The Academy Summer Institute 2012

August 23 – 24, 2012

The YMCA Academy, 15 Breadalbane Street, 3rd Floor
Toronto, ON, M4Y 1C2

Value Proposition:

This is a unique institute in that it blends two days of important teaching and learning with daily “unconference sessions,” that allow unstructured work time and brainstorming sessions in smaller groups on a range of topics selected by the participants. We understand the value of practical, peer-proven methods and ideas that you can put into practice in your own classrooms. Our “unconference sessions” will ensure that your interests and concerns are addressed creatively and constructively. And since differentiation is good pedagogy, the ideas shared here have relevance to all teachers.

From each of the conference sessions, there is an immediate “take-home,” in that you will have access to materials and resources that you can use right away in your own practice.

Who should attend:

• K-12 educators seeking to expand their knowledge base in the area of differentiated instruction and learning disabilities.
• Administrators charged with building and running LD programs.
• Teachers of students with special needs, whether they are special education teachers by training/designation or trying to find better solutions to work with students of varying abilities and learning backgrounds in their class.
• Truly any teacher, as the techniques and subjects we will cover at The Institute will help you understand how your students learn and how to best reach them where they are.

Community: Before and after the institute, participants will be able to get to know each other and work together through a shared, interactive platform. Once registration is complete, we will establish a virtual meeting place and learning community.

Entrepreneurship: Evening session on entrepreneurship in the EdTech space. Tips on how to transform your ideas into startups from entrepreneurs in the EDU space. Also individual coaching sessions available with the institute’s entrepreneur-in-residence.

Toronto and Our Venue: Toronto is an amazing city. For participants coming from other areas, we have negotiated discounted local hotel rates. Every participant who attends the conference gets a free 2-day pass to our world-class Central Y, which shares a building with The Academy. Tours of Toronto are available for a fee, and can be facilitated through the conference organizers. Tours can be on a specialized theme, such as a food tour or an historical tour of Toronto.

The Facilitators:

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Dr. Don Adams, Head of School, YMCA Academy A lifetime educator, Dr. Don Adams came to the YMCA of Greater Toronto in November 2009 as Head of School for The YMCA Academy. He brings to the Y his knowledge of the independent school environment in Canada and abroad, along with his management skills honed as Assistant Head of School at Appleby College in Oakville. Don specializes in teacher professional development and curriculum design.

Nicole Klement, Teacher and Outreach, YMCA Academy Nicole Klement teaches and provides educational outreach for the YMCA Academy. In her teaching practice she focuses on experiential learning with an environmental theme. To bring learning outside the classroom Nicole has forged partnerships for the Academy with a number of environmental not-for-profits including: Evergreen, The Family Development Centre (our gardening location) and Roots & Shoots. Nicole is a member of the Central YMCA’s Green Team and has recently applied to collaborate with a local Toronto artist to build the school a living wall. She is an advocate of cross-curricular teaching and collaborative teaching. This year she collaborated to present The Academy’s TGfU inspired physical education programming to the Ministry of Health Promotion.

Andras Nagy, Educational Technology Specialist, YMCA Academy Andras Nagy is the Technical Analyst and member of the Educational Outreach team at The YMCA Academy. His responsibilities at the school are wide reaching. He built and maintains the school’s network as well as administers the website and social media platforms. He maintains the school’s fleet of computers; while always remaining available for emergencies from screen tilting to viral invasions. This year Andras has brought his expertise to the classroom where he teaches TGJ2O, Communication Technology, to our Grade 10 students. In this role he has brought user platforms like Edmodo to the teaching faculty. His educational practice focuses on project based learning, his Grade 10 students will be designing, creating, editing and publishing the 2011-2012 Academy yearbook.

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Aron Solomon, EDUpreneur An educator and entrepreneur who has never accepted the status quo, Aron is viewed as a thought leader in the world of education and innovation. He is currently a global brand advocate and advisor, as well as the Vision Holder of SVbstance, a program that imparts the attributes, values and techniques of the world’s most successful business culture, Silicon Valley. Aron will curate the sessions on crafting your brand as a teacher and the bonus evening session on entrepreneurship. He will also be available throughout both days for individual consultation with attendees.

The Schedule: (more details to follow as we move closer to the event)

Thursday August 23rd:

Friday August 24th:

Speakers: Speakers at the event will have a Learning Disabilities focus. They will be innovative and well-versed in leading-edge technologies including assistive and other technologies that are simply on the horizon.

There will also be a mindfulness focus to the Institute. The YMCA Academy continues to participate with Mindfulness without Borders to provide a safe platform for peer-to-peer dialogue that addresses the social-economic competencies vital for coping with the stresses of an increasingly complex world. We will share our findings and practice as they pertain to a special education environment.

How to Register: Registration for the event is live at: http://academysummer.eventbrite.com The fee for the event is $599, which includes coffee breaks and lunch on both days, all ticket processing fees, and unlimited use of the beautiful Central Y, which is in the same building as our institute.

There will also be 20 spaces available for attendees who are full time students. The cost to attend the conference for these students is $299. In addition, we are making 5 spaces available free of charge to anyone who would wish to attend, and to help us out with the conference — earn a conference credit for your resume! Tell us why you’d be a good choice — email Don Adams, Head of School, directly at don.adams@ymcagta.org.

Enrolment for the institute is strictly capped at 200 participants. This is not a mega-conference, but rather one where the quality of interactions and the depth of participation are paramount. We invite you to reserve your place today!

Accommodations: Each of the hotels listed below is within walking distance of the event.

Courtyard Toronto Downtown
475 Yonge Street, Toronto, ON M4Y 1X7 183 m SE
(416) 924-0611 ‎ www.marriott.com

Sutton Place Hotel The
955 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2A2 254 m NW
(416) 924-9221 ‎ www.toronto.suttonplace.com

Holiday Inn Toronto Downtown Centre
30 Carlton Street, Toronto, ON M5B 2E9 338 m SE
(416) 977-6655 ‎ www.holidayinn.com

Delta Chelsea Hotel
33 Gerrard Street West, Toronto, ON M5G 1Z4 505 m S
(416) 585-4373 ‎ www.deltahotels.com

Wellesley Manor Boutique Hotel
29 Wellesley Street East, Toronto, ON M4Y 1G7 285 m NE
(416) 927-9820 ‎ www.wellesleymanor.ca

Glen Grove
736 Bay Street, Toronto, ON M5G 1N6 350 m S
(416) 489-8441 ‎ www.glengrove.com

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