The Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award is an annual award given to the book voted most outstanding by students in grades four through eight in participating Illinois schools and libraries. Come and learn about the 20 books that made the 2026 RCYRBA nominee list. Attendees will hear a book talk; share ways to use the books in your classroom, library, and school; and learn how to become more involved as an evaluator.
Teacher/Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award Board Member, CCSD 46
School year 24/25 marks thirty years in sixth grade ELA. I love books and reading, which is why I got involved with the Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award, a student choice award for grades four through eight. Besides teaching and books, I love my cats, poetry, playing handbells... Read More →
Friday February 14, 2025 9:20am - 10:05am CST
Room B1301350 W Hawley St, Mundelein, IL 60060
Harness the power of visual storytelling. Apply basic reading and writing skills to your students making short videos about any subject matter. Commercials, movie trailers, interviews with people living or dead, mini-documentaries, book reports/reviews are all fair game for students teaching their classmates. One to one schools can use your devices' built in tools. Flipping your classroom or employing some of strategy's techniques? Liven up your videos.
I taught Spanish for 20 years before my students got camcorders and started doing their dialogues and skits on tape. That pulled me into multimedia and I finished the last 12 years of my career as the AV/Media Coordinator at Niles West, eventually overseeing Niles North too. In "retirement... Read More →
Friday February 14, 2025 9:20am - 10:05am CST
Room C2061350 W Hawley St, Mundelein, IL 60060
Get ready to fly high in this hands-on workshop! Explore the exciting world of drones and learn how to integrate them into your STEM curriculum. We'll cover coding, multimedia projects, drone sports, career paths, responsible flying, and how to make the right purchase. Experience thrilling drone demos and discover how to unleash creativity and learning with these amazing devices!
Regional Educational Technology Coordinator, Learning Technology Center
Eric Santos is the Regional Educational Technology Coordinator for the Learning Technology Center serving the Chicagoland region. Eric believes in advocating for greater equity in educational opportunities as well as engaging, inspiring, and empowering all educators through effective... Read More →
Friday February 14, 2025 9:20am - 10:05am CST
Room C1301350 W Hawley St, Mundelein, IL 60060
Is your Middle School new to Dual Language or Multilingual Programs, or are you looking to expand your current Dual Language or Multilingual programming into Middle School? Are you looking to grow your toolbox of incentives/strategies for Multilingual students at the Middle School level? If you answered yes to either of these questions, this session is for you! Serving a PreK-8th student population, Mundelein Elementary School District 75 offers two-way immersion Dual Language programs and Co-Taught Multilingual programming at the Middle School level. Come join us as we share “El próximo nivel: Dual Language and Multilingual Programs at the Middle School” This session is guaranteed to leave you feeling empowered about “el próximo nivel” with your own Dual Language and Multilingual programming.
Dual Language/Multilingual Teacher, Mundelein Elementary District 75
I have been a middle school educator for the past 18 years serving Multilingual and Dual Language students. Currently, I am an8th Grade Dual Language teacher at Carl Sandburg Middle School in Mundelein, Illinois. My passions include Multilingual and Dual Language Programming... Read More →
How do you know your students 'get it'? This session will equip educators with the C.O.R.E. instructional framework to support multilingual students by implementing clear routines, scaffolds, structured discussions, and explanations to deepen math understanding. Take away valuable strategies to enrich your toolbox and empower multilingual learners in classroom discourse for deep understanding.
With the 2010 inception of the ELA CCSS, the push for a cohesive, common curriculum and literacy experiences came to the forefront of schools. However, the resources and materials of the past do not necessarily connect with our current demographic of students. Research shows that students are motivated and engaged in texts and tasks when they perceive them as pertinent to their lives. Literacy instruction should include the cultures, backgrounds, and language practices of all students. This session will provide strategies for bridging CCSS standards and texts with multimodality and relevancy that appeal to students’ interests, identity formation, and range of ability levels to account for multiliteracies and view language as a resource. These facilitate students’ self-efficacy, a primary motivational determinant of achievement and a critical precursor to student success.
