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

AI and the Environment: What Educators Should Know

FULL

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

Room 210

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

This session provides middle and high school educators, instructional coaches, and district leaders with a research-based examination of artificial intelligence’s environmental footprint and systemic impacts. Current data from assorted stakeholders will provide attendees with a broader understanding of diverse perspectives. Participants will be empowered to identify strategies for engaging in respectful discourse with students, with emphasis on the environmentally conscious learner. The session also examines the necessity of being prepared with various methods and tools to support student voice and decision-making.

Presenters

Suzanne Flach

Instructional Technology Specialist, First Colonial HS

Suzanne Flach has served as an Instructional Technology Specialist with Virginia Beach City Public Schools since 2012. Before transitioning into instructional technology, she taught Biology in both Virginia Beach City Public Schools and Chesterfield County Public Schools.A self-described... Read More →

Thursday August 6, 2026 9:00am - 9:40am EDT
Room 210

40 minute Choice session

Audience Administrators, District Coaches, Instructional Staff
Area High School, Middle School

9:50am EDT

The Hidden Curriculum: Seeing Executive Functioning Demands in Your Language Arts Block

FULL

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

Room 210

Limited Capacity full
Adding this to your schedule will put you on the waitlist.

Every language arts lesson asks students to do more than read and write; it asks them to plan, hold information in working memory, shift between tasks, and regulate their own attention. This session helps educators to see the executive functioning demands already embedded in their LA instruction and intervention planning. Participants will examine real lesson structures through an EF lens, identify where students may be struggling due to cognitive load rather than content gaps, and leave with practical planning moves to reduce barriers and strengthen student access.

Presenters

Robyn Cady

Early Literacy Coordinator, Department of Teaching and Learning

Marissa Robinson

Coordinator, OPEC

Thursday August 6, 2026 9:50am - 10:30am EDT
Room 210

40 minute Choice session

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

10:45am EDT

The Power of Process: Making Student Thinking Visible with Snorkl

LIMITED

Thursday August 6, 2026 10:45am - 12:15pm EDT

Room 210

Limited Capacity seats available

Explore how Snorkl helps make student thinking visible while supporting future-ready instruction in grades 6–12 classrooms. Participants will learn how students can explain their reasoning using voice and visuals while receiving timely AI-generated feedback. Discover how teachers can establish clear success criteria, leverage real-time formative assessment, and encourage students to revise their thinking until mastery is achieved. Leave with practical strategies for using Snorkl as a digital teaching assistant that amplifies feedback, deepens understanding, and inspires greater instructional impact.

Presenters

Barbara Besal

Instructional Technology Specialist, Virginia Beach City Public Schools

Suzanne Flach

Instructional Technology Specialist, First Colonial HS

Thursday August 6, 2026 10:45am - 12:15pm EDT
Room 210

90 minute Choice session

Area Middle School, High School

12:45pm EDT

Making Thinking Visible: Bringing Math to Life with Models that Matter

LIMITED

Thursday August 6, 2026 12:45pm - 2:15pm EDT

Room 210

Limited Capacity seats available

When students can see their thinking, they can make sense of mathematics in powerful ways. In this interactive session, elementary educators will explore how hands-on models bring mathematical concepts to life and create multiple entry points that support all learners—especially students with disabilities—in developing deep understanding. Through engaging problem-solving experiences, participants will examine how concrete representations support the transition to abstract thinking. Leave with practical strategies to design instruction that increases access, engagement, and student ownership for every learner.

Presenters

Megan Allen

Instructional Specialist, Department of Teaching and Learning

Kristen Allen

Instructional Specialist, Department of Teaching and Learning

Thursday August 6, 2026 12:45pm - 2:15pm EDT
Room 210

90 minute Choice session

Area Elementary K-2, Elementary 3-5

2:30pm EDT

From Classroom to Community: Partnering for Authentic Engagement

LIMITED

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

Room 210

Limited Capacity seats available

Discover how powerful community partnerships and student-led volunteerism can transform school communities! In this interactive session, participants will explore meaningful ways partners can contribute beyond the classroom, uncover inclusive strategies that welcome all volunteers, and reflect on their own strengths. Then, shift the spotlight to students—identify existing events, elevate student leadership, and design one ready-to-implement, student-led volunteer idea. You’ll leave with a practical next step, clear support needs, and fresh inspiration to boost engagement for student success.

Presenters

Joyce Hawkins

Family Outreach Representative, Office of Family and Community Engagement

Rebecca Headings

Family Outreach Representative, Office of Family and Community Engagement

I am a Family Outreach and Community Engagement Representative working specifically with SignUpGenius Enterprise. I enjoy working with the community as a whole to ensure that all students have the tools and support they need to be successful in the classroom. I have been with... Read More →

Thursday August 6, 2026 2:30pm - 4:00pm EDT
Room 210

90 minute Choice session

Area Open to All

9:00am EDT

9:50am EDT

10:45am EDT

12:45pm EDT

2:30pm EDT

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