WEMTA 2025 - Ignite and Inspire: Impacting Learning Together: Full Schedule

12:30pm CDT

One District‘s Journey Leveraging Library Media Specialist Expertise in Strengthening Diverse Representation in Classroom ELA Instructional Materials

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm CDT

Sheraton Wisconsin 2

Many schools are adopting ELA instructional materials recommended for their alignment to standards and/or the science of reading in hopes of improving standardized literacy outcomes. Although these materials include a comprehensive set of text passages touted as complex and diverse, scholars conducting culturally responsive audits for many of these products have found some alarming results about omissions in diverse representation and harmful depictions in numerous text passages. Learn how one Wisconsin district committed to modifying problematic passages in their current ELA materials is leveraging K-12 library media specialists' expertise to assist in selecting affirming, authentic, and accurate replacement and supplementary text passages. Hear from library media specialists and a literacy consultant participating in this district’s ongoing work and consider how you might advocate for school library media specialist involvement in a similar process in your own district.

Speakers

Tanya Arnold

Teacher/Librarian, Sun Prairie ASD - Royal Oaks Elementary

Mindy Grant

Library Media Specialist

I am the Library Media Specialist of Central Heights Middle School in Sun Prairie, WI. I started my career as an English Language Arts teacher for 10 years and now have been living it up in the library for 8. I started my library career at a middle school in Madison Metropolitan School... Read More →

Kim Stieber-White

Curriculum, Coaching & Digital Learning Consultant, CESA 2

Kim facilitates learning relating to literacy, curriculum and instruction, and digital learning, often with a focus on social justice. She also has the privilege of supporting school library media specialists through the CESA 2 LMS Network and in-district coaching for those acquiring... Read More →

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm CDT
Sheraton Wisconsin 2

Beginner, Elementary, Middle School, High School

Company Culturally Responsive Instruction, Instructional Partnerships, Literacy

12:30pm CDT

Tech-nically Speaking: The ABCs of Merging IT Literacy with Elementary Essentials

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm CDT

Sheraton Wisconsin 4

"Tech-nically Speaking: The ABCs of Merging IT Literacy with Elementary Essentials" will explore the integration of IT literacy into elementary education by leveraging interdisciplinary teaching methods. Attendees will learn to align information technology standards with core subjects like math, science, and arts using innovative cross-walking techniques. The session includes hands-on demonstrations of creating crosswalks with AI tools, detailed examples of integrating standards, and strategies for addressing challenges. Participants will leave with actionable templates for prompts, lesson plans, and assessments, fostering critical thinking, creativity, and personalized learning. The focus will be on showcasing multiple tools and strategies for effective curriculum enhancement.

Speakers

Amanda Albrecht

Digital Learning Consultant, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction

Amanda is an instructional technology professional with 20+ years in the field of education. She spent the first part of her career as a classroom teacher in the Appleton Area School District. Following that, Amanda worked as an Instructional Technology Coach with the Neenah Joint... Read More →

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm CDT
Sheraton Wisconsin 4

Beginner, Elementary

Company Equitable Digital Access, Instructional Partnerships, interdisciplinary teaching

12:30pm CDT

Universal Design for Learning 101 for Administrators

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm CDT

Sheraton Wisconsin 3

Instructional leaders support learning for all students. Do you lead in a school or district with diverse students? Do you wonder how all teachers can better reach students with such a wide range of learning needs? Are you looking to “level up” your own instructional knowledge? Join this session if you want to explore Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL centers on reaching students through multiple means so that they can tap into their unique learning strengths. ELs, students with disabilities, and all learners can benefit from varied approaches to learning. UDL can be applied in all grade levels, in all content areas, and by staff with varied experience levels. Attendees will learn the basics about UDL during the first part of the session. During the second half participants will dialogue and plan for how to coach staff around UDL principles. If you are an admin looking to get a few new coaching strategies for staff growth and development, consider attending this session.

