BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
X-WR-CALNAME:mctefall2026conference
X-WR-CALDESC:Event Calendar
METHOD:PUBLISH
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
PRODID:-//Sched.com MCTE Fall 2026 Conference//EN
X-WR-TIMEZONE:UTC
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261015T213000Z
DTEND:20261016T000000Z
SUMMARY:Pre-Conference
DESCRIPTION:Did you know that Michigan is second only to California as the state with the most National Writing Project sites? At this pre-conference workshop\, attendees will join in roundtable discussions led by writing project leaders from across the state. The roundtable discussions will highlight new initiatives in the teaching of writing.Trixie Smith\, Director of the Red Cedar Writing Project and Jill Hoort\, RCWP Co-director and Literacy Consultant for Eaton RESA\, will focus on climate literacy and place-based writing using NWP’s Write-Out collaboration with National Parks.Troy Hicks from the Chippewa River Writing Project will present on their one-week institute at Central Michigan University’s Biological Station on Beaver Island\, which has been held since 2016 and engages teachers in a place-based\, inquiry-driven professional learning environment.Angela Knight of the Eastern Michigan Writing Project will share how she teaches pre-service teachers to notice and write about craft moves in Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angela Boulley.Lindsay Ellis\, Director of the Lake Michigan Writing Project will share the insights from their summer institute at Grand Valley State University.Leah Barnett and Jonathon Bartels\, co-Directors of the Oakland-Genesee Writing Project\, will share their work on Third Spaces with Teens\, in cooperation with the Philadelphia Writing Project. The work helps teachers provide engagement opportunities for young people to explore the history of when and where teens have gathered and connected with one another in both physical and digital spaces over time. Our teachers are finding ways to help students engage in cross-generational dialogue and consider the communication norms of “third spaces” in our communities.Tyler Detloff of Northern Shores Storywork Writing Project at Northern Michigan University in Marquette will talk about how he combines his role as Director of the Center for Native American Studies with Writing Project programs like storytelling and land acknowledgments. A table will be dedicated to materials for Everyday Advocacy\, a proactive approach to change designed to help educators find and raise their voices to change the public narrative about education. Led by the Eastern Michigan Writing Project under direction of Cathy Fleischer\, Everyday Advocacy offers hands-on support for teachers through a website\, YouTube Channel\, and free Playbook.\n
CATEGORIES:APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LEVELS
LOCATION:Red Cedar A/B\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:ee862d7e1c2771e46bfe7b0581c915ae
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/ee862d7e1c2771e46bfe7b0581c915ae
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T110000Z
DTEND:20261016T190000Z
SUMMARY:Exhibitor Space
DESCRIPTION:Join us in the Exhibitor Space all day long! Centennial Room A is located across from Big Ten.\n\nSchuler Books\nSchuler Books is an independent bookseller with four locations across Michigan. Even though our four stores are larger than the average independent bookstore\, we’re still small independent booksellers at heart. We value our relationships with the communities we serve and with our local and Michigan authors. Schuler Books will be bringing an assortment of curricular and professional books for purchase.\n\nGale Cengage: Lindsay Dzyngel\, Sales Rep\nGale\, part of Cengage Group\, partners with librarians and educators around the world to connect learners to essential content through user-friendly technology that enhances experiences and improves learning outcomes. For more than 65 years\, Gale has collaborated with academic institutions\, schools\, and public libraries around the world to empower the discovery of knowledge and insights that push the boundaries of traditional research and advance learners in all areas of life.\n\nJustWrite: Michael Nelson\, Founder\nThe JustWrite mission looks to empower the often overlooked and underappreciated voices of teen high school students and aid them\, through practice and experimentation\, to tell their creative stories\, thrive\, and be heard. This is done through a multi-genre creative interpretation and written expression competition\; students compose narratives and compete against other teen writers across the state at both the Regional and State level.\n\nCMU Online: Samantha Morris\, Assistant Director of Educational Outreach\nDeepen your expertise\, specialize in a new area\, or enhance your career without committing to a full graduate degree. CMU Online programs are focused\, flexible\, and aligned with the demands of today’s workforce. Led by experienced faculty\, each certificate program provides practical skills and knowledge that you can immediately apply to your job\, helping you advance in your current role or pivot to new career opportunities. With fully online courses\, you’ll have the flexibility to learn on your own schedule\, balancing work\, life\, and education.