PETERBOROUGH, N.H., Jan. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Staff Development for Educators (SDE), one of the nation's leading providers of professional development for K-12 educators, is pleased to announce its annual I teach K! National Kindergarten Teacher Conference, taking place July 15-18, 2013 in Las Vegas.
Now in its thirteenth year, the perennially popular professional development event offers kindergarten teachers strategies, techniques, tips, and ideas for becoming more effective educators—all in an environment that is upbeat, fun, and full of excitement.
"There's something for everyone—experienced teachers and novices," reports SDE's Melissa Sheldon, who heads up the planning and development of the conference each year. "Best practices, use-the-next-day ideas, practical strategies—and a ton of fun.
"As always, it's created and presented by teachers, for teachers. We're carrying forward everything that's great about this conference from year to year. And we're including many new elements based on feedback from conference attendees. We take 'you spoke and we listened' very seriously here."
One heavily requested topic is understanding and meeting the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS), a set of mostly uniform academic standards that are replacing disparate state standards in 46 states. The I teach K! conference will include sessions that offer strategies for meeting the new standards and activities for covering CCSS content. And many of the conference's solid core of academic sessions will include relevant CCSS considerations.
New to I teach K! in 2013 will be an increase in the number of sessions related to integrating classroom technology into instruction, including ample introductory sessions, tech-made-easy sessions for the non-techie, and a lot more hands-on learning.
According to Sheldon, most sessions will incorporate 21st century skills—creativity, collaboration, problem solving, and critical thinking— vitally important in preparing today's children for the 21st century world that awaits them.
By popular demand, SDE will make wi-fi available throughout the conference.
In keeping with past years' conferences, the 2013 I teach K! will feature nationally known authors, musicians, and early childhood educators. The keynote speaker on day one of the conference will be Charlotte Diamond, an internationally recognized, award-winning recording artist, singer, composer, and performer of family and children's music. In her two musical workshops, she will focus on the value of songs in the development of self-esteem, self-expression, vocabulary, coordination, and creativity.
A highlight of the 2013 conference will be well-known children's author Audrey Penn. Her best known book, The Kissing Hand, was a New York Times number-one best seller and won the Distinguished Achievement Award for Excellence in Educational Journalism, in 2004. First published by the Child Welfare League of America in 1993, it has been used by countless parents to help their young children survive the first day of school.
Joining the lineup will be children's author Tad Hills, whose books Duck and Goose and How Rocket Learned to Read enjoyed a presence on the New York Times bestseller list, and Stephen Fite, an award-winning musician and writer whose albums have received eighteen nationally recognized honors. Fite's upbeat, curriculum-based songs have aided in educating over 650,000 children nationwide.
Also presenting at the conference will be Deanna Jump, a17-year elementary school teacher whose outstanding lesson ideas have made her the number-one seller on the popular website, TeachersPayTeachers.com. Jump will present sessions on the Common Core State Standards for Language Arts, creating critical thinkers, student engagement, among others.
About SDE
SDE provides professional development for PreK through Grade 12 educators. Through Onsite PD, PD Events, Web-based PD, and PD Resources, the company empowers teachers and administrators across the country with ongoing professional development that is not only research-based, innovative, and rigorous, but also practical, motivating, and fun. All SDE training is presented by the nation's top authors and educational experts, with the goal of creating extraordinary classrooms that prepare students for the evolving demands of the 21st century.
Educators interested in learning more about SDE's national conferences and the many other professional development opportunities offered by SDE can visit the company's website, www.SDE.com, or call 1-800-462-1478.