Speakers

Elizabeth Freeman

Superintendent, Rocket Academy - Cedar Grove Belgium School District

Sunday March 9, 2025 12:30pm - 1:30pm CDT
Sheraton Wisconsin 3

Beginner, Elementary, Middle School, High School, Higher Education

Company Collaborative Leadership, Instructional Partnerships

1:45pm CDT

Lights, Camera, Action: Engaging Students in Wisconsin History

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT

Sheraton Wisconsin 2

Learn about how the librarian and teachers collaborated in Edgar School District to get students excited about learning about Wisconsin history. Students researched, wrote about, and produciedshort videos about historic figures like Curly Lambeau, Cyrus McCormick, and Laura Ingalls Wilder using FactCite’s biography databases (and other resources). Going beyond the living wax museum concept and using a green screen, students researched a notable figure and using a green screen recording “studio”, recorded a video dressed as an historic figure. Recording were shared with parents and others in the school community Participants in this session will receive a guide to notable Wisconsinites profiled at the appropriate reading level in Factcite and ideas to implement it.

Speakers

Erin Traub

Jone Davis

Librarian, Northland Pines School District

I am the district librarian for the Northland Pines School District and I run the districts 4 libraries. I have been in education for 23 years with 13 of those in the library. I love to spend my free time reading, crafting, or getting outside and enjoying the Northwoods.

Susan Gall

Vice President, FactCite (ILincoln Library Press, Inc.)

FactCite is an award-winning collection of databases. FactCite is passionate about helping ALL students succeed! FactCite is used by thousands of students for research and browsing!FactCite has content to support ALL Massachusetts researchers.Request a no-obligation FactCite trial... Read More →

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT
Sheraton Wisconsin 2

Beginner, Elementary

Company Instructional Partnerships

1:45pm CDT

Reboot with Tech in Your Building

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT

BCC Boardroom

In this Workshop you will be given a blueprint for building digital equity in your school. You will hear about successful technology use through a partnership with schools and Verizon. We will share our experiences in making the partnership work and how to grow the program with Student Tech Teams, and digital citizenship. This session will inspire responsible technology use in your schools.

Speakers

Sonja Pupovac

Verizon Innovative Learning Schools Coach, Milwaukee Public Schools

Amy Bauer Kulas

VILS Coach, Milwaukee Public Schools

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT
BCC Boardroom

Beginner, Middle School

Company Advocacy, Equitable Digital Access, Instructional Partnerships

1:45pm CDT

Keeping Up-To-Date with Google Workspaces

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT

BCC Collaborate B

Discover the latest features available in Google Docs, slides, drawings and more of the Google tools we use on a regular basis. Learn tips and tricks for integrating the Google Tools for Education in creative and time-saving ways.

Speakers

Deb Norton

Technology Coach, Oshkosh North High School

Deb Norton is a former 5th grade classroom teacher, who now works at Oshkosh North high school where she is a Technology Integration Specialist and Tech Coach. She has her Master’s Degree in Educational Technology, is a Google Certified Trainer, and is the lead instructor of an... Read More →

Sunday March 9, 2025 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT
BCC Collaborate B

Intermediate, Elementary, Middle School, High School, Higher Education

Company Collaborative Spaces, Instructional Partnerships, Google Workspaces

3:00pm CDT

Developing your PLC Roundtable

Sunday March 9, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT

Hilton Garden Room B

Professional Learning Communities are rarely one-size-fits-all, nor should they be! Join me for a dynamic, interactive roundtable discussion designed to help you build and sustain a vibrant, effective Professional Learning Community. Let’s talk about what has worked for you, what challenges you're still navigating, and how you're staying connected with others who are in the same boat. Together, we’ll explore strategies for staying current, maintaining engagement, and supporting one another in our shared work.

