InstCon 2026 Proposal Workshop: Share Your Ideas & Get Feedback!

The Call for Proposals for InstructureCon 2026 in Louisville is wide open, but the clock is ticking! Have a great idea for a session but aren't quite sure it's "ready" yet?

Don't let a great story go untold. Share your concept here and get real-time feedback from the community to help you polish your pitch and hit that submit button with confidence.

How it works:

Post your idea: Share your Title and a brief description (whether it's a rough "napkin sketch" or a nearly finished abstract).
Review others: Offer a friendly "I’d definitely attend that!" or a suggestion on how to make the session even more impactful.
The Goal: Let’s help each other get to Louisville!

The Ultimate Perk:
Don't forget—if your proposal is accepted, you’ll receive a 50% discount on your InstructureCon 2026 registration! Getting feedback here now can help you sharpen your proposal and increase your chances of snagging that discount.

Still not sure? Check out You Should Submit an InstructureCon 2026 Proposal (Yes, You. Especially You.) for further convincing.

Proposals are due March 20th. What are you thinking of presenting this year?

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Comments

Greg

Thanks @james_whalley for this post. I have two proposals in for this year and might have a third.

Your Students, Your Canvas, Your Data
Faculty can become data literate by focusing on our students and using the data that our Canvas courses contain. In this session, we will explore four different ways to collect data from Canvas and see these used in a Canvas course. The Canvas tools that will be demonstrated include surveys and insights from Canvas Studio, which can collect the data that can help you become a better instructor and your students better learners.

Ungrading in Canvas without Points
Ungrading is an authentic assessment practice that encourages students to focus on learning, not their course grade. Assignments become opportunities to practice, and students are empowered to use their achievements as evidence to support the grade they think they have earned in the class. In this session we will discuss ungrading and learn how to use Canvas without points in support of this practice.

I'm excited to see what other folks are submitting!

MAJ18

@Greg i would definitely be interested in your authentic assessment option. As nursing is moving into a more competency based system I am often asked about how we can move away from points and focus on learning.

james_whalley

These sound great! I hope they get selected. For the data one, will you also include warnings regarding what the data is not intended for? I'm thinking mostly about how some folks think Quiz logs can be used for academic integrity matters.

melodyc_lam

Here's what I proposed this year:

5 things I wish I knew as a beginner Canvas Admin: Often times the role of "Canvas admin" gets passed along without specific guidance or sometimes you're thrown into being a Canvas admin as a 'backup' — Here's a 'starter pack' of things that beginner Canvas Admins should know about managing a Canvas instance, like where your BETA and TEST instances are (and how to log into them), bulk actions using the SIS import system (that you can use without even knowing what a SIS is), account settings, course organization using subaccounts, and what your next steps are in getting help being a Canvas Admin :)

District Level Courses at the K-12 level: Or in other words, how did we manage to put in 20K staff and around 75K students total into one Canvas course and make it work across a school district with 185+ schools with only using Canvas functionality and a little help from the Canvas API/SIS Imports to get data in and out. We've tried it all — from just manually creating courses using the API and managing them that way, blueprinting, and trying to leverage the SIS to make things work. It can be done — with some caveats.

DiannaDK

I love this idea for helping others think of creative ideas to share. I have submitted one proposal already and am working with a small group of coaches here in Indiana.

Here's what I pitched for my solo session:

Pajamas, Pedagogy, and Progress: Building a Flexible Professional Learning Ecosystem

Our small K12 district offers a guide to transform traditional professional development into a flexible, learner-centered model. Aimed at leaders and educators, it outlines our creative approach to a hybrid model, combining in-person and virtual days. We leverage Canvas and apply ISTE Standards for Students along with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to model differentiated environments for students.

tarnold

Here are the sessions that I have proposed:

Derby-Ready PD: Race Toward Andragogy-Powered Training with Canvas (Solo Session)

Saddle up for PD that actually motivates educators to run the race! In this session, you’ll learn how to design professional learning in Canvas using the principles of andragogy—creating experiences that are meaningful, self-directed, and built for adult learners. We’ll explore ways to give teachers real voice, authentic choices, and purposeful pathways that respect their expertise and time. You’ll leave with winning strategies, design templates, and high-impact Canvas features to engage educators from the starting gate to the finish line.

From the Starting Gate to the Winner’s Circle: Building District-Wide Success with Canvas (Team Session)

Winning in K–12 professional learning takes more than a strong start—it requires the right coaching and a smart strategy. In this session, explore how Richmond Community Schools uses Canvas to support personalized coaching, streamline onboarding through the Richmond Teaching Academy, and design engaging staff and student courses. Learn how district-wide sandbox courses and templates foster collaboration and innovation, while insights from the RCS Blended Learning Cadre keep pedagogy on track. Leave ready to pace your district for long-term success—and confidently cross the finish line with Canvas.