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#innovate26 Sessions

Design

  • Lindsey Weatherby, Lindbergh Schools

    Learn how AI tools like ChatGPT, Canva, Gemini, Diffit and Adobe Firefly can enhance student engagement, creativity and understanding across content areas. Explore strategies to integrate AI responsibly, address ethical considerations and empower students to use technology as a learning tool. Examine real-world classroom examples that turn AI into an effective teaching partner.

    Engage in interactive demonstrations, collaborative discussions, and hands-on exploration of AI tools. Experiment with prompts, share ideas, and reflect on practical classroom applications. Explore ways to make AI integration meaningful, creative, and student-centered.

    Apply AI tools to create lessons, visuals and learning activities that are ready for immediate classroom use. Gain practical strategies and templates that boost engagement, creativity and student voice.

  • Tina Lauer, City of St. Charles School District

    Learn about a range of AI chatbots while examining key cautions and considerations for using AI. Explore how to design effective prompts that generate standards-aligned essential questions, enduring understandings, transfer goals, student learning targets and proficiency scales with clear learning progressions.

    Engage in hands-on AI tasks using content-area state or national standards. Analyze AI-generated outputs, reflect on prompt effectiveness and refine prompts through peer and facilitator feedback.

    Apply new learning by creating proficiency scales with level 1–4 learning progressions aligned to grade level or content area. Gain ready-to-use lesson components and the ability to design meaningful learning experiences and assessment tools.

  • Kerry Arens, Webster Groves School District 

    Learn how research on experiential learning, motivation and neuroscience connects to increased joy, relevance and student ownership. Explore learning approaches, from low-prep, high-impact entry points to longer-term designs that deepen community connection and shared responsibility for learning.

    Engage in collaborative reflection and analyze learning examples across multiple content areas to uncover what makes these experiences powerful and replicable. Reimagine your own instructional practices through guided design time.

    Apply earning principles by drafting an initial ExL design aligned to instructional goals and student needs. Gain a flexible framework to use in designing future experiential learning.

  • Daniel Jones, Riverview Gardens School District

    Learn the core principles of Grading for Equity and examine how those practices intersect with the growing presence of AI in education. Explore strategies for designing assignments and assessments that may include AI, along with approaches for grading those deliverables equitably.

    Engage in collaborative discussion and problem-solving around real-world scenarios that highlight the challenges of equitable grading in the age of AI. Interact with peers and contribute to shared analysis and reflection that deepen understanding and surface practical insights.

    Apply an equitable lens to existing lessons and grading practices while accounting for the realities of AI use in classrooms. Gain practical tools and frameworks to navigate AI thoughtfully while ensuring grading practices remain fair, transparent and focused on student learning.

  • Zak Lenski and Kate Sommerville, i4PL

    Learn the core concepts behind effective learner profiles and how they support personalized, meaningful learning. Explore the difference between thoughtful profile design and simple preference questionnaires, emphasizing alignment with learning goals, check-ins and feedback loops.

    Engage in collaborative analysis of real classroom examples and team discussions to explore how learner profiles can drive instructional decisions. Map out touchpoints, alignment with learning goals and feedback processes to ensure readiness for launch at the start of the school year.

    Apply design principles to begin creating learner profiles, either from scratch or using provided resources for inspiration. Gain actionable steps and a plan for implementing learner profiles in your classroom or team.

     

  • Tom Probst and Lauren Fahy, Valley Park School District

    Learn how to shift from teacher-centered to student-thinking classrooms using vertical non-permanent surfaces, randomized groups and inquiry-driven tasks. Explore how AI can transform traditional lessons into dynamic thinking activities across content areas.

    Engage in a live micro-model of a thinking classroom by working in groups to solve an inquiry task. Explore how AI can accelerate the creation of student-centered work.

    Apply a structured launch sequence to decenter your classroom. Gain a framework to transform existing lessons into thinking tasks that can be implemented immediately across content areas.

