Ignite Learning and Shape the Future at ISTE-ASCD
June 29 - July 2
Lonestar Ballroom A | Grand Hyatt San Antonio
Step into a space built for educators who are ready to spark change. In a world where learning never stands still, Discovery Education and Otus is creating opportunities for hands-on exploration, practical strategies, and meaningful conversations that energize classrooms and equip students for the future.
From career readiness to curiosity-driven instruction, our sessions are designed to help you connect with peers, share ideas, and walk away with fresh approaches you can use right away. Come collaborate, get inspired, and grow alongside fellow educators who are shaping what’s next.
Let’s connect in San Antonio!
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Ignite Future-Ready Learning With Our Interactive Sessions!
SPEAKER PANEL | Real Talk: What It Really Takes to Lead Successful Grading Reform
Facilitator(s): Jessica Espinoza, Kendell Hunter, Alice Opperman
Monday, June 30, 10:00 – 10:50 AM CT • Room Lonestar Ballroom A
Assessment
Leadership
Professional Learning
School Improvement
Progress Monitoring
Description: Join two school leaders from Emerson Public Schools in New Jersey for a discussion on how they have built assessment and grading practices guided by standards, not just grades. Hear how they’ve refined their approach each year, the leadership lessons they've learned, and how teachers use standards to plan meaningful instruction. Walk away with practical takeaways you can apply in your own school—and bring your questions to join the conversation.
About the Speaker(s):
Kendell Hunter - Director of Marketing, Otus
Jessica Espinoza - Principal, Emerson Public Schools
Alice Opperman - Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Technology, Emerson Public Schools
Engage K12 Lunch & Learn: Discover the Latest Innovations in AI, Career Exploration, New Instructional Strategies & More!
Facilitator(s): Justin Karkow, Shesha Pancholi, Kyle Schutt
Monday, June 30, 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM CT • Room Lonestar Ballroom A
AI
Careers
Instructional Strategies
Tech Tools
Student Voice
Description: Ignite a year of curiosity and growth with Discovery Education’s award-winning solutions! Dive into the future of learning with AI-powered tools, enhanced personalization, and career-connected opportunities. Join the dynamic DE team as they unveil these groundbreaking innovations, taking you on an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the incredible back-to-school upgrades designed for your school community. Experience each cutting-edge innovation through immersive, real-world classroom scenarios that will inspire and transform your educational journey!
About the Speaker(s):
Justin Karkow - VP, Teaching & Learning, Discovery Education
Shesha Pancholi - Sr. Director, Product Management, Discovery Education
Kyle Schutt - Sr Director, Instructional Design - Learning Platform, Discovery Education
AI’s Impact of AR, VR, XR in Spatial Computing
Facilitator(s): Hall Davidson
Monday, June 30, 1:30 – 2:30 PM CT • Room HBGCC – Innovation Arcade – Connections Theater
AI & Technology
Technical Education
Emergent Technologies
AR, VR, XR
AI for Admins
Description: One of the greatest impacts of AI is in other technologies. True for AR, VR, and XR. What has changed in headsets? See mind-bending apps and how they would work in a classroom. Explore why and how this should—and can—be part of any innovative school.
About the Speaker(s):
Hall Davidson - Senior Global Learning Initiatives Director, Discovery Education
STEM Without Limits: Hands-On Learning Through Discovery Education
Facilitator(s): Erica Kovacevic, Evan Sanchez
Monday, June 30, 2:30 – 3:20 PM CT • Room Lonestar Ballroom A
STEMProject Based LearningCurriculumStudent Voice
Description: Experience immersive, interdisciplinary STEM lessons that spark critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and real-world problem-solving. In this interactive session, educators and tech leaders will explore engaging, hands-on activities designed to seamlessly integrate STEM across disciplines, transforming your classroom into a dynamic hub of discovery and innovation!
About the Speaker(s):
Erica Kovacevic - Teaching & Learning Manager, Discovery Education
Evan Sanchez - Partner Success Manager, Discovery Education
AI’s Impact on Immersive Learning, Classroom Tools, and Career Pathways: The New Extended Reality
Facilitator(s): Hall Davidson, Alejandro Lozano
Monday, June 30, 3:30 – 4:20 PM CT • Room Lonestar Ballroom A
Description: One of the greatest impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) is in other technologies. Nowhere is that truer than extended reality (XR) and spatial computing emerging in the new immersive world. In this session, engage with industry experts from Verizon and Discovery Education as they share innovative strategies and resources designed to empower educators and amplify student learning. Come learn how powerful immersive learning has become, how you can implement it into your classroom, and how you can activate your students’ curiosity! See mind-bending apps in action. Explore why and how immersive learning should—and can—be part of any innovative school. Find FREE resources that include master class videos, micro-credential courses, and virtual field trips with industry leaders.
