This training is a prerequisite for AMSTI 6-12 Math Content Area Trainings. This one-day session focuses on providing an overview of pedagogical strategies, student mathematical practices, mathematics teaching practices and formative assessment cycle making connections among grade-band standards and strategies to the ALCOS. Participants will explore student-invented strategies, analyze evidence of student understanding to inform planning of next instructional steps, discuss the importance of sense-making, and explore the impact of concrete, semi-concrete, and abstract learning opportunities on the development of conceptual understanding.
This one-day session focuses on developing area models from upper elementary through middle school grades. Participants will experience the foundation of area models and how they can be extended through middle school math concepts. Participants will practice using area models with hands-on manipulatives and materials through applications of multiplication, division, fractions, geometry, percents, and probability.
In this ASIM Biology: Biotechnology training, participants learn how to implement Lesson 5.3 Biotechnology in their classrooms. This lesson addresses the 3-dimensional nature of SC23.BIO.2c and is to be implemented over 4 instructional days. Participants will use MiniOne gel electrophoresis to investigate a murder, use Hudson Alpha’s DNA Phenotyping: Let’s Face It to analyze SNP data and infer phenotypes, and explore how genetic technology affects everyday life . Participants will also practice utilizing research-based strategies to strengthen pedagogy and promote evidence-based instructional practices. (TEAMS APPROVED)
This session provides school counselors, educators, and support staff with a practical understanding of relational aggression among girls, using key insights from the book, Queen Bees and Wannabes. Participants will explore the secret society of girls, how social dynamics, peer influence, and communication patterns impact behavior, and how adults can respond in ways that build connection, accountability, and healthy relationships.
Discover four practical strategies that help learners use AI to think more critically…not just rely on it for answers. In this interactive session, you’ll explore how to use AI as a thought partner, spot misinformation, promote ethical use, and strengthen human‑in‑the‑loop reasoning. Leave with ready‑to‑use strategies that bring responsible, ethical, and creative AI informational literacy to your learning space.
Haylee Anderson is currently an instructional specialist with eMINTS National Center. She has previously been a high school English and Spanish and a middle school ELA educator in Missouri. Her family is the most important thing in the world to her. She lives in Southwest Missouri... Read More →
Monday July 13, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT Room 214
Tired of the "teach to the test" cycle? Join us for a hands-on exploration of assessment strategies that reflect what your students know. In this session, we’re ditching the Scantron and Google Form in favor of high-engagement alternatives. We will dive into the versatility of Choice Boards, the storytelling power of Podcasts, and the visual synthesis of One Pagers. You’ll also learn how to spark deep classroom discourse with Parlay Ideas and empower students with the “You Write the Test” approach. Leave with a digital toolkit ready to transform your next unit.
New to MagicSchool? This beginner-friendly, level one training session for teachers is designed to help you hit the ground running. Learn how to use MagicSchool to quickly generate lesson plans, differentiate instruction, support diverse learners, and streamline everyday tasks. Walk away with simple, high-impact workflows you can use immediately—no prior experience required.
Destinie Thomas is a Professional Development and Community Specialist at MagicSchool, where she helps educators discover how AI can make teaching more joyful, efficient, and equitable. She has spent her career creating engaging learning experiences—whether coaching teachers, leading... Read More →
Monday July 13, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT Room 92
This workshop is designed to help participants deepen their understanding of the Standards for Mathematical Practice and learn to develop effective lessons grounded in the standards. These lessons will allow students to go beyond memorizing facts, formulas, and mnemonics and instead focus on developing a deep conceptual understanding of underlying principles. Teachers build skills to engage students and advance mathematical understanding through the Standards of Mathematical Practice. Participants review grade-appropriate content standards and collaborate on potential teaching strategies to achieve student understanding. Participants also work collaboratively to identify mathematical tasks to develop students' capacity to meet the Standards of Mathematical Practice.
Tiffany Christian is a Professional Learning Manager with ExploreLearning serving the East Coast region. She has over 23 years of experience in educational technology and public education as a gifted math and science teacher, an academic coach, district K-12 science instructional... Read More →
Monday July 13, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT Room 253
Schoology is more than a place to post assignments, it can be a powerful tool for engagement, differentiation, assessment, and instructional clarity. This session provides practical, classroom-tested strategies for maximizing Schoology in grades 7–12 across all subject areas. Participants will explore ways to streamline workflows, increase student accountability, use analytics to guide instruction, and design engaging digital learning experiences. Walk away with ready-to-implement ideas that support rigor, efficiency, and student success.
