Archdiocese of Cincinnati

Back to School Checklist for Positive Media and Tech Use
2022-08-08 15:00 - 16:00 UTC | Zoom
Back to school is the most wonderful time of the year! Educators are busy planning class goals for the year, setting norms and expectations for classroom device use, and supporting families with at-home tips and conversation starters.
In this edWebinar, Sue Thotz and Jennifer Ehehalt from Common Sense Education will highlight what’s new from Common Sense. They will also share templates and routines to help you establish a positive culture of digital citizenship in your classroom now and throughout the school year.
This edWebinar will be of interest to elementary and middle school teachers and education technology leaders. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.
About the Presenters
Sue Thotz is the senior program manager for Common Sense Education and co-founder of Equity in Action CA. In 2011, Sue began working for Common Sense by providing support and training for educators and administrators on issues of digital culture and technology implementation. As a co-founder of Equity in Action CA, she has facilitated conferences that recognize the importance of culture and identity and strive to amplify marginalized voices in the education technology space. Prior to Common Sense, Sue was a researcher and educator. Sue holds a master’s degree in public health and an undergraduate degree in zoology and chemistry.

As Senior Regional Manager, Jennifer Ehehalt designs and delivers high-quality professional development opportunities for educators across the country. She spotlights thought leaders by creating and moderating conversations on timely topics relevant to digital teaching and learning. When attending Jennifer’s edWeb sessions, participants know they’ll leave with concrete strategies from the field, including how to build a positive school culture, how to use straightforward templates to guide challenging conversations, and family engagement implementation ideas.

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Leading Learning in the 2022-2023 School Year: Ready, Set, Go
2022-08-08 17:00 - 18:00
Presented by Dr. David Schuler, Superintendent, High School District 214 (IL); Dr. Carol Kelley, Superintendent, Princeton Public Schools (NJ); and Mr. Matthew J. Miller, Superintendent, Lakota Local Schools (OH)
Moderated by Ann McMullan, Project Director, CoSN (Consortium for School Networking) EmpowerED Superintendents Initiative
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Dr. David Schuler, Superintendent of High School District 214 (IL) and Chair of the CoSN Superintendent Advisory Panel, is joined by Dr. Carol Kelley, Superintendent of Princeton Public Schools (NJ) and Co-Chair of the CoSN Superintendent Advisory Panel, along with Matthew Miller, Superintendent of Lakota Local Schools (OH) and winner of the 2022 CoSN and AASA EmpowerED Digital Superintendent of the Year Award. Together, they’ll engage in a lively conversation focused on creating, leading and sustaining innovation.
The three superintendents will share examples of how they leverage technology to support teaching and learning and school operations across their districts. They will also review how they are maximizing new funding resources and their plans to sustain the projects that have been funded by access to new financial aid.
This edLeader Panel is of particular value to superintendents, K-12 school and district leaders, and aspiring school leaders. Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions to the panelists during the live broadcast.

About the Presenters
Dr. David R. Schuler is the 2018 Illinois and National Superintendent of the Year. Known for his ability to inspire and build leaders, he spearheaded Redefining Ready!, the national movement to redefine what it means for students to be college, career and life ready while serving as the 2015-2016 President of AASA, The School Superintendents Association.
Dr. Schuler has served 21 years as a superintendent and has spent the last 16 years leading High School District 214, Illinois’ largest high school district. There, he’s led the development of an innovative instructional philosophy around personalized learning experiences focused on career pathways, early college credit, and industry credentials that enable students to discover their futures while still in high school. Dr. Schuler earned his bachelor’s degree from Carroll University and his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dr. Carol L. Kelley is Superintendent of Princeton Public Schools in New Jersey. Before joining Princeton Public Schools, Dr. Kelley spent six years as Superintendent of Oak Park Elementary School District 97 in Illinois. Prior to her time in Illinois, Dr. Kelley served three years as Superintendent in the Branchburg Township School District in New Jersey. She has also held teacher, administrator and superintendent positions in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Dr. Kelley’s career is guided by her deep commitment to equity-centered systems change to address racial, economic, and academic disparities in education. She is a thought leader and speaker for several organizations and has received recognition for her professional work and contributions to education from various organizations and groups, including the West Cook County, Illinois, Distinguished Superintendent of the Year and the prestigious Governor’s Teacher award from the state of New Jersey.

