The Science of Seating Seminar

Friday, June 21, 2024

PRESENTED BY COLOR ART EDUCATION AND CONNECTED LEARNING

Thank you for your outstanding leadership and for creating environments where students can thrive!

Please join us as we share the latest research on the impact of classroom space on learning. Enjoy appetizers and cocktails and a tour of our educational showroom following the presentation.

2:00 pm ~ Presentation

3:00 pm ~ Showroom Tour & Happy Hour

COLOR ART, 1325 N. Warson Road, St. Louis, MO 63132

Facilitators

Dr. Chris McGee

CEO, Connected Learning

Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment -

Maplewood Richmond Heights School District

Dr. Chris McGee serves the Maplewood Richmond Heights School District located in the St. Louis suburban area as the Assistant Superintendent. His thesis was entitled “The Correlation of Standards-Based Grading and the Performance on Standardized Assessments.” Since his first year of teaching he has been a leader in innovation and the technological advancement of education. He served his alma mater as the president of Webster University's alumni association's board of directors. His passion for professional learning has inspired him to start a non-profit organization called Connected Learning, for which he serves as the CEO. He has been recognized as an Apple Distinguished Educator, a Google Certified Innovator and a Phi Delta Kappa Emerging Leader. For more information on Dr. McGee visit his website www.chrisrmcgee.com, or connect with him on twitter at https://twitter.com/cmcgee200.

Melissa Minford

Director of Education Solutions

Color Art

Melissa Minford is the Director of Education Solutions for Color Art. With over twenty years of experience teaching in elementary classrooms, she has dedicated her career to fostering engaging and effective learning environments. Her master’s thesis, titled “The Study of Aerobic Exercise and Mathematics Performance,” reflects her commitment to innovative educational strategies. Driven by a passion for education, she continuously seeks collaboration and opportunities to learn from others, ensuring that her approach remains dynamic and responsive to the needs of students and educators alike.

Win $10,000 of Smith System Furniture!

Color Art and Smith System are working together to help create learning spaces that support well-being and success for students and teachers.

Seminar attendees on June 21st have the opportunity to win a collaborative education space worth $10,000!

Attendees will have a double entry in the drawing, and the lucky winner will be announced during the seminar session.

The winner may choose colors and finishes for the nine different pieces:

2 Rockers, 1 Single Seat Lounge, 1 Double Seat Lounge, 2 Ottomans, 1 Table/Ottoman, 1 Table, 1 Tree

Join us for year 5 of the annual Add+It+Up Conference!

Welcome to "Add+It+Up", a regional math conference for educators and curriculum coordinators! We are excited to bring you an event that will provide you with the latest strategies and curriculum to enhance your teaching skills.

Our keynote speaker is John SanGiovanni, a nationally recognized expert in math education. He will be sharing his insights and experiences on how to effectively teach math in the classroom.

In addition to the keynote, we will be featuring breakout sessions led by regional educators and curriculum coordinators. These sessions will provide you with practical strategies and tools to use in your own classroom. You will also have the opportunity to network with other educators and learn about new resources that can help you in your teaching.

Don't miss this valuable opportunity to take your math instruction to the next level. Register now and join a community of passionate and dedicated math educators.

We look forward to seeing you at "Add+It+Up"!

Registration deadline May 15th, 2023

Why Be a Donor and Sponsor?

Check Out the Donor/Sponsorship letter here

Donor Levels

• Gold level sponsorship: $5000 - Your company logo on all conference materials, a vendor booth at the conference, and the opportunity to lead a breakout session.

• Silver level sponsorship: $2500 - Your company logo on all conference materials and a vendor booth at the conference.

• Bronze level sponsorship: $1000 - Your company logo on all conference materials.

All sponsors will also receive recognition on our conference website and in our conference program.

