3 Transformative Strategies for Building The Classrooms of Tomorrow
Saturday, April 4th, 2:40pm - 3:55pm - Session III
Award-winning teachers Stephen Sholtas and Kareem Farah will demonstrate a model that (1) replaces lectures with authentic instructional videos, (2) builds structures for student self-pacing, and (3) assesses true student mastery. In doing so, educators can redesign their classrooms so that every student can truly learn. This workshop will follow our blended, self-paced, mastery-based model: participants will work individually or collaboratively through our training materials, with support and occasional whole-group facilitation from presenters. The topics covered include the student experience, blended instruction, and mastery-based assessment. The workshop will conclude with a 20-minute debrief in which participants will share their reflections and insights; additional tools and resources will be shared to support ongoing implementation.
Stephen Sholtas is a science teacher and Modern Classroom Fellow in his tenth year of teaching in DC Public Schools. He is currently teaching 6th grade Earth and Space Science at Hardy Middle School in Washington, DC. In addition to teaching, he has been recognized as a master science teacher by the Office of the State Superintendent in DC and has participated in numerous science teaching cadres across the city to support advances in STEM education for all students. His work with the Modern Classroom Project focuses on engaging students in authentic, inquiry based science learning and gamification.
Kareem Farah earned a B.A. in Finance from Washington University in St. Louis and M.A. in Secondary Education from Johns Hopkins University. He has spent the past 6 years teaching in schools that support highly diverse student populations from low-income communities in Hawaii and DC. Kareem was awarded the 2018 DC Public Schools Award for Classroom Innovation for his blended, self-paced, mastery-based approach to teaching and learning. Shortly after, he founded The Modern Classrooms Project, a nonprofit that leads a yearly fellowship that trains and supports teachers on their innovative instructional model.