Leaders in flipped and blended education to host conference in Huntley

In its dedication to assisting teachers improve their craft, the Illinois Flipped and Blended Learning Network has announced its inaugural conference to be held June 15-16 at Huntley High School.

Teachers from across the Midwest are converging on Huntley High School to learn from master educators who are experts in flipped and blended learning.

Attending teachers will experience how flipped and blended learning addresses key academic issues such as best practice, diversity, differentiation and curriculum development.

"We are excited to offer this opportunity for teachers and administrators to learn more about flipped and blended learning," said Kevin Hogendorp, president. "Education is constantly changing and teachers today dedicate countless hours to helping students be prepared in a twenty-first century world. Flipped and blended learning allows teachers to provide students the agency to develop into the leaders of tomorrow."

The idea of hosting a flipped learning conference in Illinois began when the Flipped Learning Network announced its intention to focus its efforts on regional events rather than at an annual national conference.

Hogendorp, a National Board Certified social studies teacher from Buffalo Grove, and Matt Moore, a math teacher from Mt. Zion, and one of the "top 100 educators leading flipped learning worldwide" met at FlipCon 2016 in Texas and decided to join forces with Gerry Marchand, an award-winning science teacher from Huntley, to bring this flipped learning event to Illinois.

Tickets for the conference are an affordable $45 for the two days. Day one of the conference, Thursday, June 15, will feature hands-on workshops for teachers new to flipping education and those who are seasoned veterans.

Friday, June 16. is the main day of the conference where teachers from all around the Midwest will conduct sessions on all aspects to flipped and blended learning. Both days will allow teachers to learn and network to enhance what they do in the classroom.

Hogendorp said, "It's conferences like these that help teachers advance their craft. After Matt and I met we quickly decided to bring this to Illinois because there are so many educators that are interested in flipped and blended education but just don't know where or how to start. We immediately brought Gerry on board and created ILFABN to be a support system for teachers across the state. This inaugural conference allows us to reach out to others in the community and tap into their expertise."

Huntley High School was chosen as the location due to its continued commitment to flipped and blended education.

Its dedication to this was featured on CNN back in April 2015. The flexibility that flipped and blended education allows for the development of skills necessary for the 21st century.

"It's amazing what students can do when given the opportunity," Hogendorp continued. "Not only have studies shown that students truly excel when teachers used flipped learning but students have greater levels of engagement in the classroom."