Jim Kestner will introduce a ground-breaking curriculum, the Writers’ Workshop. Writing instruction from Kestner’s more than 30 years of experience as a dynamic speaker brings workshop participants an innovative, game-like approach to teaching writing skills, empowering teachers to differentiate instruction that truly meets a wide range of students’ individual needs simultaneously. The option of an incentives-based, game-like interface equips middle and high school English teachers to harness the power of avatars and individual-based skill progression to shatter barriers and generate excitement in students as they gain ever greater writing proficiency along a virtual expedition to climb Mt. Everest. Every participant receives a free Writers’ Workshop curriculum and implementation guide!

Check out these exciting features:

* A series of 17 self-paced writing challenges adaptable to time frames ranging from a few units to an entire school year

* Real potential for students who need extra time a chance to master skills while simultaneously propelling gifted students to pursue advanced concepts that typically lie beyond the time available during the school year

* Instruction on customizing the curriculum to a variety of settings and applications

* Data collection and reporting mechanisms

* ELA standards-aligned curriculum for grades 6-12

* Web-based data and leaderboards for teachers who decide to gamify the program

* Easily adaptable for remote learning

**Participants will be dismissed for a one-hour lunch.