Dr. Catlin R. Tucker is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, international trainer, and professor in the Masters in the Arts of Teaching Program at Pepperdine University. She taught for 16 years in Sonoma County, where she was named Teacher of the Year in 2010.

Catlin has written a series of books on blended learning including,  The Shift to Student-led,  The Complete Guide to Blended Learning,  UDL and Blended Learning: Thriving in Flexible Learning Landscapes,  Balance With Blended Learning,  Blended Learning In Action,  Power Up Blended Learning, and  Blended Learning In Grades 4-12. In addition to her books on blended learning, Catlin writes an internationally-ranked blog and hosts a podcast called  The Balance.

Catlin earned her BA in English literature from the University of California at Los Angeles. She earned her English credential and Masters in Education at the University of California at Santa Barbara. In 2020, Catlin earned her doctorate in learning technologies at Pepperdine University, researching teacher engagement in blended learning environments.

This session will demonstrate how student-led learning, guided by Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, empowers learners to take ownership of their education at all levels. Participants will explore Grade 1 projects that foster systems thinking through hands-on activities, such as creating farm-to-table diagrams and designing board games with interconnected components, alongside undergraduate Geographic Information Systems (GIS) projects that emphasize real-world problem-solving and inquiry.  What can participants expect to explore or learn from your presentation? Participants will explore how student-led learning strategies can be adapted and scaled across age levels, including:  Creative Systems Thinking for Young Learners: Grade 1 students were guided to design systems like farm-to-table models, visualizing and labeling interconnected components. They also conceptualized board games where the rules, pieces, and pathways represented a functional system. These activities built foundational problem-solving skills and a deep understanding of how parts work together.  Inquiry-Based Learning for Undergraduates: GIS students tackled complex real-world issues, such as analyzing environmental impacts or designing spatial data projects aligned with their professional goals. By offering autonomy and choice, students created meaningful work showcasing advanced critical thinking and technical skills.  Application Across Age Levels: Participants will learn how to adapt these strategies for their classrooms by:  Using UDL principles to scaffold and support diverse learners. Balancing guidance and autonomy to foster creativity and engagement. Encouraging reflection and peer sharing as part of the learning process. Educators will leave with practical ideas to integrate systems thinking and inquiry-based learning into their teaching, regardless of grade level or subject area.

As advanced learning teachers, we are able to work with the highest achieving students in our setting.  We recognize the need for enrichment in addition to the rigorous core curriculum. In our presentation, we will highlight a variety of approaches to student-led enrichment in math and reading.  Participants can expect to walk away with concrete ideas about how to encourage students to use critical thinking and analysis to help their ideas come to life.  In addition, participants will also learn about approaches for implementing structures that allow for students to propose ideas and projects to extend their learning.  

Overview -This interactive session explores how visual note-taking strategies can transform passive learners into active designers of their learning experience. Participants will discover how these techniques naturally align with Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles while fostering student autonomy and metacognition. *Learning Objectives* Participants will: - Experience firsthand the cognitive benefits of visual note-taking through guided practice, analyze how visual notes support diverse learning preferences and abilities, and develop strategies for implementing visual note-taking across different subject areas *Session Description* In today's diverse classrooms, educators face the challenge of meeting varied learning needs while fostering student agency. This workshop demonstrates how visual note-taking serves as a powerful tool for achieving both goals. Through hands-on activities, participants will explore how visual notes:  - Allow students to process information in personally meaningful ways - Support executive functioning and memory retention - Provide natural differentiation opportunities - Enhance student engagement and ownership of learning *Takeaway Resources* Attendees will receive: - A packet with examples is several subjects - Research-based evidence supporting visual note-taking - list of resources to refer to to start using visual notes in their classroom

Learn how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles can be applied across disciplines to enhance students' digital literacy, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving skills. Drawing from a Digital Media Literacy curriculum, participants will explore how lessons on evaluating online sources, analyzing media bias, integrating AI tools ethically, and designing 3D projects can be adapted to suit the unique goals of English, History, Science, Arts, and beyond. Through hands-on activities and practical strategies, attendees will leave with adaptable tools and techniques for embedding ethical decision-making, credible research, and multimodal learning into any subject area.

Roycemore has three signature programs providing self-led, project-based-learning opportunities across all fourteen grades at our school. In adapting these programs over the years, we have created a framework which allows for increasing independence and autonomy as the students move through early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school levels. As the coordinator of these programs, I will share a bit about them and how they have changed over the years. Attendees can see the ways in which we incorporate executive function, practicing failure and perseverance, self exploration, and self accountability in each program; these methods can be implemented in other schools and classrooms as many pull on PBL and UDL concepts.

Educators will learn about bringing student presenters to conferences and workshops. They will hear directly from students about the benefits and value it has brought to their own education. They will learn about the case study of Lake Forest Country Day School: how we started utilizing student presenters, the number of our students that have presented, and area conferences our students have participated in. They will also learn the logistics and process that Lake Forest Country Day School uses to implement our program.