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The Innovation-Based Instruction webinar series consists of five one-hour sessions, each exploring a distinct aspect of innovation-based teaching methodology. Although this 5-part series on innovation-based instruction is created specifically for elementary teachers and science coordinators, middle school teachers also can benefit from one or all of the sessions. Each of the sessions explores a distinct aspect of innovation-based teaching methodology. While the sessions are designed to build upon one another, participants can join at any point in the series and still gain practical insights and effective lesson strategies from each standalone webinar. All sessions are delivered live online, with active participation and engagement encouraged throughout. Session One on October 15: Stay Curious: Using Innovation Prompts to Engage Your K-5 Classroom in STEM Learning Session Two on November 5: STEMtastic Careers: Using Everyday Innovators and Entrepreneurs to Effortlessly Integrate Early Career Exploration into Your K-5 Classroom Session Three on January 7: Using Innovation and Entrepreneurship to Personalize Reading and Writing in Your K-5 Classroom Session Four on February 4: Science and Community: Connecting science and social studies using real-world challenges Session Five on March 4: Being Both Teacher and Student: Becoming comfortable learning alongside your students

Help your students harness their creativity and curiosity at a time when it matters most. In this 1-hour workshop, you'll begin your journey into innovation-based instruction-the next evolution of project-based learning-by exploring how to use innovation prompts in your classroom. This simple yet powerful tool lays the foundation for using invention as a dynamic and effective approach to teaching in today's learning environment. You can expect to:
• Learn about the power of innovation and entrepreneurship to engage all learners while addressing a variety of K-5 science and ELA standards.
• Create and apply innovation prompts as a tool to foster student engagement.
• Gain access to a variety of free innovation-based instructional resources, including a library of readymade innovation prompts and the digital student invention journal called The Book of Ideas. The tools & techniques presented in the workshop are specifically designed for the K-5 classroom and can be implemented within your existing curriculum without the need for additional instructional materials or supplies. This workshop qualifies for CTLE credit.  ​

The Technology Supporting Diverse Learners Roundtable brings together educators and technology specialists each month to explore how technology can better serve students with a wide range of learning needs. Agendas are shaped by the interests and challenges brought forward by members, making every session relevant and focused on real-world needs. Discussions typically focus on tools and strategies that support students with reading and writing disabilities, communication challenges, executive function differences, and more. We highlight both universal tools that benefit all learners in Tier 1 settings, and targeted technologies that provide additional support for students with more specialized needs. Our sessions may include tool demos, practical tips, and presentations from Roundtable members, guest experts, and vendors. We discuss the latest assistive technology trends, exploring how tools like AI and built-in accessibility features are impacting the educational setting and the way students learn and engage. Beyond exploring tools, we dive into topics like building capacity, improving assistive technology practices, and actively engaging the entire learning community from students and families to teachers, support staff, and administrators. The Roundtable provides a space for connection, collaboration, and keeping up with evolving tools and trends that support all learners.

CASDA is collaborating with the New York State Office of Mental Health to bring back the School Mental Health Providers Roundtable for the 2025-26 school year. We will explore multiple topics including benefits and challenges of working collaboratively in a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), restorative practices, student behavior support, relationship building with students and families, and working to support the mental well-being of yourself, your students, and your colleagues. This roundtable will continue to bring together educators in various support roles in their districts including social workers, school psychologists, school counselors, student assistance counselors, MTSS Coordinators, building administrators, and special education leaders to share effective, affirming practices that support a culture of sustainable wellbeing and belonging in your district.

CASDA is collaborating with the New York State Office of Mental Health to bring back the School Mental Health Providers Roundtable for the 2025-26 school year. We will explore multiple topics including benefits and challenges of working collaboratively in a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), restorative practices, student behavior support, relationship building with students and families, and working to support the mental well-being of yourself, your students, and your colleagues. This roundtable will continue to bring together educators in various support roles in their districts including social workers, school psychologists, school counselors, student assistance counselors, MTSS Coordinators, building administrators, and special education leaders to share effective, affirming practices that support a culture of sustainable wellbeing and belonging in your district.

This virtual roundtable for speech language educators is a monthly gathering where participating SLPs from districts in the Capital Region, North Country, and beyond come together to collaborate, brainstorm, share resources, and build our knowledge of best practices. Each session focuses on specific topics determined by the participants. Members often share their expertise through open discussions, demonstrations, or by leading a monthly session on a topic. We leave each meeting with resources or actionable items that can be implemented immediately. In addition to our monthly meetings, participants will gain access to our shared drive filled with resources from previous years' roundtables.

The Capital District Regional Music Educators Symposium will return October 30th with a full slate of workshops covering topics in general music, band, chorus and string ensemble. Educators from local districts will join representatives from Empire State Youth Orchestra, SUNY Schenectady, and the Albany Symphony Orchestra to share their vast knowledge, expertise and experience with Capital Region's music instructors. This conference also represents a unique opportunity for music educators with different specialties to network and exchange ideas across district to build connection and professional practice.