\n\nWKAR PBS & Michigan Learning Channel:&nbsp\;Robin Pizzo\, Director of Education\nThe mission of WKAR Public Media is to connect people to powerful ideas that inspire personal growth\, exploration of our world and positive change. WKAR Public Media is part of Michigan State University Broadcasting Services\, a division of MSU College of Communication Arts & Sciences. It includes WKAR-TV\, WKAR Radio\, WKAR.org\, Radio Reading Service\, WKAR Digital Studios\, and WKAR Family. WKAR EDUCATES to support school readiness\, connecting children\, wherever they are\, to engaging learning experiences. WKAR INSPIRES a love for reading by providing free books\, story time and literacy activities. WKAR INFORMS families and educators about learning together with interactive workshops\, PBS LearningMedia and PBS KIDS programming.\n\n\n\n
CATEGORIES:EXHIBITOR SPACE
LOCATION:Centennial Room C\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:9ba7ae82acd9c99e8b35ed98881984e3
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/9ba7ae82acd9c99e8b35ed98881984e3
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T113000Z
DTEND:20261016T122500Z
SUMMARY:Land Acknowledgement\, Membership Meeting\, Welcome\, and Continental Breakfast
DESCRIPTION:Registration will open at 7:00 am. Grab a pastry and a warm beverage and join us for the kick-off of #MCTE26!
CATEGORIES:APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LEVELS
LOCATION:Big Ten A\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:42616874e69317a43e08c95d3e55864e
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/42616874e69317a43e08c95d3e55864e
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T123000Z
DTEND:20261016T133000Z
SUMMARY:Keynote: title tbd
DESCRIPTION:tbd
CATEGORIES:APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LEVELS
LOCATION:Big Ten A\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:33b95a032b55d2c17964fa07f0c250c0
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/33b95a032b55d2c17964fa07f0c250c0
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T135000Z
DTEND:20261016T144000Z
SUMMARY:Amplifying New Voices: The Future is Now! Exploring 21st – Century Teaching Ideas with the Next Generation of English Teachers
DESCRIPTION:“The Future is Now” roundtable session provides space for undergraduate/graduate students and new teachers to share their innovative classroom research and creative teaching ideas. Attendees will hear 2-3 presentations and participate in a discussion on the topic(s). An inviting\, inclusive space that highlights the newest voices in our field.
CATEGORIES:APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LEVELS
LOCATION:Heritage Room\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:d2543b15869fa0894e84b9ec2a77d8af
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/d2543b15869fa0894e84b9ec2a77d8af
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T135000Z
DTEND:20261016T144000Z
SUMMARY:Keynote Follow Up: Title TBD
DESCRIPTION:tbd
CATEGORIES:APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LEVELS
LOCATION:Big Ten A\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:5b142dee7c4d37e6122cf7209be8f95c
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/5b142dee7c4d37e6122cf7209be8f95c
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T135000Z
DTEND:20261016T144000Z
SUMMARY:Mindfulness Space
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LEVELS
LOCATION:Room 104B\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:032ddaf89bb18d60ff0365cb8920b4d8
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/032ddaf89bb18d60ff0365cb8920b4d8
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T135000Z
DTEND:20261016T144000Z
SUMMARY:Picture Pathways: Writing—and Righting—the Places We Call Home
DESCRIPTION:Come explore a few ideas I’ve stolen and adapted over the years that help students understand how others write and adopt some of the strategies as students write in your class. This will be an interactive session where we review S.T.E.A.L. characterization\, tell T.I.M.E. with poetry and play ELI’s game.
CATEGORIES:APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LEVELS
LOCATION:tbd\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:4b72cf86e1860cbb3eed285a525c7537
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/4b72cf86e1860cbb3eed285a525c7537
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T135000Z
DTEND:20261016T144000Z
SUMMARY:Using Place-Based Learning as a Conduit to Disciplinary Literacy
DESCRIPTION:This session describes our journey in supporting instructional coaches as they developed a deeper understanding of the Disciplinary Literacy Essentials through local stories\, histories\, and contexts. Participants will explore our approach\, including values\, speakers\, materials\, and our place-based meeting structure\, designed to support coaching by centering place-based and adolescent pedagogies.
