ESC Summer Learning Institute 2025: Full Schedule

Unlocking the Power of Knowledge: The Key to Deeper Learning for All

Join us on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at Grandview Heights Middle School for a dynamic day of professional learning at the Summer Learning Institute 2025! This year’s theme, "Unlocking the Power of Knowledge: The Key to Deeper Learning for All," will inspire educators to explore innovative strategies that foster deeper understanding and engagement for every learner.

For just $60*, attendees will gain access to expert-led sessions, collaborative discussions, and valuable resources—all while enjoying a provided lunch. The steps to register are provided below.

*An early bird discount of $50 is available thru April 15th!

Day-At-A-Glance
Here is the plan for Summer Literacy Institute 2025 (SLI25). Registration begins at 7:30 with coffee and a light breakfast served. While waiting for Dr. Christopher Emdin to kick off SLI25 with an inspiring keynote at 8:30, network by visiting our Partnership Fair. Two self-selected breakout sessions round out the morning. At 12:15, lunch is provided by Apple Spice. Finally, Kara Vandas leads our afternoon keynote from 1:15-2:15 on Learner Agency with one more self-selected breakout rounding out the day of learning. All sessions will be finished by 3:30.

For content questions, please contact Rachel at Rachel.Daniels@escco.org. For purchase order questions, please contact Sam at Samantha.Finkel@escco.org.

Check out our breakout session options below by toggling "schedule" in the Next Steps-Schedule-Search bar.

Review the lunch options listed below so you are prepared to make your selection when registering.

Sandwich Options–All sandwiches are served with chips and a cookie:

Granny Apple Turkey | Honey Wheat Tangy sliced green apples, Havarti cheese, lettuce, and our famous apple cider vinaigrette dressing on top of our oven roasted turkey breast.

Trio Classic | 13-Grain A trio of thinly sliced meats including cured ham, roasted turkey, lean roast beef, with lettuce, Swiss cheese, and our signature sauce.

Vegetarian (V) | 13-Grain Mushrooms, cucumbers, vine-ripened tomatoes, sprouts, roasted red peppers, and avocados on lettuce with cheddar cheese and pesto mayonnaise.

Grilled Chicken Club| 13-Grain Grilled chicken, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, bacon, green leaf lettuce, and our signature sauce.

Salad Options–All salads are served with bread and cinnamon butter and a variety of dressings :

Strawberry Grilled Chicken

Vidalia Grilled chicken breast, strawberries, and feta cheese make this a sweet and savory favorite.

Classic Cobb

Grilled chicken with bacon, hard boiled egg, and bleu cheese crumbles on fresh salad greens.

Chef Salad

Oven-roasted turkey, cured ham, and hard boiled egg with jack & cheddar cheese on crisp salad greens.

Apple Walnut | Poppy Seed

Fresh apples, candied walnuts, crumbled bacon, and mozzarella cheese on a crisp bed of salad greens

Super Food | Raspberry Vinaigrette

A super antioxidant mix of kale, baby spinach, and red cabbage, topped with dried cranberries, raspberries, almonds, and feta cheese.

Registration Process
Note: Due to Google and Apple’s App Store policies, tickets must be purchased through the Sched website and cannot be purchased through the Sched mobile app. Once registration is complete, you can use the mobile app to create and edit your conference schedule.

Step 1
At the end of these registration directions, you will find a "Reserve Tickets" button on the right side of this page. Click on that button. On the next screen, select your ticket, and you will be directed "to continue with ticket purchase, "Sign up or Log in."

If you do not have an existing Sched account, you will click on "Sign up" to create a free Sched account. If your school is a Google Workspace district, it is as easy as clicking “Sign in with Google.” Otherwise, you can create a Sched account with your work email address and a password.

Step 2
Once you are signed into Sched, you will be prompted to purchase your registration “ticket.” Because of how Sched works, individuals must have their own Sched account and register for the conference themselves.

Payment Details
Credit Cards
Credit Cards are processed by Stripe. This includes a non-refundable processing fee.

Purchase Orders
Purchase orders should be made payable to ESC of Central Ohio, 2080 Citygate Drive, Columbus OH 43219. We ask that the creator of the Purchase Order send a copy to Sam at Samantha.Finkel@escco.org before distributing the PO number to your attendees for registration.

Refunds and Cancellations
Cancellations received up to ten (10) business days prior to the date of the conference will receive a full refund, minus any credit card processing fees if applicable. Cancellations received less than 10 business days prior to the event will have an additional $50 administrative fee, on top of any credit card processing fees. Individuals who register and are "no shows" will pay the full registration.

arrow_back View All Dates

8:30am EDT

WELCOME and Keynote: Reality Pedagogy and Capacities for Imaginative Teaching and Thinking

Tuesday June 10, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT

Reality Pedagogy is built on the idea that teaching goes beyond simply delivering content. Research shows that even highly qualified professors often lack the tools to address the cultural divides that can undermine their effectiveness. This talk equips educators with strategies to bridge those divides while delivering academic content. Dr. Emdin will discuss the 7 C’s of Reality Pedagogy:

Cogenerative Dialogues
Coteaching
Cosmopolitanism
Context
Content
Competition
Curation

