GATEWAYS CONFERENCE
Online registration is open now.
Our Planning Committee is very excited to announce that Michael D'Aleo will be our keynote speaker for the 3rd Annual Gateways Conference on April 20 (Friday evening) and April 21 (Saturday all day), 2012! Michael will be talking with us about science and nature education from Early Childhood through High School.
Please be sure to mark it on your calendars now.
Click here to download a PDF of the Gateways brochure.
3RD ANNUAL GATEWAYS
A CONFERENCE ON CHILDHOOD FOR
PARENTS, EDUCATORS, AND CAREGIVERS
SENSING OUR NATURAL WORLD: THE ROOT TO LEARNING
April 20 & 21, 2012
"The development of true ideas and concepts is based upon rich sensory experiences. True knowing is to be fully awake to sensation – to experiences that are full of sensation."
"As a teacher, I have found that the only time I am really preparing students for the life that they will live, the life of the future, is when I teach them how to fully use their senses and live in the present."
— Michael D'Aleo, Keynote Speaker, 2012 Gateways Conference
"I came away from the keynote talks at the Gateways Conference feeling inspired and knowledgeable about the importance of unstructured play for my children. The speaker's wonderful stories and perspectives influenced a positive shift in my parenting. Thank you!"
— Shannon Ryland, after attending the 2011 Gateways Conference
Keynote Talks by Michael D'Aleo
(Friday evening, April 20 and Saturday morning, April 21)
SENSING OUR NATURAL WORLD: THE ROOT TO LEARNING
The constantly changing dynamic world in which we live requires us to pay attention. The answers of yesterday are, at times, no longer appropriate for today. In short, we are being asked to come back to our senses.
The ability to perceive what is happening around us has always been the starting point for all truthful insights and new ways of thinking. The healthy development of the senses is most powerfully accomplished in the early years of life. Our senses develop most richly in conjunction with regular exposure to the powerful yet subtle integration of the natural world.
My two talks will focus on this theme. We will investigate the foundational role that perception has played in all scientific and cultural breakthroughs. This will make apparent the critical importance of developing a healthy foundation for the senses in childhood. Looking at our present technological and societal conventions through this new lens of "sensing" will allow us to see what changes have been beneficial, but also those elements that cause us to feel disconnected from our surroundings and ourselves. Through a clear understanding of how we work with our senses and our thinking capacities, we can move toward a future of greater environmental and societal integration.
About Michael D'Aleo
Michael is a founding member and Director of Research of the Saratoga Experiential Natural Science Research Institute (SENSRI: see www.sensri.org) in Saratoga Springs, NY. He was a co-founder of the Waldorf School of Saratoga Springs High School, where he teaches physical sciences and mathematics. Michael is an instructor at teacher training institutions and is also the co-founder and leader of the successful Middle School science teacher training "Teaching Sensible Science".
Michael has a Mechanical Engineering degree from Rutgers University and a Masters degree in Education from Sunbridge College. He holds patents on 17 inventions and has taught Waldorf science and math for 21 years, following 7 years leading design and development for a US electronics company. Michael lectures internationally on the topics of science and education – at universities, science symposia, and conferences for parents and teachers.
We look forward to having you join us at our 3rd Annual Gateways Conference!