CATEGORIES:APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LEVELS
LOCATION:Room 102\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:e0b3b0205c6f75bda7bb7fff23f6213d
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/e0b3b0205c6f75bda7bb7fff23f6213d
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T135000Z
DTEND:20261016T144000Z
SUMMARY:College as a Foreign Language: Teaching Academic Discourse for Success
DESCRIPTION:This interactive workshop applies TESOL principles to college-preparatory and first-year college writing instruction\, addressing how academic language barriers prevent students from successfully transitioning to higher education discourse. Participants will collaboratively define academic vocabulary to help 11th-14th grade students navigate college-level writing expectations and claim agency in academic spaces.
CATEGORIES:HIGH SCHOOL (GRADES 9-12)
LOCATION:Room 61\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:d1ff396e4669d3efb6fdef8e9d81808c
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/d1ff396e4669d3efb6fdef8e9d81808c
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T135000Z
DTEND:20261016T144000Z
SUMMARY:Examining Opportunities and Challenges in Teaching Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) in the ELA Classroom
DESCRIPTION:This presentation examines how English teachers may incorporate Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) in curriculum and teaching. Attendees will consider how they may enact specific YPAR lessons and discuss opportunities and challenges they may encounter in this work. Presenters include ELA teachers involved in an ongoing YPAR Professional Learning Community.
CATEGORIES:HIGH SCHOOL (GRADES 9-12)
LOCATION:Michigamme Room\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:c1978e7ea1f2ce703d66e78fce528404
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/c1978e7ea1f2ce703d66e78fce528404
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T135000Z
DTEND:20261016T144000Z
SUMMARY:Write 313: Cultivating Detroit Writing Teacher Identities through Multiliteracies\, Space\, Place\, and Joy
DESCRIPTION:This teaching demonstration will showcase the work of the Detroit Writing Project\, a collective of Detroit secondary teachers and administrators and WSU literacy faculty as they foster joy\, multiliteracies\, space\, and place through writing instruction. Attendees will practice writing engagements to be adapted for their classroom setting(s).
CATEGORIES:HIGH SCHOOL (GRADES 9-12)
LOCATION:Room 103B\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:7763949bafbe6efe3ff68c3232e7b942
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/7763949bafbe6efe3ff68c3232e7b942
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T135000Z
DTEND:20261016T144000Z
SUMMARY:Neuroplasticity\, Literacy\, and Humane Classrooms
DESCRIPTION:This interactive session explores adolescent brain development\, executive functioning\, literacy instruction\, and translanguaging through the lens of culturally sustaining and anti-racist pedagogy. Participants will consider and weigh routines and strategies that support students’ emotional well-being\, identity development\, reading\, writing\, and sense of belonging during this critical period of neuroplasticity.
CATEGORIES:MIDDLE SCHOOL (GRADES 6-8)
LOCATION:Room 110\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:af174fc4d369037ff0b627b6162e6b15
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/af174fc4d369037ff0b627b6162e6b15
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T135000Z
DTEND:20261016T144000Z
SUMMARY:Stories Rooted in Place: Indigenous Mentor Texts for Authentic Writing Instruction
DESCRIPTION:Using Indigenous children’s literature as mentor texts\, this session explores how educators can foster authentic writing through place-based learning and connections to the land. Participants will discover opportunities to honor Indigenous perspectives\, strengthen student voice\, and inspire meaningful writing experiences rooted in Michigan’s communities\, landscapes\, and stories.
CATEGORIES:PRE-K THROUGH EARLY ELEMENTARY (PRE-K TO GRADE 2)
LOCATION:Room 103A\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:a48d27deb0dd78319f6f7c20d6ccfdd9
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/a48d27deb0dd78319f6f7c20d6ccfdd9
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T135000Z
DTEND:20261016T144000Z
SUMMARY:MCEE Meeting
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:TEACHER EDUCATION
LOCATION:Room 104A\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:2ae6e435f5897f7be401d94f0b083300
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/2ae6e435f5897f7be401d94f0b083300
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T135000Z
DTEND:20261016T144000Z
SUMMARY:What Makes Me\, Me? Exploring the Identities of Characters and Ourselves
DESCRIPTION:Our presentation supports teachers in fostering a classroom environment where all identities are seen and valued. We will share strategies for modeling identity exploration with characters during read-alouds to support reading comprehension and contribute to students’ understanding of intersectionality in their own lives and the world around them.
