25 Must-attend Education Conferences and Webinars for Spring

 

The educators that make up the Alternate Route community are continually challenging themselves to give students the best learning experience possible. Continuing education is key to educator growth and creating a positive learning environment for students, and educators across New Jersey take advantage of the resources available. This professional investment often puts New Jersey at the top of esteemed national lists. 

Conferences have long been places for like-minded professionals to meet, exchange ideas and grow networks. As we have adapted to living with the COVID virus, we’ve seen doors opened for educators to attend conferences that are out of state, and even out of the country. Information and sharing is more available than ever, and as in-person events start to trickle back into our lives, we’ve seen the benefit hybrid options bring.

Local educators now have the option to attend a New Jersey-based event or meet people from all over the globe through the technology’s power to connect. As a result of this digitally expanded world, the below professional-development opportunities are a mix of local, national and international offerings. 

Please note: All times listed in the blog are Eastern Standard Time. 

 

MARCH 

 

Rutgers' 13th annual Rutgers Online Learning Conference
Virtual
March 14, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Ticket prices range up to $299

Highly acclaimed educator Dr. Gloria Ladson-Billings will present on how technology can help provide a more equitable education during her opening keynote, "You're Still on Mute: Recruiting Technology to Serve ALL Students." She'll discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed education, what still needs to be learned, and how technology can help provide a more equitable education.

 

Race & Art Education
Virtual 
Session dates: March 14, March 28, April 11
Ticket prices range up to $40

This book club meets throughout March and April to discuss the book Race and Art Education. Learn how to have timely, productive conversations about race in the classroom. Throughout the session dates, participants will receive resources and best practices from host Lynette Brown, who is also the PAEA Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Chair.

 

What is the Future of Education and Work?
Virtual
March 15, 10 a.m. 
Free

Education and work go hand in hand. Education helps prepare youth for the workforce, while work trends, disruptions and more inform how educators prepare their students. This upcoming virtual conference will highlight how work and education affect one another. 

 

TESOL 2022 Convention & English Language Expo
Hybrid
March 22-25
$265.00 for virtual non-members

Gather with a global community of English language professionals at this conference, which is being held in Pittsburgh. Virtual attendees have access to more than 200 pre-recorded videos to view over the course of 30 days. Exhibitor materials will also be available to download.

 

2022 NJACTE Virtual Day of Assessment Conference
Virtual
March 24 and 31, 2 p.m. 
Free

This two-day conference focuses on a different topic each day. On March 24, educators will learn about empathy through assessment. During the session, speaker Dr. Terri Givens will discuss her work on Radical Empathy and how it changed the way she viewed assessment. On March 31, the discussion will focus on assessing educator dispositions and will feature panelists Dr. Gina Almerico and Dr. Sally Ingles.

 

Place-based Education: Preservice & In-Service Teacher Learning Programs
Virtual
March 24, 11 a.m.
Free

It’s important for students to learn about the world outside their classroom, whether it’s a mile down the road or beyond national borders. Place-based education’s aim is to get students thinking about the unique history, environment, culture, economy, literature and art that defines a particular place. This free, virtual event will go over how place-based education has evolved and practices to implement when teaching. 

 

Good Ideas Conference
Ocean County College
March 24, 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Free

This New Jersey-specific conference will be held in-person at Ocean County College and feature current education best practices. Topics include mindfulness, challenges working with college admission, positive psychology, self-care and more themes that are hot education talking points in 2022.

 

Metuchen Technology Symposium 2022
Virtual
March 26, 9 a.m.
Free

Discover how technology can help develop critical-thinking skills, enhance research capabilities and boost creativity in content creation. The event features a keynote, followed by various workshops on how to utilize popular digital education tools.

 

2022 Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education Conference
Virtual 
March 31-April 3
Ticket prices range up to $200

Every educator in the world is invited to this virtual conference. Born from a grassroots community, the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education focuses on how to provide a top-notch virtual learning experience for students. After pivoting to virtual due to the COVID outbreak, educators are ready to share what they’ve learned and look into how to improve and grow their virtual offerings and experiences. 

 

Elementary Teaching for Equity and Justice
Virtual 
March 31, April 7 and April 14 from 7-8:30 p.m.
$40-$50

This spring virtual workshop identifies teachable opportunities around equity and justice that are often missed. Attendees will also learn what they can do to create a more inclusive experience for elementary students. The sessions are facilitated by Noreen Naseem Rodríguez and Katy Swalwell, longtime educators and co-authors of the book Social Studies for A Better World: An Anti-Oppressive Guide for Elementary Teachers.

 

APRIL 

 

Lausanne Learning: Mindfulness in Education
Virtual
April 1-2
$50

Mindfulness and social-emotional learning are concepts that are relatively new to the classroom, yet important for a successful learning experience. To ease anxiety surrounding the COVID outbreak, many educators implemented these practices into their classrooms in 2020. This conference will help educators looking to utilize these practices, as well as educators looking to give their current practice a boost. 