  • Dria Setter and Theresa Ewald, i4PL

    Learn how to leverage proficiency scales to clearly define learning targets and guide student growth at every level. Explore methods for providing meaningful feedback and using flexible instructional strategies to support learners with different needs. Discover how to meet students where they are while keeping standards and learning targets central.

    Engage in reflection around personalized learning and feedback strategies. Analyze examples and explore how these approaches can be adapted to support diverse learners and classroom contexts.

    Apply proficiency scale practices to plan scaffolding that supports learner-driven growth.

  • Elizabeth Kean, Special School District of St. Louis County

    Learn the principles of vulnerability and trust in the classroom and how intentional routines can cultivate a safe, supportive learning environment. Explore strategies for integrating AI reflectively and using data-informed leadership to strengthen relationships.

    Engage in a hands-on decoding activity using PLORA’s one-sound-one-symbol approach. Explore how symbols connect to English spelling, experience the system in action, and reflect on its potential to build confidence and clarity for struggling readers.

    Apply a simple one-sound-one-symbol decoding routine using PLORA’s visual sound-mapping approach. Use the sample PLORA sheet to introduce students to sound-by-sound word building, and implement the strategy as a warm-up, small group activity or intervention tool to support decoding and literacy confidence.

Technology

  • Lindsey Weatherby, Lindbergh Schools

    Learn how AI tools like ChatGPT, Canva, Gemini, Diffit and Adobe Firefly can enhance student engagement, creativity and understanding across content areas. Explore strategies to integrate AI responsibly, address ethical considerations and empower students to use technology as a learning tool. Examine real-world classroom examples that turn AI into an effective teaching partner.

    Engage in interactive demonstrations, collaborative discussions, and hands-on exploration of AI tools. Experiment with prompts, share ideas, and reflect on practical classroom applications. Explore ways to make AI integration meaningful, creative, and student-centered.

    Apply AI tools to create lessons, visuals and learning activities that are ready for immediate classroom use. Gain practical strategies and templates that boost engagement, creativity and student voice.

  • Tina Lauer, City of St. Charles School District

    Learn about a range of AI chatbots while examining key cautions and considerations for using AI. Explore how to design effective prompts that generate standards-aligned essential questions, enduring understandings, transfer goals, student learning targets and proficiency scales with clear learning progressions.

    Engage in hands-on AI tasks using content-area state or national standards. Analyze AI-generated outputs, reflect on prompt effectiveness and refine prompts through peer and facilitator feedback.

    Apply new learning by creating proficiency scales with level 1–4 learning progressions aligned to grade level or content area. Gain ready-to-use lesson components and the ability to design meaningful learning experiences and assessment tools.

  • Daniel Jones, Riverview Gardens School District

    Learn the core principles of Grading for Equity and examine how those practices intersect with the growing presence of AI in education. Explore strategies for designing assignments and assessments that may include AI, along with approaches for grading those deliverables equitably.

    Engage in collaborative discussion and problem-solving around real-world scenarios that highlight the challenges of equitable grading in the age of AI. Interact with peers and contribute to shared analysis and reflection that deepen understanding and surface practical insights.

    Apply an equitable lens to existing lessons and grading practices while accounting for the realities of AI use in classrooms. Gain practical tools and frameworks to navigate AI thoughtfully while ensuring grading practices remain fair, transparent and focused on student learning.

  • Dria Setter and Theresa Ewald, i4PL

    Learn how to leverage proficiency scales to clearly define learning targets and guide student growth at every level. Explore methods for providing meaningful feedback and using flexible instructional strategies to support learners with different needs. Discover how to meet students where they are while keeping standards and learning targets central.

    Engage in reflection around personalized learning and feedback strategies. Analyze examples and explore how these approaches can be adapted to support diverse learners and classroom contexts.

    Apply proficiency scale practices to plan scaffolding that supports learner-driven growth.