CATEGORIES:UPPER ELEMENTARY (GRADES 3-5)
LOCATION:Room 62\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:9ca69f3b5aaf2fb4ca7989a594b7c3b3
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/9ca69f3b5aaf2fb4ca7989a594b7c3b3
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T145000Z
DTEND:20261016T154000Z
SUMMARY:Building Writing Identity Through Choice and Place-Based Writing at the Elementary Level
DESCRIPTION:How can elementary students discover that their stories\, communities\, and voices matter? This session explores how place-based writing practices can strengthen writing identity and engagement for young writers in both classroom and after-school settings. Participants will experience authentic writing invitations rooted in students’ lived experiences\, examine how free-choice writing nurtures agency and confidence\, and learn how offering prompt choices—even for kindergarten students—supports ownership and stamina. Attendees will leave with practical strategies\, adaptable writing routines\, and student-centered ideas for helping children write themselves into the world around them.
CATEGORIES:APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LEVELS
LOCATION:Room 110\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:af9029912977928fc0347d96f8e12c29
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/af9029912977928fc0347d96f8e12c29
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T145000Z
DTEND:20261016T154000Z
SUMMARY:It’s All About Relationships! Collaboration and Connection in the Middle School ELA Classroom
DESCRIPTION:The presenters\, a retired English Education professor and a seventh grade ELA teacher\, describe their two-year alliance as team educators\, providing detailed steps for developing similar initiatives. Participants are invited to engage with the presenters (and each other) to consider the unexpected\, enriching collaborative\, volunteer possibilities within their own communities.
CATEGORIES:APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LEVELS
LOCATION:Room 104A\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:10360364300f9d88a04ac4914f175f0c
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/10360364300f9d88a04ac4914f175f0c
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T145000Z
DTEND:20261016T154000Z
SUMMARY:Mindfulness Space
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LEVELS
LOCATION:Room 104B\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:e9270968bf45d63986b84bc30dc8102a
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/e9270968bf45d63986b84bc30dc8102a
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T145000Z
DTEND:20261016T154000Z
SUMMARY:Opening the Door: How Cooperating Teachers Help Student Teachers Build Classroom Relationships
DESCRIPTION:This session highlights how cooperating teachers can intentionally support student teachers in building strong classroom relationships. Through practical strategies and shared experiences\, participants will explore how mentorship\, structured opportunities\, and gradual release of responsibility help student teachers establish trust\, connection\, and presence from the start.
CATEGORIES:APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LEVELS
LOCATION:Room 104A\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:5099206008d1e8e6ff3253f8f23add03
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/5099206008d1e8e6ff3253f8f23add03
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T145000Z
DTEND:20261016T154000Z
SUMMARY:Students Read and Write Climate Flash Fiction and Flash Memoirs
DESCRIPTION:Teachers will learn ways to make the climate crisis personal\, local\, and meaningful by reading and writing and flash fiction and memoirs. The approach addresses climate anxiety\, as students develop awareness and discover how their writing can educate and motivate others.
CATEGORIES:APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LEVELS
LOCATION:Michigamme Room\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:b2540186b090017cb98c0ba73a9d4826
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/b2540186b090017cb98c0ba73a9d4826
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T145000Z
DTEND:20261016T154000Z
SUMMARY:The Power of a Book: How Secondary Classroom Literature Can Be an Instrument for Racial Justice
DESCRIPTION:Racial and ethnic injustices in education can seem difficult to combat. However\, we can use the tools available to us as instruments for change. Considering challenges faced by students of color when choosing classroom literature can subvert institutional injustice\, thereby helping students develop their identities in a structurally racist society.
CATEGORIES:HIGH SCHOOL (GRADES 9-12)
LOCATION:Room 102\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:376592ae651840b6f3bce855bdf19661
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/376592ae651840b6f3bce855bdf19661
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T145000Z
DTEND:20261016T154000Z
SUMMARY:Understanding Artificial Intelligence through Environmental Advocacy
DESCRIPTION:In this session\, participants will explore means of student environmental advocacy at the local level through the lens of AI’s impact. Strategies include place-based learning\, integrating guest speakers from local environmental organizations\, practicing professional writing through letters to state representatives\, and methods to transform student practice into meaningful community action.
