A Day of Empowerment Around Tech at the KCPT Education Conference

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KCPT

• Published on March 7, 2018 • Last modified on March 8, 2018

Syed Amaanullah, Director of Product Management for PBS Education.

An energetic group of more that 100 educators from 25 school districts around the metro filled the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center for KCPT’s 15th-annual Education Technology Conference on Thursday, March 1.

Attendees were greeted by the Blue Springs School District string quartet as they gathered to hear this year’s keynote speaker, Syed Amaanullah, from PBS children's media and education services.

Amaanullah, who is responsible for managing PBS Education digital product strategy, gave an overview of the educational tools and services available from PBS — including PBS LearningMedia, PBS TeacherLine and PBS Teacher’s Lounge. He also shared with the audience PBS’s approach of including teachers in every step of the product design process.

“Now more than ever we need your voices on school policy, school safety and on educational technology and products,” Amaanullah said. “What we’re dealing with is the over-commercialization of the classroom and the oversaturation of ed tech products at an increased burden on (teachers).”

Filer image — Blue Springs High School String Quartet. From left: Melanie Avery, Sam Aubuchon, Caelen Walker, Samantha Yanders.

KCPT’s Director of Education Gary Brock chose the conference subtitle, “Empowering Teachers Today and Tomorrow,” and curated 23 professional development sessions around this theme. “The sessions were designed to empower educators with knowledge and strategies for integrating technology in today’s classrooms. Teachers gained hands-on training on everything from coding to design thinking to personalized learning through technology,” Brock said.

Craig Dierking and Erin Bailey, both instructional coaches from the Blue Springs School District, led an interactive session on the power of video in the classroom, including the benefits of filming classroom instruction in order to “see yourself through the eyes of your students.”

“The KCPT K-12 Tech Conference was one of the best conferences I have attended all year,” said Dierking. “The facility and structure of this event made it easy for all participants to collaborate and share best practices that happen in all of our varied educational settings. The presentations really hit home of what is happening in the classrooms across the KC metro area. They were impactful and relevant — so much so that I could take this information and use it in our district the very next day.”

KCPT presented the new localized lesson plans developed around Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s documentary, The Vietnam War. Raytown High School social studies teacher Nolle Bond developed the curricula in conjunction with KCPT’s education team.

The lesson represents the first in a new initiative from Kansas City PBS to help teachers connect local news, arts and culture stories back to the classroom.

“Vietnam on the Homefront: Selected to Serve, Driven to Dissent” is aligned to Missouri and Kansas social studies state standards for middle and high school and uses the Flatland and KCPT stories of local veterans, activists and refugees to engage students and explore the Vietnam War.

Adding to the educational theme of the day, students from the Fort Osage High School broadcasting class captured the event — interviewing attendees and producing this video report: