NETA 2026: Full Schedule

The NETA Board is excited to welcome you to a dynamic learning experience on April 30-May 1,2026, at the Younes Conference Center North in Kearney, Nebraska.

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10:15am CDT

Authentic Connection: Building Real Relationships in a Digital World

Thursday April 30, 2026 10:15am - 11:00am CDT

Bronze 2

In an increasingly isolated world, where technology increases quantity but reduces quality, human connection is more vital than ever. As parasocial relationships with online creators and influencers grow, more young people are turning to digital spaces for a sense of belonging and connection. Join us to explore lessons from Common Sense that teach students how to establish healthy digital boundaries and emphasize the importance of real-world relationships and genuine human connections.

Speakers

Adam Vinter

Education Outreach Manager, Common Sense Media

Adam is an Education Outreach Manager at Omaha Public Schools in Omaha, Nebraska. He collaborates with Common Sense Media to help regional educators, students, and families approach media and technology thoughtfully while building healthy habits at school and home. By providing trustworthy... Read More →

Thursday April 30, 2026 10:15am - 11:00am CDT
Bronze 2

Concurrent Session

Company Computer Science, Elementary
Audience Computer Science, Digital Citizenship, Library Media, Social Emotional Learning
Subject Elementary
Area Novice

10:15am CDT

Surviving on Coffee, Chrome Tabs, and Cool Classroom Tech.

Thursday April 30, 2026 10:15am - 11:00am CDT

Silver 8

Get ready to walk away with ready-to-implement tech strategies that energize student participation and elevate the look and impact of your teaching. A smorgasbord of free (or cheap), easy to use websites that make your presentations pop!

Speakers

Jachob Wiedeburg

4th Grade & High Ability Learning Teacher, Sidney Public Schools

Thursday April 30, 2026 10:15am - 11:00am CDT
Silver 8

Mini Session

Company Elementary, Teaching & Learning
Audience Canva, Classroom Management, Digital Citizenship, Multimedia
Subject All Levels
Area All

11:15am CDT

Digital Storytelling in the Primary Grades

Thursday April 30, 2026 11:15am - 12:00pm CDT

Silver 8

Use a digital approach to promote effective pedagogy and build essential communication skills. Inspire your emerging writers with a multimedia approach that builds essential writing skills by taking advantage of multimodal forms of communication. authentic opportunity to build reading, writing, speaking, and listening literacy skills.

https://www.thecreativeeducator.com/2018/articles/digital-storytelling-in-the-primary-classroom

Speakers

Melinda Kolk

Editor, Creative Educator magazine

Melinda is the Editor of Creative Educator magazine. For the past 25 years, Melinda has led workshops at schools around the world and presentations at education conferences, such as CUE, ASCD and ISTE, on the topics of creativity, project-based learning, and open-ended technologies... Read More →

Thursday April 30, 2026 11:15am - 12:00pm CDT
Silver 8

Concurrent Session

Company Elementary, Tech Integration Specialist
Audience Creation/Design Tools, Language Arts, Library Media, Primary Elementary (Pre K-2nd)
Subject Early Childhood/Pre-Kindergarten, Elementary
Area Novice

1:00pm CDT

Exploring Elementary Computer Science

Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT

Bronze 3

Curious about how to effectively teach Computer Science in elementary schools? Discover the engaging world of coding through both unplugged and plugged activities, featuring interactive robots and innovative projects. Explore class structures and durations that fit young learners. Join us to hear firsthand from Sandy Creek students about their exciting journey in learning Computer Science. Don’t miss the chance to inspire your students with creative tech education!

Speakers

Krista Calderon

Technology Integration Specialist | Computer Science Teacher, Sandy Creek

I teach Computer Science, STEAM, Keyboarding, and High Ability Learner (HAL) classes, where students build critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and digital literacy skills through hands-on learning experiences. In addition to teaching, I sponsor Elementary Student Council... Read More →

Sponsors

Newline and Computer Hardware

Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Bronze 3

Concurrent Session

Company Computer Science, Elementary
Audience Computer Science, Creation/Design Tools, Cross Curriculum
Subject Early Childhood/Pre-Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle
Area Novice

1:00pm CDT

Ignite Learning with IXL and Spark Studio

Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT

Silver 5

Discover how IXL and Spark Studio can transform your classroom! Explore how IXL’s personalized learning platform supports skill growth for every student, while Spark Studio’s AI tools help you save time by creating lesson plans, review games, and differentiated resources in seconds. Learn how scaffolding and translation support ensure that every learner—no matter their level—can succeed. Walk away with ready-to-use strategies you can implement tomorrow!

