Creating the Classrooms We Need

"Never have educators had such opportunities to think creatively about their practice as now," says educational consultant and speaker Diana Laufenberg. "Never has it been so incumbent upon educators to provide students with innovative and dynamic learning. In the age of information surplus, our schools hold immense potential for authentic and experience-based learning."

Laufenberg, who most recently taught in the inquiry-driven Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, will be the keynote speaker at this year's district convocation and will talk about how we can create the classrooms we need to serve today's students. Laufenberg will be a presenter at the district's first back-to-school learning symposium, a conference-style professional development series for faculty, staff, and parents to kick-off the 2013-14 school year Aug. 19-21. The three-day event will begin with a faculty and staff convocation Monday morning followed by two-and-a-half days of breakout sessions. Laufenberg has deep roots in experiential education - taking students from the classroom to the real world and back again. A 15-year teacher until 2012, Laufenberg most recently taught at the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, an inquiry-driven, project-based high school focused on modern learning. Prior to her work in Philadelphia, she was an active member of the teaching community in Flagstaff, AZ where she was named Technology Teacher of the Year for Arizona and a member of the Governor's Master Teacher Corps. Diana was featured on TED.com for her “How to Learn? From Mistakes” presentation and recognized for earning National Board Certification.  Her publications include a featured piece on the New York Times Learning blog, co-authoring a chapter in an educational leadership book, an article in the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy and regular contributions to teachinghistory.org.

To learn more about Laufenberg, check out her blog. Check this blog soon for more information on the back-to-school symposium, including a session schedule for staff and parents and presenter information.