The world is changing quickly. The work world demands more and more. How can we prepare students for it? And can we do it in a way that honors our unique, true selves as teachers? Using classroom stories, vision and surprises at every turn, Matt Miller shows how teaching is a craft -- part art and part science. With a little perspective and confidence, we can take great strides toward the classroom of our dreams. You’ll leave this speech entertained, equipped and inspired to create memorable learning that changes students’ lives.

This keynote helps educators to understand the innovations that are emerging through artificial intelligence -- and how they are impacting (and will impact) the classroom. 

This keynote energizes and equips teachers to do engaging learning and instruction that students will look forward to. He hooks them from his very first sentence: “Urinals and toilet stalls have something to teach us about teaching.” He shows how hard it is to get attention -- so hard that advertisers started putting ads in restrooms to get our attention! -- and how it’s even harder for teachers. Then, he shares strategies to help teachers capture and maintain student attention -- and shows how this line of thinking can shape how they teach. These strategies come right out of Matt’s book, Tech Like a Pirate, which is all about engaging teaching practices with technology. Teachers will love the practical implementation ideas. They’ll smile throughout the keynote as Matt talks about Pinterest fails and videos from Vine, the social media platform. Engagement soars in this keynote. Matt demonstrates a YouTube unboxing video live on stage. Plus, he talks with the audience about their favorite YouTubers and types of videos. He ends it by assuring the audience that they can, indeed, flip the attention switch, and that they should silence their inner critics.

Dive into hands-on, practical strategies for integrating technology to create engaging and meaningful learning experiences. This workshop empowers teachers to overcome technology overwhelm and implement effective, student-centered activities. Participants will experience activities firsthand, leaving with actionable strategies and renewed enthusiasm.

The AI for Educators Workshop, available in full or half-day formats, is designed to equip educators with the knowledge and practical skills needed to navigate the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence in education. Participants will gain a clear understanding of AI's implications for classrooms, learn actionable strategies for utilizing AI to enhance teaching and learning, and explore the crucial topic of academic integrity in an AI-integrated environment. This workshop provides a forward-looking perspective, empowering educators to confidently adapt to the future of education while reaffirming their essential role in the learning process.

Smart, Responsible AI Use in the Classroom

AI is here, and it’s already impacting classrooms. How can it be used responsibly and ethically -- by teachers and by students? What should we be careful about? How can we teach for our students’ future -- while also fulfilling today’s goals and objectives? This session gives you suggestions and topics to consider to help you set your classroom up for success -- for you and for your students.

20 AI Tools to Save Time in the Classroom

What if you had a virtual assistant who could do tasks for you and free up your time? Science fiction has become reality. You do! Lots of artificial intelligence tools can help you with tedious tasks like writing emails, providing feedback, and creating teaching resources. Learn about them -- and how to use them to make time for what matters most -- in this session.

AI vs. Cheating, Plagiarism, and Academic Integrity

When AI assistants were first released, among teachers’ first questions was: “What will we do about cheating?” In this session, we’ll take a look at cheating, plagiarism, and academic integrity. We’ll discuss the place that AI should have in classrooms -- and what AI shouldn’t be used for. We’ll also address how to move forward with changes so we get this right.

How to Prepare for Our Students’ Unknown AI Future

Let’s face it. Artificial intelligence is going to touch our students’ careers and lives in some way in the coming years. Let’s help them prepare for it -- even if we can’t see it yet. In this session, we’ll do our best “futurecasting,” identifying what might be coming so we can make adjustments to teaching and learning today so we’re all prepared.

10 AI-Based Upgrades to Teaching and Learning

AI assistants like ChatGPT can help you level up your teaching practice. In this session, you’ll find several ways that AI tools can upgrade teaching and learning in your classroom. After this session, your students will be able to do deeper learning without lots of extra time and effort on the part of the teacher. Better teaching. Better learning. Less time.

How I Used (and Didn’t Use) AI in My Classroom

How quickly should we incorporate AI in our classrooms? How do we decide what to use -- and how much to use? When I returned to the classroom after 8 years away, I was confronted with those same questions. In this session, I'll share how I used AI to teach, what I didn't use, how quickly I rolled it out, and what tips I have for your own classroom.

Yes, AI CAN support critical thinking in the classroom

When people hear “AI and education,” many immediately think of ChatGPT doing students’ homework. Writing their essays. Doing all of the thinking for them. But AI is TECH, a tool, and technology has always been only as valuable as how we use it. In this session, you’ll see how AI tools and technology can be used in the classroom to support and elevate student critical thinking.

Tech Like a Pirate: Make Learning Memorable with Tech

In “Teach Like a PIRATE,” author Dave Burgess shows teachers how to use passion and presentational skills to engage students and create memorable experiences. In this session, attendees will get lots of ideas for combining student engagement and technology to connect with students like never before. Matt will share specific tools in combination with PIRATE engagement hooks, giving teachers plenty of “use tomorrow” content.

(If teachers aren’t familiar with Teach LIke a Pirate, below is an alternate title/description for the Tech Like a Pirate session above.)

8 Techy Ways to Make Class UNFORGETTABLE

If class is forgettable, how do we expect students to learn? In Matt Miller's book, Tech Like a Pirate, he shares 8 ways to make class a memorable learning experience with tech. You'll leave with concrete ideas to use right away -- and a process for coming up with your own. Engage your students. Supercharge learning. And enjoy the process!

