Secondary Sessions

August 5, 2026

Note: Sessions are subject to change as we finalize schedules, facilitators, and topics. Check back for the most up-to-date information!

🗂️ Session resources have been updated!

Instructional Workshops 9:45-10:55

Grounded in Dr. Reynolds' Portrait of a Graduate keynote, these 70-minute workshops dig into our district initiatives—with practical, classroom-ready takeaways.

From Check to Change: The Formative Assessment Cycle in Action

Presented by: Chris Cromwell, Instructional Technology Coordinator

Room: 213

🗂️ Session Resources - The Formative Assessment Cycle in Action

Assessment only improves learning when it leads to action. In this session, educators will explore a simple, powerful formative cycle: collect evidence, diagnose needs, respond with targeted support, and reassess. Participants will redesign one assessment to strengthen feedback, increase student ownership, and leave with a clear, ready-to-implement shift that makes learning more visible and responsive.

Leadership Beyond Titles: Creating Lifelong Learning Opportunities for Every Student (K-12 Session)

Presented by: Dr. Eddie Otto, Supervisor of Visual & Performing Arts and Health/Phys. Ed.

Room: 215

🗂️ Session Resources - Creating Lifelong Learning Opportunities for Every Student

Every student has the potential to lead. This session explores how meaningful leadership opportunities (both large and small) can help students build confidence, develop character, strengthen relationships, and discover their ability to make a positive impact. Participants will leave with ideas for empowering students to lead with purpose in classrooms, activities, and their communities.

Building Number Sense Every Day: Routines That Develop Flexible Mathematical Thinkers (K-12 Session)

Presented by: Ian Kerr, Supervisor of K-12 Mathematics, Business Ed, & Computer Science

Room: 211

🗂️ Session Resources - Building Number Sense Every Day

Strong number sense is the foundation for mathematical understanding, fluency, and problem solving. In this session, teachers will explore high-impact number sense routines that can be embedded into daily instruction to strengthen students' reasoning, flexibility, and confidence with numbers.

Multidimensional Learning & Assessment (K-12 Session)

Presented by: Dina Dormer, Supervisor of K-12 Science, Computer Science, and FCS

Room: 209

🗂️ Session Resources - Multidimensional Learning & Assessment

Examine features of high-quality STEELS learning and assessments, including phenomenon-based scenarios, multidimensional prompts, sensemaking opportunities, equitable features, and rigor. Explore lessons with embedded assessment for learning, and develop strategies for classroom implementation.

In the Driver's Seat: Building Self-Directed Learners Through Metacognition (K-12 Session)

Presented by: Dr. Beth Zigmont, Asst. Director of Teaching, Learning, & Equity and Ashley Melanson, Asst. Principal at EXE & GES

Room: 203

🗂️ Session Resources - Building Self-Directed Learners through Metacognition

This session equips K–12 teachers with strategies to embed metacognition, goal-setting, and reflective practices into daily instruction so students can plan, monitor, and evaluate their learning. Teachers learn how to support students in setting goals aligned to learning targets, self-assessing their work, and adjusting strategies to improve mastery. These practices build student ownership and confidence while advancing key Portrait of a Graduate competencies, including self-directed learning, critical thinking, and adaptability.

Classroom Connections Workshops 11:00 - 11:45

Short, focused, and classroom-ready—these 45-minute workshops connect to the Portrait of a Graduate and our district initiatives, with practical takeaways you can use right away.

Unleashing Teacher Leadership - Strategic Elements & Tools (K-12 Session)

Presented by: Dr. Dina Dormer, Supervisor of K-12 STEM and Dr. Madison Weary, Supervisor of K-12 Social Studies & World Language

Room: 209

🗂️ Session Resources - Unleashing Teacher Leadership

Description: Explore five elements of Strategic Leadership: 1) Discern, 2) Cultivate Relationships, 3) Understand Context & History, 4) Harness Power, and 5) Think Big, Act Small, Learn Fast. Apply these to an identified goal and develop action plans for your leadership development path. "

Mental Health Supports in the Classroom (K-12 Session)

Presented by: Bridget Ritter, Secondary Pupil Services Supervisor

Room: 210

🗂️ Session Resources - Mental Health Supports in the Classroom

This session helps K–12 educators understand how to support student mental health in the classroom. Participants will learn practical strategies such as creating safe, structured environments, using SEL and trauma-informed practices, recognizing signs of distress, and connecting students to support services. Educators will leave with simple, actionable tools to promote student well-being and success.

