Innovations Workshops The Innovations Workshops are a series of five half-day, research-based, faculty development opportunities for secondary school faculty, counselors and administrators.  The hands-on, constructive workshops give staff the time, tools, and training to incorporate teaching and counseling methods that consider the effects of gender and culture on teaching and learning. The overall goal of the workshops is to facilitate teaching and advising that addresses the uniqueness of each learner and encourages each student to excel.  Workshops are as follows:		Secondary Education Website Resources

1.   Toward an Inclusive Classroom Climate, Part 1:  The focus of the first workshop is to lay the groundwork for working toward change.  Participants begin by drawing on their own experiences to consider whether there is evidence of a need for change in teaching and learning.  Through a hands-on exercise, participants will also explore unrecognized inequities and privileges that exist in our society and schools.  Finally, participants will leave with resource readings, a student activities unit designed for inclusiveness, and tools for assessing the teaching and learning environment in their classrooms.

2.   Toward an Inclusive Classroom Climate, Part 2:  This workshop continues developing the background for change aimed at the success of all students regardless of gender, culture/ethnicity, or socio-economic class.  Participants look at trends in education through national, state, and district statistics that are broken down by gender and ethnicity.  Through an exercise, participants then examine learning styles and related teaching strategies. Time is also spent analyzing classroom scenarios where subtle inequities imbedded in standard teaching practices are identified.  Strategies for overcoming the problems presented by the scenarios will be explored.  Participants will receive resource readings and tools for investigating their students’ learning styles.

3.   Strategies for Diverse Learners:  Participants investigate their own awareness of gender differences and Native American cultures through several exercises.  These exercises uncover some common misconceptions that directly affect student learning in classrooms.  Educational considerations based on the differences explored are central to the exercises.  Participants also consider classroom situations and teaching methods that either support or inhibit the success of students through a classroom role-play activity.  Participants leave with resource readings and cross curricular student activities designed for inclusiveness.

4.  Adapting Strategies and Classroom Assessments for Your Students:  The main topics for this workshop are resources, strategies, and assessment practices for an equitable classroom.  Resources are distributed and explored, and, through a hands-on exercise, the costs and benefits of not using and using inclusive resources will be examined.  Participants analyze various classroom strategies and assessment practices in light of equitable teaching practices and identify characteristics for an equitable classroom.  Participants leave with a web resource bibliography and resource readings.

5.  Gender, Culture, and Educational Practice:  The role of gender and culture in the broader community is considered by investigating the following questions through discussions and activities.  How do gender and culture affect different professions and disciplines such as journalism, law, history, engineering, medicine, education, and sports?  What are the short-term and long-term effects of the under representation of different groups in different professions?  What is our responsibility with regards to our students and the future of our world?  Finally, participants work together on initial plans for the improvements they want to make in their classrooms and schools.  Participants leave the workshop with resource readings.

Take-away product.  Throughout the workshops, participants assemble a notebook containing the following: background readings and papers, complete directions and written materials for all exercises and activities used during the workshops, sample packets of student activities that are designed to be gender and culturally relevant, and other resource lists and suggestions.

Further opportunities and resources.  Research shows that faculty development is most effective when spread out over a period of time, with opportunities built in for reflection, classroom trials, and the exchange of ideas and experiences.  With this in mind, each participating school district was eligible for a $1000 grant to support a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) that met either between the scheduled Innovations Workshops, or after the workshops depending on the workshop schedule.  The funds were used at the discretion of the FLC members.  A small stipend was also available for the FLC facilitator in each district.  An initial packet of resources was supplied for each FLC including several books, ideas for the meetings, and organizational materials.