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Join us March 10-11, at Woodward’s Summit for Transformative Learning (STLinATL) 2025, where the future of education unfolds in an exhilarating two-day journey. This year, we’re thrilled to explore the theme “Embracing the Future of Education,” a beacon for the path ahead in deeper learning.
Monday, March 10
 

8:30am EDT

The Junkyard Dog Manifesto, My Tough Love Letters To Educators
Monday March 10, 2025 8:30am - 9:20am EDT
Gresham Chapel
Cancel your registration for the Trauma Trade Show Conference.  Learning how poor kids learn can wait. The most significant trauma in education has been perpetrated on educators. You’re confused right now, so you need my coaching. During this keynote, based on my upcoming book, I’ll stand you in front of a mirror and hold you there until you see who I see. I will whisper to your soul and show you who you are.
Speakers
avatar for Ken Williams

Ken Williams

CEO, Unfold The Soul, Inc.
Ken Williams is a husband, father, nationally recognized trainer, speaker, coach, and consultant in leadership, instructional equity, and school culture. Ken has served as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, and school principal. He is the author of the award-winning book Ruthless... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 8:30am - 9:20am EDT
Gresham Chapel
  Keynote

9:30am EDT

Accelerate Student Learning through Complex Reasoning: Rigor and Relevance in the 21st Century Classroom
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W132
Students who are encouraged to be critical thinkers and problem solvers invariably develop a sense of curiosity to process the world around them in the most creative ways. Dr. Johnson offers strategies to facilitate accelerated learning via complex reasoning skills in this session. You can apply what you learn in this hands-on session, and you'll be on your way to ramping up rigor in your classroom and making accelerated learning a dynamic and engaging experience for your students.
Speakers
avatar for Kendrick Johnson

Kendrick Johnson

Founder, Frontier Educational Consulting
Dr. Kendrick Johnson is founder of Frontier Educational Consulting. He began his career as a high school and middle school English teacher in Chicago. Dr. Johnson also spent time as an instructional coach and a director of curriculum and instruction.  He later transitioned into working... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W132
  Workshop

9:30am EDT

Assessing Assessments in the Age of AI
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Moss Lecture Hall
This presentation will encourage attendees to interrogate current assessment practices, especially in the context of Generative AI’s increasing role in the classroom. With these tools capable of mimicking students’ work with remarkable accuracy, many educators are scrambling to “AI-proof” their assessments—often with mixed success. We will explore data on how students are currently using Generative AI tools in schools, providing a foundation for informed discussion and reflection. Participants will examine widely used summative assessment methods and consider what we truly learn—or believe we learn—from these tools when they are used in traditional formats.

Through hands-on activities, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the biases inherent in Generative AI tools and those designed to detect AI-generated work, offering critical insights into their limitations and implications for assessment. Discussions will also explore how to refine the use of familiar tools like rubrics and portfolios to more effectively measure authentic student growth and learning over time.

We will introduce alternative assessment strategies, including formative, collaborative, reflective, and metacognitive approaches, and discuss how these methods can promote deeper engagement and learning. By the end of the session, attendees will leave with a practical awareness of these challenges, actionable strategies for navigating them, and a detailed template to guide the process of rethinking and updating their assessment practices for a rapidly evolving educational landscape.


Speakers
avatar for Sarah Hanawald

Sarah Hanawald

Senior Director, Association for Academic Leaders
Sarah has spent over twenty-five years leading education innovation in curriculum and pedagogy in independent schools. During that time, she was a classroom teacher and advisor, department chair, technology director, and an academic dean at three North Carolina Independent schools... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Moss Lecture Hall
  Workshop

9:30am EDT

Beyond Sticks and Stones: Helping Youth Navigate Conflict and Bullying
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
The LJ
Presentation Link:
With the heightened awareness of bullying in today's world, it's hard to know how to support our children. What is the difference between everyday conflict and bullying? How do boys and girls experience aggression differently? How do identifiers like sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, ability, and socioeconomic status affect aggression? Learn about different types of aggression and practical tools in responding to conflicts and bullying.
Speakers
avatar for Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee

Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee

Outreach Specialist, Seattle Girls' School
Since 2004, Rosetta Lee has been a diversity speaker and trainer on a variety of topics, including cross-cultural communication, identity development, implicit and unconscious bias, gender and sexuality diversity, facilitation skills, and bullying in schools.  Rosetta has presented... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
The LJ
  Workshop

9:30am EDT

Differentiating Instruction with Mastery Learning
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W300
This presentation describes ways to personalize and differentiate instruction for diverse students through the use of mastery learning instructional strategies. The practical issues involved in implementing mastery learning are presented, along with ways to adapt these procedures to personal teaching styles, specific classroom situations, and the needs of individual students. Participants will gain a clear understanding of the theory and practice of mastery learning and explore ways to effectively implement these strategies to help more students learn excellently.


Guskey, T. R. (2023). Implementing Mastery Learning (3nd ed.). Corwin.
Guskey, T. R. (Ed.) (2006). Benjamin S. Bloom: Portraits of an Educator. Rowman & Littlefield Education.


Speakers
avatar for Thomas Guskey

Thomas Guskey

Professor Emeritus, University of Kentucky
Thomas R. Guskey, PhD, is Professor Emeritus in the College of Education, University of Kentucky. A graduate of the University of Chicago’s renowned Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistical Analysis (MESA) program, he began his career in education as a middle school teacher, served... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W300
  Workshop

9:30am EDT

Educating for Sustainability with the Brain in Mind
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W121
Presentation Link:
In this session, educators will engage in a brief simulation that highlights the role of cognitive frameworks and the power of neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to adapt and form new neurons and synapses in response to new experiences. Understanding these processes is essential for educating students and making the shift toward a sustainable future. We will explore and discuss an article that uses the SCARF model by Dr. David Rock to understand how to educate for sustainability without putting students and other adults in a “threat state”.
Speakers
avatar for Jaimie P. Cloud

Jaimie P. Cloud

Founder and President, Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education
Jaimie P. Cloud is the founder and president of the Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education in New York City. The Cloud Institute is dedicated to the vital role of education in creating awareness, fostering commitment, and guiding actions toward a healthy, secure and sustainable... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W121
  Workshop

9:30am EDT

Fostering Global Citizenship through Competency-Based Curriculum Design and Pedagogy
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W134
The imperative and urgency to educate young people with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required to thrive in an interconnected world and to take on inherently interconnected challenges has perhaps never been more apparent. No matter the grade level or subject area, educators can teach students global competencies like open-mindedness, intercultural communication, creative problem-solving, and cultural humility through focused curriculum design and key global pedagogies. Join this session to hear about numerous models of assignments, projects, units, courses from across GEBG’s nearly 400 member schools and to workshop your own curriculum utilizing GEBG’s Curriculum Toolkit and other curated resources.

Facilitated by Chad Detloff, GEBG Director of Professional Learning and Curriculum
Speakers
avatar for Chad Detloff

Chad Detloff

Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, Global Education Benchmark Group (GEBG)
As GEBG’s Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, Chad Detloff supports member schools around topics such as intercultural dialogue; student action in local, national, and international contexts; climate/sustainability education; classroom curriculum driven by global competencies... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W134
  Workshop

9:30am EDT

Note-making Instead of Notetaking (Math)
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Library Conference Room A-B
Learning about and working on the ideas in Building Thinking Classrooms, there is a difference between note-taking and note-making. Let’s intentionally design opportunities for students to make sense of their learning by creating their own notes.  In this hands-on session, we will “do” some math, experience an example of note-making, and discuss how to develop this important skill in our students.
Speakers
avatar for Jill Gough

Jill Gough

Director of Teaching and Learning, Trinity School
Jill Gough, Director of Teaching and Learning at Trinity School since 2012, facilitates professional development opportunities, builds teacher-administrator partnerships to facilitate a collaborative learning community, and leads educator observations and assessments. In addition... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Library Conference Room A-B
  Workshop

9:30am EDT

The Blind Spots of PityCat Culture
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Bowers Commons (Chapel Activity Room)
Becoming a Junkyard Dog involves unlearning and relearning. It’s the process of deprogramming and reprogramming. PityCat culture lives inside our vocabulary, protocols, processes, and paradigms. This session will calibrate your lenses so that you can avoid the destructive seduction of PityCat Culture.
Speakers
avatar for Ken Williams

Ken Williams

CEO, Unfold The Soul, Inc.
Ken Williams is a husband, father, nationally recognized trainer, speaker, coach, and consultant in leadership, instructional equity, and school culture. Ken has served as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, and school principal. He is the author of the award-winning book Ruthless... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Bowers Commons (Chapel Activity Room)
  Workshop

