Learn why direct instruction is an essential part of effective teaching when aligned with how the brain learns. Explore cognitive science principles through the four Power Tools: retrieval practice, spaced practice, interleaving and feedback-driven metacognition. Examine how these strategies energize instruction, improve retention and reduce instructional burden with minimal prep.
Engage with the science by experiencing the Power Tools as a learner. Interact with examples from multiple content areas to see how brain-compatible direct instruction can be active, efficient and impactful.
Apply the four Power Tools to any lesson to design direct instruction that sticks. Use classroom-ready strategies to strengthen learning, improve long-term retention and teach with greater clarity and confidence. Gain practical ideas and resources to continue deepening instructional impact through cognitive science.
Director of Assessment and Professional Learning, Clayton
Robyn has been a teacher, instructional coach, and district administrator for twenty-five years. She has taught K-12, but spent most of her career in 6-12 education as an English teacher and instructional coach. She now serves as the Director of Assessment and Professional Learning... Read More →
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.
Learn why conceptual understanding—not memorized steps—helps students make sense of mathematics, transfer knowledge and close learning gaps.
Engage in quick, hands‑on routines using DEX resources such as visual models, number lines, dot images and problem‑based prompts that reveal student thinking and support flexible reasoning.
Apply these routines in your classrooms to strengthen daily math instruction, and explore how DreamBox can extend conceptual learning and capture student strategies without adding extra work.
Learn effective, low-prep strategies to prepare students for the ELA MAP Listening test. Explore how audible annotation improves listening comprehension and accuracy for Grades 3–8. Examine how AI, Google Forms and Google Vids can streamline the creation of high-quality listening practice materials.
Engage with examples and collaborative exploration of MAP-aligned listening tasks. Interact with tools and ideas that demonstrate how technology can support authentic listening practice and assessment readiness.
Apply a simple, repeatable process to create MAP-style listening passages and questions using AI and Google tools. Design at least one classroom-ready listening assessment that includes an audio or video passage and aligned questions. Build a workflow that allows multiple listening assessments to be created efficiently across grade levels.
Learn how digital publishing tools empower students to share their work with authentic, real-world audiences. Explore how publishing increases engagement, ownership and student voice while connecting literacy to meaningful contexts. Examine practical tools and strategies that elevate student work beyond the classroom.
Engage in collaborative exploration of how content creators use familiar structures to connect with audiences. Interact with examples, share ideas and consider how these approaches can translate into classroom practice to support student creativity and communication.
Apply digital publishing tools and strategies to help students transform drafts into polished work for authentic audiences. Create or adapt examples that model real-world writing and publishing for students. Use practical tools to support creativity, amplify student voice and make learning more relevant and impactful.
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.
Learn the foundations of bias and implicit bias, including how lived experiences such as family, schooling, media and professional environments shape perceptions. Explore why implicit bias is a common cognitive process rather than a moral failing and how it shows up in classrooms, especially for students from underrepresented groups. Examine research-informed strategies to recognize and reduce bias.
Engage in reflection and shared exploration to deepen understanding of how bias influences thinking and interactions. Participate in collaborative learning that surfaces perspectives, builds awareness and connects concepts to classroom practice.
Apply practical strategies such as mindfulness, empathetic communication, cross-group relationships and accountability to interrupt bias. Use bias-aware practices to create more inclusive learning environments and foster classroom cultures grounded in curiosity, representation and growth.
Learn how educators are putting AI into practice right now, what's landing and what still needs work. Come ready to learn and engage with fellow educators who are navigating the same real-world AI questions and challenges. This is a space for honest conversation about what AI is doing in real classrooms, what's working, what's hard and what's still uncertain.
Engage in a relaxed, open roundtable where there are no slides and no agenda, just real conversation. Share what you built or experienced today, ask the questions you didn't get to ask in a session and connect with fellow educators navigating the same AI journey you are.
Apply the ideas, connections and insights that surface in the room to your own context. Whether you leave with a new idea to try with schoolai, a clearer question to explore or simply a sense that you are not alone in this work, the campfire is where the day's learning lands.
Learn practical, personalized solutions to your instructional questions across math, science and social studies.
Engage in a flexible, conversational Q/A experience with subject‑matter expert(s) who can offer guidance, model strategies and explore challenges one‑on‑one or in a small‑group setting.
Gain tailored strategies and optional digital resources discussed to improve instruction in ways that fit your unique classroom needs.
