Innovate-ED25

• Conference Launch
• Indigenus Welcome
• Student Panel Discussion

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This session will explore MediaSmarts' Diversity and Media Toolbox. This comprehensive suite of resources for teachers, students, law enforcement representatives and the general public, explores issues relating to stereotyping, bias and hate in mainstream media and on the Internet. Our conversation will include practical ways to guide conversations around media misrepresentation and hate. 

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Artificial intelligence isn't new, but generative AI is rapidly transforming how students learn and create. As educators, we play a crucial role in helping students navigate these tools responsibly through strong digital literacy skills. In this workshop, we will explore how students are already using AI, practical ways educators can utilize AI as a teaching tool, and strategies to encourage critical thinking about technology use. Digital literacy is about so much more than fact-checking-- it's about empowering students to engage with the world thoughtfully and critically. Together, we will explore resources that tackle the challenges and lean into the opportunities presented by digital technology and AI use in education. 

If possible, please bring your laptop to this session.

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Join the WWEST STEM Curriculum Team in some hands-on, BC Curriculum linked lessons that can be used by students in grades K-12 in non-traditional STEM spaces. Think Physical Education or English Language Arts from K-12, for beginners or advanced techies! Our goal is to provide ready to use tech-infused lesson and assessment plans for use in your classroom, without the need for extended research and trials. Our team includes educators who understand, envision and integrate these, and similar, principles of learning in the the lessons that WWEST creates, and shares with students and teachers. All of our lessons are linked to BC Education curriculum, and reflect the needs of individual learners and classrooms we have worked with across BC/Yukon. Students are certainly the center, as we provide our outreach lessons in an equitable manner, so all participants are able to experience hands-on STEM learning, that we hope sparks curiosity and a sense of belonging in STEM realted education and future career opportunities.

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We will be looking at how we can use A.I. to create texts that focus on specific objectives, like for example words that have the sound 'on' in them, or specific grammar tenses like imparfait. From there, we will look at how we can upload these A.I. generated texts into Microsoft Teams' Reading Coach feature to see reading accuracy, where the students are making mistakes, and how they can use the Learning Accelerator' feature to fix common mistakes independently. This gives a great snapshot of where students are at currently, and will also allow students and teachers to observe growth over time. This is a low-teacher time activity that engages students very well, and allows a great snapshot of reading progress without expensive resources.

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In recent years, many Maths classrooms have seen a subtle yet significant sidelining of the teacher’s voice in introducing new concepts and procedures. Amid the rise of enquiry-based, discovery-led pedagogies, the powerful role of the expert explaining from the front—articulating ideas, modelling thinking, and making knowledge explicit—has too often been undervalued or misunderstood. This session seeks to reclaim that space. Without compromising the principles of Mastery, it champions an unapologetic return to explicit teacher-led modelling as a high-leverage strategy for improving pupil understanding, confidence, and outcomes in Mathematics. Participants will explore a range of research-informed techniques that elevate the quality and clarity of teacher explanations. These include: • Metacognitive narration – making expert thought processes visible through self-questioning and verbalised reasoning • Goal–path signposting – using deliberate language to articulate the destination and journey of each mathematical step • Proficient–deficient modelling – contrasting successful and flawed approaches to highlight misconceptions • Colour-coded annotation – enhancing visual clarity and memory retention through purposeful boardwork • Fluency handovers – gradually transitioning from teacher-led modelling to pupil independence while maintaining precision Attendees will be challenged to reflect on the disproportionate impact that small variations in modelling can have on pupil success. We will explore how seemingly minor tweaks—such as changing the sequence of a worked example, adjusting board layout, or refining the phrasing of an instruction—can lead to substantial differences in pupil understanding. This session draws from a robust body of cognitive science and educational research, including: • The CESE & University of Queensland study of 16,000 secondary students, which evidences the superiority of explicit instruction over minimal-guidance methods • Kirschner, Sweller and Clark’s seminal paper, Why Minimal Guidance During Instruction Does Not Work • Craig Barton’s Reflect, Expect, Check, Explain and How I Wish I’d Taught Maths, which highlight classroom-proven sequencing and modelling techniques • Dr Tanya Evans’ critique of Maths pedagogy that ignores working memory limits • The National Library of Medicine’s (2022) findings on the impact of colour on memory and learning • Tom Sherrington’s insights into the "art of modelling" and the timing of cognitive handover • Zach Groshell’s Just Tell Them, which explores the role of explanation in fostering long-term learning Designed for both classroom practitioners and school leaders, this session will provide: 1. Classroom-ready tools for modelling concepts explicitly, clearly, and confidently 2. Leadership strategies for driving up the quality of modelling across departments 3. CPD-ready resources for sharing these techniques with colleagues and teams.

