Learn: Discover how teachers can leverage their unique position to positively influence students' brain development. This session will explore research in mind, brain, and education, providing practical strategies to enhance learning, memory, critical thinking, and confidence in the classroom.
Engage: Participants will be actively involved through movement, curiosity, humor, play, music, and interactive discussions, making the learning experience enjoyable and memorable.
Apply: Walk away with a wealth of immediately applicable, low-cost strategies to nurture every student's brain and engage their interest daily. Understanding how the brain learns will transform your teaching practice and enrich your own learning experience as well.
Learn: Explore how to achieve a healthier balance between technology and traditional skills in your classroom. This session addresses concerns about excessive screen time and the impact on essential soft skills, drawing from discussions held within my school district.
Engage: We will cover diverse topics, including virtual reality, traditional geography skills, handwriting versus speech-to-text, library resources, and the importance of face-to-face communication. Attendees will have opportunities for Q&A throughout the presentation to foster engagement.
Apply: Participants will receive a T-chart to assess their current balance between technology and traditional skills, along with actionable strategies for reinforcing soft skills in their classrooms. Leave with practical ideas to enhance your curriculum and promote student success in both realms.
Learn: Examine the evolving role of AI tools in student learning and uncover the myths that often accompany their use. From concerns about cheating to fears that AI stifles creativity, panelists will provide evidence-based insights to challenge these misconceptions and highlight how AI can enhance critical thinking, collaboration and innovation in the classroom.
Engage: Join the conversation through the Chat feature to share your perspectives, ask questions and discuss how students are currently using AI tools. Participate in a dynamic Q&A session where panelists will address concerns and provide examples of responsible and effective student-centered AI integration.
Apply: Explore practical examples of AI tools that students can use to support learning and creativity in real time. Learn how to empower students to use AI responsibly to solve problems, explore new ideas and develop critical skills for the future. Gain strategies for creating classroom policies and activities that encourage ethical and innovative use of AI.
Learn: Explore an introduction to labor-based grading, an innovative assessment model that shifts focus from outcomes to student effort and growth. Discover the educational advantages this approach offers for both students and educators, grounded in research by Joe Feldman, Asao B. Inoue, and Matthew Gomes.
Engage: Participate in online polls and Q&A sessions designed to facilitate a deeper understanding of labor-based grading practices. Engage with peers and ask questions as you explore real-world applications of this grading model.
Apply: Gain actionable knowledge and initial strategies to implement labor-based grading in your own classroom fostering a more equitable and supportive assessment environment for all students.
Dr. Simmons is a dedicated high school English teacher in Southern Illinois and an adjunct instructor at a community college. She received a Bachelor of Science in Social Work (2012) and a Master of Arts in Education (2018). Holding a Doctor of Arts in English Pedagogy with a focus... Read More →
Monday February 24, 2025 10:10am - 11:00am CST
Salon 3Marriott St. Louis Airport
Learn: Explore how STEM principles can integrate into all disciplines, including PE, Art, Debate and other specialist areas. Gain insights into how STEM-focused teaching transcends traditional subject boundaries and supports innovative learning across the curriculum.
Engage: Use the Chat feature to ask questions, share ideas and engage with both panel experts and fellow educators. During the live Q&A segment, address specific challenges like assessing STEM work and supporting STEM initiatives in non-STEM subjects.
Apply: Gain practical strategies to embed STEM in your teaching, no matter your subject. Learn ways to support STEM initiatives while meeting grading and assessment requirements, ensuring you contribute to a holistic learning environment for all students.
Learn: Discover how to harness the features of your learning management system (LMS) to support Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and create more inclusive, accessible learning experiences. Explore insights from a district collaboration with the DESE AEM Cohort, demonstrating how UDL principles were translated into actionable goals to make the LMS a tool for diverse learners.
Engage: Explore district-created UDL resources and experiment with tools in an Open Canvas Course designed around UDL principles. Gain insights into how other districts are addressing barriers to learning and making their LMS more inclusive.
Apply: Put UDL into action by mapping UDL principles to your LMS, adapting shared Canvas examples, and developing personalized implementation goals that make your LMS a dynamic platform for learner-centered education.