9:30am EDT

The Writing Revolution: K-3 as a Formative Assessment Opportunity
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W126
A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades
To be effective, writing instruction starts in elementary school. Good writing starts with explicit instruction, deliberate practice, and revision.  Let’s write together and discuss a roadmap to provide clear, coherent, evidence-based instruction no matter what subject or grade level you teach. 
Speakers
avatar for Marsha Harris

Marsha Harris

Director of Curriculum, Trinity School
With 27 years in elementary education, I am dedicated to promoting effective teaching practices, fostering student success, and enhancing the overall educational experience for young learners.As Director of Curriculum, I play a pivotal role in designing and implementing comprehensive... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W126
  Workshop

9:30am EDT

Toddlers, Bullies & Henny Pennys
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Carlos Science Atrium
The presence of anger, aggression, and anxiety are all intense emotions that often dominate conversation and require specific understandings and skills to effectively manage the impact of those emotions. This session seeks to equip participants to be better prepared for when those behaviors are present.
Speakers
avatar for Ken Rogers

Ken Rogers

Upper Division Head, The Park School
Ken Rogers, a trained counselor, is the head of the upper division (grades 5-8) at The Park School (MA). Rogers is on the faculty of the ISACS New Teacher Institute. With independent school experience as a teacher, department chair, dean, and head of middle school, he is an ISACS... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Carlos Science Atrium
  Workshop

9:30am EDT

Using Rubrics to Evaluate and Improve Student Performance
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W200
Presentation Link:
Evaluative tools, such as performance lists and rubrics can be used to improve student performance as well as evaluate and grade it. In this session, we’ll examine the characteristics of three different types of scoring tools – criterion lists, holistic and analytic rubrics – and consider the advantages and limitations of each. We’ll review procedures for using rubrics to achieve fair, valid, and reliable evaluation and grading of student learning. Finally, we’ll examine ways of using rubrics as tools for teaching and learning as well as evaluation. A list of recommended online resources will be provided.
Speakers
avatar for Jay McTighe

Jay McTighe

Consultant, McTighe and Associates
Jay McTighe is a veteran educator, having served as a teacher, resource specialist, program coordinator, director of a state program for gifted students, and administrator for innovative programs at the Maryland Department of Education. He is an accomplished author, having co-authored... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W200
  Workshop

11:00am EDT

Who We Are: Identity Development for Educators and Youth
Monday March 10, 2025 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
Gresham Chapel
Presentation Link:
How do we learn about our various group identities like female, African American, Buddhist, gay, middle class, etc.? Why do some people develop proud and healthy self identity and others experience own-group shame and hatred? How do identity dynamics show up in the classroom? Learn how we can, in age appropriate ways, support positive self identity in our students and teach them to be positive influences on others' identities. Together, we can co-create inclusive communities that work toward success for all.
Speakers
avatar for Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee

Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee

Outreach Specialist, Seattle Girls' School
Since 2004, Rosetta Lee has been a diversity speaker and trainer on a variety of topics, including cross-cultural communication, identity development, implicit and unconscious bias, gender and sexuality diversity, facilitation skills, and bullying in schools.  Rosetta has presented... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
Gresham Chapel
  Keynote

12:00pm EDT

Beyond the Books 2.0 (Natalie Rachel, Summaya Knight, Tammy Felton)
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W121
The hands-on workshop (concurrent session) “Beyond the Books: Creating Engaging STEAM Activities, 2.0” will provide attendees with the opportunity to experience a variety of activities that can be used in the Makerspace or STEAM classroom. Presenters will share teaching strategies and classroom practices that foster critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity in elementary students. Additionally, there will be an opportunity to explore various technologies including coding and robotics (Root Robot, Ozobots, Sphero Indie, and Spike Prime.). This will be an engaging experience that reflects best practices of STEAM instruction and creative ways to incorporate literature.
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W121
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

Break It Up With Art! (Heather Teusch, Sara Day)
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W300
Learning is absolutely incredible, but sometimes, like students we teach, we need a little break to process all of this new information or to just chill. In this session we will share a few engaging art brain break activities that are perfect for students of all ages to help them refresh and refocus. A brain break is a short period of time dedicated to engaging in activities that differ from the primary task at hand, often used to help refocus and improve the learning experience. These art brain breaks are quick, creative activities that require minimal materials and setup. Come to this creative session and explore your inner artist! We will offer various art centers where you can explore your creative side. Whether you are seeking to do some creating yourself or use these ideas in your classroom, this session is the place for you. Materials will be provided.   
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W300
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

Building Relationships in and out of the classroom (John Hurston)
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W200
The overarching presentation will emphasize the importance of relationships in education, demonstrating how they are built through stories, hands-on learning, and creativity. Admin asks teachers; teachers ask admin; teachers ask students; students ask teachers; teachers ask parents; parents ask teachers; parents ask admin; admin ask parents... in the never-ending communication cycle, relationships change the dynamic immediately. Each relationship is valued and integral to the educational process. Relationships should always come first.

- Clear/concise communication with admin, teachers, students, and parents
- Fear VS Fear
- How to build relationships with students
- How to build relationships with parents
- How to build relationships with teachers
- How to build relationships with the admin
- How to have uncomfortable conversations with admin, teachers, students, and parents after establishing relationships
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W200
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

Cultivating Compassionate Communicators: SEE Learning Meets World Languages (Lori Beth Wiseman)
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W124
Presentation Link:
Discover how SEE Learning (Social, Emotional, and Ethical Learning) can transform the World Languages classroom into a space where language acquisition and emotional growth go hand in hand. In this session, we will explore practical strategies for integrating SEE Learning’s core principles—cultivating self-awareness, compassion, and ethical engagement—into the curriculum to enhance students’ linguistic and cultural proficiency.

Participants will learn how to design lessons that encourage empathy and cross-cultural understanding, helping students build deeper connections with the language, its speakers, and their peers. Examples will include activities that combine mindfulness practices, reflective exercises, and interpersonal dialogue to foster both emotional intelligence and communicative competence.

This session will provide tools for addressing challenges such as student disengagement, diverse learner needs, and cultural misunderstandings, making the classroom a supportive and inclusive environment. Attendees will leave with sample lesson frameworks and assessment methods, to implement SEE Learning within their language instruction.
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W124
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

Empowering STEM Teachers: Navigating Makerspace Tools for Classroom Impact (Tenneille Patterson)
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W132
This interactive workshop empowers K-12 educators to confidently utilize makerspace tools and equipment in their classrooms. Through a small hands-on build project, participants will gain practical experience with essential workshop tools while exploring strategies to integrate engineering, physical computing, and AI concepts into student learning.
This session also provides adaptable curriculum ideas, project-based learning strategies, and best practices for creating engaging, real-world learning experiences. With practical demonstrations and step-by-step guidance on operating makerspace tools, attendees will leave equipped with actionable insights and digital resources to inspire their students and enhance their STEM programs. This session is ideal for new and experienced teachers looking to expand their confidence with makerspace equipment, incorporate innovative STEM projects, and empower students to develop the skills needed for 21st-century careers.
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W132
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

Exploring Immersive VR Practices (Valerie Ogden - Optima)
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
Library Conference Room A-B
Find out how Optima partners with independent schools to support student learning and teacher development through virtual reality. Explore how educators use innovative tools to inspire the next generation.
Listen to one of our partners share their experience and their plans for future learning.


Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
Library Conference Room A-B
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

Funding Innovation in Education: Best Practices for Research Grants (Francesca Axam Frederick)
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W126
In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, securing research funding is critical to driving innovation, supporting student- centered learning, and sustaining transformative teaching practices. Yet, many educators and school leaders find the grant-seeking process daunting, time-consuming, or inaccessible. This session will demystify the research grant process, providing actionable strategies to help educators identify funding opportunities, craft compelling grant proposals, and effectively manage awarded grants to maximize their impact.

Participants will leave with a clear understanding of how to:
✅ Identify grant opportunities that align with their educational initiatives and research interests.
✅ Structure a compelling grant proposal using proven frameworks that increase funding success.
✅ Integrate student-centered, research-backed innovations into grant applications.
✅ Leverage data to demonstrate impact and secure continued funding.
✅ Manage awarded grants efficiently to ensure long-term sustainability and meaningful outcomes.
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W126
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

How Modern Classrooms Meet Every Learner's Needs (Robert Barnett)
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
Carlos Science Atrium
Every learner has different needs--but there are simple strategies that any teacher can use to ensure that every student is appropriately challenged and supported every day. Learn how independent-school teachers worldwide are using the self-paced, mastery-based Modern Classroom instructional model to create classrooms where all learners can succeed.

In this engaging and interactive session, Modern Classrooms Project co-founder (and former independent school graduate and teacher). Robert Barnett will explain how educators can:

-Digitize direct instruction, so they can spend class time working closely with their students.
-Design structures for self-paced learning, which keep all students appropriately challenged--and appropriately supported--every day.
-Ensure that all students achieve authentic mastery before advancing to more complex content.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins found "overwhelming positive support" for this approach. In this interactive session, led by Modern Classrooms Project co-founder Robert Barnett, you'll see why! In particular, you will:

1) Experience Modern Classroom instruction from the student perspective, by completing a series of brief mastery-based learning tasks.