Keynote Speaker

John SanGiovanni

John SanGiovanni is an elementary mathematics supervisor in Howard County, Maryland, where he oversees mathematics curriculum, digital learning, assessment, and professional development. He is the coauthor of the bestselling Putting the Practices Into Action and the Mastering the Basic Math Facts series. John is an adjunct instructor and coordinator of the Elementary Mathematics Instructional Leader graduate program at McDaniel College, as well as a national consultant for curriculum and professional development. A frequent speaker at national conferences, John also currently serves on the Board of Directors for NCTM.

Follow him on Twitter: @JohnSanGiovanni

Schedule

7:30 - 8:30  Registration and Check In

8:30 - 8:40  Logistics/Welcome/Overview of the Day/Intro Keynote

8:40 - 10:00  Keynote - John SanGiovanni

10:15 - 11:30  Breakout Session A

11:30 - 12:15  Lunch 

12:15 - 1:30  Breakout Session B

1:45 - 3:15 Breakout Session C

(OR Breakout Session BC (Double Block 12:30 - 3:15, 2 hrs 45 mins))

3:10 - 3:30 Closing

Planning Team

Happening now, interested in joining? Contact Declan

Katherine Quinn, Education Plus

Christy Brooks, Education Plus

Abby Smith, Education Plus

Susan Bergman, Webster Groves

Stephanie Valli, Parkway Schools

Carmen Stayton, WASHU ISP

Mona Rajab, Parkway Schools

Joyce Pipes

Taylor Pierce, Affton

LaTanya Buckner, Ritenour Schools

Allie Quicke, Education Plus

Carrie Tomc, Rockwood Schools

Marietta Koziatek, Rockwood Schools

Danielle Moushey, Bayless

Kelly Klocke, Affton

Resources

Flyer

Connected Learning UNgala: Celebrating Small Wins

Teaching is Hard, Let's Celebrate Each Other

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, constant changes have impacted the teaching profession. Teaching is harder than it ever was with unrealistic expectations, political pressures and the needs of our communities and students changing faster than our institutions are able to respond. Connected Learning continues to step in and provide the professional network for thousands of educators around our region. By providing innovative resources, social and professional networking opportunities and industry-leading virtual and in-person events, educators in the St. Louis region are better equipped to meet the challenges we face each day.

About the UNgala

This UNgala event is focused NOT on toxic positivity, but on celebrating all the small moments, the little wins, the intentional connections that make our region special. Register today to have some fun in new ways and celebrate with us honors all those small wins.

Attire:

Come as you are, relaxed, ready to have fun and connect with educators around our region

Dinner:

Brought to you by Five Aces BBQ

Vegetaria Option

Each ticket includes:

• Dinner

• Drink ticket (cash bar after)

• Maker Stations

• Glass Blowing Demonstration

• Shameless plugs of all the cool things happening in 2023-2024

• You sharing your small wins

Save $$$ Buy a table! Each table for $300 seat 8

Sponsors and Partners

Introducing EDCAMPSTL: the must-attend unconference of 2023! Join us on April 1st at The Armory, the innovative event space that's taking St. Louis by storm. At EDCAMPSTL, you'll have the opportunity to connect with like-minded educators, share your ideas, and learn from some of the brightest minds in the industry.

As an unconference, EDCAMPSTL is unlike any other event you've attended. There are no set schedules, no keynote speakers, and no pre-determined topics. Instead, our agenda is created by the attendees themselves, allowing for an organic, collaborative, and engaging learning experience. Whether you're a teacher, administrator, or educational professional, you'll find something to inspire you at EDCAMPSTL.

The Armory is the perfect venue for this innovative event. Located in the heart of St. Louis, this historic building has been transformed into a cutting-edge event space that's perfect for learning, networking, and collaboration. With state-of-the-art technology, flexible meeting spaces, and a comfortable atmosphere, The Armory is the ideal backdrop for a day of inspiration and education.

Don't miss out on this unique and exciting opportunity. Register now for EDCAMPSTL and join us on April 1st for a day of learning, sharing, and networking. We can't wait to see you there!