About the Speaker(s):
Hall Davidson - Senior Global Learning Initiatives Director, Discovery Education
Alejandro Lozano - Senior Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, Verizon
Ask Otus Anything: How Teachers Shape the Tools They Use
Facilitator(s):
Kelley Britton, Chris Hull, Kendell Hunter, Hillary Kleppel
Tuesday, July 1, 10:00 – 10:50 AM CT • Room Lonestar Ballroom A
Leadership
Professional Learning
Instructional Strategies
Tech Tools
About the Speaker(s):
Kelley Britton - Sr. Director of Client Experience at Otus, former middle school teacher
Kendell Hunter - Director of Marketing at Otus, former special education teacher
Chris Hull - Co-Founder and President of Otus, former social studies teacher
Hillary Kleppel - Community Manager at Otus, former math teacher
From Classroom to Career Success Lunch & Learn: Championing Workforce Readiness Early and Often
Facilitator(s): Justin Karkow, Shesha Pancholi, Kyle Schutt
Tuesday, July 1, 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM CT • Room Lonestar Ballroom A
CareersTech ToolsCommunity Engagement
Description: We'll explore a wide variety of resources coming to your classrooms in 2025 designed to engage and empower both elementary and secondary learners in topics such as workforce readiness, careers, technical and practical skills, and much more! Whether you're a teacher looking to bring career profiles, real-world workforce connections, or skill development into your classroom, or an administrator aiming to scale these efforts across K—12 , this session will equip you with the complete toolkit. Access Virtual Field Trips, real-time connections to a diverse group of passionate professionals, online interactives, and a deep bank of activities for teachers, parents, and the community from Discovery Education.
About the Speaker(s):
Justin Karkow - VP, Teaching & Learning, Discovery Education
Shesha Pancholi - Sr. Director, Product Management, Discovery Education
Kyle Schutt - Sr Director, Instructional Design - Learning Platform, Discovery Education
Educational Leadership in the Innovation Era
Facilitator(s): Toni Robinson
Tuesday, July 1, 1:30 – 2:20 PM CT • Room Lonestar Ballroom A
Leadership
School Culture and Climate
Policy
Professional Learning
Description: As schools work to prepare future innovators, they must consider the instructional and policy shifts required to build and support a system that fosters risk taking, problem solving, and continual improvement. In this session, educational leaders will investigate strategies and resources for creating an environment where innovation thrives, and students become architects of their learning.
About the Speaker(s):
Toni Robinson - Teaching & Learning Director, Discovery Education
Toolbox or Tool belt: Picking the Right Tool for the Job
Facilitator(s): Jessica Campos, Sherrie Orr, Paula Taylor
Tuesday, July 1, 2:30 – 3:30 PM CT • Room HBGCC – 214A
Instructional Design and Strategies
Description: As edtech tools evolve, app-smashing becomes unnecessary. This session helps educators streamline their tool belts by evaluating multifunctional tools that meet diverse needs. Participants will learn to assess whether a single tool can replace multiple apps, ensuring effective use without complicating their tech ecosystem.
About the Speaker(s):
Jessica Campos - Instructional Technology Coach, Mesquite ISD
Sherrie Orr - Teacher, Aubrey ISD
Paula Taylor - Director of Educational Partnerships, Discovery Education
Stories Worth Telling: Using Digital Storytelling to Boost English Language Skills and Literacy
Facilitator(s): Toni Robinson
Tuesday, July 1, 3:00 – 3:50 PM CT • Room Lonestar Ballroom A
Creativity LiteracyStudent Voice
Description: Digital Storytelling can be a powerful educational tool for students at all levels of language proficiency. Whether it be for deeply engaging students during the learning process or empowering them with a robust way for them to show what they have learned, creating digital stories empowers students creatively, linguistically, and culturally. Join us as we explore ways to use the digital storytelling resources within Discovery Education to help students improve their language skills and bring joy to learning. You will learn how to use multimedia/ multimodal tools to bring student narratives to life.