2) Use classroom-tested guides and templates to identify instructional videos, design collaborative practice activities, and create mastery checks - all of which they can use with their own students, in their own communities.

3) Learn from one another by providing feedback on each others' materials and articulating clear action plans to implement the lessons they have created with their students in the fall.

You'll leave feeling inspired to meet every learner's needs--and empowered to do so!
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
Carlos Science Atrium
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

Make Your Class Sparkle with Flint AI (Alex Iakovlev)
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
Moss Lecture Hall
Explore Flint, an AI platform revolutionizing education, and learn how to create interactive tutors for STEM education. This session will showcase Flint's capabilities, including its latest features and progress over the past year, and provide practical examples of its use in various educational scenarios. Participants will discover how Flint can support innovative teaching methods, leaving them with the inspiration and tools to explore its potential in their own classroom settings. Whether you're teaching algebra, physics, or programming, this presentation will highlight multiple possibilities and suggest ideas for using Flint to enhance the learning experience for your students.
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
Moss Lecture Hall
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

Meaningful Movement, Problem Solving and Discussion Strategies (Dale Stahl)
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W139
One of the challenges faced by educators who are increasingly trying to move students away from their electronic devices is how to activate them both physically and mentally in positive class participation and discussion. This presentation offers practical techniques for facilitating interpersonal interaction between students to engage them in thoughtful discussion and collaborative problem solving. These strategies incorporate ideas for how to get students up out of their desks and moving while thinking and interacting. Participants will have the opportunity to try some of these strategies firsthand, and will be encouraged to participate in brainstorming and discussion regarding how they might be implemented in their classrooms.
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W139
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

Student-driven learning: A future-focused approach to teaching and learning (Kader Adjout)
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W134
How can students be in the driving seat of their learning experience? And why should they be? In times of generative AI, machine learning, and easy access to knowledge, students cannot be passive recipients of that knowledge anymore. We need to meet the students where they are, not where we think they should be. That means students should be encouraged to be creators of knowledge and to transfer their knowledge to novel situations. As they design their learning experience, they become problem-solvers and critical thinkers, content experts, and collaborators. Students grapple with authentic, non-linear, interdisciplinary work that requires a focus on skills over content. Our student-directed projects are at the core of our student-driven learning approach. Students are active explorers driven to answer an essential question they created. Through this non-linear, interdisciplinary inquiry, students engage in deeper learning as they construct, transfer, and make sense of their knowledge. An approach that promotes student agency, choice, and investigation. Come and hear about our journey to make this change happen, the highs, the not-so-highs, the need to let go of some of
our beliefs about how schools should work and students should learn.
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W134
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

The Educator's Compass: Navigating Compassion Fatigue and Burnout (Dr. Chato Hendrix)
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
The LJ
The Educator’s Compass: Navigating Compassion Fatigue and Burnout is an interactive session  designed to help educators recognize, manage, and overcome the emotional toll of their profession. It provides practical strategies for maintaining well-being, setting boundaries, and reigniting their passion for the field. By addressing stress, self-care, and resilience, this resource empowers educators to navigate challenges while sustaining their purpose and impact.  
Monday March 10, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
The LJ
  Concurrent Session

1:00pm EDT

A Piece of Feedback
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W134
Engaging in giving or receiving feedback is fraught with challenges like defensiveness, relationship tension, and lots of other big feelings. Participants will learn how to understand and approach feedback with more curiosity and grace.
Speakers
avatar for Ken Rogers

Ken Rogers

Upper Division Head, The Park School
Ken Rogers, a trained counselor, is the head of the upper division (grades 5-8) at The Park School (MA). Rogers is on the faculty of the ISACS New Teacher Institute. With independent school experience as a teacher, department chair, dean, and head of middle school, he is an ISACS... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W134
  Workshop

1:00pm EDT

Activating Learning: Tools for Student-Centered Instruction
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W200
Join this session to learn proven strategies to transform classrooms into dynamic learning environments. Through hands-on demonstration and practice, participants will experience and analyze effective interactive learning structures that promote student autonomy and meaningful collaboration. This workshop models research-based techniques that increase student engagement. Participants will leave with a practical toolkit of immediately implementable strategies to enhance student participation and deepen learning outcomes.
Speakers
avatar for Elizabeth Maglio

Elizabeth Maglio

Director of Professional Learning, SAIS
Elizabeth joined the SAIS team in July 2021. She began her career in education in 2005 as a leadership program faculty advisor for middle school students at Envision EMI in Washington, D.C. She continued there as a program coordinator and professional development manager. In 2012... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W200
  Workshop

1:00pm EDT

Assessing Discussion: Equity Starts with Evidence (Not Instinct!)
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W124
Let's just call it a B+ Group Grade ... What do I do about the introverts?... Shoot, I don't remember what he actually said! ...How many points should I take off for talking too much?
These are common - if not often verbalized -- challenges many teachers face when it comes to assessing class discussion. And for good reason! Great discussion is a deeply human experience that is hard to define, track, and ultimately quantify. So what assessment models are out there for formative and summative approaches to assessing discussion?

In this session, join Liza Garonzik, Founder of REAL Discussion, to learn strategies for an equitable, evidence-based approach to assessing discussion in your classroom. Get ready to hear answers to those-questions-we-all-have-but-don't-want-to-actually-ask about assessment, learn four research-backed strategies to make discussion assessment more equitable, practice them from multiple perspectives -- and laugh along the way!


Speakers
avatar for Liza Garonzik

Liza Garonzik

Founder, R.E.A.L. Discussion
Liza Garonzik is the Founder of REAL Discussion: a company on a mission to teach and celebrate face-to-face communication skills, starting in the classroom. REAL empowers educators with research-backed tools to explicitly teach the in-person discussion skills today's students need... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W124
  Workshop

1:00pm EDT

Beyond Assessments For Learning: Assessment That Improve Learning
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W300
Using assessments to improve student learning involves more than simply administering “formative” assessments. It requires teachers to make well-designed classroom assessments an integral part of the instructional process. This presentation will offer summaries of different assessment formats and their appropriateness in measuring different learning goals. We will describe how teachers can develop clear learning targets, gather useful information on students’ performance, offer effective feedback to guide improvements in teaching and learning, and then accurately document students’ learning progress. Participants will learn how to use classroom assessments as effective learning tools, how to align assessment procedures with important learning goals, and how these procedures will allow them to better meet the needs of diverse learners.


Guskey, T. R. (2023). Implementing Mastery Learning (3nd ed.). Corwin.
Guskey, T. R., & Jung, L. A. (2013). Answers to Essential Questions about Standards, Assessments, Grading, and Reporting. Corwin.
Guskey, T. R. (Ed.) (2009). The Principal as Assessment Leader. Solution Tree.
Guskey, T. R. (Ed.) (2009). The Teacher as Assessment Leader. Solution Tree.


Speakers
avatar for Thomas Guskey

Thomas Guskey

Professor Emeritus, University of Kentucky
Thomas R. Guskey, PhD, is Professor Emeritus in the College of Education, University of Kentucky. A graduate of the University of Chicago’s renowned Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistical Analysis (MESA) program, he began his career in education as a middle school teacher, served... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W300
  Workshop

1:00pm EDT

Designing and Using Authentic Performance Tasks to Promote Meaningful Learning and Assess What Matters Most
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Carlos Science Atrium
Presentation Link:
Jay will share insights from his recent book, Designing Authentic Performance Tasks and Projects (ASCD, 2020), offering practical, research-backed strategies for creating meaningful learning experiences.This session will explore proven design tools for developing performance tasks that actively engage students while assessing essential skills—such as Profile of a Graduate competencies—that are often overlooked in traditional testing. Participants will also gain access to a curated collection of high-quality web-based resources. Additionally, the session will examine instructional implications and the vital role of formative assessment in supporting student growth and deeper learning.
Speakers
avatar for Jay McTighe

Jay McTighe

Consultant, McTighe and Associates
Jay McTighe is a veteran educator, having served as a teacher, resource specialist, program coordinator, director of a state program for gifted students, and administrator for innovative programs at the Maryland Department of Education. He is an accomplished author, having co-authored... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Carlos Science Atrium
  Workshop

1:00pm EDT

Designing Experiential Programming around Global Competencies
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W132
Experiential pedagogy provides a unique context in which to teach global competencies like perspective-taking, creative collaboration across differences, and taking responsible and informed action. Whether experiential learning occurs in a classroom, through a co-curricular program, on a local excursion, or during an international travel program; educators can make a lasting impact on their students when the purpose of their programming is clear, their curriculum is intentionally designed, and pedagogies are aligned with goals. Join this session to explore numerous models of experiential learning that foster global competencies from across GEBG’s nearly 400 member schools—including local, national, and global programming. Bring a project or program you wish you further develop, and leave with new ideas and inspiration!

