Gulf Regional Innovative Teaching Conference

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9:00am CDT

Practical AI for Educators: Enhancing Instruction, Feedback, and Efficiency Without Losing the Human Touch

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming education, but many educators remain unsure how to use AI tools ethically, effectively, and confidently in their daily practice. This session provides a practical, educator‑centered introduction to using AI as a support—not a replacement—for teaching and learning.
Participants will explore real classroom examples of how AI tools such as generative text assistants can be used to streamline lesson planning, personalize feedback, differentiate instruction, and support student engagement while maintaining academic integrity. The session also addresses common concerns, including ethical use, bias, transparency, and appropriate classroom boundaries.
Designed for educators at any experience level with AI, this session emphasizes hands‑on strategies that can be implemented immediately. Attendees will leave with concrete prompts, workflow ideas, and guidance for introducing AI responsibly to students.

Presenters

Roland Weldon

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Room 206

Assessment Chromebook CTE Data Digital Citizenship ELA Google Professionalism Safety Science Social Studies Technology

Level All Teachers, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education

9:00am CDT

You Can't Teach A Nervous System That's On Fire: Understanding Student Dysregulation in the Age of Social Media

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT

Library

Something has shifted in our classrooms. Educators across grade levels and subject areas are reporting the same thing: students who cannot focus, cannot regulate, cannot tolerate uncertainty, and cannot connect the way they once could. And most professional development has responded by adding more — more curriculum, more programs, more policy, more things for already-exhausted educators to implement.

This session takes a different approach entirely.

You Can't Teach a Nervous System That's On Fire is a deep, honest, and surprisingly hopeful look at what is actually happening to the students sitting in our classrooms — through the lens of neuroscience, social media research, and the realities of growing up in an era of unprecedented collective overwhelm.

Participants will leave with:

A clear, accessible understanding of how chronic social media consumption is affecting the adolescent nervous system

The ability to recognize and reframe specific student behaviors through a neurological lens — transforming how they see and respond to their most challenging students

Practical, evidence-informed strategies to support student regulation that require no new budget and no additional programs

Language and tools to share with parents navigating these same challenges at home

This is not a session about blaming phones, diagnosing students, or adding to anyone's workload. It is a session about understanding — because when you truly understand what you are looking at, everything about how you show up changes.

And that changes what is possible in the room.

Presenters

Kristi Bush

Keynote Speaker, Social Media Safety Educator, KNB Communications

Kristi Bush serves as a national education consultant and social media safety advocate. She is a licensed social worker with greater than 20 years of clinical practice and health care experience. She attended Troy and Auburn University where she studied social work and counseling... Read More →

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Library

10:00am CDT

Flip the Script: Assessment Remix

Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT

Room 206

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.

Presenters

Nikki Minoso

Teacher, ELA, Spanish Fort High

Allison Fisher

English Teacher, Daphne High School

Tuesday July 14, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 206

Differentiation Digital Citizenship ELA Reading Social Studies

Level Middle Teachers, High Teachers

11:00am CDT

Practical AI for Educators: Enhancing Instruction, Feedback, and Efficiency Without Losing the Human Touch

Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT

Room 206

Presenters

Roland Weldon

Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 206

Assessment Chromebook CTE Data Digital Citizenship ELA Google Professionalism Safety Science Social Studies Technology

Level All Teachers, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education

11:00am CDT

Build an AI-Proof Classroom to Promote Academic Integrity

Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT

Room 254

Generative AI is here—make it work FOR you to protect authentic learning. In this AI deep-dive session, secondary teachers will preview and build five practical strategies to AI-proof instruction and assessment while keeping humans squarely in the loop.

In this interactive training, you will discover or create:

AI literacy lessons and awareness activities
Classroom-ready usage policies and syllabus language
AI citation requirements and source disclosure protocols
Modified assignments that focus on visible thinking and process
Assessment rubrics that value human reasoning over AI outputs

Protecting academic integrity is possible with an intentional approach and an AI toolkit that empowers teachers with customizable and premade resources that will be ready for school year 2026-2027!

Presenters

Angela Clark

Regional Technology Specialist, Alabama Technology in Motion, Region 7

Tuesday July 14, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 254

Assessment Digital Citizenship ELA Professionalism Technology

Level Middle Teachers, High Teachers, Career Tech Teachers, Librarians

12:00pm CDT

The Discussion Revolution: Building Student Agency, One Round Table at a Time with Parlay Ideas

Tuesday July 14, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT

Room 206

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.

Presenters

Nikki Minoso

Teacher, ELA, Spanish Fort High

Tuesday July 14, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT
Room 206

Assessment Differentiation Digital Citizenship ELA Professionalism Reading Social Studies

Level Middle Teachers, High Teachers

1:00pm CDT

MagicSchool Student Level 2: Deeper Learning with AI-Powered Support

Tuesday July 14, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

Room 92

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.

Presenters

Destinie Thomas

PD & Community Specialist, MagicSchool

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 →

Tuesday July 14, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 92

Digital Citizenship ELA ELL Math Science Social Studies Technology

Level All Teachers, Elementary Teachers, Middle Teachers, High Teachers, Career Tech Teachers, Librarians, Special Education

1:00pm CDT

Retro Report: Bringing Real-World Relevance to Science, History, and ELA

Tuesday July 14, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

Room 206

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.

Presenters

Nikki Minoso

Teacher, ELA, Spanish Fort High

Tuesday July 14, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 206

Digital Citizenship ELA Reading Science Social Studies

Level Middle Teachers, High Teachers

2:00pm CDT

Digital Literacy for Secondary Students

Tuesday July 14, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT

Room 5

Here we'll review the current requirements for Digital Literacy in the Alabama ELA course of study and how to move beyond them to help students navigate a web of AI fakes and misinformation. Topics will revolve around reliable sources, bias, and triangulation. Widely useful for any course that requires students to complete online research assignments and even for teachers and administrators who need an updated and modern understanding of source reliability.

Presenters

Michelle Stockman

Teacher, Robertsdale High School

I am currently serving as a senior English and AP English Language teacher at Robertsdale High School, but I have taught ELA in grades 6-12 in both Alabama and Tennessee during my time as a teacher. I have also served as a Reading Intervention teacher and mentor on the elementary... Read More →

Tuesday July 14, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT
Room 5