2026 Elevated Teaching Summit: Full Schedule

Vision

In Canyons School District, we believe that all stakeholders benefit from purposeful technology integration within the learning process, focusing on student achievement. Educational technology will be used to empower teachers, students, and other stakeholders to gain the knowledge and skills needed to adapt, create, consume, and connect responsibly and ethically with the broader world in preparation for meaningful life opportunities.

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9:30am MDT

Learning for All: UDL in Elementary

Tuesday June 2, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am MDT

2505

"Designing for All: UDL in Elementary” is a professional learning session that explores how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) supports inclusive practices in elementary classrooms. Participants learn the three UDL principles—Engagement, Representation, and Action & Expression—and how proactive design increases equitable access for students with IEPs while benefiting all learners. Through real-world examples, collaborative activities, and lesson planning practice, educators explore practical strategies such as choice, visuals, assistive technology, and flexible assessments. The session emphasizes that small, intentional design changes can create more inclusive, effective learning environments for every student.

Presenter

Kat Nelson

Teacher Specialist: SPED, Canyons School District

Tuesday June 2, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am MDT
2505

Instructional Design & Planning

Content Area Special Education
Audience Elementary Teachers, Admin Staff, Classroom Teachers, Counselors, Admin
Instructional Priority WISR, Scaffolding

9:30am MDT

UDL: What is it? Why use it?

Tuesday June 2, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am MDT

3406

This session will break down the basics of UDL and how you can incorporate it into your class in small chunks or in whole units

Presenter

Sydnie Schoepf

Instructional Coach, Hillcrest High, Canyons District

Sydnie has 17 years in education and a PhD in Curriculum & Instruction. She loves to nerd out about all things learning and EdTech. When she's not working, you can catch her playing with her two puppies, reading, or both.

Tuesday June 2, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am MDT
3406

Instructional Design & Planning

Content Area Math, ELA, World Language/DLI, Social Studies, CTE, PE/Health, Special Education, Arts, Science
Audience Classroom Teachers, Admin
Ed Tech Tool Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Instructional Priority Multilingual Supports, STEAM/STEM, Writing, Scaffolding

9:30am MDT

Reaching Every Learner: Strategies for Differentiating Writing and Math

Tuesday June 2, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am MDT

2414

This professional development session focuses on practical strategies to support students at different learning levels in both writing and math. In the writing portion, teachers will explore ways to support student thinking and participation through structured class discussions with sentence frames, guided brainstorming, and the use of clear rubrics to support students throughout the writing process. In the math portion, participants will learn how to incorporate engaging, student-friendly activities using Canvas, implement choice boards to provide differentiated practice, and build fluency and motivation through interactive practice. These strategies are designed to help teachers create accessible learning opportunities so every student can participate and grow.

Presenter

Kathleen Grigg

Teacher

Solange Espinoza

Tuesday June 2, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am MDT
2414

Instructional Priorities

Content Area Math
Audience Elementary Teachers, Classroom Teachers
Ed Tech Tool Nearpod
Instructional Priority Scaffolding

12:40pm MDT

Bridging UDL and Accommodations for Inclusive Classrooms

Tuesday June 2, 2026 12:40pm - 1:40pm MDT

3416

Discover how to move from reactive accommodations to proactive, inclusive design. This session explores the intersection of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and legal academic accommodations, demonstrating how UDL principles—multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression—can reduce the need for individual adaptations. Participants will walk away with actionable strategies to design flexible learning environments that proactively meet diverse learner needs, saving time while improving access for everyone.

Presenter

Bethany Baker

SPED Teacher Specialist, Canyons School District Special Education Dept

Tuesday June 2, 2026 12:40pm - 1:40pm MDT
3416

Instructional Design & Planning

Audience Elementary Teachers, Middle School Teachers, High School Teachers, Classroom Teachers
Instructional Priority Scaffolding

1:50pm MDT

Inclusive by Design: Using Google AI to Enhance Accessibility and UDL

Tuesday June 2, 2026 1:50pm - 3:00pm MDT

3501

Are you looking for practical ways to make your courses accessible to all learners without adding hours to your workload? This workshop explores how Gemini can help you implement the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) efficiently. We'll demonstrate how to use Google AI for practical accessibility tasks, such as generating accurate transcripts for video content, creating descriptive alt-text for images, and summarizing dense readings for varied comprehension levels. Discover how to quickly differentiate instruction by creating tiered assignments and providing multiple means of representation for complex topics. You will leave with a toolkit of AI-powered techniques for creating accessible materials, saving you valuable time while fostering a more inclusive and equitable learning environment for every student.

Presenter

Chris McCaffrey

Google Certified Trainer & Coach, Google ~ Kiker Learning

Chris McCaffrey is a Google for Education Certified Trainer & Coach as well as the Coordinator of Innovation, while managing the virtual academy at Wilson School District in PA. Drawing from over 25 years in education—including experience as a school board director, adjunct professor... Read More →

Tuesday June 2, 2026 1:50pm - 3:00pm MDT
3501

Ed Tech Tool Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Instructional Priority Scaffolding

1:50pm MDT

Productive Engagement with Cooperative Learning

Tuesday June 2, 2026 1:50pm - 3:00pm MDT

2313

Introduce teachers to a variety of cooperative learning strategies that would allow students to be engaged in the productive struggle of learning all without a device. Strategies can be used in any content area.

Presenter

Noelle Jones

Instructional Coach, Canyons School District

Laugh often!

Amy Hansen

Instructional Coach, Canyons School District

Tuesday June 2, 2026 1:50pm - 3:00pm MDT
2313

Instructional Design & Planning

Audience Elementary Teachers, Classroom Teachers
Ed Tech Tool Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Instructional Priority Scaffolding

1:50pm MDT

Universal Design in Elementary School

Tuesday June 2, 2026 1:50pm - 3:00pm MDT

2414

We will introduce Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles with examples of how to integrate them in to the elementary school classroom.

Presenter

Cari O'Neil

Instructional Coach, CSD

I am the Instructional Coach at Oak Hollow Elementary and love it! I have been a middle school Spanish, history and reading teacher, reading specialist and instructional coach. I am passionate about literacy and love seeing students learn to read. In my personal time, I enjoy spending... Read More →

Holly Sorenson

2nd grade teacher, Canyons School District

Tuesday June 2, 2026 1:50pm - 3:00pm MDT
2414

Instructional Design & Planning

Content Area ELA
Audience Elementary Teachers, Admin
Instructional Priority Scaffolding

1:50pm MDT

Reciprocal Teaching: Integrating Reading Comprehension Skills to Increase Student Engagement

Tuesday June 2, 2026 1:50pm - 3:00pm MDT

2218

Reciprocal teaching is a way students can take more responsibility for their reading and learning. Through the use of predicting, clarifying, questioning and summarizing, students share the reading comprehension responsibilities, then have an authentic student-driven discussion about the text's content. We will focus on what reciprocal teaching can look like in an elementary classroom.

Presenter

Rachelle Pease

Instructional Coach

Heidi Vincent

Instructional Coach

Tuesday June 2, 2026 1:50pm - 3:00pm MDT
2218

Instructional Priorities

Audience Elementary Teachers
Instructional Priority Scaffolding

9:30am MDT

9:30am MDT

9:30am MDT

12:40pm MDT

1:50pm MDT

1:50pm MDT

1:50pm MDT

1:50pm MDT

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