Matt Miller is Superintendent of Lakota Local Schools (OH). He has spent the last 28 years serving Ohio communities as an educator in the roles of Superintendent (17), Director of Student Services and Instruction (1), Principal (5), and Teacher (5). Matt was recently honored as the 2022 CoSN and AASA EmpowerED Digital Superintendent of the Year. Matt is actively involved in Digital Promise’s League of Innovative Schools. He was previously selected to attend and present at the #FutureReady National ConnectED Superintendents Summit at the White House.
Matt is transforming Lakota through the use of open educational resources and balanced learning, along with emphasizing student and teacher voice through innovation. He completed his undergraduate coursework and master’s degree at the University of Cincinnati and was selected for Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Leadership Institute for Superintendents. Matt is grateful for his supportive family—his son, Mason, and his daughter, Jessica.

About the Host
Ann McMullan is Project Director for CoSN’s EmpowerED Superintendents Initiative. Ann served as Executive Director for Educational Technology in Klein ISD near Houston, Texas until September 2013, when she and her family moved to Los Angeles, California. For 16 years Ann led the district team that provided professional development on technology and 21st century instructional strategies to 4,000 educators serving 50,000 students. She was co-chair of the Texas Education Technology Advisory Committee which developed the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology.
Today, Ann works as a public speaker, writer, and consultant focused on leadership to meet the needs of today’s students. Ann serves on the edWeb.net Advisory Board, ClassLink’s Senior Advisors Group, and is a founding member of ERDI’s EdLeader Alliance. She also volunteers as a leadership consultant with Executive Service Corps of Southern California, serving non-profit associations. Ann is co-author of Life Lessons in Leadership, available on Amazon.com.

Launch a Successful New Year of Student-Centered Coaching
2022-08-08 18:30 - 19:30 | Zoom
Engaging teachers in coaching is an ongoing process that requires planning and intentionality. Whether a coach is new to a school or has been there awhile, the beginning of the year brings forth the opportunity for coaches to reboot, revamp, and re-envision how coaching will impact teacher and student learning.
Featuring strategies from the newly released guide Moves for Launching a New Year of Student-Centered Coaching, this session will support coaches, principals, and district leaders to:
– Connect with new and returning teachers
– Increase student engagement and build classroom community
– Build strong principal and coach partnerships
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Culturally Responsive Leadership: Cultivating a Differentiated Learning Environment Where Teachers Thrive
2022-08-09 15:00 - 16:00 | Zoom
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Learn more about viewing the live presentation and the recording, earning your CE certificate, and using our new accessibility features.
Empowering teachers to maximize student outcomes is a big part of being a K-12 leader. Differentiated instruction is as critical as ever, with fewer teachers, larger class sizes, and diverse populations of students with a range of learning styles and needs. Supporting teachers with so many factors at play is no small task!
During this interactive edWebinar, EdConnective expert coaches will guide you to:

Identify bite-sized strategies you can implement immediately to establish a building-wide culture that meets the needs of all students
Intentionally build the capacity for teachers to incorporate differentiation strategies to close learning gaps

This will NOT be a “sit-and-get” session! You’ll have the opportunity to interact, ask questions, and participate actively to ensure you leave with real, actionable knowledge. This is but a small glimpse of what can be achieved through 1:1 coaching, small group coaching, and interactive workshops.
This edWebinar will be most valuable to K-12 school and district leaders, chief academic officers, instructional coaching leaders, directors of special education, and other district teaching and learning leaders. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

About the Presenters
Dr. Natasha Ward’s doctorate is in school improvement with concentrations in educational leadership and school counseling. She also holds a master’s in teaching. As an educational consultant, behavioral change specialist, and EdConnective instructional coach, Dr. Ward’s career spans across a variety of educational sectors. While her teaching experience and mentorship skills distinguish her, Dr. Ward’s expertise lies in culturally sustaining pedagogy, mindfulness in the classroom, student autonomy, whole child teaching, teacher well-being, and SEL implementation. A fun fact is that she has traveled to all seven continents!

A Mississippi Gulf Coast native, Dr. Kristy Wheat is an instructional coach at EdConnective. In her 28-year-long education career, she has succeeded in roles as a teacher, principal, district-level administrator, and state science specialist. She holds a doctoral degree in educational leadership from William Carey University. Dr. Wheat believes in promoting authentic collaboration and effective shared practices around social-emotional learning, STEM, and inquiry-based learning.

