Conference 2007

Eureka! It’s the moment of discovery born from knowledge, intelligence, and logic. Archimedes may have shouted it in the bath and you and your students may have celebrated with cupcakes and punch, but the excitement and energy generated by the Eureka! experience is always unforgettable.

The Core Knowledge National Conference will celebrate the excitement of learning in Washington, D.C., February 22-24, 2007. The theme, Eureka! The Energy of Learning, guarantees that the sessions will be informative and invigorating. Whether you’re a first-time conference attendee or a seasoned veteran, the 200+ sessions offered during the three-day conference are sure to inspire.

Sometimes a 75-minute session leaves you with too many ideas but not enough discussion. That’s the feedback we received from our 2006 post-conference survey and that’s why Thursday will be devoted to workshops! Character education, writing and literacy, thinking out of the “classroom cube,” and Air and Space Museum math are samples of the workshops that will be offered. Each workshop will include presentations from experts, exercises and problem solving, and lively group discussion in an interactive atmosphere. Space per workshop is limited to 125 participants and will require pre-registration on a first come, first served basis, so watch your mail for information. 

Friday’s sessions will be devoted to content so that you can learn how to enrich your knowledge in specific subjects and create Eureka! moments for your students. Whether it’s a session on the age of the solar system or Shakespeare, our experts will take your knowledge to new heights. Our speakers will engage your mind and inspire your soul.

Rafe Esquith, recently featured in the PBS documentary The Hobart Shakespeareans, will be the keynote speaker at the Friday luncheon. Rafe is a fifth-grade teacher at Hobart Boulevard Elementary School in Los Angeles. President Bush awarded him the National Medal of the Arts, making him the first teacher in history to receive the award. He is also a Walt Disney American National Teacher of the Year recipient. An added delight will be the troupe of Hobart School student thespians who will travel with him to entertain us with a performance of Shakespeare.

Classroom units written and presented by teachers for teachers will be the focus of Saturday’s conference sessions. We expect over 70 units to be presented during the hour-long sessions on Saturday morning. You can bid farewell to the conference and exhibit hall on Saturday afternoon, but don’t say goodbye to the D.C. area before visiting some of the famous sites in our nation’s capital. Several coach tours will be available, or you may want to take advantage of the Metro, Washington’s version of a subway, conveniently available at the hotel. Watch your email for details!

In fact, now is a good time to let us know if your mail or email address has changed since March. Please email us at conference@coreknowledge.org with updated contact information.

Also in this issue of Common Knowledge:

• Calling all Exhibitors!
• 2006 Conference Photo Essay

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