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The Iditarod Education Department

The Iditarod Education Department is proud to welcome you to our conference.

Our hope is that by attending this conference and having this experience, you gain experiences to meet your goals.

Our hope is that this blog provides you with answers to questions you may have and ideas to enhance this experience for you.

Great grandaughter of Joe Redington, Sr.

The Iditarod Education Department provides two conferences each year.

You can learn about this conference, future confernces, our Wells Fargo Teacher on the Trail(tm) program and other Iditarod Educational projects at www.iditarod.com.

We also recommend you subscribe to Iditarod Insider to enhance your teaching and learning opportunities.

Email me with questions and comments: djohnson@iditarod.com

OUR CONFERENCE DAILY SCHEDULE IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING UPDATED. CHECK BACK SOON!

Meet the 2008 Wells Fargo Teacher on the Trail(tm) Jane Blaile

Jane Blaile is the 2008 Wells Fargo Teacher on the Trail(tm). She is from Phoenix, Arizona. Jane teaches at Christ Lutheran Christian School.

The excitement and adventure of the Iditarod is what first lured Jane into using it in her classroom. The value of using it became stronger as she saw that the Iditarod is the story of the Alaskan people, their spirit, their commitment, and their history. Jane uses the Iditarod throughout all the curricular areas in her classroom, from art to science, P.E. to writing. She encourages others to use the Iditarod in their classrooms as a tool to reach all learners.

At the conference, Jane will share her journey 'thus far' and provide a glimpse of her goals and plans for the months to come. Getting connected with Jane's projects early will be an incredible opportunity for students. Jane also looks forward to helping participants meet their goals by assisting participans in developing lessons and activities that are aligned to standards and objectives.

Meet the FIRST TEACHER ON THE TRAIL, Finney

Andrea Auf der Hyde was the FIRST Iditarod Teacher on the Trail and journeyed the Iditarod Trail in 1999. Having recognized the power of the Iditarod as a teaching tool, Finney went to Alaska and met with Iditarod staff. After meetings, plans, and hard work, she became the first Iditarod Trail. Finney created lessons for the website and during the race, wrote a journal to share her experiences with race fans and classrooms.

Finney and Diane Johnson, 2006

Finney will be in Alaska during June. Participants at the 2007 Summer Conference will have the opportunity to meet Finney and hear her story.

2007 Wells Fargo Teacher on the Trail™ Kim Slade

Kim Slade, 2007 Wells Fargo Teacher on the Trail(tm) is from Vero Beach, Florida. While on the trail during Iditarod 2007, Kim gave out sea shells to all she met as she shared her 'Florida' with those in Alaska and helped students make connections between Florida and Alaska.

Kim did a dynamic job along the trail, teaching students in the villages and sharing projects with eductors and race fans.

Kim will share her experiences with us and give us a glimpse of what the experiences along the trail brought to her.

Congratulations to WFTOTT Kim!

We thank you for all of your hard work and dedication.

2006 Wells Fargo Teacher on the Trail(tm) Terrie Hanke

2006 WFTOTT Terrie Hanke will be a speaker and leader at the 2007 Iditarod Summer Conference for Educators.

How does one become a Wells Fargo Teacher on the Trail(tm)? Terrie has expertise in knowing what it takes to be a Wells Fargo Teacher on the Trail.

What did Terrie gain from her experiences during her 2006 Iditarod experience? What learning came from those experiences and what trail has that led Terrie to today?

You will be inspired by Terrie's presenation and enjoy her leadership during our conference.

AND, if you ride a bike, has she got a project for you!

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.