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12:45pm CST

A Few of My Favorite Things (REPEAT)

Thursday March 6, 2025 12:45pm - 1:30pm CST

Join me as I share some of my top tech tools and websites that have stood the test of time and proven to be some of my top recommended resources for K-12 classrooms. Whether you're looking for tools to enhance student engagement, build positive classrooms, or support student achievement, this session will have something for you. Come see my Favorite Things as I showcase a collection of versatile, user-friendly tools that can be easily integrated into your teaching and planning.

Speakers

Megan Nussbaum

Director of Curriculum & Instruction, Seaman USD 345

Thursday March 6, 2025 12:45pm - 1:30pm CST
KSU Union Room 206

Instructional Tools

12:45pm CST

Digital Well-Being: Tackling Social Media’s Impact on Mental Health

Thursday March 6, 2025 12:45pm - 1:30pm CST

Alumni Lecture Room

With social media's prevalence and documented impact on youth well-being, students are more vulnerable than ever to the effects of constant digital connectivity. Educators are critical in helping students navigate these challenges and develop healthier tech habits. We will explore lessons designed to support teens in building self-agency and practicing mindfulness around tech use. Join us as we learn practical strategies that empower students to thrive in today's digital world.

Speakers

Adam Vinter

Education Outreach Manager, Common Sense Education

Adam is an Education Outreach Manager at Omaha Public Schools in Omaha, Nebraska. He collaborates with Common Sense Media to help regional educators, students, and families approach media and technology thoughtfully while building healthy habits at school and home. By providing trustworthy... Read More →

Thursday March 6, 2025 12:45pm - 1:30pm CST
Alumni Lecture Room

Instructional Tools, Digital Citizenship

Company Common Sense Media
Audience Middle School, High School

12:45pm CST

Empowering Student Voices: Leveraging Kialo-EDU for Engaging Debates and Critical Thinking

Thursday March 6, 2025 12:45pm - 1:30pm CST

KSU Union Room 226

In today's dynamic educational landscape, fostering critical thinking and effective communication skills is paramount. Kialo-EDU, a powerful online platform, offers a unique opportunity to engage students in meaningful debates and discussions. This session will explore how to harness the potential of Kialo-EDU across various subject areas and grade levels to create stimulating learning experiences that empower students to think critically, articulate their ideas, and collaborate with peers.
Kialo-EDU.com

Speakers

Cinnemon Buie

Coordinator, Gardner Edgerton School District

Cinnemon is currently the Secondary Technology Integration Coordinator and District Assessment Coordinator in the Gardner Edgerton School District. She holds Masters Degrees in both Educational Administration and Instructional Design and Technology from Emporia State University, as... Read More →

Thursday March 6, 2025 12:45pm - 1:30pm CST
KSU Union Room 226

Instructional Tools, Kialo

Audience All
Subject Critical Thinking, Debate

1:45pm CST

Let's Have Fun with FigJam!

Thursday March 6, 2025 1:45pm - 2:30pm CST

KSU Union Room 226

FigJam is a highly engaging and collaborative whiteboard program you can use with students. It is a great place to facilitate discussions, organize ideas, and think through problems. Students love the active participation and cool tools they get to use.

Speakers

Gail Ramirez

Curriculum Technology Integration Specialist, Topeka Public Schools

I am a district-level Curriculum Technology Integration Specialist. I am certified as a Google Trainer, Seesaw Certified Teacher, Wakelet Coach, Apple Learning Specialist, Microsoft Trainer, and Adobe Certified Expert/Trainer. I work with our computer science curriculum and coding... Read More →

Thursday March 6, 2025 1:45pm - 2:30pm CST
KSU Union Room 226

Instructional Tools, FigJam

3:00pm CST

Connecting Classroom Management Tools (REPEAT)

Thursday March 6, 2025 3:00pm - 3:45pm CST

KSU Union Bluemont

Join this session to learn about connecting popular classroom management tools such as timers, name or group pickers, agendas, countdowns, lesson slides, videos, etc., all in one place - ClassroomScreen! We will take a deep dive into ClassroomScreen features and how they can be used to enhance four areas; student engagement, classroom management, routines, and transitions. While ClassroomScreen will be our main focus there are sure to be a few other tools and tips sprinkled throughout this session!

PRESENTATION SLIDES

PDF version of slides

Speakers

Megan Klozenbucher

Technology Integration Specialist, USD 383

Thursday March 6, 2025 3:00pm - 3:45pm CST
KSU Union Bluemont

Instructional Tools

Audience All

3:00pm CST

Extended Reality and AI: Social Skills Are Hard to Teach, But We’ve Made It Fun!

