0:00 – 0:05 | Welcome & Framing
Introduce presenters (general educator/EdTech leader/parent to AAC users + AAC consultant).
Pose opening question: “What would change in our classrooms if curiosity and wonder were daily outcomes, not rare moments?”
State session goals: broaden perspectives, share practical EdTech strategies, leave with day-one-ready moves.
0:05 – 0:12 | Setting the Context
Share stories from both presenters:
Example of compliance/routine-driven instruction.
Example of transformation when belonging + curiosity were centered.
Connect to ISTE Standards (Designer, Facilitator, Empowered Learner) and TLPs (Cultivate Belonging, Spark Curiosity).
0:12 – 0:25 | Mindset Shift 1 → Behavior is Communication
Mindset: Behavior communicates needs/barriers, not just misbehavior.
Protocol: Classroom Autopsy → investigate triggers/environment.
EdTech Practice: Model collaborative reflection with Padlet/Jamboard.
Curricular Example: Science lab scenario — students identify supports that helped or hindered participation.
Audience Activity: Small groups map possible “autopsies” using digital boards.
0:25 – 0:38 | Mindset Shift 2 → Fair ≠ Equal
Mindset: Fairness = each learner gets what they need.
Protocol: Tool vs. Cheat → define the difference with students.
EdTech Practice: Use Mentimeter/Live Poll for group votes.
Curricular Example: Math/ELA task — is text-to-speech a tool or a cheat?
Audience Activity: Polling activity + debrief on classroom framing.
0:38 – 0:52 | Mindset Shift 3 → Fix Systems, Not Students
Mindset: Barriers often come from rigid systems, not students.
Protocol: UDL Micro-Moves.
EdTech Practice: Show LMS features (captioning, multimodal submissions, accessibility checkers).
Curricular Example: History/social studies assignment redesigned with UDL.
Audience Activity: Quick exploration of UDL options in familiar tools (Google Classroom, Canvas, Kami, Book Creator, etc.).
0:52 – 0:57 | Synthesis & Takeaways
Revisit the guiding question.
Tie back to belonging + curiosity.
Highlight how tech + small shifts = next-day change.
0:57 – 1:00 | Reflection & Closing
Exit Ticket: Digital prompt (e.g., Padlet or Poll Everywhere): “Which small shift will you try tomorrow?”
Invite continued connection + resources.
After this session, participants will be able to:
Recognize how routine-driven practices, while practical, can unintentionally limit curiosity and engagement, and how technology can help shift toward more inclusive and inspiring learning environments.
Apply three approachable mindset shifts that reframe teaching as curiosity-driven and equitable, using technology to design for learner variability (Educator as Designer) and foster student agency (Educator as Facilitator).
Implement classroom-ready, technology-supported strategies (e.g., collaborative “Classroom Autopsy” boards, polling tools for Tool vs. Cheat discussions, and LMS accessibility features for UDL) that empower students to take ownership of their learning (Student as Empowered Learner).
“Development and Testing of the Curiosity in Classrooms Framework” — Jirout, Shah, et al.
This article introduces a coding instrument (CiC) to observe and categorize instructional practices that promote curiosity. It’s useful for showing how curiosity can be made observable in real classrooms.
“The effectiveness of universal design for learning: A systematic study and meta-analysis”
This meta-analysis examines the impact of UDL implementation in educational settings, showing that UDL supports better accessibility and improved outcomes across varied learners.
“The psychology and neuroscience of curiosity” (PMC, NCBI)
This review explores curiosity’s cognitive and neural basis, positioning it as a motivator for learning and memory—helpful for explaining why curiosity matters at a deep level.
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