Middle School Innovative Teaching & Learning Summit

  1. Home
  2. >
  3. Middle School Innovative Teaching & Learning Summit
Middle School Innovative Teaching & Learning Summit

Date:

January 11, 2025 – January 11, 2025
8:00 AM – 3:30 PM

Location:

Hillside Middle School
775 N Center St.

Northville, MI 48167

Cost:

$99-$249

Register Now

Registration Now Open! Join us at Hillside Middle School in Northville for the Middle School Innovation Summit 2025! This groundbreaking event will showcase the latest trends and advancements in middle school education, focusing on innovative teaching methods, state-of-the-art learning environments, and the transformative power of AI in school leadership. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with forward-thinking educators and discover new strategies to revolutionize your school. Be part of the change and lead your school into the future!

What to Expect:

  • Inspiring Keynote & Tour: Learn from Northville Public Schools innovative practices and explore Hillside Middle School’s state-of-the-art building.
  • Actionable Workshops
    • Modern Classroom: Learn a research-based instructional model tailored to meet the diverse needs of every student in every classroom.
    • Teaching ELA with AI: Discover AI tools & strategies to enhance writing, analysis, and personalized feedback while promoting creativity and critical thinking in students.
  • More than Two Dozen Breakout Sessions: Topics include:
    • Equity: Fostering inclusive grading and leadership.
    • AI: Tools for teaching, learning & school management.
    • Innovative Teaching: PBL, personalized learning & design thinking.
    • STEM Opportunities: Expanding access through state-supported frameworks.
    • Professional Growth: Building a culture of innovation and improvement.

As an educational leader, you play a critical role in shaping how these tools and strategies transform your school. Don’t let uncertainty hold you back—this summit offers the insights and inspiration you need to lead confidently into the future.

Who Should Attend

  • Middle School Building Leaders (Principals, APs, Deans, etc.)
  • District Leaders
  • Tech Directors/Media Center Specialists
  • Teachers

Questions?

Contact Nina Davis
MASSP Associate Director
nina@massp.com

View the Flyer

January 11, 2025

7:45 AM – 8:30 AM

Registration

January 11, 2025

8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

General Session: Welcome & Keynote “Northville Innovation”

January 11, 2025

10:00 AM – 10:15 AM

Passing

January 11, 2025

10:15 AM – 11:45 AM

Workshops & Building Tours

January 11, 2025

11:45 AM – 12:30 PM

Lunch

January 11, 2025

12:35 PM – 1:30 PM

Breakout Sessions Round 1

January 11, 2025

1:30 PM – 1:45 PM

Passing

January 11, 2025

1:45 AM – 2:40 PM

Breakout Sessions Round 2

January 11, 2025

2:40 PM – 2:45 PM

Passing

January 11, 2025

2:45 PM – 3:30 PM

General Session: Planning Forward

Areas of Focus

Workshop & Building Tours
During this session, attendees will be split into groups and rotate between a guided tour of Hillside Middle School and two interactive workshops facilitated by the school’s staff.

Workshop Descriptions

Modern Classroom
Presented by Kristen Higgins, Stacey Eyler, and Karen Simms from Hillside MS
Tired of one-size-fits all instruction? Come explore an innovative, research-based instructional model that responds to every student, in every classroom, and gives them the support they need.

Teaching ELA with AI
Presented by Jason Brooks, Hillside MS
Explore how AI tools can transform the ELA classroom! Learn practical strategies to enhance writing, analysis, and personalized feedback while fostering creativity and critical thinking. Take away actionable ideas to elevate your teaching with the power of AI.

Session Track Key

    Breakout Session Round 1

    January 11, 2025 | 12:35 PM

    Equitable Grading

    Bill Jones, Hillside MS

    Join us for an insightful presentation on Hillside Middle School’s transformative journey towards equitable grading practices. This session will explore the foundational principles and practical steps taken by Hillside to ensure that grades accurately reflect student learning and foster a growth mindset.

    Breakout Session Round 1

    January 11, 2025 | 12:35 PM

    Making Across the Curriculum

    Nicholas Provenzano, TheNerdyTeacher.com

    If you think that MakerEd is just for STEM classes, then this is where you want to be because this session will take the idea of MakerEd and show you how it is used across the entire curriculum. We need to stop thinking about STEM and focus on STEAM because all students deserve the opportunity to tinker and make. This session will focus on the different types of making that can take place across the curriculum and allow for teachers to build a lesson that incorporates making as part of their classroom.

    Breakout Session Round 1

    January 11, 2025 | 12:35 PM

    Iterate to Innovate: Building a Culture of Iteration and Experimentation in Schools

    Justin Bruno, Michigan Virtual

    Welcome to the power of iterative innovation in education. Drawing from the book Iterate by MIT’s Justin Reich, the session guides participants through the principles of rapid prototyping and iterative cycles in the process of innovation. Through collaboration and real-world examples, educators will explore low-stakes strategies to build a culture of innovation, identify a small change they can experiment with in their own schools, and leave with a clear plan to implement and refine the idea.

    Breakout Session Round 1

    January 11, 2025 | 12:35 PM

    Empowering Student Voice through Authentic Community Challenges

    Rachel Verschaeve, St.Clair RESA: Middle School Innovation Academy

    How might we empower students as curious problem solvers within their own communities? St. Clair County RESA invites you to explore mindsets and resources to engage students in interdisciplinary learning experiences that amplify their 21st century skills and foster a sense of belonging. Learn how we partner with local organizations to present authentic challenges to student teams to investigate through a process of inquiry and design thinking before voicing their ideas to relevant stakeholders who will use their ideas to make an impact in their community.

