McKeel IBIS Conference Attracts Over 150 Teachers From Across Florida
Clearwater, FL – (August 12, 2013) The McKeel IBIS Dissemination Project, coordinated by the McKeel Academy of Technology (MAT), held their first Instructional Best Practices conference for middle and high school teachers and administrators from across the state at the Sheraton Sand Key on August 1, 2013. Over 150 attendees participated in the free, hands-on, interactive sessions on technology integration, writing and literacy with presenters from MAT, Tampa Bay Area Writing Project, Lumens Integration and South McKeel Academy. Sessions included: The Blueprint for Building Better Sentences, Make Mine Rocky Road: Flavor Your Writing with Word Choice, Using 6 Word Memoirs As A Common Core Tool, Technology To Make You Fast NOT Furious, Writing FROM the Core! and Doc Cam Magic: Cutting Edge Visual Tricks.
The McKeel IBIS Conference keynote speaker was award-winning teacher, international speaker and author Nancye Blair Black (Florida Society for Technology in Education) who promotes progressive educational pedagogy and dignity-driven practices that empower students to succeed. Through a partnership with Lumens, 12 low-performing charter schools also received a new Ladibug Document Camera. Ready-to-use activities and techniques were demonstrated by experienced teachers/practitioners include McKeel teachers Melissa Borchers, Cathy Dyer, Elvira Randall and Tara Dunsford, and participants left with strategies and resources that they could use immediately in their classrooms (plus they received handouts and electronic copies of all sessions on a memory stick).
Over the next year, the McKeel IBIS Dissemination Project will hold a series of workshops that continue to focus on technology integration and literacy in Grades 6-12. All middle and high school faculty members serving in Florida’s charter schools are encouraged to attend. Future workshops will be on both the campus of McKeel Academy of Technology in Lakeland, and at their partner locations: Heartland Educational Consortium in Lake Placid, North East Florida Education Consortium in Palatka, and Panhandle Area Educational Consortium in Chipley.
To check dates and register for these free IBIS workshops, please go to: www.mckeelschools.com/IBIS
For further information on the McKeel IBIS Dissemination Project for Grades 6-12, please contact: Susan Black, McKeel IBIS Program Manager & Communications Specialist for The Schools of McKeel Academy at 863.287.7715 or ibis@mckeelschools.com
McKeel Academy of Technology is a high performing charter school with 1150 students in grades 7-12, contracted by Polk County Schools to provide educational services. In 2013, the school was awarded a 2-year $250,000 Instructional Best Practices Dissemination grant from the Florida Department of Education for their McKeel IBIS -Innovative Best Instructional Strategies - Project to share innovative ideas proven to increase student performance with technology integration and literacy through workshops and collaboration with fellow teachers.