Using Stories as the On-Ramp for Students’ Social and Emotional Development
2022-08-09 16:00 - 17:00 | Zoom
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How can we use the power of words to inspire students to wholly live in each day, reflect positively upon themselves, and navigate their relationships with others? In this edWebinar, the presenters will explore the My Special Word collection, a series of books designed to help children discover their power from within. Attendees will leave with free access to the My Special Word digital book collection and the BookSmart application and will be sent a link to access the My Special Word classroom lessons.
The presenters will examine how reading stories—the place where we can walk in another’s shoes—helps build emotional literacy as we see characters navigate their own emotional regulation and find strength in their words. The discussion will include the correlation between standards, focusing on college and career readiness strands with a natural link between ELA and SEL. Finally, they will look at an example and break down how short, explicit SEL lessons can be built out of a story. Join this session to explore the My Special Word book series and learn how to empower students to find their own SPECIAL words.
This edWebinar will be of interest to PreK through elementary teachers, librarians, school and district leaders, ELL educators, migrant family coordinators, and Title 1 coordinators. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

About the Presenters
With over 40 years of experience in the IT industry, Dwight Smith is the founder, president, and CEO of Sophisticated Systems, Inc. in Columbus, Ohio. With approximately 50 technology professionals employed on average, the company has a philosophy that “giving back” to the community is not an option but an absolute requirement. Dwight is very active in the Columbus community and believes that it is an honor to be in a position to contribute to the community. In 2015, Dwight established My Special Word. Dwight resides in Lewis Center, Ohio with his wife, Renee. He has a quote about My Special Word, “The idea is that we can create a conversation in a non-intimidating fashion, I believe in general that if we change the words we use, we can change the conversations. If we change the conversations, we can change behaviors. And if we change behaviors, we can change the world.”

Kristen Walter, Worldreader’s Director of US Programs, has worked in literacy education for the last 20 years. Before joining the Worldreader team, Kristen was the director of education and partnerships for Reading In Motion and teaching and learning manager for Crayola. Kristen’s teaching career spanned over 15 years, starting as a certified art and music instructor in NC and ending as an arts integration specialist with a focus on improving literacy development for second language learners. A leader in the classroom and beyond, Kristen helped her school become a national Title I school, P21 Exemplar School, finalist in the Intel Schools of Distinction Math Award, CCAC Crayola grant winner, and win the National School Change Award. She has been recognized as a Yale Distinguished Music Educator and both Kristen and her fifth-grade students were invited to showcase a game design project at the first annual White House Arts Integration Fair.

Back-to-School: The Power of Hands-On Math Games
2022-08-09 17:00 - 17:45 | Zoom
With back-to-school season approaching, teachers are preparing for a new group of students with a new range of math ability levels. The search is on for engaging tasks to revisit prior learning, as well as formative assessment options to determine students’ math strengths and needs. Formative assessment is rarely associated with fun, but what if we could gather assessment data during math games that are enjoyable and interactive? And, even better, what if the games prompt students to revisit previously learned skills and concepts at the start of a new school year? During this free webinar, we will explore the use of hands-on math games with manipulatives to revisit prior learning and gather information about students’ strengths and needs.

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Show Me What to Do: Using Visuals to Teach Social Skills and Emotional Literacy in Early Childhood
2022-08-10 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom
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Share. Trade. Calm down. Take your turn. Tell me how you are feeling. Give him a turn.
Having the skills to work and play together and identify and regulate emotions makes a big difference in the early childhood classroom, and many children enter classroom settings with these skills still emerging. Rather than reacting to behavior challenges, educators can proactively provide instruction, visual supports, and playful learning experiences to build children’s toolbox of skills, literally and figuratively.
In this edWebinar, Lindsay N. Giroux will support attendees to shift their teaching of social skills and emotional literacy from incidental to intentional instruction. Using easy-to-make visual supports, attendees will be guided through a framework for planning robust instruction of key skills for understanding oneself and others. Attendees will practice the steps of planning and note modifications for the children they serve.
This edWebinar will benefit early childhood teachers, early childhood instructional coaches, and other related service providers working with young children. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

About the Presenter
Lindsay N. Giroux, M.Ed. specializes in coaching preschool teachers on implementing the Pyramid Model to promote social-emotional development and prevent challenging behavior. She is a contributing author of Connect4LearningⓇ, a PreK curriculum, and the ChooseFi Pre-K Financial Literacy Curriculum. Her professional interests include teacher training, social-skill instruction, and inclusion of preschoolers with special needs. Lindsay received a B.A. from Wellesley College and an M.Ed. in early childhood special education from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. She is currently the Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (SEFEL) coordinator for the Wake County Public School System and a North Carolina Preschool Pyramid Model Expert Coach. She resides in Raleigh, NC, with her husband and son.

