Gulf Regional Innovative Teaching Conference

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12:00pm CDT

Monday July 13, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT

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.

Presenters

Jacque Helms

ASC Coordinator, Central Office Staff

Monday July 13, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT
Room 255

12:00pm CDT

7 Challenges that Showcase STEM in the Middle Grades (4-8)

Monday July 13, 2026 12:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

Room 254

Discover seven classroom-tested STEM missions designed to shift students from passive observers to active problem-solvers with minimal setup and maximum curiosity. In this session focused on middle grades (4-8) learning, participants will explore and adapt 7 ready-to-implement STEM challenges that directly connect math/science concepts to Alabama's new 2025 Digital Literacy & Computer Science (DLCS) Standards. These intentionally designed student activities promote collaboration and build skills like computational thinking, iterative processing, and real-world application of learning. This session will include time for unpacking grade level standards to make meaningful connections, trying out STEM challenges that increase student engagement, and collaborating on how to customize a STEM experience that lets students apply their math, science and engineering skills.

Presenters

Timothy Johnson

Regional Technology Specialist, Alabama Technology in Motion, Region 10

Angela Clark

Regional Technology Specialist, Alabama Technology in Motion, Region 7

Monday July 13, 2026 12:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 254

Coding Community Building Makerspace Math Robotics Science Technology

Level Elementary Teachers, Middle Teachers, Librarians, Special Education

1:00pm CDT

What’s new in Canva?

Monday July 13, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

Room 251

Join us to learn about Canva’s Latest tools. This session offers a seamless introduction to what’s new and how you can use these updates to enhance your creative projects. Join us for an engaging walkthrough and leave inspired to take your Canva experience to the next level. Please bring your laptop for some hands-on learning!

Presenters

Sasha Goman

Canva Learning Consultant, Canva Education

Sasha is a Canva Learning Consultant, and she is a former secondary education teacher. She has a master's degree in Teacher Leadership from Northwestern University, where she studied professional development and coaching. She is excited to help teachers create more engaging and dynamic... Read More →

Monday July 13, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 251

Coding Community Engagement Leadership

Level All Teachers

1:00pm CDT

The RoboWorld Cup: Kicking Off Soccer-Inspired Robotics Challenges

Monday July 13, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

Room 17

Bring the excitement of the World Cup to your classroom with robot athletes. In this hands-on session, educators will explore how to turn any rolling or driving robot into a soccer star, designing challenges that build coding and collaboration skills. Participants will experience a series of soccer-inspired activities—from dribbling drills and passing challenges to small-sided matches—that can be adapted for different grade levels and robot kits.

Presenters

Robert Mayben

Alabama Technology in Motion Specialist, ALSDE

Dr. Robert Mayben is the Alabama Technology in Motion Specialist for The UA-UWA Inservice Center. He received his PhD in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Instructional Technology from The University of Alabama. His dissertation focused on the impact of Instructional Geocaching... Read More →

Monday July 13, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 17

Coding Robotics Technology

Level All Teachers

2:00pm CDT

Canva Code and Magic Activities

Monday July 13, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT

Room 251

Discover how Canva’s AI tools, Magic Activities and Canva Code (no coding knowledge required), can transform your classroom. In this session, you’ll explore how these innovative features make it easier than ever to create engaging instructional materials, streamline classroom management, and design interactive games and activities aligned with academic standards. Learn how to harness AI to promote higher-order thinking skills, encourage creativity, and save valuable planning time while making learning more dynamic and meaningful for your students. Please bring your laptop for some hands-on learning!

Presenters