Facilitated by Chad Detloff, GEBG Director of Professional Learning and Curriculum
Speakers
avatar for Chad Detloff

Chad Detloff

Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, Global Education Benchmark Group (GEBG)
As GEBG’s Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives, Chad Detloff supports member schools around topics such as intercultural dialogue; student action in local, national, and international contexts; climate/sustainability education; classroom curriculum driven by global competencies... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W132
  Workshop

1:00pm EDT

Effective Practices for Aligning and Integrating Education for Sustainability (EfS) into Core Curriculum
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W121
Presentation Link:
In this session participants will explore the EfS Framework, Enduring Understandings, Standards and Performance Indicators, and practice aligning and integrating at least one Enduring Understanding and one or two EfS performance indicators into a lesson/group of lessons in a chosen unit. Additionally, participants will receive a DIY EfS toolkit, providing practical resources to support the seamless integration of sustainability concepts into their teaching.
Speakers
avatar for Jaimie P. Cloud

Jaimie P. Cloud

Founder and President, Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education
Jaimie P. Cloud is the founder and president of the Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education in New York City. The Cloud Institute is dedicated to the vital role of education in creating awareness, fostering commitment, and guiding actions toward a healthy, secure and sustainable... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W121
  Workshop

1:00pm EDT

Energize Your Math Classroom: Build Thinking Classrooms Through Collaboration and Problem-Solving
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Moss Lecture Hall
Are you ready to transform your math classroom into a space of dynamic thinking and collaboration? Join us for an interactive session inspired by the Building Thinking Classroom framework, where you'll connect with fellow educators to tackle engaging math problems, exchange ideas, and discover classroom-ready tasks that promote deeper learning.
Through hands-on activities and group discussions, we’ll explore strategies to cultivate student engagement, foster critical thinking, and build a culture of inquiry. Walk away with fresh problems, new connections, and actionable insights to empower your students to think, collaborate, and succeed. This session is perfect for teachers looking to invigorate their practice and inspire the next generation of problem solvers!
Let’s build a community of thinkers—one classroom at a time!
Speakers
avatar for Diane Broberg

Diane Broberg

JK - 12 Math and Computer Science Department Chair, Mary Institute & St. Louis Country Day School
Diane Broberg is a 30+ year math educator. From elementary education to college courses, Diane is committed to helping students and teachers develop a passion and love for mathematics. She enjoys helping teachers build skills and resources that engage students in the classroom. As... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Moss Lecture Hall
  Workshop

1:00pm EDT

Inclusion in the Early Years: Why, What, and How
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Bowers Commons (Chapel Activity Room)
Presentation Link:
Folk wisdom tells us young children don't notice differences or have any biases, yet research is telling us otherwise.  What are age appropriate ways to develop intentionally inclusive and identity conscious children?
Speakers
avatar for Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee

Rosetta Eun Ryong Lee

Outreach Specialist, Seattle Girls' School
Since 2004, Rosetta Lee has been a diversity speaker and trainer on a variety of topics, including cross-cultural communication, identity development, implicit and unconscious bias, gender and sexuality diversity, facilitation skills, and bullying in schools.  Rosetta has presented... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Bowers Commons (Chapel Activity Room)
  Workshop

1:00pm EDT

Measuring What Matters: Using Holistic Reflection and Assessment to Improve Teaching and Learning
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Library Conference Room A-B
How can we ensure the success of our students, teachers, and programs match the breadth of our mission and objectives? Drawing on over two decades of global research, this workshop will share an enthusiastic and provocative look at how a new generation of teachers and technology are evolving how we define, measure, and communicate student success.  Simple portfolios, cutting-edge AI resources, and engaging data visualizations will be amongst the real-world tools and international examples highlighting school and classroom efforts to leverage new ideas, resources, data, measurement, to better tell their story and achieve their goals.
Speakers
avatar for Damian Bebell

Damian Bebell

Assistant Research Professor, Boston College
For the past 20 years, Dr. Damian Bebell has helped teachers, educational leadership, and policymakers leverage research and reflection to more effectively support technology rich educational settings. As a research professor at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education and Human... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Library Conference Room A-B
  Workshop

1:00pm EDT

The Blind Spots of PityCat Culture
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W126
Becoming a Junkyard Dog involves unlearning and relearning. It’s the process of deprogramming and reprogramming. PityCat culture lives inside our vocabulary, protocols, processes, and paradigms. This session will calibrate your lenses so that you can avoid the destructive seduction of PityCat Culture.
Speakers
avatar for Ken Williams

Ken Williams

CEO, Unfold The Soul, Inc.
Ken Williams is a husband, father, nationally recognized trainer, speaker, coach, and consultant in leadership, instructional equity, and school culture. Ken has served as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, and school principal. He is the author of the award-winning book Ruthless... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W126
  Workshop

1:00pm EDT

Unlocking Productivity and Wellness with AI
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
The LJ
Are you hearing about the potential of AI but struggling to get started? This session will dig into AI tools that are most likely to unlock a new level of productivity in the work you bring to your school. Take the reins on your limited time and capacity and learn how these tools, when used cautiously and correctly, can give you work-life balance. Delve into AI's transformative possibilities for schools and explore resources for immediate implementation. Attendees will walk away with a plethora of AI tools designed to make school operations more efficient, and the confidence to use them safely.
Speakers
avatar for Christina Lewellen

Christina Lewellen

President and CEO, Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools
Christina Lewellen, MBA, CAE, President and CEO, Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools, is a seasoned association executive who brings a data-driven framework to business planning and strategy, having earned her MBA from the Rochester Institute of Technology and... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
The LJ
  Workshop

2:30pm EDT

IT’S ALL CONNECTED: LINKING THE SCIENCE OF LEARNING WITH THE SCIENCE OF LITERACY
Monday March 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
Gresham Chapel
Presentation Link:
Cognitive science has provided solid evidence for strategies like retrieval practice–but those strategies only work if they’re applied to substantive content or transferable skills. Too often, literacy instruction emphasizes isolated skills, such as “making inferences,” which do not easily transfer across subjects. The overwhelming focus on such skills at lower grade levels, combined with a failure to recognize the heavy cognitive load imposed by reading and especially writing, leaves many students without the knowledge and skills assumed by the curriculum later on. Even in the age of AI, it’s crucial to have that knowledge and those skills stored in long-term memory. To unlock every student’s potential, we must dismantle the artificial barriers between reading, writing, and learning—both in research and in the classroom.

Speakers
avatar for Natalie Wexler

Natalie Wexler

Education Author and Speaker
Natalie Wexler is an education writer and the author of The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (Avery 2019). She is also the co-author, with Judith C. Hochman, of The Writing Revolution 2.0: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through... Read More →
Monday March 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
Gresham Chapel
  Keynote
 
Tuesday, March 11
 

8:30am EDT

The Radical (and Not So Radical) Future of Grading
Tuesday March 11, 2025 8:30am - 9:20am EDT
Gresham Chapel
As a nation, we are both challenging and being challenged by long-standing structures, beliefs, and assumptions about how we work, live, and connect—with each other and with our planet. What does this mean for the future of how teachers grade–one of the oldest structures in our schools and the incarnation of our beliefs about teacher expertise, what it means to be educated, and how we determine who wins and who loses in a meritocracy? How might equitable grading help us to let go of outdated and unhelpful limitations in the most influential element of our schools, and inspire improvements throughout our teaching and learning?
Speakers
avatar for Joe Feldman

Joe Feldman

Founder and CEO, Crescendo Education Group
Joe has worked in education for over 20 years, including as a teacher, principal, and district administrator, and is the founder and CEO of Crescendo Education Group (crescendoedgroup.org), which since 2013 has supported hundreds of K-12 schools, districts, and colleges/universities... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 8:30am - 9:20am EDT
Gresham Chapel
  Keynote

9:30am EDT

Be True to You: Bell Hooks’ Perspective on Spirituality in Education
Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
The LJ
Presentation Link:
Step into the transformative world of bell hooks' spiritual pedagogy. Thirty years ago, hooks (1994) released Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom, a groundbreaking work that revolutionized teaching. In her follow-up book, Teaching Community: A Pedagogy of Hope, hooks (2003) delves into spirituality in education, offering a roadmap for holistic leadership and teacher training. This dynamic session will immerse participants in the contemplative, critical, culturally relevant, and intersectional insights from hooks (2003), particularly the chapter titled “Spirituality in Education,” where she asserts, “We can’t begin to talk about spirituality in education until we talk about what it means to have a life in the spirit. So we are not just teachers when we enter our classrooms, but we are teachers in every moment of our lives.” Utilizing this quote as a guiding principle, participants will encounter a space to practice the teachings of bell hooks’ spiritual pedagogy while engaging the essence of being well (Be True to You). In this session, participants will engage in reflective dialogue and discussion, guided by five teachable moments of embodiment, calling, opportunity, liberation, and home (hooks, 2003).

