what matters is more important than ever before.

Freeman, Hillary -- 1) Designing STEM Curricula Rooted in Computational Thinking; 2) Delivering Aha Moments in Middle School Science 
1) After returning to teaching after spending a year at Google developing curricula as a teaching fellow, Hillary has been successful in embedding the computational thinking approach to curriculum development, originally described by Jeannette Wing, into the K-8 science program at Nueva. Computational thinking develops neuronal pathways that are the basis for the thinking skills needed in technology development. These mental skills -- pattern recognition, decomposition, algorithm development, and abstraction -- can be easily designed into curricula to prepare students for any 21st century career. This paper defines computational thinking, provides examples in math and science curricula, and provides a roadmap on how to incorporate them into any discipline's curricula.
2) Meeting students where they are and enabling them to get to where you'd like them to be, through hands-on discovery and authentic problem-solving, elevates students to new levels of excitement about science. Being able to apply their knowledge to their lives, to other disciplines, and to making groundbreaking innovative discoveries is well within reach. Finding the student's passions and helping them link science to that passion opens the door to exploring more deeply into more diverse topics in science. This discussion will provide examples of reaching students where they are, creating environments for discovery, and how to creatively encourage them to enhance, continue, or find their own natural joy for science.

Fucigna, Carolee and Susan Lyon -- What is your Image of the Child? Innovations in Early Childhood Education from Reggio Emilia, Italy
Hailed by Newsweek in 1991 as having the "best preschools in the world," the public preschools in Reggio Emilia, Italy have served as an inspiration to countless numbers of early educators in our own country and around the world. At the center of their pedagogy is an image of young children as competent, strong, and able to construct their own knowledge. Loris Malaguzzi, the founder of the Reggio Emilia approach, noted that "There are hundreds of different images of the child. (As a teacher), each one of you has inside yourself an image of the child that directs you as you begin to relate to a child. This theory within you pushes you to behave in certain ways; it orients you as you talk to the child, listen to the child, observe the child. It is very difficult for you to act contrary to this internal image." What is your image of the children in your care? The presenters will discuss the implications of this image on the educational practices in Reggio Emilia, and in the Nueva prekindergarten. They will facilitate a conversation among attendees on the myriad implications a teacher's image of the child has on his or her practice.

Garibaldi, Mark and Laraine Ray -- Advancing Parental Exploration: Supporting the Unique Needs of the Gifted Family
Advancing Parental Exploration (APE) is an adaptive, evidence-based adult education program supporting the unique challenges associated with parents of young, gifted children ages 3 to 6. Gifted and talented children are known to possess specific social, emotional, and cognitive needs that require unique support from adults. Traditional parent education programs fall short of providing adults who support gifted children with effective strategies and methods that ensure the adoption of these strategies. This presentation will discuss the common needs of parents of gifted children; deficits and limitations of other parent education programs; and supporting theory, evidence, and structure of our unique and adaptive Learn-See-Do model for adult education that aims more completely to support the needs of this population. Administrators, educators, and parents (of course) are welcomed to join this presentation. Come find out why in the world we named this program after a tree climbing primate!

Gitnick, Kim, Elizabeth McLeod, Rebecca Newsom, and Megan Terra -- Reflection and Mindfulness in the Elementary Classroom
In these fast-moving times, students benefit from direct instruction in how to slow down, experience the present moment, and reflect on their experiences. This workshop will offer techniques for integrating mindfulness and reflection in the early elementary classroom. When young children have the opportunity to express and write about their daily challenges, successes, and wonderings, they develop self-awareness, increased attention, empathy, and compassion. These techniques are easily adaptable to all ages.

Gross, Miraca -- Differentiating the Curriculum for Exceptionally and Profoundly Gifted Students
Differentiating educational provisions for exceptionally gifted and profoundly gifted students requires a curriculum that is significantly different, in both its level of challenge and its pace of instruction, than might be offered to moderately or highly gifted young people. This presentation, developed for teachers and school administrators, will discuss ways of providing curricula responsive to these students' learning needs both within and outside the regular classroom.