Data Sharing:

I understand that by registering for this Edcamp, my registration information will be shared with the Edcamp Community by Digital Promise and saved in a secure CRM database. I understand that I may be contacted by Digital Promise and the Edcamp Community.

Anti-harassment:

The Edcamp Community and Edcamp STL are dedicated to providing a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of religion, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, or age. The Edcamp Community does not tolerate harassment or bullying in any form of anyone at an Edcamp or at any events sponsored by the Edcamp Community. At the discretion of the Organizers, Participants violating these rules may be asked by Organizers to leave an Edcamp event; and at the discretion of the Edcamp Community, Organizers who violate this Policy may be precluded from hosting and organizing future Edcamp events. Our anti-harassment policy can be found at: https://digitalpromise.org/edcamp/anti-harassment-policy.

Learn More about The ArmorySTL

Check Out the Armory STL

Join us on March 4th at the Eye See Me Bookstore for a special event discussing the importance of incorporating African American history in all subjects. From 10am to 12pm, we will explore the ways in which understanding and acknowledging the contributions and experiences of African Americans can enrich our understanding of the past and present. This event is open to all and is sure to be both informative and thought-provoking. Don't miss out on this opportunity to expand your knowledge and perspective. See you there!

The first 20 people to register (and attend obvi) will receive a FREE paperback book of their choice!!!!!

Why you should join us

Educators should attend this event because it offers an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the importance of incorporating African American history in all subjects. This understanding can help educators create a more inclusive and well-rounded curriculum for their students and foster a more diverse and equitable learning environment. Additionally, the event will provide educators with new perspectives and ideas for how to teach African American history and culture in their classrooms. By attending this event, educators will be better equipped to promote understanding and awareness of the contributions and experiences of African Americans. equity starts with understanding.

Learn More about Eye See Me

MISSION STATEMENT

Our mission is to be a resource to parents, teachers, and schools in providing the very best children’s books on the market that promote positive images and stories about African American culture and history. As a tool to help increase literacy, African American children will benefit by seeing themselves respectfully represented in the literature they read. Non-African American children will benefit by helping to dispel negative and inaccurate stereotypical images of people of color and that despite our many differences, all people share common feelings and aspirations.

OUR HISTORY 

We are parents of four lovely children. Together, we have created EyeSeeMe based on our years of experience raising four high achieving children. Our children have been tested in gifted programs; participated in leadership conferences; selected for public speaking engagements; and have attended Harvard University, Columbia University, and Bard College. How did we do it?  

Our children were always inquisitive. After history class they would often run home and recite the many stories they learned about the great men and women of the past. But, they often seemed to have a presumption that their own heritage began at slavery. Yet, we could tell that they yearned for historical stories that included themselves as heroes, victors, founders, creators, and contributors to society. This yearning forced us to do our own research. We did find some very valuable historical information; but it wasn’t packaged in a way that was appealing to children. Furthermore, to our surprise, there were no educational or historical games geared for African American children. Therefore, we had no choice but to create our own.

We knew that if we could instill within our children a pride in their heritage and awareness of the great accomplishments of their forefathers that this would be the foundation that would allow them to grow into their full potential. We also realized that children learn by playing and interacting; not by simply memorizing and regurgitating dates and events during Black History Month.  We created an environment for our children, which bridged the gap between education, identity, history & fun.  We would sit around our dining room table for hours playing and learning. As we began to explore our vast heritage together as a family, we could see the excitement in our children’s souls as they embraced their nearly lost legacy. This excitement for learning transferred into their studies.

As our children grew we saw them approach school with purpose and a clear understanding that they are truly “standing on the shoulders of giants” and have a responsibility to do their best in everything that they do. Others noticed their achievements and upon inquiry we shared our games and products with them as well. Over the years we have had numerous responses from parents and teachers alike, that our products have been instrumental in helping children realize their full potential by seeing themselves in history.

