Future Proofing Your Students (6-Hour)

Description

We live in an exponential world. The rate of change and innovation is rapidly increasing each year, and consequently the task of preparing our students for the future becomes both challenging and exciting. A paradigm shift has occurred in business and innovation so that the old rules of institutions and business models no longer apply. GT Innovators explore this rapid pace of change and its implications for business and education.

In this 6-hour course, you will learn how you can “future proof” your students using strategies tailored for this era of exponential change. Topics explored include:

• Activities for stimulating greater creativity in the classroom
• How the “now” influences speculation about the future
• Paradigm shift in teaching
• What motivates students today

Presenter Bio

David Sebek is co-founder of GT Innovators which was formed in 2011 by three educators who wanted to change the world of professional development for teachers. David has been offering unique professional development solutions to school districts in and around the Texas Gulf Coast Region. Mr. Sebek was the 2011 TAGT State Teacher of the Year for the Gifted and have coached various problem solving teams to Regional, State and International Competitions through Destination Imagination and Future Problem Solvers. 

Joe Bernhart is an author, speaker, and expert in researching and implementing curriculum with a focus on creativity, differentiation, and the social/emotional needs of GT students with an ever-developing expertise on their nature and needs as well. Building on over a decade of previous experience working in an inner city middle school in Houston ISD as a teacher, English department chair, parent coordinator, and Title I coordinator, Mr. Bernhart’s expertise transcends and traverses content areas and demographic definitions, allowing him to be part of a team that offers high quality professional development to meet the diverse needs of teachers in diverse settings. 

Troy Drayton has thirteen years of experience teaching in public schools, with 8 years as English/Language Arts (ELA) Department Head. Mr. Drayton has a Bachelor’s degree in English Composition and Language with an emphasis on Linguistics and a minor in Music from the University of North Texas. He completed his Master’s degree in Administrational Leadership and Supervision from the University of Houston in 2008, but has remained in the classroom because teaching is his true passion.