Our thought patterns shape our perceptions and language, affecting our students' experiences. Phrases like “This is going to be hard” or “This intersection is complicated” can negatively impact student confidence and outcomes. Research shows that fostering positive thoughts can transform one’s reality. Join us to explore how our language may unintentionally contribute to negative outcomes and discover strategies to modify our messaging to promote better outcomes for our students. Together, we can create a supportive learning environment that enhances student success.
Learning Outcomes
- Understanding Positive Mindset Teaching: Participants will gain a foundational understanding of how adopting a positive mindset in teaching can benefit student learning and overall outcomes.
- Real-Life Benefits: Participants will explore real-life examples and case studies that illustrate how positive mindset teaching has effectively improved student performance and confidence.
- Implementation Strategies: Participants will acquire actionable strategies to implement positive mindset teaching techniques in their own classrooms, fostering an encouraging and supportive learning environment.
Learners arrive in classrooms with a wide range of knowledge, skills, and interests. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a proactive approach to planning instruction to ensure learners’ knowledge, skills, and interests are leveraged to elevate learning for the whole classroom community. The implementation of UDL is founded in the UDL Guidelines, which provides connection to instructional strategies aligned with the UDL principles. The UDL design cycle is a process that helps guide teachers in implementing the UDL Guidelines to best meet the needs of learners while capitalizing on the variability found in a group of learners. In this presentation, participants will have the opportunity to apply the UDL design cycle to their own context and consider how UDL might support a variety of learners.
Learning Outcomes
- Participants will be able to describe learner variability and how it impacts instructional design.
- Participants will be able to use the UDL design cycle to design instructional plans that anticipate and support learner variability.
Ethical practice within the field of assistive technology continues to evolve and tested due to continued advancement of the solutions and strategies. As practitioners we have the opportunity and obligation to use an ethical lens in our work as we provide assistive technology services. Ethical guidance can direct how we inform those that we work with on the pros, cons, and in-betweens around AT, the internet, and AI. This session will use decision making models, the CRC Code of Ethics, the RESNA standards, and Wisconsin’s Best Practice guides to discuss AT service delivery. An active dialogue and case examples will be a key component of this session.
Learning Outcomes
- Participants will be able to list three ethical best practices for assistive technology services.
- Participants will be able to list three ethical decision making models as they apply to AT, the internet, and AI.
- Participants will apply AT service provision criteria and how they are covered by the CRC Code of Ethics.
In the US Surgeon General's report Parents Under Pressure, he states that "studies point to a complex interplay of bidirectional effects where parental mental health can influence child outcomes". We know that caregivers raising children with disabilities have increased rates of stress, depression, and anxiety. They live with PTSD-like symptoms and many have suicidal ideations. These mental health stressors have downstream consequences for their child. Children with disabilities experience higher rates of abuse, neglect, and abandonment. So how do we break this cycle? We do it by improving our care for caregivers.
Care 4 the Caregivers conducted an evidence-based study and showed that our cohort program improved the quality of life of caregivers, strengthened parent/child relationships, and improved the quality of life of their child.
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the stressors caregivers experience
- Learn about the various aspects of our evidence-based study
- Discover what changes your organizations can make to improve the quality of life of your caregivers
This presentation explores an innovative approach to strengthening inclusive practices for K-12 students with disabilities by embedding High Leverage Practices (HLPs) into educator preparation programs. By aligning coursework and faculty training with evidence-based strategies, this initiative ensures that future educators are prepared to meet diverse student needs effectively. The session will demonstrate how integrating HLPs—aligned with the CEC standards—enhances teacher candidates’ ability to implement inclusive practices, fosters collaboration, and improves student outcomes. Additionally, the importance of faculty development in modeling these strategies will be discussed. Participants will engage in discussions, share best practices, and explore how to apply these approaches within their institutions. This interactive session offers a valuable opportunity to refine curricula and strengthen inclusive teaching practices in educator preparation programs.
Learning Outcomes
- Participants will be able to identify and describe the key components of High-Leverage Practices (HLPs) and explain how they align with CEC standards to promote inclusive practices in educator preparation programs.
- Participants will be able to evaluate the impact of integrating evidence-based strategies into coursework and faculty training on teacher candidate readiness and overall student outcomes.
- Participants will be able to apply best practices and shared strategies from the session to develop actionable plans for refining their institution’s educator preparation curricula to strengthen inclusive teaching practices.
