Dr. Seann Dikkers
SPEAKER - AUTHOR - ADMINISTRATOR
Dr. Dikkers is an experienced Christian educator, Calvary Chapel Pastor, and a passionate advocate for Christ-centered, project-based learning. A husband and father of two children, he currently works as the Executive Director at Portals, developing support for new schools and homeschooling families. He has worked as a middle school teacher, high school principal, researcher, professor, and authored books including Teacher Craft, Mobile-Media Learning, and Real-Time Research exploring the powerful impact of play, design, and project-based learning. His insights have resonated with many across a wide variety of audiences. As a previous school administrator, he knows how hard it can be to find quality, affordable professional development opportunities for your staff. Fill out the form below and we will respond within 1-2 business days with more information.
Select from a variety of topics:
Assessment Without Grades
For a brief moment in history, government schools have experimented with institutional “grading” and embedded it into our culture as “essential” for learning. Yet, for thousands of years, educators have used other methods to evaluate learning—approaches far more individualized and effective than testing and letter grades. In this workshop, we’ll explore time-tested, research-supported alternatives such as project-based and conversational assessments that better measure growth, fit your students’ learning style, and help you confidently document real achievement.
Carrots, Not Sticks: Designing Learning for Joy
What drives our learning? What convinces anyone to pursue knowledge, invest, and embark on great endeavors? Is ‘boredom’ necessary or to be avoided? Why do we learn new skills? This session will explore learning for joy, motivational strategies, and outline practical planning tools that will help you take any content and foster joy in the process. If your child is less than motivated, this session may help answer why and offer key approaches you can use starting tomorrow.
The Digital Divide
No child should sit in front of a screen all day. If we can agree on that, then the core question for parents is, “How much, if any, screentime is good for children?” What does research and common sense say about cognitive growth and the strengths and weaknesses of digital tools for learning. If our children are entering workplaces that use computers, how can we equip them over time, give them spiritual armor and ethics around usage, and find balance for a healthy family.
Play More
It’s easy to recognize how valuable play is to children. They love it! It is not so easy to convince ourselves that play has a variety of long term benefits and that play is actually learning. It is arguably the most pure form of learning we have. Dr. Dikkers will walk us through an overview of the physical, developmental, social, and academic benefits of non-directed play time.
Project-Based Learning
Tired of worksheets, reviews, and endless tests? Are your students weary of school and wondering, “Why are we learning this?” It might be time to explore Project-Based Learning (PBL)—an engaging and effective alternative. Join Dr. Seann Dikkers, lead designer of Portals Education, to discover the research behind PBL, how to get started quickly, and why this hands-on approach helps students stand-out from their peers and excel across every subject area.
Epic Questing: Teaching Kids to Tackle Big Things
We can easily get lost in the day to day work of educating, simply doing the next lesson. Yet, if we want our students to ever take on big projects--like a profession--it may be time to think about teaching them how to do so. Dr. Dikkers will explain some of the reasons to establish an annual or 'epic project' for each of your students. This session is rich in ideas, project-based learning, and supporting an overarching endeavor in your classroom.