By Charles Sosnik
The Learning Counsel’s conference season is in full swing this fall. In September alone, regional virtual events are scheduled across South Texas, Southern California, the Northeast, North Texas, the Mid-Atlantic states, Kentucky and Tennessee. While the format has adjusted to meet current needs, the core of what makes these events valuable remains: outstanding local speakers, collaborative sessions, carefully curated resources, and insight from Learning Counsel CEO and EduJedi Grand Master LeiLani Cauthen.
We’ve streamlined the attendee experience this year to make participation easier and more practical. Travel, parking and in-person logistics are no longer obstacles—our regional virtual events remove those barriers while still delivering the best of our conferences. These two-day gatherings are engineered to bring nationally relevant perspectives together with local leadership and actionable guidance.
The season opens September 2–3 with a South Texas event that features a strong local lineup on the first day: the Fort Sam Houston ISD team (Dr. Roland Rios, Director of Technology; Wacey Tobler, Secondary Digital Learning Coach; and Jeannine Freeman, Elementary Digital Learning Coach). Also appearing on September 2 are Dr. Kari Rhame Murphy, Chief Technology Officer from Deer Park Independent School District, and Sheryl Abshire, EduJedi and retired CTO. The second day continues with expert presentations, interactive discussions and practical solutions to the everyday challenges districts face in hybrid and remote learning.
Sessions will highlight best practices for implementing hybrid learning and unpack the logistics behind successful digital strategies. As schools and districts adapt, gaps emerge and technology moves quickly to address them. Whether your district is using spreadsheets to manage schedules or you’re piloting a high-end system, you’ll find real stories from peers and practical guidance to apply immediately. The Learning Counsel will share success stories gathered from conversations with districts nationwide, along with informed predictions about how hybrid and remote learning will evolve.
All of the Learning Counsel’s regional events are free to educators. The EduJedi Leadership Society and the Learning Counsel’s news, media and research teams have organized these regional virtual events to respond to the needs of America’s schools and districts. Each event aims to deliver nationally significant insights while fostering local collaboration so attendees can return to their communities with concrete next steps.
Our nationwide survey work has revealed widespread concerns among educators about defining what “normal” means in the current environment. More than 27,000 respondents indicated major questions around streamlining lesson planning, reengaging missing students, and supporting special needs learners in remote settings. The two most commonly cited challenges were student motivation and the logistics of time and space in hybrid models.
Survey highlights include that 85 percent of educators name student motivation as their primary concern when teaching in hybrid or remote environments. Additionally, 70 percent of administrators are worried about the logistical impact of hybrid schooling on schedules, classroom space and teacher workloads. These issues are central to the sessions and conversations planned across the fall events.
All attendees who register will receive a free copy of the new EduJedi Dictionary as a preparatory resource. This exclusive guide is designed to help educators better understand the technologies and instructional approaches now in widespread use. It addresses common terminology for synchronous and asynchronous learning, outlines a draft EduJedi Instructional Design Model, and presents draft Digital Learning Experience Standards for administrators, teachers and students. The dictionary supports richer discussions during the events and helps teams align on shared language and expectations. A download link will be sent to registrants after they sign up.
If you can’t attend the South Texas dates, multiple regional opportunities will be available throughout the fall. Each event includes distinct speakers and panels, so attending more than one will provide a broader view of regional approaches and innovative practices you may want to adapt locally.
Registration is straightforward and free for educators. To register for the South Texas event, use this link: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4263709688500240656
For a complete schedule of Fall events, see the Learning Counsel virtual schedule: https://thelearningcounsel.com/virtual-schedule
About the author
Charles Sosnik is an education journalist and editor who serves as Editor in Chief at the Learning Counsel. An EP3 Education Fellow, he draws on extensive experience in the education community to add context to the wider education narrative. Charles regularly contributes to several influential education outlets, including the Learning Counsel, EdNews Daily, EdTech Digest and edCircuit. Unabashedly Southern, he often quips that he is an editor by trade and Southern by the grace of God.