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Check out this “EVERFI 101” session for K-7 educators. Attendees will gain an in-depth understanding of EVERFI’s digital library of critical-life skill resources and how to seamlessly integrate them into their classrooms. EVERFI’s 30+ engaging resources cover topics, including Financial Literacy, STEM, SEL, Health, Career Exploration and Sustainability. All resources are developed with subject matter experts, aligned with the BC curriculum and are available at no cost. Educators will leave this session feeling confident and enthusiastic about the implementation of these no cost digital resources plus accompanying offline lessons with their students.

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What Sucks? Let’s get real about artificial intelligence. In this interactive, high-energy session, we’ll dive headfirst into the messy, marvelous, and sometimes maddening world of AI in education. From grading bots to generative tools, from ethical dilemmas to classroom breakthroughs—what’s helping, what’s hurting, and what’s just plain hype? Join us for a guided debate where educators speak their truth: What sucks? What rocks? You’ll leave with fresh perspectives, practical insights, and maybe even a few hot takes. Whether you’re an AI enthusiast or a cautious skeptic, this session is your space to question, challenge, and reimagine the role of AI in teaching and learning.

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Preservice teachers were asked to explore an outdoor natural site that would serve as a possible field trip location. Working in teams, and following specific criteria, the preservice teachers were asked to create an online field guide that would help other educators find the site and inform them of the following: location of the site, history of the site, site attributes, flora and fauna at the site, presence of invasive species, safety considerations, evidence of human disruption, and any noticeable effects of climate change. The preservice teachers were asked to include a land acknowledgement, and also a lesson plan that would incorporate a field trip to the site. After the preservice teachers prepared their field guides, the field guide URLs were incorporated onto an interactive map using Google My Maps. The map currently has over 65 different field guides that cover the range of the Okanagan region. This session will explain the details of this project-based assignment, and demonstrate how Google My Maps can be used to create interactive maps that can serve as a visual data base for Okanagan educators. This interactive map provides a web-based resource for teachers who may wish to take their classes on field trips to any of these locations in the Okanagan region.

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Live It Earth is a BC-based EdTech company offering bilingual, place-based learning resources designed to spark curiosity and make teaching easier. Thanks to the renewed agreement with Focused Education Resources, every BC public K-7 school has access — but we know that first-time or infrequent users often aren’t sure where to start. This session provides a clear, practical pathway through the Live It Earth platform. Teachers will be guided on how to sign up, log in, and navigate the library to find resources that connect directly to BC’s curriculum and core competencies. Along the way, we’ll highlight some of the most popular programs — from climate change and marine life to Indigenous perspectives and French Immersion — and show how ready-to-use resources can save prep time while inspiring meaningful learning. Participants will leave with confidence in how to access and integrate Live It Earth into their classrooms, as well as takeaway tips and resources to support ongoing use.

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This is a session for district leaders and dreamers! We will explore ways that we used automation to improve efficiencies and decrease the amount of paperwork required within the Inclusive Education Department.

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Join us for a dynamic professional development experience centered on the Climate Action Ripple Effect (CARE) program. Teachers will learn how to center student voice and empower learners to take climate action through curiosity, collaboration, and critical thinking. Through hands-on inquiry experiences and reflection on student-centered practices, educators will gain practical strategies to foster authentic learning and support student agency—giving learners the confidence and tools to lead their own climate-focused initiatives. Discover how CARE is making waves in our district and how you can be part of the ripple effect!

