In this powerful talk on identity and community, Julie shares her experience as a Black and biracial woman growing up in white spaces. She found that even as she accomplished so much—graduating from Stanford University and Harvard Law School, working as a corporate lawyer and as Stanford’s first-ever dean of freshmen—she still couldn’t escape the grip racism, discrimination, and microaggressions had on her sense of self. Listen as she shares how she found self-acceptance through the healing power of community. Her story is deeply personal, but its message is universal: people from marginalized communities will recognize echoes of their own experiences, and allies will learn how they can better show up, listen, and advocate for others. All are welcome.

Our faculty found her compelling and uplifting, and her sessions helped to lay the foundation for our work on DEI.

Bryn Roberts, Head of School,
St. Paul Academy and Summit School (MN)

Julie Lythcott-Haims believes in humans and is deeply interested in what gets in our way. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the anti-helicopter parenting manifesto How to Raise an Adult. Her TED Talk on the subject has more than 5 million views, and she has become a regular contributor with CBS This Morning on parenting. Her second book is the critically-acclaimed and award-winning prose poetry memoir Real American, which illustrates her experience as a Black and biracial person in white spaces. A third book, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult, will be out in April 2021. Julie is a former corporate lawyer and Stanford dean, and she holds a BA from Stanford, a JD from Harvard, and an MFA in Writing from California College of the Arts. She serves on the board of Common Sense Media, and on the advisory board of LeanIn.Org, and she is a former board member at Foundation for a College Education, Global Citizen Year, The Writers Grotto, and Challenge Success. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her partner of over thirty years, their young adults, and her mother. 

12/1 Webinar Registration Fee:
ISACS members: $75.00 per school
Nonmembers: $75.00 per school

Registered schools will receive a link to the recording,
which will be available until February 28, 2021.

Audience:  Faculty & Administrators (Anyone in any role interested in personal and professional growth in diversity, equity, and inclusion.)

 In September/October we embrace Hispanic Heritage, in January we honor Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream, and in March we pay tribute to Women’s History. Sound familiar? These are popular examples of celebrations of Heroes, Holidays and Heritage Months… which is a good thing, right? Not exactly. Fostering real equity and inclusion requires us to transcend this stage of “celebrating differences” and avoid the unintended consequences of these types of isolated curricular connections. We will explore why this celebratory approach is insufficient and in certain ways harmful. We will also explore several Thinking Routines from Harvard’s Project Zero that build the dispositions, knowledge, and skills of change agents. Leave feeling more empowered to facilitate the necessary deep thinking and collaborative learning that will contribute to our work towards an equitable democracy.

Kasey Taylor is a lower school Spanish teacher and diversity coordinator at Latin School of Chicago. Through a “windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors” curriculum she shares her passion for world languages and diversity education by creating opportunities for her students to explore their own identities while learning about the language, people, cultures, and perspectives of the world. Taylor facilitates professional development opportunities focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion for the faculty and she co-leads a cross-divisional Professional Learning Community that blends Project Zero and Project Based Learning practices. During the summers, Taylor joins the faculty at the Project Zero Classroom Summer Institute at Harvard University as a study-group leader and mini-course facilitator.

11/11 Webinar Registration Fee:
ISACS members: $25.00 per school
Nonmembers: $50.00 per school

Registered schools will receive a link to the recording,
which will be available until January 31, 2021.

Audience:  Faculty, Administrators, Trustees & Parents

Amid the largest racial justice uprising in American history, educators are wondering how to address issues of inequity, systemic racism and white privilege, and exploring how these issues play out in school and the broader society. In this webinar, we will discuss the role of systemic racism in education from kindergarten through college, and how inequality of access, implicit racial bias, white privilege, and institutional practices which educators often take for granted, all contribute to racial injustice. We will also explore policies, practices, and procedures that can begin to build more equitable institutions, undermine those biases and provide transformative education for all students.

Tim Wise is among the nation’s most prominent anti-racism educators and authors. He has spent the past 25 years speaking to audiences in all 50 states, on over 1500 college and high school campuses, at hundreds of professional and academic conferences, to dozens of corporations, and to community groups across the country about issues of systemic racism and methods for dismantling racial inequity in their institutions.  Wise is the author of nine books, including his forthcoming essay collection, Dispatches from the Race War, due out in December. Other books include Dear White America: Letter to a New Minority and his highly acclaimed memoir, White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son. Named one of “25 Visionaries Who are Changing Your World,” by Utne Reader, Wise has contributed chapters or essays to over 30 additional books and his writings are taught in colleges and universities across the nation.  Wise appears regularly on CNN and MSNBC and has appeared on ABC’s 20/20 and Nightline, as well as CBS Sunday Morning and 48 Hours. He graduated from Tulane University and received antiracism training from the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond in New Orleans.

