Welcome to OpenLearning@MLC
A FREE virtual conference brought to you by Martin Luther College
June 18 – 19, 2024
OpenLearning@MLC is a FREE online virtual conference open to WELS/ELS called workers and hosted by the Office of Continuing Education at Martin Luther College.
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What makes our schools Lutheran?
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How can we meet the needs of the changing faculty?
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How might we best integrate new and changing school families?
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How can we meet the changing needs of today’s students?
At the 2024 OpenLearning Conference, we’ll be immersed in these and many other timely questions! We’ll explore tools and understandings that will help us reach all our students—to fulfill both the educational mission of our schools and the Great Commission!
Tuesday, June 18
Our Lutheran Identity
Session 1 @ 10 am: What Makes Lutheran Schools Lutheran? (Click Here)
Time: 10 – 11 am CDT- Presenter: Pastor Peter Schlicht
- This presentation will briefly distinguish Lutheran education from generally Christian education. Then it will address the following questions: What influences tempt Lutheran schools to abandon distinctions and what is lost if they are blurred? What are practical ways we can set up kids for long-term spiritual growth and leadership in our churches and schools?
Session 2 @ 12 pm: Integrating School Families (Click Here)
Time: 12 – 1 pm CDT- Presenter: Dr. Ben Clemons
- Our schools provide an unprecedented opportunity for gospel outreach. Yet, it can be a struggle to connect to school families and integrate them into our schools and congregations. In this presentation, we will look at the way that we communicate with parents and the opportunities we have to build lasting connections, offer meaningful participation, and share the gospel message.
Session 3 @ 1:30 pm: Practices that Promote the Lutheran School’s Mission (Click Here)
- Time: 1:30 – 2:30 pm CDT
- Presenter: Principal Philip Leyrer
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The policies, practices, and procedures that help Lutheran schools that serve many non-member families faithfully carry out their missions to nurture students of WELS families while reaching out with the gospel to those who may not yet believe.
Wednesday, June 19
Meeting the Needs of Our Students
Session 4 @ 10 am: Building Stronger Inclusive Classrooms for ALL Learners (Click Here)
Time: 10 – 11 am CDT- Presenter: Dr. Kari A. Muente
- Teachers will learn more about creating an inclusive, universally supported Tier 1 classroom within a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS). Defining universal evidence-based supports, understanding learner variability, and applying inclusive practices through the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework will be discussed.
Session 5 @ 12 pm: Targeted Supports and Interventions to Enhance Student Learning (Click Here)
Time: 12 – 1 pm CDT- Presenter: Dr. Rachel Youngblom
- Teachers will learn more about components of Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports and interventions within a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework. Evidence-based interventions and data-based decision-making will be discussed.
Session 6 @ 1:30 pm: Meeting Our Students’ Needs: Panel Discussion (Click Here)
- Time: 1:30 – 2:30 pm CDT
- Presenter: Dr. Kari Muente, Dr. Rachel Youngblom, and small panel of educators
- In this session, Dr. Muente and Dr. Youngblom will be joined by some WELS educators to discuss how they address learner variability to meet the needs of all learners in their practices, followed by an open Q&A discussion.
