Olathe Summer Conference 2026

Olathe Summer Conference 2026

You will be able to validate your attendance (Check-In to sessions) using your personal schedule.

TBA

Self-Paced- A Teacher's Guide to the AI Assessment Scale

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA

Self-Paced Session

This session will introduce the five-tiered AI Assessment Scale to help social studies teachers provide clear expectations and promote transparency for student work involving artificial intelligence. This framework offers a shared language for classifying student use into five clear levels: No AI, AI-Assisted, AI-Integrated, AI-Generated, and AI Exploration. Audience:

Advanced – I am familiar with the OPS AI Guidelines for Staff and Student Use; I have experimented with AI tools that are open for students at Olathe Public Schools.

Access to the session: TBA

Speakers

Jen Kennedy

Director of Technology Advancement & Training, Olathe Public Schools

Jen Kennedy brings over 15 years of experience leveraging instructional technology in the classroom. With a focus on empowering students and staff through the innovative integration of technology, she strives to create an engaging and supportive learning environment where all learners... Read More →

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA
Self-Paced Session

Olathe Staff Only

TBA

Self-Paced- AI Unleashed: A Practical Guide for AI in the Classroom

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA

Self-Paced Session

AI Unleashed: A Practical Guide for AI in the ClassroomThis hands-on session is a guide to integrating artificial intelligence into your middle and high school social studies classroom. We'll move beyond the buzzwords and explore ready-to-use tools that will streamline your lesson planning, differentiate content for all learners, and spark creative student engagement. Walk away with a concrete plan to integrate AI and a renewed sense of excitement for teaching in the digital age.

Audience: Intermediate – I am familiar with the OPS AI Guidelines for Staff and Student Use; I understand prompt engineering.

Access to the session: TBA

Speakers

Jen Kennedy

Director of Technology Advancement & Training, Olathe Public Schools

Jen Kennedy brings over 15 years of experience leveraging instructional technology in the classroom. With a focus on empowering students and staff through the innovative integration of technology, she strives to create an engaging and supportive learning environment where all learners... Read More →

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA
Self-Paced Session

Olathe Staff Only

TBA

Self-Paced- Canvas LMS: Assignments and Google Assignments LTI

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA

Self-Paced Session

Stop wrestling with settings and start streamlining your workflow. This hands-on session explores the ins and outs of creating and assigning Canvas Assignments so you can spend less time troubleshooting and more time teaching.
Key Topics
•Creating an Assignment: Learn how to use the Rich Content Editor (RCE) to provide clear instructions, embed videos, or attach supporting documents.
•Submission Types: Explore your options—from file uploads and text entries to website URLs and "on-paper" tracking.
•Dates and Deadlines: Master the difference between Due Dates (when it's expected) and Availability Dates (when students can see or turn it in).
•Google Assignments External Tool: Learn how to implement the Google Assignments external tool to assign Google Drive template documents to students—just like previously done in Google Classroom!

To participate in this course, double-click Canvas on your desktop

and click the course tile on your Canvas Dashboard.

Please note: The course will unlock on Friday, May 29th.

Speakers

C

Canvas

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA
Self-Paced Session

Olathe Staff Only

TBA

Self-Paced- Canvas LMS: Basics (Elementary)

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA

Self-Paced Session

This refresher session is a repeat of our 12/19 professional learning over Introducing: Canvas. This session is designed to give you a solid foundation before you dive into more specialized topics. Whether you are seeing the platform for the first time or simply want a comprehensive review of the essentials, this session provides the space to get comfortable with the interface and ensure your digital classroom is ready for students.

To participate in this course, double-click Canvas on your desktop

and click the course tile on your Canvas Dashboard.

Please note: The course will unlock on Friday, May 29th.

Speakers

C

Canvas

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA
Self-Paced Session

Olathe Staff Only

TBA

Self-Paced- Canvas LMS: Basics (Secondary)

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA

Self-Paced Session

This refresher session is a repeat of our 12/19 professional learning over Introducing: Canvas. This session is designed to give you a solid foundation before you dive into more specialized topics.Whether you are seeing the platform for the first time or simply want a comprehensive review of the essentials, this session provides the space to get comfortable with the interface and ensure your digital classroom is ready for students.

