UTC 2025: Full Schedule

Welcome to the 2025 Upstate Technology Conference!

Registering for a Sched account or selecting classes is for participant convenience only and DOES NOT grant admittance into the conference or individual sessions. All participants must be registered for the conference through Eventbrite and sessions are first-come, first-serve at the conference.

9:45am EDT

Keepin’ It Reel With Canva

Tuesday July 15, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am EDT

201

Canva’s incredible design resources now include tools for video creation, editing. Educators can use these tools to create micro media shorts and reels to target student learning, peer collaboration, and community connections.In this session, we will create a workflow on how to create, edit, and host the impactful videos
Session Resources

Speakers

James Varlack

Instructional support, Texas

James Varlack is a Digital Learning Specialist with McAllen ISD in McAllen, TX. The Digital Learning Team provides instructional technology support for 21,000 students and 1600 teachers and staff. He currently loves eating Sour Patch and connecting with educators on Twitter.

Tuesday July 15, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am EDT
201

*Featured Speaker*

Target Audience Level Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Audience Type General (all of the above)
Subject Area All Subjects

11:00am EDT

Strategies to Assess Prior Knowledge

Tuesday July 15, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT

201

Let's explore some ways you can use digital tools to tap into what your students already know before you dive into a new lesson.
Session Resources

Speakers

James Varlack

Instructional support, Texas

Tuesday July 15, 2025 11:00am - 12:00pm EDT
201

*Featured Speaker*

Target Audience Level Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Audience Type General (all of the above)
Subject Area All Subjects

2:00pm EDT

The Forgotten Google Tool…Google Docs

Tuesday July 15, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

201

Often overlooked, Google Docs is a surprisingly versatile and powerful tool that can supercharge collaboration, streamline feedback, and foster deeper student engagement in ways you might not have imagined.
Session Resources

Speakers

James Varlack

Instructional support, Texas

Tuesday July 15, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
201

*Featured Speaker*

Target Audience Level Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Audience Type General (all of the above)
Subject Area All Subjects

3:15pm EDT

Cloze Reading Activities with Google Docs & AI

Tuesday July 15, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm EDT

201

This session explores how to create engaging cloze reading activities using Google Docs. Participants will learn how to effectively remove words from a text and provide options for students to fill in the blanks, enhancing their reading comprehension and vocabulary skills.
Session Resources

Speakers

James Varlack

Instructional support, Texas

Tuesday July 15, 2025 3:15pm - 4:15pm EDT
201

*Featured Speaker*

Target Audience Level Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Audience Type General (all of the above)
Subject Area All Subjects

8:30am EDT

Amplify Student Voice & Choice

Wednesday July 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am EDT

201

Teaching students how to amplify their voices to create student choice opportunities in their own education is crucial. Come learn how to transform some of the tech tools you already use in the classroom (and some new tools too) to teach the standards while amplifying student voices to create student choice opportunities.
Session Resources

Speakers

Dr. Desiree Alexander

Founder CEO, Louisiana

Dr. Desiree Alexander is an award-winning, multi-degreed educator, speaker, and author who has been in the educational field since 2002. She is the Founder CEO of Educator Alexander Consulting, LLC and the Deputy Director for the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana. She... Read More →

Wednesday July 16, 2025 8:30am - 9:30am EDT
201

*Featured Speaker*

Target Audience Level Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Audience Type General (all of the above)
Subject Area All Subjects

9:45am EDT

Digital Breakouts Using Google Forms & Google Sites

Wednesday July 16, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am EDT

201

Have you heard of an escape room? Well, help your students escape mundane lessons by creating free digital breakouts to use in your classroom. Come learn how to use Google Forms and Google Sites to create free digital breakout games that encourage collaboration, stimulate problem solving, nurture content knowledge development and have fun while doing it! Break out of the same routine with a free digital breakout.
Session Resources

Speakers

Dr. Desiree Alexander

Founder CEO, Louisiana

Wednesday July 16, 2025 9:45am - 10:45am EDT
201

*Featured Speaker*

Target Audience Level Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Audience Type General (all of the above)
Subject Area All Subjects

12:45pm EDT

Differentiation with Google Forms

Wednesday July 16, 2025 12:45pm - 1:45pm EDT

201

You've used Google Forms for years...now what? Come learn fast tips, tricks and hacks to use Google Forms in ways you never have before! Learn how to differentiate using branching, password your sections, have your self-grading quizzes work even better and more! Let's go to the next level!
Session Resources

Speakers

Dr. Desiree Alexander

Founder CEO, Louisiana

Wednesday July 16, 2025 12:45pm - 1:45pm EDT
201

*Featured Speaker*

Target Audience Level Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Audience Type General (all of the above)
Subject Area All Subjects

2:00pm EDT

Do You Really Know How to Read&Write?

Wednesday July 16, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT

201

This simply amazing Google Chrome extension will amaze you with what how it can help you and your students! Text-to-speech, Voice Comments, Vocabulary List Builder, Speech Input, Fact Finder, Translator and so much more! You must see this exciting tool for yourself to believe it!
Session Resources

Speakers

Dr. Desiree Alexander

Founder CEO, Louisiana

Wednesday July 16, 2025 2:00pm - 3:00pm EDT
201

*Featured Speaker*

Target Audience Level Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Audience Type General (all of the above)
Subject Area All Subjects