Participants will experience five teachable moments:
TM #1: “Embodying the Teachings”- a mind and body approach to well-being practices
TM #2: “Calling the Spirit”-encountering challenges of living in the spirit in educational spaces
TM #3: “Opportunity”-being true to the core and bridging across differences with compassion
TM #4: “Liberation of the Spirit”-recognizing a spoken and lived truth in community
TM #5: “Returning Home”-maintaining the integrity of being guided by sacrificial love
Speakers
avatar for Rosalynne Duff

Rosalynne Duff

Founder, Mental Wrap
Rosalynne Duff is an educator, minister, leader, and healer with more than a decade of experience in urban education, centering on liberation and transformational pedagogy. She started her teaching career in Louisville, KY, and resides in Atlanta, GA. Rosalynne owns Mental Wrap, LLC... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
The LJ
  Workshop

9:30am EDT

Designing A Whole School Discussion Strategy
Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W121
Discussion is at the heart of any great school community and communication skills are central to mission statements and portraits of a graduate. Yet, few schools have an intentional strategy for teaching, practicing, and assessing discussion skills across grades and divisions!

At REAL Discussion, we partner with schools to design and implement customized discussion skills strategies. We're experts in discussion pedagogy, gen-z and alpha learners, and change management -- and we know that the best academic leaders balance big-picture purpose with programmatic realities.

Join this session to imagine a whole-school discussion skills strategy, thinking both philosophically (why does this work matter? what language do we use to describe it?) and tactically (what do we already do? how do we know? what obstacles to alignment exist?). Leave with a roadmap for your school's journey towards intentional discussion skills instruction!
Speakers
avatar for Liza Garonzik

Liza Garonzik

Founder, R.E.A.L. Discussion
Liza Garonzik is the Founder of REAL Discussion: a company on a mission to teach and celebrate face-to-face communication skills, starting in the classroom. REAL empowers educators with research-backed tools to explicitly teach the in-person discussion skills today's students need... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W121
  Workshop

9:30am EDT

Grading and Reporting Student Learning: Effective Policies and Practices
Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W300
This presentation describes what we know about effective grading and reporting policies and practices. Keeping in mind the many practical challenges teachers face, we review the importance of fairness, honesty, and equity in grading and describe ways to ensure meaningful communication between teachers, students, and families. Procedures for implementing new reporting structures, including standards-based and competency-based grading models, are highlighted, together with policies and practices that should be avoided due to their negative consequences for students, teachers, and schools.


Guskey, T. R. (2024). Engaging Parents’ and Families in Grading Reforms. Corwin.
Guskey, T. R. (2020). Get Set, Go! Creating Successful Grading and Reporting Systems. Solution Tree.
Guskey, T. R., & Brookhart, S. M. (Eds.) (2019). What We Know About Grading: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What’s Next? ASCD.
Guskey, T. R. (2015). On Your Mark: Challenging the Conventions of Grading and Reporting. Solution Tree.
Guskey, T. R., & Bailey, J. M. (2010). Developing Standards-Based Report Cards. Corwin.
Guskey, T. R. (2009). Practical Solutions to Serious Problems in Standards-Based Grading. Corwin.


Speakers
avatar for Thomas Guskey

Thomas Guskey

Professor Emeritus, University of Kentucky
Thomas R. Guskey, PhD, is Professor Emeritus in the College of Education, University of Kentucky. A graduate of the University of Chicago’s renowned Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistical Analysis (MESA) program, he began his career in education as a middle school teacher, served... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W300
  Workshop

9:30am EDT

How Writing Can Deepen and Reinforce Learning
Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Library Conference Room A-B
Presentation Link:
Writing is a powerful tool for deepening knowledge, enhancing reading comprehension, and developing analytical thinking. It also plays a crucial role in helping all students engage with grade-level material. Yet, writing remains one of the most challenging tasks we ask students to master. To unlock the power of writing instruction, we need to: (1) reduce overwhelm by starting at the sentence level when needed, (2) teach grammar and writing conventions in the context of students’ own writing and, (3) integrate writing activities into the core curriculum—across all subjects and grade levels. This presentation will explore practical strategies and examples of effective writing activities that support these goals.
Speakers
avatar for Natalie Wexler

Natalie Wexler

Education Author and Speaker
Natalie Wexler is an education writer and the author of The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System—and How to Fix It (Avery 2019). She is also the co-author, with Judith C. Hochman, of The Writing Revolution 2.0: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Library Conference Room A-B
  Workshop

9:30am EDT

Keeping the Responsive Classroom Fire Burning
Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Carlos Science Atrium
Presentation Link:
Maintain focus, enthusiasm, and consistency with the Responsive Classroom approach. 
Many times teachers start out strong and then lose steam both throughout the school day and the school year. Along the way, that excitement and enthusiasm for the RC approach may dwindle. In this session, you will learn strategies to help you stay motivated and focused as you keep the fire burning to support the momentum of learning in your classroom. This session will deepen your understanding of current Responsive Classroom practices that support change in student academics and behaviors.
Speakers
avatar for Crystal Cooper

Crystal Cooper

Consultant, Responsive Classroom
Dr. Crystal Cooper is a former teacher of the year and twenty-five-year veteran instructional leader. She has gained a reputation as a passionate thought leader who leads with intention, insight, and grace. Her Responsive Classroom journey began while teaching in Paterson, New Jersey... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Carlos Science Atrium
  Workshop

9:30am EDT

Maximizing Teacher Performance with Instructional Coaching
Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W126
If teachers are the most important factor influencing student learning outcomes, then Independent Schools need an effective way to continually develop and grow teachers. Instructional Coaching is a job-embedded model for improving teacher effectiveness and efficacy. Independent Schools who do not have an Instructional Coach on staff can train department chairs to provide Instructional Coaching to teachers. In this session, you will learn about the benefits of Instructional Coaching and how to implement coaching practices using the faculty you currently have.
Speakers
avatar for Allison Petersen

Allison Petersen

K-8 Instructional Coach, Christian Heritage School
Allison is the author of Kickstart Your Coaching Cycles and founder of the #NewtoCoaching Community, where new Instructional Coaches can learn, connect, and be encouraged as they transition from the classroom to coaching. She discovered that coach was her calling early in her educational... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W126
  Workshop

9:30am EDT

Portrait of an Innovator
Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W200
What does it take to thrive in a future shaped by constant change, technological advancements, artificial intelligence, and global challenges? What competencies, character traits, and skills do people need to succeed in their career and life? How does that future connect with what students need to succeed in college and beyond? 
Join us for a discussion on the Portrait of an Innovator, where a strong academic background provides the foundation for the essential skills, behaviors, and mindsets that tomorrow's leaders need to succeed, including creativity, collaboration, and innovation. We'll paint a picture of that future-ready innovator in careers as diverse as business, healthcare, higher education, and beyond. Together, we'll connect the Portrait of an Innovator with Woodward's Portrait of a Learner, identifying practical ways to cultivate these traits in students and educators alike. Discover how painting a Portrait of an Innovator can prepare the next generation to lead in an ever-evolving world.
Speakers
avatar for Scott Sanchez

Scott Sanchez

Collaborator in Chief, Innovators Atlanta
Scott is a human driven executive, with expertise in product management and design, customer driven innovation, and collaborative leadership with a history of turning deep insights into simple, yet impactful products and experiences to delight customers.Scott most recently served... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W200
  Workshop

9:30am EDT

Thanks for The Feedback and Radical Candor
Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W124
Presentation Link:
In this interactive workshop, teachers and administrators will get a summary of key points from the books Thanks for the Feedback and Radical Candor. This professional development opportunity will help all participants get better at receiving feedback and better at delivering it as well.
Speakers
avatar for Peyten Williams

Peyten Williams

Founder, Bowbend Consulting
Peyten Williams is the founder of Bowbend Consulting, a company dedicated to inspiring and equipping parents and communities to raise thriving children of character. At Bowbend, Peyten offers parent coaching, workshops for parents and schools, consulting for schools, and professional... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
W124
  Workshop

9:30am EDT

The Why, What, and How of Equitable Grading: An Overview
Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Bowers Commons (Chapel Activity Room)
Discover how schools and teachers across the country—whether working with students who excel or those who struggle— are using practical, research-backed grading improvements to enhance learning, strengthen the integrity of report cards and transcripts, reduce student stress, and even boost teacher satisfaction. How are these common sense grading practices more accurate, fair, and motivational than our century-old way of grading students, as demonstrated by academic research as well as classroom-based evidence? Explore both incremental and transformative upgrades to grading that build on what educators already do and believe. Learn effective strategies to address skepticism and misconceptions, ensuring that all stakeholders understand how equitable grading fosters higher expectations, deeper learning, and greater success for every student.
Speakers
avatar for Joe Feldman

