Syfr believes that discovery, innovation and creativity are often found where diverse ideas intersect and meet. Solutions are found in the intersections of our own expertise with new concepts and approaches.

FIELD WORK:
The Intersections Series moves educators from "educentric" thinking into an interdisciplinary exploration for solutions to our most pressing educational problems. It is an approach less often taken. It is built around four components designed to break down the “silos” that isolate our work and stimulate professional growth through collaboration.

Components of Syfr’s FIELD WORK:
The Intersections Series

• Syfr Basics — Articles or books related to the theme of the seminar. The books are read prior to the seminar; writing and discussion take place during the seminar.
• Message from the Media — The brain processes text differently than audio-visual messages so FIELD WORK may include movies as well as books in the pre-seminar work. Movie discussion becomes part of the seminar.
• Seminar or Retreat — Consultants or outside presenters bring topics to the district designed to re-frame issues, propose answers and facilitate collaboration leading to solutions.
• Digital Campus — Syfr's approach to professional development is to create peer collaboration to facilitate the conversations necessary for successful change. Our Digital Campus establishes learning communities for the participants around seminar themes.

Syfr's approach to professional development (creating intersections between ideas and concepts) includes a number of broad themes that can be blended together in unlikely ways to deliver a message. In developing a program for school districts these themes are like an à la carte menu from which districts, with the help of Syfr representatives, select the combination that best meets their needs. The following is a list of themes from which Syfr creates FIELD WORK: The Intersections Series.

Leadership Creativity, Discovery and Innovation Diversity Technology The 21st Century Communications

The "à la carte" selection is used to create your district's seminars. A sampling of FIELD WORK: Intersections topics is listed below:

Leadership Basics — Relationships, the Work & Setting Objectives
How Change Works — Lessons for Changing Teaching & Learning
Meeting the Global Challenge — Science, Math & More
Organizational Change — Hard, Necessary, & How to Make it Work
Education, Income and Freedom — Relationships & Decision–making
Science as a Creative Endeavor — Discover, Invent & Innovate
The Brain on Learning — Engagement, Emotion, Reason & Practice
Science of Neuroscience — The Science of How Science Works
The Nature of Science — Launch Pad for Interdisciplinary Study
Classroom Leadership — Alignment & Practice
Writing — Teaching Creativity
Second Language & Culture — Differentiating Successful Solutions
Communications — Writing, Media & Thinking