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Hello!
As part of the on-going info we want to share about the upcoming CECA/CASL Conference on October 20th, the following are descriptions of this year's co-keynote speakers.
And don't forget there is a free Pre-Conference running Sunday the 19th in the late afternoon!
Consider spending the night at the Mohegan Sun's hotel at the reimbursed final cost of $99 and wake up at the conference!
Co-Keynote Speakers:
Scot Osterweil At the heart of Scot Osterweil's work is the insight that play and exploration have always been the way we construct new ideas and concepts and that building a scaffold of interconnected ideas has always been the source of our deepest knowledge and wisdom. This approach to learning applies not only to generic cognitive skills such as problem-solving but also to what we traditionally view as academic disciplines such as math, science, and history. Successful practitioners in these areas have always engaged in playful and inspired ways of thinking and learning that look nothing like the rote memorization and repetition we call "school." Scot believes that we need to move away from the current outmoded factory school model and replace it with something better. Might this be how we educators can help foster the development of higher achieving, innovative, 'free-range' kids like Jack Andraka? (See below) Join Scot as he discusses these and other topics. Oh, and you know those education rankings comparing the US to other countries? Scot has a few things to say about that! Scot is the Creative Director of the MIT Education Arcade and a research director in the MIT Comparative Media Studies Program. He is a designer of award-winning educational games, working in both academic and commercial environments, and his work has focused on what is authentically playful in challenging academic subjects. He is a founding member, and Creative Director of the Learning Games Network where he leads the Gates Foundation's Language Learning Initiative (ESL). Jack Andraka After a close family friend died of pancreatic cancer, Jack Andraka (then a ninth grader) became interested in finding a better early-detection diagnostic test. At age 15, he invented an inexpensive and sensitive dipstick-like sensor for the rapid and early detection of pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancers. As a result of his hard work, Jack won the $75,000 grand prize at Intel's International Science and Engineering Fair in the spring of 2012, one of the few freshmen ever to do so. Jack partially attributes his success to free online content. Combining his knowledge and information obtained from other free sources like Wikipedia and YouTube he invented his cheap, effective, and novel way of testing for pancreatic cancer. Jack will share his story with us, as well as discuss how his family's philosophy about learning has shaped his way of thinking. Further, Jack will share his views on his experiences in public education and how he believes schools may both help and hinder a student's intellectual growth and creativity. Though his insights we may find a few ways to help more kids to look at problems a bit more like Jack!
Visit our websites at www.ceca-ct.org or www.ctcasl.com to Register Now! | 
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CECA, Inc. | PO Box 31 | Bethlehem | CT | 06751