The COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed how we are educating our children and how we provide and engage in our own professional learning, and it is clear that in our “new normal,” distance learning will be a critical part of our future.
After much deliberation and in consideration of the health and well being of all of our members and guests, we are excited to announce that the 2020 NJPSA/FEA/NJASCD Fall Conference will be transformed into a three-day Virtual Conference on October 14, 15, and 16, with a new theme Celebrating Our Resilience. If you have already registered for the two-day conference, you will automatically now be registered for the full three-day virtual conference. You do not need to re-register. In October 2021 we will return to the Borgata in Atlantic City to Celebrate our 40th Anniversary.
To assist us in planning this virtual conference, we are contracting with one of the nation’s leading event management companies now specializing in virtual events to help ensure that your experience is rich, rewarding, and relevant to the new normal. Fortunately, our research is indicating that many similar organizations who have converted to virtual conferences during the pandemic have been amazed by the extent of participation among the attendees and the quality of the presentations and learning sessions.
We are pleased to announce that George Couros and Zaretta Hammond will remain our keynote speakers and will deliver their presentations via livestream. George Couros will also lead a workshop session following his keynote. More details on these sessions and a full schedule of events that will allow you to take full advantage of everything we will have to offer, as well as providing ample time for breaks and attending to personal and professional matters, will be forthcoming. Since all sessions will be recorded online, attendees will have access to view all sessions after they occur, not only the ones they attend live. This will solve the inevitable issue of having to decide between two or more great sessions that are scheduled for the same time.
The next phase of planning will be our selection of workshops and, in light of the current landscape, we have made some changes to this process. Those who had previously submitted an application will be given the opportunity to adapt their proposal to a Zoom session. July 10, 2020 is the new deadline to submit an application to present at the Fall Conference on any of the following topic strands, some of which have a renewed purpose and urgency:
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access
- Continuity of Learning and Student Engagement in a Blended Environment
- Parental Engagement in a Virtual Environment
- Future of Learning/Technology Integration
- Climate, Culture, and Social Emotional Learning
- Culturally Responsive Practices
- Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
- Learning Communities
- Mental Health Issues (student, staff, and community)
- Struggling Learners
- Arts Integration
Information on applying to present will be available very soon, and the turnaround deadline for these applications will be fast (July 10, 2020) so that we can choose all sessions and continue to make all necessary plans. We hope you are as excited as we are for the upcoming virtual conference and will be there to Celebrate Our Resilience. Register today.