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How can we use the tools at our deposal to trace backwards on math concepts that students are struggling with? When did the missed concept take place and how can you build those skills back to promote confidence and curricular success? Let's get together to explore student centered supports to help our students enter into our lessons and make math their favourite class!

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In a largely digital world, it can often feel as though technology is taking our attention away from the outdoors. However, digital tools and AI can actually enhance students' appreciation and understanding of the environment. This workshop will explore how technology supports hands-on learning of content and skills in the BC science curriculum by helping students collect, analyze, and visualize data about the natural world. Using apps like iNaturalist and Seek, students can observe and document local species. Tools like TinkerCAD allow them to model patterns and structures found in nature. Many other powerful (and free!) digital resources are available to enhance learning in environmental and nature-based education. By integrating digital learning with scientific inquiry, we can inspire curiosity and deeper connections with the environment.

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This session aims to explore hydraulics with a hands-on activity that brings STEM principles to life in the classroom. Specifically, we will explore the fascinating world of hydraulics through the construction of battling cranes using simple materials such as syringes, tubing, and tongue depressors. By building battling cranes, students will not only learn about hydraulic systems but also develop essential skills such as critical thinking, creative thinking, and teamwork. Join us to discover how this fun hands-on project can transform your STEM teaching and inspire the next generation of innovators. Be one of the maximum 24 people to attend this presentation as we will be building cranes in groups of three. One lucky member from each group will take home their battle-crane.

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Are you looking to support your students around Digital Literacy topics such as Artificial Intelligence, Social Media, Misinformation, and Digital Wellness? We will explore a variety of resources and pre-made lessons for Middle Grade students. Aaron will share his Middle School Technology Learning Continuum for his Grade 6-9 students at GMS. Come ready to explore CTRL-F, Common Sense Media, Crash Course, and more!

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Learn the art of creating dream catchers along with traditional teachings. This skill teaches about mindfulness, patience, and above all spiritual wellbeing.

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The students in our classrooms bring with them a variety of abilities, strengths and challenges. This variation can lead them to have difficulty accessing or creating certain types of the classroom materials. Various tools exist to try and support our students in this area, but often come with high costs. Meanwhile, many of our classrooms are filled with iOS devices in the form of school-issued iPads or students’ personal iPhones. The good news is that iOS devices include built-in accessibility features that students can use to allow them to more easily access your classroom materials. Do you have a student who struggles with reading? Built-in text-to-speech is here to help. Maintaining focus when using technology tools? Guided access to the rescue. Written output? Speech-to-text. This session will walk you through using these features on the provided iPads so that you will feel comfortable heading back to your classroom and trying them out right away.

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How do we engage students in meaningful learning and conversations about AI? How do we model the appropriate use of this emerging technology, and how it is rapidly changing the learning environment. In this session, we will dive into some useful strategies, guidance, and resources to support middle and secondary educators in leading learning around the risks and possibilities of Generative AI.

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Contact North leverages XR and AI edtech to expand access, equity and engagement for 20,000+ learners across 1,800 XR courses in 2024–2025. We support partners in scaling immersive training for healthcare, trades, DEI and career prep. At Innovate-ED25, we’ll demo tools like 3D Organon, Bodyswaps, InStage, GWPro and ImmersiveLink, and share hands-on strategies for accessible, inclusive learning—even in low-connectivity settings.

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Teachers often forget that their needs are important. People in helping professions often put others ahead of themselves, but in order to best meet the needs of students, Teachers also need to take care of themselves and ensure they are functioning to the best of their abilities. This workshop provides tools and strategies that Teachers can use to build their own resilience, keeping them at work. The tools can also be used with the students in class to promote overall wellbeing. We will discuss how to take moments during the day for wellbeing and addressing resilience, in turn improving teaching sustainability and reducing the need for absence. This is a reminder that you, as a Teacher and human, also matter.

