PD Webinar Series

February 17, 2026

6:00pm 

Designing Math That Moves: Fluency, Acceleration, and the Courage to Explore

With Casey Warmbrand

High-ability learners don’t simply need “more”; they need mathematics that moves—fluidly, flexibly, and creatively. This session uses the Alabama Mathematics Course of Study and the Numeracy Act as anchors for designing instruction that supports acceleration, deep conceptual understanding, and mathematical risk-taking. Participants will explore how to design rich task sequences, investigations, and open problems that promote multiple strategies, multiple representations, and authentic mathematical reasoning. We will examine approaches to curriculum compacting, flexible grouping, and grading structures that reward exploration and align with the Standards for Mathematical Practice. Teachers will leave with practical tools, classroom-ready examples, and a clear framework for cultivating fluency, creativity, and productive struggle in high-ability mathematics learners.


 

Casey Warmbrand is a mathematician, curriculum architect, and national leader in gifted mathematics education. With 25 years of experience spanning middle school through university instruction, he has contributed to state standards development, redesigned mathematics pathways, and led national professional learning for NAGC, NCTM, and international organizations focused on mathematical creativity. Casey’s work centers rich-task design, curriculum compacting, mathematical creativity, and equitable assessment practices aligned with the Standards for Mathematical Practice. He currently supports mathematics program innovation for gifted learners in Arizona, advances systemic change in mathematics education nationally, and directs an initiative focused on affordable housing reform. Outside of his professional work, Casey enjoys time with his wife, Erica, and son, Zeke, and is an avid pickleball player supporting the national governing body, USA Pickleball.

🦄☔📘🕳️ Unicorns, Umbrellas, User Manuals, and Unfinished Business

  • August 19, 2025
  • 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
  • Zoom

Registration is closed

PD Webinar Series 

Tuesday, August 19, 2025, 6:00 pm CT

 ☔  ️

Unicorns, Umbrellas, User Manuals, and Unfinished Business

A Back-to-School Reawakening for Gifted Educators

With Dr. Brian Housand

You thought this was just another back-to-school PD?
Think again.

This is your official invitation to step out of survival mode and into something wildly more meaningful. In this curiosity-fueled kickoff, we’re connecting the dots between unicorns (the magic), umbrellas (the boundaries), user manuals (the things we wish we had), and unfinished business (the black hole we can’t keep avoiding).

Strange bedfellows? Maybe. But together, they tell the real story of what it means to teach gifted in 2025.

We’ll unpack what’s been shielding us, what’s been stifling us, and what’s been silently calling for our attention. We’ll challenge the noise of “just differentiate” and “they’ll be fine” by rewriting the script with clarity, creativity, and rebellious hope.

You don’t need another checklist.
You need a reawakening.

So bring your sparkle, your skepticism, and your stickiest Post-It notes. You’ll leave recharged, realigned, and ready to reclaim your brilliance.

✨ Come curious. Leave luminous. Stay dangerous (in the best possible way). ✨

MEET

BRIAN HOUSAND, PH.D.

Dr. Brian Housand believes learning should always be an adventure. As Coordinator of the Academically or Intellectually Gifted Program at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, he helps educators challenge gifted learners both intellectually and emotionally. A frequent speaker at national and international conferences, Brian explores creativity, gifted education, and the power of play. His latest book, SEED: Silverquicken Episodes for Enrichment and Diagnosis, blends immersive storytelling with puzzle-based learning designed to instigate cognitive and affective growth. A longtime classroom teacher, gifted specialist, and professor, he also co-authored Using the Schoolwide Enrichment Model with Technology and wrote Fighting Fake News!. When not teaching or presenting, Brian proudly embraces his geeky passions for Star Wars, Disney, Taylor Swift, video games, and fonts. Find him at brianhousand.com or on social media @brianhousand

Zoom link will be emailed to registrants prior to the event. 


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