Representatives from the Laredo ISD Instructional Technology Department attended the 29th Annual Region One Technology Conference, “Where Innovation Takes the Gold!” at South Padre Island, where they learned about technological advancements and presented five sessions.
The Region One Technology Conference is focused on the most recent advancements in technology, tools, and instructional strategies. These new progressions in technology will provide innovative teaching tools in LISD classrooms, enhancing both teaching and learning experiences.
A wide range of topics focusing on educational technology were discussed. Some of these topics included literacy and digital citizenship, the incorporation of artificial intelligence into classroom settings and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) lessons. Additionally, the conference covered the effective use of different software applications, offering educators practical insights into leveraging technology to improve student outcomes.
LISD Director of Instructional Education Brenda Sepulveda shared her gratitude for this experience “We’re very excited and blessed that we were able to participate,” she said. “The Region One Conference has helped us learn about many educational technology topics, including artificial intelligence, and gain a better understanding of how we can utilize it to improve our processes within our schools and departments.”
Along with this, the Department is looking into implementing a digital version of the lesson plan template so that teachers can bolster their lessons with the help of artificial intelligence. Not only can this form of artificial intelligence be used for lesson planning, but it can also aid in lesson activities, streamlining processes of a given department, and more.
Sepulveda stressed the importance of learning about artificial technology and how it allows individuals to work smarter, not harder. She emphasized the need for understanding how these new software innovations work, highlighting the potential of AI to transform educational practices and improve efficiency across the board.
The IT Department presented five sessions, all of which were standing room only, for the seventh year. “We, as a department, are honored to be able to present several topics that demonstrate LISD’s dedication to advancing educational technology and fostering a culture of innovation and excellence in teaching and learning,” says Sepulveda.
Sepulveda states her appreciation towards this opportunity and expresses how they were “able to share our expertise with other educators from around the region and showcase the innovative practices that we have in LISD.” Out of the five sessions, one was on improving vocabulary for students with an application called Flashcard Factory. This session demonstrated how the app could be used to create interactive and engaging vocabulary lessons, helping students to better retain and understand new words by drawing and creating sentences.
Another one of the sessions focused on Google Drawings which empowers educators to create graphic organizers, interactive activities for students, and so much more. The third session centered upon virtual reality, highlighting the use of virtual reality headsets available at every campus. This session demonstrated how these headsets are utilized to bridge the gap between students and various experiences. With virtual reality, students who are unable to physically explore places like the moon, museums, or a farm can still engage in these experiences. These headsets ensure fair access to a wide range of educational opportunities, enriching student’s learning experiences and broadening their horizons.
Following this session, the department explained their use of Adobe Express. They demonstrated how this publishing tool can allow educators to create visually appealing, interactive and engaging presentations and flyers. The session highlighted the AI component of Adobe Express, which streamlines the creative process by offering intelligent design suggestions and automated adjustments. Educators left with an understanding of how Adobe Express can be integrated into their teaching practices.
Lastly, Sepulveda and her team presented on the Magic Bus Platform, an AI-driven tool designed to help teachers be more efficient with their time. This platform provides personalized recommendations and automates routine tasks, allowing educators to focus more on teaching and less on administrative work.
“We love to enhance the professional developmental training opportunities for our teachers. It helps them understand that we are reinforcing our commitment to them,” Sepulveda added, “We want for all of our educators to optimize their teaching practices, and further support why Laredo ISD is the place to be!”
