On Saturday, September 22, 2012, Cotsen Foundation for the ART of TEACHING presented its 7th Annual ART of TEACHING Conference in Long Beach, California, with nearly 500 public school teachers and administrators in attendance, most of whom are current or alumni participants of the ART of TEACHING program.
Judy Johnson, the foundation’s executive director, commenced the 7th Annual ART of TEACHING Conference, with welcoming remarks and an encouraging call to action for all teachers and administrators in the audience to continue their commitment to creating the types of conditions that challenge and inspire students as part of their ongoing quest for teaching excellence. (Click to watch).
The conference provided both networking opportunities and professional development sessions, presented by accomplished educators, including:
- Susan Empson, associate professor of science and mathematics education at the University of Texas at Austin
- Megan Franke, a professor of urban schooling at UCLA and co-author of Children’s Mathematics: Cognitively Guided Instruction and Thinking Mathematically: Integrating Arithmetic and Algebra in Elementary School
- Georgia Heard, a founding member of the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project
- Peter Johnston, author of Choice Words and professor at the State University of New York at Albany
- Tanny McGregor, author of Comprehension Connections and a teacher at the West Clermont School District in Ohio
Attendees were treated to an insightful keynote address by William Deverell, professor of history at the University of Southern California, who offered a fascinating glimpse into the learning journey, which he described as a sublime process for students and teachers at both the primary and collegiate levels. (Click to watch).
We thank all of our speakers and presenters for their efforts. We are especially grateful to the hundreds of educators and administrators who joined us at the 7th Annual ART of TEACHING Conference; their dedication is an inspiration to us and a reminder that we are part of a growing community committed to teaching excellence.