Speakers

Amber Houslet

Pardeeville Area School District

Amber Houslet has been the Library Technology Specialist for the Pardeeville Area School District since 2010. She spent the first 6 years of her teaching life in the classroom before transitioning to her current role.She is a Google Certified teacher and has participated in many Technology... Read More →

Sunday March 9, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Hilton Garden Room B

Beginner, Early childhood, Elementary, Middle School, High School, Higher Education

Company Collaborative Leadership, Facilitating Professional Learning, Instructional Partnerships

8:45am CDT

Collaborative Classrooms: Strategies for Student Success

Monday March 10, 2025 8:45am - 9:45am CDT

Sheraton Wisconsin 6

Discover how Discovery Education resources can empower educators to create collaborative classrooms where students thrive in student-centered learning environments. Learn how to harness the power of a wide variety of resources including digital content such as images, videos, and podcasts, along with collaborative boards, interactive videos, and professional learning channels with a collection of research-based instructional strategies that foster collaboration and communication among peers. Maximize the impact of DE’s “ready-to-use” lessons and content to drive various instructional outcomes for all disciplines. Learn how districts utilize DE as their primary digital instructional content provider enabling student-centered learning classrooms. Leave with practical tips and resources to transform your classroom into a collaborative learning environment where students develop essential skills for success in academics and beyond. Join us to unlock the full potential of your students!

Speakers

Melissa Hampton

Regional Marketing Manager, Discovery Education

Megan Foster has been supporting Intermediate Units with Discovery Education since 2018. She previously taught 3rd and 4th grade in Denver Public Schools. She has a passion for elementary education and project-based learning.

Monday March 10, 2025 8:45am - 9:45am CDT
Sheraton Wisconsin 6

Beginner, Early childhood, Elementary, Middle School, High School

Company Culturally Responsive Instruction, Instructional Partnerships, Students as Creators

1:00pm CDT

Strategies for Effective K-12 Curriculum Resource Management

Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT

Sheraton Wisconsin 6

Learn how to effectively manage and leverage standards-aligned digital curricular resources while creating engaging, interactive and accessible learning opportunities for your students. This session will explore how school districts are utilizing the SAFARI Montage Curriculum Learning Object Repository (C-LOR) to save teachers time searching, accessing and sharing vetted, high-quality digital resources to more efficiently support teaching and learning in various classroom environments. Attendees will explore how interoperability enables the SAFARI Montage platform to make this easier than ever by integrating with LMS’s, SIS’s, third-party content providers and even hardware manufacturers. Discover how the C-LOR’s best-in-class content management tools can help district administration teams manage, control and curate all digital resources from third-party book publishers, curriculum content creators and video streaming libraries at their district.

Speakers

Nicole O'Brien

Marketing Manager, Safari Montage

Betsy Masters is the Instructional Technology Implementation Specialist at SAFARI Montage. She is a lifetime educator with 25+ years of experience working with the School District of Pickens County, South Carolina. Throughout her career she has served as a classroom teacher, a technology... Read More →

Monday March 10, 2025 1:00pm - 2:00pm CDT
Sheraton Wisconsin 6

Beginner, Elementary, Middle School, High School

Company Culturally Responsive Instruction, Equitable Digital Access, Instructional Partnerships

3:00pm CDT

Leveraging Professional Organizations: Connecting to Impact Learning through Wisconsin Council of Teachers of English

Monday March 10, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT

Sheraton Wisconsin 7

We know the value of professional development and how important it is to have connections with our state organizations, but does every teacher in our district? This session will provide ways to connect with the English teachers in your district through the Wisconsin Council of Teachers of English by sharing the highlights of the WCTE 2024 Fall Convention, “Expanding Our UniVERSE: Creating Learner-Centric Experiences.” Poetry and verse novels were at the heart of WCTE’s Convention, and both can be used to ignite passion in students and ignite a love of reading. Attendees will leave with practical ways to utilize poetry and verse novels in the classroom and library, ready to share with teachers in their district.

Speakers

Trista Owczarzak

Library Media Specialist, Cambria-Friesland School District

Monday March 10, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Sheraton Wisconsin 7

Beginner, Middle School, High School

Company Facilitating Professional Learning, Instructional Partnerships, Literacy

3:00pm CDT

Reinvigorate the Library: Leverage Differentiated Texts to Boost Reading Motivation and Literacy Gains

Monday March 10, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT

Hilton Garden Room A

In today’s libraries, providing students with engaging, vetted, and accessible content is more important than ever. Newsela Library empowers librarians with over 17,000 leveled texts across 20+ genres, including videos, multimedia, infographics, and more. These resources are designed to foster student motivation and understanding, support collaboration with classroom teachers, and promote digital citizenship.

