-Errol St.Clair Smith-

FLIP FORCE 3.0

Lots to share with you. First, it was great to meet Dan, Kathy, Jake (He’s really tall), Vincenza and her charming family, who came all the way from Italy.  We all presented at the ASCD conference in Chicago. Big Smile… The faculty were even more impressive and delightful in person. I’m not sure what was more enjoyable socializing with them or working with them. This team of faculty members came together like a hand in a glove. The teamwork was inspiring: the giving, the caring, the commitment to deliver a valuable experience to attendees was exceptional. It was as if we had known each other and worked together for years. When attendees learned that we had just met for the first time they applauded. Yup! They felt the vibe… Big shout out to all of you and a special shout out to Jon who did an amazing job of prepping the team to rock the house.

Insanity Rules

The verdict is in. Insanely Smart Panels are dope. ( For those of you over 40 that means really good).  ISPs have now been accepted at four of the biggest, most competitive, national education conferences:  ISTE, FETC, ASCD, and ATD.  But the best metric is audience response. The in-session energy at ASCD was palpable and the percentage of people who wanted to learn more exceeded any past conference we’ve done.   Insanely Smart Panels are one of the most effective ways to open doors and spread the word. 

Flipped Team PD

The first flipped team PD  sessions were piloted by Aimee and Beth in Australia last year.  The format was integrated into the new PD model, parts of which we refined and tested at ASCD  this month. Again, the active learning PD facilitated by a team was definitely superior.  Every attendee got personal attention including the ones who didn’t do the prework.  The in-class flipped worked in this setting and allowed us to “show” versus “tell” attendees what happens when the students don’t do the prework. Participants were broken into groups who collaborated to produce flipped videos in this gamified workshop.  Dan gave points, kept score, and introduced a level of play into the session.  Games aside, the team was able to effectively offer highly differentiated support, and attendees left inspired, informed and incited to go flip.  We’re excited to roll out the complete New PD Model this spring. THIS WORKS!