Oct. 21-22, 2024
Registration is now open for the 2024 Wyoming Innovations in Learning Conference. The Innovations Conference will be held on October 21-22, 2024 in Casper, Wyoming at the Best Western Downtown Casper. The Innovations Conference is an opportunity for educators from kindergarten through higher education to share and explore innovative teaching and learning practices.
This conference is hosted by the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE), the Wyoming Distance Education Consortium (WyDEC), the University of Wyoming, the Wyoming community colleges, and the Wyoming State Library.
All of the session details are available for the 2024 Innovations Conference on Sched.
Sneak Peak:
- “Beyond Black and White – Getting Creative in Math by 2024 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching educator Elizabeth McKay.
- Increasing Engagement & Preventing Burnout with AI Tools” by 2024 Lander Valley Teacher of the Year Morgan Hahn and ISTE and National Board Certified educator Kristy Nelson
- “Using AI and Hip Hop in the Classroom” by Laramie County Teacher of the Year Paul Weatherford.
- “Graphic Novels and the 5-Paragraph Essay” by Dr. Kristine Frey, member of the Wyoming State Literacy Association, and Jill Felbeck Jones.
- “Navigating the Waves of Project Based Learning without Losing Your Sanity” by Andrea Delorey and Platte Valley Middle School Principal of the Year Jason Taylor
- “Navigating Pathways: Embracing AI/AR/VR’s Role in Career Exploration” by Nikki Lester.
- “Balanced Assessment to Increase Student Agency” by Jackson Hole High School Principal and US Department of Education Principal Ambassador Fellow Scott Crisp, Molly Matthaei, Mary Hoelscher, Lily Vosmus, and Bennett Lieberman.
The 2022 Wyoming Innovations in Learning Conference will offer up to one PTSB credit or one University of Wyoming credit.
“ Using AI to Empower Minds: Transforming Obstacles into Opportunities” by The Merrills
Keynote Description: “AI is rapidly revolutionizing education and has caught many educators off guard. Learn how we can fight our fear and use it to turn challenges into opportunities for enhanced learning and teaching. Unlock the transformative power of AI and see how it can inspire innovative approaches to learning.”
About the Keynote Speakers: Kristin is a fourth grade teacher, certified Microsoft Innovative Educator, and Certified Microsoft Innovative Educator. She is an ambassador for: Flipgrid, Seesaw, Classkick, and Buncee. Kristin has co-hosted events like Ed Camp Flipgrid, and is also one of the moderators of the #FlipgridFever chat. She has been teaching for over 13 years and works hard to engage students in learning by reaching them in ways that are responsive, relevant and interACTIVE through the intentional infusion of technology in the classroom.
Joe is a first grade teacher and certified Microsoft Innovative Educator. He is an Apple Certified Educator, Certified Microsoft Innovative Educator, and Flipgrid Certified Educator. He is an ambassador for Flipgrid, Seesaw, Buncee, and Book Creator. Joe is also one of the moderators of the #FlipgridFever Twitter chat. He has spent the last four years implementing 1:1 iPads. Joe has self published several eBooks: “#AppSmashing with @MrMerrillsClass” (Vol. 1 & 2), which are available for free download on themerrillsedu.com.
“ Memory, Attention, and Thinking in a Wired World: Fulfilling the Promise of Learning with Technology” by Dr. Michelle Miller
Keynote Description: “One of the great promises of educational technology is that it offers new ways to leverage research findings from cognitive, brain, and learning sciences. Attention, memory, and thinking skills all play pivotal roles in learning, and the research literature offers a rich set of ideas for how to tap into these mechanisms through our pedagogical and technology choices. But there is a complication: These evidence-based approaches can put students in the path of distraction as they navigate online and hybrid learning environments. In this keynote address, Dr. Michelle Miller will discuss myths and facts about how technology affects learning and the mind, and present ideas for technology-enhanced learning activities that make the most of what we know about how the mind works.”
About the Keynote Speaker: Dr. Michelle Miller is the author of Minds Online: Teaching Effectively with Technology (Harvard University Press, 2014). Her latest book is Remembering and Forgetting in the Age of Technology: Teaching, Learning, and the Science of Memory in a Wired World, coming out in 2022 with West Virginia University Press.
Dr. Miller is a Professor of Psychological Sciences and President’s Distinguished Teaching Fellow at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona. She completed her Ph.D. in cognitive psychology and behavioral neuroscience at the University of California, Los Angeles, and currently writes, teaches, and speaks about maximizing learning in today’s technology-saturated and rapidly-changing world.