Learn: Explore collaborative strategies for designing highly engaging, educational experiences using breakout boxes. Discover the fundamentals of crafting immersive learning experiences that captivate and challenge students.
Engage: Participate in a hands-on breakout box activity. Share feedback and insights to understand the impact and potential of these interactive learning tools.
Apply: Gain the knowledge and confidence to create your own breakout box activities, whether independently or in collaboration with fellow educators, ready to implement innovative and engaging lessons in your classroom.
Learn: Discover how to combine Discovery Education with free AI tools like Claude and ChatGPT to create personalized learning experiences, streamline lesson planning and boost student engagement. Get insights into practical strategies for customizing learning pathways, generating quizzes and designing full learning modules.
Engage: Participate in hands-on demonstrations to see AI tools in action, adapting content and generating lesson ideas tailored to your classroom needs. Share ideas and collaborate with peers to brainstorm innovative ways to integrate AI into your teaching practices.
Apply: Gain actionable strategies and an exclusive preview of Discovery Education’s upcoming AI-powered assessment tools. Whether you’re an AI novice or an experienced user, you’ll be ready to use these tools to save time and elevate your teaching.
Learn: Gain a comprehensive understanding of Dabrowski's Overexcitabilities Theory and its relevance to the characteristics of exceptional learners. Delve into each overexcitability, connecting theoretical concepts to real-life experiences.
Engage: Actively discuss overexcitabilities and identify your own, experiencing "OE Breaks" to understand the energy release associated with each type. This session emphasizes experiential learning over passive listening.
Apply: Move beyond theory to practical insights on creating conducive learning environments that support emotional well-being and concentration. Gain strategies for fostering self-awareness and emotional regulation in gifted students, including routines, activities and tools to manage overstimulation and enhance learning experiences for those with overexcitabilities.
Carly Mansfield is a dedicated Gifted Specialist at the Kirkwood School District, bringing over 20 years of teaching experience to her role. She has taught elementary education, middle school social studies, served as a building STEM coordinator, and now focuses on gifted education... Read More →
Learn: Explore key elements of career readiness that have proven successful in diverse educational settings. Identify modules and mini-lessons that connect curriculum to profession-based relevance, tailored to fit your unique classroom context.
Engage: Collaborate with shoulder-partners to practice various strategies, contribute questions that guide the workshop’s direction, and co-create a list of valuable resources and ideas. This collaborative approach will enable you to expand on resources shared while addressing real-world applications.
Learn: Explore the findings of our nationwide survey involving 119 high school English teachers regarding their attitudes toward ChatGPT integration in instructional practices. Gain insights into ethical concerns, common usage patterns and current perceptions of ChatGPT in the classroom.
Engage: Learn how English teachers are utilizing ChatGPT for personal planning and classroom instruction as you are guided through the process of creating a ChatGPT account. Learn how to differentiate lesson plans for various learning levels, develop new lesson plans and streamline administrative tasks. Depending on compurter availability, work independently or interact with demonstrations.
Apply: Get hands-on experience with ChatGPT as you explore its capabilities using your own classroom materials. Gain practical strategies for integrating ChatGPT into your teaching, along with take-home materials such as printouts and access to our presentation to support future application.
Dr. Simmons is a dedicated high school English teacher in Southern Illinois and an adjunct instructor at a community college. She received a Bachelor of Science in Social Work (2012) and a Master of Arts in Education (2018). Holding a Doctor of Arts in English Pedagogy with a focus... Read More →
Dr. Cara Bertelmann holds a Bachelor's in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2015), a Master's in Secondary Education from Grand Canyon University (2018), and a Doctor of Arts in English Pedagogy with a specialization in English Language from... Read More →
Monday February 24, 2025 12:10pm - 1:00pm CST
Salon 3Marriott St. Louis Airport
Learn: Discover the latest AI resources and how to leverage them to streamline daily tasks, enhance instructional practices and engage students meaningfully, prioritizing effective learning outcomes.
Engage: Actively explore and utilize AI tools to design a classroom-ready lesson that incorporates practical applications, enabling students to engage actively with an AI platform.
Apply: Gain a ready-to-implement lesson plan that integrates AI, enhancing student engagement and facilitating deeper learning experiences in the classroom.