2017 Fall Conference
October 23-24

‘The 21st Century Classroom: #TechHasNoWalls’

It’s not that technology is new or that revolutionizing the classroom to meet 21^st century learning is anything unheard of…BUT how in the world do you really embrace that concept and still meet the need for content knowledge?

Matt Miller, teacher, author, blogger and presenter from West Central Indiana will join us at the SMCAA Fall Conference to share how he infuses technology and creative thinking ideas into innovative teaching strategies for the classroom.

As he has outlined in his book Ditch That Textbook: Free Your Teaching and Revolutionize Your Classroom , Matt will share what it takes to have a learning environment that is:

• Different - from what students see daily in traditional classrooms
• Innovative - drawing on new ideas or modifying others’ ideas
• Tech-laden - with the use of digital sites, tools, and devices
• Creative - tapping into students’ original ideas, as well as teachers’ ideas
• Hands-On - encouraging students to make and try things on their own

 Click Here for More Information

 2017 Fall Conference Schedule of Events

Descriptions for Breakout Sessions

Click Here to Register

SPECIAL OFFER FOR TEACHER TEAMS!

ONE DAY ONLY!

Monday, October 23, 2017

Spend the Day with Matt Miller

SMCAA Member Districts are invited to Take Advantage of a

Time-Limited Special!!!

One 2-Day Full Price Conference Registration Entitles Your District to Register Teacher Teams of 3 or more by Friday, September 29, 2017. For the Special price of $ 255.00 per individual.

For overnight accommodations contact 
Tan-Tar-A at 1-800-826-8272. 
Group Code: SMCAA Fall Conference
Rate:  $85.00
Deadline: October 13, 2017

September Regional Meetings

Making Sure All the Pieces Fit

Implementing the written curriculum requires a great deal from our teachers. As we know, it is much more than just guiding students through a day of prepared lessons aligned to state standards.

Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe identified ‘Six Facets of Understanding’ essential in taking students to higher levels of thinking. Perhaps the most important for us today, of their noted behavior patterns and habits of mind, is “Empathy”

During the past several years, people in the United States have heard a lot about “winning the hearts and minds” of others. The term suggests gaining the positive attention of a group of people for a virtuous purpose. Although the term has been co-opted by the media and politicians, it has a deeper meaning for teachers.
As Wiggins states, we must win students ‘hearts and minds’ by engaging them in whatever subject we teach, so they can discover genuine meaning and value in their academic experience.

Taking a critical look at how and why many important ideas are so misunderstood and why learning is often seen as so fragile may be wound up in how we handle the egocentrism, ethnocentrism and present-centeredness in the answers and explanations our students often use to express their understandings.

 Plan to join us at one of the upcoming SMCAA Regional meetings as we examine how teaching “Empathy” requires more than just teaching students how to develop a perspective or tolerance of views other than their own.

Click for Locations and Registration

As a service to our current BuildYourOwnCurriculum members, as well as to those who would simply like to see our practical approach to curriculum management first hand, we invite you to learn more by signing up for one of our upcoming webinars listed below. If none of the dates work for you, give us a call we'd be happy to schedule a custom showing.  

 Click Here for Webinar Dates

2017 -2018 Membership 

SMCAA is a state-wide non-profit curriculum support association. Its mission is to provide support to member school districts for the development, implementation, and evaluation of local curriculum aligned to state adopted standards and designed to support student achievement. Funding for the association comes largely from membership. Therefore, when we say, “We are only as strong as our membership”… We really mean it! Click Here For Additional Membership Benefit Information

Reminder: SMCAA membership runs from July 1 to June 30 each year. You may register now for your district 2017 – 2018 membership. Districts may choose Bill Now or Delay Billing until after July 1.

• BYOC users must keep SMCAA membership current to qualify for the SMCAA discount for both initial purchase and renewals. Stay current by registering for membership on or before July 1 annually.
• As part of maintaining the SMCAA member discount, multi-year BYOC subscription districts are responsible for renewing membership annually. Districts may choose to submit membership for the full term of their multi-year subscription by contacting our office at 573-635-2299.

Click Here To Renew Membership TODAY!