2026 TransformEd: Teaching & Learning Conference | Schedule

Why is it so difficult for students (and us!) to move our skills and knowledge between different contexts? During this session, we will dive into the issue of transfer, consider what is required for effective transfer, and discuss what this means for the modern 21st Century Skills movement in education. We’ll conclude with a look at the only truly future-proof skill research has ever found. If you ever wondered why some students can do math with numbers but not words, wonder no more!

This presentation explores the integration of a flipped classroom model with experiential education to enhance student engagement and learning. By shifting lectures and foundational content outside the classroom, in-person time is repurposed for discussion, exploration, and real-world application. The session highlights how this approach encourages students to observe and investigate course material actively, leading to deeper insights through hands-on activities and guided inquiry. A key focus is the role of fieldwork in bridging theoretical concepts with practical experience, allowing students to directly engage with issues relevant to their communities and future professions. Through structured reflection and collaborative dialogue, students learn to articulate complex ideas and connect academic content to real-world challenges. This model empowers learners to take responsibility for their education, promotes critical thinking, and creates meaningful learning experiences that extend beyond the classroom. The presentation includes implementation strategies, student feedback, and examples of successful course redesigns using this approach.

Speakers: Kristin Ahler, Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, and Alyssa Rooks, Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School

Portfolios showcase progress over time, capturing not just final outcomes, but also the journey of learning—mistakes, revisions, and growth. When students choose and reflect on their work, they become active participants in their learning, not just passive recipients. Step into the future of student-centered learning with digital student portfolios! This innovative digital portfolio platform empowers students to creatively document their growth, voice, and achievements through multimedia projects. Learn how we transform assessment into an engaging, reflective process-making learning visible, meaningful, and uniquely their own.

Speaker: Connie White, Woodward Academy

Discover how to future-proof your school by rethinking curriculum through the strategic integration of powerful tools and frameworks. By aligning curriculum mapping with your school’s mission and Portrait of a Graduate competencies, you can ensure coherence, continuity, and purpose across grade levels and disciplines. We will also demonstrate how we are utilizing AI to facilitate personalized instruction, more efficient planning, and enable teachers to focus on what matters most: building strong student relationships and fostering deeper learning. Learn how Woodward Academy is thoughtfully analyzing student data and our data dashboard to enable timely, informed decisions that enhance instruction and close learning gaps. We will share examples of what this looks like in practice and how schools can move forward. This intentional blending of innovation, design, and mission-driven planning can transform your school’s approach and better prepare learners for an ever-changing world.

Speaker: Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath, LME Global

Can students listen to music while they study? When might notetaking actually harm learning? What’s the one key to forming deep, lasting memories? During this session, we will explore several principles of how human beings learn. Drawn from brain, behavioral, and educational research, these principles are learning “nuggets” that can shine a light on more traditional classroom practices. Beyond learning about each principle, we will also consider how these principles can be adapted to tweak and improve teaching and learning practices.

Speaker: Dr. Liz Boyd, Charleston Collegiate School, and Gareth Griffith, Charleston Collegiate School

Discover how digital portfolios and end-of-year interviews can foster transformational learning for upper school students. This session explores how these tools prompt deep reflection on academic and personal growth while developing students’ critical thinking through meaningful, cross-disciplinary connections. Learn how to guide students in curating and articulating their learning journeys in ways that build confidence, purpose, and ownership of their education.

Speaker: Liza Garonzik, R.E.A.L. Discussion

Academic initiatives are how innovation actually happens at schools, but managing them is truly an art! Whether it’s rolling out a new program, rethinking faculty evaluation, or living into a new strategic plan priority, academic leaders are responsible for translating big ideas into programmatic reality. The big, not-often-talked-about, challenge? Success depends on the leader striking the right balance of alignment and autonomy for faculty. This session will offer academic leaders a research-informed, practice-proven toolkit for managing their next initiative. Specific topics will include how to build buy-in, anticipate, and mitigate obstacles, define and measure success, and ensure sustainability (and “celebrate-ability”!). We will pressure-test our frameworks with realistic case studies derived from our experience supporting academic initiatives across nearly 100 independent schools. This session is relevant to any academic leader responsible for pedagogical change management, including associate heads, deans of teaching & learning, curriculum directors, and department chairs.

AI cannot replace teachers or the human element of teaching, but it can help us design more effective learning experiences, use our time and technology more strategically, and create opportunities for students to lead their learning. In this keynote, Dr. Catlin Tucker explores how AI can support educators in shifting classroom workflows, so teachers aren’t doing the lion’s share of the work. We’ll look at how AI can help us design for differentiation, build in meaningful choice, create flexible learning pathways, and develop scaffolds that invite students into deeper thinking.

