2019 Winter Conference for Educators Schedule!

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Date: February 22, 2019 3:56 pm

REVISED 2/28 1:46pm

We are so excited that you are joining us for the 2019 Winter Conference for Teachers! Below you will find our planned “Run/Rest Schedule” for the conference. As with the actual race, things are always subject to change due to weather or changes in strategy!

Monday, February 25th – Juneau Room, Marriott Hotel

  • 7:00-10:00pm – Pre-Conference Social
    • Join us in the Juneau Room at the Marriott to meet and greet the conference attendees and other honored guests as we kick off our week together! 

Tuesday, February 26th – Fairbanks Room, Marriott Hotel

  • 7:30-8:30 Check-In/ Breakfast/ Get on the Grid
    • Breakfast is provided as you collect  your credentials and SWAG 🙂 and get on the Grid – FlipGrid that is!
  • 8:00-8:30 Welcome and Introductions
    • At the starting line of the conference we’ll introduce our leaders and do a little Myth Busting to get everyone on the same page for the week.
  • 8:30-8:45 Staying Connected
    • Jen and Erin will get you connected with conference FlipGrid and Back Channel so we can keep the learning and sharing going all week long!
  • 8:45-9:30 Meet the 2019 Teacher on the Trail ™ Brian Hickox
    • Brian will discuss his experience as the 2019 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™. He plans to share about how the Iditarod has engaged his students, colleagues, and the effects that the Iditarod has had on his school community. Brian will share technological resources that will enhance your classroom curriculum and routines- – not only for Iditarod-related lessons but all others. He will also talk about the things that you can expect from him while he travels along the race route.
  • 9:30-9:45 Jen’s Sled Bag 
    • During these periods Jen will share something from her sled bag – could be announcements, could be lesson ideas, could be surprise Skypes, could be a snack break! You’ll have to wait and see!
  • 9:45-10:30 Science with Sara
    • Alaska teacher Sara Lamont will share some of her favorite science tie ins to the Iditarod. Having taught in rural Alaska, serving as the Restart Dog Handler Coordinator, and being kindergarten teacher extraordinaire, Sara has a wealth of knowledge about the race and Alaska to share!
  • 10:30-11:00 Portal to the Race
    • Diane Johnson, Director of Education, will lead a website exploration and information session introducing the our website and other important tools for you to use as you follow the race with your students. *You will need your devices (Lap top, tablet, smart phone) to access the Education Portal.
  • 11:00-11:15 Jen’s Sled Bag
  • 11:15-12:00 T. I. M. E. – Those Inclusively Manageable Extensions 
    •  Sled Dog Ed (aka Nancy Wendt will share with you some simple time fillers, brain breaks, discussion prompts, and other activities that you can use in your classroom.  Be ready to participate and share!
  • 12:00-12:45 Lunch 
    • Checkpoint stop! Enjoy casual conversation with conference attendees during our provided lunch! Recharge your batteries and refuel your body!
  • 12:45-1:00 The Teacher on the Trail ™ Program Introduction   
    • Diane Johnson introduces the Teacher on the Trail™ Program and the three educators who have been selected as finalists for the 2019 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™ will each provide a presentation. In April, one of these three will be selected as our next Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™ and serve as our lead teacher from June 2019 – June 2020.  
  • 1:00-1:45 Finalist Presentation – Kelly Villar
  • 2:00-2:45 Finalist Presentation – Mary Lynn Roush
  • 3:00-3:45 Finalist Presentation – Lisa Lange
  • 3:45-4:00 Jen’s Sled Bag
  • 4:15 Meet Your Carpool for the Field Trip!
    • We’ll be visiting the home and kennel of Jon and Jona VanZyle. Jon serves as the official Iditarod artist and has illustrated many of our favorite books for children about the Iditarod and the great state of Alaska!  Jon will regal us with tales of his days of running Iditarod and his process for creating his masterpieces. You’ll have the opportunity to shop for some treasured keepsakes which he will even autograph for you.