Join fellow educators at The Special Education Roundtable, a collaborative forum for directors, administrators and special education teachers where participants have opportunities for connecting and sharing experiences and innovative practices.  The virtual roundtable is designed to foster open dialogue among educators who are navigating similar challenges and opportunities in the field. This event offers a unique opportunity to collaborate with peers, build professional networks, exchange innovative solutions, explore strategies that strengthen programs, and enhance student outcomes. By connecting and exchanging best practices, participants will leave with fresh perspectives, practical tools, and stronger professional networks to drive positive changes in their districts committed to advancing excellence in special education. Agendas are shaped by interests and challenges brought forward by members, making every session relevant and focused on real-world application. Guest speakers may be invited based on relevant topics and participant interest.

Effective MTSS programs are both complex and challenging. Instructional leaders must be able to work with teachers, interventionists, administrators, and support staff to ensure that MTSS systems are coherent, aligned and meeting the needs of all students. This requires deep knowledge of high leverage instructional practice, the ability to analyze multiple kinds of data to shape instruction and the ability to collaborate across multiple stakeholder groups. CASDA's MTSS Roundtable will provide participants with research, strategies, and a supportive community to share ideas, best practices, and reflections with colleagues from across the region.

"Early Career Exploration" is a hot topic, but what does it actually look like in a K-5 classroom, and how can you fit it into an already full curriculum? Join us for a 1-hour workshop where we'll explore how to integrate biographical vignettes of everyday innovators and entrepreneurs into activities you're already doing in your classroom, making early career exploration both practical and impactful. You can expect to:
• Gain a clear understanding of innovation-based instruction-what it is and how it can be a powerful strategy to increase student engagement.
• Discover how stories of innovators and entrepreneurs can inspire career exploration and spark meaningful STEM discussions.
• Walk away with a ready-to-use lesson plan, built using simple tools and techniques shared during the session. Designed specifically for K-5 classrooms, the tools and strategies shared in this workshop can be seamlessly incorporated into your existing curriculum-no extra materials or supplies required.

The School Counselors Roundtable, a collaborative offering from CASDA and the Capital District Counselors Association (CDCA), is a professional learning community that will focus on strategies for developing and sustaining engagement with students and families during this uncertain period. We will build upon themes identified in the fall meetings and continue to provide a space for counselors to share effective practices that meet the academic and social emotional needs of their students. These sessions will also seek to integrate the expertise and perspective of higher education counselors in order to build bridges to ensure support across the P-20 Continuum. Additionally, the roundtable will address the topic of coordination of support services for students in relation to the following needs: academic, social/emotional, and mental health.

Effective writing skills are crucial for student success, both in school and throughout their careers. However, addressing diverse writing levels in your classroom, or engaging elementary students in developing their writing abilities, can be a challenge. In this 1hour workshop we'll explore how to use ideation and innovation to meet both ELA and science learning objectives, while easily tailoring the content to suit your students' needs. You can expect to:
• Develop a clear understanding of innovation-based instruction-what it is and how it can serve as a powerful strategy to boost student engagement.
• Explore two simple lesson ideas that integrate innovation and entrepreneurship, helping students make personal connections to what they read and write.
• Leave with a ready-to-use lesson plan, built using practical tools and techniques shared during the session. Designed specifically for K-5 classrooms, the tools and strategies shared in this workshop can be seamlessly incorporated into your existing curriculum-no extra materials or supplies required.

Educators everywhere are noticing a growing challenge: fragmented attention, shortened focus, and restless classrooms-especially in the wake of new phone-free policies. This one-day institute helps participants understand the neuroscience and social-emotional roots of attention fragmentation and explore research-based strategies to rebuild students' capacity for sustained focus, self-regulation, and deep learning. Grounded in the latest work on cognitive load, executive functioning, and adolescent engagement, this session blends science, systems, and strategy. Participants will leave with practical Tier 1 interventions, planning tools, and communication strategies to strengthen focus, belonging, and motivation in their classrooms and schools.

Entrepreneurship is all about developing a product or service to solve a "customer need" (i.e. real-world challenge). Many entrepreneurs (both STEM and non-STEM) are inspired by challenges they see in their own communities - forming a natural connection between innovation, entrepreneurship and social studies. Join us for this 1-hour workshop where we'll discuss how you can use real-world challenges to address science and social studies learning objectives (and standards) in the SAME lesson. You can expect to:
• Gain a clear understanding of innovation-based instruction-what it is and how it can be a powerful tool to boost student engagement.
• Discover how innovation challenges can meet learning objectives across multiple subjects within a single activity.
• Walk away with a ready-to-use lesson plan, created using practical tools and strategies shared during the session. Specifically designed for K-5 classrooms, the tools and strategies shared in this workshop can be easily integrated into your existing curriculum- no additional materials or supplies needed. 