10/28 Webinar Registration Fee:
ISACS members: $50.00 per school
Nonmembers: $75.00 per school

Registered schools will receive a link to the recording,
which will be available until January 31, 2021.

Audience: Faculty & Administrators, Grades 1-12

Project–Based Learning (PBL) and Challenge Based Learning (CBL) engage students in authentic and relevant learning opportunities while connecting them to real–world issues. Students implement projects they help design, then collaboratively and actively work to find solutions to the problem. They then demonstrate their understanding of the concept and knowledge obtained by creating a product or sharing their solution through a presentation or digital artifact. Through this process, students develop the skills of writing essential questions, design thinking, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication. This webinar will present the foundational approach to using PBL or CBL with your students. Additionally, examples and resources will be shared so you can implement your own PBL/CBL project, providing the opportunity for deeper learning, increased student agency, and engagement with your students as they learn that they can make a difference.

Audience: Faculty & Administrators, Grades 2-12

Promoting student agency with learners maximizes engagement and motivation. Digital Escape or Breakout Rooms promote opportunities for deeper learning, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, and fun! The process of solving the inherent challenges is as important as the actual solution during these activities. In this webinar, experience an Escape Room activity, then explore resources and tips for setting up your own digital (or physical) escape room with your students.

Audience: Faculty & Administrators, K-12

While traditional assessment methods continue to be a part of the education landscape, there are multiple ways we can assess student learning, providing ongoing feedback and opportunities for student agency, choice, and authenticity—making learning more relevant. By including a variety of opportunities for students to “show what they know,” we tap into their strengths and their interests. With a combination of multiple assessment strategies, students can better demonstrate their understanding, increasing opportunities for increased student engagement and learning outcomes. Tools we will explore are Google Slides, Jamboard, Padlet, videos, and more. Join this webinar to explore creative ways for students to demonstrate understanding and “show what they know.”

Audience: Faculty & Administrators, Grades 2-12

Let’s spice up Google slides presentations by making them interactive with Pear Deck. This is a great tool that can be used for bell ringers, exit tickets, checks for understanding, and social-emotional learning. There is even a library of Pear Deck slides to supplement digital citizenship lessons. We also will learn how to make videos interactive with EdPuzzle, whether they are your own videos or those found on YouTube, Khan Academy, National Geographic, or other sources. Leave ready to engage students in your existing slide presentations or new ones you create as well as videos you use for instruction. (Note that there are advanced features that are not part of the free versions of these programs, but they are both very powerful tools to use with the basic, free features.)

Audience: Faculty & Administrators, K-12

Flipgrid is an amazing (and totally free) tool that provides creative opportunities for formative assessment, student reflection, demonstrating understanding, social-emotional check-ins, and so much more! With Flipgrid, students (and teachers) create quick videos that engage them with using the same type of tool they use in their personal lives. Come have fun with us and see the power of Flipgrid, including its Augmented Reality feature. You will leave with all you need to start your first Flipgrid activity with your students!

Audience: Faculty & Administrators, Grades 2-12

How do you engage students in active learning activities that are meaningful and creative, allowing for student agency and individualized learning opportunities? In this webinar, we will explore some of the most innovative tools for improving instruction and learning outcomes. Hyperdocs (also referred to as Choiceboards and Learning Menus) can provide flexible student choice in learning paths and how they demonstrate understanding. And, as an extra, we also will explore other creative and innovative ideas and tools and apps, including Adobe Spark. Leave with a wealth of ideas to implement with your students.

Audience: Faculty & Administrator, PK-2^nd grade

Join this session to get ideas for interactive and engaging activities for young learners using Seesaw and Google for Education. We will explore Seesaw activities to engage young students in active learning, then lesson ideas using G Suite with the “littles” will be shared. We also will explore some activities from the “Everyone Can Create” book for Early Learners. Finally, we’ll take a peek at some of the tried and true apps for active learning with young students. Come ready to share your best ideas as we spend time together exploring best practices and creative lesson ideas. Leave with a wealth of new ideas you can implement right away with your students!

Audience: Faculty & Administrators, Grades 2-12

Do your students have Chromebooks and you want to know more about how to support them on this device? This webinar is an exploration of Chromebooks with tips, tricks, shortcuts, apps, extensions, photo editing, and the basics of using Chromebooks and the Chrome OS. It’s a great overview for educators as well as one you can turn around and use with your students.