Haven, Shelley -- Universal Design for Learning + Assistive Technology = Reduced Barriers for All Students
This session for educators will illustrate how assistive technologies, typically used to accommodate a single student's learning needs, can easily create a more flexible learning environment for all students, including those with learning disabilities, English language learners, and gifted students. Universal Design for Learning, or UDL, is a curriculum framework which considers the diverse abilities and needs of all learners when designing instruction, materials, and assessment. The result is a proactive vs. a reactive approach to learning differences in the classroom which embeds flexibility and adaptability from the start rather than trying to retro-fit curricula to meet the specific needs of one learner or another. This session will provide a basic overview of Universal Design for Learning principles and show how common instructional methods and materials may inadvertently exclude otherwise capable learners. Using examples and demonstrations, we will then explore how certain assistive technologies -- both low tech and high tech -- can help teachers move toward a learning environment that is accessible to a broader range of learners. Educators will leave with examples they can put into practice using technology they may already have.

Keyes, Sally -- Lesson Study: Exploring the Efficacy of a Formative Assessment Lesson in the Classroom 
This demonstration lesson in a middle school algebra classroom of a Formative Assessment Lesson written by the Shell Center in Nottingham, England will show how teachers and students can effectively use formative assessment in the classroom to surface student misconceptions, address these misconceptions, and have hard data to verify learning from the formative assessment lesson. Afterward, observers will meet with the teaching team to discuss the process of using formative assessment lessons in the classroom. Access to 20+ Formative Assessment Lessons will be provided.

Koehler, Peter -- 'A Flower in Stone' or the Mystery and Beauty of Nature's Art and Math
In this hands-on workshop, you will explore student activities and discover the beautiful math behind nature's art. Using paper and oil pastels, you will uncover a mysterious ratio and a curious sequence of numbers (the golden ratio and Fibonacci's numbers) in a sand dollar, daisy, sunflower, bougainvillea, or pine cone. Through these activities, students can explore a magical world of patterns and shift the way they think mathematically. They will practice the basics while learning about rich concepts that provide a glimpse at some deep and fascinating math.

Koehler, Peter and Maya Sissoko -- The Magic of the Number Bracelets
Number Bracelets are a fascinating idea about number sequences, such as Fibonacci and clock arithmetic. Nueva 3rd graders (and their parents) experimented with them and discovered some puzzling mysteries. Experience the joy of exploring and weaving this fascinating strand of mathematics into some intriguing numerical patterns pointing at surprising mathematical relations and connections. While the bracelets are an exciting way to practice basic arithmetic, they also provide an ideal setting for students to ask their own original questions while coming up with new ideas and conjectures of their own. The deep and beautiful concepts this project evokes, the questions it inspires, and the possibility of getting behind the why of math, makes this workshop intriguing to students of any age.

Kolatch, Emily -- Fostering Passions by Providing Structures for Exploration: Nueva Choice Programs, Electives, and Academies
In the information age, innovative thinking is more critical than ever. Today's marketplace demands a workforce skilled at synthesizing divergent ideas, creative in their approach to finding new solutions, and passionate about the work they do. Rather than produce students who have mastered the skills sufficient for passing state exams, today's schools must teach students to find their own passions and to see the relevance of passion in the world around them. This talk will describe some of the structures Nueva has developed for allowing students to explore and deepen their passions within the school day and will emphasize the pedagogical philosophies that ground these structures.

Kosut, Cynthia and Hillary Freeman -- An Integrated Approach to the Research Paper: Attaching the STEM to the Flower of Humanities
Interactions among the many accomplishments of human endeavor created powerful, beautiful, fascinating places like 10th century Cordoba, 11th century Kyoto, 16th century Seville, 19th century Tokyo, 20th century Madrid, or 21st century Shanghai. We ask our 8th graders to research the cultural identity of a city they will visit on their overseas language trip to promote understanding and connection that lasts a lifetime; that in turn, promotes lifelong learning across disciplines. STARPAP, the 8th grade final research paper, provides the structure for our students' inquiry. With examples from Nueva students' work and insight into how we motivate and teach students to develop their research skills, we will explore the possibilities for integrated curricula through the medium of the research paper.

