EduLead 2025: Full Schedule

9:45am CST

Connecting Digital Citizenship to Advisory / Homeroom: A Whole-School Approach to Student Well-Being LIMITED

Friday May 9, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am CST

One of my key takeaways from years in the field is that students are begging for help. “Don’t tell me what not to do, teach me how to deal with all of this.” is a direct quote from a student who inspired me at the beginning of my journey as a social worker in education. This session will provide practical strategies to help students cope with stress, anxiety, and social challenges—whether they stem from online interactions, academic pressure, or personal struggles. Advisory teachers will immediately understand the connection to digital citizenship and why it is important to work hand in hand with this program. They will also learn how to support students in navigating challenges with resilience and finding constructive solutions to the problems they face.

Key Takeaway:
Educators will leave with practical, discussion-based advisory tools to help students develop coping strategies, manage stress effectively, and approach challenges with a problem-solving mindset, reinforcing both emotional well-being and a sense of belonging.

Speakers

Allison Ochs

Founder and Owner, Edit change management -Digital Wellbeing and Citizenship

Allison Ochs is an American-Swiss social pedagogue, author, lecturer, and consultant specializing in digital literacy and citizenship in schools and beyond. With a background in social work and education, Allison has worked with families, children, and schools in diverse capacities... Read More →

Friday May 9, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am CST
2nd Floor Tech Cube

Teachers/Staff/Administrators Session

11:15am CST

Bridging the Digital Gap: Understanding Each Other in a Hyperconnected World LIMITED

Friday May 9, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm CST

2nd Floor Tech Cube

Have you ever felt like your parents don’t understand how important your phone is? Or, as a parent, have you wondered why a simple request to “put the screen down” leads to frustration? Families often struggle to see eye to eye on technology—not because they don’t care, but because they experience digital life in completely different ways.
But what happens when online interactions become stressful? A message taken the wrong way, a group chat that turns mean, or a moment of thoughtless posting can create real tension at home and school. How do we handle these moments while protecting our well-being?
This interactive session brings parents and students together to explore how we communicate online, why misunderstandings happen, and how to navigate digital conflicts in ways that strengthen—rather than harm—relationships. Through open discussion, we’ll examine how screen time, messaging, and social media affect our emotions, how to set fair boundaries, and how to build a digital culture of kindness and respect—both at home and online.

Why This Matters:

Parents and students often misunderstand each other’s digital behaviors, leading to screen time, online friendships, and privacy conflicts.
Both sides experience digital stress, but in different ways—this session helps bridge that gap.

Practical Strategies:

Understanding how different generations perceive online time and the common misconceptions that cause frustration.
Setting realistic screen time expectations as a family—without unnecessary conflict.
Establishing clear and fair family rules for messaging and online communication.
Recognizing online meanness, its emotional impact, and how families can support each other.
Small, easy-to-implement well-being habits that can make a big difference in family dynamics.

Key Takeaway:
Families will leave with clear communication strategies, practical tools, and a deeper understanding of each other’s digital world—while having fun along the way.

Speakers

Allison Ochs

Founder and Owner, Edit change management -Digital Wellbeing and Citizenship

Friday May 9, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm CST
2nd Floor Tech Cube

Parent/Student Session

1:30pm CST

Managing the Digital Shift: How Online Communication Impacts the Classroom & School Community LIMITED

Friday May 9, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST

2nd Floor Tech Cube

Have you ever walked into class and felt like something was off—students whispering, a shift in energy, or tension between friends—but you had no idea what had happened? In today’s world, so much of student life unfolds online, in group chats, gaming communities, and social media. What happens in these spaces doesn’t stay there—it spills over into the classroom, shaping friendships, conflicts, and overall school culture. This session will explore how online interactions influence student dynamics and how educators can foster a safe, connected learning environment that bridges the gap between digital and real-world relationships

Why this matters:

Students bring their online conflicts into the classroom, but educators often lack the tools to address these digital behaviors effectively.
Bullying, exclusion, and miscommunication online have real consequences for school culture.

Practical strategies:

Identifying digital conflicts early before they disrupt classroom culture.
Establishing proactive classroom norms that prevent online bullying and exclusion.
Effective interventions when online meanness spills into in-person interactions.
Schoolwide safeguarding approaches to ensure students feel safe both online and offline.

Key Takeaway: Educators will learn specific techniques for noticing, addressing, and preventing digital conflicts while fostering a classroom culture of belonging.

