"Ideas, Insights and Challenges" Partnership Teacher Conferences 

The Fall 2006 "Ideas, Insights and Challenges" Partnership Teacher Conference for Elementary, Middle Grades, EYC and SED featured Ms. Coila Morrow, teacher facilitator and curriculum specialist from Austin, Texas . Ms. Morrow has extensive experience as an educator skilled in developing and implementing instructional designs geared toward diverse learners and integrating these designs into existing programs in order to deepen content learning.

She set the stage for the day's topic, "Can We Meet the Needs of Diverse Learners?" with a morning session featuring a presentation and table discussions and activities focusing on the following questions:

•   How do we motivate reluctant learners?
•   How do we design "classroom instruction that works"?
•   How do we help teachers think "outside the box"?

Afternoon concurrent sessions featured two new Watson School of Education professors who shared their expertise in working with particular sub-groups of diverse learners. Dr. Carol McNulty presented "Diverse Students! Diverse Teachers?" and Dr. Eleni Papamihiel presented "Every Teacher an ESL Teacher." Participants received many valuable insights and strategies for working successfully with today's students.