February 21, 2026
2026 Catalina Lesson Design Mixer
Join educators, instructional designers, and innovative thought leaders for a transformative day of professional learning on February 21, 2026. The Catalina Lesson Design Mixer brings together cutting-edge instructional strategies, proven classroom protocols, and emerging educational technology in a stunning island setting.
This event features three dynamic sessions across multiple rooms, each offering hands-on workshops led by expert practitioners. Whether you're exploring AI integration, refining writing instruction, or discovering new approaches to student engagement, you'll find sessions designed to provide immediately actionable strategies for your classroom.
Zoom links will be active the day prior to this event. All times are in Pacific Standard (PST)
8:45 AM
Welcome to the Catalina Lesson Design Mixer
Kick off your day at the 2026 Catalina Lesson Design Mixer with an energetic 15-minute opening session led by education innovators Jon Corippo and Marlena Hebern. This high-impact introduction sets the stage for a day of creative exploration, providing a roadmap for mastering lesson design while soaking in the coastal inspiration of Catalina. Jon and Marlena will share the core vision for the mixer, emphasizing practical, high-leverage strategies—like the EduProtocols framework—that reduce teacher burnout and amplify student voice. It’s the perfect launchpad to get you energized and ready to dive into a day of transformative professional learning.
9:00 AM
Session 1 – Room 1
Moving Vocabulary into Writing with EduProtocols and Curipod
Speaker
Jake Carr
Writing doesn’t start with a blank page. It starts with language and structure. This session explores how EduProtocols can be used alongside Curipod to turn vocabulary work into a natural pathway toward thinking and writing, where writing emerges instead of being forced.
Session 1 – Room 2
Make Random Emoji SUPER Power Paragraphs with Short Answer
Speaker
Kim Voge
Leverage the immediate feedback and gamification with Random Emoji Power Paragraph built into Short Answer. Let's experiment in real time using the various Short Answer features so we can make the best choice for our classes!
Session 1 – Room 3
Real Feedback, Real Thinking: MathReps Using Snorkl
Speaker
Lisa Nowakowski
Experience how MathReps and Snorkl amplify student voice and mathematical thinking through explanation and feedback. In this hands-on session, you’ll try Snorkl in real time, explore K–5 MathReps already built into the platform, and see how students receive instant feedback, view peer responses, and refine their thinking.
Session 1 – Room 4
Making Science Matter: Practical Agency-Based Learning.
Speaker
Christina Miramontes
Students learn best when they believe their ideas matter. This session highlights how Learning Genie supports agency-first science learning by giving students voice in what and how they learn. You’ll explore practical strategies that use AI to build curiosity, confidence, and purpose, helping students connect science to their lives and futures.
Session 1 – Room 5
Immersed in Verse with BookWidgets
Speaker
Marlena Hebern
Combine poetry, BookWidgets, and EduProtocols like two guys building a bunk bed—Poetry Parts, 3x Genre, Thin Slides, and a virtual national park adventure all come together in a lesson flow that’s equal parts creative chaos and classroom brilliance.
10:00 AM
Session 2 – Room 1
Regulate to Educate – EduProtocols for Calm Classrooms
Speaker
Nichi Avina
What if calming a dysregulated student or classroom took 5 minutes or less? In this session, I’ll share a Regulate to Educate EduProtocol that racks and stacks Thin Slides, Sketch & Tell, and a Resource Bento to quickly move students out of fight-or-flight and back into learning. This simple smash creates a predictable, student-owned routine that calms the nervous system, reopens the prefrontal cortex, and restores focus—fast. Walk away with a ready-to-use routine that builds calm, agency, and critical thinking—every day.
Session 2 – Room 2
The F'en (Forgotten)
Mini-Report
Mini-Report
Speaker
Adam Moler
Mini-Reports are often overlooked, but they shouldn’t be. Paired with Class Companion, they help students build note-taking and paragraph writing skills through clear structure and focused practice. Class Companion provides targeted feedback that supports revision, clarity, and confidence while keeping writing manageable and meaningful for students.
Session 2 – Room 3
Feedback That Matters: Using Snorkl and EduProtocols to Improve Learning
Speaker
Josie Wozniak
This session explores how pairing Snorkl with high-impact writing EduProtocols can shift feedback from after-the-fact to in-the-moment. Teachers will see how Snorkl provides immediate, actionable feedback during the learning process, allowing students to revise in real time while reducing the feedback load on teachers.
Session 2 – Room 4
Stations by Design: Learning Genie + EduProtocols
Speaker
Robert Mayfield
Learn how to design purposeful station rotations using Learning Genie’s new Station Maker and EduProtocols. In this interactive session, participants will experience a live demo and co-create a full unit that integrates DOK levels, differentiation, and supports for MLLs, SPED, emerging, and advanced learners. Walk away with a practical, repeatable framework for building engaging, student-centered stations with efficiency and intention.
Session 2 – Room 5
Eduprotocols Cornucopia in BookWidgets!
Speaker
Jon Corippo
You love EduProtocols, but you want them to be easier to produce, correct and collect? You are in for a treat with Book Widgets. Jon and Kate will be exploring a whole bunch of great protocols remade templates that you can use for free in Book Widgets
11:00 AM
Session 3 – Room 1
More writing, way less correcting. ParaFly, 3X Genre and MiniReport for the win
Speaker
Jon Corippo
We have to be real, our kids have really bad writing skills nowadays. We've got Eduprotocols to fix that, but when you do them on paper, you're gonna spend your nights and weekends correcting. Enter Class Companion, an amazing AI-driven tool that will allow you to have your students do five-paragraph essays in one period and have their grade before they leave class.
Session 3 – Room 2
Boats N’ Writing Skills
Speaker
Adam Moler
Cyber Sandwich helps students organize notes, discuss ideas, and—depending on how it’s structured—improve writing skills. When paired with the Short Answer platform, writing becomes interactive through gamification, AI feedback, and peer feedback, supporting clarity, confidence, and student engagement.
Session 3 – Room 3
Thinking and Writing Like a Scientist: Coaching Feedback with Snorkl
Speaker
Christina Miramontes
What if every student had a one-on-one writing coach in science class? This workshop explores the shift educators have been waiting for, moving from grading explanations to coaching scientific thinking. Experience how Snorkl makes student reasoning visible and delivers timely, personalized feedback that helps learners think like scientists, write like scientists, and revise with purpose. Walk away with practical strategies to support CER, amplify student voice, and transform feedback into a powerful learning tool without adding to teacher workload.
8
:411 A
12:00 PM
Closing to the Catalina Lesson Design Mixer
As the sun begins to set on an incredible day of innovation and collaboration, join us for the Grand Finale of the 2026 Catalina Lesson Design Mixer. We’ll come together one last time to celebrate the innovative ideas shared and reflect on our favorite "aha" moments from the day's workshops. To top off the excitement, we’ll be hosting our prize raffles, where lucky winners will take home premium tools and resources to help bring their new lesson designs to life. Don't miss this high-energy send-off as we pack up our inspiration and head back to our classrooms ready to teach better, work less, and achieve more!