Lausanne Learning Institute

While literacy continues to be a problem both in Memphis and across Tennessee, Grizzlies Prep is proving the possible for reading growth. With tiered interventions in basic reading and reading comprehension, enrichment classes, and time dedicated each day to reading a freely chosen book, Grizzlies Prep students grow over two years in reading each school year. And, with TCAP scores for literacy down across the state, scores at Grizzlies Prep were up 8.6 points this past year. In this session, you will learn about our approach to reading and about the curriculum designed by our team of literacy specialists.

Fantasy Geopolitics is a FREE and interactive game that high school english teacher, Eric Nelson, founded.  It is a great way for students to learn about geography and politics in a competitive and fun way.  Individually or as teams students draft countries that they believe will mentioned in the news.  Based on the NYT and the Goldstein Tone, that country is given a score.  Students must keep up with the news and that country's role within politics to make decisions about their team.  Come learn about the game itself and receive free resources and startup lesson plans.

 

Students use Google Docs to compose scouting reports on major historical figures. Scouting reports allow students to evaluate Point of View as well as each figure’s historical impact. Students then use these scouting reports to aid them in a ‘draft’ where they choose figures to help them solve a historical problem. This activity puts students at the center of learning as they discover what is important to include in their scouting reports, as well as how they craft their response to the problem only from the POV of the figures they were able to draft. Note: This could also work well in a literature based class where students would create scouting reports on major characters in novels and have these various characters analyze various components of stories, etc. 

Transform your students' writing experience from academic essays that happen to be posted on a blog, to compelling written works designed especially for online consumption. During this workshop, we'll discuss the differences between modern writing targeted for the World Wide Web and traditional student writing assignments, and discover why online writing specifically is vital for current and future student success. We'll also delve into compelling methods of teaching (and evaluating) the results of students' online writing efforts. At the end, you'll walk away with a greater respect and understanding of online writing, and innovative strategies to instill responsible and effective online communication in your students.

Tennessee Tech University’s iCube is where students and faculty Imagine, Inspire, and Innovate. Virtual reality technologies such as the Oculus Rift, Google Cardboard, and the Viscube are creating unique opportunities for learning. In this session, we will discuss current simulations and applications available for use in the classroom with various virtual reality technologies.

Students use a Google Doc to create a virtual museum that seeks to encourage its visitors to want to make a positive impact on the world. Students begin by crafting a mission statement for their museum. Students add on an additional wing to their museum for each major time period studied (Industrial Revolution, Imperialism, etc.) Each wing requires students to use responsible research to find items, ranging from primary source documents, pieces of art, technological innovations, etc. that they believe expresses the most important and interesting parts of that time in history.  Students are at the center of this semester/year-long activity as they choose the focus of their museum, as well as what they will display to teach their visitors about each period in history. At the end of the activity each student is responsible for evaluating another student’s museum.

Oftentimes listening to our students' voices is one of the most powerful ways to showcase their knowledge. In this hands on session, participants will be introduced to the Adobe Spark Video (formerly Adobe Voice) app. We will walk through the process of creating an Adobe Spark Video presentation from start to finish. You will leave with the ability to go out and immediately put this app into action in your classroom. Participants should download the Adobe Spark Video app before the session.