Unlock the power of DnA! Get comfortable with navigating the platform, exploring various assessment types, accessing student information, and generating insightful reports to enhance your teaching effectiveness.
Are your students engaged in deep thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration—or are they just waiting for answers? In this dynamic session, we’ll explore Building Thinking Classrooms strategies that shift students from passive receivers of information to active thinkers and doers. Rooted in Peter Liljedahl’s research, these strategies empower students to take ownership of their learning while fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and perseverance.
What You’ll Learn: ✅ Strategies for forming randomized, collaborative groups that increase participation and accountability ✅ Techniques to reduce student dependency on direct instruction while increasing engagement ✅ Practical ways to shift classroom norms so students take risks, share ideas, and develop persistence
Why Attend? Expect an interactive, hands-on experience where you’ll engage in thinking tasks just like your students would. Walk away with ready-to-use strategies that can be implemented immediately in any secondary classroom—whether you teach math, science, or humanities.
Kick start your summer learning with a refreshing stop at the familiar shores of Kami and Google Classroom! This session is designed to revisit the essential connections between these valuable tools. We'll navigate key features, explore efficient assignment workflows, and ensure you're comfortable using Kami's annotation tools within your Google Classroom environment. Whether you're a seasoned navigator or just setting sail, this session will ensure smooth waters!
Mantha Camacho is a Teaching and Learning Coordinator with Kami. Before joining Kami, she taught for 18 years in public education, with most of those years in a DAEP setting. She is a Google Level 2 Certified educator, was voted Teacher of the Year in 2008, and served in several leadership... Read More →
Monday July 21, 2025 10:00am - 10:50am CDT Room 243
English learners have to juggle learning math and a new language at the same time. In this session, we’ll look at easy, practical ways to weave language supports into your daily math routines using the WIDA language standards. Walk away with ready-to-use strategies and examples to boost both math and language learning.
Oral assessments are essential for measuring language proficiency—but let’s be honest, they can be time-consuming and tricky to grade, which makes them easy to avoid. In this practical and encouraging session, world language teachers will explore ways to make oral assessments more accessible, efficient, and student-friendly.
Learn how to:
Give quick, clear feedback that answers every student’s favorite question: “What grade did I get?”
Grade multiple students at once—whether in pairs, small groups, or individually
Use ACTFL-aligned rubrics designed to be simple, clear, and non-intimidating for students
Empower all learners to succeed while saving yourself time and energy
Walk away with ready-to-use tools, grading strategies, and renewed confidence in incorporating oral assessments into your classroom.
Unlock the potential of DnA! Learn how to create dynamic assessments using existing templates, and discover the basics of flexible assessment creation to enhance your classroom strategies.
Transform your teaching with Star data! Learn how to effectively use data insights to plan impactful whole-group and small-group instruction, ensuring every student thrives.
Prior to joining the Renaissance team, I served as a principal, assistant principal, instructional coach and classroom teacher in grades 1-5 in Jefferson County Schools in Birmingham, Alabama. As the principal of Concord Elementary, I lead the faculty, students and parents in... Read More →
Monday July 21, 2025 11:00am - 11:50am CDT Room 201
Imagine cutting hours off your planning time while delivering more engaging, personalized lessons—sounds like magic, right? Magic School AI is the ultimate AI-powered tool designed for all teachers, in all subjects, at all grade levels! From generating lesson plans and assessments to providing instant differentiation and feedback, this platform does the heavy lifting so you can focus on what truly matters—your students.
Join this session to see how AI can streamline your workload, spark creativity, and supercharge student learning. Whether you're a tech newbie or an AI enthusiast, you'll walk away with practical strategies to make AI your most powerful teaching assistant!
Let’s work smarter, not harder—because teaching should be magical!
This session is also offered on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Discover the hidden treasures within Kami's innovative AI-powered tools! In this session, we'll explore the engaging Questions AI tool, revealing how it can deepen student interaction and comprehension through dynamic questioning. We'll also chart a course to the "Understand Menu", uncovering its potential to break down language and comprehension barriers. Get ready to unearth new possibilities for assessment and personalized learning!
Mantha Camacho is a Teaching and Learning Coordinator with Kami. Before joining Kami, she taught for 18 years in public education, with most of those years in a DAEP setting. She is a Google Level 2 Certified educator, was voted Teacher of the Year in 2008, and served in several leadership... Read More →
Monday July 21, 2025 11:00am - 11:50am CDT Room 243
I have used the Critical Friends' Protocol (or Tuning Protocol) in all of my classes now with great success. I'd like to show teachers how it might look in their own classrooms by having them conduct an interactive "practice" in this session. They will receive all the tips and feedback I've learned so far.
