30th ANNUAL EDL 318

STUDENT CONFERENCE
on

Curriculum & Teacher

Leadership
Sponsored by the Departments of Educational
Leadership and Teacher Education
Featuring Keynote Speaker Dr. Richard A. Quantz
1:30 p.m., in Multipurpose Room B

Conference Sessions by Students

9:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m.
Shriver Center Multipurpose Rooms A, B, & C

Message from EDL 318 Instructors

elcome to the 30th EDL 318 Teacher Leadership Curriculum Conference

at Miami University. We are pleased to present the work of over 200
Miami undergraduate students. Thank you for attending our sessions
today. Each conference session lasts 25 minutes, with approximately 15
minutes allotted for presentation and 10 minutes for a question/answer period with
the audience. Sessions will conclude no less than 5 minutes before the next
scheduled session. For our guests and participants, refreshments are served in the
venue throughout the day. Please turn off cell phones, and please stay in a session
you are attending until it is complete.
The goals for each session are for students to show the audience key aspects of their
curriculum projects, both in terms of content and process included therein, and to
model/comment on the collaborative leadership exercised to accomplish their work
together as colleagues. The project specifications vary across classes; key similarities
across the sections, however, are commitments to collaborative work and to
multicultural, interdisciplinary, democratic, and social justice themes. Also, we hope
that the day offers all student participants the opportunity to learn from colleagues
and peers, to share new ideas, and to support the intellectual and practical work of
colleagues in a public forum. This is a significant professional commitment teacher
leaders make and model throughout their careers.
Thank you,
EDL 318 Instructors
Tom Poetter, Brittany Aronson, Chlo Bolyard, Loveness Ngorosha, Katherine Smith,
Dianne Suiter, and Vanessa Winn

Schedule of Events
9:00 9:30 Session 1..................................................................................................Multipurpose Room A
Multipurpose Room B
Multipurpose Room C
9:30 10:00 Session 2................................................................................................Multipurpose Room A
Multipurpose Room B
Multipurpose Room C
10:00 10:30 Session 3.............................................................................................Multipurpose Room A
Multipurpose Room B
Multipurpose Room C
10:30 11:00 Session 4.............................................................................................Multipurpose Room A
Multipurpose Room B
Multipurpose Room C
11:00 11:30 Session 5..................................................................,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Multipurpose Room A
Multipurpose Room B
Multipurpose Room C
11:30 12:00 Session 6.............................................................................................Multipurpose Room A
Multipurpose Room B
Multipurpose Room C
12:00 12:30 Session 7.............................................................................................Multipurpose Room A
Multipurpose Room B
Multipurpose Room C
12:30 1:30 LUNCH

1:30 2:15 KEYNOTE SPEAKER, Dr. Richard A. Quantz,

Rethinking Reform: Reclaiming Hope for Public Education
Dr. Richard A. Quantz is currently a Professor of Social Foundations of Education in the Department of
Educational Leadership at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

2:30 3:00 Session 8...................................................................................................Multipurpose Room A

Multipurpose Room B
Multipurpose Room C
3:00 3:30 Session 9...................................................................................................Multipurpose Room A
Multipurpose Room B
Multipurpose Room C
3:30 4:00 Session 10................................................................................................Multipurpose Room A
Multipurpose Room B
Multipurpose Room C
4:00 4:30 Session 11................................................................................................Multipurpose Room A
Multipurpose Room B
Multipurpose Room C
4:30 5:00 Session 12................................................................................................Multipurpose Room A
Multipurpose Room B
Multipurpose Room C
5:00 5:30 Session 13................................................................................................Multipurpose Room A
Multipurpose Room B
Multipurpose Room C
5:30 6:00 Session 14................................................................................................Multipurpose Room A
Multipurpose Room B
Multipurpose Room C

Hear Our Keynote Speaker

Dr. Richard A. Quantz

Rethinking Reform:
Reclaiming Hope for Public
Education
1:30 2:15 p.m. Multipurpose Room B
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Session 1 9:00-9:30 a.m.

Multipurpose Room A
LGBTQ Students: Combating Heteronormativity in the Classroom
By: Bekah Harper, Morgan Kearnes, Tia Bialorucki
Have you ever noticed that the tradition of electing a homecoming king and queen
promotes heteronormative ideals in the school setting? Our curriculum renovation aims to
combat heteronormativity in the classroom by building an interdisciplinary curriculum that
provides ideas and resources to integrate LGBTQ themes in the classroom across subject
areas.