To participate in this course, double-click Canvas on your desktop

and click the course tile on your Canvas Dashboard.

Please note: The course will unlock on Friday, May 29th.

Speakers

C

Canvas

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA
Self-Paced Session

Olathe Staff Only

TBA

Self-Paced- Canvas LMS: Canvas + Ignite AI

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA

Self-Paced Session

This session introduces you to IgniteAI, a suite of powerful tools embedded directly within Canvas to help you manage your workload and enhance student communication.
Key Topics
•Rubric Generation: Stop building from scratch. Learn how to use AI to instantly generate customized Canvas rubrics that align with your specific assignment goals.
•Discussion Insights & Summaries: Use AI to quickly evaluate student discussion replies and generate summaries of discussion threads.
•Translation Tools: Enable the ability for students to instantly translate text in Announcements and Discussions to bridge communication gaps and ensure every student stays informed and engaged.
•Quiz Question Generator (Preview): Get an exclusive first look at the AI-powered Quiz Question Generator before its official rollout this fall.

To participate in this course, double-click Canvas on your desktop

and click the course tile on your Canvas Dashboard.

Please note: The course will unlock on Friday, May 29th.

Speakers

C

Canvas

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA
Self-Paced Session

Olathe Staff Only

TBA

Self-Paced- Canvas LMS: Canvas Studio

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA

Self-Paced Session

In this session, we will explore how to create, upload, and manage video content directly within Canvas, making your digital classroom more dynamic and engaging.
Key Topics
•Capturing Content: Learn how to use the built-in screen recorder and webcam capture to create quick tutorials or mini-lessons.
•Interactive Elements: Discover how to embed "In-Video Comments" and "Video Quizzes" to check for understanding while students watch.
•Studio Collections: Organize your media library so you can easily find and reuse videos across different courses and semesters.
•Engagement Analytics: See exactly who is watching your videos, how long they are watching, and which parts they are re-watching.

To participate in this course, double-click Canvas on your desktop

and click the course tile on your Canvas Dashboard.

Please note: The course will unlock on Friday, May 29th.

Speakers

C

Canvas

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA
Self-Paced Session

Olathe Staff Only

TBA

Self-Paced- Canvas LMS: Course Data and Analytics

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA

Self-Paced Session

Once your students begin interacting with your Canvas course, a wealth of information becomes available to help you understand their progress. This session focuses on how to access, interpret, and act upon the data Canvas collects automatically, allowing you to move from guessing to knowing how your students are performing. Instead of waiting until the end of a unit to see who struggled, we will explore how to use real-time analytics to provide targeted support and celebrate student success.
Key Topics
•Analytics Dashboard: Take a deep dive into course-level data to see average grades, submission trends, and participation rates across your entire roster.
•Student-Specific Insights: Learn how to view individual Student Analytics to see when a specific learner last logged in, which pages they viewed, and whether they are falling behind.
•Weekly Online Activity: Understand how to track student page views and participations to see which of your resources are actually being used.

To participate in this course, double-click Canvas on your desktop

and click the course tile on your Canvas Dashboard.

Please note: The course will unlock on Friday, May 29th.

Speakers

C

Canvas

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA
Self-Paced Session

Olathe Staff Only

TBA

Self-Paced- Canvas LMS: Digital Discussions

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA

Self-Paced Session

In a digital or blended learning environment, the "class discussion" doesn't have to end when the bell rings. Canvas Discussions provide a space for students to interact, share ideas, and practice digital citizenship while allowing every student a voice—even the quiet ones.
Key Topics
•Discussion Types: Understand the difference between Focused (one-way) and Threaded (multi-layered) discussions.
•Engagement Settings: Discover how to use "Users must post before seeing replies" to ensure original student thought.
•Multimedia Interaction: Explore how students can reply using video, audio, or images to make the conversation more dynamic.
•Grading vs. Ungraded: Learn how to quickly assess participation using SpeedGrader for graded discussions.

To participate in this course, double-click Canvas on your desktop

and click the course tile on your Canvas Dashboard.

Please note: The course will unlock on Friday, May 29th.

