CLARION, Pa. – The Riverview Intermediate Unit #6 (RIU6) 2016 Education Leadership Conference: STEAM was held on June 22 at Clarion University of Pennsylvania.The conference brought together more than 100 college and graduate students, K-12 teachers, administrators, technology staff, higher education staff, and vendors. It included a keynote address from Mark Dohn, breakout sessions and a vendor area for participants to explore STEAM based and educational technology products and services.
This one-day conference included a message from Mark Dohn who talked about what 21st Century classrooms and learning look like during his keynote address. He explained that educators are no longer the gatekeepers of knowledge but rather students are now stakeholders in their own learning process.
Dohn said, “When you make failure okay in your classroom, kids become fearless.” He encouraged the attendees to stop saying “No, but” and to try saying “Yes, and” to bring more out of their students and to drive the change in mindset that is needed in today’s classroom.
Dohn has been a technology teacher and coordinator for fifteen years in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and has an MS in Education Media Design and Technology from Full Sail University. In addition to his teaching, Mark is part of a core group of global Apple Distinguished Educators who advocate for the use of mobile devices and apps for students with learning disabilities. He conducts professional development and teacher trainings with an emphasis on equity in the classroom that focuses on technology integration, Universal Design for Learning, and Inclusive Design.
Following the keynote address, participants chose from 27 breakout sessions and visited various vendor tables to explore STEAM based and educational technology products and services.
Vendors included SMART Solutions Technologies, NPAECT, Clarion University, Friends of Drake Well, Allegheny Educational Systems, integraONE, HiTech, Inc., Digital Dream Labs, Fuel Education, Arts Anywhere, Usborne Books, and more.
This was the second consecutive year for the Education Leadership Conference, and the hope is that this will become an annual event.
What is STEAM? STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math to encourage students to apply critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration skills across all of their content areas. STEAM takes the strengths and benefits of STEM and includes the arts to develop a complete package.
For more information on the conference, visit our website at www.riu6.org or contact: Kelsi Wilcox Boyles 814-226-7103, Extension 5211 or Tina Gibbs 814-297-5114.
