Previous Events

Crafting Inquiry 2025: Designing learning through questions, curiosity, and collaboration

Date: October 17, 2025
Presenters: Trevor MacKenzie and Jessica Vance
Location: Hilton Portland Downtown, Portland OR

Trevor MacKenzie and Jessica Vance shared ten high-impact Question Routines. Question Routines are designed to help teachers leverage student-generated questions that call on students to sort, organize, justify, and revise their questions and, in doing so, help them become more competent questioners themselves. A focus for the afternoon was on the impact that learning walls have on student learning and how the visual evidence of inquiry supports all students in feeling capable and competent in the classroom.

Brain-Based Learning Within a Multilingual Community

Dates: February 22 and April 12, 2025
Presenters: Ana Lia Oliva and Christopher Merideth
Location: International School of Portland campus, Portland OR

In this multi-part professional learning opportunity, two educational researchers explored the advantages of fostering a multilingual learning community within all classrooms through the lenses of neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and language. Sessions included an introduction to brain-based learning theory, multiple demonstrations of visual language learning strategies, and opportunities for participants to give thought to how they might promote learning in their own educational settings. So popular we brought it back for a second year!

Experience Inquiry and La experiencia de la indagación

Dates: January 25-26, 2025
Presenters: Kimberly Mitchell (English) and Paola Gagliardo (Spanish)
Location: International School of Portland campus, Portland OR

This workshop explored practical strategies for implementing inquiry in the classroom, making it accessible for both novice and experienced educators. Using five key inquiry strategies from Experience Inquiry by Kimberly Mitchell, translated into Spanish by Paola Gagliardo, participants engaged in hands-on routines designed for learners of all ages. The workshop emphasized fostering curiosity, refining questioning techniques, and encouraging evidence-based discussions to deepen thinking. Offered in both English and Spanish, this interactive experience helped educators develop a clearer understanding of how to make inquiry a natural and effective part of their teaching practice.

From Inquiry Mind to Inquiry Fluency and Adaptive and Literacy-Based Approaches in Inquiry-Based Additional Language Classrooms

Date: January 11, 2025
Presenters: Dr. Lucy Wong
Location: Virtual

Dr. Lucy Wong led us in two FREE webinars around the ideas of language and inquiry. She focused on transforming inquiry from a mindset into a fluent practice, emphasizing its role in both classroom and whole-school development. She highlighted the importance of teacher inquiry fluency in driving educational change and explored adaptive, literacy-based approaches for additional language learning. Addressing challenges like differentiation and student engagement, she shared research-based strategies to create dynamic, inquiry-driven environments.

Crafting Inquiry 2024: Inspiring Mathematics Success for All StudentsDate: October 18, 2024
Presenters: Jo Boaler and Cathy Williams
Location: The Nines Hotel, Portland OR

We were honored to have Dr. Jo Boaler and Cathy Williams join us as our presenters. Jo and Cathy are cofounders of youcubed.org and are champions for a conceptual and equitable approach to teaching mathematics. Their work provides research-backed strategies and resources for teachers to promote a shift in the world of mathematics education.

During this inspiring day, Jo and Cathy spoke of the need for a conceptual and connected approach to teaching math, and led us through engaging and challenging activities, sharing research and stories to inspire a shift in how we approach math education. Teachers walked away with new ideas, and many have already begun to implement these in their classrooms. As one participant shared: “This is PD Disneyland!”

Motivation, Resilience, and Belonging: Empowering all Learners to Thrive TogetherDate: August 2024
Presenters: Dr. Emily Jaskowiak
Location: International School of Portland campus, Portland OR

Emily Jaskowiak has worked in the field of education for over 15 years. During that time she has worked as a speech and language pathologist, educational consultant and coach, and coordinator of social/emotional learning for students with special education services. She led the ISP faculty in an engaging and informative workshop about how to embrace all students, increase motiviation, and create a sense of belonging in our classrooms.

Responsive ClassroomDate: August 2024
Presenters: Responsive Classroom
Location: International School of Portland campus, Portland OR

We partnered with Responsive Classroom to host three incredible workshops! First, we held a one-day Leadership Symposium, and then two intensive four-day workshops: Elementary Core Course and Elementary Advanced Course. It was a week of laughter, learning, and forward thinking about how we can best support, encourage, and embrace all of our students. Thanks, Responsive Classroom.

Introduction to Concept-Based InquiryDates: March 2024
Presenters: Rachel French
Location: International School of Portland campus, Portland OR

This workshop was an intensive 2-day workshop for Teachers and School Leaders committed to implementing a Concept-Based approach, offering practical strategies that invited participants to rethink the unit design process. We discovered the Concept-Based Inquiry model developed by French and Marschall, and unlocked a framework for intentional teaching and learning. Participants left with various teaching strategies carefully crafted to cultivate students’ conceptual thinking.

Empowering Teacher Leaders: Fostering Excellence in our SchoolsDates: March 2024
Presenters: Stacy Stephens
Location: International School of Portland campus, Portland OR

In today’s dynamic educational landscape, the significance of teacher leadership in our schools cannot be overstated. This interactive workshop delves into the pivotal role that teacher leaders play in shaping and enhancing the quality of education.

Participants explored the essential qualities and skills that define effective teacher leadership, including collaboration, communication, and effective team management. Through thought-provoking discussions and hands-on activities, attendees gained practical strategies to build their leadership capacity.

Crafting Inquiry 2023: An exploration of mindset, curiosity, and playful learning for all agesDates: October 13-14, 2023
Presenters: John Spencer, Lynn Cuccaro, and Yvonne Liu-Constant
Location: Kimpton Riverplace Hotel, Portland OR

What does your classroom say about children’s ideas, inquiries, play, and learning? How do we nurture children’s curiosity while also keeping it alive for ourselves as educators? How do we support playful pedagogy in schools? Inquiry-based learning sounds great, but how do we actually make it work when we have content to teach and limited time to do it?

Lynn Cuccaro, Yvonne Liu-Constant, and John Spencer explored these questions and more in a unique, interactive, and hands-on two-day conference!

International Baccalaureate WorkshopsDates: August 2023
Presenters: International Baccalaureate
Location: International School of Portland campus, Portland OR

In August 2023 the Spear Center and the International School of Portland hosted three official IB workshops on the ISP campus:

• Making the PYP Happen: Implementing Agency (category 1)
• Evidencing Learning (category 2)
• Bilingual and Multilingual Teaching and Learning (category 3)

The Wondrous Classroom: Playful PedagogyDates: May 2023
Presenters: Lynn Cuccaro
Location: International School of Portland campus, Portland OR

Research continues to point out that young children learn best through meaningful play experiences. As educators, we know that play is the primary way children learn. In this workshop, we uncovered the early years skills developed through play while discovering how movement supports neural pathways in the brain to connect “learning dots” and builds the brain’s architecture. We also unpacked the crucial sensory-motor skills that build the foundation to early literacy, both in reading and handwriting regardless of the language of instruction.

Crafting Inquiry 2022Dates: October 2022
Presenters: Kath Murdock, Trevor MacKenzie, Kimberly Mitchell, Stephanie Harvey
Location: Portland Art Museum, Portland OR

What does it look like to implement inquiry practices well? What about the role of assessment? How do we craft and encourage meaningful and productive questions that build critical thinking skills, resolve dilemmas, and ignite creative solutions?

Kath Murdoch, Trevor MacKenzie, Stephanie Harvey, and Kimberly Mitchell dove into these topics and more in our kick-off 2-day conference held both in person and virtually in Portland, Oregon.