O'Bryan, Chako -- Learning Beyond Language in Nueva's Dynamic 6th Grade Japanese Class: How To Be A Global Citizen 
What are the crucial skills for future global leaders? How do we prepare students for an increasingly globalized world? Learning communication and collaboration skills from a variety of cultures is a key component to preparing students for success. In this workshop you will learn how to encourage your students to think globally while studying world languages. See how Nueva's original Japanese class invites students to learn beyond language. The class collaborates with other subjects such as writing, science, math, PE, SEL, and design thinking to create an engaging, cross-discipline learning environment.

Pothongsunan, Pote -- Wiimote Physics: Using Gaming Technologies for Hands-On Science
The controller of a Wii gaming console (the Wiimote) can be used in the classroom as a cost effective and versatile tool for learning science. The Nueva School, in a partnership with Stanford University, received a grant from the Wallenberg Global Network to study how familiar gaming technologies, such as the Wiimote, can be used to teach science. Join us to see the student activities from Nueva's sixth grade physics class and see how you can help with future innovations.

Raynal, Liza -- Lessons from the Blue-Footed Booby
The Evolution Revolution is an integrated writing course in which Charles Darwin and the HMS Beagle's famous voyage are used as a metaphor for the writing process. The father of evolutionary biology was himself an observer, an artist, and a writer with a keen scientific curiosity. It was his letters, drawings, and notes in the margin of the ship's log that eventually allowed him to unpack and articulate his theory. As writers exploring new territory, middle school students can use this curious adventurer and his processes as inspiration. Darwin's journey of discovery required him to prepare, navigate, observe, analyze, and reflect. These five modes become major units of study in this course, each introduced by the story of Darwin's experience, then expanded to include readings, skill-building assignments, and a longer writing project. During this session we will discuss how to integrate one of the most important scientific discoveries into the language arts as a model for successful cross-curricular experiences. Examples of sample lessons and student work will be provided.

Raynal, Liza, Lyanne Abreu, and Megan O'Neill -- Cross-Curricular Approaches to Teaching Environmental Sustainability
The Galapagos Islands offer a multitude of scientific, historical, artistic, and environmental learning opportunities. From the impact of oil spills to the question of what to do with our everyday garbage, from Darwin's discovery to the current discussion of evolution in politics, the islands are a microcosm of the issues we all face in our local communities. The biennial Toyota International Teaching Program enables 24 teachers to experience this richness first hand and bring back lessons to share with colleagues and students. In this session, several Toyota Teachers will share their 2010 travel experience and help facilitate the incorporation of hands-on science, sustainability, and arts curricula into your classrooms.

Ron, Julie -- Cultivating Scientific Literacy through Targeted Explorations of Science in the News
Scientific literacy is a much-lauded goal of STEM education reform, but what is it, why is it important, and how can we efficiently and effectively cultivate it in the classroom? In this session we will discuss skills that define scientific literacy and share an approach for helping students think critically about science reported in the news. Through periodic "journal clubs," annotation activities, blog posts, and whole-class discussions, students explore cutting edge science, ask questions about research methodology, learn about the authentic process of science, and build lifelong critical thinking skills. Participants will also discuss ways to modify this unit to fit their unique classroom environment and share other ideas for fostering scientific literacy.

Rusczyk, Richard -- Problem-Solving: A 21st-Century Education?
The standard math curriculum is designed for math literacy. Future practitioners in math-related fields need a greater challenge to prepare them for the rigors of study at outstanding universities or for internationally competitive careers. Art of Problem Solving founder Richard Rusczyk discusses shortcomings in the typical math curriculum for high-performing students, and many strategies for preparing these students for future challenges. Art of Problem Solving hosts the country's largest online community of outstanding middle and high school math students. Rusczyk will share his experiences working with these students, and information about the resources and programs designed specifically for them.