Multipurpose Room B
Nurturing a Community of Young Learners
By: Amanda Belcher, Megan Gundler, Jane Lotarski, Elizabeth Smalley
We created a curriculum that centers on the whole child. Our plan focuses on creating
future citizens as responsive collaborators. This is done through a combination of
pedagogies including: culturally responsive teaching, restorative practice, and integrated
curriculum to create our classroom vision.

Multipurpose Room C
Building a Community: Empowered and Engaged Learners
By: Danielle DePompei, Jess Ritenbaugh, Kate Roberts, Bethany Super
Our school strives to be an active community within the surrounding neighborhood. We
bring the lived experiences into the classroom as the interests, needs, and lives of our
students will shape the curriculum. We will empower our students and families through
their education, working alongside them to meet their needs.

Session 2 9:30-10:00 a.m.

Multipurpose Room A
Closing the Gap Our Way!
By: Caitlyn Furnier, Alicia Hirnikel, Kristen Hurt, Ashley Parkinson
We have designed a school that focuses on providing enrichment opportunities to the
students and their families. Through community-based outreach, our schools main focus,
students will be provided opportunities to expand upon their learning outside of the
classroom and gain new experiential opportunities.

Multipurpose Room B
Open

Multipurpose Room C
Integrating Democracy Through a Social Justice Curriculum
By: Kayla Angermeier, Beth Brown, Gordon Donahue, Jessie LeFevre,
Kelsey Martinez
The shift from progressivism to essentialism in education, due to corporatization, has
impeded the chance for a true democratic education, specifically an integrated curriculum
centered on social justice issues. With our progressivist curriculum, we will address the
mandated standards while incorporating democratic ideals with a focus on social justice.

Session 3 10:00-10:30 a.m.

Multipurpose Room A
Moving the Outside World Inside: Bridging Home and School
By: Stephanie Evans, Lauren Flot, Yi Geng, Alex Holbert
Our schools purpose is to fully include each student. We will strive to bridge the gap
between the community, families, and school. By embracing each students life,
background, and culture, and by creating shared experiences, we will establish a platform
on which we can all stand as a community of learners.

Multipurpose Room B
Open

Multipurpose Room C
Safe Hearts: Preventing Bullying in Elementary Schools
By: Erica Abrams, Morgan Chadwick, Kassie Dodds, Casey Durt, Megan Philbee
We will explore the different types of bullying that occur at the elementary education level
and how teachers can build awareness and prevention. We will be analyzing research on
bullying based on gender, appearance, and academics. Ultimately, we will implement an
anti-bullying professional development workshop and a bullying prevention week.

Session 4 10:30-11:00 a.m.

Multipurpose Room A
Career Exploration: When I grow up, I Wanna Be
By: Graham Arledge, Kelsey Pressler, Hannah Ross, Cortlynn Van Benschoten, Lucas
Wagner
An in-depth examination of gender bias in K-12 education and STEM fields inspires a
curriculum discussing and encouraging career exploration. Students will interact with and
investigate a variety of career options through numerous genres by creating a portfolio
containing multiple mediums with interdisciplinary content.

Multipurpose Room B
Movement to Learn
By Laura Atkins, Jenny Baker, Samantha Heppeard, Kaitlyn Meadors, Nina Powell
We believe that there is not enough movement in the classroom. Children need the
opportunity to move their bodies to give them an outlet for their natural energy. This will
also allow students to exercise and explore the multimodal dimensions of learning.

Multipurpose Room C
Creative Play Through Differentiation
By: Baylie Cheslock, Rachel Feldmeyer, Kaitlin, Schultheiss, Madsion Zurawski

Differentiation through creative play and instruction is a necessary component in early

childhood education today. Research shows children gain essential experiences and
enrichment through play and social interactions. This need can be met through
restructuring the norm of the common classroom to create more of a community learning
environment.

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Session 5 11:00-11:30 a.m.

Multipurpose Room A
Democratic Schools for Community Justice
By Megan Abner, Ameera Aburmaieleh, Jenna Blevins, Abigail Lyons, Emily Stamper
For our curriculum, we have developed a rationale for promoting student engagement in
their communities through a relevant, integrated curriculum. Through this, we encourage
teachers to partner with students to create authentic, democratic learning experiences.

Multipurpose Room B
Curriculum Writ Large: A Strengths-Based Approach to Embracing the
Whole Child
By: Haley Gray, Megan Layton, Stacy McCracken, Jessica Nieman, Janea VanNatta
Our school is founded upon the principle that a childs everyday experiences, in and
outside of school, directly impact his or her learning. We have developed a school
environment that builds upon the strengths of students and families, allowing them to make
meaningful connections between school and their home lives.