Speakers

C

Canvas

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA
Self-Paced Session

Olathe Staff Only

TBA

Self-Paced- Canvas LMS: Grading and Feedback

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA

Self-Paced Session

This session is designed to help you master the Canvas Gradebook and SpeedGrader—two powerful tools that work together to streamline your grading workflow and provide meaningful, timely feedback to your students.Whether you are looking to automate your grading process or enhance the quality of your student feedback, this session will show you how to spend less time on paperwork and more time on instruction.
Key Topics
•Gradebook Fundamentals: Learn how to set up grading schemes, weighted groups, and "Missing" or "Late" policies to automate your workflow.
•SpeedGrader Mastery: Discover how to view, grade, and annotate student submissions all in one place without downloading a single file.
•Rubrics for Success: Build and attach rubrics to assignments to ensure consistent grading and clear expectations for students.
•Effective Feedback: Explore various ways to provide feedback, including inline comments, text summaries, and even video/audio clips.

To participate in this course, double-click Canvas on your desktop

and click the course tile on your Canvas Dashboard.

Please note: The course will unlock on Friday, May 29th.

Speakers

C

Canvas

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA
Self-Paced Session

Olathe Staff Only

TBA

Self-Paced- Canvas LMS: Group Work and Collaborations

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA

Self-Paced Session

Teaching students how to work together effectively is a vital skill, but managing logistics in a digital space can be a challenge. This session focuses on how to use Canvas Groups and Collaborations to create structured, accountable, and engaging team-based learning experiences. We will explore how to move from individual tasks to collaborative projects where students can co-author documents, share resources, and communicate within their own private "mini-course" spaces.
Key Topics
•Group Sets & Categories: Learn how to automatically or manually split your roster into project teams, lab groups, or reading circles.
•Student Group Spaces: Discover the "Mini-Canvas" environment students get—including their own pages, discussions, and file storage.
•Group Assignments: Master the "One Submission per Group" feature to streamline your grading while still providing individual or collective feedback.
•Collaborations with Google/Microsoft: See how to integrate external tools so students can co-edit a single document or slide deck directly within Canvas.

To participate in this course, double-click Canvas on your desktop

and click the course tile on your Canvas Dashboard.

Please note: The course will unlock on Friday, May 29th.

Speakers

C

Canvas

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA
Self-Paced Session

Olathe Staff Only

TBA

Self-Paced- Canvas LMS: Modules and Page Building with Course Settings and Sharing

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA

Self-Paced Session

In Canvas, Modules and Pages serve as the structural backbone of your digital classroom. This session focuses on how to organize your content so that students can navigate your course intuitively and access materials without confusion.
Key Topics
•Module Organization: Learn how to use Modules to categorize and sequence your content logically.
•Effective Page Design: Master the Rich Content Editor (RCE) to create central hubs for lessons, combining text, images, and video in one place.

To participate in this course, double-click Canvas on your desktop

and click the course tile on your Canvas Dashboard.

Please note: The course will unlock on Friday, May 29th.

Speakers

C

Canvas

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA
Self-Paced Session

Olathe Staff Only

TBA

Self-Paced- Canvas LMS: Quizzes

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA

Self-Paced Session

This session focuses on how to build digital assessments that can provide immediate feedback to students and valuable data to you. Whether you are looking to create a quick "exit ticket" or a comprehensive end-of-unit exam, we will walk through the process of building, managing, and moderating quizzes within your course.
Key Topics
•Question Types: Explore a variety of formats—from simple multiple-choice to more interactive options like matching and fill-in-the-blank.
Question Banks: Discover how to organize and store your questions so you can easily reuse them across different assessments or school years.
•Quiz Settings: Learn how to manage time limits, shuffle answers, and set up multiple attempts to fit your instructional goals.
•Moderation & Accommodations: Learn how to grant extra time or attempts for specific students to ensure every learner's needs are met.

To participate in this course, double-click Canvas on your desktop

and click the course tile on your Canvas Dashboard.

Please note: The course will unlock on Friday, May 29th.