Joe Feldman

Founder and CEO, Crescendo Education Group
Joe has worked in education for over 20 years, including as a teacher, principal, and district administrator, and is the founder and CEO of Crescendo Education Group (crescendoedgroup.org), which since 2013 has supported hundreds of K-12 schools, districts, and colleges/universities... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Bowers Commons (Chapel Activity Room)
  Workshop

9:30am EDT

Unlocking the Power of AI
Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Moss Lecture Hall
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the educational landscape. This interactive workshop will equip educators with the knowledge and tools to harness AI's potential. We'll focus on how AI can enhance teacher efficiency through practical applications for tasks like lesson planning, assessment, and feedback. Participants will explore engaging activities and pedagogical approaches to develop students' AI literacy, ensuring they understand and can ethically utilize this technology. The session aligns with UNESCO competencies and provides participants with a toolkit of resources to help them integrate AI into their classrooms.
Speakers
avatar for Elizabeth Helfant

Elizabeth Helfant

Dean of Curriculum and Instruction, Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School
Elizabeth Helfant is the Dean of Curriculum and Instruction for MICDS, a JK-12 school of 1250 students in Missouri. Following graduation from Davidson College in 1984, Ms Helfant began her career in education teaching chemistry, physics, and mathematics. She has been in education... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:45am EDT
Moss Lecture Hall
  Workshop

11:00am EDT

Leap of Learning: Embracing Risks in the Classroom
Tuesday March 11, 2025 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
Gresham Chapel
Join me for an interactive workshop designed to inspire students to step outside their comfort zones and embrace the power of risk-taking and vulnerability in their learning journey. "Leap of Learning" will guide participants through an engaging discussion that highlights the benefits of “failing forward.” Discover strategies to help students overcome fear, foster creativity, and enhance problem-solving skills—all while creating a supportive classroom environment. Whether it's tackling challenging projects or asking questions freely, this talk empowers students to view risks as opportunities for growth and innovation. Take the leap with me and redefine your approach and purpose to teaching and learning!
Speakers
avatar for Kendrick Johnson

Kendrick Johnson

Founder, Frontier Educational Consulting
Dr. Kendrick Johnson is founder of Frontier Educational Consulting. He began his career as a high school and middle school English teacher in Chicago. Dr. Johnson also spent time as an instructional coach and a director of curriculum and instruction.  He later transitioned into working... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 11:00am - 11:45am EDT
Gresham Chapel
  Keynote

12:00pm EDT

A LOOM of Her Own: Offering LOOMinous feedback to Student Work (Alexis Horder)
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W121
In this presentation, Alexis will share how she has been using LOOM to provide feedback to help improve student writing. She will discuss other uses for LOOM in the classroom, student responses to this method, and ways she plans to push this strategy in the future. participants will leave the presentation with a clear understanding of how Loom works and with ideas for how it might be used in other subject areas.
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W121
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

Beyond ChatGPT: Preparing for the Next Wave of AI in Education (Art Kibert Basler)
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
The LJ
As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms education, educators face unprecedented opportunities and challenges. This forward-looking session explores how emerging AI technologies will reshape teaching and learning in the next 1-3 years. We'll examine practical developments like personalized AI tutoring systems and classroom assistants while discussing the broader implications of advancing AI capabilities. Topics include the evolution of AI from current tools to potentially more sophisticated systems, the growing phenomenon of students using AI as learning companions, and how educators can thoughtfully prepare for these changes. Whether new to AI or already implemented in your classroom, this session will provide valuable insights into preparing students for an AI- integrated educational landscape. Join us for an engaging discussion about empowering teachers and students to thrive alongside AI.

Two takeaways: 1) A practical framework for evaluating which emerging AI tools to adopt in their classroom versus which ones to wait on, based on factors like pedagogical value, student privacy, and implementation complexity.
2) Understanding how to prepare students for a future where AI companions and tutors are commonplace, including the benefits and potential psychological/social considerations.
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
The LJ
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

ERB - Meeting the Needs of the Whole Child (Jason Lasnetski)
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W124
This workshop builds understanding about the value of assessing for social emotional competencies and student well-being in a formalized way using the Whole Child Solution. Participants will receive a framework for how to consider implementing the Whole Child Solution in sustainable ways that work for their unique context.
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W124
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

From Concept to Classroom: Using Generative AI to Design Engaging and Relevant Content (Tekia Timmons)
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W200
Generative AI provides high school math teachers with powerful tools to design assignments that connect mathematical concepts to real-world challenges. This session demonstrates how AI can support the creation of dynamic, thought-provoking assessments that foster critical thinking and help students analyze global and local issues. Participants will learn strategies to align AI-generated content with high school math curricula, enabling them to address pressing societal questions while empowering students to see mathematics as a tool for meaningful change.
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W200
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

Inspiring Students to Level Up Their Lab Reports (Upper Elementary Science): Embedding Student-Based Formative Assessment to Sharpen Scientific Skills (Becky Maas)
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W126
How can we help students identify and focus on important skills and content? Elementary school scientists often struggle to filter the information they receive and focus their answers. By embedding leveled learning objectives into their lab experiments, the task objectives become transparent, and students are empowered to identify their work level and how they can improve. Come see how learning progressions can clarify and enrich scientific writing and empower students to level up.
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W126
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

Literacy and Design Thinking in the Elementary Classroom (Summaya Knight, Natalie Rachel, Mary Jarrell)
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W300
A team of teachers and Instructional Technology Specialists will share how to implement literacy skills while implementing Design Thinking. Participants will engage in hands-on activities, explore real-world classroom examples, and leave with practical strategies for implementing Design Thinking in reading and writing lessons. Whether designing solutions to a character’s problem, creating storyboards for digital storytelling, or using empathy maps to develop strong narrative voices, educators will discover powerful ways to enhance literacy through innovation and design.
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W300
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

Making the Most of your Math Minutes (or any Content Area)! (Laura Briceno, Lauren Hood)
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W132
Do you seem to always run out of time to hold small groups or finish class activities before the bell rings?  Uncover more instructional class time with a flipped classroom.  It's not just for high school and college classes!  The focus of this session will be on how and why to implement a flipped classroom for approximately grades 2-8, but the concepts could be adapted for any grade.  Laura Briceno & Lauren Hood will walk you through their experience in implementing a "Flipped Classroom Lite" this year in their 4th grade math classrooms.  While the focus will be primarily from the perspective of 2 math teachers, a flipped classroom could be implemented in any content area, so teachers from all content areas are welcome! We'll also throw in a few other time-savers as well.
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W132
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

Mindset Math: Innovative Approaches to Transform STEM Education (Rebecca Yin)
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W134
This presentation will explore how Mindset Math, a global nonprofit with over 100 members, is redefining math education through innovative programs that integrate interdisciplinary studies and creative teaching strategies. Founded in November 2023, Mindset Math now reaches diverse student groups across Mexico, Asia, and other underserved communities.

I will share insights from three core programs designed to engage students in unique learning experiences:

Mindful Mathletes: Combines psychology with math tasks to foster a growth mindset and deepen mathematical thinking. STEM & Stitches: Blends math, crochet, and science to raise climate change awareness, support the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and promote the importance of interdisciplinary studies. Around the World in 80 Math Problems: In partnership with the National Math Foundation, this program incorporates movement mats and kinesthetic learning to teach real-world math applications. Participants will gain insights from my teaching experiences at Woodward Academy’s Lower and Middle Schools, Horizons summer camp, and virtual classes, along with evaluations of program outcomes. I will also provide practical strategies for incorporating these methods into traditional classrooms, fostering creative STEM education practices.

The session will conclude with key takeaways on launching a student-driven nonprofit, project development, and creating engaging STEM curricula. Sample presentations and hands-on resources will be shared to support classroom implementation.

