Why choose this session? While other sessions offer new tips, we offer the biological blueprint for learning. We uncomplicate concepts like neuroplasticity and neurons and provide evidence-based, brain-friendly strategies that are scientifically proven to enhance memory, engagement, and long-term retention. This is not just theory; it’s the science of learning translated directly into powerful classroom practice.
This session explains why whole-class reading of extended texts matters and demonstrates how to make it work in elementary classrooms through concrete examples, illustrating how shared texts build understanding, discussion, and classroom community.
Laura Stam is an elementary educator at Hot Springs County School District #1. She is a 2024-2025 Goyen Fellow and a founding board member of The Reading League Wyoming. She writes a Substack, The Knowledge Exchange: Knowledge-Building for Teachers. She is passionate about the sciences... Read More →
"AI is a “brave new world” for educators. What do terms like bots, AI smashing, hallucinations, and closed-garden AI really mean—and how do they impact teaching and learning?
In this hands-on session, participants will demystify these concepts while actively creating practical AI tools for their own professional use. Attendees will build a custom AI bot designed to serve as a PLC thinking partner. They will also learn how to engineer prompts to make AI resources better. Lastly, we will compare and contrast differ AI's using AI smashing tools.
This session is not lecture-based. Participants will engage in guided, hands-on work and leave with ready-to-use AI skills they can immediately incorporate into classroom instruction, planning, and assessment design."
Why choose this advanced session? This workshop moves Beyond Basics provided in the Introduction workshop. We provide the essential next step: understanding the brain as an integrated circuit. Participants will learn not just what the lobes do individually, but how their interconnections dictate the success or failure of learning, using the Information Processing Model as our guide. Participants will leave with precision strategies and a powerful neurological framework for fostering true Deeper Learning.
