MACUL 2020

We love teachers, and you love coffee! Stop by to see us on Thursday and Friday at booth 433 for a free cup of joe* to re-energize yourself between sessions.

Our sessions & slide decks

*Coffee only available on Thursday

Enter to win a basket of prizes!

Complete our brief survey for a chance to win one of six prize baskets with Biggby coffee, an awesome travel mug, and a signed copy of Through the Lens of Serendipity by Allyson Apsey.

Take a brief survey to enter

what's your dream pd plan?

Seriously, if you had to design your ideal PD plan, what would it look like? Would you want more options? More relevancy to your students? More flexibility? The opportunity to learn from home?

With over 200 online PD courses and face-to-face training options, our goal is to empower you to take your teaching to the next level on a schedule that works for you. 

SCECH Courses →

Compliance Courses →

Design Your Own PD Plan →

Mentor Training →

Literacy Essentials →

Social Emotional Learning →

Earn Your PK-12 Administrator Certificate Online →

Join Us at Collaboration of the Minds 2020 →

K-5 Computer Science Standards Course →

Explore our professional catalog

Sessions

Thursday, March 12 (DeVos Hall, Grand Gallery C)

20 Tech Tools To Bring Into Your Classroom in 2020

10:00 - 11:00 AM - Emily Sicilia & Anne PerezLooking to learn about the latest tech tools for teachers and how you can use them to engage and assess your students? Then, this session is for you! You will be introduced to 20 innovative tech tools that can help you personalize learning in your classroom, along with strategies for implementation. This session offers opportunities for exploration and discussion about how you can intentionally integrate tools in your classroom to promote student success.
Slide Deck

No More Wasted PD — Design Your Own Learning Pathway & Earn SCECHs

11:00 - 11:20 AM - Stacey Schuh - Learning Lab in Exhibit HallSick and tired of professional development that doesn’t apply to you and your students? Ever wonder what it would be like if you could design your own learning? Join us for a Learning Lab where we’ll introduce you to MyPD, a flexible, customized, and repeatable online course that puts you in the driver seat of your own professional development and allows you to earn SCECHs for following a learning pathway designed by you around your needs, your learning preferences, and your schedule.
Slide Deck
Learning Lab

10-Year Challenge: Teaching in 2020 vs. 2010

1:00 - 2:00 PM - William Springer, Katie Hansen, Debbie LynchThe past decade brought with it a fountain of new technologies and tools for teachers and students alike. While the principles of effective teaching have largely remained the same, teachers now have many new mediums in which they can engage their students. Translating face-to-face practices into digital environments, however, is not always as intuitive as it may seem. In this session, experienced online instructors with a history of face-to-face teaching will reflect on how teaching practices have evolved over the past decade and offer practical strategies for building relationships, providing feedback, and personalizing learning for students in digital environments.
Slide Deck

Coaching: A Playbook for Teachers

2:30 - 3:30 PM - Stacey Schuh & Emily SiciliaGood teachers are sometimes put into coaching positions — formally or informally — without receiving explicit training on effective coaching strategies. In this session, we will share a free copy of our playbook for coaching teachers, inspired by Jim Knight’s impact cycle and packed full of strategies that can be used to help teachers reflect on their instructional practices and take their teaching to the next level. This playbook may be useful for instructional coaches, technology coaches, teaching mentors, or simply teachers who are interested in using the strategies for improving their own practice.
Slide Deck

Beyond the Basics: Hidden Features of Google Classroom

4:00 - 5:00 PM - Holly BoleskiLooking for ways to use Google Classroom more effectively? Want to learn some tips and tricks to save you time? In this session led by a Google Trainer, you will learn how educators are unleashing the full power of Google Classroom. We will go beyond the basics to explore some lesser-known features that help face-to-face teachers stay organized, improve communication, and ultimately, work smarter, not harder to manage learning in their classrooms.
Slide Deck

Friday, March 13 (DeVos Hall, Grand Gallery C)

