DLAC 2025 Pre-Conference Sessions

Best Practices to Develop and Vet Online Content: A Deeper Dive

How do you know if you should build or buy courses for your organization? This session will help you answer that question as we take a deep dive into best practices for content development and/or purchasing content from vendors that align with your local goals. Explore key considerations such as resource availability, staff expertise, and cost-efficiency to determine the optimal approach. Leave with the confidence to provide your students and teachers with quality courses.

Presenters: Pamela Shaw and Suzie Scheffler

Building a High-Quality Online and/or Blended Learning Program - Key Questions and Design Considerations

Planning for, designing, and building an online or blended learning program is both exciting and challenging and one that doesn’t have an instruction manual unique to your population. This session is designed to be both presentation and working session to guide you as you start to think through: Funding Legislation Staffing Policies Instruction We look forward to providing you with the tools you need to start thinking through the process to build an online or blended program that meets the needs of your student population.

Presenters: Bruce Friend and Mary Fluharty

Creating Engaging Courses with Immersive Learning for FREE

Explore how to create video-based instruction in this hands-on session! With free tools, Wevideo, OBS, Youtube, and Google Drawings, and with the use of Lumi, you can create interactive, scorable activities for your learning management system. Leave with an understanding of media creation through online resources that will enable you to build a storage plan for media and create immersive instructional content.

Presenter: Lance Key and Adam West

Crisis as a Catalyst: Elevating K-12 Online Education with Generative AI

Experts from statewide virtual schools will lead this session on leveraging Generative AI in K-12 online and blended learning. This session will explore how AI can disrupt and improve educational models, covering personalized learning, content creation, and assessment methods. Participants will gain insights from real-world applications to enhance student engagement, learning outcomes, and administrative efficiency.

Presenters will cover the current state of Generative AI in education and its applications in course design, online teaching, student assessment, and mentoring. Through interactive exercises, attendees will identify challenges and opportunities in their contexts and experiment with AI tools.

Presenter: Justin Bruno, Ken Dirkin, Jason Neiffer and John Ashworth

Elementary Online Learning: Building a Community of Educators Committed to Equitable and Developmentally Appropriate K-5 Virtual Learning

Are you looking for a community of elementary online teachers and leaders? The elementary online space is rapidly developing, and educators often work in silos to overcome challenges and provide quality education. In this session, we will gather as a community of K-5 online educators to connect, learn, share, and collaborate. We will discuss successful strategies and systems and identify areas in K-5 online that need growth and innovation. We'll gather feedback on important topics and themes to revisit throughout the conference. Don’t miss this chance to connect with your elementary DLAC community from the start.

Presenters: Holly Skadsem, Lexie Schulte and Ray Cannon

Field Guide for the Blended Learning Classroom

The interactive Field Guide session will showcase how to gradually implement blended learning strategies in the K-12 classroom. The first part of the session will focus on utilizing prior knowledge of deploying blended learning strategies. Next, the participants will collaborate to work through coaching support aimed at enhancing the elements of blended learning. Toward the end of the session, all participants will receive a step-by-step guide to continue supporting and coaching educators through the deployment of blended learning environments.

Presenter: Marcia Kish

Framing Accessibility for Digital Instruction: Practical and Legal Considerations

Come learn about what the NEW federal guidance and accessibility standards mean in digital environments and where to get support. The purpose of this pre-conference workshop is to help participants understand how to:

  • Understand obligations for a Free and Appropriate education in digital settings with digital programs and products.

  • Access support for meeting the brand-new federal guidance and requirements in digital educational environments.

  • Converse about the role of artificial intelligence and other types of tools in meeting accessibility guidelines.

  • Learn tips for running tests and doing checks on materials.

  • Network for creativity and innovation for meeting the needs of all learners and users in digital educational spaces.

Presenters: Mary Rice, PhD, MA, BA and Ray Rose

From Fighting Fires to Innovation: Using a Community of Practice to Design & Refine Virtual/Online Learning

Do you want to join a Community of Practice (CoP) made up of individuals striving for best practices in the online learning space? Are you doing something amazing with your online or hybrid program that you want to share to help others? Have you struggled with aspects of your program and then turned those programs into successes? Join us to share key takeaways and lessons learned and join a CoP who share a passion for best and promising practices in online and blended learning. Our community is active in the DLC’s membership platform and gathers together each month around topics the participants have identified as areas of interest! Come join this session to learn more about the opportunities to engage with other DLC members!

Presenters: Betsy Springer and Cynthia Ambrose

Hybrid Schools in Action: Student-centered, Innovative, and Flexible Learning Models

Hybrid learning combines face-to-face instruction with online learning while reducing the number of students on campus and/or shifting the number of days in the building [or limited required time via live instruction] by moving some of the course delivery online. Hybrid schools offer flexible learning opportunities (time, pace, place). With just a few required onsite days plus virtual learning days/time, students socially connect with peers and actively engage in learning with their teachers. So… how do you design a successful hybrid school? Join us as we discuss how hybrid schools across the nation are rethinking school and learning practices.

Presenters: Kim Loomis and Dan Mahlandt

Policy Protectors Unite!

Join the superheroes of the Digital Learning Policy Protectors (DLPP) to recap what was in the previous session and illuminate what we think is coming in 2025 --you know after this crazy election, there are two very different pathways to create strategy around! We’ll first discuss the policy issues rising up during the 2023 state legislative sessions and highlight some of the early and emerging trends. After we know our advocacy needs, we will spend the second half of the session on communication and advocacy techniques. Attendees will have time to craft a 3-minute pitch to policymakers on what they desire to share. Think of it as advocacy boot camp and one you won't want to miss to help impact change! DLPP ACTIVATE!

Presenter: Susan Genzt

Research Community Pre-Conference

This Research Community Pre-Conference session will focus on online learning, and aims to bridge the gap between researchers and practitioners, fostering a collaborative environment to address pressing issues in the field. This session will provide a platform for participants to discuss current research needs, share innovative methodologies, and explore the challenges and opportunities presented by online learning in K-12 settings. Attendees will engage in interactive discussions, workshops, and collaborative problem-solving activities designed to enhance their understanding and implementation of effective online learning strategies. Join us to learn, share, and collaborate toward advancing the future of K-12 digital learning.

Presenters: Kristen DeBruler and Kelly Cuccolo

Understanding and Harnessing AI: Warnings and Strategies

This session will guide our thinking around generative AI. During this workshop, we will learn ways we should be:

  • skeptical of simple solutions;

  • incorporating equity and inclusion initiatives;

  • transforming curriculum and the learner experience;

  • strategies for addressing student use at policy and procedure level;

  • communicating with colleagues, students, families and the public


Participants will receive practical advice and resources from a full-time teacher and consultant with over two years of experience working with these tools and organizations seeking to learn more about them. Join us to discover how AI can revolutionize the educational landscape and empower educators to create more engaging and effective learning experiences.

Presenter: Jon Fila

Introduction to DLAC for Newbies and Soloists: A Friendworking Session

Is this your first DLAC? Are you attending the conference on your own and don't know anyone yet? This special session is just for you! Not only will you learn how to navigate the conference with our short sessions and multiple networking opportunities, but you'll also meet other attendees with similar conference and work goals to collaborate with throughout DLAC. Don't miss this chance to get connected right from the start.

Presenter: Allison Powell