Multipurpose Room C
Curriculum Resources to Overcome Budget Cuts
By: Michelle Pallazza, Emily Maloney, Katrina McGinnis, Lydia Price
The purpose of this research is to create a curriculum that informs teachers about the skills
and resources available in order to overcome the effects of budget cuts. When teachers
create a classroom environment that welcomes the arts and physical activity, students are
more likely to flourish.

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Session 6 11:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Multipurpose Room A

Open

Multipurpose Room B
Keeping it Real: Making Education Relevant
By: Reality Teacher Vision Team: Melina Hazzard, Greg Hubbard, Caroline Schulte, Sarah
Zaffiro
The goal of this presentation is to encourage educators to make their subject matter more
relevant to their students lives outside of the classroom. In an effort to foster enthusiasm
for learning and to enable connections between school and the world, we use a
multicultural worldview to help our students make connections.

Multipurpose Room C
Lets Get Physical: Integration of Activity in the Curriculum
By: Caitlyn Baird, Cara Deaton, Kristin Rudy, Emily Stuursma
Physical activity in schools is essential for meeting the basic needs of students through a
living-learning process. Students learn through personal experiences, interests, and
needs, which all combine to be physical activity. Necessary activity in our design takes
place in the classroom, in physical education programs, and at recess.

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Session 7 12:00-12:30 p.m.

Multipurpose Room A
Empowerment: We cant change the cards we are dealt, just how to
play the hand
By: Bethany Bowling, Rachel Brewer, Renee Hamilton, Kate Lawrence, Gabriel Strotman
Welcome to New Horizons Middle School, where we empower students to overcome the
difficulties of life by enriching their life experiences and helping them to achieve their goals.
It is our mission to recognize the potential of each student no matter what circumstances
they endure inside or outside of school.

Multipurpose Room B
Social Justice Education
By: Josie Hay, Katherine Holland, Caleb Walker, Julia Wolfson
Social justice curriculums address issues of race, gender, religion, disability, and
socioeconomic status. Educators must find ways to integrate these diverse perspectives
into the curriculum, rather than use additive ways. This curriculum utilizes lessons that
cater to both the intra- and extra-institutional standards through a social justice framework.

Multipurpose Room C
The American Dream: Opportunity and Inequality
By: Madeline Heckman, Jackie Mullins, Nicole Talebi, Maddie Tutkovics
This curriculum will focus on the idea of the American Dream, what it means to be
American, and if this dream is a reality in todays society for everyone. By integrating
history, literature, and culture through the lens of opportunity and systematic inequality, we
plan to incorporate lessons and a school structure that addresses the individual dreams
and content within a social justice perspective.

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Lunch Hour 12:301:30 p.m.

Keynote Speaker
1:30-2:15 p.m.

Dr. Richard A. Quantz

Rethinking Reform:
Reclaiming Hope for Public Education
Richard A. Quantz, Professor of Social Foundations of Education in the
Department of Educational Leadership at Miami University, began his
teaching career in a program for high school dropouts in 1967. He quickly
came to the conclusion that the best way to help students succeed in high
school was to provide excellent and supportive education to them at the
crucial ages of 10 13 and so he subsequently became an elementary
school teacher working in both Virginia and Mississippi. In 1979, following his
doctoral work at the University of Virginia, he began teaching at Miami. His
book Rituals and Student Identity in Education: Ritual Critique for a New
Pedagogy (Palgrave Macmillan, 2011) won the 2011 American Educational
Studies Association Critics Choice Award. His latest book, Sociocultural
Studies in Education: Critical Thinking for Democracy (Paradigm Press, 2014)
has just been published. He was also the recipient of The Graduate Schools
Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate Instruction and
Mentoring for 2011-2012.

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Session 8 2:30-3:00 p.m.

Multipurpose Room A
Adventure: Education Outside the Classroom
By: Jenna Bird, Delilah Jones, Hannah Ridge, Mitch Stevens
As world leaders, we fall short as a nation when comparing ourselves to other countries
that are implementing progressive educational strategies. Outdoor education, a
progressive approach, is the teaching and learning that takes place in the outdoors beyond
the classroom. In our curriculum, we explore why outdoor education should be
implemented in the U.S. by outlining both the academic and social benefits, and how this
approach can be integrated in U.S. classrooms.