Experience it for Yourself: Student-Centered Learning

10:00 - 11:00 AM - Anne PerezIn student-centered classrooms, teachers have more time to meet individual needs and students drive their own learning. But what does such a classroom look and feel like? In this immersive session, we offer you the opportunity to experience student-centered learning from the student perspective and explore strategies for personalizing learning for each of your student’s unique needs and driving the needle in student achievement in your classroom.
Slide Deck

A Face-to-Face Teacher’s Guide to Designing Online Experiences

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM - David Young, Jeff Gerlach, Kevin SanterAs a teacher, you wear many hats. You’re the lesson planner, the learning facilitator, the feedback provider, the school-to-home intermediary, the colleague, among others. In our increasingly digitized world, you are also likely in a position where you design online experiences for students, whether this comes in the form of sharing resources in a digital format or designing full-blown online lessons and assignments. As experienced online course designers, we’ve identified a few universal principles of digital learning design that can be applied to a variety of classroom settings and comfort levels. We will explore mindsets and offer solid strategies that will leave you feeling more confident in designing online learning experiences to share with your students.
Slide Deck

20 Tech Tools To Bring Into Your Classroom in 2020

1:00 - 2:00 PM - Emily Sicilia & Anne PerezLooking to learn about the latest tech tools for teachers and how you can use them to engage and assess your students? Then, this session is for you! You will be introduced to 20 innovative tech tools that can help you personalize learning in your classroom, along with strategies for implementation. This session offers opportunities for exploration and discussion about how you can intentionally integrate tools in your classroom to promote student success.
Slide Deck
teacher

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to see Gerry Brooks!

Join us for Collaboration of the Minds in Livonia, MI on August 6, 2020 for an opportunity to see hilarious and inspiring Principal-YouTuber, Gerry Brooks, and connect with innovative teachers from all over Michigan. At this event, you’ll acquire practical strategies for using technology to personalize student learning and leave excited to return to your classroom in the fall.

EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT FOR MACUL ATTENDEES — Because you occupy a special place in our hearts, we have an offer for you. Get $10 off registration with the discount code MACUL20.

Collaboration of the Minds →

trip

Fit summer learning into your family's busy schedule

Say goodbye to the summer slide. This summer, we're offering a wide variety of online programs for Michigan students in grades 3-12, including Online Summer Camp: Minecraft Edition, French & German Boost, Social Emotional 360, EdReady Math & English, and over 150 online summer classes for credit.

View our summer programs →

Presenters

Anne Perez

  • Senior Professional Learning Specialist

Anne is joining Michigan Virtual after fifteen years of classroom teaching. Anne’s experiences in diverse classroom settings have shaped her desire to continuously learn with and from others. She enjoys mentoring educators, problem-solving curriculum issues, and learning best practices, so her work with the Professional Learning Specialists team puts her passion into daily practice. At home, Anne and her husband have three children who keep their evenings full of sports practices and visits to the playground.

katie hansen photo

Katie Hansen

  • Instructor - Career & Technical Education

Katie joined the Michigan Virtual staff as a full-time Business Instructor in 2018. She has a bachelor’s degree in business secondary education from Western Michigan University. Prior to working for Michigan Virtual, Katie spent 7 years teaching business courses in face-to-face classrooms. Outside of the classroom, Katie can almost always be found spending time with her husband, daughter and two dogs.

Emily Sicilia

Emily Sicilia

  • Professional Learning Services Manager

Emily comes to the Professional Learning Services team from a myriad of experiences. Having taught in elementary, middle and high schools, with a focus on literacy, she is happy to be having a new adventure with Michigan Virtual. Emily enjoys connecting with and learning from fellow educators, as well as learning new strategies to engage students and improve instruction. When she does not have her nose in a book, she is spending time with her husband and two sons, either attending MSU basketball games or playing in Lake Michigan.

Holly Boleski

Holly Boleski

  • Lead Instructor - Collaborative Partnerships

Holly has worked as an instructor in our science department since 2013. In this time, Holly has developed a passion for sharing best practices in online instruction with her fellow teachers as well as growing her student’s capacity for working successfully in an online environment. In 2019 she became the Lead Instructor for our Collaborative Instructors and enjoys supporting teachers from all over the state. She also is a Google Certified Trainer. Holly earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Oakland University (Go Grizzlies!) and her master’s degree in teaching from Wayne State University. Along with having a passion for teaching and science, she enjoys cooking, gardening, going to the gym, and spending time with her family.