When we use AI to support thoughtful design up front, we free ourselves to facilitate learning and be more responsive to students’ needs in the moment. This keynote offers both a mindset shift and practical strategies to help teachers use AI to make teaching more sustainable and learning more student-driven, engaging, and meaningful.

Speakers: Deepjyot Sidhu, Global Online Academy, and Micah Whitley, Global Online Academy

In a time when students must be prepared not just for the future, but to shape it, how can schools design learning that fosters both agency and impact? This interactive session explores GOA’s Global Capstone, a purpose-driven learning experience empowering students to take ownership of their education by applying skills and knowledge to real-world issues that matter to them. Grounded in student agency, global relevance, and transferable competencies, the Capstone invites students to engage in meaningful, community-connected work that deepens self-awareness and builds future-ready skills. We’ll share practical design principles, key learning outcomes, and examples from students and educators that highlight both opportunities and challenges. Whether you’re beginning to think about capstone-style learning  or looking to refine an existing program, you will leave with adaptable tools, concrete planning ideas, and realistic next steps that you can bring back to your school.

Speaker: Dr. Catlin Tucker, Blend Education LLC

Too often, feedback arrives only after students submit a finished product, instead of during the learning process when it is most valuable. Assessment is also frequently viewed as the teacher’s responsibility alone. What if feedback and assessment were less about judgment at the end and more about fostering metacognition and celebrating growth along the way?

In this session, participants will explore practical strategies for providing timely, focused, and actionable feedback and for reframing assessment as a shared responsibility that helps students reflect on their progress. Participants will leave with tools to make feedback and assessment more meaningful,  sustainable, and empowering for both teachers and students.

Speaker: Cindy Blackburn, Toddle

Curriculum planning can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to. In this interactive session, learn how to partner with AI to lighten the lift and bring clarity to your curriculum. We’ll walk through how to map big-picture plans, unpack standards into clear learning goals, and design assessments that actually reflect student growth. Whether you’re building from scratch or refining what you already have, you’ll explore practical ways to use AI without losing your professional judgment. Get inspired by real examples from schools using AI to streamline planning and surface insights across subjects. You’ll leave with simple prompts, planning hacks, and a clear workflow that makes curriculum work feel less like busywork and more like your best thinking in action. Come with a standard, a unit, or just your curiosity!

Speaker: Jason Shaffer, Lake Highland Preparatory School

Empower middle school students to launch startups using AI and SEL-informed strategies. Explore a practical, classroom-tested model for teaching entrepreneurship that blends the Lean Canvas framework with emotional intelligence and emerging technologies. Examine how students generate business ideas, conduct opportunity analyses, and craft persuasive pitches—supported by AI tools that accelerate creativity and critical thinking. Uncover ways to foster self-awareness, collaboration, and resilience through entrepreneurial learning. Review real student work and discover ready-to-use templates and project materials designed for the middle school level. Leave equipped with the tools to implement a future-ready entrepreneurship experience in your own classroom.

Speaker: Chelsea Lopez, The Social Institute

Technology is evolving faster than ever, and school leaders must navigate innovation while fostering a strong school culture — without feeling overwhelmed. This interactive session will explore how education leaders have adapted to past technology shifts and provide practical strategies for tackling today’s digital challenges, from AI in student work to misinformation and evolving school policies. Through real-world examples, engaging discussions, and hands-on activities, attendees will strengthen their leadership skills and ensure their school’s approach to technology remains proactive, not reactive.

Details coming soon.

Speaker: Julia Walthall-Eisman, Charlotte Latin School

Learn about the successes and challenges of implementing VR in the classroom. Eradicate misconceptions as an experienced educational technologist tells the story of a pilot year and subsequent implementation of VR learning, where students swam with sharks, disarticulated skeletons, visited the International Space Station, and much more. Julia Walthall-Eisman of Charlotte Latin School will share her intentional plan of implementation, philosophy of tech integration, and discuss the need for community readiness, administrative collaboration, and advice for financial investment.

Speakers: Elizabeth Helfant, Ravenscroft, and Lynn Mittler, MICDS

Explore the use of adaptive leadership and change management skills as a path towards re-imaging assessment in the future. Understanding where faculty are in their abilities and willingness to engage is the first step. Building towards a new vision, participants will gain the tools and strategies needed to help colleagues feel empowered to engage with this “brave new world.” Learn how to build sustained change in assessment and metacognition practices in order to support the skills vital for the future for your students.

Speaker: Amy Underwood, Pace Academy

Every school has a mission, but how often does that mission truly shape what happens in classrooms? This hands-on workshop invites school leaders to take a deep dive into their own school’s mission and use that foundation to design a curriculum that is not only rigorous and responsive, but also deeply reflective of the school’s identity. Grounded in two powerful frameworks—Understanding by Design (UbD) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL)—this session will guide participants through an intentional process for designing curriculum and influencing culture. Whether your school is launching a new program, refining its scope and sequence, or seeking to express what sets your school apart, this session offers both structure and inspiration. Participants will engage in moments of reflection, collaborative brainstorming, and practical application, all designed to develop a curriculum that embodies your school’s unique mission.