Discover the magic of Gelli printing—a simple, playful form of printmaking that anyone can do. In this hands-on workshop you’ll: Roll, press, and pull colorful prints Experiment with layers, textures, stencils, and line Discover the fun of ghost prints and happy accidents Leave with a stack of beautiful one-of-a-kind papers No art experience needed—just come ready to play with paint and creativity!
Hello!I am excited to be returning to GRITC as a presenter! I graduated with my bachelors of fine art and master's of education from the University of Montevallo, which is located in Montevallo, AL. I am married and we live in Loxley. I teach elementary art and I absolutely love it... Read More →
I have been teaching visual arts in Baldwin County for seven years, working with students from Pre-K through 8th grade. I studied art, religion, and philosophy at the University of West Florida and currently teach 8th grade art, where I enjoy blending creative skill-building with... Read More →
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing education, but many teachers are unsure where to start. This session introduces Magic School AI as a practical classroom and planning tool that supports differentiation, lesson design, assessment creation, and student engagement. Participants will explore real classroom examples and leave with ready-to-use AI prompts aligned to curriculum standards.
Hello! My name is Stacey Tatum, and I am a 6th Grade Science and Social Studies teacher at Elberta Elementary School. This year marks my first year teaching 6th grade after spending several years in 3rd grade, where I developed a deep passion for understanding how students learn to... Read More →
Monday July 13, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT Room 16
Explore how technology can transform transition planning for secondary students with IEPs. This session highlights digital tools and strategies to conduct meaningful transition assessments, analyze results efficiently, and use data to empower students toward post-school success. Participants will leave with practical ideas to streamline assessments and enhance student engagement using technology.
Transform your classroom from a teacher-led lecture into a vibrant, student-driven community with Parlay Ideas. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll explore the Parlay Universe to find ready-made prompts that spark critical thinking and dive into the Written Round Table to see how anonymous peer feedback empowers even your quietest students. You’ll experience a Live Round Table firsthand to see how real-time data and discussion mapping can facilitate civil discourse and provide instant engagement analytics. Join us to learn how to step back as a lecturer and step up as a coach, using Parlay to make every student’s voice visible and every discussion measurable.
Join me to learn about unplugging in order to get your game on. Analog games promote social engagement by encouraging students to interact, collaborate, and adapt to group dynamics while working through shared challenges. They build student agency by allowing learners to make meaningful choices, learn from low-stakes failure, and receive immediate feedback that guides future decisions.
I am a seasoned eMints certified educator with over 20 years of experience in the field. I am currently the Curriculum Leader and 504 Facilitator at Elberta High School. My educational philosophy is rooted in the belief that prioritizing investments in students establishes a solid... Read More →
Reluctant high school writers often shut down when facing an essay—blank-page panic, weak ideas, poor structure, or zero motivation for timed prompts. This session delivers practical, ready-to-use strategies to help even the poorest writers succeed.
This session is primarily tailored for 6-12 math teachers but benefit can be found for all math educators with some modifications for earlier grades. We will use Amplify to focus on warmups that involve visual patterns and number talks that help students to connect visual patterns to their mathematical expressions. The number talks will help students develop numeracy skills and compare their ways of thinking with their peers to help them learn to work flexibly and efficiently with numbers. These tasks will be easy for students to start but encourage deeper thinking and can lead to deeper understanding of more advanced solutions.
Ready to go beyond the basics? In this Level 2 session, educators will deepen their use of MagicSchool to design more targeted instruction, refine differentiation, and create higher-quality materials with greater efficiency. Learn how to customize outputs, build reusable workflows, and apply MagicSchool across planning, assessment, and student support. Walk away with advanced strategies that elevate your practice and maximize impact in the classroom.
Destinie Thomas is a Professional Development and Community Specialist at MagicSchool, where she helps educators discover how AI can make teaching more joyful, efficient, and equitable. She has spent her career creating engaging learning experiences—whether coaching teachers, leading... Read More →
Monday July 13, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT Room 92
The presentation explores the use of math games in secondary classrooms (6-12). Put those digital devices away because are talking actual games! We will be exploring how games can enhance student engagement and reinforce foundational skills that can be helpful in their current learning. Attendees will be able to participate in actual game play and debrief and collaborate on how they see these fitting into their current classroom environment.
Secondary students often lose the opportunity for play within the classroom and show a decreased motivation in mathematics. Math games provide an opportunity for active learning, problem-solving and critical thinking skills, and giving all learners the chance at low-stakes practice.