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In this session, we present our ongoing AI Literacy project for middle school students (Grades 6–8), built around learning modules developed by our team. The program focuses on three domains: (1) AI Awareness, (2) AI Impact, and (3) AI Mechanics. We will share insights into how these materials can help educators confidently guide students in understanding, questioning, and navigating the era of AI. The modules are currently undergoing user testing to ensure a child-centered design.

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Come and play! This session will feature classroom projects and ideas created by teachers like you. You'll have a chance to get your hands on nifty equipment and see how others are using it to engage their students. 

• Science at the Centre - Hand on Learning with the Okanagan Science Centre:  The Okanagan Science Centre is excited to connect with educators at Innovate-Ed! We offer hands-on programs for students from Kindergarten through Grade 8, from in-class activities to field trips and team-building experiences. Stop by our table to try out portable resources like our wind turbine models and learn how we can support your classroom. 
• Search Skills in the Age of AI with Elizabeth Devries: Elizabeth drafted a lesson to support middle-intermediate students in their search skills as they encounter AI overviews and navigate GenAI outputs. This session will be a sharing and collaboration around strategies for supporting students with search skills in the age of GenAI.
  
• The Play-Learn Connection with Allison Jmayoff: Considering a continuum of play-based learning we can reimagine play as intentional learning experiences across the continuum, with varying degrees of child direction and educator guidance. Through the lens of numeracy, a variety of hands-on explorations can deepen understandings for students.
  
• Bristlebot Insect Robots with Brendan Robertson: Stop by and try your hand at making a bristlebot robot! In this playground you can tinker away to create any insect robot you can imaging. This is a great, short ADST project you can do with your class or even have your grade 3-7 class make one for their little buddies.
  
• Ozobots with Tobias Blaskovits: Explore the exciting world of Ozobots — tiny robots with big learning potential! In this hands-on session, we’ll discover how these pocket-sized bots can transform your classroom into a hub of creativity, collaboration, and computational thinking.
• Climate Action Kits with Kristin Beeby: Discover how to bring coding, robotics, and real-world climate challenges into your classroom with Forward EDU’s Climate Action Kits. These hands-on kits are designed for educators of all experience levels and come with curriculum-aligned lessons, step-by-step tutorials, and professional development resources. Learn how to guide student-led projects that foster innovation, environmental stewardship, and STEM skills—all while supporting key learning standards.
• Digital Citizenship Library with Brad Ogasawara: Looking to deepen your understanding of digital citizenship and bring meaningful conversations into your classroom? This books in this curated collection can spark meaningful conversations and help young learners become thoughtful, empowered digital citizens.
• Circle Math and Traditional Drum Making with Amiel Logan: This project explores the Math of Circles and the Traditional Indigenous Art of Drum Making. Students learn about the Drum making along side a history of math with respect to circles and the significance of Pi.
  

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This presentation is a call to action for educators to understand AI through a critical and social justice lens. It emphasizes that AI development and implementation must be guided by diverse perspectives, an understanding of power and privilege, and a commitment to equity and inclusion. It calls for unlearning biases and challenging systemic structures that perpetuate inequalities. Finally, it emphasizes that in a rapidly changing world the human element in education is more crucial than ever. This workshop will go through practical steps on how to engage with these complex topics in your classroom.

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How can we use the tools at our deposal to trace backwards on math concepts that students are struggling with? When did the missed concept take place and how can you build those skills back to promote confidence and curricular success? Let's get together to explore student centered supports to help our students enter into our lessons and make math their favourite class!

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This session introduces high school teachers to a cross-cultural educational initiative focused on ecological connectivity and community-based conservation in the Thompson-Okanagan. Participants will explore classroom-ready tools developed through partnerships with the Okanagan Collaborative Conservation Program and Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, including: The Social Life of Water (Syilx water perspectives), WaterWays (a museum-based digital storytelling project on regional water systems), and BeaverWorld/WaterFutures (a 3D educational game on beavers as ecosystem engineers). These tools use storytelling, visual media, and Indigenous knowledge to engage students in understanding the role of ecological corridors in supporting biodiversity and climate resilience. Teachers will leave with hands-on activities, adaptable teaching resources, and new strategies to support place-based, land-informed learning across science, social studies, and Indigenous education.