Join us for an engaging professional development workshop designed to strengthen your instructional practice through effective scaffolding techniques that support every student in reaching grade-level learning standards. In this workshop, educators will explore research-based scaffolding strategies aligned with New York State Learning Standards across all content areas. Participants will learn how to design and implement instructional supports that provide temporary assistance while building student independence and mastery of rigorous academic content. Workshop Focus: We'll examine scaffolding through multiple lenses, exploring how thoughtful instructional design can bridge the gap between current student performance and grade-level expectations. Participants will discover practical techniques for differentiating instruction while maintaining high expectations for all learners. These strategies are particularly valuable for supporting striving readers, English Language Learners/Multilingual Learners, students with disabilities, students requiring academic intervention services, and all students working toward mastery of challenging content. Key Takeaways: Educators will leave with concrete strategies for implementing scaffolded instruction, including gradual release of responsibility models, visual supports, sentence frames, graphic organizers, and collaborative learning structures. We'll explore how to assess when scaffolds should be adjusted or removed as students demonstrate increasing independence, ensuring that temporary supports lead to lasting competency aligned with NYSED standards. This workshop is appropriate for K-12 teachers, special educators, ENL/bilingual educators, instructional coaches, and administrators seeking to strengthen inclusive practices that benefit all learners.

By nature, innovation is new-and often not fully understood. To make it a core part of instruction, teachers must be comfortable not having all the answers and be open to learning alongside their students. Join us for this 1-hour workshop, where we'll explore resources, language, and techniques that empower you to navigate unfamiliar topics, field student questions, and confidently guide learning-while embracing the role of a fellow explorer in the classroom. You can expect to:
• Gain a clear understanding of innovation-based instruction-what it is and how it can serve as a powerful tool to boost student engagement.
• Explore a variety of easy-to-use resources to help you and your students investigate new topics and technologies.
• Practice using language and instructional strategies that support collaborative learning while maintaining your authority as the classroom teacher. Specifically designed for K-5 classrooms, the tools and strategies shared in this workshop can be easily integrated into your existing curriculum-no additional materials or supplies needed.

Motivational interviewing is a behavioral science technique that has been successfully used across diverse school settings to improve academic and behavioral outcomes for students through brief, structured conversational sessions. Students are guided to adopt positive behaviors by exploring their own motivations and reasons for change in a way that centers the student's individual autonomy and strengthens their intrinsic motivation to make a change. This technique can be delivered by either professionals or paraprofessionals with proper training, offering a potent behavioral change blueprint for students at risk.

This webinar will introduce school personnel to New York State's Health-Related Social Needs (HRSN) Services and the role of Social Care Networks (SCNs) in connecting students and families to essential non-medical supports. Participants will gain an understanding of how SCNs operate, how HRSN services are accessed, and how schools can leverage this statewide infrastructure to address key social drivers of health-including food insecurity, housing instability, and transportation barriers. Real-world examples will highlight how these services are already improving care coordination, stabilizing families, and supporting student well-being, as well as opportunities for deeper school-community collaboration. Learning Objectives By the end of this session, participants will be able to: 1. Describe the purpose and function of Social Care Networks (SCNs) and HRSN services in New York State. Participants will understand how SCNs coordinate referrals, support cross-sector collaboration, and connect families to non-medical services such as housing supports, food assistance, transportation, and care management. 2. Identify opportunities to leverage HRSN services to address social drivers of health affecting students and families. Participants will recognize common needs-such as food insecurity, housing instability, and lack of transportation-and learn how HRSN services can be integrated into school workflows to support student success. 3. Apply real-world examples to enhance collaboration between school teams, care managers, clinical providers, and community-based organizations. Participants will explore practical scenarios demonstrating how referrals flow through the SCN, how schools can participate effectively, and where future collaboration can strengthen stability and outcomes for students and families.

This full-day session is grounded in the core principles of Building Thinking Classrooms and extends them beyond mathematics to support instruction in ELA, science, social studies, world languages, the arts, CTE, and electives. Participants will explore how classroom structures - not just strategies - shape student thinking, engagement, and long-term retention. The focus is on creating learning environments where students actively reason, collaborate, struggle productively, and develop ownership of their learning. Throughout the day, participants will experience the strategies as learners, analyze their impact through an instructional lens, and translate them into content-specific classroom applications. Participants will: Understand the research-based principles behind Building Thinking Classrooms and why they support deeper learning and retention. Explore classroom structures that increase cognitive engagement and reduce passive compliance. Learn how to design tasks that promote reasoning, discussion, and productive struggle across disciplines. Apply thinking-classroom principles to their own content areas using guided planning tools. Examine what these practices look like through both a teacher and evaluator lens. Leave with ready-to-use strategies and planning templates for immediate implementation.

Educators everywhere are noticing a growing challenge: fragmented attention, shortened focus, and restless classrooms-especially in the wake of new phone-free policies. This one-day institute helps participants understand the neuroscience and social-emotional roots of attention fragmentation and explore research-based strategies to rebuild students' capacity for sustained focus, self-regulation, and deep learning. Grounded in the latest work on cognitive load, executive functioning, and adolescent engagement, this session blends science, systems, and strategy. Participants will leave with practical Tier 1 interventions, planning tools, and communication strategies to strengthen focus, belonging, and motivation in their classrooms and schools.