Teaching for Understanding in Math is designed to help participants use Gizmos to help students reason mathematically and develop a deeper understanding of math concepts. The instructor discusses and models best practices for inquiry-based teaching with Gizmos in mathematics. Teachers learn how to use Gizmos to develop effective mathematics instruction that strengthens students' understanding of mathematics.
Tiffany Christian is a Professional Learning Manager with ExploreLearning serving the East Coast region. She has over 23 years of experience in educational technology and public education as a gifted math and science teacher, an academic coach, district K-12 science instructional... Read More →
Monday July 13, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT Room 253
Baldwin County Public School’s After School Care program introduces the In-District Contract. These contracts allow high school and middle school organizations to earn funds by making presentations and teaching lessons to elementary school students during the After School program. These contracts are available for summer, fall, and spring semesters, offering opportunities for all groups to earn money for their organizations and recruit future members.
Discover how to use CERT strategically, not just as an assessment tool, but as a powerful resource for driving intentional instruction, targeted remediation, and meaningful ACT growth. In this session, high school teachers and leaders will explore practical ways to leverage key CERT features, reports, and student supports to strengthen classroom instruction, inform PLC conversations, and promote student ownership of learning. Walk away with actionable ideas and practical strategies.
Bring learning to life! Discover how to turn standards into high-energy, engaging experiences through strategic instruction, flexible spaces, and impactful room transformations. Walk away with ready-to-use ideas that amplify student voice, support all learners, and make engagement the norm, not the exception.
Sarah Nisewonger has been teaching for 12 years. After spending 11 years teaching first grade, she recently completed her first year as a third grade teacher at Fairhope East Elementary. She is EMINTS and Kagan trained, STEAM certified and attended the Ron Clark Academy, an experience... Read More →
This session is designed for curriculum leaders, principals, instructional coaches, and teachers who want to move beyond reviewing data to using it to improve instruction and student outcomes.
Participants will explore key components of the Alabama State Report Card and engage in a practical process for identifying student skill gaps and aligning instruction to address them. Through interactive activities, attendees will analyze data, determine root causes, and connect findings to specific instructional strategies.
This session is especially relevant for BCBE educators, as examples are aligned to Alabama assessments (ACT, WorkKeys) and local priorities, but the strategies shared are applicable across districts.
Participants will leave with ready-to-use tools for PLCs, data meetings, and instructional planning to ensure data leads to action—and results.
In this one-hour session aligned to the Alabama Courses of Study, teachers will explore strategies for effectively using simulations to support 3-dimensional learning, engage students in critical thinking and inquiry, develop higher-level thinking skills, and connect literacy to support student understandings of scientific principles in life science and Biology. Participants will focus on using simulations to connect learning to real-world experiences and make sense of the science behind real-world phenomena.
Tiffany Christian is a Professional Learning Manager with ExploreLearning serving the East Coast region. She has over 23 years of experience in educational technology and public education as a gifted math and science teacher, an academic coach, district K-12 science instructional... Read More →
Monday July 13, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT Room 252
Is your 'tab anxiety' real? In this fast-paced, high-impact session, we’re opening the ultimate digital toolbox designed for the modern educator. We are diving straight into the essential, 'can’t-live-without' tools that streamline your workflow, automate the boring stuff, and spark instant engagement. Whether you’re a tech-pro or just trying to survive the next bell, you’ll walk away with a curated kit of digital shortcuts to make your teaching life smoother, faster, and much more fun.
I am the Library Media Specialist at Stonebridge Elementary. I have been an educator for 13 years. In our school library, I like to promote a culture of reading while also including a variety of makerspaces and research lessons. I am a National Board Certified Teacher and I also facilitate... Read More →
This session will engage the participants to understand and learn their asking style. Where every level need the understanding of the importance of fundraising and introduce the exploring post and exploring club workforce development program of 6th-12th grade.
Scout Executive/CEO, Mobile Area Council, Scouting America
William Bryant, Jr. is the Scout Executive/CEO Mobile Area Council, Scouting America. He is the immediate past Revenue and Membership Growth Coach for the National Office of the Boy Scouts of America. William is a Subject Matter Expert in Fund Development. In his over 15 years of experience, Willia... Read More →
Managing transitions, attention, and pacing can make or break a lesson. Classroom Screen provides a simple digital solution for timers, directions, grouping tools, and engagement supports. In this session, teachers will learn how to streamline routines, increase student independence, and create visually structured learning environments.