About the Speaker(s):
Toni Robinson - Teaching & Learning Director, Discovery Education
Cracking the Code: Busting Computational Thinking Myths in K-12 Education
Facilitator(s): Emy Aultman, Kimberly Wright
Tuesday, July 1, 3:30 – 5:00 PM CT • Room HBGCC – Posters, Table 24
Computer Science and Computational Thinking
Description: This engaging session debunks myths about computational thinking in K-12 education. We'll explore how CT transcends coding, applying it to diverse subjects and real-world contexts. Through interactive activities, you'll learn practical ways to incorporate CT into your classroom, no matter your subject area.
About the Speaker(s):
Emy Aultman - Media specialist, J.L. Lomax Elementary
Kimberly Wright - Instructional Design Manager, Discovery Education
Everything Old is New Again: What VCR's Can Teach AI
Facilitator(s): Hall Davidson
Tuesday, July 1, 4:00 – 5:00 PM CT • Room HBGCC – Hemisfair Ballroom 3
Description: Much conference time is spent on the future. It's time we looked at the past and what a generation of great teachers can teach us about implementation. Match wits pitting "old tech" vs "new tech". Microsoft says the VCR informs AI. Viewmaster inform XR? Plus fun "what ARE those things?"
About the Speaker(s):
Hall Davidson - Senior Global Learning Initiatives Director, Discovery Education
Million-Dollar Gift: Deep Career Resources from Blue Collar to Graduate School
Facilitator(s): Hall Davidson
Wednesday, July 2, 8:00 – 9:00 AM CT • Room HBGCC – Stars at Night Ballroom 2/3
CTECollege and Career Readiness
Description: What will be the spark that ignites student careers? For this quest, foundations and global partners built no-cost career resources, virtual field trips, recorded interviews, pre-built PowerPoints, and live classroom visits. Irreplaceable exposure to content and careers. Come take away gold. Let them see what they can be.
About the Speaker(s):
Hall Davidson - Senior Global Learning Initiatives Director, Discovery Education
Fueling Curiosity, Measuring Growth: Science Formative Assessment Made Simple
Facilitator(s): Justin Karkow, Hillary Kleppel
Wednesday, July 2, 9:00 – 9:50 AM CT • Room Lonestar Ballroom A
Assessment
Instructional Strategies
Curriculum
Personalized Learning
Progress Monitoring
Description: Discovery Education and Otus have teamed up to streamline how science is taught, practiced, and assessed. Join us to explore how Mystery Science lessons spark student curiosity and keep learners engaged, and how Otus helps capture what students are learning in real time. See how formative assessments in Otus give teachers and teams the insights they need to personalize instruction and support all learners.
About the Speaker(s):
Justin Karkow - VP, Teaching & Learning, Discovery Education
Hillary Kleppel - Community Manager at Otus, former math teacher
A TEXAS Sized Instructional Strategies Showdown: DEN Stars vs. Discovery Education Team
Facilitator(s): Kristi Olmstead, Paula Taylor
Wednesday, July 2, 10:00 – 10:50 AM CT • Room Lonestar Ballroom A
About the Speaker(s):
Kristi Olmstead - Educational Partnerships Manager, Discovery Education
Paula Taylor - Educational Partnerships Director, Discovery Education
The Instructional Road Less Traveled
Facilitator(s): Tammy Norman, Toni Robinson, Evan Sanchez
Wednesday, July 2, 11:00 – 11:50 AM CT • Room Lonestar Ballroom A
About the Speaker(s):
Tammy Norman - Educational Partnerships Manager, Discovery Education
Toni Robinson - Teaching & Learning Director, Discovery Education
Evan Sanchez - Partner Success Manager, Discovery Education
Discovery Education & Otus:
A Partnership for Accelerating Student Achievement
Discovery Education and Otus are joining forces, delivering a powerful combination of proven teaching & learning solutions and state-of-the-art data analytics. With clear, actionable insights at both the classroom and district levels, it’s easier than ever to monitor progress, identify key trends, and make strategic, data-driven decisions to improve student outcomes.
Experience Discovery Education in Action at ISTE-ASCD's Innovation Arcade!
Discover how educators are transforming learning with Discovery Education at this year’s Innovation Arcade, an interactive hub showcasing the latest in AI, AR, and VR technology. Engage in hands-on experiences, expert-led discussions, and immersive demonstrations featuring Discovery Education’s Sandbox, TimePod, AI Teacher Assess, and gamification tools in real classrooms.