CATEGORIES:HIGH SCHOOL (GRADES 9-12)
LOCATION:Room 103B\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:a375bdd27e61ae7ed87d86e81f659a8c
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/a375bdd27e61ae7ed87d86e81f659a8c
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T145000Z
DTEND:20261016T154000Z
SUMMARY:Verse by Verse\, Voice by Voice: Using Novels-in-Verse as a Collaborative Gateway to Student-Authored Historical Narratives
DESCRIPTION:Two educators\, along with a literacy consultant and published author\, share how novels-in-verse serve as mentor texts for students crafting their own verse novels on self-selected historical topics. By centering student autonomy\, this collaborative model helps students discover voice\, explore perspective\, and write stories history has overlooked.
CATEGORIES:HIGH SCHOOL (GRADES 9-12)
LOCATION:Room 61\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:42517357bfc4b54305418b5ae3e184ff
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/42517357bfc4b54305418b5ae3e184ff
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T145000Z
DTEND:20261016T154000Z
SUMMARY:When Nature Speaks Back: Shakespeare\, Climate\, and Place-Based Teaching
DESCRIPTION:This interactive session explores Shakespeare through ecology\, climate\, and place-based teaching. Participants will analyze how storms\, landscapes\, and environmental disruption shape plays\, such as Macbeth\, King Lear\, and The Tempest while pairing the Bard with contemporary eco-literature and Michigan-centered classroom activities connected to land\, storytelling\, and environmental imagination.
CATEGORIES:HIGH SCHOOL (GRADES 9-12)
LOCATION:Heritage Room\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:c0cb7f085dbca1f5337670abbd79f402
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/c0cb7f085dbca1f5337670abbd79f402
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T145000Z
DTEND:20261016T154000Z
SUMMARY:Where We Stand: Creating community partnerships for teaching place based justice
DESCRIPTION:This presentation explores a partnership between a local school and a tribal historian where students gained insight into Native experiences in their community. Attendees will leave with practical ideas for developing lessons and finding resources that encourage students to grapple with the hard histories connected to their own communities.
CATEGORIES:HIGH SCHOOL (GRADES 9-12)
LOCATION:Room 62\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:0672599f0ea7e3fda2b35546640d0dc5
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/0672599f0ea7e3fda2b35546640d0dc5
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T145000Z
DTEND:20261016T154000Z
SUMMARY:Your Story is My Story: Using Graphic Novels to Explore Personal\, Cultural and Historical Identities
DESCRIPTION:In this interactive session\, participants will engage with personal\, cultural and historical identities through the use of graphic novels (GN) focusing on international genocide. Participants will explore their own identity stories and connect those with GN characters and other session participants using identity maps and culturally responsive teaching strategies.
CATEGORIES:HIGH SCHOOL (GRADES 9-12)
LOCATION:Room 103A\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:962eb9cabac501f6d5e83b64c22c08f0
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/962eb9cabac501f6d5e83b64c22c08f0
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T145000Z
DTEND:20261016T154000Z
SUMMARY:Grounding the Immigrant Teacher: Developing a Critical Transnational Pedagogy of the Commons
DESCRIPTION:This workshop explores critical transnational pedagogy to address the immigrant teacher's dilemma on occupied land. Synthesizing Freirean dialogue and Shiva’s ecological philosophy\, I interrogate global capitalism and curricular monocultures. Through collaborative analysis of counter-mapping artifacts\, this session equips educators to cultivate student agency\, honor linguistic diversity\, and foster human-earth interconnectedness.
CATEGORIES:TEACHER EDUCATION
LOCATION:Willy Room\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:f507eb6c094f991022bedd0edf301b9b
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/f507eb6c094f991022bedd0edf301b9b
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T154500Z
DTEND:20261016T170000Z
SUMMARY:Luncheon
DESCRIPTION:Pick up your box lunch in Centennial A. Your nametag includes a letter (C\, R\, V) that indicates whether you selected a chicken wrap\, a roast beef wrap\, or a vegan wrap when you registered.