Wednesday, February 27th

  • 7:30am Load up the Sled
    • Meet at the Marriott Lobby to load up into our sled (BUS!) for our Field Trip Day!  Be sure to bring warm layers as we will be outside then inside then outside then inside then outside all day!
  • Morning Checkpoint: Iditarod Headquarters
    • Visit the Headquarters and see our veterinarian team in action! Observe the ‘Vet Check’ –  Iditarod mushers will be arriving all morning for final exams conducted by our veterinarian team. Ask veterinarians, race staff, volunteers, and mushers questions, photograph, record, and Skype, Facetime, FlipGrid, or go live with your classroom using your smart phone to bring this experience to your students.  Discover important information on the science behind these sled dogs!
  • Lunch Time Checkpoint: Settler’s Bay
    • The only thing better than this included delicious hot lunch at Settler’s Bay is the view! Make sure to spend some time on the deck taking some amazing photos to make all of your friends at home jealous!
  • Afternoon Checkpoint: Visit to 17th Dog Kennel
    • Visit the home and kennel of Iditarod veteran musher, Matthew Failor. This opportunity provides a behind the scenes view of what it’s like to raise, train, and race in Iditarod from two of this year’s mushers, Matthew and Michael Baker.  And – of course, you’ll get to meet the four legged athletes as well! Bring this event to your classroom using your smart phone or record and photograph this for use in your classroom.
  • 5:00pm – Approximate time of return to Anchorage. Return time is dependent on traffic, weather, and how many people try to sneak sled dogs on the bus.

 

Thursday, February 21 – Fairbanks Room, Marriott Hotel

  • 7:30-8:00 Breakfast/ Check-In/ Get on the Grid
    • Enjoy and included breakfast as we gear up for another day on the trail! Check into our Conference FlipGrid and Back Channel so you are ready to hit the trail running!
  • 8:00-8:15 Jen’s Sled Bag
  • 8:15-9:00 Need An App
    • Former Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™  and current Eye on the Trail Photo Journalist, Terrie Hanke, has been down the trail and in the checkpoints for the past 15 years.  In that time she’s seen and experienced multitudes of real life applications that Iditarod provides as a theme for education.  Need something to help students understand landforms and maps?  Or how about Newton’s Laws?  Need a subject for a persuasive or descriptive writing assignments?  Iditarod offers all of that and more.  The more you know about the race the more your students benefit. 
  • 9:00-9:15 Jen’s Sled Bag
  • 9:15-9:45 Iditarod and STEM
    • Jill Wilson is a STEM teacher for grades kindergarten through fourth grader in Maryland. The Iditarod has quickly become an exciting focus for her classes. She will give an overview of how the Iditarod is incorporated into her STEM classes and share a few of the  projects . Some of the Iditarod themed activities include: puppy care, coding and programming, constructing, and creating electrical paper circuits.
  • 9:45-10:30 T. I. M. E. – Those Inclusively Manageable Extensions 
    •  Sled Dog Ed (aka Nancy Wendt will share with you some simple time fillers, brain breaks, discussion prompts, and other activities that you can use in your classroom.  Be ready to participate and share!
  • 10:30-11:15 Idita-Vation – Innovation on the Iditarod Trail
    • 2014 Iditarod Teacher on the Trail™ Jen Reiter, will share how your kids can follow in the footsteps of the great innovators like Jeff King and Martin Buser as they use the theories of Design Thinking to create solutions to problems the mushers face with their equipment each year. Who knows? Maybe one of them will create “the next big thing” in mushing!
  • 11:15-11:30 Jen’s Sled Bag
  • 11:30-12:15 Husky Talk
    • Erin Montgomery, the 2015 Teacher on the Trail™, will take you behind the scenes of the podcast, Husky Talk. Learn about this season’s new episodes and how you can use them in your classroom. Find our more ways to use podcasting in your classroom while using the Iditarod.
  • 12:15-1:00 Lunch
    • Checkpoint stop! Enjoy casual conversation with conference attendees during our provided lunch! Recharge your batteries and refuel your body!
  • 1:00-1:15 Jen’s Sled Bag
  • 1:15-2:00 Enhancing Your Curriculum Using Primary and Secondary Sources
    • Dig into primary and secondary Iditarod sources with Dana Augustine, a former finalist for Teacher on the Trail™. You will work to identify student appropriate resources, create lesson resources based on primary and secondary sources, and embed Iditarod based lessons into your current curriculum.
  • 2:00-2:15 Jen’s Sled Bag
  • 2:15-2:45 Group Chat
    • Led by our 2020 Teacher on the Trail Finalists, meet in small groups to share ideas, thoughts, and impressions as you absorb all you have learned so far! They will also distribute your banquet tickets at the end of the conversation (so stick around)!
  • 2:45- 4:00 Checkpoint Routine
    • You are on your own to go through your checkpoint routine to get ready for the evening’s festivities!
  • 4:00-5:00 Musher Meet and Greet – Dena’ia Center
    • Head to the Dena’ia Center with your sharpies in hand to mix and mingle with the 2019 Mushers! Collect your autographs now, as autographs will not be done during the banquet.
  • 5:00-??? Musher Banquet – Dena’ia Center
    • Head downstairs for the official Musher Banquet! Be sure to get there early so you don’t miss singing “The Iditarod Trail Song” with Hobo Jim! Enjoy a delicious meal and refresh yourself at the cash bar. Witness the mushers draw their start numbers as we move one step closer to race day!

