We’re heading back to Orlando.
And this time? We’re bringing the heat.
EMC² Learning has been selected to present two sessions at the Innovative Schools Summit 2026 — our very first time at this conference — and we couldn’t be more excited to take the stage in the Grand Ballroom.
Orlando has become something of a home away from home for us over the years. But this one feels special. Two completely different sessions. Two different angles. One big throughline: learning should be engaging, human, and built with purpose.
Session One
Now That’s What I Call Gamification ’26: Kiss Your Kahoot Goodbye!
March 14, 2026 | 10:00–10:55 AM ET | Grand Ballroom 1–3
Let’s be honest.
There’s a difference between engagement and button mashing.
There’s a difference between excitement and depth.
And there’s a difference between “fun” and meaningful challenge.
This session hits reset on tired review games and surface-level gamification. We’re going far beyond leaderboard screenshots and guessing-game dopamine spikes. Instead, we’ll explore how real game mechanics — the kind that keep people playing Monopoly long after they should’ve gone to bed or leaning forward in Mario Kart when the blue shell hits — can reshape classroom culture.
We’ll unpack:
Why method matters more than tech
How principles like Flow, the Bartle Player Types, and the Endowed Progress Effect actually change student motivation
How to design plug-and-play classroom experiences that don’t require fancy platforms or expensive subscriptions
Gamification isn’t about layering points onto worksheets. It’s about crafting experiences that foster collaboration, creativity, and authentic challenge.
And in a world increasingly shaped by AI, gamification gives students something machines can’t replicate: the thrill of meaningful struggle and human connection.
If you’re gamification-curious, lifelong gamer, or just ready to retire the “one-size-fits-all guessing game,” this session is your invitation to build something better.
Session Two
AI Classroom Survivor: Teacher Tools to Outwit, Outplan and Outlast the AI Blindside
March 14, 2026 | 11:15 AM–12:10 PM ET | Grand Ballroom 1–3
The AI wave isn’t coming.
It’s here.
And for many educators, it feels less like innovation and more like exile island.
In this session, we lean into the Survivor metaphor and turn anxiety into strategy. Through a fast-paced top ten countdown, we’ll explore both AI-powered tools and time-tested pedagogical techniques that ensure your classroom remains creative, rigorous, and deeply human.
This won’t be a passive demo session.
Participants will become students inside a sample classroom, experiencing:
Strategic lesson design powered by AI
Personalized feedback systems
Adaptive tools used thoughtfully
Playful instructional models that protect human connection
The goal isn’t to “beat” AI.
It’s to outwit the blindside. To outplan the overwhelm. To outlast the hype cycle.
When the dust settles, the teachers who thrive won’t be the ones who chased every shiny app. They’ll be the ones who understood how to pair innovation with intentional pedagogy.
That’s exactly what we’re building here.
AI Has Changed The Game. Have You?
Across both sessions, the throughline is simple: Technology should amplify great teaching — not replace it.
Gamification and AI aren’t competing forces. When used thoughtfully, they’re complementary tools in service of deeper learning, greater motivation, and stronger human connection.
And that’s the kind of work we’re honored to bring to the Innovative Schools Summit.
If you’ll be there, come say hello in the Grand Ballroom on March 14.
You can learn more about the conference and register here: Innovative Schools Summit Website
See you in Orlando. Let’s play — with purpose!
The activities featured in EMC² Learning presentations and workshops are just a handful of the 1,100+ resources available and on their way to arrive shortly in the EMC² Learning library. This entire library is available to all members with an active Engagement Engineer or Engagement Engineer PLUS account, and is included with your annual site membership. We hope you’ll consider joining us as an Engagement Engineer to unlock a full year of site access. For complete details including our exclusive limited time offer for annual site membership, click here.
