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2026 Great Ideas in Education Conference
Venue: Birch 203 clear filter
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Tuesday, July 28
 

9:30am CDT

From Standards to Student Writing: A practical approach to aligning instruction to the KSDE ELA Writing Standards
Tuesday July 28, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am CDT
Strong writing instruction requires more than knowing the standards—it requires understanding how they build across grade levels. In this session, we will explore a practical process for vertically aligning the KSDE ELA Writing Standards while examining the depth of knowledge (DOK) expectations embedded within them. Participants will learn how to identify progression of skills across grades and align instruction and writing tasks to ensure students meet the intended rigor of the standards.
Speakers
avatar for Mary Lonker

Mary Lonker

ELA Program Manager, Kansas State Department of Education
Mary Lonker has spent 30 years in English Language Arts education, teaching both middle and high school students. She taught 8th grade English as well as over 20 years of high school English, including a decade in AP Language and Composition, and is certified to teach AP Seminar... Read More →
Tuesday July 28, 2026 9:30am - 10:30am CDT
Birch 203

11:05am CDT

From Standards to Student Writing: A practical approach to aligning instruction to the KSDE ELA Writing Standards
Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Strong writing instruction requires more than knowing the standards—it requires understanding how they build across grade levels. In this session, we will explore a practical process for vertically aligning the KSDE ELA Writing Standards while examining the depth of knowledge (DOK) expectations embedded within them. Participants will learn how to identify progression of skills across grades and align instruction and writing tasks to ensure students meet the intended rigor of the standards.
Speakers
avatar for Mary Lonker

Mary Lonker

ELA Program Manager, Kansas State Department of Education
Mary Lonker has spent 30 years in English Language Arts education, teaching both middle and high school students. She taught 8th grade English as well as over 20 years of high school English, including a decade in AP Language and Composition, and is certified to teach AP Seminar... Read More →
Tuesday July 28, 2026 11:05am - 12:05pm CDT
Birch 203

2:50pm CDT

Making Thinking Visible: Teaching Claim-Evidence-Reasoning Through Explicit Writing Instruction
Tuesday July 28, 2026 2:50pm - 3:50pm CDT
This session explores how explicit writing instruction can help students clearly express their thinking through Claim–Evidence–Reasoning (CER). Grounded in strategies from The Writing Revolution 2.0, participants will learn practical approaches for helping students move from simply identifying evidence to explaining how that evidence supports a claim. Educators will leave with strategies they can immediately apply to strengthen students’ ability to support ideas with clear reasoning across content areas.
Speakers
avatar for Mary Lonker

Mary Lonker

ELA Program Manager, Kansas State Department of Education
Mary Lonker has spent 30 years in English Language Arts education, teaching both middle and high school students. She taught 8th grade English as well as over 20 years of high school English, including a decade in AP Language and Composition, and is certified to teach AP Seminar... Read More →
Tuesday July 28, 2026 2:50pm - 3:50pm CDT
Birch 203

3:55pm CDT

Structured Literacy Data Dives
Tuesday July 28, 2026 3:55pm - 4:55pm CDT
This presentation will share valuable information for creating a clear, consistent protocol for collecting and analyzing diagnostic and formative literacy assessment. Participants will learn effective models for collaborative conversations and effective "data days" to assure that educators are reviewing and USING the data they collect in meaningful ways.
Speakers
avatar for Jeri Powers

Jeri Powers

Teacher Leader Consultant Dyslexia/Early Literacy Team, KSDE
Jeri Powers is a Teacher Leader Consultant with the Kansas Department of Education's Dyslexia/Early Literacy Team. For over 30 years, she has been dedicated to supporting students facing literacy challenges, working as a classroom teacher, Reading Specialist, and District Literacy... Read More →
Tuesday July 28, 2026 3:55pm - 4:55pm CDT
Birch 203
 
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