Dougherty County 2015 Teacher of the Year, Jennifer Lewis-Polite, will be the keynote speaker Saturday, March 14, for the Albany State University Educators Summit.

The annual event, hosted by the College of Education, will be held in the Billy C. Black Building Atrium from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This year’s theme is “Learning from the Masters: Recognizing Excellence in Teaching, Research, and Scholarship.”

“The Summit offers professional development for future educators that supports both content and pedagogical knowledge,” said Erica DeCuir, Ph.D., middle-grades education professor for the ASU College of Education.

The conference is designed for P-12 educators, region-wide university faculty and students, and community partners throughout southwest Georgia.

“I am hoping attendees will leave knowing and understanding what a privilege it is to be an educator. As educators, we have the opportunity to inspire greatness in the lives of many,” said Lewis-Polite, a fourth-grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary Magnet School.

Summit presenters will explore topics representing each of the following strands: research, teaching, scholarship, and community partnerships.

“Sessions reflect a broad range of topics that target such specific academic disciplines as science or math, and general professional knowledge. Additionally, the Summit provides an opportunity for future educators to share knowledge and experiences with current practitioners, school leaders, and district administration,” Decuir said.

A superintendents’ roundtable discussion will be one of the featured events. Shawn Davidson, Ed.D., ASU assistant professor in the department of educational leadership, will facilitate the discussion.

“The Superintendents’ Roundtable is organized to promote dialogue and understanding between area superintendents and educators,” Decuir said. “Sessions provide an intimate and participatory environment to discuss educational issues, research, or praxis.”

Sessions include strategies on creative teaching, integrating reading and science instruction to improve science achievement, research issues and trends in mathematics education, and incorporating culture and history in literature classes with multimedia. 

To register for the Educators Summit, please visit http://www.asurams.edu/academics/college-of-education/2015-annual-educators-summit-learning-masters-recognizing-excellence-teaching-research-scholarship/register/.