The Idea‑to‑Impact Lab is a dynamic, design‑thinking‑driven workshop that helps educators transform their ideas into meaningful impact. In this session, participants will explore how genAI can act as a creative thinking partner—supporting brainstorming, clarifying purpose, organizing complex ideas, and rapidly prototyping writing or learning designs. Through short interactive activities, educators will practice a simple, repeatable workflow that moves ideas from spark to structure to action. This session emphasizes clarity, creativity, and responsible AI use, giving teachers practical strategies they can apply to their own writing, instructional design, or creative classroom projects. Attendees will leave with a flexible blueprint they can use to develop proposals, projects, lessons, or professional writing that pushes education forward and beyond.

Experience a D&D-inspired RPG set in a post-apocalyptic school. Guided by a Dungeon Master, you’ll explore tech applications, computational thinking, and game-based learning to engage students in storytelling and critical thinking across all content areas. Session Timeline: 5 min: Intro & Materials: Access session resources and game components. 5 min: GBL vs. Game Theory: Explore how RPGs differ from game theory, with real-world examples of content-area integration. 25 min: Live RPG Gameplay: Join a small group to survive as an educator in a post-apocalyptic world. Use common classroom apps during gameplay to see how technology adds value to the narrative and decision-making process. 15 min: Curricular Breakdown: Analyze the game's structure and discuss how to apply the RPG model to your own classroom.

During this hands-on workshop, participants will explore six to eight recently developed critical creativity strategies designed to help learners develop authentic literacy skills from comprehension to meaning making to problem solving. After a brief introduction (10 min) to the concept of critical creativity – demonstrating understanding through creative expression – participants will choose from a menu of strategies, including tech tool options that bring value added to the learning experiences, and experiment with those strategies on their own (25 min). The remaining time will be used for debriefing, answering questions, and identifying ways to integrate these strategies as formative assessments in any classroom environment. The key outcomes include participants understanding the concept of critical creativity, identifying ways intentional tech integration may increase the depth of knowledge these strategies demonstrate, and applying their impact area content to these strategies.

Discover simple, classroom‑tested strategies that help educators find their voice and turn lived experience into meaningful writing. We’ll use a design‑thinking lens to clarify ideas, shape structure, and build confidence—tools you can use for your own book projects or to support student writers.

How might comic book tropes of masked heroes and secret identities reveal nuanced struggles and strengths in our communities? Explore the transformative potential of comics as a storytelling medium and a lens for understanding diverse perspectives. Discover how the visual language of comics, universal archetypes of heroism, and design thinking may integrate into any learning community.

How might we apply the underpinnings of tabletop and video game design to the demonstration of deeper ELA content knowledge, social-emotional growth, and compositional skill development? Arrive at this roundtable intrigued; leave with designs for applying game-based thinking and multimodal expression to your impact area.

What if students could choreograph a concept, pixelate a problem, or map‑make for meaning—while strengthening authentic literacy skills? Critical creativity invites learners to demonstrate understanding through purposeful making, expressive thinking, and the application of content knowledge in fresh, memorable ways. In this fast‑paced, hands‑on session, participants will rotate through ten high‑impact strategies drawn from the Critical Creativity framework. Each strategy blends creative expression with rigorous thinking, giving educators practical tools to deepen comprehension, spark engagement, and support student voice across K–12, higher education, and professional learning environments. Participants will explore how creative constraints can unlock deeper reasoning, how making can serve as evidence of understanding, and how these strategies can be integrated into any content area. Attendees will leave with a print‑and‑play deck of strategy cards, classroom examples, and a ready‑to‑use workflow for designing learning experiences that are both joyful and academically robust.

AI tools are now woven into the daily work of teachers and students, but few fully understand what happens to the writing, ideas, and creative work we upload. In this session, we'll explore the hidden story of what we are feeding AI systems and the real implications for intellectual property, student privacy, and long‑term digital footprints.

Drawing on my work in global education, editorial clarity, and learning design, this session brings a grounded, human‑centered perspective to a rapidly evolving landscape. We'll unpack what actually gets stored, trained on, or discarded when educators paste lesson plans, assessments, reflections, or even entire manuscripts into AI tools. Participants will examine how different platforms handle user data, how these practices impact equity and bias, and how international approaches to AI governance are shaping the future of educational technology.

But this is not a fear‑based session. We'll also explore how AI can be a powerful partner for clarity, differentiation, and workflow-when used safely and intentionally. Through short demonstrations using non‑sensitive text, we'll look at how AI can help rewrite confusing directions, generate rubrics, or improve instructional clarity without compromising creative ownership.

Educators will learn the practical differences between tools that store data, tools that train on data, and tools that discard data entirely. We'll break down how to read terms of service without being a lawyer, what teachers and students should never upload, and how to protect drafts, book ideas, curriculum materials, and other original writing.

