Kathleen Pedder

andStacy Adame

STUDENT LED CONFERENCES

What do you know?

• What has been your experience with student – led conferences?

Agenda• Welcome• Introductions• Review of workshop goals• Why does ISA do student led

parent conferences?• Overview of process• Examine student led

conference artifacts• Discussion• Q&A

Objectives

At the conclusion of this workshop you will have ideas on:

• How to conduct student led conferences?

• How student led conferences motivate students?

• How to increase parent participation?

Guiding Questions

As we move through today’s workshop, please keep the following questions in mind:

• What did the students do?• What did the teachers do?• What did the parents do?

History of conferences at ISA

• Why?

• Role of teachers in implementation

Definition of Student - led Conference

“Student-led conferencing is simply having students conduct formal conferences with their parents or guests to display their schoolwork as well as discuss their learning, educational goals, and strategies for meeting those goals.”

Benson and Barnett (2005)

Philosophy

Student led conferences reflect the belief that students should be actively involved in their learning and assume responsibility for the learning process. Through student led conferences, students become more motivated, reflective and evaluative. They also become more critical in their approach to learning.

Purpose

“We believe that creating portfolios without the purpose of sharing them within any authentic audience is too much work with too little reward for students and teachers.”

Benson and Barnett (2005)

The Power of Conferencing

• Encourage students to take an active role in their learning

• Motivate students to take more ownership for their work

• Allow students to see their progress over time

• Encourage students to evaluate their work

Power Cont’d

• Enhance students’ oral communication skills

• Build students’ self-confidence

• Build relationships• Encourage students, parents

and teachers to openly communicate as equal partners about student achievement

Power Cont’d

• Increase student participation in conferences

• Move students toward goal of being life long learners

• Focus discussion on priority standards and students’ accomplishment

• Showcase student work• Encourage students,

parents and teachers to engage in open, honest, dialogue

The Student-led Conference Experience

• Examine the artifacts set up around the room

• As you examine them, keep the guiding questions in mind

Think – Pair - Share

• Reflect on the artifacts on your own

• Share with a partner

• What is one take away from the artifacts

• Be prepared to share out

Student – led Conferences at ISA

Disclaimer: This is one version out of many!

• All teachers made a commitment to assign subject – based projects that were aligned to the Performance Outcomes

• Students posted work and reflections onto digital portfolio

• English teacher reviewed portfolios before the “big day,” and students had the opportunity to revise his/her portfolio

• Student/parent signed up for specific timeslots; formal invitation was sent home

Student – led Conferences 2.0

• Evolution

• Where are we now in the process?

Q & A

• What questions still linger?

• What else would you like to know?

• How will you implement?