Teachflix: Teach with video, engage with activities

Netflix opened our eyes to a life with streaming video. Now, that video is a staple in our classrooms. It’s tough to find just the right instructional video. Teachflix can help! It’s a free resource full of teacher-suggested instructional videos -- with activities you can assign your students! In this session, you’ll learn about the site, how to use it in class, and the activities provided you can use to engage your students.

Worksheet to WOW: 20+ Ways to Upgrade Your Worksheet

Worksheets have been embedded in classrooms for years and years. They’re ready to use and easy to grade. But we want to do better than giving students photocopies, right? We want to encourage better learning, creativity, personality, and fun? Let’s go from worksheet to WOW. This session will provide practical ideas for upgrading your worksheets.

Digiplans: 10 Lesson Planning Tips for a Digital Classroom

For years, lesson planning involved a lot of writing down page numbers in textbooks. Photocopying worksheets and choosing workbook pages. Now that our content, instruction, and assessment are more digital, how can we plan great lessons? How can we craft meaningful teaching and learning while making the most of what’s at our disposal? This session will provide practical ideas to help you thrive.

Find It, Don’t Make It: Free Pre-Made Teaching Resources

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, and you don’t have to spend hours looking for great teaching resources. There’s a lot out there waiting for you. You just have to know where to look! In this session, you’ll learn about lots of teacher resources with pre-made lesson plans, videos, activities, projects, and more you can use in class right away.

FREE copy/assign templates and how to make your own

You know you love a good template. Grab it. Make a copy. Assign it to your students. It saves time AND can create fantastic learning experiences. In this session, you’ll get a digital binder FULL of 50+ templates. We’ll talk about how to use them, how to modify them, and how to make your own.

Game Show Classroom: Ideas to gamify your class

You may be familiar with Kahoot!, Quizizz and Quizlet Live. They’re GREAT formative assessment tools. How can you take them to the next level? And how can you level up your class by gamifying it, incorporating game elements in it? There’s great motivation in that for some students. You’ll leave with concrete ideas and tips to get started!

Digital Instruction: To Infinity and Beyond!

Tired of the glazed over eyes? The slumped posture? Gather ideas to actively engage students in new content. Create self-paced lessons where students are their own guides in learning. These steps will move your class from teacher-centered toward student-centered learning right away!

Learn Like a YouTuber: Engaging video activities

Let’s face it. Your students spend lots of time on YouTube, and they probably have their favorite YouTubers. Let’s take popular styles of YouTube videos and turn them into learning experiences! In this session, you’ll learn how you -- and your students! -- can make top 10 videos, unboxing videos, and more as a demonstration of learning. You'll see how to make learning feel like students' favorite video platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok -- and you'll see engagement soar!

Differentiate Instruction with Techy “Just for Me” Learning

Creating learning opportunities that feel custom-created for students doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Let technology lighten your load -- and create meaningful, engaging learning! Presenter Matt Miller will share from Don’t Ditch That Tech, a book about digital differentiated instruction that he co-authored. It will equip you with ideas you can use in class right away.

Digital Escape Rooms: Make ‘Em and Find ‘Em for FREE

The digital escape room craze has swept the nation. People are locked in a room and must find clues to break out and escape! What if the clues were tied to your class content and students had to “escape” digitally? Learn how to use these fun activities in your class!

Go Global: Virtual Field Trips, Virtual Guests, and More

Class doesn’t have to be confined to the four walls of the classroom. Video calls and on-demand virtual field trips can connect your students to people, places, experts, and other cultures and viewpoints. You’ll learn how!

Viral Learning: Fun, Social Media-Inspired Activities

Tik Tok. Snapchat. Instagram. Students love them. They use them all the time. (And if they’re too young, they watch their parents use them!) If social media is a language students speak, let them put those skills to good use! Learn how to capture the excitement of these social media platforms without actually downloading and using the apps. You don’t need the app to create the experience!

Sketchnotes: Tools and Tactics for Visual Notetaking

Sketchnoting is a fun, visual, brain-friendly way to remember important ideas and make sense of them for others. In this session, you’ll learn some sketchnoting basics and best practices. You’ll learn how to create them digitally or on paper. You’ll also get a chance to create your first sketchnote!

Back to School: 10 Ideas for the Best Year Ever

The first few weeks of school are an opportunity to start on the right foot, establish expectations, and get to know your class. In this session, you’ll get ideas for community building, firm learning foundations, and lots of fun!

EfficienTEACH: Teach Better and Save Time for What Matters Most

Teachers are leaving the education field in droves. Really, really good teachers. Maybe you're considering it. How can you do your best work -- and get home at a reasonable hour for the important stuff? The answer: EffiicenTEACHing. This session outlines research-backed, brain-based teaching practices you can use in class tomorrow to save time AND teach better. Most are low-prep or no prep. They'll level up your teaching and get you home faster at night. This session will also connect you with Ditch That Textbook's free, community-driven, comprehensive EfficienTEACH project with a growing database of research-based teaching strategies that save time and level up teaching.

Reflection: The Secret Superpower to Lasting Learning

“We do not learn from experience. We learn from REFLECTING on experience.” -- attributed to John Dewey. It’s easy to move on without letting students reflect on what they’ve learned and how they learn. But use this powerful tactic and learning becomes more meaningful. You’ll take away strategies and tips you can use in class right away!

A virtual presentation brings the power and impact of Ditch That Textbook ideas with the time/space flexibility of a video call. (Plus, it's a more cost effective option!) Schedule a 60-90 minute presentation with Matt to get a dose of new ideas and inspiration. He can demonstrate, answer questions or talk through issues with teachers.