PZ PGH Learning and Thinking that Make a Difference (May 2026): Full Schedule

8:00am EDT

Tuesday May 19, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am EDT

Tuesday May 19, 2026 8:00am - 8:30am EDT
Grable Gallery - MuseumLab 1st Floor 6 Allegheny Sq E Suite 101, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Type 1

8:45am EDT

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Tuesday May 19, 2026 8:45am - 9:00am EDT

New Hazlett Theater: 1st Floor Museum Lab

Tuesday May 19, 2026 8:45am - 9:00am EDT
New Hazlett Theater: 1st Floor Museum Lab

Type 2

9:00am EDT

Plenary: Cultivating Meaningful Discourse in a Culture of Thinking through Language, Interaction, and Time

Tuesday May 19, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT

New Hazlett Theater: 1st Floor Museum Lab

Creating a culture where thinking is visible, valued, and actively promoted requires far more than a well-aligned curriculum. While high-quality lessons is essential, the true story of learning is written in the real-time interactions between teachers and students. We often see a vast disparity in outcomes even when classrooms use the "same material"—the difference lies in the...
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Speakers

Mark Church

Researcher, Worldwide Cultures of Thinking Project; Online Course Instructor, Project Zero

Mark Church works with schools throughout the world wishing to create cultures of thinking in their classrooms. He believes in the difference teachers can make for students when they strive to make thinking visible, valued, and actively promoted as part of the day-to-day experience... Read More →

The Reflective Toss Discourse Pattern pdf

Language of the Classroom pdf

Tuesday May 19, 2026 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
New Hazlett Theater: 1st Floor Museum Lab

Type 2

10:00am EDT

Break and Travel to 1st Interactive Workshop

Tuesday May 19, 2026 10:00am - 10:15am EDT

TBA

Tuesday May 19, 2026 10:00am - 10:15am EDT
TBA

Type 3

10:15am EDT

Artful Movement & Meditation: Cultivating Agency through Nervous System Regulation

Tuesday May 19, 2026 10:15am - 12:00pm EDT

CoLab 18 Large Room

Experience how nervous system regulation supports meaningful learning and understanding through this movement-based practice. Guided movement, meditation, breathwork, and artful mark-making invite participants to explore how shifts in the body influence attention and engagement.Participants will move through a cycle of experience, reflection, and discussion, using thinking routines from Project...
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Speakers

Allie Watkins

Art and Gifted Teacher, South Park School Distirct

Allie Watkins is an artist and educator based in Pittsburgh, PA. She teaches 5–8 art, 8th grade gifted education, and coaches girls’ volleyball at South Park Middle School. Her work explores the intersection of art, embodiment, and learning, and is informed by training in nervous... Read More →

Artful Movement & Meditation Cultivating Agency Through Nervous System Regulation pdf

Tuesday May 19, 2026 10:15am - 12:00pm EDT
CoLab 18 Large Room 100 South Commons, Suite 100 Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Interactive Workshop

Audience General Audience, Classroom Teachers, Non-Traditional Classroom Setting, Early Years Education, Primary/Elementary Grades, Middle School Grades, Upper/High School Grades

10:15am EDT

Artifact Investigation with Thinking Routines

Tuesday May 19, 2026 10:15am - 12:00pm EDT

MakeLab - MuseumLab 1st Floor

If questions drive thinking and learning, how are we creating experiences and supporting conditions to ignite curiosity? Join us to explore the process of artifact analysis with the use of thinking routines. Collaborate with fellow historians to apply a design lens to history and reflect upon the power of these opportunities in our own instruction. Though the example in this workshop is with...
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Speakers

Erik Lindemann

Fourth-grade Teacher, Quaker Valley School District

Erik is a fourth-grade teacher at The Quaker Valley School District near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and has been teaching since 1999.His builds opportunities in the classroom by remixing and applying ideas from Cultures of Thinking, Visible Thinking, Agency by Design, and Teaching... Read More →

Tuesday May 19, 2026 10:15am - 12:00pm EDT
MakeLab - MuseumLab 1st Floor

Interactive Workshop

Audience General Audience, Primary/Elementary Grades, Middle School Grades, Upper/High School Grades, Classroom Teachers, Non-Traditional Classroom Setting