Multipurpose Room B
Connecting Community and Classroom
By: JP Horton, Zakiya Milton, Jill Runser, Anna Shaw
Our curriculum seeks to create connections between the community and the classroom
through service learning. Since research has shown that building bridges between
community and the classroom benefits everyone involved, endless possibilities exist for
academic and social growth in the student and improvement in the community.

Multipurpose Room C
Cutting the Pi: Investigating our Food and its Origin
By: Curriculum Chefs: Ashley Martin, Jake Morris, Jacob Weber, Gary Wenzel
This project aims to help students demonstrate their mastery of the five standards we
developed by encouraging research on food around the world. The students will develop a
portfolio through this curriculum that showcases their strengths with the standards as well
as their personal interests. They will develop the critical thinking skills to analyze their own
and societys food and nutrition habits.

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Session 9 3:00-3:30 p.m.

Multipurpose Room A
Taking Charge of your Education: Leadership in a Middle School
Classroom
By: Nicki Cuba, Emma Groene, Ruthie Helmer, Alex Rodenfels, Brooke Skelly
New Horizons Middle School focuses on incorporating student interest and learning in
inquiry-based curriculum and self-guided activity. Our philosophies of progressivism and
social reconstruction help to develop this curriculum. Students work both individually and
with peers to broaden themselves as students, leaders, and community members.

Multipurpose Room B
Divergent: A Stance for Social Justice
By: Lauryn Cooper, Bailey Mackey, Hayley Pogue, Letta South
The focus of our curriculum project is intended for students at the junior high level. While
incorporating linked text sets and technology, we will challenge our students to be
culturally competent leaders who will not be divided by race or ethnicity and who will
recognize injustices in society and take a stance to become agents of change.

Multipurpose Room C
Community Based, Full-Service, Experiential Learning
By: Alysson Caudill, Lesley Clark, Holly Galloway, Carrie Hall, Kelly Mack
The current education system in America is failing to create a connection between
students, their education, and their surrounding communities. We have created a fullservice school designed around a curriculum that inspires students to learn about
communities through interaction, exploration of roles, responsibilities, and experiences.

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Session 10 3:30-4:00 p.m.

Multipurpose Room A
Community Engagement: Connecting Teacher Leaders with the
Community
By: Corrine Brown, Ali Budd, Kelly Byrum, Courtney Centrello, Megan Zelasko
Our curriculums goal is to engage students with an opportunity to discuss and research
controversial topics on a local, national, and/or global level, which culminates in a science
fair where the community can come and participate, thus creating unity between the
students and surrounding community.

Multipurpose Room B
Going Beyond the Common Core: Preparing for the Real World
By: Josh Lawrence, Alyssa Ponder, Devon Smith, Emily Trauth
Schools across America succeed in educating students in the four major areas of
academia. However, they fail to educate students on matters they may encounter in the
real world such as: different sexualities, current events, and even filing taxes. Our
curriculum will address interdisciplinary issues such as these through a series of
extracurricular workshops.

Multipurpose Room C
Developing Critical Lenses for a Democratic Education
By: Danielle Linowes, Candice Pereira, Alyce Sucaldito, Kara Tensing, Sydney Weldon
Much like our tests, many of our classrooms have become standardized: a business
producing students who can pass tests but are not encouraged to think critically and
express themselves freely. Through our curriculum, we aim to create democratic citizens
that evaluate their lives and experiences through critical lenses.

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Session 11 4:00-4:30 p.m.

Multipurpose Room A
Necessity vs. Luxury: What really is the fine line between the finer
things in life?
By: Samantha Chaney, Erin Griffith, Vincent Lombardo, Po Reffitt, Abby Seger
Our goal here at New Horizon Middle School is to create a safe and productive educational
environment in which we promote critical cultural competency and the well-rounded
individual. Students here at NHMS are challenged to investigate the relationships between
necessity and luxury in regards to social justice as it relates to their lives and experiences.

Multipurpose Room B
The Damaging Effects of Labeling
By: Jalen Brown, Chelsea Fitzwater, Emily Lacher, Toni Marcotte
We have created a curriculum to inform students about the negative impacts of labeling
students in school. We plan to educate our students by showing them examples
throughout history as well as in novels. Through these materials, we hope students will
become more aware of and not engage in labeling anymore.

Multipurpose Room C
Health is Critical: A student guided exploration of todays definition
of healthy living
By: Critical Health Team: Rob Cron, Victoria Ellis, Emily Kirkpatrick, You Pan
This projects aims to deconstruct current notions of the term healthy as simply eating
right through student exploration of a variety of health issues relevant to their own
experiences. We will use student feedback and curiosity to explore deeper aspects of
healthy living and what contributes to it, such as issues dealing with students overall
physical and mental health.