  • Haydee Taylor-Arnold, Ladue School District

    Learn how to integrate Google Gemini as a classroom assistant to enhance language teaching and learning. Explore AI literacy, effective prompting and strategies for using generative AI to plan lessons, design resources and personalize instruction. Examine practical approaches to make teaching more creative, efficient and student-centered.

    Engage in hands-on practice using Google Gemini to generate lesson ideas, resources and student tasks. Experiment with prompts, share results and collaborate in real time to explore AI’s potential in classroom learning.

    Apply AI strategies and prompt templates to streamline lesson planning and enrich instruction. Use Google Gemini as a collaborative teaching partner to save time, enhance student creativity and implement immediate classroom-ready solutions.

  • James McKay, Gateway Music Outreach

    Learn how to pair wellness practices with technology to restore energy and creativity. Explore ways AI can simplify planning, reflection and communication while maintaining the human touch.

    Engage in self-reflection, collaborative discussions, and hands-on exploration of wellness-centered tech strategies. Identify stress points in daily routines, test practical tools and consider how these approaches can be adapted to your own classroom context.

    Apply wellness-centered tech strategies to immediately reduce stress and streamline workload. Create a personalized action plan that will protect time, sustain creativity and bring renewed energy to your teaching practice.

Culture

  • Francesca Meixner-Hendrix, Hazelwood School District 

    Learn how to transform student disagreement into a tool for academic thinking and social-emotional growth. Explore strategies for teaching students to argue with evidence, listen with empathy and respond with respect across all content areas. Examine practical routines, sentence stems and activities that support productive discourse and stronger classroom relationships. 

    Engage in role-plays, structured discourse routines, and short debate-inspired tasks to experience the strategies firsthand. Analyze classroom scenarios, collaborate with peers, and model respectful disagreement to see how argumentation strengthens both reasoning and SEL skills. Explore ways to bring these practices into your own classroom context. 

    Apply ready-to-use routines, discussion protocols, and sentence stems to guide students in debating ideas respectfully. Implement activities that help learners support claims with evidence, manage emotions and engage in structured, meaningful discourse. Use classroom-ready templates to turn disagreements into opportunities for deeper understanding, critical thinking and stronger peer relationships. 

  • Abida Jafari, Hazelwood School District 

    Learn how vulnerability, trust and authentic connection drive engagement, motivation and academic success. Explore the neuroscience of belonging, the link between transparency and performance, and the role of emotional intelligence in building relationally strong school cultures. Examine how AI tools can serve as reflective coaching partners to deepen empathy, self-awareness, and communication effectiveness. 

    Engage with real-world examples and collaborative exploration to uncover how vulnerability, trust and connection shape school culture. Analyze data and share insights to identify strategies that foster relational trust, boost engagement and improve outcomes. Explore practical approaches to embedding connection and belonging in classrooms and school communities. 

    Apply vulnerability-based leadership to create psychological safety and strengthen relationships across your school or classroom. Create a 90-Day Connection Action Plan with practical routines and strategies to embed belonging, track progress and drive measurable results. 

     

  • Kerry Arens, Webster Groves School District   

    Learn how research on experiential learning, motivation and neuroscience connects to increased joy, relevance and student ownership. Explore learning approaches, from low-prep, high-impact entry points to longer-term designs that deepen community connection and shared responsibility for learning. 

    Engage in collaborative reflection and analyze learning examples across multiple content areas to uncover what makes these experiences powerful and replicable. Reimagine your own instructional practices through guided design time. 

    Apply earning principles by drafting an initial ExL design aligned to instructional goals and student needs. Gain a flexible framework to use in designing future experiential learning. 

     

  • Tom Probst and Lauren Fahy, Valley Park School District 

    Learn how to shift from teacher-centered to student-thinking classrooms using vertical non-permanent surfaces, randomized groups and inquiry-driven tasks. Explore how AI can transform traditional lessons into dynamic thinking activities across content areas. 

