ITEC Fall Conference 2026

Over 2,500 students across 43 Iowa schools are already engaged in invention education. Experience the invention process firsthand in this interactive, hands-on workshop where you'll become an inventor and discover how easy it is to integrate innovation into any grade, any subject. You'll leave with free, ready-to-use curriculum tailored to the grade you teach, practical strategies to launch student invention projects, and tools to help students participate in the Iowa Invention Convention.


Through invention education, students develop the skills that are often the hardest to teach—confidence, creativity, resilience, problem-solving, and real-world application. Join a growing network of educators bringing invention to life in their classrooms, and leave with the resources, support, and inspiration to do the same.

This session demonstrates how to transform middle school study hall into an active STEAM Learning Lab by pairing academic accountability with hands-on challenge stations. Students first complete their required academic work (classwork, homework, or late work) before earning access to self-directed STEAM exploration. Guided by PBIS "BARK" expectations (Be Safe, Act Responsibly, Respect Others, Keep Achieving), students engage in robotics, 3D design, stop-motion animation, and engineering challenges. 

I teach Digital Media and Production through our student-led Tiger Vision program at Carroll High School. My goal is to create authentic learning experiences where students use technology, creativity, and collaboration to produce work that has a real purpose and audience. Whether they're designing graphics, creating social media content, managing the Tiger Shop, or producing livestreams, students are telling the story of our school while building skills they'll use beyond high school.


In this session, I'll share how we've built a student-driven program that gives students ownership of their learning while helping them develop the communication, collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving skills that employers value. My hope is that educators leave with practical ideas and the confidence to create authentic opportunities where students use technology to make meaningful contributions to their schools and communities.

Ready to make something? Discover how a Maker Mindset empowers creativity, problem-solving, and innovation. CTLT staff from Iowa State University will showcase maker tools, share adaptable Maker Challenges, and guide participants through a hands-on project. Leave with classroom-ready ideas and inspiration to spark meaningful learning through making.

Participate in a student activity and then leave with a list to level-up your student engagement and curiosity in Computer Science