Speakers

C

Canvas

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA
Self-Paced Session

Olathe Staff Only

TBA

Self-Paced- Developing an Action Plan for Professional Growth and Advancement

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA

Self-Paced Session

This self-paced session empowers educators to take ownership of their professional growth through the structured Action Plan Process. Participants will explore the purpose and key components of an Action Plan, including writing a SMART goal, engaging in targeted learning activities, implementing new strategies, and measuring the impact on student learning. The session also provides guidance on navigating Frontline to submit required documentation to earn professional development points for relicensure and salary movement.

To access this session go to https://nearpod.com/student/
Enter code: TBA

Be sure to complete any required responses in the session should attendance need to be verified.

Speakers

Jenna Kuder

Director of Professional Learning, Olathe Public Schools

Jenna will write this

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA
Self-Paced Session

Olathe Staff Only

TBA

Self-Paced- Expanding Access: Using Sora to Explore eBooks in World Languages and Beyond

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA

Self-Paced Session

This session will introduce educators to the Sora eBook platform as a tool for increasing student access to texts in multiple world languages. Participants will learn how to navigate the platform, locate and assign books in various languages, and integrate these resources into classroom instruction. Emphasis will be placed on supporting multilingual learners, but all learners can benefit from using Sora!

To access this session go to https://nearpod.com/student/
Enter code: TBA

Be sure to complete any required responses in the session should attendance need to be verified.

Speakers

Allyssa Zoller

Librarian, Olathe Public Schools

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA
Self-Paced Session

Olathe Staff Only

TBA

Self-Paced- Leave Smarter: Know Your Options

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA

Self-Paced Session

Your leave benefits in Olathe weren’t handed to you. They were fought for and won by educators like you through the negotiations process. This session breaks down what kinds of leave you have as a certified member of the bargaining unit and how they work in real-life situations. From PTO to FMLA and everything in between, we’ll explore your options and answer your questions. Understanding your leave options empowers you to take care of yourself and your family so that you can meet your students' needs while helping us advocate for even stronger policies. When we know our contract, we protect each other—and we keep winning.

To access this session go to https://nearpod.com/student/
Enter code: TBA

Be sure to complete any required responses in the session should attendance need to be verified.

Speakers

Angie Powers

Olathe NEA President, Olathe Public Schools

A veteran educator of 25 years, Angie has taught English Language Arts, Creative Writing, and AVID in a classroom, from a cart, and online. She currently serves as our Olathe NEA President but has served on the Board of Directors for Kansas NEA and NEA.

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA
Self-Paced Session

Olathe Staff Only

TBA

Self-Paced- Navigating Frontline Professional Growth

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA

Self-Paced Session

This self-paced learning session is designed to help educators confidently navigate the Frontline Professional Growth platform. Through step-by-step guidance, participants will learn how to access and submit required forms, view and manage their individual transcripts and professional portfolios, and locate important documents in the File Library. Whether you're new to Frontline or looking to deepen your understanding of its features, this session provides practical support to ensure you can efficiently manage your professional learning requirements and records with ease.

To access this session go to https://nearpod.com/student/
Enter code: TBA

Be sure to complete any required responses in the session should attendance need to be verified.

Speakers

Jenna Kuder

Director of Professional Learning, Olathe Public Schools

Jenna will write this

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA
Self-Paced Session

Olathe Staff Only

TBA

Self-Paced- Unlock AI's Potential: Prompt Engineering for Educators

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA

Self-Paced Session

Navigate the world of AI with confidence! This session delves into the art and science of prompt engineering – the key to unlocking AI's full potential in education. Discover the fundamental elements of a strong prompt and explore various techniques to achieve specific and valuable outputs. Learn how to think strategically about your AI interactions to save time and enhance your teaching practice.

Audience: Beginners - I've only experimented with AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot.

Access to the session: TBA

Speakers

Jen Kennedy

Director of Technology Advancement & Training, Olathe Public Schools

Jen Kennedy brings over 15 years of experience leveraging instructional technology in the classroom. With a focus on empowering students and staff through the innovative integration of technology, she strives to create an engaging and supportive learning environment where all learners... Read More →

Friday May 29, 2026 TBA
Self-Paced Session

Olathe Staff Only

Olathe Summer Conference 2026