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Join presenter Jeff Fitton on an educational journey into the world of AI-powered chatbots. In this hands-on session, you'll learn how to create your own customized chatbot using tools like ChatGPT (paid version), Notebook LLM, and Microsoft Copilot. Together, we’ll explore how to:

• Define your chatbot’s voice and tone
• Pre-train it using your own materials
• Set up a reliable knowledge base to reduce hallucinations

By the end of the session, you’ll walk away with a fully functional, personalized chatbot—ready to assist in your teaching, research, or personal projects. Imagine the possibilities: Give students access to a mini version of yourself through digitized lectures Generate personalized letters of reference Curate a vetted resource database for your learners Even build a travel assistant for your next vacation! Come prepared to unleash your creativity and leave with a powerful new tool in your digital toolkit.

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Discover how to use Book Creator to design engaging, interactive notebooks and digital portfolios that inspire creativity and deepen learning. In this session, you’ll learn how to add multimedia elements, organize content effectively, and create a dynamic space for reflection, collaboration, and showcasing growth over time. Perfect for educators looking to elevate their classroom and empower students to take ownership of their learning journey!

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Check out this “EVERFI 101” session for Grade 8-12 Educators. Attendees will gain an in-depth understanding of EVERFI’s digital library of critical-life skill resources and how to seamlessly integrate them into their classrooms. EVERFI’s 30+ engaging resources cover topics, including Financial Literacy, STEM, SEL, Health, Career Exploration and Sustainability. All resources are developed with subject matter experts, aligned with the BC curriculum and are available at no cost. Educators will leave this session feeling confident and enthusiastic about implementation of these no cost digital resources plus accompanying offline lessons with their students.

If possible, please bring a device for this session.

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Bring the power of clean energy into your classroom with this hands-on Pro-D session for middle and high school educators. Together we will explore how to create engaging Engineering Design Challenges rooted in real-world issues that encourage creativity and problem-solving. You’ll get hands-on experience with Arduinos, build renewable energy prototypes like wind turbines, and see how technology can drive clean energy solutions. By the end, you’ll be ready to bring Engineering design into your classrooms to help your students innovate for a sustainable future.

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Teachers often forget that their needs are important. People in helping professions often put others ahead of themselves, but in order to best meet the needs of students, Teachers also need to take care of themselves and ensure they are functioning to the best of their abilities. This workshop provides tools and strategies that Teachers can use to build their own resilience, keeping them at work. The tools can also be used with the students in class to promote overall wellbeing. We will discuss how to take moments during the day for wellbeing and addressing resilience, in turn improving teaching sustainability and reducing the need for absence. This is a reminder that you, as a Teacher and human, also matter.

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Minecraft: Education Edition is ubiquitous in Middle School, particularly in Math class, and for good reason. Students typically arrive with prior knowledge of how to play and build, and even for beginners, the block-based design naturally lends itself to illustrating concepts such as Area or Volume in a fun format. This is just the tip of the iceberg. In this session for Minecraft novices and experts alike, I will guide you on how to build and play in Minecraft while also creating an interactive canvas "world" where students can literally construct their understanding of your class concepts in whatever way they see fit. Session participants don't need prior experience, but they should bring a laptop with Minecraft: Education Edition pre-installed (freely available with a school district Microsoft account from their webpage: http://bit.ly/47fyQhr), as we will spend most of the time interacting directly with the program. I will also provide guests with my middle school curriculum-aligned resource for a "sustainable society" year-end project, where students design and build a society to express what they have learned across the year in their core (Humanities and STEM) classes. This project can be used for multiple courses or modified to suit an individual curriculum and unit; the choice is yours. I look forward to seeing what you build in this session and beyond!

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Join us for a dynamic professional development experience centered on the Climate Action Ripple Effect (CARE) program. Teachers will learn how to center student voice and empower learners to take climate action through curiosity, collaboration, and critical thinking. Through hands-on inquiry experiences and reflection on student-centered practices, educators will gain practical strategies to foster authentic learning and support student agency—giving learners the confidence and tools to lead their own climate-focused initiatives. Discover how CARE is making waves in our district and how you can be part of the ripple effect!

