DTAL Conference 2026: Full Schedule

DTALcon 26 will be held at Green Run High School on Thursday, August 6, 2026. You can login to SCHED using your work Google Account ([email protected]). Once logged in, you can then select the sessions that you would like to attend. Registering for a session will hold your seat for that session. Waitlists are enabled, and you will be able to register for that session if a spot opens up.

To access the DTALcon 26 Google Site, click here - DTALcon 26.

9:00am EDT

Micro:Bit Makes Learning Interactive

LIMITED

Thursday August 6, 2026 9:00am - 9:40am EDT

Room 208

Limited Capacity seats available

Ready to swap passive screens for active play? Join this hands-on workshop for Grades 3-5 educators that is engaging and cross-curricular. We’ll dive into the micro:bit, transforming abstract concepts into tangible tools that demonstrate understanding.
This session directly supports our Strategic Plan to cultivate Future Ready Learners by bridging the gap between theory and practice. By integrating computer science standards into your curriculum you’ll empower students to be creators, not just consumers. (And trust me, you can do it!)

Presenters

Beth Smith

Instructional Tech Specialist, Virginia Beach City Public Schools

My passion lies in leveraging AI to streamline teacher tasks, integrating technology to create engaging learning experiences for students, and fostering a love for coding and robotics. My diverse background as a classroom teacher and a Gifted Resource Teacher enriches my current role... Read More →

Nicole Holdcraft

Instructional Tech Specialist, Virginia Beach City Public Schools

With over a decade of experience teaching in both Chicago public and private schools, specializing in elementary education and early childhood development, Nikki brings a wealth of expertise to the education field. Recognized as Teacher of the Year in 2021 and Reading Teacher of the... Read More →

Thursday August 6, 2026 9:00am - 9:40am EDT
Room 208

40 minute Choice session

Audience Instructional Staff
Area Elementary 3-5

9:50am EDT

Seeing is Solving: The Power of Visual Math

LIMITED

Thursday August 6, 2026 9:50am - 10:30am EDT

Room 208

Limited Capacity seats available

Take visual math to a whole new level as we explore how to solve a variety of low floor, high ceiling activities that allow all students to engage in deeper mathematical thinking. Based on the work of Jo Boaler, we’ll discuss the science behind visual math, try to solve some old problems in new, pictorial ways and then explore the website youcubed.org through a visual lens.
Target Audience: K-8 teachers, gifted, special education, Title 1

Presenters

Barbara Kimpan

Gifted Resource Teacher, Glenwood Elementary

Thursday August 6, 2026 9:50am - 10:30am EDT
Room 208

40 minute Choice session

Area Elementary K-2, Elementary 3-5, Middle School

10:45am EDT

The Storytelling Teacher: Tools to Craft Engaging Social Studies Narratives

LIMITED

Thursday August 6, 2026 10:45am - 11:25am EDT

Room 208

Limited Capacity seats available

Great social studies teachers don’t just present information, they tell compelling stories about people, problems, and decisions. This session explores tools that can help teachers design richer learning experiences by enhancing that storytelling. The focus is not on replacing teacher expertise, but on expanding what teachers can create making social studies more vivid, memorable, and meaningful for students.

Presenters

Chad Gangwer

Coordinator of Elementary Social Studies, Department of Teaching and Learning

Tim Bakner

Instructional Coach, Virginia Beach City Public Schools

Thursday August 6, 2026 10:45am - 11:25am EDT
Room 208

40 minute Choice session

Area Open to All

11:35am EDT

Thinking With Machines: AI as a Thought Partner in Curriculum Design

LIMITED

Thursday August 6, 2026 11:35am - 12:15pm EDT

Room 208

Limited Capacity seats available

AI isn't a short-cut; it's a collaborator. In this session, a curriculum coordinator shares an honest, behind-the-scenes look at how AI has become a genuine partner in the work of designing and refining K-5 curriculum. From master prompts that unlock deeper outputs to workflows that accelerate without sacrificing quality, participants will leave with practical strategies, real examples, and a more sophisticated mental model for what it means to think with AI rather than just use it.

Presenters

Chad Gangwer

Coordinator of Elementary Social Studies, Department of Teaching and Learning

Thursday August 6, 2026 11:35am - 12:15pm EDT
Room 208

40 minute Choice session

Area Open to All

12:45pm EDT

Seesaw Power Up: Exploring New and Advanced Seesaw Features

LIMITED

Thursday August 6, 2026 12:45pm - 1:25pm EDT

Room 208

Limited Capacity seats available

This session will focus on introducing the newest tools Seesaw has to offer, including AI enhanced lessons, YouYube video embedding, and much more! Whether you are newer to Seesaw or have used it for years, there’s something new for everyone.

Presenters

Linda Rowan

Instructional Technology Specialist, Pembroke Meadows Elementary

Amy Carlisle

Instructional Technology Specialist, Virginia Beach City Public Schools

Jeanne Dodd

Instructional Technology Specialist, Tallwood Elementary

Thursday August 6, 2026 12:45pm - 1:25pm EDT
Room 208

40 minute Choice session

Area Elementary PK-K/ECSE, Elementary K-2, Elementary 3-5

1:35pm EDT

Creativity is a Skill—Let’s Teach It

LIMITED

Thursday August 6, 2026 1:35pm - 2:15pm EDT

Room 208

Limited Capacity seats available

Would you complain that your students couldn’t read if you never taught them to? Of course not, so why do we complain that students aren’t creative when we don’t embed creativity in our lessons? This session will look at the four components of creativity and model strategies to increase students’ creative ideas. Then we’ll look at how to embed these strategies into your curriculum, whether it be for a ten minute morning meeting or an entire class period.

Presenters

Barbara Kimpan

Gifted Resource Teacher, Glenwood Elementary

Thursday August 6, 2026 1:35pm - 2:15pm EDT
Room 208

40 minute Choice session

Area Open to All

2:30pm EDT

What If They Made Something Real? Creative Artifacts in Elementary Social Studies

LIMITED

Thursday August 6, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm EDT

Room 208

Limited Capacity seats available

What would happen if elementary students didn't just learn about history, civics, and geography, but actually made something that proved they understood it? This session explores how Adobe Express can transform social studies from a subject students consume into one they create. Participants will explore how purposeful design tasks generate authentic evidence of student thinking, elevate voice, and produce work worth sharing beyond the classroom walls. Walk away with practical strategies, classroom-ready examples, and a new vision for what elementary social studies can look like when students are given the tools to express what they know.

Presenters

Chad Gangwer

Coordinator of Elementary Social Studies, Department of Teaching and Learning

Monica Roach

Instructional Technology Specialist, Virginia Beach City Public Schools

Thursday August 6, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm EDT
Room 208

90 minute Choice session

Area Open to All

9:00am EDT

9:50am EDT

10:45am EDT

11:35am EDT

12:45pm EDT

1:35pm EDT

2:30pm EDT

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