Goals of the Iditarod Educator's Conference

We are pleased you will be in attendance at our conference. We look forward to seeing you!

What are our goals? Our goals include:

Our first goal is to provide a conference that meets your goals!

We want our workshop agenda and experiences to provide you with the knowledge and the opportunities that allow you to lean what you need to learn and experience Alaska in a way that helps you when you return to your respective classrooms and experiences.

We have discovered that teachers in all grade levels--- from pre-school through university level, and teachers of all curriculum areas, use Iditarod as a theme and instructional tool. These teachers are from Alaska, Hawaii, the lower 48 and all around the world. Each of you at our conference comes to the us with your own curriculum area and grade level, and your own specific professional and personal goals. Each of you are not only unique in your needs, but also have many commonalities with teachers around the world. OUR GOAL is to first and foremost, help you meet your own goals while you collaborate and connect with other educators and the Alaska, mushing community.

Content standards, cultural standards, and character education are all components of an Iditarod educational project.

Goal 2:
Provide a learning environment that inspires you to use best practices of teaching and learning, researched based methods of instruction, and standards driven curriculum connections. Our speakers and our locations have been chosen to provide you with a wide variety of opportunities to meet a global overview of how Iditarod is used as a tool. We also know that NCLB is a REASON to use Iditarod in the classroom. Our conference agenda provides the opportunity for eductors to learn first hand, about Alaska, Iditarod, and sled dogs.

Conference participants go home with photogrpahs, autographs, and experiences that are not just great memories, but opportunities to expand the curriculum.

Goal 3:
Demonstrate that technology based instruction impacts teaching and learning. Iditarod Insider is a technology tool that brings the race as close to the classroom as possible.

When educators create standards driven curriculum that brings a real time event such as Iditarod, to within the classroom walls in real time, an adventure learning project impacts academics in a positive way. Students transition the learning to their 'local' level and develop service learning projects that result in life long learning.

Goal 4:
Encourage the Iditarod as a teaching theme and a life long interest. Provide tips, tools, and resources and information about products that may enhance your teaching.

Goal 5:
Create a community of learners of all ages, willing to collaborate on topics and projects.

We've other goals, too! At our conference, you'll discover those goals. More importantly, you'll discover that our goals connect with your goals and result in quality educational projects that empower students to learn.