I have taught ELA and reading for 31 years and my passions are helping students feel more confident in their reading skills and finding ways to make what they read relevant and meaningful to them. I am working on my dissertation for my PhD in Reading, Language, and Literacy with a... Read More →
This session encourages teachers to reflect on their current instructional practices, and offers a variety of strategies for supporting language beyond vocabulary instruction. Topics such as assessment, content differentiation and language scaffolds will be addressed.
Interested in learning more about Building Thinking Classrooms from Peter Liljedahal? Experience the beginning elements behind a Building Thinking Classroom and gain practical tools to deepen mathematical learning.
Our presentation will describe how our professional learning community has used teaching math through problem solving as a means to encourage student to student dialogue as the basis for whole group and small group math discussions. We will also share how the relationship between student note-taking and teacher board work can be a powerful tool for engagement and mathematical understanding.
In this session, a physics and chemistry teacher with over 40 years of combined teaching experience will share their different journeys towards the 3-dimensional teaching and learning called for by the NGSS. The goal of this session is to ignite discussion of all participants about successes and failures in movement towards NGSS to better equip all to continue to grow towards true NGSS alignment.
As Illinois High Schools transition to the PreACT-ACT assessments as part of the State Assessment System, this presentation will focus on the elements of the ACT College & Caree Readiness System – ACT College Readiness Standards, ACT College Readiness Benchmarks, ACT Research, and the ACT Holistic Framework. Participants will be introduced to the elements of the ACT College Readiness System Assessments and Reports. Information on student and staff preparation strategies will be provided in this session.
Senior Account Executive and State Lead for Illinois, ACT Client Relations
George Schlott is a Client Relations Senior Account Executive for ACT, Inc. working with PK-12 educational institutions in the States of Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. George’s primary responsibilities include work with elementary/secondary schools to assist them in their selection... Read More →
Friday February 14, 2025 9:20am - 10:05am CST
Room B1381350 W Hawley St, Mundelein, IL 60060
This session will introduce participants to the ACT Online Reporting System (https://success.act.org). The session will cover creating an Online Reporting account; accessing PreACT-ACT data in the Online Reporting system; and creating roster and summary reports to inform student and school improvement activities. The majority of this workshop will be a live demonstration of the features of the ACT Online Reporting System. Participants with Success.ACT.org accounts will be encouraged to follow along with their own access/data.
Senior Account Executive and State Lead for Illinois, ACT Client Relations
George Schlott is a Client Relations Senior Account Executive for ACT, Inc. working with PK-12 educational institutions in the States of Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. George’s primary responsibilities include work with elementary/secondary schools to assist them in their selection... Read More →
Friday February 14, 2025 10:10am - 10:25am CST
Room B1381350 W Hawley St, Mundelein, IL 60060
Learn how 3D printing can empower your students to become agents of change! This workshop dives into design thinking, real-world problem-solving, and innovative applications of 3D printing. Go beyond trinkets and explore projects that make a difference. Learn the basics of 3D printing, what you need to get started, and a demonstration of the most state of the art consumer 3d printers. Leave inspired to transform your classroom!
Regional Educational Technology Coordinator, Learning Technology Center
Eric Santos is the Regional Educational Technology Coordinator for the Learning Technology Center serving the Chicagoland region. Eric believes in advocating for greater equity in educational opportunities as well as engaging, inspiring, and empowering all educators through effective... Read More →
Friday February 14, 2025 10:10am - 11:00am CST
Room C1301350 W Hawley St, Mundelein, IL 60060
Is your Middle School new to Dual Language or Multilingual Programs, or are you looking to expand your current Dual Language or Multilingual programming into Middle School? Are you looking to grow your toolbox of incentives/strategies for Multilingual students at the Middle School level? If you answered yes to either of these questions, this session is for you! Serving a PreK-8th student population, Mundelein Elementary School District 75 offers two-way immersion Dual Language programs and Co-Taught Multilingual programming at the Middle School level. Come join us as we share “El próximo nivel: Dual Language and Multilingual Programs at the Middle School” This session is guaranteed to leave you feeling empowered about “el próximo nivel” with your own Dual Language and Multilingual programming.