CATEGORIES:APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LEVELS
LOCATION:Big Ten A\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:b3acf0a54f7f1d6c064372d90f623f97
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/b3acf0a54f7f1d6c064372d90f623f97
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T161000Z
DTEND:20261016T165000Z
SUMMARY:Luncheon Address: tbd
DESCRIPTION:tbd
CATEGORIES:APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LEVELS
LOCATION:Big Ten A\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:baa76ad4e6dce826aef56293d887cf17
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/baa76ad4e6dce826aef56293d887cf17
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T171000Z
DTEND:20261016T180000Z
SUMMARY:Mindfulness Space
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LEVELS
LOCATION:Room 104B\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:41a93cfb073f9c76a6a092f26c2a9e03
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/41a93cfb073f9c76a6a092f26c2a9e03
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T171000Z
DTEND:20261016T180000Z
SUMMARY:"Make Every Day Meaningful:" Student-Centered Approaches to Teaching in a Youth Detention Center Classroom
DESCRIPTION:This presentation showcases examples of humanizing\, responsive\, and place-based pedagogy within a youth prison. Specifically\, the educators demonstrate how relevant texts\, centering student voice\, and authentic writing are supportive of incarcerated student learning. Teachers from all contexts will be able to implement humanizing classroom practices shared in this presentation.
CATEGORIES:HIGH SCHOOL (GRADES 9-12)
LOCATION:Room 61\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:c439eb4bcbdfb2cfc0679eac92fe190d
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/c439eb4bcbdfb2cfc0679eac92fe190d
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T171000Z
DTEND:20261016T180000Z
SUMMARY:20 years of place-based writing: The benefit of returning to write in the same place year after year
DESCRIPTION:What are the benefits of an annual writing marathon that draws writers outside to write at the same locations year after year? This presentation will offer two broad answers: noticing changes in the place\, and noticing changes in the person. Participants will write about a single location across four seasons and brainstorm applications to K-12 contexts.
CATEGORIES:HIGH SCHOOL (GRADES 9-12)
LOCATION:Room 102\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:e1249c3e1e02ffbec10d8b16888fc28e
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/e1249c3e1e02ffbec10d8b16888fc28e
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T171000Z
DTEND:20261016T180000Z
SUMMARY:Affirming Students’ Voice and Choice: Enacting Inquiry-Based Grammar Instruction in Culturally-Relevant Ways
DESCRIPTION:This session explores inquiry-based grammar instruction that affirms students’ existing language practices while fostering their curiosity about the relationship between their purposes\, language choices and power as writers. Presenters share from two 10th grade ELA contexts\, one with a majority of multilingual learners and another with predominantly White English speakers.
CATEGORIES:HIGH SCHOOL (GRADES 9-12)
LOCATION:Michigamme Room\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:e13c1eb7b47d9de30bc78fa011a1cbdb
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/e13c1eb7b47d9de30bc78fa011a1cbdb
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T171000Z
DTEND:20261016T180000Z
SUMMARY:Beneath Our Feet\, Above the Horizon: Using Local History and Science to Drive Student Writing
DESCRIPTION:What stories live beneath our feet and in the stars above? Discover how place-based writing connects history\, science\, identity\, and student voice using Michigan history and Anishinaabe star knowledge. This session offers ready-to-use\, interdisciplinary strategies for all grade levels\, leaving participants with tools and projects to use in their classroom.
CATEGORIES:HIGH SCHOOL (GRADES 9-12)
LOCATION:Room 103B\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:fdbb1868106bbfa4c32fdc7613f7062f
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/fdbb1868106bbfa4c32fdc7613f7062f
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T171000Z
DTEND:20261016T180000Z
SUMMARY:Shared Values\, Shared Voices
DESCRIPTION:Effective assessment helps students understand and take ownership of their learning. It’s important to recognize that students enter classrooms with long histories shaping how they value language. Our challenge as teachers\, then\, is to consider how assessment practices can help us and our students align our values together.
CATEGORIES:HIGH SCHOOL (GRADES 9-12)
LOCATION:Heritage Room\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:5ade1a0ca5822a3c7b90d1a4558e2dc0
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/5ade1a0ca5822a3c7b90d1a4558e2dc0
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T171000Z
DTEND:20261016T180000Z
SUMMARY:What Campbell Can't See: Placing Indigenous Narrative Alongside the Hero's Journey in Secondary ELA Classrooms
DESCRIPTION:What stories do we teach\, and which do we overlook? By placing Leslie Marmon Silko's Yellow Woman stories alongside Campbell's Hero's Journey\, participants will examine what becomes visible when a narrative model often treated as universal encounters a different storytelling tradition. Participants will leave with classroom-ready resources and discussion strategies.
