Gulf Regional Innovative Teaching Conference

10:00am CDT

Mind vs. Machine

Monday July 13, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT

In the ultimate battle for AI supremacy, humans will put various AI tools through a series of challenges
and see which one creates the best output. Chatbots, image generators, and more compete in this interactive
Promptetition to see which tools are truly the best and which we should toss aside.

Presenters

Carl Hooker

Keynote Speaker, Hooker Technology

Carl Hooker is an educator, consultant and speaker from Austin, TX. He spent the past 27 years as a teacher and administrator supporting the he has held a wide range of roles. From teacher to administrator, he’s always had one common belief – that kids need to drive their own... Read More →

Monday July 13, 2026 10:00am - 10:50am CDT
Library

Artificial Intelligence

Level All Teachers, Administrators, Librarians

12:00pm CDT

ZENgaged: Effective Approaches for Teaching the Anxious Generation

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

Library

To ban or not to ban? That is the question when it comes to cell phones in the classroom. Now more
than ever, educators need to be equipped with strategies to address student anxiety through techniques and effective classroom management. Learn how to implement practices
that build resilience, and strategies for students to reduce distractions and anxiety. This session provides actionable
insights to create a calm, focused learning environment where students can thrive emotionally and academically. Join
us to discover how to transform anxious energy into positive engagement, fostering a supportive classroom culture
for the Anxious Generation.

Presenters

Carl Hooker

Keynote Speaker, Hooker Technology

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

Behavior

Level All Teachers, Counselors

1:00pm CDT

Nailed IT! Ed Tech Edition

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

Library

In this highly interactive session, attendees will work to complete a series of challenges in a short time
limit to see if they “Nailed it”. This session builds on the framework that taking risks can be a good thing when it
comes to creating and sharing ideas. Attendees will walk away with strategies to use in their schools when it comes
to engaging learners and getting them to take risks.

Presenters

Carl Hooker

Keynote Speaker, Hooker Technology

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

Technology

Level All Teachers, Administrators, Librarians

2:00pm CDT

Mind vs. Machine

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

Library

Presenters

Carl Hooker

Keynote Speaker, Hooker Technology

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

Artificial Intelligence

Level All Teachers, Administrators, Librarians

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