WHAT WE LEARNED

Children need to have black role models and need to have a sense of history in order to understand who they are and build their self-esteem. When children see the many contributions that people that look like them have accomplished and have contributed to the world, they begin to believe in their own limitless potential.

Furthermore, children learn by playing and interacting with others. Eyeseeme’s products  encourage and stimulate a child’s imagination and unleash their true potential through game playing and active learning.

WHAT WE PROVIDE

EyeSeeMe African American Children's Bookstore was created in order to help bridge the cultural divide, so that African American children can benefit from exposure to literature that respectfully mirrors themselves, their culture and their families. EyeSeeMe, is the only children’s bookstore devoted exclusively to promoting positive African American Images and African American History while advocating for Academic Excellence. We believe that competent, caring, and properly supported teachers and parents are essential to student learning.  EyeseeMe is here to help provide that support. 

High Quality Products

We carry thousands of African American and Multi-Cultural Children's Books at our store on 6951 Olive Blvd, in University City and through our website. We spend countless hours researching all the major publishers and distributors including Random House, JustUs Books, Scholastic, & Capstone, looking for the very best books that will further our mission. Our books range from Baby/Toddler to High School, most of which meet Core Curriculum Standards. 

Eyeseeme offers parents and teachers a very unique and diverse product line that fosters educational excellence and promotes educational family fun.

Community Services  

In addition to being a full service bookstore we also provide the following services:        

• Book Fairs - Research has shown that the number one predictor to academic success is related to the number of books in the home. In order to increase the number of books in the home we offer Book Fairs , which can also be a means of fundraising.  The excitement of an Eyeseeme Book Fair is one of the best ways to encourage reading and introduce children to new literature. 

• African American Reading Mentors - Encouraging literacy and a love for reading is our highest priority. We have found that when children are presented with literature that looks like them and are read to and encouraged to read by people that look like them, they are significantly more likely to become excited about reading.

• Literacy and African History & Culture Presentations - We can assist with Teacher Professional Development and Parent Organizations on the latest research on literacy and the importance of African American History and positive Black Images

• Plus we provide many more Literacy, STEM and History Classes in our store

We are a family owned and operated business that takes great pride in our ability to offer exceptional service and products to each and every customer. As parents we understand that you want the very best for your children; and provide nothing less. We hope to count you among our satisfied customers soon!

Pamela & Jeffrey Blair,
Owners and Founders 

https://www.eyeseeme.com/

What is a STEM Playground?

Are you a STEM educator looking for professional development opportunities? Join us for our STEM themed unconference, where you'll have the chance to connect with like-minded educators and explore the latest trends in Coding, Career Technical Education, Project Lead the Way, and E-sports.

Our unconference follows the tenets of Edcamp, which means you'll have the opportunity to lead and participate in sessions on the topics that matter most to you. Whether you're a seasoned pro or new to the field, you'll leave with new ideas and inspiration for your classroom.

We will also be hosting an E-sports experience for educators, where you can compete against your peers in friendly matches and learn how to integrate E-sports into your curriculum.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to grow as an educator and connect with other STEM professionals. Register today and join us for a day of learning and inspiration.

Tenets of an UNconference format:

• Free and open to all

• Participant Driven

• Experience, not experts

• Rule of Two Feet

SPONSORED BY:

Who is LTC?

The Learning Technology Center (LTC) is a program of the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), and we are Illinois’ technology system of support for K-12 school districts and educators. We know the importance of technology in the modern learning environment, and that is why we work across the state to develop services and programs that have a meaningful and lasting impact. Our scope is broad, our work is diverse, and our team and partners are dedicated. We are the LTC.

Mission:

We support all K12 districts, schools, and educators in Illinois through technology initiatives, services, and professional learning opportunities. Our work addresses high-need technology and digital learning challenges, and we help schools increase access to and use of technology to improve educational opportunities for students.

Vision:

To ensure that all K12 school districts and schools can fully leverage technology’s ability to enhance and transform the learning experience.