This session will highlight:
How Newsela can increase student engagement and motivation
How to curate and customize content for teachers to support background knowledge in novel and book studies.
Ways students can actively engage with Newsela Content and Tools
How to locate and save relevant content on Newsela including resources for digital citizenship, curriculum complements, and more.

Speakers

Danielle Rivera

Patrick Gaffney

Monday March 10, 2025 3:00pm - 4:00pm CDT
Hilton Garden Room A

Beginner, Elementary, Middle School, High School

Company Culturally Responsive Instruction, Instructional Partnerships, Literacy

8:15am CDT

AI is here to stay - What are we going to do about it?

Tuesday March 11, 2025 8:15am - 9:15am CDT

BCC Collaborate B

Join in me in learning how to LIVE with AI in Education and explore a few of the ways it can be used to make the lives of educators just a little bit easier. In this session - I'll explore a general use of AI in the education classroom and discuss how I talk with students about it and the staff in my building. I'll share with you some of the tools we utilize the most including Brisk Teaching, and I'll talk about how our district has created policy and procedures so these tools can be used safely and appropriately.

Speakers

Ashley Knapp

Library Media Instructional Technology Specialist, West De Pere High School

I am a high school Library Media/Instructional Specialist, and I also serve as the building's Talent Development Coordinator. Prior to this position, I was a high school and middle school English/Language Arts Teacher.

Tuesday March 11, 2025 8:15am - 9:15am CDT
BCC Collaborate B

Intermediate, Middle School, High School, Higher Education

Company Facilitating Professional Learning, Instructional Partnerships, AI Use in Education

8:15am CDT

Powerful Library Instruction: Leveraging Colleagues, Resources, and Standards to Build a Cohesive Library Curriculum

Tuesday March 11, 2025 8:15am - 9:15am CDT

Sheraton Wisconsin 2

Building on frameworks from the American Association of School Librarians, the Wisconsin Information and Technology Literacy Standards, and other inquiry-based instructional strategies, the Madison Metropolitan School District has developed a library scope and sequence that supports students in five key library content areas ranging from reading engagement to digital citizenship. We’ll share MMSD’s Library Content Guide and the collaborative process the presenters took to create it. Learn about the free, high quality instructional resources from PBS for elementary, middle, and high school that MMSD mapped to standards to create recipes for effective lessons. Leave with ideas for connecting your own library instruction and programming to standards and free resources for increased student engagement, academic rigor, and library visibility.

Speakers

Maegan Heindel

Library Services Coordinator, Madison Metropolitan School District

Maegan Heindel is a school librarian, teacher, author, and Library Services Coordinator in Madison Metropolitan School District in Madison, WI. In her 19 years as an educator, she has been an ALA Emerging Leader, Wisconsin Learning4Life Coordinator, AASL Affiliate Assembly member... Read More →

Jen Kobylecky

Associate Director of Education Engagment, PBS Wisconsin

Jen Kobylecky is the associate director of education engagement for PBS Wisconsin, where she leads the team that connects with PreK-12 educators statewide to share free, standards-aligned, and high-quality educational resources produced locally and nationally by PBS. Jen is proud... Read More →

Tuesday March 11, 2025 8:15am - 9:15am CDT
Sheraton Wisconsin 2

Intermediate, Early childhood, Elementary, Middle School, High School, Higher Education

Company Collaborative Leadership, Instructional Partnerships, Literacy

8:15am CDT

Spotting the Tricks: Helping Students Understand Social Engineering, Fake News, and Digital Folklore