Participants will leave with a simple, memorable framework for evaluating any AI tool:

The 3 Questions to Ask Before Using AI:

Where does my data go?

Who can see it?

Does this tool learn from what I upload?

We'll close with a hopeful, human‑centered call to action: AI is a literacy, not a threat. Students deserve to understand how their creative work is used. Teachers deserve tools that respect their intellectual property. And schools deserve clear, responsible guidance for navigating this moment.

EduCON 2026: Session: “Leading Critical Creativity for Leadership & Change-Making,” February 2026, Philadelphia, PA

FETC 2026: X-Factor EDU Podcast; Poster Session: “Roll for Innovation: Harnessing AI, Game-Based Learning, and Design Thinking to Transform Assessment;” Poster Session: “Secret Identities, Shared Realities: Digital Comics for Inclusive Storytelling;” Leadership Roundtable: “From Virtual Exchange to Immersive Learning: Transforming Global Engagement,” January 2026, Orlando, FL

• FETC 2025: “The Innovative Educator: Empathy-Driven Instruction and Creative Technology for K-12+,” “Catalyzing Global Education Through Virtual Exchanges and EdTech Tools,” January 2025, Orlando, FL

• Tech & Learning Innovative Leader Summit: “Scaling Innovation by Finding & Building External Partnerships,” December 2024, Jersey City, NJ

• South by Southwest EDU 2024 “Creating Critical Creativity: Deeper Thinking for K-12+” March 2024, Austin, TX

• Future of Educational Technology (FETC) 2023, “Digital Badging & Open Educational Resources: Tools for Global Impact,” January 2023, New Orleans, LA

• IMSGlobal Digital Curriculum & App Innovation Summit, “Embarking on New Voyages for Teaching and Learning,” November 2022, Baltimore, Maryland

• “Digital Badging and Open Educational Resources: Tools for Global Impact,” Badge Summit, Philadelphia, PA, 2019

• “Online and Blended Learning”, ISTE 2019, Philadelphia, PA June 2019

• “Bridging the Gap: Creating Opportunities for High-Tech Learning in Low-Bandwidth Regions,” TESOL 2014, Portland, OR

• “Resources for a Global Audience from the U.S. Department of State,” TESOL 2014, Portland, OR

• “Creating Virtual Reality Games for the ESL/EFL Classroom,” TESOL, Dallas, TX 2013

• “Preparing Teachers to Use Virtual Reality Games in the Classroom,” TESOL, Dallas, TX, 2013

• “Video games, collaborative activities, and more!” Kalmyk State University, Elista, Russia, 2013

• TESOL 2013, Dallas: “Gaming and Language Learning,” TESOL, Dallas, TX, 2013

• “Video Games and Language Learning,” Electronic Village, TESOL, Philadelphia, PA, 2012

• “Rethinking Facebook,” TESOL, New Orleans, LA, 2011

• “Podcasting for EFL Learning,” TESOL, New Orleans, LA, 2011

• “Digital_Nation and You: A Movie and Discussion on Digital Learning Today,” Workshop, American Corners, Novi Sad, Serbia, June 2010

• “Using Podcasts for Test Preparation,” American Corners, Novi Sad, Serbia, June 2010

• “Webquests, Podcasts, and Class Blogs in EFL,” co-presentation with Natasha Jovanovich, Narva, Estonia, May 2010

• “Podcasts in EFL Settings,” lecture presentation, Narva, Estonia, May 2010

• “Utilizing Web Technologies in EFL Settings,” ELTA National Annual Conference, Belgrade, Serbia, May 2010

• “Using Webcasts, podcasts, and Web 2.0 in English Language Teaching”, Workshop, Belgrade, Serbia, British Council, February 2010

• “Podcasts in Adult Education Settings”, Montgomery College, MD, Spring 2009

• NCTE 2024: “Artful Idea: Critical Creativity and ELA around the globe,” November 2024, Boston, MA

• South by Southwest EDU2023 “Artful Idea: Critical Creativity & Global Learners,” March 2023, Austin, TX

• “Beyond Word Bubbles: Superpowered Virtual Exchange,” SXSWEDU 2022, Austin, TX

• “Beyond the Word Bubbles: Critical Thinking & Language Learning Through Comics Creation” ISTELive, 2021, virtual

• “Panels to Pages: Using Comics to Produce Better Writers” NCTE 2020, Denver, CO (Canceled)

• “Artistic Pedagogy for Literacy Learning,” NCTE, Baltimore, MD, November 2019

• “Beyond the Word Bubbles: Critical Thinking & Language Learning through Comics Creation,” MassCUE, Foxborough, MA, October 2019

• “Linking Language Education and Public Diplomacy,” SXSWEDU, Austin, TX, March 2019