Dual Language/Multilingual Teacher, Mundelein Elementary District 75
I have been a middle school educator for the past 18 years serving Multilingual and Dual Language students. Currently, I am an8th Grade Dual Language teacher at Carl Sandburg Middle School in Mundelein, Illinois. My passions include Multilingual and Dual Language Programming... Read More →
This session will explore the shifting landscapes of Career and Technical Education, Career Pathways, PWR, the Work Based Learning Continuum, and support stakeholders in navigating CTE as the interconnective tissue of education in all of our schools.
Grant Community High School has been running a standards-based grading pilot in a number of subject areas for the past two years. We would like to share our experience with implementing standards-based grading into our high school curriculums. Our presentation will include the journey that led us to begin our pilot, our experience with aligning our curriculum, the current state of the pilot in multiple subject areas, and wins and challenges experienced along the way. We hope this can help with others who may be considering a standards-based model. Presented by Tim Viscioni, Nick Nenni, Chris Robinson and others.
Interested in learning more about Building Thinking Classrooms from Peter Liljedahal? Experience the beginning elements behind a Building Thinking Classroom and gain practical tools to deepen mathematical learning.
Our presentation will describe how our professional learning community has used teaching math through problem solving as a means to encourage student to student dialogue as the basis for whole group and small group math discussions. We will also share how the relationship between student note-taking and teacher board work can be a powerful tool for engagement and mathematical understanding.
In this session, a physics and chemistry teacher with over 40 years of combined teaching experience will share their different journeys towards the 3-dimensional teaching and learning called for by the NGSS. The goal of this session is to ignite discussion of all participants about successes and failures in movement towards NGSS to better equip all to continue to grow towards true NGSS alignment.
Literature Circles, in my experience with teachers, have had hit or miss success. If you are committed to embracing the energy and power of student choice but not sure what’s getting in the way of these units fully clicking into place, this session is for you. In this session we will design Essential Question threads that unite book choices and give teachers the opportunity to focus on skill building and supplementary content. You’ll walk out of our session with at LEAST one fully planned unit!
Curriculum Designer & Podcast Host, Mud and Ink Teaching
Amanda is a former veteran high school English teacher from the Illinois/Wisconsin border. Amanda specializes in backwards design, inquiry based curriculum and authors many articles on her website to help other teachers get started. She has taught AP Language, co-taught at multiple... Read More →
Friday February 14, 2025 10:10am - 11:00am CST
Room C2031350 W Hawley St, Mundelein, IL 60060
Come and learn about Reader's Choice Awards: Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award for 4th - 8th grade and the Lincoln Award for high school readers. We will booktalk titles on these newest reads and share some ideas on how to run the program in your own school to allow students a voice!
For the past twenty-five years I have been a teacher-librarian at Zion-Benton Township High School. I also co-sponsor our drug prevention program, Healthy YOUth (Youth Opportunities Unlimited), and I am a board member of the Association of Illinois School Library Educators (AISLE... Read More →
Friday February 14, 2025 10:10am - 11:00am CST
Room B118
In this session we will interrogate the claims made in the Science of Reading (SOR) movement through reflection on the sources of our current "reading crisis" compared to historical tends and the current inequity gap for students in poverty, students from minority races, students with special needs, and multilingual learners.
My career spans 24 years or so, with 14 years teaching in high schools (Warren Township, Niles Township) and 10 in middle school. The words "middle school" usually fall on uncomprehending ears, and people generally react in one of three ways: 1. "I could never handle middle schoolers... Read More →
Friday February 14, 2025 11:05am - 11:55am CST
Room B1041350 W Hawley St, Mundelein, IL 60060
Phenomena are science superpowers that transform otherwise dull lessons into a mystery students are excited to unravel. Come hear how real-world phenomena are used to drive engagement and enhance student learning of important scientific concepts. This session explores integrating real-world phenomena into high school biology and chemistry. Discover how CRISPR technology and wildfire impacts are used to inspire inquiry and help students do the work of professional scientists. Come with "phenomenal" ideas to share.