Educators and leaders in Education, ChatGPT-3 is awesome. Let’s talk about what it is, what it does and how we can use it. Let’s NOT block or ban this awesome tool. Let’s teach students to use it and unleash their superpowers!

Come ready to share how you’re using ChatGPT in the classroom and how it’s changing the game!

We can event use ChatGPT to write an ad for this workshop, here it is!

Written by ChatGPT:

Attention educators! Are you tired of boring, monotonous virtual events? Introducing ChatGPT: the virtual event platform that brings excitement and engagement to your online learning experiences.

With ChatGPT, you can easily create interactive, personalized events for your students. Whether it's a virtual field trip, a live Q&A with an expert, or a collaborative lesson, ChatGPT makes it all possible.

But that's not all! ChatGPT also has a built-in AI assistant, Assistant, that can help facilitate discussions, answer questions, and provide additional resources in real-time.

Don't settle for dull, unengaging virtual events. Upgrade to ChatGPT and bring some excitement and innovation to your online learning. Try it out today!"

We all want to be recognized for our talents and we all want feedback on our work. Too often we do not receive enough of either of these. In this session you will learn concrete, practical tips to provide more feedback and recognition, build a culture of gratitude, and understand how doing all three will transform your day to day experience and your culture.

Featured Facilitators

Dr. Peter Dry

Dr. Peter Dry has a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, a Masters in Educational Management, certificates from Harvard Graduate School of Education, a certificate in International School Leadership and teaching and leadership experience in six countries. He is a certified Gallup Strengths coach and Appreciative Facilitator. Peter provides practical and effective solutions to team development, leadership and the mindset required to develop an outstanding organization.

Peter’s ability to lead change in organizations around the world has resulted in new and innovative practices in leadership and education proving his ability to create vision and translate it into practice. He helped found an international school in Norway, has consulted to schools in Australia, America and South Africa and has been a regular presenter at conferences. He and his wife, Samantha (a fellow educator) have worked in schools on 5 different continents. They also run non-profit The Simunye Project. This is an organization that takes students on an 18-day trip to South Africa each year to do community service.

Peter recently spent time in the corporate world advising on leadership, innovation and the creation of learning communities. His recent role was as an organizational learning manager at BMW Finance.

Peter is married with 3 children. Most recently Peter was the Assistant Head of School for Innovation and Academics at Principia before joining The Horwitz Consulting Group.

Jeff Horwitz

Jeff has been an administrator at independent schools in St. Louis since 2013 and is passionate about providing elementary school students with opportunities to receive a personalized, 21st century education, grow through Project Based Learning, and use technology as a tool. He believes that the social emotional lives of children is equally as important as the academic and that empathy and collaboration are cornerstone skills for the future.

Prior to becoming an administrator, Jeff taught kindergarten through third grade in public and private schools. Jeff is passionate about 21st century education and providing students with opportunities for learning that will prepare them for the increasingly automated world we live in. He is skilled at using technology as a creation, communication, collaboration and teaching tool. He is an advocate for Project Based Learning and has presented at many conferences and schools including the International Society for Technology Educators (ISTE), Building Learning Communities (BLC) and Midwest Education Technology Committee (METC). His work has been included in publications and journals. Jeff enjoys collaborating with teachers on how to use technology to enhance their teaching, how to use student centered techniques to prepare students for the world they will inherit, and how to engage parents in the process. As an administrator Jeff has developed a 21st-century/vision minded curriculum, instituted standards-based grading, written strategic plans, created and designed a Makerspace and curriculum, and managed change for the organization around these initiatives.  

When Jeff is not immersed in schools he is spending time with his two children (4 and 7), cooking, out on the golf course, or playing music with his friends.

Battle the Sunday Scaries: Log in to our virtual event, share your favorite sites, links, articles, TikTok trends and more!

Log on, share, connect

Join the zoom, be ready to share the best things you've found across the web. We'll throw out some topics, you share some great things you've seen or read on the web or in various apps. It'll be a blast and you'll leave with tons of new resources from all of your colleagues. Should be a blast!