Rethinking Assignments: Turning Tasks into Engaging Experiences with Canva Code

Presented by: Chris Cromwell, Instructional Technology Coordinator

Room: 213

🗂️ Session Resources - Turning Tasks into Engaging Experiences with Canva Code

Traditional assignments often limit student engagement. This session challenges that model by focusing on how to design more interactive, flexible, and student-centered learning experiences. Participants will explore practical frameworks for transforming tasks into dynamic activities, with examples of how Canva Code can support interactivity without requiring technical expertise.

Design for Every Learner: UDL + WCASD Tech Tools in Action

Presented by: Kaylin Richards, Instructional Technology Coordinator

Room: 204

🗂️ Session Resources - UDL & WCASD Tech Tools in Action

Design for every learner from the start. In this interactive 45-minute session, explore how UDL pedagogy comes to life through WCASD tools, strong instructional practices, and purposeful tech integration. Collaborate with secondary ITCs and a School AI chatbot agent to begin redesigning learning experiences that are flexible, inclusive, and ready to meet every student where they are.

CoPilot as your CoTeacher

Presented by: Andrew Conley, EHS Social Studies Teacher

Room: 211

🗂️ Session Resources - Copilot as your CoTeacher

In this 45-minute session, learn practical strategies for using Copilot to streamline daily workflow. Led by a classroom teacher, the session focuses on how AI can support lesson planning, organization, and communication without changing what you teach. Participants will explore ways to generate ideas, organize units, draft emails, and reduce time spent on routine tasks using simple, ready-to-use prompts.

Small Moves, Big Impact: A Continuous Improvement Mindset for Your Practice

Presented by: Jim Ronayne, Supervisor of Assessment and Accountability

Room: 215

🗂️ Session Resources - Small Moves, Big Impact

Continuous improvement is a way of looking at your work, not just another program to implement. We will explore the core ideas behind continuous improvement and what it looks like to identify a challenge, try something small, and learn from what happens.

Poster Sessions 11:45-12:00

Poster sessions offer a dynamic, one‑stop space to explore ready‑to‑use classroom resources, connect with innovative tools, and engage in meaningful conversations about practical strategies such as student agency in Schoology, performance-based assessment, digital portfolios, Copilot, Copilot Create, and more.

Join us as we walk the path of the

Portrait of a Graduate!

Schoology is more than a place to post assignments—it can be a tool for building student ownership of learning. Stop by to see how the features of our learning management system can be leveraged to support self-regulated learning, helping students set goals, monitor their own progress, and take greater agency over their academic growth.

Move beyond the single right answer. This poster session showcases performance tasks and multidimensional assessments that ask students to apply their knowledge, reason through authentic scenarios, and demonstrate deeper understanding. Stop by for practical examples you can adapt to gather richer evidence of what your students truly know and can do.

Discover how Copilot Create can save you time and spark creativity. Stop by to explore how AI-powered creation tools can help you quickly generate images, visuals, and content for instruction—freeing you up to focus on what matters most: your students.

Give students a place to curate, reflect on, and showcase their best work. See how Canva can be used to build dynamic digital portfolios that capture student growth over time and bring the Portrait of a Graduate to life through authentic, student-created evidence of learning.

Capture learning as it happens. Seesaw makes it easy for young students to document their work through photos, videos, drawings, and voice recordings—and to share it with families. See how Seesaw digital portfolios can showcase student growth, encourage reflection, and strengthen the home-school connection.

Put thousands of books in every K–5 student's hands—set up the right way. This poster session shares Epic!'s "settings for success" for safe, focused reading, plus tips and tricks for building curated collections matched to your units, reading levels, and student interests. Stop by to make Epic! work for your classroom from day one.

Departmentalizing your elementary classroom? This poster session offers a one-stop tech hub of tools, tips, and organizational strategies to help departmentalized teachers manage multiple groups of students, streamline workflows, and stay organized across content areas. Stop by for resources you can put to use right away.

Strong communication keeps families connected to the classroom. Smore makes it simple to design beautiful, mobile-friendly newsletters in minutes—no design experience required. Learn how to create engaging digital newsletters that keep parents and guardians informed and involved.

Looking for practical ways to bring the Portrait of a Graduate into your daily instruction? This poster session delivers ready-made, classroom-tested ideas you can use tomorrow. Stop by for a menu of concrete strategies that connect POG competencies to authentic, engaging learning in real classrooms.

Get a first look at Studies Weekly. This poster session previews the K–3 Studies Weekly resources, with their student-friendly periodicals and standards-aligned content for social studies. Explore how these materials can bring engaging, grade-appropriate nonfiction and inquiry into your elementary classroom.