Friday, March 1st – Redington Room, Third Floor, Lakefront Hotel

  • Iditarod Friday Speaker Series
    • 9:00-9:30 Portal to the Race Diane Johnson, Director of Education, will lead a website exploration and information session introducing the our website and other important tools for you to use as you follow the race with your students. *You will need your devices (Lap top, tablet, smart phone) to access the Education Portal.
    • 9:30-10:00 Participant Share Time -Did you bring something from your school you wanted to share? Do you have a great lesson idea? A super resource to share? Now is your chance!
    • 10:00-11:00 Susan Smith, NBCT, who teaches in Takotna, AK on race Mile 329. Through her presentation she will show you what Takotna looks like during the off-race season. Takotna Community School activities are highlighted, as well as Iditarod 2018 photos. After all, why live at a checkpoint if you’re don’t photograph the dogs?
    • 11:00-12:00 Behind the Scenes of Iditarod: Various staff members and volunteers of the race will come through to tell you what is happening right now with race preparations on the eve of start day!
  • 12:00-12:45 Lunch
    • Checkpoint stop! Enjoy casual conversation with conference attendees during our provided lunch! Recharge your batteries and refuel your body!
  • 1:00-2:00 Chief Veterinarian Talk: Stu Nelson
    • Learn all about the science behind the amazing canine athletes of the Iditarod with the race’s Chief Veterinarian. The dogs are the race’s number one priority and Dr. Nelson will explain all about his team and the care they provide.
  • 2:00-3:00 Rookie Musher Talk: Blair Braverman
    • Musher, Twitter Queen, and author of Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube, Blair Braverman, will share her thoughts and feelings on the eve of her first Iditarod. If you haven’t been following Blair on Twitter, you absolutely must and get to know her and her team. Rumor has it one of her four-legged teammates will be joining her!
  • 3:00-4:00 Alaska Care and Husbandry Instruction for Lifelong Living (A-CHILL)
    • In this presentation you will learn about A – CHILL, a program in the Alaska Gateway and Yukon-Koyukuk School Districts and communities.  The foundation of the Frank Attla Youth & Sled Dog Care-Mushing Program (FAYSDP) is to provide young people with hands-on experience working with sled dogs under the guidance and mentorship of experienced dogmen and Native elders.