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Unlocking Tools for Helping Students Connect Passion to Purpose & Life Skills

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Colorado Convention Center, Bluebird Ballroom 3GH

Listen and learn: Edtalk
Recorded Session
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Presenters

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Jorge Valenzuela is a highly sought-after and well-regarded performance and education coach and speaker at Lifelong Learning Defined. He has helped countless educators improve their instructional leadership and teaching skills. Jorge specializes in emphasizing instructional innovation through action research and is a trusted deliverer of reputable professional training in collaborative team building, core instruction, project-based learning, STEM pathways, entrepreneurship, and life skills integration across the curriculum. He partners with corporate executives and superintendents and provides professional development on behalf of ASCD, Corwin, Premiere Speakers Bureau, and Solution Tree. He has authored several books and is the Lifelong Learning Defined podcast host.

Session description

In this enlightening keynote, educators will learn transformative tools to connect student passions with purpose. Practical strategies will align strengths, interests, and values with career paths, nurturing success. Spotlighting the importance of instilling purpose in youth, this talk empowers educators to guide students toward essential life skills and full potential.

Purpose & objective

The purpose of my presentation is to empower educators with transformative tools and practical strategies that will enable them to bridge students' passions with meaningful purpose. The primary objectives and participant outcomes of this presentation are as follows:

1. Understanding the Significance of Purpose in Education:
Participants will gain a deep understanding of why instilling a strong sense of purpose in education is crucial for students' personal and academic growth.

2. Identifying Student Strengths, Interests, and Values:
Educators will learn how to identify and assess the strengths, interests, and values of their students, recognizing the unique qualities that each student brings to the learning environment.

3. Alignment of Strengths, Interests, and Values:
Participants will be equipped with practical strategies to seamlessly align students' strengths, interests, and values with meaningful career paths and educational experiences.

4. Fostering a Roadmap to Success:
Educators will be able to guide students in developing a roadmap to success that takes into account their passions and purpose, helping them set meaningful goals and aspirations.

5. Promoting Life Skills Integration:
The presentation will introduce strategies for integrating essential life skills into the curriculum, ensuring that students are well-prepared for the challenges of the future.

6. Equity and Inclusion in Education:
Participants will understand how to apply the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion in their educational practices, ensuring that all students, regardless of background, have equal access to opportunities for purpose-driven learning.

7. Digital Citizenship and Global Collaboration:
Educators will learn how to foster responsible digital citizenship among students and promote global collaboration, enabling students to use technology for positive contributions to society.

By the end of the presentation, participants will have a comprehensive toolkit to effectively guide students in discovering their purpose, aligning it with their education and future career paths, and fostering essential skills for success in an ever-changing world. This session aims to inspire and empower educators to become catalysts for their students' personal and academic growth, ultimately helping them realize their full potential.

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Outline

Introduction (5 minutes)
Welcome and session overview.

Section 1: Passion Discovery (15 minutes)
The importance of passion in education.
Strategies for helping students identify their passions.
Interactive activities for passion exploration.

Section 2: Aligning Passions and Purpose (15 minutes)
Connecting student passions to meaningful life goals.
Practical approaches to aligning passions with academic and career pathways.
Group discussions on alignment strategies.

Section 3: Engaging All Students (15 minutes)
Techniques for increasing student engagement.
Integration of life skills into the curriculum.
Sharing success stories and examples.

Section 4: Teacher Resilience and Self-Care (10 minutes)
Recognizing and addressing challenges in education.
Strategies for enhancing teacher resilience.
Self-care practices for educators.

Q&A and Discussion (10 minutes)
Open the floor for questions and group discussion.

Conclusion and Call to Action (5 minutes)
Summarize key takeaways.
Encourage participants to implement strategies in their classrooms.
Provide resources for further exploration.

Closing Remarks (5 minutes)

This structured outline is flexible and ensures that my one-hour session covers essential content and engages participants through interactive activities, discussions, and opportunities for reflection.

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Supporting research

1. "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" by Angela Duckworth:
This book explores the concept of grit, emphasizing the role of passion and perseverance in achieving long-term goals. It provides valuable insights into how educators can cultivate grit in students.

2. "Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" by Daniel H. Pink:
Daniel Pink's book delves into the science of motivation, highlighting the importance of autonomy, mastery, and purpose in driving individuals to excel. It can inform discussions on motivating students through passion and purpose.

3. Research on Growth Mindset by Carol Dweck:
Carol Dweck's extensive research on growth mindset emphasizes the idea that students' beliefs about their abilities can significantly impact their learning outcomes. Exploring how to instill a growth mindset in students can complement your session.

4. "The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything" by Sir Ken Robinson:
Sir Ken Robinson's work discusses the concept of the "element," where natural aptitude meets personal passion. It provides anecdotes and research on how individuals can find their passion and excel in their chosen fields.

5. Studies on Social and Emotional Learning (SEL):
Research on SEL programs highlights the importance of teaching life skills and fostering emotional intelligence in students. These skills are closely related to your session's goals.

6. "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" by Carol S. Dweck:
Dweck's book expands on the concept of mindset and how it affects academic and life success. It offers practical advice for educators to nurture a growth mindset in students.

7. Research on Project-Based Learning (PBL):
Studies on PBL demonstrate how this approach can engage students and connect their interests with real-world problem-solving, aligning with your session's emphasis on aligning passions with purpose.

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Session specifications

Topic:
Student agency, choice and voice
Grade level:
PK-12
Skill level:
Beginner
Audience:
Coaches, Curriculum/district specialists, Teachers
Attendee devices:
Devices useful
Attendee device specification:
Smartphone: Android, iOS, Windows
Laptop: Chromebook, Mac, PC
ISTE Standards:
For Educators:
Learner
  • Stay current with research that supports improved student learning outcomes, including findings from the learning sciences.
Citizen
  • Establish a learning culture that promotes curiosity and critical examination of online resources and fosters digital literacy and media fluency.
For Students:
Global Collaborator
  • Students use digital tools to connect with learners from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, engaging with them in ways that broaden mutual understanding and learning.