Chapters International

In this online workshop, teachers and instructional leaders will learn a universally designed protocol for classroom conversations that is useful to build essential questions and foster more reflective classrooms. Participants emerge from this workshop with a go-to method to build inquiry-based classrooms that blend social emotional learning activities with academic content to drive student engagement. All participants receive one-year access to a library of conversation starters for use after the workshop is finished.

Objectives:

Participants will:

Understand why conversations are important for promoting engagement and inquiry
Learn a protocol for starting and managing conversations
Learn how to use Google forms to capture the impact of conversations
Strategize how to use conversations to promote social-emotional learning
Strategize how to use conversations as hooks for academic content

Target Audience:

Instructional coaches, school/district administrators, teachers grades K-12

Agenda:

Session 1 - 2 Hours:

Universal Design and Conversations - A Match Made In Heaven
Conversation modeling
Unpacking the Protocol
Google forms - capturing the impact of conversations
Q & A

Home Learning: Implement a conversation with your students

Session 2 - 2 Hours:

Home learning conversation share out
Conversations As Fuel For Social Emotional Learning
Conversations As Hooks for Academic Content
Q & A

DAN FOUTS

Dan is a practicing high school social studies teacher from the Chicago land area with 30 years of experience. In this role he has led curriculum teams, served as departmental instructional coach and spearheaded the creation of a philosophy elective which he has taught for 10 years. Critical thinking, love of questioning and conversation are what Dan values most in education.

Along with his twin brother Steve, he co-founded Teach Different which specializes in helping educators and parents start and manage conversations using a powerful 3-step protocol. His passion is to teach how to use this conversation protocol in conjunction with essential questions to give young people and adults alike the courage to speak, listen and understand.

As part of his work with Teach Different, Dan has presented extensively at a state and national level on inquiry-based instruction techniques including a recent webinar series offered by the National Council for the Social Studies. Dan and his brother produce and host the Teach Different podcast which showcases the benefits of inquiry-based instruction, critical thinking and the art of conversation.

DR. STEVEN G. FOUTS

Steve is a social entrepreneur with over 20 years of teaching experience in K-16 education and is currently CEO of Teach Different, a professional development organization from Chicago that has pioneered a 3-Step conversation technique for the classroom. Steve has experience teaching philosophy on the undergraduate level and has spent over a decade teaching mathematics and social studies to underserved student populations from Chicago’s west side. He has published numerous articles about social justice and equity in K-12 education and is a member of Educators for Excellence, a non-profit organization devoted to policy advocacy for K-12 classrooms.