2026 TETL Summer Conference

Pre-Registration Required

Artificial intelligence is already in students’ hands—so what now? This session explores practical, school-ready protocols for acceptable AI use that support learning without sacrificing integrity. Participants will walk away with clear expectations, classroom strategies, and communication tools to guide responsible student use. Learn how to move beyond restriction toward intentional integration—where AI enhances thinking, not replaces it.


Essential Skill
Strategic Planning; Instructional Focus & Professional Development

In a department often defined by ticket counts and infrastructure, our most powerful asset remains our people. Northside ISD’s technology department has moved beyond "broadcast mode" to leverage social media as a tool for celebrating staff, demystifying technical roles, and educating our community.


But how does a small team actually make it happen? Join this 50-minute interactive session to pull back the curtain on our content engine. We will share the "origin story" of how we started from scratch, the organizational systems we use to stay consistent, and our monthly delegation workflow that keeps the workload manageable for our department leaders. You’ll also learn how we leverage these social "wins" to build a monthly staff newsletter, ensuring our best stories reach every inbox. Whether you’re a team of one or ten, you’ll leave with a practical blueprint for turning daily operations into a compelling narrative that connects and celebrates.



Additional Information 
50-Minute Session OutlineI. The Origin Story: Moving Beyond the Help Desk (10 Minutes)

• The "Why": Why our department needed a "front door" and how social media serves as the first impression for parents and a culture-builder for staff.
• Starting from Scratch: How we identified our brand voice and selected the right platforms (Facebook for parents, Instagram for staff/visuals, X for quick updates) to reach our different audiences.
• Setting Expectations: The initial goals we set to ensure we were building a "social" mindset, not just a megaphone for announcements.

II. The Monthly Machine: Management & Delegation (15 Minutes)

• The 3-Person Workflow: Detailed breakdown of how roles are assigned within a small team to prevent burnout—from content capture to graphic design and final approval.
• Monthly Planning & Delegation: How we use a content calendar to map out the month ahead, ensuring a steady flow of diverse posts.
• Organization Tools: A look at the "scheduling for sanity" tools (like Hootsuite or Loomly) we use to manage bulk uploads and maintain a weekly posting cadence without daily stress.

III. Content Goldmines: Morale Boosters & Community Education (10 Minutes)

• Showcasing Our People: Practical ideas for staff spotlights, including Bitmoji "Guess Who" games, celebrating professional certifications, and "behind-the-scenes" looks at TSS and techs in action.
• Educating the Community: Using short-form video (Reels/TikTok) for "30-second explainers" on cybersecurity, safe device habits, and tech best practices that parents actually want to watch.

IV. The Newsletter Pipeline: Repurposing Social Wins (10 Minutes)

• Building the Monthly Newsletter: How we use our best-performing social posts as "cornerstone content" for the staff newsletter.
• The Efficiency Loop: Using Canva and Smore integrations to quickly pull social graphics into newsletter headers, saving hours of design time.
• Amplifying Impact: How the newsletter adds "depth" to social stories, allowing for longer interviews or detailed project updates that wouldn't fit in a caption.

V. Maintenance & Q&A (5 Minutes)

• Staying Consistent: Tips for auditing your presence and adjusting your strategy based on what the metrics tell you is actually working.
• Open Q&A: Troubleshooting common hurdles like image permissions, handling negative comments, and finding the time to "do it all".

 Miranda Snider - Northside ISD

How do you lead a team that you don't see every day?  Do you have staff that work from various locations, making supervision and management challenging?  At Northside ISD, we have frontline tech staff that physically work at campuses, often reporting to a "local" campus administrator while executing "central" technology goals. This dual-report dynamic creates unique challenges for communication, culture, and professional growth.


This session explores a framework for "leading from a distance." We will examine strategies for navigating the partnership between the Technology Department and campus, establishing consistent communication loops, and providing meaningful professional development opportunities for staff who may feel isolated from the core IT team. Whether you are managing five campuses or one hundred, join us to discuss strategies for building a unified departmental culture that empowers decentralized staff to be effective campus liaisons.
Additional Information 
Learning Objectives

• Defining the Role: Establish a clear scope of work that balances campus-specific needs with district-wide technology standards.
• The Shared Leadership Model: Strategies for collaborating with campus administrators to ensure frontline staff are supported and utilized effectively.
• Remote Culture & Connection: Practical tactics for keeping off-site staff connected to the department to prevent "silos" and burnout.
• Flexible PD Tracks: How to design professional development that keeps decentralized teams skilled, engaged, and aligned with ever evolving district initiatives.

Essential Skill
Leadership & Vision; Instructional Focus & Professional Development; Team Building & Staffing