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Reading Progress is a free tool built into Microsoft Teams designed to support and track reading fluency in your class. Students record their reading on camera and submit it to you. As you mark and return their work, data is automatically collected and organized in Insights, helping you spend more time with students and less time analyzing data.

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We will present BeaverWorld 2.0, a 3D simulation game aimed at educating high school students on the vital role of wetlands in the Okanagan. The game explores (1) how wetlands have been degraded through land use, development, and climate change—resulting in increased droughts, fires, and floods—and (2) how beavers, as natural ecosystem engineers, can help restore these ecosystems. BeaverWorld places learners at the center by immersing them in an interactive environment where they become active ecosystem stewards. The game empowers students to explore and understand wetland ecosystems through a journey rooted in inquiry-based and action-oriented pedagogy. Activities in BeaverWorld encourage active exploration, allowing students to shape outcomes based on their decisions and actions, fostering deep engagement and reflection on complex ecological concepts. As they build and restore wetlands, students collaboratively construct their understanding, grounded in principles of sustainability and biodiversity. The 3D simulation game's learner-centered approach ensures that students’ cognition, creativity, and voice are central, driving their growth and fostering a deeper appreciation for environmental stewardship. By combining technology, authentic exploration, and cooperative learning, BeaverWorld empowers students to become active agents of ecological change.

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This presentation is a call to action for educators to understand AI through a critical and social justice lens. It emphasizes that AI development and implementation must be guided by diverse perspectives, an understanding of power and privilege, and a commitment to equity and inclusion. It calls for unlearning biases and challenging systemic structures that perpetuate inequalities. Finally, it emphasizes that in a rapidly changing world the human element in education is more crucial than ever. This workshop will go through practical steps on how to engage with these complex topics in your classroom.

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Every student deserves a voice! Discover how Book Creator’s powerful accessibility and language features can support diverse learners, ensuring everyone can read, write, and express themselves with confidence. In this engaging and interactive session, you’ll explore tools like text-to-speech, voice recording, translations, captions, and dyslexia-friendly fonts—designed to make learning more inclusive and engaging. Learn how these features can empower language learners, support students with disabilities, and create a truly accessible classroom experience for all!

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Discover how Canva can elevate your Seesaw activities and student engagement! In this hands-on session, elementary educators will explore creative ways to design visually appealing, interactive content using Canva and seamlessly integrate it into Seesaw. Learn tips for customizing templates, creating instructional visuals, and empowering students to express their learning through design. Whether you're new to Canva or a seasoned user, you'll leave with practical strategies and ready-to-use resources to make your Seesaw experience more dynamic and student-centered.

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Join presenter Jeff Fitton on an educational journey into the world of AI-powered chatbots. In this hands-on session, you'll learn how to create your own customized chatbot using tools like ChatGPT (paid version), Notebook LLM, and Microsoft Copilot. Together, we’ll explore how to:

• Define your chatbot’s voice and tone
• Pre-train it using your own materials
• Set up a reliable knowledge base to reduce hallucinations

By the end of the session, you’ll walk away with a fully functional, personalized chatbot—ready to assist in your teaching, research, or personal projects. Imagine the possibilities: Give students access to a mini version of yourself through digitized lectures Generate personalized letters of reference Curate a vetted resource database for your learners Even build a travel assistant for your next vacation! Come prepared to unleash your creativity and leave with a powerful new tool in your digital toolkit.

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Come and play! This session will feature classroom projects and ideas created by teachers like you. You'll have a chance to get your hands on nifty equipment and see how others are using it to engage their students. 