Thursday March 6, 2025 3:00pm - 3:45pm CST

KSU Union Room 227

Come play VOISS, an evidence-based, extended reality environment for students 5th grade and up for learning and practicing social skills. Explore VOISS Advisor, a free AI-enhanced website designed to support educators as they teach social skills. Advisor offers a social skill inventory, lesson plans, case studies, standards alignment, evidence-based practice, and data collection sheets, aligned with instruction and generalization of social skills. Walk away with practical, free, easy-to-use strategies for you and your students!

Speakers

Amber Rowland

Associate Research Professor, University of Kansas

My work at KU involves extended reality and artificial intelligence to support middle school students who struggle with social skills and their teachers. I also published a book on virtual coaching and specifically, the VECTOR model of virtual coaching, with my friends Suzy Myers... Read More →

Thursday March 6, 2025 3:00pm - 3:45pm CST
KSU Union Room 227

Instructional Tools, VOISS

Subject Social Skills

3:00pm CST

Interactive Teaching Made Easy: Using Pear Deck and EdPuzzle for Engaging Lessons

Thursday March 6, 2025 3:00pm - 3:45pm CST

KSU Union Room 206

Looking to captivate your students and make your lessons more interactive? Join us for a hands-on session exploring how Pear Deck and EdPuzzle can transform your Google Slides presentations into engaging, interactive experiences. We’ll focus on Instant Pear Decks to help you create real-time, responsive activities that spark student interest and gauge understanding effortlessly. Then, discover how EdPuzzle’s video integration can deepen learning by embedding questions and tracking student responses. By the end of this session, you’ll walk away with practical strategies for combining these tools, ensuring your lessons are both impactful and easy to implement. Ideal for educators aiming to enhance student engagement and make the most of technology in the classroom!

Speakers

Tuanua Swartz

Technology Integration, USD 361 Chaparral Schools

I have worked in education for 25+ years. I still get giddy when planning new ideas. Four years ago, we implemented a PBL Academy into our 7-12th grade classes. In the district, I wear several hats to keep me busy. I enjoy working in professional development to assist other educators... Read More →

Thursday March 6, 2025 3:00pm - 3:45pm CST
KSU Union Room 206

Instructional Tools, PearDeck, EdPuzzle

Audience ALL

3:00pm CST

Micro Marvels: Unleashing Creativity Through Engineering and Coding

Thursday March 6, 2025 3:00pm - 3:45pm CST

KSU Union Room 226

Discover how to unlock student creativity and problem-solving skills by integrating engineering and coding concepts with easy-to-use tools like Micro:bits, Strawbees, Hummingbird and Sphero. Designed for educators new and experienced alike, this session offers a guided exploration of practical examples and projects suitable for upper elementary through early high school classrooms.

During this presentation, you’ll:

Learn how engineering and coding concepts complement each other in hands-on STEM education.
See real-world demonstrations of micro:bits and other tools in action, sparking ideas for your own lessons.
Take home a collection of ready-to-use examples that make incorporating these tools into your teaching simple and impactful.

Speakers

Jess Blouvan

Tech Specialist in Coding and Robotics, Bishop Development Center, Topeka Kansas TPS 501

Thursday March 6, 2025 3:00pm - 3:45pm CST
KSU Union Room 226

Instructional Tools, Micro:bits, Strawbees, Hummingbird and Sphero

Audience All
Subject STEM

4:00pm CST

20 Techy Tidbits from a High School Math Teacher

Thursday March 6, 2025 4:00pm - 4:45pm CST

Alumni Lecture Room

Come listen to 20 Techy Tidbits that I use on a regular basis in my high school math classroom. Most tools are available for free to some degree but a few of the tools are paid. Walk away with a new perspective on how you can use some resources you're probably already using and maybe learn about a new tool. Topics include: Schoology (or other LMS), Kahoot, Quizlet, Quizizz, Nerdle, Desmos, Classroom Screen, IXL, Pixel Art with Google Sheets, Daily Agendas with Google Slides, Plan Book with Google Docs, Class Announcements with Canva.

Link to presentation.

Speakers

Markie Dinkel

9th Grade Math Teacher, Seaman High School

Thursday March 6, 2025 4:00pm - 4:45pm CST
Alumni Lecture Room

Instructional Tools

Audience Middle School, High School

4:00pm CST

Empowering Students Through Video Creation and Integration

Thursday March 6, 2025 4:00pm - 4:45pm CST

KSU Union Bluemont

This session explores how video creation can improve student engagement and learning in today’s classrooms. Participants will discover how integrating accessible tools like the camera app, WeVideo, PowerPoint, Google Slides, Canva, and Learning Management Systems (LMS) fosters creativity, collaboration, and deeper understanding across grade levels and subject areas.

Link to Presentation

Speakers

Michelle McDaniel

Ed Tech Coach, USD 475

Thursday March 6, 2025 4:00pm - 4:45pm CST
KSU Union Bluemont

Instructional Tools, WeVideo, Canva, Google Tools

Audience All
Subject Video Production