Decatur ISD Eagle EdCon: Full Schedule

8:00am CDT

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:00am - 8:45am CDT

The session will be an open discussion about some of your favorite CTE lessons, labs and classroom management tips. Bring your favorite lesson and share with others what makes that lesson so successful or bring an idea and let your fellow CTE experts fill in the blanks.

Speakers

Dusty Naumann

Assistant Principal, Decatur High School

Tuesday July 28, 2026 8:00am - 8:45am CDT
A230

9:50am CDT

iCEV for the CTE Classroom

Tuesday July 28, 2026 9:50am - 10:50am CDT

A230

Do your CTE courses use iCEV for curriculum or testing? Are you aware of the resources available in iCEV: ready-to-use lesson plans, interactive presentations and videos, teaching materials, and auto-graded assignments? Come learn some best practices for building enthusiastic engagement using iCEV!

Speakers

Loyd Nations

iCev

Tuesday July 28, 2026 9:50am - 10:50am CDT
A230

11:00am CDT

iCEV for the CTE Classroom

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT

A230

Speakers

Loyd Nations

iCev

Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm CDT
A230

1:00pm CDT

All the Write Moves

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT

A230

Too often, our students are asked to recognize the correct answer rather than generate their own explanation. When students put their thinking into words, teachers gain a much clearer window into what students truly understand, misunderstand, and can apply independently. This professional learning session will explore practical, classroom-ready writing strategies—such as silent discussions, gist writing, summaries, brain dumps, and other low-stakes writing activities—that encourage students to process, organize, and communicate their learning. Participants will leave with engaging strategies that can be implemented across content areas to increase student thinking, participation, and depth of understanding. | Open to all content and grade levels that can write complete sentences.

Speakers

Jennie Allison

Teacher, Decatur High School

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
A230

1:55pm CDT

Secondary From Burnout to Buy-In: A New Game Plan for Big Kids

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:55pm - 2:40pm CDT

A230

“Students stop loving to learn when teachers stop loving to teach.”
– L. Watkins, Class of 2026

This session invites educators to reimagine secondary classrooms by bringing back the energy, creativity, and engagement often reserved for elementary schools. Inspired by a powerful student insight, “students stop loving to learn when teachers stop loving to teach,” this session challenges the idea that rigor and joy can’t be in the same room.
Participants will experience practical, high-impact strategies that infuse “magic” into secondary instruction without sacrificing academic depth or standards. From interactive routines, to choice, and celebration, each idea is designed to increase engagement, deepen learning, and build a stronger classroom culture.

Teachers will walk away with ready-to-use ideas, adaptable across content areas, that make learning feel meaningful, memorable, and fun. Because when teachers love to teach, students love to learn.

Speakers

Brandy Brewer

English Teacher, Decatur High School

Raegan Bayless

Entrepreneurship Teacher, Decatur High School

This is my 15th year in education but my first year not to be an English teacher! I’m an Entrepreneurship teacher brand new to CTE. I’ve got a lot to learn, but I’m excited!

Tuesday July 28, 2026 1:55pm - 2:40pm CDT
A230

8:00am CDT

Spread Your Wings: Activities That Make Learning Soar

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:00am - 8:45am CDT

A230

Looking to boost student engagement without adding hours to your planning time? In this high-energy professional learning session, teachers will explore simple, low-prep classroom strategies that make a big impact. From bingo boards and interactive notebooks to chalk talks and jigsaw activities, you’ll walk away with practical tools you can implement immediately.

Designed with busy educators in mind, this session focuses on easy-to-use techniques that increase participation, encourage collaboration, and keep students actively involved in their learning. Get ready to spread your wings, try something new, and help your students soar to success!

Speakers

Cherie Hocevar

Teacher, Decatur High School

Lindsay Barclay

Teacher, Decatur High School

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:00am - 8:45am CDT
A230

8:55am CDT

From Paraprofessional to Assistant Superintendent: Leading and Caring for Kids at Every Level

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:55am - 9:40am CDT

A230

Leadership is not defined by a title — it is defined by influence, relationships, and a commitment to helping others grow. This interactive session explores how every staff member, regardless of role, can lead with purpose, build strong connections, and create a culture of high expectations through care, consistency, and service. Drawing from experiences across multiple levels of public education leadership, participants will reflect on how loving children — and colleagues — well can inspire growth, accountability, and excellence in every classroom, hallway, office, and campus. Attendees will leave encouraged and equipped to lead where they are while positively impacting the people around them.