Shift from Deficit Thinking to a Strength-Based Approach in Education: The Time is Now
2022-08-10 16:00 - 17:00 | Zoom
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For too long, the field of education has focused on what’s wrong—with students, with staff, and even with parents. This deficit thinking has created a powerful—and harmful—narrative within education that seems too enormous to shift away from. But this shift is possible.
In this insightful and thought-provoking edWebinar, presenter Byron McClure, Ed.D. will discuss the impact of deficit thinking on students and the need for educators to shift this narrative for more positive and successful student outcomes. Attendees will:

Identify the harmful patterns caused by deficit thinking
Learn to self-reflect and self-correct
Be inspired and energized to begin practically implementing a strength-based approach, both professionally and personally

Now, more than ever, is the time to shift away from what’s wrong to what’s strong in education. This edWebinar will be of interest to teachers, librarians, school and district leaders, education technology leaders, and school counselors and psychologists at all grade levels. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

About the Presenters
Dr. Byron McClure is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and the founder of Lessons For SEL, where he uses research and human-centered design thinking to build empathy, ideate, co-create solutions, and design equitable resources that put the needs of children front and center. He formerly served as the assistant director of school redesign at a high school in Southeast, D.C., where he was responsible for leading and reimagining what social-emotional learning looked like within an inner-city community.

Driven by a passion to advocate for the education needs of all learners, Aleasha Stevens draws from a combined 25 years of experience as a leader in both the classroom and the boardroom to shepherd complex initiatives through to completion and develop scalable programs that can be easily replicated in diverse educational settings through her superior communication skills and proven ability to build collaborative teams across and beyond organizational boundaries.

Memes, Editorial Cartoons, and Visual Journalism: Lessons for Your Classroom
2022-08-10 17:00 - 18:00 | Zoom
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Editorial cartooning is a powerful form of opinion journalism with a long history of effecting change and holding powerful individuals accountable. While the craft has evolved—even shaping contemporary forms of visual expression, such as memes—many key characteristics and functions remain the same. Hear from leading editorial cartoonists about how they approach their work, where they see their field headed, and how the unique characteristics of editorial cartoons make for rich and rewarding news literacy explorations in a range of subjects, from history to social studies to art.
This edWebinar, sponsored by the News Literacy Project (NLP), features a panel conversation with editorial cartoonists Lalo Alcaraz and Signe Wilkinson, who are both included in Power in Art: The Watchdog Role of Editorial Cartoonists, an innovative new lesson on NLP’s virtual classroom, Checkology®️. The lesson, which was made possible with support from The Herb Block Foundation and the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC), examines the important role that editorial cartoonists have played across time and around the world. The conversation will be moderated by NLP staff experts Peter Adams and Darragh Worland.
This edWebinar will be of interest to K-12 teachers, librarians, school and district leaders, and education technology leaders. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

About the Presenters
Lalo Alcaraz is an award-winning, nationally syndicated editorial cartoonist and the creator of the syndicated daily comic strip, La Cucaracha, published nationwide since 2002. Lalo is the 2022 Herblock Prize winner for editorial cartooning, as well as the winner of six Southern California Press Awards for Best Editorial Cartoon. He was an editorial cartoonist for LA Weekly from 1992-2010. Lalo now creates editorial cartoons for Andrews McMeel Syndication, Daily Kos, Pocho.com, and various newspapers including Philadelphia’s Al Día News.
An accomplished illustrator and Chicano artist, Lalo’s work has been featured in numerous museums, galleries and publications around the world and on broadcast television and documentaries. His graphic novel and cartoon books include The New York Times bestseller A Most Imperfect Union; Latino USA: A Cartoon History, 15th Anniversary Edition; Migra Mouse: Political Cartoons on Immigration; and La Cucaracha.

Signe Wilkinson drew editorial cartoons for the Philadelphia Daily News, and later, The Inquirer and Inquirer.com for 36 years before retiring in 2021. Her work was syndicated nationally by The Washington Post Writers Group and is still shared widely on social media. Her cartoon collections include Abortion Cartoons on Demand, One Nation Under Surveillance, and Herstory: 19 Cartoons in Celebration of the 19th Amendment. Her reprints are handled by cartoonstock.com. In 2021, Free Speech and Why You Should Give a Damn, her collaboration with UPenn history professor Jonathan Zimmerman, was named best non-fiction book of 2021 by the Independent Booksellers Association. Recipient of many awards, including the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for cartooning, she is most proud of having been named “The Pennsylvania Vegetable Substitute” by a former head of the Pennsylvania Senate.