Speakers

Carrie Nielsen

Technology Integration Specialist, Diocese of Lincoln Schools

I serve as a Technology Integration Specialist for the Diocese of Lincoln, where I’ve spent the past eight years supporting 30 schools as they navigate and make the most of classroom technology. Before stepping into this role, I spent 18 years in the classroom teaching PE, Computers... Read More →

Cody Bobolz

Educational Sales Consultant-IXL Learning, IXL Learning

Stop on over if you are interested in taking a deeper dive into IXL, including Spark Studio, our new AI powered platform that helps to further enhance teachers classrooms. Spark Studio includes a whole Tool Library to help create many resources such as exit tickets, rubric builder... Read More →

Thursday April 30, 2026 1:00pm - 1:45pm CDT
Silver 5

Concurrent Session

Company Elementary, Teaching & Learning
Audience Artificial Intelligence (AI), Creation/Design Tools
Subject Elementary, Middle, Secondary
Area All

1:45pm CDT

CS FUTURES: A Model for Recruiting and Preparing Pre-Service Teachers

Thursday April 30, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT

Lobby

Poster, Short presentation or roundtable –:
Explore Nebraska’s K–12 Computer Science teaching. Using data from the Nebraska Department of Education, this session examines who teaches what, identifies workforce gaps, and shares strategies to expand pre-service pathways.. Using data from the Nebraska Department of Education, this session examines who teaches what, identifies workforce gaps, and shares strategies to expand pre-service pathways.

Speakers

Guy Trainin

Williams Kwabena Boakye

Graduate Research Assistant, University of Nebraska Lincoln

Thursday April 30, 2026 1:45pm - 2:45pm CDT
Lobby

UNL

Company Computer Science, Elementary
Audience Administrative Planning, Computer Science, Information Technology (IT), Staff Development
Subject Secondary
Area All

2:00pm CDT

Beyond the Textbook: Creating Custom Storybooks for Academics & SEL

Thursday April 30, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm CDT

Central Hallway

Move beyond dry resources! Learn to use Gemini to turn science facts, history, and personalized social stories into illustrated narrative adventures. We will share prompt engineering strategies that ensure accuracy and engagement. Ideal for elementary teachers integrating creativity into Science, Social Studies, and SEL.

Speakers

Angie Roby

Computer Science teacher K-2, Crete Elementary School

2026 Beyond the Textbook Google Slides pdf

Thursday April 30, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
Central Hallway

Show and Share Poster Session

Company Computer Science, Elementary
Audience Artificial Intelligence (AI), Creation/Design Tools, Cross Curriculum, Social Emotional Learning
Subject All Levels
Area All

2:00pm CDT

Level Up Learning: How I Tricked My Students into Loving Assessment

Thursday April 30, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm CDT

Central Hallway

Assessment doesn’t have to mean silence and tears. See how Blooket turned reluctant 3rd-grade learners into fluency masters. Go beyond “hosting a game” and explore stealth assessment tools that track growth in real time. Walk away with three ready-to-use strategies: Homework mode for centers, creating custom sets with Spreadsheet Import, and using reports to form small groups.

Speakers

Brittany Carroll

3rd Grade Teacher, Seward Public Schools

Thursday April 30, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
Central Hallway

Show and Share Poster Session

Company Elementary
Audience Assessment, Intermediate Elementary (3rd-5th), Primary Elementary (Pre K-2nd)
Subject Elementary
Area Novice

2:00pm CDT

Unleashing Young Voices: The Cougar Talk Experience

Thursday April 30, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm CDT

Central Hallway

Dive into the vibrant world of Sandy Creek Elementary's "The Cougar Talk," a dynamic morning show led by our spirited 5th graders. Discover how they kickstart each day with menus, birthday celebrations, and PBIS reminders. Fridays for "Fight Song Fridays" and the beloved "Highlights" wrap-up, where students showcase their creativity in wild outfits. Meet the young hosts, explore their process, and be inspired by their enthusiasm and teamwork. Don't miss this chance to see creativity in action!

Speakers

Krista Calderon

Technology Integration Specialist | Computer Science Teacher, Sandy Creek

Thursday April 30, 2026 2:00pm - 2:30pm CDT
Central Hallway

Show and Share Poster Session

Company Elementary, Teaching & Learning
Audience Creation/Design Tools, Intermediate Elementary (3rd-5th), Leadership, Multimedia
Subject Early Childhood/Pre-Kindergarten, Elementary, Middle
Area Intermediate

2:45pm CDT

Building the Foundation of Literacy with Apple

Thursday April 30, 2026 2:45pm - 3:30pm CDT

Silver 9

Learning how to read allows students to learn, enjoy, and understand the world through the words around them. Join us to explore how iPad can foster reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills through hands-on learning experiences that empower students to become engaged, independent readers. We’ll also share ways that multimodal approaches paired with international practice can help students make meaning from text and bring the joy of literacy to life.

