Motivational Speaker Brian Haggerty to be Keynote
(Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) — More than 600 Broward County teachers are expected to gather on Saturday, January 31, 2015, from 8 am to 3:30 pm, on the campus of Nova Southeastern University in Davie for the 18th annual Broward Education Foundation Teacher Idea Expo, sponsored by Bright Star Credit Union. The Expo, hosted by NSU’s Fischler School of Education for more than 15 years, allows educators to gather ideas for creative classroom projects, participate in continuing education and receive inspiration from charismatic speakers.
The keynote speaker for the event will be Brian C. Haggerty, educator, author, motivational speaker and creator of his groundbreaking “PLEASE” program. His talk, “Engaging and Exciting Students to Develop Masterful People Skills” will be drawn from his book, “Put That Cell Phone Down & Look Me In the Eye!… Building Masterful People Skills for Success at ANY Age!” along with highlights of the unique education program that he created for schools in New Jersey.
More than 60 projects, funded by Broward Education Foundation grants, will be featured at the Expo. More than 250 grants, valued at about $ 170,000, have been distributed this school year to teachers in Broward County public schools.
Pompano Beach High School language arts teacher, Sandy Melillo, will be displaying her project, “Behind the Mask,” which allows students to learn and understand the historical significance of a mask. As part of the lesson they create their own masks to represent their external and public persona, and write a poem on the back that reveals what lies underneath. “A mask has historically been a symbol to both represent and disguise a particular culture, individual, or even a corpse,” explains Melillo.
“Chess for Life,” at Indian River Middle School in Davie helps students develop analytical skills, improve decision-making and improve their overall ability to analyze their actions and resulting consequences. Teacher Elpidio Muniz teaches middle schools students from beginners and above with weekly 90-minute sessions. Some students go on to play competitively.
At McNab Elementary School in Pompano Beach, 28-year teacher Andria Ammons created “Cooperative Brain Power,” which blends teamwork, technology and academic games, such as Brain Pop, Jr. and BrainPOP, to teach students about working cooperatively in groups. “Students learn real facts about a specific topic, work together to create a special project or use academic games to explore and practice new knowledge,” explained Ammons.
According to Pamela Davis, a teacher at Deerfield Park Elementary, “Children need to be happy, achieve, and be filled full of opportunities for creative efforts, she said. Her project, “Paint Me A Story…Literacy and Arts,” allows students to blend technology with multicultural books and visual arts to develop a deeper understanding of an author’s and illustrator’s messages.
Idea EXPO teachers also will be able to attend dynamic presentations by Fischler School of Education faculty, including, “Step Away from the Desk!”, how teacher behavior affects student behavior and success;and “Sailing on the Stream,” integrating STEM (Science, Technology, Education and Math) and reading.
Teachers at the Expo also will be able to attend continuing education seminars offered by NSU, the University of Phoenix. Sponsors of the Expo include BrightStar Credit Union, Forum Publishing Group, Wells Fargo, the Ford Motor Company Fund, the cities of Hollywood and Hallandale Beach, and State Farm.
“Our Teacher Idea EXPO has become a much anticipated event for teachers,who have developed successful and motivating classroom strategies and methods and have the data to support increased learning outcomes in the classroom,” said Thomas P. Severino, president/CEO of the Foundation. “These teachers are willing to share successful ideas with fellow teachers within Broward County Schools.”
For more information, call 754-321-2030, visit www.browardedfoundation.org, like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. To register for the Ideas Expo, click here. Participants will earn 10 in-service points.
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About the Broward Education Foundation
Established in 1983, the nonprofit Broward Education Foundation (BEF) aligns with Broward County Public Schools by providing support for innovative teaching to advance Pre K-12 achievement; critically needed educational materials for Title
I school teachers and students, and scholarships for qualified high school seniors. Each year, the Foundation contributes more than $2 million to Broward County schools, serving as the catalyst for educational excellence.
For more information, call 754-321-2030, visit www.browardedfoundation.org, like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.
About Brian Haggerty
Haggerty coined the acronym PLEASE, which stands for People, Life, and Experiential Awareness Skills Education, as the name for a specially constructed curriculum aimed at grades 6 thru 12. The program, first introduced at Belleville High School in Essex County, New Jersey,focuses on manners, etiquette and developing masterful people skills for success. His energizing and inspiring underlying message to kids is that “… you can be all that you dream you can be.”
The PLEASE Program is being implemented at Lyndhurst High School in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, having begun on January 5, 2015.
Belleville’s principal, Russell Pagano, stated that “… the actual impact of Brian and his program have had on increasing respect, civility, kindness, responsibility and creating a positive atmosphere, has reduced the number of bully incidents and made Belleville High School a better place for all. Not only does it teach the most valuable of life skills, it also serves to build confidence in a student’s ability to put his or her best face forward and to be the best they can be.”
Haggerty’s book, a concise and accessible guide to manners for students as well as people in the business world, is in its 2nd printing. According to Chris Mairiano, CEO of Fort Lauderdale based BCH Enterprises – the corporate umbrella of Haggerty’s company – “Brian has emerged as the nation’s leading expert on Cell Phone etiquette.”
About Nova Southeastern University
Situated on 314 beautiful acres in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic, fully accredited research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at all levels. NSU is a not-for-profit independent institution with an enrollment of 27,000 students. NSU awards associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctoral and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields. NSU is classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and it is one of only 37 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification. For more information, please visit www.nova.edu. Celebrating 50 years of academic excellence!
About NSU’s Fischler School of Education:
Serving more than 8,000 students in approximately 40 countries, Nova Southeastern University’s Abraham S. Fischler School of Education is one of the largest schools of education at an accredited university in the United States. When we opened our doors more than 40 years ago, we shattered the barriers of traditional learning, causing a ripple effect that can still be felt today. Online, On-site, Or on our modern, 18-acre campus in North Miami Beach, Florida, our ideas, our approach, and our programs—found nowhere else in the nation—inspire our students to inspire the people around them to move the world.