Saxe, Kim -- 1) What is Design Thinking and Why is it Important?; 2) Yes, They Can! Enabling Students to Better the World
1) Whether you are new to the application of design thinking in schools or well versed in its mindsets and benefits, come hear Kim Saxe, one of the pioneers of teaching design thinking in pre-k to 8 schools. She will share her perspective after teaching design thinking in embedded project-based, constructivist curricula for the past decade at Nueva, and leading the I-Lab for the past four years. Kim will share the benefits of design thinking for both students and schools using examples from the work of the I-Lab. She will end by describing key aspects of our design engineering program. Be part of an exciting and powerful movement to truly prepare our students for their future.
2) Nueva actively works to create an environment and program that helps students "learn how to make choices that will benefit the world." In fact, this is a key aspect of our Mission Statement. We know our students care deeply about the world and others. Learn how Nueva helps them translate their desire into real actions that make a difference. Kim Saxe, director of Nueva's I-Lab, will describe the path of a student through his/her time at Nueva. She will give an overview of sample projects in Nueva's kindergarten and 3rd grade, and then go into detail about Nueva's 8th Grade Recital Project. Several Nueva alums will present their 8th grade projects. Over the course of the year, the students, working with a mentor, creat, manage, and carry out significant projects that better the world. A student is never too young to help the world; come learn how to support their generous natures in age-appropriate ways to make a real difference. The Nueva alumni and Kim will also happily field your questions.

Saxe, Kim and Steve Westwood -- Mechanimals! An Exploration into Mechanical Engineering and Design Thinking
At Nueva, we believe we have a responsibility to foster our young, budding engineers just as we do our writers, mathematicians, athletes, etc. To this end, we have broadened our design thinking program to include design engineering. In the fifth grade, students actively participate for two hours per week in this class. Over the course of the year, they solidify and internalize their ability to use the design thinking process, they develop proficiency with power tools and new materials, and they collaborate to envision, brainstorm, prototype, and create a working mechanical toy. Kim and Steve will describe the flow of the project and the ways they have continually improved the course over time. Videos of students talking about their processes, challenges, and successes will also be shared.

Sissoko, Maya -- Wiki Wonders in the 3rd Grade
See how an interactive wiki has transformed a 3rd grade class, creating more motivation, inspiration, and connections for learning both in and out of the classroom. Instead of seeing homework as just a chore, students are actively interested in commenting and collaborating on the work of their peers as well as soliciting comments on their own. Students are excited to have a place to present to a larger audience, and parents report that students are much more engaged in their homework through using the wiki. Gain new ideas and ask questions about how to incorporate this technology into your classroom or school.

Tiegel, Karen -- Passion Projects! Tap Student Interests and Develop Strong Writing Skills
The Sixth Grade Passion Project is a three-week writing assignment that asks students to develop a writing piece incorporating a deep interest. Through a series of case studies and examples, we'll explore how students can achieve stronger writing skills when they have a chance to choose the topic and genre of their writing. Along with a discussion of the support structures for the project, including timelines, feedback methods, and student-created outlines, we'll also talk about how to adjust the Passion Project to a variety of learning styles and student needs, including second-language learners, reluctant writers, and profoundly gifted students. This presentation is intended for new and current middle school and lower school teachers and resource specialists.

Toben, Janice and Rush Sabiston Frank -- Social and Emotional Learning: The Open Session
The Open Session has been a hallmark of Nueva's Social-Emotional Learning program for over twenty years and appears in Daniel Goleman's best-selling book, Emotional Intelligence. This session will provide all the details you will need to facilitate powerful discussions that develop empathy and listening skills by using student-generated issues from everyday social dilemmas and personal decision models. Students actively clarify, support and encourage, and brainstorm compassionate, intelligent solutions for each other. The positive ripple effect in a school community is profound. Come watch a film excerpt of our students in action and learn key steps for facilitating successful Open Session discussions in your classroom meetings, advisory programs, student council meetings, and other group experiences where the power of collective problem-solving will make a profound difference. Hear how many public and private schools across the country value and implement Open Session.

West, John Thomas -- Reaching Their Unlimited Academic Potential Through LEAP: Learning Enhancement and Achievement Program
A defining program of Mirman Upper School, LEAP (Learning Enhancement and Achievement Program) provides an opportunity for students to plan their own schedule one day a week. Developed by Mirman School's Middle School teachers, the program provides an opportunity for highly gifted students to reach their unlimited academic potentials. In keeping with gifted literature, LEAP was designed to respond to the gifted child's need (1) for the time to work on projects of their own creation (2) in longer periods of time, and (3) in an independent manner. The workshop will be presented by the program's founder, John Thomas West, M.Ed., M.A., along with Mirman School Faculty, Darrel Lee and Norm Brennan, M.S.

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