Peter Adams became the News Literacy Project’s Senior Vice President of Research and Design after several years as the organization’s Head of Education. He began his career as a classroom teacher in the New York City schools through Teach For America. He has also taught in the Chicago Public Schools, at Roosevelt University, and at Chicago City Colleges’ Wilbur Wright campus. In addition, he has worked with the NYC Teaching Fellows program, with After School Matters, and as an independent education consultant.
Since joining NLP in 2009, he has coordinated classroom and after-school programs, served as Chicago program manager, worked on organizational strategy, and developed NLP’s digital program. He has also provided news literacy training and workshops to educators and others throughout the area. He was promoted to his current position in January 2014 and oversees NLP’s education team, which develops resources and training for teachers.

Darragh Worland became the News Literacy Project’s Senior Vice President of Creative Strategy in July 2022 after three years as the organization’s Vice President of Creative Services and several years as the organization’s Vice President of Production and Digital Media prior to that. As the SVP for creative strategy, she leads NLP’s editorial content team and the platforms team. She joined NLP in 2011 as the New York program coordinator and was soon promoted to program manager. In that position, she rapidly expanded the New York program.
A journalist and multimedia educator and consultant, Darragh has worked for several major news organizations, including six years as a writer, web producer, and field producer at NY1 News, when it was a Time Warner-owned cable outlet that covered New York City. She then covered the financial crisis as a senior producer at MSN Money, shooting and producing video features for the web.

A Student-Centered Model of Instruction: An Inside Look
2022-08-11 14:00 - 15:00 | Zoom
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Do you want students to take ownership of their learning, but you’re not sure how to get started? Building a learning environment for students to share, collaborate and learn from one another can happen quickly when the proper structures are in place.
In this edWebinar, attendees will learn foundational structures and routines that allow students the opportunity to begin having productive academic conversations, while taking ownership of their learning. Deana Senn and Jody Honaker will discuss the structures outlined in the book, The Power of Student Teams, by Michael Toth and David Sousa. This model of instruction has been used inside their partner schools for years, and since 2018 they have had a 100% success rate of raising achievement scores—even during the pandemic.
This edWebinar will be of interest to K-12 teachers, school and district leaders, and education technology leaders. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

About the Presenters
Deana Senn, Executive Director, Model of Instruction for Instructional Empowerment, calls upon her 20 years of experience in education throughout the United States and Canada to support leaders and teachers in increasing engagement, ensuring equity, and closing achievement gaps through student conversations and rigorous learning. She is an award-winning author and national speaker alongside her research and development leadership for Instructional Empowerment.

Jody Honaker, Director, Model of Instruction for Instructional Empowerment, has extensive experience supporting teachers and leaders by facilitating rigorous, engaging, and replicable learning through professional development, instructional planning, and classroom support. She has successfully devoted the last two decades to educational transformation, advocating her core belief that all children deserve the opportunity for a successful future. Jody has presented at international and national conferences, as well as hosted webinars to support educators with building their craft and love for teaching and leading.

Using Essential Questions to Promote Inquiry in the Classroom
2022-08-11 15:00 - 16:00 | Zoom
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Essential Questions, when designed and used effectively, can facilitate opportunities for students to engage in the process of inquiry. This edWebinar will clarify what Essential Questions are, how to best create them, and how they can be integrated into lesson design to engage students in discourse around important concepts.
This edWebinar will be of interest to K-12 teachers and school and district leaders. There will be time for questions at the end of the presentation.

About the Presenter
Eric Carbaugh, Ph.D. is a skilled educator with primary and secondary teaching experience; an award-winning, tenured university professor; and an effective and seasoned member of ASCD’s Differentiated Instruction Cadre and Understanding by Design® (UbD®). He is currently a full-time professor at James Madison University in the Department of Middle, Secondary, and Math Education where he teaches a variety of education classes across all content areas. A common thread among all his work is the relationship between the learning environment, curriculum, instruction, and assessment, and how educators can leverage each of these to better meet the needs of diverse learners. Dr. Carbaugh holds a Doctor of Philosophy in educational psychology from the University of Virginia, a master’s degree in education from the University of Mary Washington, and a Bachelor of Arts in government and economics from the University of Virginia.