CATEGORIES:HIGH SCHOOL (GRADES 9-12)
LOCATION:Willy Room\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:27612b76153270dd71265002d9137803
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/27612b76153270dd71265002d9137803
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T171000Z
DTEND:20261016T180000Z
SUMMARY:Whose Stories Travel Here? Route Maps to Narrative Vignettes
DESCRIPTION:In this interactive session\, conference participants map a familiar\, shared\, or imagined route\; study place-based mentor texts\; and draft a narrative vignette. This middle school writing sequence uses routes and public places to teach craft while helping students examine whose stories\, languages\, movements\, and memories are centered in everyday places.
CATEGORIES:MIDDLE SCHOOL (GRADES 6-8)
LOCATION:Room 103A\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:ac72157bd6200559b72cf6c86c81bf0f
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/ac72157bd6200559b72cf6c86c81bf0f
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T171000Z
DTEND:20261016T180000Z
SUMMARY:Literacy Justice in Action: Reimagining Early Intervention Through Family and Community
DESCRIPTION:In response to the literacy crisis\, this session is a Teacher-led literacy justice pilot program grounded in culturally responsive teaching\, family partnership\, and relationship-centered literacy instruction. Participants will examine how individualized family communication\, identity-affirming texts\, and home-school literacy practices increased engagement\, confidence\, and reading growth among historically marginalized first-grade readers in Detroit.
CATEGORIES:PRE-K THROUGH EARLY ELEMENTARY (PRE-K TO GRADE 2)
LOCATION:Room 62\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:1dc24a0035f843d64a3010527cc115f8
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/1dc24a0035f843d64a3010527cc115f8
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T171000Z
DTEND:20261016T180000Z
SUMMARY:Writing/Righting AI: Critical Literacy\, Place\, and the Myth of Neutral Technology
DESCRIPTION:In this interactive session\, participants will examine how generative AI represents Michigan places\, communities\, and language practices. Through a place-based AI audit and writing activity\, participants will develop classroom strategies that can help students critically read technology\, challenge deficit narratives\, and write toward more just representations of their homeplaces.
CATEGORIES:TEACHER EDUCATION
LOCATION:Room 110\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:9223c1314d51bd305b3bf60aeb52240f
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/9223c1314d51bd305b3bf60aeb52240f
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T171000Z
DTEND:20261016T180000Z
SUMMARY:Claiming Place and Voice: Decolonizing Literacy Instruction in the Upper Elementary Classroom
DESCRIPTION:This session examines decolonizing and critical literacy pedagogies that support upper elementary students’ place-making and voice through writing/righting. Drawing on BIPOC picture books as mentor texts\, participants analyze writing practices that foreground storytelling\, counterstorytelling\, and the disruption of stereotypes historically reproduced within conventional Language Arts curricula.
CATEGORIES:UPPER ELEMENTARY (GRADES 3-5)
LOCATION:Room 104A\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:31d8eda7b78b0798f4ad3eec070dee1d
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/31d8eda7b78b0798f4ad3eec070dee1d
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T181000Z
DTEND:20261016T190000Z
SUMMARY:DIJE Equity: Title TBD
DESCRIPTION:tbd
CATEGORIES:APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LEVELS
LOCATION:Room 104A\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:b7e10da4048cb85fcacee1461a4a0613
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/b7e10da4048cb85fcacee1461a4a0613
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T181000Z
DTEND:20261016T190000Z
SUMMARY:DIJE Inclusion: Title TBD
DESCRIPTION:tbd
CATEGORIES:APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LEVELS
LOCATION:Michigamme Room\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:69c3d1c51bcb9c5200a61c9220e15a95
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/69c3d1c51bcb9c5200a61c9220e15a95
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T181000Z
DTEND:20261016T190000Z
SUMMARY:Mindfulness Space
DESCRIPTION:
CATEGORIES:APPROPRIATE FOR ALL LEVELS
LOCATION:Room 104B\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:190dd3d6ab378d24e993da675024fd58
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/190dd3d6ab378d24e993da675024fd58
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T181000Z
DTEND:20261016T190000Z
SUMMARY:Constellations of Care: Humanizing the English Curriculum
DESCRIPTION:In this session\, attendees will explore a theory of identity and a humanizing approach to curriculum known as “Constellations of Care.” Attendees will be able to learn and collaborate new writing strategies\, approaches to their curriculum\, and develop their own understandings of their respective constellations of care.