10:15am EDT

Looking for Learning in the Wild

Tuesday May 19, 2026 10:15am - 12:00pm EDT

Learning Lab 2 - MuseumLab 1st Floor

This interactive workshop invites educators to observe “learning in the wild” and discover the many ways thinking and learning are made visible in spaces beyond the classroom. Participants will engage with a transferable routine they can bring back to their own settings to help identify and interpret examples of thinking and learning in the environments around them.The session also emphasizes...
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Speakers

Peter Wardrip

Associate Professor, School District/ Higher Education

Peter is Associate Professor of STEAM Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research focuses on the design of maker-based learning, professional communities and research practice partnerships. Peter enjoys playing soccer, euchre and drinking hot cocoa with his fam... Read More →

Kevin Goodwin

Teacher, Falk Labartory School

Kevin Goodwin is a 1st and 2nd grade teacher at the Falk Laboratory School, where he enjoys teaching and learning alongside his students. He previously worked at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, where he had the opportunity to explore a wide range of tools, materials, and mediums... Read More →

Tuesday May 19, 2026 10:15am - 12:00pm EDT
Learning Lab 2 - MuseumLab 1st Floor

Interactive Workshop

Audience General Audience, Early Years Education, Primary/Elementary Grades, Upper/High School Grades, Higher Education, Middle School Grades, Administrators, Classroom Teachers, Non-Traditional Classroom Setting

10:15am EDT

Sail Your Ship: Making Inspiration and Identity Visible Through Color Symbol and Image

Tuesday May 19, 2026 10:15am - 12:00pm EDT

CoLab18 Side Room

Who helped you become the educator you are today? And how can you help students discover the same for themselves? This session invites you to explore story, symbol, and identity through the Color Symbol Image routine. Through real world storytelling and personal reflection, you will design a meaningful artifact that represents your own journey. Walk away with a powerful, adaptable routine that...
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Speakers

Andy Lewis

Elementary Educator, English Language Development, Rochester Community School

Andy Lewis is completing his 25th year as an elementary educator. Over the course of his career, he has taught 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades and served as a Title I reading teacher, supporting students in developing strong literacy foundations. For the past three years, he has worked as... Read More →

Tuesday May 19, 2026 10:15am - 12:00pm EDT
CoLab18 Side Room

Interactive Workshop

Audience General Audience, Primary/Elementary Grades, Middle School Grades, Upper/High School Grades, Administrators, Classroom Teachers, Non-Traditional Classroom Setting

10:15am EDT

The Power of Feedback: Using AI to Accelerate Learning and Revision

Tuesday May 19, 2026 10:15am - 12:00pm EDT

CoLab 18 Middle Room

In this interactive session, participants will explore how educators are leveraging AI to provide timely, actionable feedback that strengthens student learning. Through real classroom examples, attendees will examine the impact of immediate feedback on student revision and growth.Participants will engage in the feedback process from both the student and teacher perspectives, experiencing how AI...
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Speakers

Mark Majerac

Chris Caton

Curriculum Director, Northgate

Dr. Chris Caton has a diverse background in literacy, curriculum development, and instructional leadership. Dr. Caton has dedicated his career to ensuring that all students have access to high-quality reading instruction.

Dr. Caton began his career as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, and literacy coach, where he spent 9 years honing his skills in supporting student literacy development. His passion for supporting underrepresented students in their educational path led him to teach at Slippery
... Read More →

Tuesday May 19, 2026 10:15am - 12:00pm EDT
CoLab 18 Middle Room 100 South Commons, Suite 100 Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Interactive Workshop

Audience General Audience, Middle School Grades, Primary/Elementary Grades, Upper/High School Grades, Higher Education, Administrators, Classroom Teachers

10:15am EDT

“Wait…But Why??" Centering Arts Integration Practices in Purpose

Tuesday May 19, 2026 10:15am - 12:00pm EDT

Learning Lab 1 - MuseumLab 1st Floor

This workshop is for educators who are looking to reconnect to their sense of purpose - their “why” - for teaching. Using arts integration practices that can be applied to a variety of subjects and classrooms, this workshop will provide an opportunity for educators to engage in and deeply reflect on their role in the education system and consider how they want to contribute to or work against...
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Speakers