Tuesday March 11, 2025 8:15am - 9:15am CDT

Sheraton Wisconsin 1

Today’s students face a digital world full of clever tricks designed to influence what they think, believe, and share. This paper explores how bad actors use social engineering—like impersonating trusted sources—and disinformation—such as fake news headlines—to manipulate their audience. We’ll also examine disinformation folklore: the viral memes, rumors, and stories that feel like modern myths and are especially convincing to young people. Through real-world examples and practical tools, school librarians will learn how to help students identify these tactics, think critically about what they encounter online, and respond thoughtfully. By equipping students with these skills, librarians play a vital role in creating informed, resilient digital citizens

Speakers

Maria Haigh

Tuesday March 11, 2025 8:15am - 9:15am CDT
Sheraton Wisconsin 1

Intermediate, Elementary, Middle School, High School, Higher Education

Company Facilitating Professional Learning, Instructional Partnerships, Literacy

9:30am CDT

Prioritizing Choice Reading in the High School

Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am CDT

Sheraton Wisconsin 3

Have you seen a decline in reading among secondary school students? Are you wondering how to increase opportunities for choice reading and library utilization at your high school? Brookfield Central High School Principal, Brett Grueztmacher, and High School Librarian, Colleen Fenno Ladwig, will discuss our experience over the past three years of hosting quarterly “check out weeks,” which bring students into the library to checkout choice books for regularly scheduled, cross-discipline, independent reading. We will also consider other efforts we’ve made to ignite and inspire reading, including building a school-wide reading culture, offering passive programming, and factoring in larger trends in reading that make emphasizing choice reading at the secondary level more important now than ever. Finally, we will welcome suggestions from other secondary school librarians who have successful strategies for the high school library: how are you igniting and inspiring reading in your schools?

Speakers

Colleen Fenno Ladwig

Brett Gruetzmacher

Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am CDT
Sheraton Wisconsin 3

Beginner, Middle School, High School, Higher Education

Company Instructional Partnerships, Library Space, Literacy

9:30am CDT

¡A Leer y Competir! Organizando una Batalla de Libros!

Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am CDT

Sheraton Wisconsin 7

Investing in students' home languages is a powerful tool for equity. Librarians can create rigorous opportunities for an often neglected reading population. Learn how MMSD hosts an annual Batalla de Libros in grades 4-8. Advanced Learning Coach Katie Hayden and LMTS Hollis Rudiger will guide you through the process: creating teams, selecting books, writing questions, and running the tournament. They'll share book lists and selection processes. Spanish knowledge isn't necessary, and can help monolingual librarians support biliteracy goals, even in smaller settings. This model can be adapted for other languages and grades. Join us for a lively, multilingual discussion!

Speakers

Hollis Rudiger

Hollis became an old school librarian in 1997, but recently drove back to the future, and is settling nicely into 2024. She is also, reluctantly, a Media and Technology Specialist. She has been an ed tech trainer, an ESL teacher, a librarian at the CCBC, a tutor and coach for neurodivergent... Read More →

Katie Hayden

Tuesday March 11, 2025 9:30am - 10:30am CDT
Sheraton Wisconsin 7

Beginner, Elementary, Middle School

Company Culturally Responsive Instruction, Instructional Partnerships, Literacy

10:45am CDT

Story Stuffy Kits: Introducing 4K to new friends

Tuesday March 11, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am CDT

Hilton Garden Room A

For the past 3 years, the 300 4K students in Kimberly School District have been borrowing an unconventional item from their school library: stuffed animals. While the thought of this might strike fear in some, these unconventional library items are cleaned after every single use, affordably acquired, well-maintained in backpack kits, and the most popular library item among students and parents alike. If you're working with younger library students, especially those in preschool, and looking for a unique collaboration option within your district, check out this session!

Speakers

Erin Wedemeier

Library Media Specialist, Kimberly Area School District

Erin Wedemeier is currently the 4K-8 Library Media Specialist at Kimberly Area School District. After teaching middle school language arts for 6 years, she earned her Masters degree in library science and her role switched to middle school library and reading intervention. Her role... Read More →

Tuesday March 11, 2025 10:45am - 11:45am CDT
Hilton Garden Room A

Beginner, Early childhood, Elementary

Company Instructional Partnerships, Literacy