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2026 Great Ideas in Education Conference
Type: ELA clear filter
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
Birch 203
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
  ELA

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
Birch 203
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
  ELA

2:50pm CDT

Making Thinking Visible: Teaching Claim-Evidence-Reasoning Through Explicit Writing Instruction
Tuesday July 28, 2026 2:50pm - 3:50pm CDT
Birch 203
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
  ELA
 
Wednesday, July 29
 

8:00am CDT

Stop Lowering the Text: Helping All Students Read Grade-Level Material
Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Birch 203
When students struggle with reading, the common response is to give them easier texts. But what if the better solution is stronger support? This session explores how educators can maintain grade-level text complexity while providing the scaffolds and instructional structures students need to succeed. Participants will examine research-informed practices and practical strategies to ensure all students have meaningful access to complex text.
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 →
Wednesday July 29, 2026 8:00am - 9:00am CDT
Birch 203
  ELA
 

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