George Brown Polytechnic is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time. We are grateful to share this land as treaty people who learn, work and live in the community with each other.
Engagement: showing up for ourselves, our colleagues, and our students
Date: Thursday, October 29, 2026
Location: Limberlost Place, 185 Queens Quay East, Toronto, Ontario, M5A 1B6 and online
Join us on Thursday, October 29th for a conference that invites us to explore what meaningful engagement looks like in a time of rapid change, evolving expectations, and new possibilities for teaching and learning.
Engagement begins with how we show up—for ourselves, for one another, and for our students. This one-day conference invites us to explore what meaningful engagement looks like in a time of rapid change, evolving expectations, and new possibilities for teaching and learning.
Together, we’ll consider how caring for our own capacity and curiosity enables us to contribute more fully; how connection, collaboration, and a sense of belonging strengthen our work with colleagues; and how intentional, inclusive practices can create learning experiences in which students feel seen, supported, challenged, and inspired.
Through shared learning, conversation, and reflection, the day will create space to reconnect with our purpose, learn from one another, and discover practical ways to deepen engagement across our college community.
Note: ASL Interpreters will be present.
Register for Falltersession on Cornerstone
Session Schedule
Limberlost Place – Thursday, October 29th
| Time | Session Title | Room Number |
|---|---|---|
| 09:30 AM - 10:00 AM | Land Acknowledgment and Welcome Message | WFL-333 |
| 10:00 AM - 10:50 AM | Danny Smith: Need a Fresh Student Engagement Idea? | WFL-333 |
| 11:00 AM - 11:50 AM | Silvia Caiceco: Student Panel: What students wish we knew | WFL-333 |
| 11:50 AM - 12:30 PM | Lunch Break (Bring your own lunch, coffee & tea provided) | 3rd Floor Crush Space |
| 12:30 PM - 01:10 PM | Linda Gillis: Showing Up for Ourselves by Taking Care of Our Brains-One Nutrient at a Time | WFL-333 |
| 01:20 PM - 02:00 PM | Kay-Ann Williams: When Learning Resonates: Using Simulation and Reflection to Deepen Student Engagement | WFL-333 |
| 02:00 PM - 02:30 PM | Ryan Morrison & Rocio Conde: Engaging Students with Digital Micro-Games | WFL-333 |
Session Descriptions
10:00 AM - 10:50 AM: Need a Fresh Student Engagement Idea?
Need a Fresh Student Engagement Idea?
Description:
Bring a lesson you already teach. Leave with a student engagement activity you can actually use. In this hands-on workshop, you’ll use a reusable AI Skill (i.e., a ready-made set of AI instructions and prompts) to turn your own course materials into practical engagement activities for your students regardless if they are in-person, online, or hybrid. You bring the teaching context and the AI Skill helps you explore what might work. You’ll leave with the AI Skill so you can use it again the next time you need a fresh idea. No advanced AI experience required. Just bring something you teach and a willingness to experiment.
Facilitator: Danny Smith
11:00 AM - 11:50 AM: Student Panel: What students wish we knew
Student Panel: What students wish we knew: Stories of learning
Description:
What does it really mean to learn in higher ed? What makes learning meaningful, what gets in the way, and how can educators create experiences that inspire curiosity, confidence and growth?
Join us for an engaging student panel that puts student voices at the centre of the conversation. Through personal stories and reflections, our panellists will share their learning journeys, including moments of discovery, challenges, and the strategies, relationships and teaching approaches that have made a difference.
This is an opportunity to listen, learn and see teaching through students' eyes. As we show up for our students, we will reflect on how we can recognize and build on their strengths, create inclusive and supportive learning environments, and rethink our approaches to teaching and learning.
Come with an open mind and a curious spirit. Our students have much to teach us, and their stories can inspire new perspectives, meaningful conversations and possibilities for our teaching practice.
Let's listen, learn and allow student voices to shape the conversation.
Facilitator/Moderator: Silvia Caicedo
12:30 PM - 1:10 PM: Showing Up for Ourselves by Taking Care of Our Brains-One Nutrient at a Time
Showing Up for Ourselves by Taking Care of Our Brains-One Nutrient at a Time
Description:
This interactive workshop explores the powerful connection between nutrition, brain function, and learning. Through hands-on activities, participants will gain insight into how nutrients influence cognitive performance, memory, focus, mood and overall wellbeing. In addition to deepening their understanding of their own learning processes, participants will leave with practical, evidence-informed strategies they can share with students to support healthy habits, enhance learning, and promote academic success.
Facilitator: Linda Gillis
1:20 PM - 2:00 PM: When Learning Resonates: Using Simulation and Reflection to Deepen Student Engagement
When Learning Resonates: Using Simulation and Reflection to Deepen Student Engagement
Description:
Let’s explore the many ways we facilitate student interaction and engagement, particularly in courses that require critical thinking, the synthesis of complex information, and the examination of issues that resonate deeply with us, such as the disproportionate impacts of extreme weather events in sustainability courses. In this workshop, participants will preview an online simulation tool designed to enhance understanding of complex challenges and strengthen problem-solving skills. We will also discuss strategies for fostering meaningful student engagement, including approaches that create space for emotional acknowledgement, reflection, and expression when exploring challenging and personally relevant topics.
Facilitator: Kay-Ann Williams
2:00 PM - 2:30 PM: Engaging Students with Digital Micro-Games
Engaging Students with Digital Micro-Games
Description:
Many of us have integrated games into our morning routines. Short games like Wordle, Connections and Tradle are replacing longer, traditional offerings like newspaper crosswords.
In this workshop, we will look at ways to integrate these games into your classes to drive engagement and provide on ramps for content and concepts from your course. With this workshop, participants will receive access to a growing repository of games.
And, yes, of course -- we’ll be playing lots of games too!
Facilitator: Ryan Morrison and Rocio Conde