Digital Learning Annual Conference

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Digital Learning Annual Conference

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Join K-12 digital learning practitioners, researchers, and policymakers at the Digital Learning Annual Conference (DLAC). Attend breakout sessions, share best practices and lessons learned, and walk away with actionable changes.

Austin, TX

Join K-12 digital learning practitioners, researchers, and policymakers at the Digital Learning Annual Conference (DLAC). Attend breakout sessions, share best practices and lessons learned, and walk away with actionable changes.

February 24, 2020

Austin, TX

12:00 AM February 26, 2020 11:45 PM

In Person

Register for our reception

Connect with Pearson Online & Blended Learning

We’re excited to contribute to DLAC’s agenda this year. Together, let’s explore how we can drive the transformation of learning. Take the lead, reimagine the classroom, and help your students achieve better results with online learning that allows students to work at their own pace, path, and place.

Attend our sessions and don’t miss our special Monday night event.

Meet pioneering practitioners at these Pearson sessions

This agenda is subject to change leading up to the conference.

Monday, February 24 Tuesday, February 25 Wednesday, February 26

Monday, February 24, 2020

3:23−3:43 p.m.

In an Age of Anxiety, Can Online School Be a "Happy Place"?

Contributed Talk in Hill Country B

Mickey Revenaugh, Pearson Online & Blended Learning

Tom ap Simon, Pearson Online & Blended Learning

Online schools were launched to serve a niche group of students whose gifts and challenges made traditional education a bad fit. Today a broad range of students flourish emotionally, socially and academically in online schools and their nurturing communities. Connecting to other iconoclastic learners and individualized attention make online school the “happy place” for many students. Will today’s epidemic of youth anxiety and depression mean the need for online learning expands beyond the niche?

5:00−6:30 p.m.

A Look at Social Emotional Learning and Well-Being Among Students at Full-time Virtual Schools

Poster Session in Exhibit Hall

Erica Fowler, Pearson Online & Blended Learning

Dr. Alyssa Walters, Pearson Online & Blended Learning

Alyssa Walters and Erica Fowler present research on Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and well-being among students at full-time virtual schools. How do students compare to their peers on feelings of safety, depression, and anxiety as well as SEL skills, and how can virtual schools actively support them? Framed as an effort to get students who enroll with diverse and unique needs ready to learn and then learning to learn, the researchers will share new data and practices among partnering virtual schools.

Tuesday, February 25, 2020
10:02−10:12 a.m.	Virtual Safe Haven: Rising Depression and Anxiety Drives Students to Online Schools for Social and Emotional Support Pechakucha in Texas Ballroom 1 Dr. Richard Savage, California Connections Academy A Pew Center survey reveals an alarming number of teens grapple with depression, anxiety and other emotional issues. This disturbing trend aligns with what online school principals know: many teens enroll in their schools to cope with social/emotional challenges. Richard Savage of California Connections Academy discusses how students at online schools get time and space to navigate stresses. He will also share a student story of online school as a safe haven — and healthy school experience.
2:00−2:20 p.m.	Authorizing Success: Veteran Administrator Launches Online School to Stay “Relevant,” Offer Personalized Learning Statewide Contributed Talk in Hill Country C/D Jodie Dean, Alabama Connections Academy Karen Duquette, Pearson Online & Blended Learning Dr. Brad Lewis, Limestone County School District Out-of-the-box thinking led the leadership team of Limestone County (AL) School District, including veteran administrator Dr. Brad Lewis, to authorize the statewide K–12 online public school, Alabama Connections Academy (ALCA). The administration was hungry to “stay relevant” and deliver a more student-centric and personalized learning experience — and expand service to all AL students. Dr. Lewis will share lessons learned for other authorizers; joining him will be ALCA Principal Jodie Dean and Pearson’s Karen Duquette.
2:00−2:20 p.m.	Utilizing MTSS and Co-Teaching to Serve Special Populations in Virtual Schools Contributed Talk in Big Bend A/B Mandi Brazil, Kansas Connections Academy Sharon Jaso, Kansas Connections Academy Learn best practices for MTSS support and co-teaching, in a full time virtual environment, to best support personalized learning and students with unique needs. Explore how a group of teachers and leaders have worked together to improve state assessment scores, impact student success, and increase teacher engagement in the MTSS process. Strategies and resources for engagement will be offered with discussion time for all schools to share, and inquire about, best practices for intervention support.
2:23-2:43 p.m.	LGBTQ Educator Visibility: A Matter of Life and Death Contributed Talk in Hill Country C/D Melissa Brown, Pearson Online & Blended Learning After 30 years in education, I am finally comfortable being “out.” I understand the very different, and often tragic, situation for LGBTQ youth. Having an adult with whom to relate and identify is a matter of life and death and that’s why LGBTQ educators must be out and visible. Connections Academy online public schools have become “accidental” safe spaces for LGBTQ youth. I’m proud to share my story, and our schools’ inclusivity/equity best practices for LGBTQ youth.
4:30 - 6:00 p.m.	The Effects of Student Chronotype on ELA Course Performance Poster Session in Exhibit Hall Mathew Koziarski, Pearson Online & Blended Learning This research focuses on student chronotype (the part of day when the student is most active in the course: morning, afternoon, evening or overnight) and its effect on student's ELA course performance. This research has been conducted in the Fall semester of the 2018-19 school year at 2 midwestern virtual schools.

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

8:45−9:28 a.m.

Accommodating Students in Online Science Courses

Table Talk in Zilker Terrace Foyer

Mandolyn Garcia-Ruiz, Inspire Connections Academy

Come get ideas as well as tangible resources to help accommodate 504, IEP, ELL, RTI and your generally struggling students in their science courses. While the ideas and resources will be presented by science teachers, they can also be easily adapted to other subject areas. These accommodations are also ready to be used immediately with very minimal course-specific modifications.

11:11−11:54 a.m.

Virtual Reality for Biology: Students Use Their Phones to Take a Cell-fie Lesson

Contributed Talk in Big Bend C/D

Gina Ricker, Pearson Online & Blended Learning

Mickey Revenaugh, Pearson Online & Blended Learning

The promise of virtual reality (VR) to improve student engagement and raise learning outcomes has been largely untested in K-12 virtual schools. Mickey Revenaugh and Gina Ricker of Pearson discuss a VR biology program, “World of Cells,” that has spread from one summer school to eight virtual schools! The VR module, delivered on a smartphone with a cardboard headset, has induced excitement with strong early results that suggests intriguing opportunities for many digital learning situations.

Monday Special Event

February 24, 2020 | 7:00 p.m.
Hyatt Regency Austin | Foothills I & II on Floor 17

After a full day of high-intensity thinking and planning, come relax with us! Meet your peers and our Pearson team while enjoying live entertainment, artisan cocktails, wines, and a variety of heavy hors d’oeuvres.

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