    Breakout Session Round 1

    January 11, 2025 | 12:35 PM

    Grow STEM Opportunities in Your Community – Connect to State STEM Supports

    Hebat Abdelbaki, Stout Middle School Dearborn & Megan Schrauben, MiSTem

    Join award winning Principal Abdelbaki and MiSTEM to learn about the state’s STEM strategy of project-, problem-, and place-based (3P) learning. This session is designed to be interactive and give practical steps for building and growing STEM opportunities for your community. The state’s 3P learning plan and available supports are designed to help schools create their vision for innovative STEM-focused curriculum through a community-engaged, transformative approach. MiSTEM is a state service provided to connect to partners and assets that meet your needs.

    Breakout Session Round 1

    January 11, 2025 | 12:35 PM

    Empowering Learning Through Project-Based Learning and Portfolio-Based Assessment

    Joshua Smith, Orchard View Middle School

    Discover how Orchard View Middle School transformed learning by implementing Project-Based Learning (PBL) as a core instructional model. Learn how this initiative began, the strategies used to build staff and student buy-in, challenges encountered, and successes achieved—including securing a $4M Federal EIR Grant. This session offers actionable insights on PBL implementation, fostering a collaborative culture, and elevating student engagement.

    Breakout Session Round 1

    January 11, 2025 | 12:35 PM

    Enhancing Classroom Engagement with AI

    Aaron Baughman, Northville Schools & Jennifer Baughman, South Redford School District

    Discover how AI can transform student engagement in your classroom through innovative tools and strategies. A conversation between a brave assistant superintendent and a bold classroom teacher reveals the benefits they’ve learned together. This session will explore AI-driven technologies like AI-based learning activities, learning apps, and real-time AI-assisted feedback platforms that can boost student motivation, interaction, and participation. Whether you’re new to AI or already incorporating it into your lessons, you’ll leave with practical tips and ready-to-use tools that can enhance the learning experience and foster deeper student involvement.

    Breakout Session Round 2

    January 11, 2025 | 1:45 PM

    AI for Administrators

    Bill Jones, Hillside Middle School

    In this session, administrators can learn some tips & tricks to leverage AI tools for their own use, helping to improve workflow, coaching, and communication.

    Breakout Session Round 2

    January 11, 2025 | 1:45 PM

    AI in Action: Empowering Teachers, Elevating Learning

    Nicholas Provenzano, TheNerdyTeacher.com

    Discover the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) in the classroom. We’ll explore a variety of AI tools and strategies designed to save teachers valuable time on administrative tasks and lesson planning —freeing up more time for meaningful instruction. Additionally, we’ll delve into how AI can support personalized learning experiences for students, helping to meet diverse needs and improve outcomes. Whether you’re an AI novice or tech-savvy educator, this session will equip you with practical ideas to integrate AI into your daily routine, empowering both you and your students.

    Breakout Session Round 2

    January 11, 2025 | 1:45 PM

    (At least) 18 Tech Tools for You in 2025

    Emily Sicilia, Michigan Virtual

    Join us for a jam-packed session that shares the latest tech tools you can use to engage your students and staff. You will be introduced to at least 18 innovative tech tools that can help you personalize learning and better serve your students (and maybe even make your life easier). This session offers opportunities for exploration and discussion about how you can intentionally integrate tools to promote success.

    Breakout Session Round 2

    January 11, 2025 | 1:45 PM

    Bringing the Past Forward: Using The Henry Ford’s Collections

    Olivia Marsh, The Henry Ford

    Join The Henry Ford to learn how educators can practice their innovative mindsets, and encourage students to do the same, by using free resources available on inHub, a learning community just for educators. You’ll discover a transdisciplinary social and emotional learning framework, learn about a project-based intervention program, and experience a student-centered hands-on activity all built using primary resources and designed to address content standards.

    Breakout Session Round 2

    January 11, 2025 | 1:45 PM

    A PBL Theory of Action: How School-Wide Structures Can Promote a Culture of Learning

    Nathan Hatt & Jack Stearns, Ann Arbor Public Schools; Torian Billings, Ann Arbor STEAM

    In the spring of 2014, Northside Elementary began a journey of transformation. This under-enrolled public school developed a student-centered curriculum framework for a preK-8 student body. We became A2 STEAM. Over the past decade, each grade-level team has collaborated to develop several interdisciplinary project-based learning units with an emphasis on authenticity and creative competencies. The structures required to sustain this program can be seen at every level — from individual student plans to memorandums of agreement with the district. This program has been tested by every crisis you can imagine. We are thrilled to share our story from the perspective of teachers, administration, and program facilitators. We take with us the stories from our community: staff, families, and the children at the center of this work.

    Breakout Session Round 2

    January 11, 2025 | 1:45 PM

    Power Authentic learning with PBL by Design

    Lindsay Lane & Du Bui, Kent ISD; Ginger Rohwer, MiSTEM Greater West Michigan

    PBL By Design is an immersive, student-centered learning experience that empowers learners to engage in real-world problem-solving across any content area. Through the combination of Project-Based Learning (PBL) and Design Thinking, students explore complex questions or challenges, applying critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity to produce solutions or products. We will focus on an overview and sprint experience of the process.

    Breakout Session Round 2

    January 11, 2025 | 1:45 PM

    Building Thinking Classrooms in the Social Studies Classroom: How I got my most off task students to love learning about ancient stuff.

    Lauren Kulczycki, Pioneer Middle School

    This session will show how to adapt current Social Studies lessons into “Building Thinking Classrooms” lessons without a ton of prep or resources. Strip away note-taking and slide decks. Let go of the idea that students are listening when you’re talking and trust the power of a non-permanent vertical surface, also known as a whiteboard. We will look at two to three lessons that I have modified into BTC lessons using the current curriculum. I will also share about my classroom setup and behavior modification strategies that have made this year a success, with a few humorous failures. Come check it out. Comment end