This summer from July 11 through July 17, Mr. Fawks worked as a Confratute Management Engineer at Confratute which is held annually at the University of Connecticut, Storrs Campus. Confratute is a combined CONFerence, and an instiTUTE with a lot of FRATernity in between. Confratute is geared toward providing educators with research-based practical strategies for engagement and enrichment learning for all students, as well as meeting the needs of gifted and talented students.

 

When Mr. Fawks was not working, he had the opportunity to attend the following:

 

iPads: Intuitive Technology for 21st Century Students

University of Connecticut  

 

Educators can improve student motivation, increase student learning, promote creative productivity, and differentiate learning for gifted students with the intuitive technology of the iPad.  In this strand, participants discovered a number of free or inexpensive apps that promote authentic learning.  These apps can be used to enhance the traditional curriculum or to provide students with opportunities to explore creative productivity similar to practicing professionals.  Some topics covered included making quiz games, developing stop-motion and drawing animations, creating e-books, making and editing movies, and creating original music.

 

Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA

 

Our talented young students are tomorrow's scientists, technological innovators, engineers, and mathematicians.  By embracing a culture of inquiry and investigation in our teaching practices, we can engage students as the practicing professionals in STEM fields, facilitate students' conceptual understandings, encourage interest and positive attitudes towards STEM, and nurture the development of STEM habits of mind.  Participants examined their own strategies for engaging talented students in STEM education, and designed interdisciplinary STEM learning experiences.  

 

University of Arkansas at Little Rock 

 

To develop STEM talent, gifted students need programs that provide rigorous articulation of multiple elements - curriculum, instruction, assessment, creativity, and more.  Ideally, a differentiated STEM educational program should begin during elementary school and continue seamlessly through secondary education with an interdisciplinary and applied approach.  During this interactive and experiential session, participants learned about specific elements critical to the design and implementation of STEM programs for advances students and application to local settings.  Emphasis was placed on developing articulation plans with best practices for high ability students in STEM programs.  The book, Stem Education for High-Ability Learners: Designing and Implementing Programming, was used for this session. 

 

University of Connecticut 

 

Students in our classrooms today will lead the world tomorrow; a world that does not yet exist.  How do we prepare students for the unknown?  How do we prepare our students to tackle problems that have yet to present themselves and foster the creativity needed to discover solutions?  This session offered a look into the future of technology by exploring the burgeoning world of 3D printing.  Participants learned how to take this tool back to the classroom and how to expose students to a technology that will eventually shape the way biologists, chemists, doctors, engineers, and many others who innovate in their fields.  Participants also learned about programming software, 3D printing classroom applications, and had the opportunity to print their own keychain.   

 

Associate Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies and Interim Director of Graduate Studies

Vanderbilt University 

 

Although much progress can be measured, America's gifted and talented programs continue to struggle identifying, recruiting and retaining (mentoring and sponsoring) minority and low income students.  Are the alarmingly dismal statistics by design?  In this keynote -families, teachers, administrators, and researchers were exposed to historical and current events and issues that effect many gifted children.  What are the current best practices enabling underrepresented students' success?  What are some of the controversies that linger?  And, what are the ways forward?

 

University of Connecticut 

 

Ron Beghetto and James Kaufman discussed basic conceptions and definitions of creativity, including the 4 P's and the 4 C's.  They applied these concepts to the classroom and reviewed how it is possible to keep creativity alive while staying within the guidelines of the common core.

 

Principal 

Pleasant View School, Providence, RI

 

Gara Field focused this keynote on the importance of talent development and transformation, and how an urban elementary school principal brought in the Schoolwide Enrichment Model to strengthen relationships, resources, rigor, and relevance for whole school improvement.

 

PANEL

 

What can we learn from research and experience about the longitudinal impact and effects of gifted and enrichment programs?  The panel reviewed the research and highlighted the lessons learned from success stories of gifted kids who have grown up. 

 

 

 Confratute has so much to offer!  

As you can see, Mr. Fawks had an enriching experience that has provided him with professional development that he will be able to utilize in his STEM classes.