How to Get the Most Out of the Studies Weekly Learning Lab
The countdown to the Learning Lab has begun! Every year, educators from around the country gather to strengthen their practice, discover new strategies, and stay current on the research and ideas influencing education today.
The Learning Lab is designed to be flexible and personalized. With over 45 sessions to choose from and four instructional tracks, you can build a learning experience that fits your role, grade level, and goals. Taking just a few minutes to prepare for the conference now can help you get so much more from the Learning Lab!
Here’s how to make the most out of your Learning Lab experience:
Before the Conference
1. Explore the Agenda and Plan Your Itinerary
Before the conference, visit the event platform to browse the agenda and identify your must-attend sessions. To find the sessions most relevant to you, browse the agenda by:
- Exploring the conference tracks: Leadership, Assessment, Curriculum, and Instruction
- Filtering by role
- Filtering by subject area
- Filtering by grade level
When the Zoom Events lobby opens on the first day of the conference, you’ll be able to bookmark sessions that interest you. Those bookmarks automatically populate your personal conference itinerary, making it easy to keep track of what you plan to attend.
Pro tip! Can’t make every session live? Use the filters to prioritize sessions that align most closely with your current goals, then plan to watch additional recordings later!
2. Invite Colleagues to Join You
Professional learning is most impactful when you experience it with others! Invite your staff, team teachers, department colleagues, or administrators to register for free as well.
Attending together creates opportunities to:
- Attend more sessions live
- Share resources and notes
- Discuss ideas between workshops
- Build momentum for implementation
Pro tip! Reflect on your learning together at your next PLC or department meeting. Use a simple protocol, like the 3-2-1 summary, to help you reflect. First, record three takeaways, two potential applications, and one question or conclusion.
3. Come with Questions and Goals
The best conference experiences are interactive! Before the event begins, think about the challenges you’re currently facing in your classroom, school, or district.
To help think of questions, brainstorm topics like:
- What’s the biggest learning gap my students face?
- What assessment or differentiation challenges do I face?
- Where do my students struggle most with engagement?
- What would make my planning time easier?
Identifying a few questions early will help you listen more intentionally and identify sessions that address your most pertinent challenges. Be sure to set goals for yourself and how you’ll participate in the conference.
During the Conference
1. Don’t Miss the Keynotes!
If there’s one thing you don’t want to miss at Learning Lab, it’s the keynote sessions! This year’s keynote speakers are some of the most respected voices and researchers in education. Make sure you join the conference at 9:00 AM ET each day of the conference to hear their insights and practical strategies for the educators of today.
Featured speakers
Day 1: June 15th, 2026
Dr. Douglas Fisher and Dr. Nancy Frey: “Unlocking Learning Through Strategic Lesson Design”
Day 2: June 16th, 2026
Natalie Wexler: “Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning”
2. Build Your Personal Itinerary
As you explore the event, bookmark the sessions you want to attend! When you visit the Itinerary tab within Zoom Events, your schedule will automatically populate with your saved sessions. Your personalized itinerary will help you stay organized and avoid missing sessions that matter most to you.
If two great sessions overlap, don’t worry, you’ll still be able to watch both. Recordings will be available after the conference, allowing you to catch up on what you missed.
3. Participate in the Lobby Chat
The Zoom Events lobby includes a live chat where attendees can ask questions, share insights, and connect with educators from other schools and districts.
4. Visit the Expo Hall
If something catches your attention during a workshop, the Expo Hall is a great place to learn more! You can join a virtual booth to meet personally with a Studies Weekly representative to:
- View product samples
- Ask implementation questions
- Learn about resources available in your state
- Explore solutions you’ve seen referenced during sessions
Join the Expo Hall any time during the conference!
5. Take Notes and Set Implementation Goals
Throughout the conference, make sure to take notes of thoughts that inspired you and strategies that taught you something new. Writing them down helps ensure you remember your takeaways and gives you a helpful document to reference throughout the next school year, so your professional learning lasts more than just a summer.
6. Claim Your PD Credits
At the end of the conference, be sure to complete the conference exit ticket to receive your PD credit certificate. The Exit Ticket will automatically calculate the number of credits you fulfilled during the conference and will send an official certificate from Studies Weekly to the email address you provide.
PD credit reminder: The Learning Lab offers the opportunity to earn 36+ hours of PD credit across live and recorded sessions, so don’t skip this final step!
After the Conference
1. Watch the Recordings
One of the biggest advantages of a virtual conference is that the learning doesn’t end when the live event ends. All registered educators will have access to session recordings, allowing you to:
- Catch sessions that conflicted with your schedule
- Rewatch sessions you enjoyed
- Continue earning PD credit after the live event
Pro tip! Choose 3–5 or more sessions you missed and schedule time over the next month to watch them.
2. Create an Action Plan
Within a week of the conference, review your notes and identify your top priorities for the upcoming school year. Ask questions like:
- What do I want to improve this year?
- Which ideas from the conference will I try?
- When will I implement these changes?
- How will I measure my success?
- Who can I share these ideas with?
Whether you’re a classroom teacher looking for practical strategies, an instructional coach looking for implementation ideas, or an administrator focused on supporting your teachers, the Learning Lab offers opportunities for you to learn, grow, and achieve your outcomes.
We can’t wait to see you there!