Speakers

Cynthia Webber

Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Decatur ISD

Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:55am - 9:40am CDT
A230

9:50am CDT

TEKS the Tech Apps (without any Tech) (K-8)

Wednesday July 29, 2026 9:50am - 10:35am CDT

A230

The Technology Applications TEKS are probably already happening in your classroom — even if nobody is walking around saying, “This computational thinking is impressive!” or "Nice data literacy there!" Students are already solving problems, creating, revising, and making sense of information every day. The first three Tech App TEKS aren't about adding one more thing to your plate or becoming a tech expert overnight — it’s about recognizing the great thinking that’s already happening and making it more intentional!

Speakers

Kelley Galovich

Teacher, Carson Elementary

Wednesday July 29, 2026 9:50am - 10:35am CDT
A230

10:45am CDT

MTSS Pivot: Shifting from Reactive to Proactive

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:45am - 11:30am CDT

A230

Are you tired of feeling like you're constantly "putting out fires" with student behavior and academics? It’s time to stop reacting to problems and start preventing them.
We’ll break down the basics of MTSS and show you how to move from "survival mode" to a system that is proactive. We will discuss how to use MAP data into a roadmap for helping struggling students through MTSS. You'll also learn how to create behavior plans that are student led (instead of just telling them what not to do) and how to keep simple, effective notes on your Tier 2 and Tier 3 students without getting buried in paperwork.

Speakers

Kimberly Naumann

Teacher, McCarroll Middle School

Wednesday July 29, 2026 10:45am - 11:30am CDT
A230

1:00pm CDT

Getting Started with ClassWize

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT

A230

This session introduces teachers to ClassWize, a classroom management tool that provides real-time visibility into student device activity. Participants will learn how to monitor student screens, guide online behavior, and use key features such as opening and closing tabs, sending messages, and locking screens to support instruction. The session focuses on practical strategies that help keep students engaged and on task while enhancing digital classroom management. **ClassWize is currently only accessible on Chromebooks and MacBooks and not on iPads.

Speakers

Todd English

Director of Technology, Decatur ISD

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
A230

1:55pm CDT

Rethinking Rigor - Improving Accessibility with AI Support

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:55pm - 2:40pm CDT

A230

AI doesn’t lower expectations, it removes unnecessary barriers so more students can engage with complex texts. When used intentionally, it allows every student to participate in meaningful literary analysis, not just decode the words. I will discuss positioning AI as a tool for access, differentiation, and dignity in the classroom, not as a replacement or shortcut. | This session will mostly be for ELA teachers, but will be applicable to everyone since reading comprehension is a cross-curricular skill.

Speakers

Sara Reynolds

Teacher, Decatur High School

Wednesday July 29, 2026 1:55pm - 2:40pm CDT
A230

2:50pm CDT

AI in the Classroom: Safe, Ethical, and Practical Uses

Wednesday July 29, 2026 2:50pm - 3:35pm CDT

A230

How do we prepare students for an AI-driven world while still protecting learning integrity, privacy, and critical thinking? Artificial Intelligence is rapidly changing teaching and learning, but many educators are still asking the same questions:

* What should students be allowed to use AI for?
* What crosses the line into academic dishonesty?
* How do district policies apply to tools like ChatGPT and generative AI?
* How can teachers safely incorporate AI without compromising rigor, privacy, or student thinking?

The session will focus on balancing innovation with accountability.

Speakers

Tara Bennett

Director of Instructional Technology, Data Analytics & TIA, Decatur ISD

Wednesday July 29, 2026 2:50pm - 3:35pm CDT
A230

8:00am CDT

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11:00am CDT

1:00pm CDT

1:55pm CDT

8:00am CDT

8:55am CDT

9:50am CDT

10:45am CDT

1:00pm CDT

1:55pm CDT

2:50pm CDT

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