Ready to take your word study instruction to the next level? This session invites you to take a deeper dive into the what, why, and how of effective word study in upper elementary classrooms utilizing our district-adopted Resource - Benchmark Education Word Study Workshop. Explore fresh strategies, engaging routines, and practical tools that will help your students build stronger word knowledge and become more confident, fluent readers and writers. Whether you're refining your current approach or just getting started, this session will offer the insights and inspiration you need to make word study a dynamic and impactful part of your literacy block.
In this elementary session, educators will discover how AI can transform science instruction for all students, including gifted and talented students. Attendees will explore powerful AI tools—Diffit, Eduaide, and Magic School—that facilitate personalized learning experiences, provide TEKS-aligned informational texts, and generate interactive activities. This session incorporates strategies specifically designed to meet the needs of G/T learners, helping educators save time while enhancing student engagement and understanding.
This elementary session will give you scaffolded lesson frames on ECR strategies to start using with your class in September. There will be make & take materials for hands-on practice, mentor text resources, conferencing tips and more!
The session will allow participants to view examples of how individual and paired texts can be used to support writing. Selected texts will be used to highlight the unpacking of the central idea. This strategy will emphasize the use of making connections between parts of speech and its relationship to the meaning of the selected sentence. Other activities will include sentence building and short response card sorts.
Session Cap: 45 people Elementary: Unlock the power of inquiry-based writing with The Writing Experiment: Science in Action! This session explores the natural intersection between RLA and science. Educators will discover strategies for integrating writing into science instruction and helping all students through the writing process across genres. With STAAR’s emphasis on informational text and evidence-based writing, this session will provide practical methods for analytical thinking. Participants will learn how to scaffold scientific writing to enhance comprehension and foster deeper scientific understanding through structured inquiry, which in turn, supports our gifted learners.
**This is a 2 Hour session!** Session Cap: 50 people
Elementary: Looking for a powerful way to differentiate while challenging all learners? Depth & Complexity Frames are the answer! These dynamic tools help students showcase their learning over time while fostering deductive and inductive reasoning. In this interactive session, you’ll collaborate with fellow educators to design your own frames and discover how they can create personalized learning pathways that promote deeper thinking and growth. Walk away with ready-to-use strategies to transform differentiation in your classroom!
Session Cap: 45 people Harness the power of AI to streamline the creation of practice Science Short Constructed Response (SCR) questions and rubrics! This hands-on session will guide educators through using AI tools to generate high-quality, TEKS-aligned practice prompts, model responses, and grading rubrics tailored to STAAR expectations. Participants will explore how AI can enhance efficiency while maintaining rigor, ensuring students receive targeted practice that strengthens their scientific reasoning and writing skills.
Whether you're looking to differentiate instruction, save time on assessment creation, or enhance feedback quality, this session will provide practical strategies and step-by-step demonstrations. Walk away with AI-generated resources you can immediately implement in your classroom!
This session is designed to equip educators with the tools and strategies needed to deliver high-impact small group instruction that meets the diverse literacy needs of students in grades 3–5. Participants will explore how to plan, differentiate, and manage small groups that target comprehension, vocabulary, and writing skills while maximizing instructional time and student engagement. A dedicated portion of the session will focus specifically on aligning small group instruction with Curriculum and Instruction for Gifted and Talented learners. During this time, educators will explore how to elevate learning for advanced and twice-exceptional (2e) students through tiered tasks, extension menus, and critical thinking routines that align with gifted standards. Participants will leave with practical strategies and ready-to-use tools to support, challenge, and empower all learners—especially those who need acceleration and enrichment in the general education classroom.
***1 Hour of G/T Update Credit*** Session Cap: 45 people We have created a resource bank of extension and enrichment activities for each unit. (Yes...every grade and content area 3-5!) Join us as we explore the resources and then you'll have the opportunity to curate your own extension and enrichment YAAG for next year so you can roll into August with high-level, engaging activities ready to go!
Session Cap: 25 people We all know what great 5th grade math lessons look like, but do you ever wonder how teachers at other schools are teaching the same concepts? Or what activities or strategies other teachers have had success with? Do you have lessons that have been really successful for your students? Come join 5th grade math teachers from across the district and let's all discuss what works and what doesn't! Our goal is to leave with brilliant new ideas for each unit for next year!
Session Cap: 100 people Elementary: Discover how to challenge and engage all learners—especially gifted students—by using Depth and Complexity thinking tools and graphic organizers. In this interactive session, we will focus on creating engaging and easily differentiated lessons that you can use immediately in your classroom. We will collaborate to build a variety of graphic organizers that support deeper thinking across all subjects. Walk away with ready-to-use templates tailored to your students' needs!
***1 Hour of G/T Update Credit*** Session Cap: 45 people We have created a resource bank of extension and enrichment activities for each unit. (Yes...every grade and content area 3-5!) Join us as we explore the resources and then you'll have the opportunity to curate your own extension and enrichment YAAG for next year so you can roll into August with high-level, engaging activities ready to go!
***1 Hour of G/T Update Credit*** Session Cap: 45 people We have created a resource bank of extension and enrichment activities for each unit. (Yes...every grade and content area 3-5!) Join us as we explore the resources and then you'll have the opportunity to curate your own extension and enrichment YAAG for next year so you can roll into August with high-level, engaging activities ready to go!
