DEN Summer Institute 2025: Full Schedule

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10:15am CDT

It Started with a Book...Introducing STEAM through Literature

Thursday July 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CDT

Discover how a simple story can launch powerful, cross-curricular STEAM experiences! In this hands-on, idea-packed session, you will learn how to use literature as the perfect springboard for STEAM challenges that incorporate coding, robotics, engineering, digital media, and more. Using a design thinking framework, you will see model lessons that begin with a book and lead students on a journey of curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving. You’ll leave with ready-to-use resources, book pairings, and planning tools to help you weave STEAM seamlessly into your curriculum—and inspire your students to think deeply, design boldly, and connect learning to the world around them.

Speakers

Carrie Willis

STEAM & Technology Director, Valley Preparatory School

Carrie Willis is the Technology & STEAM Director at Valley Preparatory School, a private school in Redlands, CA, educating students in grades preschool through eight. During her 24 years of teaching, she has developed a love for educational technology and project-based learning... Read More →

Thursday July 24, 2025 10:15am - 11:00am CDT
Mundelein 508

Concurrent Session

11:10am CDT

Social Studies Techbook & Inquiry

Thursday July 24, 2025 11:10am - 11:55am CDT

Mundelein 508

Join us for an engaging session where educators will discover how SSTB supports inquiry-based learning, empowering students to ask questions, analyze sources, and think critically about history, culture, and current events in meaningful, interactive ways.

Speakers

Lauren Gomez

Toni Robinson

Director Teaching and Learning, Discovery Education

Thursday July 24, 2025 11:10am - 11:55am CDT
Mundelein 508

Concurrent Session

1:15pm CDT

Buy in Before the Pencil: Using Mystery Writing to Spark Student Engagement

Thursday July 24, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CDT

Mundelein 508

Write about your favorite summer vacation….write about your favorite ice cream flavor and why… Boooooo. Students are already assessed with these low engagement prompts so why should they learn like this too?! This session highlights the critical role of student buy-in when building strong, motivated writers. We will explore why writing can feel intimidating or even irrelevant to some students and how to overcome these barriers by creating meaningful, engaging, and student-centered writing experiences. The session will highlight how Mystery Writing can help writers develop their ideas through research, note-taking, graphic organizers, oral rehearsal, drawing, peer discussion, and much more before ever putting pencil to paper. Participants will leave with tips and tools to cultivate a writing environment where students can feel empowered, capable, and excited to write.

Speakers

Amy Jivani

Content Creator/ Scriptwriter

Emily Simon

Content Creator/ Scriptwriter - Mystery Writing

Thursday July 24, 2025 1:15pm - 2:00pm CDT
Mundelein 508

Concurrent Session

2:10pm CDT

Help Us Improve Core Aligned Resources

Thursday July 24, 2025 2:10pm - 2:55pm CDT

Mundelein 508

We invite you to share your feedback to help us better align Discovery Education’s Experience resources with the core curriculums used in today's classrooms. Your insights will ensure our digital resources align with core curriculums for ELA, math, and science. This alignment will make the resources instructionally relevant, save teachers time, and improve student outcomes.

Speakers

Michael Capps

Instructional Design Sr. Manager, Curriculum and Instruction Director

Michael Capps is a Curriculum and Instruction Director with Discovery Education. He leads the development of instructional activities and lessons, including our library of instructional strategies. for the Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Engagement team. He first joined DE as... Read More →

Thursday July 24, 2025 2:10pm - 2:55pm CDT
Mundelein 508

Feedback Session

3:40pm CDT

Sending Out an SOS: Feedback on Discovery Education's Instructional Strategies

Thursday July 24, 2025 3:40pm - 4:25pm CDT

Mundelein 508

We're excited to launch our new Instructional Strategies Center, featuring research-based strategies, graphic organizers, student videos and more. But we need YOUR feedback to make this center great! Join us and share what would make this resource invaluable for you and other educators

Speakers