Topics may include:

The best thing I saw this week was....

Did you see the...

Did you see that Tweet from.....

This post was awesome.....

What's trending on TikTok....

I subscribe to this Newsletter, it's great....

I read this Article recently....

The research shows.....

I thought this was so crazy it might be real...

Not to get political but….

This recipie is a great Cocktail/Mocktail

I read these quotes and motivation this week and it rocked....

Going on in St. Louis...

Let’s Celebrate!

Bring on another year and celebrate the back to school season!

Maybe you’ve started a new gig, maybe you are reenergized in your current gig, maybe you realize you haven’t seen anyone in a year or so and it’s time. Let’s get together!

Join us for an informal get together at the ever amazing Biergarten at Anheuser-Busch. Your first round and snacks are on us!

Come celebrate, bring your colleagues, your team, your department, your evaluating administrator, your cousin’s former roommate that now teaches and drives a bus for your district. Come one come all!

Join us for a Cupping at our St. Louis Roastery!

WHAT IS CUPPING?

Cupping is the industry term used to describe a professional coffee-tasting. Using this method, coffee is evaluated all around the world. We use this tool many times a week to select our coffees, train the palates of our staff, and determine the flavor notes that we put on our bags.

Cupping provides a consistent method for evaluating coffees. All coffees receive the same treatment when brewing in a cupping bowl and the process itself allows for many different coffees to be brewed at once and thus be ready for drinking at a similar time. As our staff walks around the cupping table, we take quick notes of tastes, body, sweetness, and other attributes before moving to the next bowl. Many passes may be required before we are ready to complete the evaluation by giving the coffee a "score".

One of the hallmarks of cupping is the use of a cupping spoon and the notorious "slurp". The slurp is not just the completely deterioration of manners - it is a pivotal part of tasting! The act aerates the coffee and spreads it fully over the tongue, giving the tasting a much fuller view of the tastes a coffee than simply drinking out of a mug. This can be a little odd to those just getting into the world of cupping coffee, but you quickly get used to it, especially when you really start grabbing all of the delicious notes. All this to say that the cupping room is simultaneously a very thoughtful yet noisy place!

There is no better way to truly know a coffee than through context and mindful drinking. Cupping provides both of these things. This is why a visit to our Roastery will more often than not involve seeing our team in our Cupping Lab, walking around a table full of cupping bowls, and enjoying coffees from around the world so that we can bring that same enjoyment to you.

Connected Learning is Partnering with Renaissance Financial to put on a fun, informal event. We’re going to play pickleball (or in my case learn pickleball), discuss and learn about your financial planning opportunities that Renaissance Financial can support you with, and have some yummy beverages (and other snacks but advertising them didn’t fit with the theme).

What do I need to know:

• No Pickleball experience required.

• No commitment to any financial planning seminars, time shares or anything ridiculous.

• Come expecting the learn something new, meet new people and have fun!

Sponsored By:

Renaissance Financial

Hosted By:

CAMERON MCGINLEY

Financial Advisor

Phone: 314-932-4328

E-mail: cameron.mcginley@rfconline.com

Edcamps are free public events that leverage the knowledge and experiences of attendees by allowing educators to collaboratively determine topics for discussion the day of the event. Educators facilitate sessions by using their experiences to drive conversation with their peers. Educators are encouraged to find Edcamp sessions that best meet their needs to maximize learning.

Tenets of Edcamp:

• Free and open to all

• Participant Driven

• Experience, not experts

• Rule of Two Feet/Clicks

• Vendor Free

Virtual Event Structure

8:00 - 8:30 - EdCampSTL Opening Session

8:35 - 9:15 - SESSION 1

9:20-10:00 - SESSION 2

10:05-10:45 - SESSION 3

10:50 - 11:20 - Closing

Before you register, make sure you understand the Connected Learning Anti-Harassment Policy. All Connected Learning events are safe, respectful spaces for educators to gather and share their ideas.