Jeff Gerlach

Jeff Gerlach

  • Course Development Manager
Jeff has over a decade of experience in education as a classroom teacher, professional learning specialist, and instructional designer. As an instructional design coach, he works with Michigan Virtual‘s instructional product development team to grow collective learning design craftsmanship. He also partners with schools, districts, and key Michigan K-12 stakeholders to help incubate innovative experiences for educators and students.
Debbie Lynch

Debbie Lynch

  • Outreach Specialist - Mentors

Debbie’s passion is teaching and mentoring! She joined Michigan Virtual in January 2010 as a part-time instructor. She taught business and technology courses at the high school and college level for 33 years. Debbie has a Bachelor of Science and Master’s degree from Central Michigan University. Debbie is excited to be able to affect even more students in her new role as Outreach Coordinator – Mentors. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling and spending time up north with her family.

Kevin Santer

Kevin Santer

  • Lead Instructor - Career & Technical Education

Kevin began his career by working in IT as a software developer, designer and manager. He made the bold move of returning to school to earn a master’s degree in math education. Kevin then taught face to face for 10 years, exploring math and computer science with high school students. Online education now provides the perfect opportunity to combine his passions for math, technology and teaching. When not teaching, Kevin loves to read, cook (and eat) and enjoys time hiking with his family.

Stacey Schuh

Stacey Schuh

  • Director of Professional Learning Services

Stacey is the director of Professional Learning Services at Michigan Virtual. She is responsible for planning and implementing professional learning experiences and works directly with teachers and administrators to ensure personalized professional development. Stacey is a former classroom teacher, national presenter and is an instructor for the Master of Educational Technology program at Michigan State University.

William Springer

William Springer

  • Lead Instructor - World Language

William is passionate about engaging students and equipping teachers, both of which he regularly practices in his lead World Language instructor role. He was named Michigan Online Teacher of the Year in 2016. William has enjoyed learning and teaching in many varied settings, including touring with a French-Canadian musical ensemble, living with a French family, graduating from Central Michigan University, and video teaching students across the U.S. Enjoying faith, family and playing music is where you’ll find him when not teaching online.

David Young

David Young

  • Director of Instructional Product Development

David is the Director of Instructional Product Development at Michigan Virtual where he manages the design and development of a variety of courses for students and teachers. He has been designing and developing online courses for over 10 years. Previously he has worked as a school technology coordinator and a high school math teacher in both face-to-face and online classrooms.

Keep up with the latest Michigan Virtual has to offer

Limited Course Capacity

We’re sorry to inform you that we have reached capacity for several of our Semester 1 and Trimester 1 courses. You’ll notice when attempting to enroll students in our Student Learning Portal that some courses are unavailable. While we are no longer accepting new enrollments for these courses at this time, many courses continue to remain open for enrollment.

With many students across the state 100% remote, demand for our online courses is greater than ever before. Because every course we offer is taught by a Michigan-certified teacher, this high volume of enrollments has created capacity issues for our teachers who provide each and every student with individual feedback.

While the Michigan Virtual team anticipated and planned for significant increases in student enrollments this Fall, the increased demand we’ve experienced has been unprecedented. As a result, we are taking steps to hire even more part-and full-time teachers to support larger numbers of student enrollments for Semester 2 as well as for Trimester 2 and 3. 

For schools that still need online learning options this year, please fill out the form at the bottom of our virtual pathways page to meet with someone to discuss other solutions. While some of our teacher-led courses are full, we may still have the capacity to help you in upcoming terms or can discuss timing to implement a whole-school or collaborative program in which local teachers from your school/district use our online course content to teach students. We also have free course content and resources available for you to use.

We know this is an incredibly stressful time for all, and we’re sorry if the courses you’re looking for are unavailable. We never want to turn away a student who wants to learn from us. Our top concern, however, is student success, and we have a policy to not take on additional enrollments if we cannot guarantee that all students will have a quality online learning experience. 

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate the unusually high volume of enrollments we are receiving.