• “English Language Programs- Teaching Resources for You!” Fulbright English Language Teachers Pre-Departure Orientation, Washington, DC, 2016

• “English Language Programs Materials and Resources,” American Corners, Moscow, Russia, 2013

• “English Language Programs and Public Diplomacy,” 4-day course, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2017

• “Office of English Language Programs Materials and Resources,” Southern African Region Annual Mid-Year Conference, Limpopo, South Africa, 2017

• ISTE 2025: Tabletop Thinking & Learning: A Game-Based ISTE Playground (primary organizer & presenter); ISTE 2025: House of Possibilities Playground: Creative Design for Access & Inclusion (presenter,) June 2025, San Antonio, TX

• NCTE 2024: “Artful Idea: Critical Creativity and ELA around the globe,” November 2024, Boston, MA

• NYSCATE 2024: “Empathy & Innovation: Nurturing Creative Thinkers in K-12+,” “Steam and Creativity Playground” Stage Speaker, November 2024, Verona, NY

• South by Southwest EDU 2024 “Creating Critical Creativity: Deeper Thinking for K-12+” March 2024, Austin, TX

• Educon2024 “The Artist Incognito: Making Art to Inform our Educational Practice” February 2024, Philadelphia, PA

• MassCUE 2023 “Creating Global Connections for Teaching and Learning with UMASS Lowell,” Foxboro, MA

• “Plot-twist! Now what?! A Creative Playbook for Humans,” MassCUE2022, Foxborough, MA

• “Cultivating Creative Capacity from K12 to Higher Ed,” SXSWEDU 2022, Austin, TX

• “Cultivating Creative Capacity K12 to Higher Ed,” ISTE2022, New Orleans, LA

• “Comics VX: Creating Comics in Classrooms,” FanExpo Philadelphia, April 2021

• “Beyond Word Bubbles: Comics & Critical Creativity,” SXSWEDU, Austin, TX March 2020 (Canceled)

• “Beyond the Word Bubbles: Critical Thinking & Language Learning through Comics Creation,” ISTE 2020, Anaheim, CA June 2020 (Canceled)

• “Beyond the Word Bubbles: Critical Thinking & Language Learning Around the World through Comics Creation” Comics Arts Conference at Comic-Con International, San Diego, CA 2020 (Canceled)

• “Beyond the Bubbles: Critical Thinking & ESL Through Comics Creation,” EduCON 2020, Philadelphia, PA, January 2020

• “Beyond the Word Bubbles: Mega Llama and Ultra Chuy Join the “A” Team of Global Education”, Comic-Con International, San Diego, CA, July 2019

• “Effective Warm-ups and Closures,” Workshop, Nis, Serbia, April 2010

• “Getting to know American Culture,” Workshop, Novi Pazar, Serbia, April 2010

• South by Southwest EDU 2024 “STEAM Meet Up with the Federal Games Guild!” March 2024, Austin, TX

• “Government, Games, and Grants: Meet the Federal Games Guild.” MAGFest. National Harbor, MD. January, 2020.

• MASSCue 2025: “From Screens to Scenes: Reinventing Global Learning Experiences,” “Roll for Innovation: Harnessing AI, Game-Based Learning, and Design Thinking to Transform Assessment,” October 2025, Foxboro, MA

• Tech & Learning New England: “Building Virtual Learning Spaces” Table discussion leader, Natick, MA, May 2025

• South by Southwest EDU 2025: “Bridging Borders: Global Potential via English Exchanges,” March 2025, Austin, TX

• PLACE Training Leader, “Professional Learning in Predeal: Authentic, Contextualized English Teaching,” August 2024, Predeal, Romania

• ISTELive 2024: “Basecamp for Creatives” ISTE Playground, speaker and coordinator, “Global Goals, Global Partners: The Power of Virtual Exchanges and Collaboration for SDGs,” June 2024, Denver, CO

• ISTE Community Leaders Global Impact Virtual Conference 2024, “English Teaching Resources to Enhance Teaching and Learning,” Online, April 2024

• TESOL2024: “Connecting English Teachers Worldwide through Virtual Exchanges for Student Success,” March 2024, Tampa, FL

• Tech & Learning 2023 College Park: “Impact of Worldwide Virtual Exchange Programs,” February 2023, College Park, MD

• Global Learning for an Online World (GLOW), “Connecting with Global Classrooms: Virtual Exchanges for Critical Thinking and Language Learning,” November 2022, Virtual

• Fulbright Teachers Exchanges: Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement Program “Office of English Language Programs and Materials,” Washington, DC October 2022

• “English Language Programs and Public Diplomacy,” 4-day course, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2017

• “Office of English Language Programs Materials and Resources,” Southern African Region Annual Mid-Year Conference, Limpopo, South Africa, 2017