Gulf Regional Innovative Teaching Conference

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9:00am CDT

Interact Differently: Reimagining Teaching with Interactive Displays & Digital Signage

Wednesday July 15, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT

Today’s classrooms require more than just a display — they require tools that actively engage students, support teachers, and create more dynamic learning environments. In this session, educators will explore how interactive displays and digital signage can transform the way teaching and learning happen in the classroom and across campus. Attendees will walk away with practical tips, creative classroom use cases, and simple strategies for using built-in tools from Clear Touch to increase collaboration, participation, and instructional impact.

Presenters

Madison Hunt

Account Manager, Clear Touch

Wednesday July 15, 2026 9:00am - 9:50am CDT
Room 93

CTE Data Math PLCs Reading Robotics Science Social Studies Technology

Level Administrators, Central Office, All Teachers, Pre-K Teachers, Elementary Teachers, Middle Teachers, High Teachers, Career Tech Teachers, Special Education

10:00am CDT

Session 1 | The Foundation: Integers & The Two-Step Bridge

Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT

Room 93

Focus: Level 1 – Integers and Two-Step Equations: Stop relying on "Keep-Change-Change" and other shortcuts that leave students confused. In this session, we’ll use bingo chips and unifix cubes to make positive and negative values concrete. We will then transition these visual "zero pairs" directly into solving two-step equations. You’ll walk away with a toolkit to help students see the balance before they ever write an x (variable).

A Note on Attendance: We’ve designed this series to grow with your students. If you teach upper elementary, Session 1 provides everything you need to transform your foundational math instruction. For secondary educators, this session is the "must-have" first step in a journey that bridges the gap from basic integers to multi-step equations.

Presenters

Daphne Lincoln

Math 8 Teacher, WJ Carroll Middle School

The 2026-2027 school year will be my 34th year in education dispersed between Mobile and Baldwin Counties--public and private. I have served in many capacities from teaching 3rd grade through Honors Algebra I. I hold degrees from the University of South Alabama, various other Professional... Read More →

Kaitlyn Cowan

Teacher, Foley Middle School

I am finishing up my third year of teaching mathematics and am passionate about creating engaging, student-centered learning experiences. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Math Education and my Master of Education in Learning Design and Technology from the University of West Alabama.Before... Read More →

Wednesday July 15, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Room 93

Differentiation Math

Level Elementary Teachers, Middle Teachers, High Teachers, Special Education

11:00am CDT

Session 2 | Scaling Up: The Logic of Multi-Step Equations

Wednesday July 15, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT

Room 93

Focus: Level 2 – Multi-Step Equations: When equations get longer, students often get lost in the "clutter." We’ll explore how to use manipulatives to represent distribution and combining like terms without losing the conceptual "why." This session focuses on moving students from physical objects to pictorial representations, ensuring they understand the movement of terms across the equals sign as a logical necessity rather than a magic trick. Stop the 'magic tricks' and start the logic: Learn how to make the movement of terms across an equation make sense to every student. This is Session 2 of our three-part series. While stand-alone attendance is possible, educators will find the most success by starting with Session 1 and following the instructional bridge through to the end.

Presenters

Daphne Lincoln

Math 8 Teacher, WJ Carroll Middle School

Kaitlyn Cowan

Teacher, Foley Middle School

Wednesday July 15, 2026 11:00am - 11:50am CDT
Room 93

Differentiation Math

Level Middle Teachers, High Teachers, Special Education

12:00pm CDT

Using Amplify to Facilitate Visual Patterns, Number Talks, and Problem Solving in the Secondary Mathematics Classroom

Wednesday July 15, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT

Room 93

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.

Presenters

Ashley Burton

Secondary Mathematics and Computer Science Teacher, Robertsdale High School

Wednesday July 15, 2026 12:00pm - 12:50pm CDT
Room 93

Differentiation Math STEM/STEAM Technology

Level Middle Teachers, High Teachers

1:00pm CDT

Session 3 | The Final Boss: Fractions & Meaningful Synthesis

Wednesday July 15, 2026 1:00pm - 1:50pm CDT

Room 93

Focus: Level 3 – Fraction Coefficients & Pulling it All Together: Fractions are often the point where student confidence—and procedural memory—crumbles. In this final session, we use our established visual models to demystify reciprocal operations and fractional coefficients. Please note: This is the third session in a sequence; educators will benefit most by starting with Session 1 (“The Foundation”) to ensure they see the full conceptual bridge from basic integers to these complex multi-step solutions.

Presenters