Attendees will leave with actionable ideas for enhancing STEM education and promoting interdisciplinary learning.
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W134
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

Reading Comprehension Across the Curriculum (Jodi Hochman)
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
Library Conference Room A-B
Last school year, the 6th grade transition team analyzed assessment data regarding our students. We found that our students struggled with reading comprehension of informational texts, specially with identifying the main idea of a passage. By late elementary school, most students are no longer “learning to read”, and begin “reading to learn”; our students are expected to read and comprehend texts across academic settings to learn new concepts. Our students with diagnosed and undiagnosed reading disorders can struggle to attain grade-level reading comprehension, and their knowledge gap grows over time. The goal of this session is to prepare teachers, grades six and up, to integrate reading instruction into their classroom instruction. Teachers will leave with intentional, research-based strategies and activities they can try in their classrooms to aid their students’ reading comprehension. They will also have an opportunity to explore digital resources to supplement these strategies. This session will be most helpful to teachers who work with
students from the transition program or who receive accommodation plans. Teachers who frequently feature, or would like to increase their usage of informational text, will find this session beneficial.
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
Library Conference Room A-B
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

Reading to life - Mission to Mars (Brannon Fissett, Shelby Carey, Chris Brown)
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W135
This session highlights an innovative collaboration between technology leaders and classroom educators to transform learning by integrating STEM and literacy. Using the novels A Rover's Story and The Wild Robot as inspiration, students were immersed in a dynamic educational experience that bridged reading comprehension with hands-on STEM activities. Through robotics scenarios tied to the narratives, students tackled challenges that enhanced their critical thinking, mathematical skills, and logical reasoning, while deepening their understanding of the novels’ themes and characters. Attendees will learn how a cohesive partnership between IT professionals and teachers can create engaging, cross-disciplinary opportunities that inspire students and cultivate a lifelong love of learning.
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W135
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

Teaching Compassion: Personal Perspectives on Education in America and a Roundtable Discussion (Dr. William Nicholson)
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W136
Goals: This presentation seeks to give an overview, based on my personal experience, on strategies to use to bring SEE learning and a focus on compassion into our teaching by modeling behaviors and sharing stories from our personal lives to enhance what I call the student's HQ (happiness quotient, an area I explore in my Maymester course on "Happiness and Well Being").

Content will largely revolve around first defining "compassion" and why it is needed in the world now more than ever and then, second, asking participants why they teach as a way to get at their core beliefs. I will then collate these core beliefs and compare to my own 9 core beliefs (listed below), which will be displayed in a ppt. I then envision a "roundtable" discussion about how to model/integrate teachers' core beliefs in regards to compassion in the curriculum and how to display them in the classroom.

My core beliefs:
1. Be flexible and courageous/follow your heart
2. Be compassionate/the importance of passion in our lives
3. Be a good person/do the right thing
4. Value friendships
5. Teach how to love as well as how to learn
6. Emphasize long term influence over short term gain
7. Life is about relationships
8. Learn from the past
9. Choose your goals wisely lest you achieve them before age 40 (Dr. James T. Laney, Emory University address)

Takeaways: The main takeaway will be somewhat unconventional. Instead of overloading participants with book and article lists and social media sites, I want to emphasize that the best and often most under-utilized source in this area is YOU!! Know your core beliefs and use those to model compassion, life-long learning, and global citizenship.
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W136
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

Training Our Hearts and Minds: An Introduction to Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (Megan Joiner, May Engelhardt)
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
Carlos Science Atrium
Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT®) is a system of contemplative exercises designed to strengthen and sustain compassion. Developed at Emory University, CBCT combines brain science with ancient meditative practices. This secular program has been developed for use by educators, medical professionals, as well as in the business field. CBCT practice has been clinically shown to decrease rates of burnout and anxiety in a variety of settings, including education. Learn more about CBCT and what it has to offer you and your team. This workshop will include guided meditative practice.
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
Carlos Science Atrium
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

Transdisciplinary Inquiry: Students as Explorers! (Kader Adjout, Lisa Brown)
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W139
Students still learn in silos where knowledge is broken down into small unrelated elements; however, when students are given the opportunity to explore, they draw from different disciplines and go beyond the departmental constraints we created for them to try and understand the issue at hand. In this spotlight, we will share our different approaches to make student learning more of a transdisciplinary inquiry through an action-oriented, collaborative exploration of an authentic task that fosters student agency, choice, and interest. Through this nonlinear approach students engage in deeper learning as they construct, make meaning, and transfer knowledge. They learn to read the world through multiple lenses. Come, hear about, and share ideas that promote student inquiry through an un-siloed approach to learning.
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W139
  Concurrent Session

12:00pm EDT

Using YAMM with G-Mail to Improve Student and Parent Communication (Mark Carrington)
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W141
This workshop will teach you to work with Y.A.M.M. (Yet Another Mail Merge), an add-on to the Google Mail and Google Sheets platforms. Using YAMM, you can quickly and efficiently send emails to your students that appear as individualized mail when, in reality, you are sending a form letter. If you are a Woodward teacher and register for this presentation BEFORE FEB. 28, I will build a Google folder for you to practice with during the presentation. Bring your laptop to this presentation!
Tuesday March 11, 2025 12:00pm - 12:45pm EDT
W141
  Concurrent Session

1:00pm EDT

Bridging Math and Science: Data Collection Meets Function Modeling
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W126
Discover how to make math come alive through hands-on data collection and function modeling! This interactive session is designed for math teachers eager to create interdisciplinary connections with science. You'll engage in real-world experiments to collect data and use technology—TI-84, TI-Nspire, or Excel—to model the resulting functions.
Learn practical strategies to integrate data analysis and function modeling into your classroom, empowering students to see the beauty of mathematics in action. Whether you’re a tech-savvy educator or just getting started, this session will equip you with ready-to-use activities and insights to inspire your students.
Come prepared to explore, experiment, and elevate your teaching!
Speakers
avatar for Diane Broberg

Diane Broberg

JK - 12 Math and Computer Science Department Chair, Mary Institute & St. Louis Country Day School
Diane Broberg is a 30+ year math educator. From elementary education to college courses, Diane is committed to helping students and teachers develop a passion and love for mathematics. She enjoys helping teachers build skills and resources that engage students in the classroom. As... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W126
  Workshop

1:00pm EDT

Bringing Back the Human Into Leadership
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Carlos Science Atrium
What happens when you truly put people at the center of your leadership— whether faculty, staff, students, or others?  Leadership is the ability to guide, inspire, and support a group or team of people towards a shared goal. Yet, despite over a century of leadership studies, how many great leaders have we worked for? How many times have we wished someone would show more leadership? How often have we been great leaders ourselves? Gone are the days where the leader is expected to have all the answers; the problems we face are too wicked, the amount of information we have is too much, and the pace of change is just too fast. It's now about harnessing the strength of the team and of every individual. 
Join us for a session where we’ll explore the evolution of leadership styles and dive into an emerging trend of Human-Centered Leadership. This approach flips the perspective of leadership from the leader to the followers. Together, we'll discuss practical tools and behaviors from the worlds of innovation, creativity, and collaboration that can create better outcomes, stronger relationships, and a culture of connection and impact. Discover how embracing Human-Centered Leadership can not only transform you and your teams, but also inspire lasting impact in every corner of your school and beyond.
Speakers
avatar for Scott Sanchez

Scott Sanchez

Collaborator in Chief, Innovators Atlanta
Scott is a human driven executive, with expertise in product management and design, customer driven innovation, and collaborative leadership with a history of turning deep insights into simple, yet impactful products and experiences to delight customers.Scott most recently served... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Carlos Science Atrium
  Workshop

1:00pm EDT

Demystifying DOK: A Practice and Process for Teaching and Learning
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W132
What is the new information and recent research on Depth of Knowledge? Discover how Depth of Knowledge has become a transformative concept, framework, and language for teaching and learning. Understand how Depth of Knowledge involves "looking beyond the verb" to check and clarify the cognitive demand of learning goals and expectations. Examine how the DOK Levels function as a multi-tiered framework that defines and describes four distinct ways students can understand and use their learning. Explore how to use DOK as a language to specify what exactly and how deeply students must comprehend and communicate their learning. Most importantly, learn how Depth of Knowledge as a practice and process ensures the teaching and learning experience is standards driven and student supportive.
Speakers
avatar for Erik M. Francis

Erik M. Francis

Owner, Maverik Education
Erik M. Francis, M.Ed., M.S., is an international author, educator, presenter, and professional development provider with 30 years of experience in education. He is the author of Inquiring Minds Want to Learn: Posing Good Questions to Promote Student Inquiry (Solution Tree), Deconstructing... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W132
  Workshop

1:00pm EDT

Fostering Belonging and Trust in Your Classroom
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Moss Lecture Hall
Presentation Link:
A hands-on workshop to engage teachers in concrete strategies for fostering belonging and trust in the classroom with students of all ages. Strategies from Priya Parker, Positive Discipline, and with a little Dan Siegel brain research thrown in. Teachers will leave with easy strategies to implement right away in their classroom.
Speakers
avatar for Peyten Williams

Peyten Williams

Founder, Bowbend Consulting
Peyten Williams is the founder of Bowbend Consulting, a company dedicated to inspiring and equipping parents and communities to raise thriving children of character. At Bowbend, Peyten offers parent coaching, workshops for parents and schools, consulting for schools, and professional... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Moss Lecture Hall
  Workshop

1:00pm EDT

From Overwhelmed to Empowered: Addressing Anxiety in the Classroom
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
The LJ
Presentation Link:
Anxiety is one of the most common challenges students face, impacting their learning, behavior, and well-being. In this session, educators will gain a deeper understanding of student anxiety, its triggers, and how it manifests in the classroom. We will explore practical strategies to create a supportive environment, manage anxious behaviors, and implement proactive interventions that foster student confidence and emotional regulation. Attendees will leave with actionable tools to help students navigate anxiety and thrive in the classroom.
Speakers
avatar for Meredith Draper

Meredith Draper

Middle School Counselor, Woodward Academy
Originally from New York City, Meredith earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Fordham University and a master's degree from Long Island University. With a deep passion for psychology, education, and working with children, Meredith pursued a career that combines all three—professional... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
The LJ
  Workshop

1:00pm EDT

Getting Started with Standards-Based Grading
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W300
School leaders often encounter predictable challenges when attempting to reform grading and reporting—challenges that could have been anticipated and avoided. This presentation highlights three crucial prerequisites, backed by research, that eliminate those problems and help bring honesty and integrity to the grading process. These steps provide the necessary foundation for implementing grading policies and practices that prioritize students’ best interests, facilitate communication between school and home, and make grades honest, accurate, meaningful, and equitable. 