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Session 12 4:30-5:00 p.m.

Multipurpose Room A
Crossing Borders In and Out of the Classroom
By: Laura Ferguson, Lindsay Holoman, Megan Landon, Amanda Mickus, Lizzy Williams
Here at New Horizons Middle School, we provide students with engaging instruction and
opportunities for inquiry-based learning, while also exploring societal concerns such as
race, gender, and economic inequality. These goals will be accomplished by integrating
student interests, state standards, and community partnerships to create a well-rounded
curriculum.

Multipurpose Room B
You Are What You Eat: Healthy Lifestyles
By: Jordan Barnes, Karissa Cooper, Hannah Lewis, Abigail Sattler
Miami-Hilltop High school seeks to promote healthy lifestyles through exploring eating
habits. Our integrated curriculum will expose students to eating disorders and healthy
eating habits. To foster healthier food choices, students will engage in physically
productive work through community gardening to promote working out and production of
healthy food.

Multipurpose Room C
A Right Of Passage To Adulthood
By: Katlyn Bare, Kelsey Oros, Andrew Parker, Brian Veil
Our project emphasizes guiding students through the transition to adulthood. We
recognize the value of adulthood expectations, common skills, and necessities in order to
be a fully productive member of society. Our objective is to give students basic knowledge
to succeed in the future.

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Session 13 5:00-5:30 p.m.

Multipurpose Room A
Creating Lifelong Learners One Child at a Time
By: Shanah Blair, Paxton Cesaroni, Nicki Goffena, Ruby Ivy, Danielle Nolte
At New Horizons Middle School, we are dedicated to student development and personal
growth. Through inquiry-based learning and a progressive style teaching, our students are
encouraged to reflect on societal systems through a critical lens. By restructuring the
curriculum around the students, we emphasize the importance of a multicultural education.

Multipurpose Room B
Engaging and Embracing Your Community
By: Cody Dye, Allyson Klovekorn, Quentin Russell, Erin Worrell
This curriculum project focuses on fostering a sense of community within the school walls
via engagement through service learning in the community. Students, faculty members,
and community members are all free to interact and participate in this program that
stresses a mutual benefit. The final objective of this curriculum is to show the importance
of service to others and to create a lasting impact between the students and the
community.

Multipurpose Room C
Unity in Community: Together, We Can Make a Difference
By: Grant Beam, Alex Mains, Emily Marcum, Eric Moenich, Abby Troesch
Failure to embrace difference through acceptance among administrators, teachers,
students and the community leads to poor student engagement and hostility. Our
integrated, culturally relevant curriculum seeks to make the school a safe space for all by
creating positive relationships through community engagement and an exploration of
diverse world cultures.

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Session 14 5:30-6:00 p.m.

Multipurpose Room A
Voice in Democracy: Being A Responsible Citizen
By: Jordan Carruthers, Kristin Condon, Sydney Larivey, Morgan Nakon, Fontaine Selby
When there is an issue, youths need not stand and watch from the sidelines in silence. Our
integrated curriculum will equip students with skills for identifying school and community
issues and empower them with techniques to critically and creatively address issues by
exercising their voice and responsibilities as democratic citizens.

Multipurpose Room B
Open

Multipurpose Room C
Open

21

Special Thanks to
EDL Chair, Kathleen Knight-Abowitz, and EDT Chair,
Roland Sintos Coloma, who provided leadership and
funding support for the conference.
Thank you to EDT 252 instructors Kim Wachenheim,
Catherine Haerr, and EDT 246 instructor, Lamar Johnson
who teach with Chlo Bolyard and Brittany Aronson in the
EDL 318M/EDT-252M/EDT 246 block for middle
childhood and special education majors, all of whom who
secured funds from EDT for the event today.
Thank you to early childhood cohort instructors Sheri
Leafgren, Joseph Schroer, and Irene Kleiman in the early
childhood block who provided guidance and support for
the early childhood projects.
Thank you also to the Shriver Center staff members,
especially Susan Coleman and the Technology Staff, who
always make sure that we have what we need in the venue.
Thanks to all staff members helping out in the Shriver
Center during the Conference today.
Finally, all faculty members and guests who attend today,
thank you for showing your support for students and for
acknowledging their strong intellectual and social growth
as pre-service teachers.

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