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MACUL Newsletter
September 2026
Empowering educators through connection, innovation
and technology to transform learning.
macul.org
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Greetings!
As you start your new year, may your Wi-Fi be strong, your passwords actually remembered, and the phrase "have you tried turning it off and on again?" solve 90% of your daily issues. You are the brave souls bridging the gap between cutting-edge innovation and students trying to use their Chromebooks as dinner trays. Take a deep breath—you’ve got this, and so does the undo button.
Our September newsletter is packed full of great information. Take some time to peruse and find all the things being shared. As you read, see if you can figure out what is important about October 6!
| Cell Phone Ban in Michigan Classrooms in Effect | |
As you are probably now aware, on Feb. 10, 2026, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed House Bill 4141 and Senate Bill 495 into law, creating a statewide ban on student cellphone use in public schools during K–12 classroom instructional time beginning in the 2026–27 school year. While the law requires districts to ban use during class, it preserves local discretion outside instructional periods: districts may allow use of devices between classes or at lunch or adopt stricter full-day restrictions.
| International Dot Day: September 15ish | |
International Dot Day, a global celebration of creativity, courage and collaboration, began when teacher Terry Shay introduced his classroom to Peter H. Reynolds’ book The Dot on September 15, 2009.
The Dot is the story of a caring teacher who dares a doubting student to trust in her own abilities by being brave enough to “make her mark”. What begins with a small dot on a piece of paper becomes a breakthrough in confidence and courage, igniting a journey of self-discovery and sharing, which has gone on to inspire countless children and adults around the globe.
Since 2009, over 35 million students in over 190 countries have participated in International Dot Day. Take a look at the resources available.
| What is special about October 6? Keep looking. | Free ACT, SAT, and AP Practice Drills | Short, focused 5-question drills covering SAT Math, SAT Reading & Writing, ACT English, ACT Math, ACT Reading, ACT Science, and AP® exam subjects, plus a full-length practice test for the Classic Learning Test (CLT). Most students finish a drill in under 10 minutes. Every question comes with a detailed answer explanation that walks through the reasoning behind the correct choice and the logic of each wrong one. Developed by a published Barron's test prep author with over 20 years of tutoring experience. | MACUL EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES | | Two Open Positions with MACUL | | |
MACUL is excited to announce two independent contractor opportunities for individuals interested in helping support MACUL’s mission of empowering educators through connection, innovation, and technology.
Conference Manager
MACUL is seeking an experienced and highly organized Conference Manager to help lead the planning and execution of the MACUL Annual Conference.
Director of Communications and Membership
MACUL is also seeking a Director of Communications and Membership to help strengthen our connection with members and the broader education community.
Both positions are independent contractor positions and provide an opportunity to play an important role in the continued growth and success of MACUL.
| | Have you figured out why October 6 is important yet? | | Consolidated Application for MACUL Conference | | |
While conference registration is not yet open for the annual MACUL Conference in Detroit, it's never too early to request to attend next year's amazing conference! We would encourage you to seek approval to attend our next conference now. Please use the attached "justification letter" to edit and submit through your district's proper channels to get your trip to MACUL approved for March. The justification letter lays out how the conference will help your practice and how it will benefit your district. We've even included language and a cost calculator for your central office staff to write it into a grant! Act now and get your spot reserved for the 2027 must-attend MACUL Conference!
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The 2026 Student Technology Showcase (STS) at The Capitol will take place on Wednesday, December 2, 2026 in the beautiful Heritage Hall at the Michigan State Capitol Building to allow lawmakers, business leaders and other citizens to see first-hand how technology is used in classrooms across Michigan.
Breaking News!
REMC + MACUL = $1000 Support for Student Showcase Teams!
We are thrilled to announce that REMC is partnering with MACUL to provide money for funding to non-sponsored teams that successfully participate in the Student Technology Showcase on December 2.
These funds can help underwrite important event expenses such as transportation, substitute costs, materials, and more—making it easier than ever for students to shine at the Showcase!
| | SPEAKER PROPOSAL DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 6 | |
MACUL LEARNING AREA UPDATES | |
Are you considering submitting a proposal to present at the MACUL Conference in 2027? We are here to help! Grow Your Voice is a program designed to support you as you write your proposal and design your session. Sign up for more information and we will be in touch!
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The Tech in Education team is excited for their MACUL Conference 2027 workshop: Game Night in the Afternoon. Look for more details in the future and join us for a few hours of learning - we'll talk about connecting board games to standards and working them into your curriculum. High engagement and fun for all!
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FREE Webinar: Preparing for the New Standard: Web Accessibility for Schools
Are your digital platforms ready for the updated Web Standards? For many school organizations, the answer is no—but we are here to help you get up to speed. Join MACUL this October for an essential webinar focused entirely on the new Web Accessibility guidelines impacting K-12 schools. Led by Jordan Ewert, Website & Graphic Design Coordinator, this session will demystify the updated standards and give your district the tools needed to build an inclusive and compliant digital presence.
When: October 19, 2026 at 10:00AM EST
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Michigan education leaders are invited to Data Systems in Action, a four-part virtual learning series examining how leaders organize data systems, routines, roles, and follow-through to drive improvement. Each one-hour session will feature two Michigan education leaders demonstrating a system or process they actively use. The focus is not on sophisticated technology or product promotion, but on the leadership practices that help information lead to decisions and action. Sessions will be held October 15, December 10, January 14 , and February 11 from 4:00–5:00 p.m. Eastern. Register for this free event using the link below.
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edWebinars for September
Common Sense in cooperation with edWeb.net has several webinars scheduled for September.
| | Digital Literacy & Well-Being Curriculum Launch | | |
They're here! Updated 9-12 digital literacy and well-being lessons designed for the real-world challenges your students face. Topics include AI and “friendship,” cyberbullying and repair, deepfakes and consent, and much more.
The best news: No tech or AI expertise is required for teaching, because every lesson includes a complete plan and materials. You can focus on teaching and building critical thinking skills while your students engage with the lesson topics.
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Beyond the Summit is a year-round series of symposiums, workshops, webinars, and collaborative experiences designed to help district leaders like you build knowledge, make informed decisions, and turn ideas into action.
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REMC September Courses provide practical skills and strategies for educators | Build new skills for the year ahead! REMC’s September courses are designed to help educators strengthen student engagement and technology integration with practical strategies they can implement in the classroom immediately. Each free, 3-week course is designed for maximum flexibility, allowing you to move through approximately 10 hours of content that is mostly asynchronous. REMC instructors also provide multiple live support sessions to help participants stay on track, ask questions, and get the most out of the learning experience. Attendees are required to join one live support session, with the option to attend more based on their schedule and needs. | |
REMC 30-minute webinars offer practical skills to help you meet compliance guidelines
REMC is hosting unique trainings focused on making websites and digital files accessible following the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines! The ADA Webinars are designed for secretaries and administrative assistants, yet helpful and available to anyone. They teach practical strategies to ensure accessibility, as meeting ADA compliance is becoming a requirement for all schools within the next two years. These sessions are FREE, interactive and timely to guarantee you can translate topics immediately to your sites and documents.
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| REMC offers two new webinars to help educators easily implement Critical Thinking with Tabletop Games into their classroom | Critical Thinking with Tabletop Games is a REMC project that provides educators with boardgames to foster critical thinking, engagement, and collaboration in their classrooms. Each board game includes a “Gamecard” in which REMC outlines real world skills to be gained from it and reinforced in a classroom setting. This unique resource promotes engagement and high quality thinking for students, it allows them to have fun while strengthening their collaboration and problem solving skills. | | | | |