Speakers

Allison Ochs

Founder and Owner, Edit change management -Digital Wellbeing and Citizenship

Friday May 9, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST
2nd Floor Tech Cube

Teachers/Staff/Administrators Session

9:45am CST

AI in Schools: The Good, The Bad & How to Set It Up for Success LIMITED

Saturday May 10, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am CST

2nd Floor Tech Cube

AI is transforming education and student life in ways both exciting and deeply concerning. While it can enhance learning and creativity, it also presents serious risks—deepfakes, manipulated images, and AI-generated chatbots that exploit loneliness and vulnerability. Too often, when students fall into harmful AI-driven spaces, it’s because they feel disconnected in the real world. This session will explore how schools can take a proactive approach—helping students find the good in AI, understand its dangers, and, most importantly, build real-world belonging so they are less likely to seek unsafe connections online.

Why this matters:

AI is not just about ChatGPT and homework—students are facing deepfakes, body manipulation, AI-generated influencers, and romance chatbots that impact self-esteem and relationships.
Schools must go beyond banning AI—developing a framework that educates and safeguards students against misinformation and AI-driven deception.

Practical strategies & policy development:

Creating a schoolwide AI policy that provides clarity for students, teachers, and parents.
Teaching students and staff to recognize AI-generated deception, including deepfakes, AI-altered images, and algorithm-driven manipulation.
Addressing AI’s influence on online relationships, including AI chatbots and romance simulators.
Examining the impact of AI on mental health, particularly in body image manipulation and AI-generated influencers.
Building AI literacy into advisory, media literacy, and digital citizenship programs.
Educating parents on AI’s risks without fearmongering.

Key Takeaway: School leaders will leave with a clear roadmap for AI education and policy, along with practical strategies to teach AI literacy across different roles in the school.

Speakers

Allison Ochs

Founder and Owner, Edit change management -Digital Wellbeing and Citizenship

Saturday May 10, 2025 9:45am - 11:00am CST
2nd Floor Tech Cube

Whole Community (Anyone)

11:15am CST

Managing the Digital Shift: How Online Communication Impacts the Classroom & School Community (Repeat) LIMITED

Saturday May 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm CST

2nd Floor Tech Cube

Students bring their online conflicts into the classroom, but educators often lack the tools to address these digital behaviors effectively.
Bullying, exclusion, and miscommunication online have real consequences for school culture.

Practical strategies:

Identifying digital conflicts early before they disrupt classroom culture.
Establishing proactive classroom norms that prevent online bullying and exclusion.
Effective interventions when online meanness spills into in-person interactions.
Schoolwide safeguarding approaches to ensure students feel safe both online and offline.

Key Takeaway: Educators will learn specific techniques for noticing, addressing, and preventing digital conflicts while fostering a classroom culture of belonging.

Speakers

Allison Ochs

Founder and Owner, Edit change management -Digital Wellbeing and Citizenship

Saturday May 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:30pm CST
2nd Floor Tech Cube

Whole Community (Anyone)

1:30pm CST

Using Student Voice & Storytelling to Navigate Digital Belonging & Online Challenges LIMITED

Saturday May 10, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST

2nd Floor Tech Cube

Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to engage students, whether we’re addressing digital dilemmas, social struggles, or moments of feeling left out. Students don’t just hear stories—they connect with them, remember them, and take the lessons with them long after the conversation ends. This session explores how educators can use storytelling—both their own and their students—to spark meaningful discussions, tackle complex online issues, and create a stronger sense of belonging in the classroom.

Why this matters:

Students face digital challenges that adults do not always see.
Storytelling builds belonging—when students share their experiences, they realize they are not alone.

Practical strategies:

Student-led storytelling techniques to discuss digital dilemmas like exclusion, social media pressure, and online identity.
Facilitating digital storytelling projects that allow students to express themselves safely.
Teaching digital empathy through real student experiences.
Creating safe spaces where students can talk about digital pressures openly.

Key Takeaway: Educators will leave with practical tools to bring student voice into advisory, social-emotional learning, and classroom discussions, strengthening belonging through shared experience.

Speakers

Allison Ochs

Founder and Owner, Edit change management -Digital Wellbeing and Citizenship

Saturday May 10, 2025 1:30pm - 2:45pm CST
2nd Floor Tech Cube

Teachers/Staff/Administrators Session