Session 2

Conquering Creativity 

Room: Keystone

Presenter(s): Nicole Reppert

Description: In an educational climate in which more and more seems to be piling up, move that mountain and allow creativity to flourish with LESS! Imposing constraints within our classroom can lead to enhanced creativity. Gain altitude by engaging in practical exercises and project ideas that provide limits and restrictions to further challenge students. No cliff hangers here...just a session focused on opportunities to elevate your creativity through constraints that make more out of less! 

Grade Level Focus: Elementary Focus (K-6)

Audience: Classroom Teachers

Bio: Nicole Reppert is a Gifted Teacher in Ephrata Area SD. With 17 years in education, 12 in the role of gifted, she holds her Master’s Degrees in Elementary Education, Technology & Innovation, and STEM. She also holds certificates and endorsements in Gifted, ESL, Online Teaching, STEM, and SEBW. In addition to her educational and professional duties, she has presented to passionate educators at the PAGE Conference (2022-2024 & 2018), Creativity Conference (2023-2025), and ELANCO Summit (2020).

Teaching the Skill No One Teaches: Helping Students Build Social Confidence 

Room: Meadow

Presenter(s): Rachel Andreoli

Description: Student participation and creativity are often treated as personality-driven, yet they are shaped by classroom social dynamics that educators can intentionally design. This session reframes social confidence as a learnable, practice-based skill that directly impacts engagement and learning.

Participants will explore how invisible social pressures affect student behavior, why capable learners may withdraw, and how small, low-stakes interaction choices can increase willingness to speak, ask questions, and collaborate. The session emphasizes realistic strategies that fit into existing classroom routines rather than adding more to teachers’ workloads.

Educators will leave with practical tools to reduce social friction and create classroom environments where students feel safe to contribute ideas, take creative risks, and engage more fully in learning.

Grade Level Focus: Overall (K-12)

Audience: Classroom Teachers, Specialists, Principals, Curriculum Directors/Specialists

Bio: Rachel Andreoli is a coach, speaker, and workshop facilitator whose work centers on the social mechanics behind participation, collaboration, and belonging. She teaches practical strategies for building social confidence and designing interactions that help people engage more fully. Rachel has led workshops and talks on social health, collaboration, and community-building for adult learners and organizations.

Twisted Pixels

Room: Laurel

Presenter(s): Judy Bower and Brooke Solesky 

Description: Participants will learn about the basics and potential STEAM applications of 2x2 puzzle cubes. Focusing on the A in STEAM, we will use a basic algorithm to create a group mosaic. This activity combines math, computational thinking, and art concepts while keeping learning collaborative, relevant, engaging, and fun for all students.

Grade Level Focus: Elementary focus (K-6)

Audience: Classroom Teachers, Specialists, Technology Directors/Facilitators

Bio: Judy Bower teaches Tech Ed at the PA STEAM Academy, a STEAM-focused charter school in Harrisburg, PA.

Brooke Solesky teaches Art at the PA STEAM Academy, a STEAM-focused charter school in Harrisburg, PA.

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Bringing STEELS to Life: Documenting Phenomena and Sparking Curiosity with Seesaw

Room: Juniata

Presenter(s): Erin Kimmey

Description: This session explores how Seesaw supports implementation of the PA STEELS standards through meaningful, phenomena-based instruction. Participants will see how Seesaw’s multimodal tools empower students to document their engagement with real-world experiences—capturing observations, investigations, data analysis, explanations, and design iterations in dynamic digital portfolios.

We will model strategies for building a “culture of wonder,” where student curiosity drives inquiry and learning becomes visible over time. Attendees will leave with practical classroom examples, alignment connections to STEELS expectations, and actionable strategies for using Seesaw to support sense-making, reflection, and authentic assessment.

Grade Level Focus: Elementary focus (K-6)

Audience: Classroom Teachers, Specialists, Principals, Librarians/Media Specialists, Technology Directors/Facilitators, Superintendents

Bio: I’ve spent over 10 years in education, including five as a special education teacher and coordinator, where I saw the impact of accessible, meaningful learning. Now, as a Partnership Manager at Seesaw, I support educators in building classrooms where student voice, curiosity, and ownership thrive. I believe education should empower every learner, which is why Seesaw’s mission to make learning visible resonates deeply with me.

Computational Thinking & Shakespearean Literature

Room: Dogwood

Presenter(s): Sara Hricik

Description: Can iambic pentameter be Pythonic? Of course! Join us to explore the many intersections between Computational Thinking and Shakespearean literature. We will decompose some Shakespearean text, investigate the patterns and abstraction therein, and learn about the algorithms that Shakespearean actors have used for centuries to execute the Bard’s programs from page to stage. The unplugged activities included in this session are equally suitable for English Literature, Computer Science, and Theatre classes.

Grade Level Focus: Secondary focus (6-12)

Audience: Classroom Teachers

Bio: Sara Hricik teaches Computer Science at Northeastern Middle School in Mt Wolf, PA. While this is only her second year in CS, it is her 17th in the classroom. She is working on adding a STEM endorsement through Millersville University and holds an M.Litt/MFA in Shakespeare and Performance from Mary Baldwin. Sara also studied with members of the Royal Shakespeare Company during her time at the National Theatre Institute. She strives to do all things with honesty, kindness, and curiosity.

Spark Curiosity & Engagement with Curipod

Room: Board

Presenter(s): Kathy Schock

Description: Join an Instructional Technology Coach for this collaborative, hands-on session to learn how Curipod gives every student a voice in the classroom! Explore how this tool boosts student engagement with polls, word clouds, AI-powered feedback, and more. Participants will experience Curipod first as a student, before exploring the Curipod interface. Leave this session energized and ready to use Curipod in any grade or content area!

Grade Level Focus: Overall focus (K-12)

Audience: Classroom Teachers, Specialists, Librarians/Media Specialists

Bio: Kathy Schock is an Instructional Technology Coach in the Carlisle Area School District with five years of coaching experience. During her 25 years as a German teacher, she developed a passion for using technology to bring learning to life. In recent years, her work has focused on using AI tools to spark student engagement and amplify classroom learning. Kathy shares this passion by supporting teachers in her district and presenting at conferences.

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