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

9:00am CDT

Canva Essentials Skills

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

Room 251

Join our workshop to build confidence using Canva in your classroom. Learn how to navigate the Home screen, find and use templates, and share activities. We will dive into the Canva editor and explore tips and tricks to level up your designs. You’ll get hands-on experience using elements, animation, and more. 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 →

Tuesday July 14, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Room 251

Community Engagement Professionalism

Level All Teachers, Elementary Teachers, Librarians

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

Consistency Wins: Building a Districtwide Communication System That Works

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

Room 201

Strong schools don’t just communicate more — they communicate consistently.

In this session, district and school leaders will explore how to create a unified communication approach that reaches every family, reduces staff confusion, and builds trust across the community. We’ll walk through practical ways to align principals, central office teams, and school staff around one system, clear expectations, and simple workflows that actually get used.

This is not about adding another tool. It’s about using one system well — so families know where to look, staff know what to do, and communication works when it matters most.

Presenters

Bryan Phillips

Regional Sales Director, ParentSquare

Regional Sales Director, ParentSquare | Former Chief Information Officer, Hoover City SchoolsWith over 20 years in K-12 education and technology leadership, Bryan brings a practical, student-centered approach to every conversation. He led one of Alabama’s most innovative tech departments... Read More →

Tuesday July 14, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT
Room 201

Community Building Community Engagement Professionalism Technology

Level Administrators, Central Office

2:00pm CDT

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

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

Room 206

Presenters

Roland Weldon

Tuesday July 14, 2026 2:00pm - 2:50pm CDT
Room 206

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

Level All Teachers, Counselors, Librarians, Special Education

2:00pm CDT

From Data to Action: How the RHS Guiding Coalition Drives Learning, Leadership, and Results

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

Room 16

Join the RHS Guiding Coalition as they share how they drive student learning by analyzing data using the “Here’s What, So What, Now What” framework and how that thinking translates into real decisions at the classroom and school level. Learn how the GC clarifies schoolwide priorities, keeps PLCs aligned to essential outcomes, and protects teams from initiative overload. Discover how they build capacity in teacher leaders, model effective collaboration, and share best practices across teams. The session will also highlight how the GC monitors work of the PLCs. Walk away with practical strategies to strengthen leadership, collaboration, and results in your own team or .

Presenters