English learners have to juggle learning math and a new language at the same time. In this session, we’ll look at easy, practical ways to weave language supports into your daily math routines using the WIDA language standards. Walk away with ready-to-use strategies and examples to boost both math and language learning.
In this session participants will learn how to use the LETRS Phonics Framework to organize all resources into one complete package for ease of use and successful delivery. This framework is user friendly for all K-5th grade teachers and can be used for any tier of instruction.
Come see how Discovery Education’s Learning Platform can support your learners anytime, anywhere. We will review how to search and filter through multimodal content to find the best resources to support your students’ learning journey. We will explore how to use instructional strategies that maximize the effectiveness of digital content as well as incorporate the use of Discovery Education’s Studio & AI Assessment Teacher Tools to show how students can communicate their learning.
Unlock the power of DnA's item bank! Learn how to create tailored assessments by pulling items from the item bank and using filters like standards and depth of knowledge to ensure your assessments meet your students' needs.
Elevate your teaching with Star! Become an expert in analyzing student achievement and growth using Star data, and unlock strategies to support every learner's journey.
Prior to joining the Renaissance team, I served as a principal, assistant principal, instructional coach and classroom teacher in grades 1-5 in Jefferson County Schools in Birmingham, Alabama. As the principal of Concord Elementary, I lead the faculty, students and parents in... Read More →
Embark on a journey towards creating a truly inclusive learning environment for your students. This session will guide you in utilizing Kami's accessibility features and integrating differentiated practices into your instruction. We'll explore effective strategies to offer varied ways of presenting information, enabling student action and expression, and fostering engagement, ensuring all learners can navigate the curriculum successfully with Kami as your trusted guide.
Mantha Camacho is a Teaching and Learning Coordinator with Kami. Before joining Kami, she taught for 18 years in public education, with most of those years in a DAEP setting. She is a Google Level 2 Certified educator, was voted Teacher of the Year in 2008, and served in several leadership... Read More →
Join this Discovery Education session where we discuss how to bring meaningful conversations to your classroom through a wide span of diverse people and industries that power our world. Career Connect is a new tool that helps prepare students for career readiness and cross-curricular connections in an easy-to-use and accessible environment. With this tool you can connect your classroom to real professionals with real stories, in real-time. Spark engagement in your classrooms, no matter what subject you teach!
Get ready to bring the excitement of March Madness into your Spanish classroom—with music! In this energizing session, world language teachers will learn how to implement Locura de Marzo, a classroom-friendly music bracket competition featuring 16 Spanish-language songs.
You'll discover:
How to create and organize a song bracket for students to vote on their favorites
A variety of engaging activities to accompany each song, including quality resources, including lyrics, artist info, and cultural context
How to incorporate language learning through vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and lyric analysis
This activity offers students a fresh and fun break from the usual grammar and vocabulary drills while introducing them to the vibrant world of Spanish-speaking music and culture. It’s a student favorite that builds cultural awareness, listening skills, and vocabulary—all through the power of music.
Harness the full potential of DnA! Learn how to seamlessly administer and score Item Bank and Flexible Assessments online. Dive into the basics of data analysis to gain valuable insights from your assessments and elevate your teaching strategies.
Dive into the essentials of Freckle! Discover how to effectively implement and utilize Freckle in your classroom, empowering your students with personalized learning in Math and ELA. Learn to leverage the Freckle backpack feature, create targeted assessments, and analyze data reports to enhance your teaching strategies.
Prior to joining the Renaissance team, I served as a principal, assistant principal, instructional coach and classroom teacher in grades 1-5 in Jefferson County Schools in Birmingham, Alabama. As the principal of Concord Elementary, I lead the faculty, students and parents in... Read More →
This interactive Learning Lab is your one-stop shop to achieve your Kami Level 1 AND 2 certifications. Our expert navigator will guide you through hands-on exercises and collaborative explorations, ensuring you deeply understand Kami's core features and unlock more advanced functionalities. From annotation essentials to collaborative document design and interactive assignments, you'll leave this session with the skills and certifications to confidently integrate Kami into your teaching and engage your students. Prepare to elevate your Kami prowess and cast off towards enhanced learning experiences!
Mantha Camacho is a Teaching and Learning Coordinator with Kami. Before joining Kami, she taught for 18 years in public education, with most of those years in a DAEP setting. She is a Google Level 2 Certified educator, was voted Teacher of the Year in 2008, and served in several leadership... Read More →