    Engage in a live micro-model of a thinking classroom by working in groups to solve an inquiry task. Explore how AI can accelerate the creation of student-centered work. 

    Apply a structured launch sequence to decenter your classroom. Gain a framework to transform existing lessons into thinking tasks that can be implemented immediately across content areas. 

  • Stacy Stewart, Trisha Goins and Nikki Schuler, Archdiocese of St. Louis St. Dominic High School   

    Learn to design teacher learning cohorts that align with individual growth goals and build collaborative, sustained professional development. Explore strategies for critical friend observations and coaching cycles that prioritize teacher growth before formal evaluations. 

    Engage in reflective discussion and collaboration around professional development and coaching practices. Analyze examples and share insights to uncover what makes teacher cohorts effective and sustainable. 

    Apply frameworks and coaching strategies to draft actionable PD cohort plans. Create designs for collaboration, classroom observations and reflective coaching that can be implemented immediately to support teacher growth and enhance student learning. 

  • Kendra Vaughn, Hazelwood School District 

    Learn how to foster future leaders by using interactive learning activities that promote critical thinking and amplify student voice. Explore strategies that help students evaluate evidence, support opinions, solve problems, and think analytically. Examine research- and project-based practices that maximize engagement across all content areas. 

    Engage in reflection and discussion around implementing critical thinking and student-centered strategies. Explore examples, share ideas, and consider ways to make learning experiences more interactive and meaningful for students. 

    Apply critical thinking and student voice strategies to your own lessons and content areas. Design engaging tasks that encourage problem solving, evidence-based reasoning, and analytical thinking, ready for immediate classroom use. 

Leadership

  • Abida Jafari, Hazelwood School District 

    Learn how vulnerability, trust and authentic connection drive engagement, motivation and academic success. Explore the neuroscience of belonging, the link between transparency and performance, and the role of emotional intelligence in building relationally strong school cultures. Examine how AI tools can serve as reflective coaching partners to deepen empathy, self-awareness, and communication effectiveness. 

    Engage with real-world examples and collaborative exploration to uncover how vulnerability, trust and connection shape school culture. Analyze data and share insights to identify strategies that foster relational trust, boost engagement and improve outcomes. Explore practical approaches to embedding connection and belonging in classrooms and school communities. 

    Apply vulnerability-based leadership to create psychological safety and strengthen relationships across your school or classroom. Create a 90-Day Connection Action Plan with practical routines and strategies to embed belonging, track progress and drive measurable results. 

  • Stacy Stewart, Trisha Goins and Nikki Schuler, Archdiocese of St. Louis St. Dominic High School   

    Learn to design teacher learning cohorts that align with individual growth goals and build collaborative, sustained professional development. Explore strategies for critical friend observations and coaching cycles that prioritize teacher growth before formal evaluations. 

    Engage in reflective discussion and collaboration around professional development and coaching practices. Analyze examples and share insights to uncover what makes teacher cohorts effective and sustainable. 

    Apply frameworks and coaching strategies to draft actionable PD cohort plans. Create designs for collaboration, classroom observations and reflective coaching that can be implemented immediately to support teacher growth and enhance student learning. 

  • Kendra Vaughn, Hazelwood School District 

    Learn how to foster future leaders by using interactive learning activities that promote critical thinking and amplify student voice. Explore strategies that help students evaluate evidence, support opinions, solve problems, and think analytically. Examine research- and project-based practices that maximize engagement across all content areas. 

    Engage in reflection and discussion around implementing critical thinking and student-centered strategies. Explore examples, share ideas, and consider ways to make learning experiences more interactive and meaningful for students. 

    Apply critical thinking and student voice strategies to your own lessons and content areas. Design engaging tasks that encourage problem solving, evidence-based reasoning, and analytical thinking, ready for immediate classroom use. 

Belonging

  • Francesca Meixner-Hendrix, Hazelwood School District 

    Learn how to transform student disagreement into a tool for academic thinking and social-emotional growth. Explore strategies for teaching students to argue with evidence, listen with empathy and respond with respect across all content areas. Examine practical routines, sentence stems and activities that support productive discourse and stronger classroom relationships. 

    Engage in role-plays, structured discourse routines, and short debate-inspired tasks to experience the strategies firsthand. Analyze classroom scenarios, collaborate with peers, and model respectful disagreement to see how argumentation strengthens both reasoning and SEL skills. Explore ways to bring these practices into your own classroom context. 

    Apply ready-to-use routines, discussion protocols, and sentence stems to guide students in debating ideas respectfully. Implement activities that help learners support claims with evidence, manage emotions and engage in structured, meaningful discourse. Use classroom-ready templates to turn disagreements into opportunities for deeper understanding, critical thinking and stronger peer relationships. 

  • Abida Jafari, Hazelwood School District 

    Learn how vulnerability, trust and authentic connection drive engagement, motivation and academic success. Explore the neuroscience of belonging, the link between transparency and performance, and the role of emotional intelligence in building relationally strong school cultures. Examine how AI tools can serve as reflective coaching partners to deepen empathy, self-awareness, and communication effectiveness. 

    Engage with real-world examples and collaborative exploration to uncover how vulnerability, trust and connection shape school culture. Analyze data and share insights to identify strategies that foster relational trust, boost engagement and improve outcomes. Explore practical approaches to embedding connection and belonging in classrooms and school communities. 

    Apply vulnerability-based leadership to create psychological safety and strengthen relationships across your school or classroom. Create a 90-Day Connection Action Plan with practical routines and strategies to embed belonging, track progress and drive measurable results. 

  • Zak Lenski and Kate Sommerville, i4PL 

    Learn the core concepts behind effective learner profiles and how they support personalized, meaningful learning. Explore the difference between thoughtful profile design and simple preference questionnaires, emphasizing alignment with learning goals, check-ins and feedback loops.  

    Engage in collaborative analysis of real classroom examples and team discussions to explore how learner profiles can drive instructional decisions. Map out touchpoints, alignment with learning goals and feedback processes to ensure readiness for launch at the start of the school year. 

    Apply design principles to begin creating learner profiles, either from scratch or using provided resources for inspiration. Gain actionable steps and a plan for implementing learner profiles in your classroom or team. 

Wellness

  • Jessica Arico, City of St. Charles School District 

    Learn how energizing physiological habits can enhance clarity, stamina and purpose throughout the school day. Explore research-backed strategies for creating routines that support focus, resilience and overall well-being. Examine practical ways to make habits systematic for lasting impact. 

    Engage with peers through collaborative problem-solving to troubleshoot potential obstacles to habit formation. Experiment with habit-building techniques and share insights to refine approaches. Explore how small changes can produce meaningful daily results. 

    Apply practical strategies to create a personalized physiological habit plan ready for immediate implementation. Design daily routines that boost energy, focus and productivity. 

  • LaToya Jones, Kirkwood School District 

    Learn the importance of healthy professional boundaries for preventing burnout and maintaining positive work relationships. Explore a four-step framework for establishing and maintaining boundaries. Discover strategies to communicate effectively while protecting your time and energy. 

    Engage through a variety of hands-on, collaborative activities including a boundary self-assessment.  

    Apply practical strategies to set and maintain boundaries and create a personal action plan with three specific boundaries to support work-life balance, reduce stress and prevent burnout.

  • James McKay, Gateway Music Outreach 

    Learn how to pair wellness practices with technology to restore energy and creativity. Explore ways AI can simplify planning, reflection and communication while maintaining the human touch.  

    Engage in self-reflection, collaborative discussions, and hands-on exploration of wellness-centered tech strategies. Identify stress points in daily routines, test practical tools and consider how these approaches can be adapted to your own classroom context. 

    Apply wellness-centered tech strategies to immediately reduce stress and streamline workload. Create a personalized action plan that will protect time, sustain creativity and bring renewed energy to your teaching practice.