Hello! My name is Stacey Tatum, and I am a 6th Grade Science and Social Studies teacher at Elberta Elementary School. This year marks my first year teaching 6th grade after spending several years in 3rd grade, where I developed a deep passion for understanding how students learn to... Read More →
New to MagicStudent? This introductory session helps students and educators understand how to use AI as a tool for learning, not shortcuts. Explore how MagicStudent can support brainstorming, studying, writing, and organization while promoting responsible and ethical use. Walk away with simple, practical ways to help students build confidence, stay engaged, and use AI to enhance—not replace—their thinking.
Destinie Thomas is a Professional Development and Community Specialist at MagicSchool, where she helps educators discover how AI can make teaching more joyful, efficient, and equitable. She has spent her career creating engaging learning experiences—whether coaching teachers, leading... Read More →
In this one-hour session aligned to the Alabama Courses of Study, teachers will explore strategies for effectively using simulations to support 3-dimensional learning, engage students in critical thinking and inquiry, develop higher-level thinking skills, and connect literacy to support student understandings of scientific principles in Earth and Space sciences. Participants will focus on using simulations to connect learning to real-world experiences and make sense of the science behind real-world phenomena.
Tiffany Christian is a Professional Learning Manager with ExploreLearning serving the East Coast region. She has over 23 years of experience in educational technology and public education as a gifted math and science teacher, an academic coach, district K-12 science instructional... Read More →
In this interactive workshop, educators will discover how blacklight activities can boost student engagement across subjects. Learn the science behind UV light, explore creative lesson ideas, and see hands-on demos with fluorescent materials, invisible ink, and glow-in-the-dark elements. After exploring classroom applications, participants will take part in a printmaking activity under blacklight and experiment with a variety of fluorescent and neon art materials. Teachers will leave with practical, ready-to-use strategies, along with a product list and links to all materials used in the workshop.
Hello!I am excited to be returning to GRITC as a presenter! I graduated with my bachelors of fine art and master's of education from the University of Montevallo, which is located in Montevallo, AL. I am married and we live in Loxley. I teach elementary art and I absolutely love it... Read More →
I have been teaching visual arts in Baldwin County for seven years, working with students from Pre-K through 8th grade. I studied art, religion, and philosophy at the University of West Florida and currently teach 8th grade art, where I enjoy blending creative skill-building with... Read More →
Strong writing begins with strong thinking. This session introduces the Writing Revolution (Hochman Method) and shows how explicit sentence-level instruction improves student writing across all subjects. Teachers will learn practical strategies that support struggling writers while strengthening academic writing for all learners.
Hello! My name is Stacey Tatum, and I am a 6th Grade Science and Social Studies teacher at Elberta Elementary School. This year marks my first year teaching 6th grade after spending several years in 3rd grade, where I developed a deep passion for understanding how students learn to... Read More →
Take student learning to the next level with MagicStudent. In this session, participants will explore more advanced ways students can use AI to strengthen critical thinking, refine writing, and engage in meaningful problem-solving. Learn how to guide students in using AI for feedback, revision, and deeper understanding—while reinforcing academic integrity. Walk away with practical strategies to help students use MagicStudent as a true learning partner.
Destinie Thomas is a Professional Development and Community Specialist at MagicSchool, where she helps educators discover how AI can make teaching more joyful, efficient, and equitable. She has spent her career creating engaging learning experiences—whether coaching teachers, leading... Read More →
How does a 40-year-old news story help a student understand today’s biology lab, tomorrow’s history essay, or next week’s novel? Join us for a hands-on exploration of Retro Report, a free library of short-form documentaries that bridge the gap between historical events and modern-day impacts. Whether you are a Science teacher exploring the ethics of medical breakthroughs, a History teacher connecting past policies to current headlines, or an English teacher analyzing bias and narrative structure, Retro Report offers the primary source material you need. We will dive into their subject-specific collections, explore ready-to-use lesson plans, and learn how to use investigative storytelling to build critical thinking and media literacy skills in every classroom.
In this one-hour session aligned to the Alabama Courses of Study, teachers will explore strategies for effectively using simulations to support 3-dimensional learning, engage students in critical thinking and inquiry, develop higher-level thinking skills, and connect literacy to support student understandings of scientific principles in Physical Science and Chemistry. Participants will focus on using simulations to connect learning to real-world experiences and make sense of the science behind real-world phenomena.
Tiffany Christian is a Professional Learning Manager with ExploreLearning serving the East Coast region. She has over 23 years of experience in educational technology and public education as a gifted math and science teacher, an academic coach, district K-12 science instructional... Read More →