• Science at the Centre - Hands on Learning with the Okanagan Science Centre:  The Okanagan Science Centre is excited to connect with educators at Innovate-Ed! We offer hands-on programs for students from Kindergarten through Grade 8, from in-class activities to field trips and team-building experiences. Stop by our table to try out portable resources like our wind turbine models and learn how we can support your classroom. 
• Culturally Responsive Teaching Through Inquiry Learning with Kim Tyssen: Inquiry learning empowers students to explore meaningful questions, engage in critical thinking, and co-construct knowledge—making it a powerful approach to culturally responsive teaching. This session will explore how inquiry-based practices honor students’ diverse backgrounds, experiences, and ways of knowing, creating inclusive and equitable learning environments. Participants will examine a variety of real-world examples of inquiry learning across grade levels and subject areas. Through these examples, teachers will see how inquiry fosters student voice, choice, and identity, and how it can be adapted to reflect and respect cultural diversity. The session will also highlight strategies for designing inquiry experiences that connect to students’ communities, languages, and lived experiences. Whether you're new to inquiry or looking to deepen your practice, this session will provide practical tools and inspiration for making inquiry learning a cornerstone of culturally responsive pedagogy.
• Bristlebot Insects with Brendan Robertson: Stop by and try your hand at making a bristlebot robot! In this playground you can tinker away to create any insect robot you can imaging. This is a great, short ADST project you can do with your class or even have your grade 3-7 class make one for their little buddies.
  
• Finches 2.0 Robots: Dive into hands-on coding fun with the Finch 2.0 robots — a powerful tool for bringing computer science to life in your classroom. Whether you're a coding newbie or a seasoned techie, you'll get to explore how these versatile bots can help students learn programming, problem-solving, and creativity through movement, lights, and sensors.
• Digital Citizenship Library with Brad Ogasawara: Looking to deepen your understanding of digital citizenship and bring meaningful conversations into your classroom? This books in this curated collection can spark meaningful conversations and help young learners become thoughtful, empowered digital citizens.
• Climate Action Kits with Kristin Beeby: Discover how to bring coding, robotics, and real-world climate challenges into your classroom with Forward EDU’s Climate Action Kits. These hands-on kits are designed for educators of all experience levels and come with curriculum-aligned lessons, step-by-step tutorials, and professional development resources. Learn how to guide student-led projects that foster innovation, environmental stewardship, and STEM skills—all while supporting key learning standards.
• Circle Math and Traditional Drum Making: This project explores the Math of Circles and the Traditional Indigenous Art of Drum Making. Students learn about the Drum making along side a history of math with respect to circles and the significance of Pi.

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Contact North leverages XR and AI edtech to expand access, equity and engagement for 20,000+ learners across 1,800 XR courses in 2024–2025. We support partners in scaling immersive training for healthcare, trades, DEI and career prep. At Innovate-ED25, we’ll demo tools like 3D Organon, Bodyswaps, InStage, GWPro and ImmersiveLink, and share hands-on strategies for accessible, inclusive learning—even in low-connectivity settings.

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Bring the power of clean energy into your classroom with this hands-on Pro-D session for middle and high school educators. Together we will explore how to create engaging Engineering Design Challenges rooted in real-world issues that encourage creativity and problem-solving. You’ll get hands-on experience with Arduinos, build renewable energy prototypes like wind turbines, and see how technology can drive clean energy solutions. By the end, you’ll be ready to bring Engineering design into your classrooms to help your students innovate for a sustainable future.

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Minecraft: Education Edition is ubiquitous in Middle School, particularly in Math class, and for good reason. Students typically arrive with prior knowledge of how to play and build, and even for beginners, the block-based design naturally lends itself to illustrating concepts such as Area or Volume in a fun format. This is just the tip of the iceberg. In this session for Minecraft novices and experts alike, I will guide you on how to build and play in Minecraft while also creating an interactive canvas "world" where students can literally construct their understanding of your class concepts in whatever way they see fit. Session participants don't need prior experience, but they should bring a laptop with Minecraft: Education Edition pre-installed (freely available with a school district Microsoft account from their webpage: http://bit.ly/47fyQhr), as we will spend most of the time interacting directly with the program. I will also provide guests with my middle school curriculum-aligned resource for a "sustainable society" year-end project, where students design and build a society to express what they have learned across the year in their core (Humanities and STEM) classes. This project can be used for multiple courses or modified to suit an individual curriculum and unit; the choice is yours. I look forward to seeing what you build in this session and beyond!

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• Closing address
• Prize giveaways

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