Speakers: Maureen Beyt, Carolina Day School, and Jessica Catoggio, World Leadership School

Engage with a dynamic classroom teacher and a highly skilled instructional coach as they share practical strategies and powerful insights on implementing Project-Based Learning (PBL) that transforms classrooms into hubs of curiosity, engagement, and authentic learning. Drawing from their collaborative experience, this interactive session will guide participants through the core elements of effective PBL design—from crafting compelling driving questions to aligning projects with academic standards and real-world relevance.

Through hands-on activities, examples from actual classroom projects, and time for reflection and planning, educators will leave equipped to design their own PBL experiences that foster student agency, critical thinking, and deeper understanding. Whether you’re new to PBL or looking to refine your practice, this session offers both inspiration and actionable tools for bringing learning to life.

Speakers: Sarah Stanley, St. Timothy’s School, and Tim Coleman, St. Timothy’s School

Balancing predictable and efficient curriculum alignment with independent school autonomy can be a challenging process. In this session, learn how a K-8 school is using a skills-focused curriculum alignment strategy to both define and ensure student growth. Utilizing a blend of core content standards, collaboratively developed skill benchmarks, and targeted assessments, attendees will be introduced to an adaptable curriculum framework that actively guides teachers and tracks the progress of students. We will discuss implementation approaches and the navigation of hurdles specific to independent schools, and attendees will receive tools to help them implement similar programs in their own unique communities.

Speaker: Melissa Fast, Folio Collaborative

Imagine a school where professional growth isn’t just encouraged, it’s deeply embedded in a system built on shared goals. Where teachers can not only speak to your strategic plan, but can tell you what they are doing to advance your school’s success inside their classroom. By involving teachers in their strategic planning process and then aligning teacher goals to their school’s strategic vision, St. Mary’s Episcopal School is building a culture of collaborative growth. Leave with a blueprint for replicating St. Mary’s success and resources geared toward implementation and making your strategic work visible. Bring your own strategic goals to begin mapping this process at your school, leveraging opportunities for communication and collaboration with your teachers and staff.

Speaker: Peyten Williams, Bowbend Consulting

Discover how to transform your lesson plans using the latest research on what truly motivates young people. Drawing from David Yeager’s Motivating Young People Ages 10-25 and Positive Discipline strategies for all ages, this session offers practical tools for K-12 educators. We’ll explore core principles of motivation and apply them directly to your lessons using Backward Design (UBD) templates—so you leave with ready-to-use, student-centered plans that spark engagement and purpose.

Speaker: Amanda Allen, St. Anne’s-Belfield School, and Sara Kronstain, St. Anne’s-Belfield School

Shift the focus from “What’s my grade?” to “What have I learned?” in your middle school classroom. Explore a research-based approach to standards-based learning that fosters student ownership, deepens understanding, and aligns assessment with disciplinary goals. Engage in hands-on activities that clarify expectations, support meaningful feedback, and build a culture of reflection and growth. Walk away with practical tools for feedback, self-assessment, and reassessment that promote authentic learning across subject areas.

Speaker: Caitlin Harris, Ensworth, and Kerry Ann Masoner, Ensworth

Get your creative brain cranking! Investigate interdisciplinary learning with educators from a school engaged in multiple academic units that explore a topic, theme, or issue through the lenses of multiple disciplines. Interdisciplinary learning is increasingly important for our students in this AI-driven world. Increase student investment in learning, build teaching teams, and create connections between community, stakeholders, and institution. In this session, teachers will learn what interdisciplinary learning is, explore the creation of lasting and deep understandings through interdisciplinary learning from the ideation stage to completion, and the key components needed to create a successful, years-long interdisciplinary curriculum.  This session is for lower and middle school division leaders, related arts teachers, and classroom teachers, but high school teachers/leaders will love it, too!

Speaker: Sarah Peebles, Wesleyan School

Empower student motivation by strategically integrating AI as a study tool. This interactive session guides educators through the “why,” “what,” and “how” of using AI to enhance student engagement, critical thinking, and self-directed learning. Grounded in the science of learning, participants will examine how autonomy, mastery, and purpose drive student motivation, using these principles to co-create AI-driven study strategies that strengthen critical thinking and help them unlearn passive academic habits. Explore how tools like ChatGPT, Quizlet, and IXL can be leveraged to support retrieval practice, spacing, interleaving, and feedback-driven metacognition—powerful strategies proven to promote long-term retention. Whether you’re an AI skeptic, explorer, or strategist, you’ll leave with practical tools, frameworks, and a clear mindset to guide students to use AI.

Details coming soon.

Details coming soon.