Michelle King

Learning Instigator. Love Activist. Beloved Community-Architect. Transformer. Local Troublemaker., Independent

Michelle King is an educator, game designer, and justice‑driven learning instigator. A proud Army Brat and daughter of an Ethiopian immigrant, she taught for over 22 years in public schools across Southwestern Pennsylvania. Her work centers equity, wonder, and joyful learning through... Read More →

Liz Foster-Shaner

Director of Arts Education, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust

Liz Foster‑Shaner is a civic artist and arts administrator expanding creative opportunities for diverse communities. As Director of Arts Education at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, she connects artists with schools and community partners across southwestern Pennsylvania. Her background... Read More →

Randall Coleman

Pittsburgh‑based photographer, videographer, and teaching artist

Randall Coleman is a Pittsburgh‑based photographer and videographer who has worked as a teaching artist since 2016. He shares his passion for multimedia arts with learners across the Greater Pittsburgh area, teaching photography, videography, audio recording, and related skills... Read More →

Tuesday May 19, 2026 10:15am - 12:00pm EDT
Learning Lab 1 - MuseumLab 1st Floor

Interactive Workshop

Audience General Audience, Early Years Education, Primary/Elementary Grades, Middle School Grades, Upper/High School Grades, Higher Education, Administrators, Classroom Teachers, Non-Traditional Classroom Setting

12:00pm EDT

Break and Travel to Lunch

Tuesday May 19, 2026 12:00pm - 12:15pm EDT

TBA

Tuesday May 19, 2026 12:00pm - 12:15pm EDT
TBA

Type 3

12:15pm EDT

Boxed Lunch (pickup in Grable Gallery and eat on campus)

Tuesday May 19, 2026 12:15pm - 12:45pm EDT

Grable Gallery - MuseumLab 1st Floor

Tuesday May 19, 2026 12:15pm - 12:45pm EDT
Grable Gallery - MuseumLab 1st Floor 6 Allegheny Sq E Suite 101, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Type 3

12:45pm EDT

Break and Travel to 2nd Interactive Workshop

Tuesday May 19, 2026 12:45pm - 1:00pm EDT

TBA

Tuesday May 19, 2026 12:45pm - 1:00pm EDT
TBA

Type 3

1:00pm EDT

Examining Opportunities that Promote Powerful Thinking in the Classroom

Tuesday May 19, 2026 1:00pm - 2:45pm EDT

CoLab 18 Large Room

While designing units to meet curriculum goals is essential for schoolwide consistency, even the best-laid plans can sometimes feel like "work for work’s sake" to our students. To move beyond mere compliance, we must shift our focus from implementing programs to creating genuine learning opportunities. This session explores the design of powerful thinking opportunities in the classroom. We...
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Speakers

Mark Church

Researcher, Worldwide Cultures of Thinking Project; Online Course Instructor, Project Zero

Tuesday May 19, 2026 1:00pm - 2:45pm EDT
CoLab 18 Large Room 100 South Commons, Suite 100 Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Interactive Workshop

1:00pm EDT

From Instructional Practice to Systems Change: A Practical Framework for Educator Advocacy

Tuesday May 19, 2026 1:00pm - 2:45pm EDT

CoLab 18 Middle Room

How do educators move from strong instructional practice to influencing the broader conditions that shape learning? This interactive workshop invites participants to explore the Activating Arts Learning framework, an arts learning theory of change grounded in Project Zero research, and to consider how it can inform systems change across diverse educational contexts.Participants will examine how...
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Speakers

Yael Silk

Executive Director, Arts Education Collaborative

Yael Silk has been at Arts Ed Collaborative since April 2018. As Executive Director, Yael facilitates professional learning and evaluates programs while advocating for culturally responsive practices. She is passionate about ensuring that all children in our region benefit from powerful... Read More →

Tuesday May 19, 2026 1:00pm - 2:45pm EDT
CoLab 18 Middle Room 100 South Commons, Suite 100 Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Interactive Workshop