Guskey, T. R. (2024). Engaging Parents’ and Families in Grading Reforms. Corwin.
Guskey, T. R., Frey, N., & Fisher, D. (2024). Grading with Integrity. Corwin Press.
Guskey, T. R. (2020). Get Set, Go! Creating Successful Grading and Reporting Systems. Solution Tree.
Guskey, T. R., & Brookhart, S. M. (Eds.) (2019). What We Know About Grading: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What’s Next? ASCD.


Speakers
avatar for Thomas Guskey

Thomas Guskey

Professor Emeritus, University of Kentucky
Thomas R. Guskey, PhD, is Professor Emeritus in the College of Education, University of Kentucky. A graduate of the University of Chicago’s renowned Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistical Analysis (MESA) program, he began his career in education as a middle school teacher, served... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W300
  Workshop

1:00pm EDT

Keeping the Responsive Classroom Fire Burning
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W200
Presentation Link:
Maintain focus, enthusiasm, and consistency with the Responsive Classroom approach. 
Many times teachers may start out strong and then lose steam both throughout the school day and the school year. Along the way, that excitement and enthusiasm for the RC approach may dwindle. In this session, you will learn strategies to help you stay motivated and focused as you keep the fire burning to support the momentum of learning in your classroom. This session will deepen your understanding of current Responsive Classroom practices that support change in student academics and behaviors.
Speakers
avatar for Crystal Cooper

Crystal Cooper

Consultant, Responsive Classroom
Dr. Crystal Cooper is a former teacher of the year and twenty-five-year veteran instructional leader. She has gained a reputation as a passionate thought leader who leads with intention, insight, and grace. Her Responsive Classroom journey began while teaching in Paterson, New Jersey... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W200
  Workshop

1:00pm EDT

Making Learning Personal: Redefining Assessment in the Age of AI
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Library Conference Room A-B
The rise of AI tools like ChatGPT has changed the game for educators, challenging traditional assessments and creating new opportunities for personalized learning. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll start by exploring the skills and mindsets needed to shift toward authentic, future-ready assessments. Then, we’ll focus on strategies to make assessments “ChatGPT-proof” by prioritizing meaningful, critical thinking tasks. To wrap up, you’ll get a hands-on walkthrough of Toddle’s AI Tutors—a game-changing tool for creating personalized learning experiences like never before.

3 Takeaways:
  1. Develop Skills for AI-Enhanced Education: Cultivate the mindset shifts and dispositions needed to lead assessment innovation in the age of AI.
  2. Redesign Assessments for Deep Learning: Learn strategies to create authentic assessments that prioritize critical thinking and reduce reliance on AI-generated responses.
  3. Leverage AI for Personalization: Explore how Toddle’s AI Tutors and other tools can help personalize learning, foster engagement, and meet diverse student needs.

Speakers
avatar for Cindy Blackburn

Cindy Blackburn

Director of Learning and Engagement, Toddle
Cindy Blackburn, M.Ed., is a former international educator turned curriculum innovator. With over a decade of experience as an elementary teacher and curriculum coordinator, she now serves as the Director of Learning & Engagement at Toddle, specializing in leadership, progressive... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Library Conference Room A-B
  Workshop

1:00pm EDT

Restorative Classroom Management: System, Routines, and Procedures that Prioritize Learning and Facilitate a Dynamic Classroom Culture
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Bowers Commons (Chapel Activity Room)
It is more important than ever to create learning communities that are positive, structured, safe, and nurturing. The Restorative Classroom Management Cycle will provide you with strategies to cultivate student relationships, promote high expectations, and ensure that learning is the top priority. In this session, you will engage with a four-step management system and leave knowing how to apply this dynamic management system with your own students.
Speakers
avatar for Kendrick Johnson

Kendrick Johnson

Founder, Frontier Educational Consulting
Dr. Kendrick Johnson is founder of Frontier Educational Consulting. He began his career as a high school and middle school English teacher in Chicago. Dr. Johnson also spent time as an instructional coach and a director of curriculum and instruction.  He later transitioned into working... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
Bowers Commons (Chapel Activity Room)
  Workshop

1:00pm EDT

The Why, What, and How of Equitable Grading: An Overview
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W134
Discover how schools and teachers across the country—whether working with students who excel or those who struggle— are using practical, research-backed grading improvements to enhance learning, strengthen the integrity of report cards and transcripts, reduce student stress, and even boost teacher satisfaction. How are these common sense grading practices more accurate, fair, and motivational than our century-old way of grading students, as demonstrated by academic research as well as classroom-based evidence? Explore both incremental and transformative upgrades to grading that build on what educators already do and believe. Learn effective strategies to address skepticism and misconceptions, ensuring that all stakeholders understand how equitable grading fosters higher expectations, deeper learning, and greater success for every student.
Speakers
avatar for Joe Feldman

Joe Feldman

Founder and CEO, Crescendo Education Group
Joe has worked in education for over 20 years, including as a teacher, principal, and district administrator, and is the founder and CEO of Crescendo Education Group (crescendoedgroup.org), which since 2013 has supported hundreds of K-12 schools, districts, and colleges/universities... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W134
  Workshop

1:00pm EDT

The Writing Revolution as a Formative Assessment Opportunity in Middle Grades (4th-8th)
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W124
Good writing starts with explicit instruction, deliberate practice, and revision.  In addition, good writing is an excellent way to formatively assess comprehension. Let’s write together and discuss a roadmap to provide clear, coherent, evidence-based instruction no matter what subject or grade level you teach. 
Speakers
avatar for Jill Gough

Jill Gough

Director of Teaching and Learning, Trinity School
Jill Gough, Director of Teaching and Learning at Trinity School since 2012, facilitates professional development opportunities, builds teacher-administrator partnerships to facilitate a collaborative learning community, and leads educator observations and assessments. In addition... Read More →
avatar for Marsha Harris

Marsha Harris

Director of Curriculum, Trinity School
With 27 years in elementary education, I am dedicated to promoting effective teaching practices, fostering student success, and enhancing the overall educational experience for young learners.As Director of Curriculum, I play a pivotal role in designing and implementing comprehensive... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 1:00pm - 2:15pm EDT
W124
  Workshop

2:30pm EDT

Thinking in the Age of AI: What Work Truly Matters?
Tuesday March 11, 2025 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
Gresham Chapel
In a world where AI can automate tasks, generate ideas, and perform analysis at unprecedented speeds, what is the role of human thinking? This keynote explores the learnings from AI's rapid adoption and asks a provocative question: What work is worth our cognitive load? Together, we’ll examine research on meaningful work, unpack what makes tasks worth doing, and reimagine the future of human cognition in an AI-driven world. Leave inspired and ready to focus your energy on the work that truly matters.

3 Takeaways:
  1. Understand AI’s Strengths and Trajectory: Gain insight into what AI is currently capable of, where it’s headed, and how to navigate its growing role in the workplace.
  2. Define Meaningful Work: Explore frameworks and research on what makes work valuable, fulfilling, and uniquely human in a technology-driven era.
  3. Become an AI Leader: Learn the essential skills, mindsets, and dispositions to lead and thrive in a future where AI is ubiquitous.


Speakers
avatar for Cindy Blackburn

Cindy Blackburn

Director of Learning and Engagement, Toddle
Cindy Blackburn, M.Ed., is a former international educator turned curriculum innovator. With over a decade of experience as an elementary teacher and curriculum coordinator, she now serves as the Director of Learning & Engagement at Toddle, specializing in leadership, progressive... Read More →
Tuesday March 11, 2025 2:30pm - 3:15pm EDT
Gresham Chapel
  Keynote
 
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