CATEGORIES:HIGH SCHOOL (GRADES 9-12)
LOCATION:Room 61\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:0cd97e0dce4ac53189f9fc2d5417509f
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/0cd97e0dce4ac53189f9fc2d5417509f
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T181000Z
DTEND:20261016T190000Z
SUMMARY:Rooted in Identity\, Grounded in Place: Using Intersectionality to Rewrite the Narratives Our Students Inherit
DESCRIPTION:This workshop grounds identity work in place-based pedagogy. Using the Social Identity Wheel\, media literacy analysis\, and a “Rewrite the Narrative” writing activity\, participants examine how intersecting identities — race\, gender\, sexuality\, ability — shape how students are seen in their communities and classrooms\, and practice writing more liberatory\, place-affirming student stories.
CATEGORIES:HIGH SCHOOL (GRADES 9-12)
LOCATION:Heritage Room\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:360d7055d6db168dc69295243750d367
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/360d7055d6db168dc69295243750d367
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T181000Z
DTEND:20261016T190000Z
SUMMARY:Teachers at the Helm: Building Sustainable School Culture Through Teacher Inquiry
DESCRIPTION:This practitioner inquiry examines staff morale and school culture within an urban Detroit high school through anonymous surveys and participatory reflection activities. Centering educator voice\, the session looks at how structured and informal feedback practices can surface tensions that are often not spoken directly\, while also making space to rebuild trust and strengthen relationships among staff. The work connects these practices to efforts to support antiracist school improvement rooted in shared responsibility\, care for one another\, and holding the institution accountable for what staff experience day to day.
CATEGORIES:HIGH SCHOOL (GRADES 9-12)
LOCATION:Room 110\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:59c0a9efcbaf2c6400bea5ecd56cd7ad
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/59c0a9efcbaf2c6400bea5ecd56cd7ad
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T181000Z
DTEND:20261016T190000Z
SUMMARY:There's No Place Like Home: Poetry as Sanctuary
DESCRIPTION:How do we cultivate a sense of sanctuary in an era of displacement? This interactive workshop explores how to use place-based poetry to help students navigate identity and belonging. Drawing on the power of indigenous and nature-based poets\, participants will learn strategies to transform writing classrooms into sanctuaries.
CATEGORIES:HIGH SCHOOL (GRADES 9-12)
LOCATION:Room 103A/B\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:771d29f1c19aa86ab77356045388c546
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/771d29f1c19aa86ab77356045388c546
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T181000Z
DTEND:20261016T190000Z
SUMMARY:Who Gets to Go Off Script? Positionality\, Place\, and Antiracist ELA Teaching Writing
DESCRIPTION:This interactive session invites ELA teachers to examine how positionality shapes who can adapt\, question\, or resist prescribed curricula. Drawing from a high school English case\, participants will analyze pedagogical privilege\, identify local curricular tensions\, and design antiracist discussion moves\, text pairings\, or writing prompts for their own classrooms.
CATEGORIES:HIGH SCHOOL (GRADES 9-12)
LOCATION:Room 102\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:484f7f16a194d134842008d077dc7d96
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/484f7f16a194d134842008d077dc7d96
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTAMP:20260904T230647Z
DTSTART:20261016T181000Z
DTEND:20261016T190000Z
SUMMARY:Centering Transnational Students’ Voices and Affirming Their Assets Through Visual Storytelling in ELA
DESCRIPTION:In this session\, you will explore some visual composition approaches centering the histories\, memories\, and voices of marginalized transnational students’ and their connections with lands. Approaches include “artifactual storytelling”\, centering non/immigrant students’ voices through artifacts connecting them with their places\, ways-of-knowing and memories\, and “inside-outside narrative”\, reflective upon their identities.
CATEGORIES:MIDDLE SCHOOL (GRADES 6-8)
LOCATION:Willy Room\, Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center\, East Lansing\, MI\, USA
SEQUENCE:0
UID:bdb733a7e93b3c286187880836dd30bf
URL:http://mctefall2026conference.sched.com/event/bdb733a7e93b3c286187880836dd30bf
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR