Registration is for all conference attendees. Registration will be located in the main lobby of Dempster Hall. Please be sure to enter at the front/main entrance of Dempster Hall to check in and receive your materials.
Book Sales Located in the hallway outside Glenn Auditorium. The following books are for sale onsite:
The Innovator's Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity (by George Couros)
Innovate Inside the Box: Empowering Learners Through UDL and The Innovator's Mindset (by George Couros with Katie Novak)
Create: Illuminate Student Voice Through Student Choice (by Bethany Petty)
Carol Dweck’s work has honed in on the concepts of “fixed” and “growth” mindset, but as educators, we must venture further with these ideas to foster the learning opportunities our students and schools merit. It’s not only about what we know but also how we utilize that knowledge. Change is ever-present, and with the advent of new avenues for learning and evolution through technology, such as AI and emerging technologies, we must be proactive not just in response to changes but also in creating change.
In this talk, George will explore the principles and characteristics of “The Innovator’s Mindset”—a concept detailed in his book of the same name—and present compelling reasons why this mindset is essential for educators to cultivate outstanding learning opportunities, not only for their students but also for themselves.
Known for their emotional depth and humor, George’s presentations engage audiences on a level that resonates both intellectually and emotionally. This message is not just for the moment; it’s crafted to stay with you, affecting genuine change that extends far beyond the talk itself.
George Couros is a worldwide leader in the area of innovative teaching, learning, and leading, and he has a focus on innovation as a human endeavor. Most importantly, he is a proud father and husband. His belief that meaningful change happens when you first connect to people’s hearts... Read More →
Building on the insights from his keynote, this session will allow participants to dive deeper into the practical application of the Innovator’s Mindset. Attendees will explore actionable strategies to empower both learners and educators immediately. This session is designed not only to present ideas but also to model a dynamic, personalized learning experience—one that will feel engaging and relevant to everyone in the room. By the end, participants will have the tools to implement a new mindset and approach to learning in their classrooms, schools, and districts.
George Couros is a worldwide leader in the area of innovative teaching, learning, and leading, and he has a focus on innovation as a human endeavor. Most importantly, he is a proud father and husband. His belief that meaningful change happens when you first connect to people’s hearts... Read More →
AI brings many benefits, but it also comes with some concerns. How do we stay digitally literate when digital technology is changing so fast? How do we help our students be responsible digital citizens in this rapidly changing technology minefield? This session will address these concerns and offer some resources and practical ideas for keeping yourself and your students safe and ethical in the fast-paced world of educational technology.
Director, EDvolution, Southeast Missouri State University
Dr. Jana Gerard is the coordinator of the EDvolution Center and an adjunct faculty member at Southeast Missouri State University, where she provides professional development to students, faculty, staff, and community educators on various educational technologies. Jana is an ISTE Certified... Read More →
Tuesday June 24, 2025 11:10am - 12:00pm CDT Dempster 124
Lunch is provided for all attendees in the Dempster Atrium. There will be two double-sided buffets, one on each side of the Atrium. Seating will be available in the lower and upper levels (balcony) of the Atrium.
Book Sales Located in the hallway outside Glenn Auditorium. The following books are for sale onsite:
The Innovator's Mindset: Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity (by George Couros)
Innovate Inside the Box: Empowering Learners Through UDL and The Innovator's Mindset (by George Couros with Katie Novak)
Create: Illuminate Student Voice Through Student Choice (by Bethany Petty)
How do we engage modern students in the meaningful but dated process of writing a research paper? This session will encourage participants to explore and share ideas to foster student engagement in this still-important academic endeavor. We will look at how technology tools, personal investment, and multimedia elements can help more students recognize the value of research. While this session will focus on a 12th-grade English classroom, it will feature tips and ideas adaptable to most 7-12 classrooms. Come ready to learn, discuss, and share.
Unlock the potential of Google's cutting-edge AI tools, Notebook LM and Illuminate, in this interactive workshop! We'll move beyond theory and get straight to practical applications. Learn how Notebook LM acts as your personal AI research assistant, synthesizing your uploaded documents into powerful knowledge bases for research and lesson planning. Plus, experience Illuminate's unique ability to transform any text into a personalized listening experience, simplifying complex information. This session provides ample time for hands-on exploration, ensuring you leave with concrete strategies and a clear understanding of how these tools can streamline your workflow, save time, and enhance student learning.
Educational Technology Facilitator and Secondary Instructional Coach, Farmington R-7
Unlock the potential of Google's cutting-edge AI tools, Notebook LM and Illuminate, in this interactive workshop! We'll move beyond theory and get straight to practical applications. Learn how Notebook LM acts as your personal AI research assistant, synthesizing your uploaded documents... Read More →
Tuesday June 24, 2025 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT Dempster 127
AI is all the rage in education today, but which tools should you add to your teacher toolbox? This session will focus on determining how teachers can best use AI tools to enhance instruction in the classroom. Teachers will leave with tools to explore and TONS of new ideas!
Bethany Petty is an award-winning high school Social Studies teacher, professor of educational technology, reader, blogger, national speaker, runner, and coffee fan. She is the author of two books, Illuminate: Technology Enhanced Learning and Create: Illuminate Student Voice Through... Read More →
Tuesday June 24, 2025 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT Dempster 128
The effective management of student discipline is critical to the success of any school.
Educators are confronted with the challenge of maintaining school safety while minimizing the number of long-term suspensions. Student and teacher safety are extremely important, but in order for students, who compromise the safety and conduciveness of the learning environment, to be successful, they need to be in class.
Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a program that could provide school administrators with a restorative practice to help minimize the number of out-of-school suspensions, supply teachers, counselors, and behavior interventionists with an evidence-supported intervention that teaches students individualized self-regulation skills, enabling them to be successful in the classroom and beyond school? Moral Reasoning Training, MRT, is a program that can address all of these needs.
MRT is an evidence-supported intervention that provides a sequence of twelve detailed lessons to help students improve their skills for self-awareness, social awareness, self-management, building positive relationships, responsible decision-making, creating goals, and developing action steps to achieve them. The interactive lessons that are found in the MRT workbook incorporate components from art therapy, oral and written expression, and self-reflection, all of which help students identify and acknowledge the behavior(s) that prevent them from being successful, their triggers, and positive behaviors they can develop to replace the negative. My presentation will explain how this intervention helped decrease discipline referrals by approximately 80 percent while increasing attendance and graduation rates.