 

Trauma-informed Care: Supporting Young Children During Uncertain Times
Virtual
April 2, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Free

The pandemic has changed how we go about our daily lives, disrupting stable routines for children. The past two years have been uncertain and confusing for students, which is why trauma-informed care is necessary during these times. This free event will connect educators with the knowledge and resources needed to support students affected by COVID’s changes.

 

Supporting Native Students: Covering the Basics
Virtual
April 4, 4-6 p.m.
$100-$150

The way United States’ educational systems have portrayed America’s Indigineous peoples is watered down at best, which is why it’s imperative that educators know the necessary facts. This upcoming event is a great place to start, as it covers the basic steps and actions educators can take to support their Native American students. 

 

Structured Literacy - Learn the Basics of the Orton Gillingham Method
The College of New Jersey
April 8, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Ticket prices range up to $250

Another in-person event for New Jersey educators, Structured Literacy looks at the Orton-Gillingham method and its effectiveness in teaching students with dyslexia how to read. This workshop looks at what the method is and isn’t, as well as tips to incorporate it in the classroom. 

 

2022 Teaching Kindergarten Conference: Where Did the Garden Go?
Virtual 
April 8-9
Ticket prices range up to $175

This one’s for the kindergartners - that fun age where play, exploration and discovery lead the way. Unfortunately, the pandemic has muddied those playful waters, which is why this upcoming conference is so important to jump-start that playful curiosity. Attendees participate in workshops that help them re-discover the joy in teaching kindergarten. 

 

Engaging in Art
Virtual
April 9, 10-11:30 a.m. 
Free

For educators wanting to incorporate more art into the classroom, this free, virtual event gives the blueprint. Carnegie Museum of Art education staff members Hattie Lehman and Meg Scanlon will show educators how to facilitate classroom conversations around art. 

 

Youth Leadership in Systems Change for Climate Action
Virtual
April 21, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 
Free

Education can help shape our world, which is the goal of the upcoming Youth Leadership in Systems Change for Climate Action session. Featured speakers include K-12 student representatives, as well as Mark Greenberg, Ph.D. and Gustav Bӧll. The session will focus on climate change, equity, mental health and more current topics affecting students. 

 

Space Education and Consciousness Symposium
Virtual
April 23-24
Free

For anyone interested in what’s beyond our planet, this two-day global conference explores the Overview Effect, which recognizes Earth as a fragile part of something much bigger. By learning about the Overview Effect, educators can bring new and broad perspectives to the classroom, widening students’ view of their world and the universe that hosts it.

 

Writing and Content Unite: Creating Expository Writing Units
Virtual
April 27, 7 p.m.
Free

Learn how to effectively engage with content while sharpening students’ essential writing skills in this free, virtual event. Led by Laura Dreyer - who has supported students with language-based disabilities for more than a decade - the webinar will include examples to utilize in the classroom.

 

MAY 

 

Facing Humanity’s Wrongs & the Implications for Social Activism
Virtual
May 10, 11:30 a.m. -12:15 p.m. 
Free

Vanessa de Oliveira Andreotti leads this free, virtual event, which focuses on her book, Hospicing Modernity. The book brings together stories and exercises related to facing volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity in challenging times, which de Oliveira will go over during the event. 

 

Teaching Students How to Think Instead of What to Think: Critical Literacy
Virtual 
May 18, 5-7 p.m.
$60-$125

Alternate Route alumnus Paul Nolan said it best in a recent Alternate Route blog: “When I first taught, I was the teacher, I knew everything. Now, you walk into a classroom and they all have devices - they have all the information at their fingertips. The big difference is how you connect with the students.” This upcoming critical literacy event shows educators how to help students utilize the information they receive every day.

 

Spectrum of Teaching Styles in Outdoor Education
Virtual
May 19, 4-6 p.m. 
$88-$388

The Spectrum of Teaching Styles is a theory that defines the teaching-learning relationship. Through its tenets, teachers learn how to support their students and utilize the 11 Landmark teaching styles in everyday teaching. 

 

Using Algebraic Tiles to Teach Algebraic Concepts
The College of New Jersey 
May 24, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
$150-$200

Algebra tiles are a useful learning tool, and this upcoming conference will go over those tiles and how to incorporate them in the classroom. Concepts such as integer operations, arithmetic on polynomials, factoring of polynomials and solving equations are featured at this in-person conference.

 

SPIRE: Supporting Struggling & Dyslexic Readers through Structured Literacy
Virtual
May 25, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Free

Structured literacy is unique in that it focuses on phonological awareness, word recognition, phonics and decoding, spelling and syntax at the sentence and paragraph levels. In this free, virtual event, attendees will learn how to use the approach to help students of all abilities close literacy gaps.

 

Student-centered Learning in Mathematics
The College of New Jersey
May 26, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
$150-$200

This in-person conference is specifically for high school math teachers and will go over how to utilize student-centered learning in mathematics. This includes how to adapt student-centered learning to the classroom, examples of written, problem-based lesson plans and resources to continue pursuing student-based learning practices. 

 

 

---

If you’re considering following your dream of teaching, Rutgers Alternate Route can offer you the support and training you need to succeed. Be sure to follow Rutgers Alternate Route on Twitter and sign up for Alternate Route’s monthly newsletter for more information and stories from the field of education.