Speakers

Jeff Ochsner

System Engineer, Apple

Brent Sallee

Apple

Katie Morrow

Apple

Thursday April 30, 2026 2:45pm - 3:30pm CDT
Silver 9

Concurrent Session

Company Elementary
Audience All
Subject Elementary, Early Childhood/Pre-Kindergarten
Area All

2:45pm CDT

Device Optional Integration

Thursday April 30, 2026 2:45pm - 3:30pm CDT

Silver 4

Explore the potential of technology integration to energize K-5 learning with device-optional strategies and examples that require critical thinking, inspire creativity, promote collaboration, and reveal student thinking.

Speakers

Tina Williams

Technology Coordinator, McCook Public Schools

McCook Public Schools

NETA 2026 Device Optional Integration pdf

Thursday April 30, 2026 2:45pm - 3:30pm CDT
Silver 4

Concurrent Session

Company Computer Science, Elementary
Audience Computer Science, Intermediate Elementary (3rd-5th), Primary Elementary (Pre K-2nd)
Subject Elementary
Area Novice

2:45pm CDT

Girls Who Code

Thursday April 30, 2026 2:45pm - 3:30pm CDT

Bronze 3

I am excited to share a program I am hosting called Girls Who Code, a club dedicated to introducing girls to coding skills and opportunities in STEM. Girls Who Code is a national organization working to close the gender gap in technology by providing free lessons, activities, and resources that make coding accessible and fun. By partnering with them, I am able to use a ready-made curriculum to bring meaningful coding experiences to students in our school.

Session Slides

Speakers

Kayla Kill

Special Education, LeMay Elementary

Michelle Boyce

Thursday April 30, 2026 2:45pm - 3:30pm CDT
Bronze 3

Concurrent Session

Company Elementary, Teaching & Learning
Audience Artificial Intelligence (AI), High Ability/Gifted, Intermediate Elementary (3rd-5th), STEM / STEAM
Subject Elementary
Area Intermediate

3:45pm CDT

It’s not the Screen, it’s the Learning: An Introduction to PIC-RAT

Thursday April 30, 2026 3:45pm - 4:30pm CDT

Silver 8

Not all screen time is equal. This session explores the difference between passive screen time and purposeful screen use, highlighting practical ways to move lessons from consumption to creation. Using the PIC-RAT framework as a reflection tool, we’ll share simple strategies that amplify student voice, choice, and collaboration while helping educators reframe technology use with intention.

Speakers

Brittany Baker

Jessica Murray

Technology Trainer, Omaha Public Schools

Thursday April 30, 2026 3:45pm - 4:30pm CDT
Silver 8

Concurrent Session

Company Elementary, Teaching & Learning
Audience Intermediate Elementary (3rd-5th), Middle Grades (6th-8th), Primary Elementary (Pre K-2nd), Secondary (9th-12th)
Subject All Levels
Area Novice

3:45pm CDT

Standards + Creative Tasks = Future-Ready

Thursday April 30, 2026 3:45pm - 4:30pm CDT

Silver 11

Project work doesn't have to require excessive time investments and extensive training. A simple shift in framing a task helps students go beyond a rote response to standards and learning goals to deep thinking and digital age communication.

Come explore and play with creative tasks like story adaptations, associative letter projects, wanted posters, fictitious interviews and more.
https://www.thecreativeeducator.com/2025/articles/creative-thinking-tasks

Speakers

Melinda Kolk

Editor, Creative Educator magazine

Thursday April 30, 2026 3:45pm - 4:30pm CDT
Silver 11

Concurrent Session

Company Elementary, Tech Integration Specialist
Audience Creation/Design Tools, Intermediate Elementary (3rd-5th), Multimedia, Primary Elementary (Pre K-2nd)
Subject All Levels
Area Intermediate

3:45pm CDT

You Can Teach An Old Tool New Tricks

Thursday April 30, 2026 3:45pm - 4:30pm CDT

Silver 5

We all know that EdTech tools pop up all the time, and can disappear just as quickly. Rediscover the power of some of the tools that have survived the test of time. In this session we’ll explore innovative ways to use familiar tools to spark creativity, collaboration, and deeper learning. Leave with fresh ideas that prove you don’t need new tech to teach in new ways.

Session Resource

Speakers

Peg Coover

Data Coordinator, ESU 10

I work at ESU 10 in Kearney as the Data Coordinator and this is my 13th year. In addition to my work with collecting data sets and creating data visualizations for our staff, I work with teachers and administrators in the areas of Educational Technology and UDL. Prior to this role... Read More →

Thursday April 30, 2026 3:45pm - 4:30pm CDT
Silver 5

Concurrent Session

Company Elementary, Teaching & Learning
Audience Creation/Design Tools, Multimedia
Subject All Levels
Area All

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