How do you know your students 'get it'? This session will equip educators with the C.O.R.E. instructional framework to support multilingual students by implementing clear routines, scaffolds, structured discussions, and explanations to deepen math understanding. Take away valuable strategies to enrich your toolbox and empower multilingual learners in classroom discourse for deep understanding.
This session will explore the shifting landscapes of Career and Technical Education, Career Pathways, PWR, the Work Based Learning Continuum, and support stakeholders in navigating CTE as the interconnective tissue of education in all of our schools.
I would like to present the new Mandates from the State and Procedure Guidelines as recently issued by the Illinois Association for Gifted Children. I recently completed the coursework and training on trends and issue surrounding selections and instruction for advanced students and differentiation.I have been the Coordinator for Zion 6's Honors-Talented and Gifted Program for 4.5 years. I believe all teachers should be aware of the clues and signals to identify advance students and know how best to serve Twice Exceptional Students as well. I am happy to forward a brief presentation if required.
Academic Enrichment Coordinator, Zion 6 School District Illinois
I am the Academic Enrichment Coordinator for Zion Elementary School District 6. I received my B.A. degree from Wayne State University, my MAT Trinity International University,M.Ed, from Concordia University, I am currently a Ph.D. candidate at DePaul University. I am extremely interested... Read More →
Friday February 14, 2025 11:05am - 11:55am CST
Room B1291350 W Hawley St, Mundelein, IL 60060
Learn how to combine the building blocks of inquiry: questions, sources, and tasks, with captivating videos and collaborative learning activities that will intrigue students and get them up and talking about social studies. Walk away with an easy-to-use structure for daily inquiry, routines to get your students engaged in discussion tomorrow, and an introduction to Imagine Learning’s brand new, cutting-edge social studies curriculum, Traverse!
Passionate about coherence, effective instructional leadership, the marriage of building thinking classrooms with problem based learning, culturally responsive instruction and equitable grading.
Friday February 14, 2025 11:05am - 11:55am CST
Room B1121350 W Hawley St, Mundelein, IL 60060
Interested in learning more about Building Thinking Classrooms from Peter Liljedahal? Experience the beginning elements behind a Building Thinking Classroom and gain practical tools to deepen mathematical learning.
Literature Circles, in my experience with teachers, have had hit or miss success. If you are committed to embracing the energy and power of student choice but not sure what’s getting in the way of these units fully clicking into place, this session is for you. In this session we will design Essential Question threads that unite book choices and give teachers the opportunity to focus on skill building and supplementary content. You’ll walk out of our session with at LEAST one fully planned unit!
Curriculum Designer & Podcast Host, Mud and Ink Teaching
Amanda is a former veteran high school English teacher from the Illinois/Wisconsin border. Amanda specializes in backwards design, inquiry based curriculum and authors many articles on her website to help other teachers get started. She has taught AP Language, co-taught at multiple... Read More →
Friday February 14, 2025 11:05am - 11:55am CST
Room C2031350 W Hawley St, Mundelein, IL 60060
As Illinois High Schools transition to the PreACT-ACT assessments as part of the State Assessment System, this presentation will focus on the elements of the ACT College & Caree Readiness System – ACT College Readiness Standards, ACT College Readiness Benchmarks, ACT Research, and the ACT Holistic Framework. Participants will be introduced to the elements of the ACT College Readiness System Assessments and Reports. Information on student and staff preparation strategies will be provided in this session.
Senior Account Executive and State Lead for Illinois, ACT Client Relations
George Schlott is a Client Relations Senior Account Executive for ACT, Inc. working with PK-12 educational institutions in the States of Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. George’s primary responsibilities include work with elementary/secondary schools to assist them in their selection... Read More →
Friday February 14, 2025 11:05am - 11:55am CST
Room B1381350 W Hawley St, Mundelein, IL 60060