Audience General Audience, Primary/Elementary Grades, Middle School Grades, Upper/High School Grades, Administrators, Classroom Teachers, Non-Traditional Classroom Setting, Subject-Area Specific
Subject dance, media arts, music, theatre, visual arts

1:00pm EDT

More than a ‘Nice-to-Have’: Reimagining Play as a Tool for Equity and Deep Thinking

Tuesday May 19, 2026 1:00pm - 2:45pm EDT

Learning Lab 2 - MuseumLab 1st Floor

This hands-on workshop invites educators to move beyond play as a "break" and re-examine it as a pedagogical tool for deep thinking and equity. Drawing on Project Zero frameworks—including Pedagogy of Play, Art | Play, and Agency by Design—participants will consider how we might think critically about play and its relationship to learning and equity in educational contexts. Practical questions...
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Speakers

Andrea Sachdeva

PhD Candidate, University of Pittsburgh

Andrea Sachdeva (she/her) is pursuing her PhD at University of Pittsburgh, studying play and playful learning in schools. This work builds on her previous work as a nonprofit administrator, OST educator, and Senior Project Manager at Project Zero. Throughout her career, Andrea has... Read More →

Tuesday May 19, 2026 1:00pm - 2:45pm EDT
Learning Lab 2 - MuseumLab 1st Floor

Interactive Workshop

Audience General Audience, Early Years Education, Primary/Elementary Grades, Middle School Grades, Upper/High School Grades, Administrators, Classroom Teachers, Non-Traditional Classroom Setting

1:00pm EDT

Practical Applications for Using Cultures of Thinking in Your Classroom

Tuesday May 19, 2026 1:00pm - 2:45pm EDT

TBA

In this interactive presentation, participants will explore and practice evidence-based Cultures of Thinking strategies designed to deepen student learning and foster intellectual engagement. Through hands-on activities and real-world applications, educators will discover how to create classroom environments where thinking is visible, valued, and developed.

Speakers

Gretchen Monahan

Teacher, Northgate

Gretchen Monahan is a first-grade teacher at Avalon Elementary in the Northgate School District with over 30 years of experience teaching K–8 reading and classroom instruction. Her extensive background working with diverse learners has shaped her flexible, responsive teaching approach... Read More →

Tuesday May 19, 2026 1:00pm - 2:45pm EDT
TBA

Interactive Workshop

Audience Primary/Elementary Grades, General Audience, Classroom Teachers

1:00pm EDT

Schema, Scaffolds, and Sticky Ideas: Designing Documentation for Deep Thinking

Tuesday May 19, 2026 1:00pm - 2:45pm EDT

MakeLab - MuseumLab 1st Floor

We ask students to take notes constantly, but we often teach it without understanding the scaffolding it requires. For many students, note-taking is copying, not thinking. This workshop reframes documentation as a visible thinking practice using Project Zero's Cultures of Thinking framework and thinking routines. What you'll do: Engage in hands-on activities including a schema-activation Buzz Word...
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Speakers

Heidi Bachman

Middle School Learning Specialist, Maret School

Heidi Bachman is an experienced Project Zero educator with over 30 years in independent schools across Washington, DC; New York; California; and Germany. She began her career fascinated by how young children develop their natural inquiry skills and has worked as a Student Support... Read More →

Tuesday May 19, 2026 1:00pm - 2:45pm EDT
MakeLab - MuseumLab 1st Floor

Interactive Workshop

Audience General Audience, Primary/Elementary Grades, Middle School Grades, Upper/High School Grades, Classroom Teachers

2:45pm EDT

Break and Travel to Closing Plenary

Tuesday May 19, 2026 2:45pm - 3:00pm EDT

TBA

Tuesday May 19, 2026 2:45pm - 3:00pm EDT
TBA

Type 3

3:00pm EDT

Closing Plenary

Tuesday May 19, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT

New Hazlett Theater: 1st Floor Museum Lab

Tuesday May 19, 2026 3:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
New Hazlett Theater: 1st Floor Museum Lab

Type 2

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12:45pm EDT

1:00pm EDT

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2:45pm EDT

3:00pm EDT

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