Speakers

Dr. Christopher Emdin

Maxine Greene Chair for Distinguished Contributions to Education and Professor of Science Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, Emdin Support Services

Dr. Christopher Emdin is the Maxine Greene Chair for Distinguished Contributions to Education and Professor of Science Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. He is also the Director of Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship At the STEAM DREAM and Ideal Lab.He previously... Read More →

Tuesday June 10, 2025 8:30am - 9:45am EDT

Keynote for ALL, General

Audience 4-12, K5
Area General, Ed Tech, Humanities, Literacy, Mathematics, STEM

10:00am EDT

Building Background Knowledge in the Art Room to Strengthen Student Literacy

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

This session is designed to help ALL adolescent educators enhance students' literacy skills by first building a strong foundation of background knowledge in the classroom. Although we will use art history and curriculum for examples, this session is valuable for teachers of all subjects!

We will cover things such as:
Vocabulary Development: Ways to expand and deepen student vocabulary.
Building Strong Content Knowledge: Ways to help them know it and know it well.
Talk Routines: Strategies to encourage meaningful classroom discussions.
Writing Routines: Methods to integrate writing practice effectively.
Real-World Connections: Ways to relate learning to the outside world.

These practical strategies can be immediately implemented into any classroom to strengthen learning and academic literacy for students!

Speakers

Jessica Skinner

Art Teacher, 8-12, Margaretta Local Schools

Jessica Skinner is a seasoned educator with a passion for art that spans over 15 years. Having navigated through diverse educational landscapes, Skinner has left her mark in Illinois, Wisconsin, and her current home state of Ohio, where she now teaches near her hometown. This educational... Read More →

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

4-12, Humanities

Audience 4-12
Area Humanities

10:00am EDT

How to Begin Teaching Morphology

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

Teaching students morphology can seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be. This session will cover the basics on how English words are built, reveal key components of English orthography, and model example lessons. Participants will leave equipped with tools and resources needed to begin using morphology as a key component of vocabulary and literacy instruction.

Speakers

Mike Kula

High School Language Arts Teacher and District Head ELA Content Lead, Dublin City Schools

Mike Kula has taught Language Arts in Dublin for 16 years and is his district's Head ELA Content Lead. For Mike, what began as curiosity of English spellings and pronunciations became a passion for morphology, etymology, and phonology and reimagining how vocabulary instruction is... Read More →

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

4-12, General

Audience 4-12
Area General

10:00am EDT

Tackling Tough Texts in 6-12 Math

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

What do tough texts look like in middle and high school math? Teachers want to support their students in mastering challenging mathematical concepts, but tough math problems also include hidden language and literacy demands that teachers are often unaware of. Using examples from Ohio EOCs, SATs, ACTs, AP tests and beyond, we’ll dissect the linguistic aspects of challenging math texts. Then, we’ll explore a principles to guide math teachers’ instructional scaffolding to support their students in developing not only a conceptual understanding and procedural fluency, but also the reading competence necessary to face linguistically challenging math problems.

Speakers

Dr. Dan Reynolds

Senior Education Researcher, SRI

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

4-12, Mathematics

Audience 4-12

10:00am EDT

Thinking on Paper in the Content Areas

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

When students write about what they are reading and learning, they are ‘thinking on paper’” (Sedita, 2023). Join me to discuss how to both monitor and assess your students’ thinking through writing while addressing the struggles content-area teachers face about teaching writing. I will cover the 3 F’s of Writing: Fluency (Power Writing), Form (Content-Area Learning Tasks), and Focus (Formal Learning Tasks). Let’s get thinking together.

Speakers

Dr. Shannon Beach

Adolescent Literacy Specialist, ESC of Central Ohio

Dr. Shannon Beach, the Adolescent Literacy Specialist at the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio, taught high school English for 24 years. Through her teaching career, she encountered the many joys and the many frustrations of teaching reading and writing which has impacted... Read More →

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

4-12, General

Audience 4-12
Area General

10:00am EDT

Beyond the Project: Integrating Real-World Problems into Daily Instruction

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

Unlock deeper learning by embedding real-world problems into daily instruction. This session explores practical strategies for incorporating meaningful challenges into your curriculum, including developing driving questions and problem statements that connect content to context. Discover ways to make learning more relevant and impactful while staying aligned with required content.

Speakers

Rob Niedermeyer

Middle School Technology and Engineering Teacher

With a background in problem-based learning and STEM education, Rob Niedermeyer is passionate about making learning meaningful through real-world problem-solving. Over the past 20 years, he has collaborated with teachers across all content areas and grade levels to develop engaging... Read More →

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

K-12, General

Audience 4-12, K5
Area Mathematics, STEM, Humanities, Literacy, General

10:00am EDT

Flip-Flopping to What’s Next: Flipgrid Alternatives

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

With Flip (formerly Flipgrid) no longer accessible, what’s the best tool to replace it? In this hands-on session, we’ll explore and compare Flip alternatives like Padlet, Padlet Sandbox, Screencastify Submit, and MirrorTalk—testing them out to see which best fits your classroom needs. You’ll experience these tools from both the teacher and student perspectives, gaining insight into their features, strengths, and limitations. We’ll also briefly introduce additional options so you leave with a variety of tools to consider. Join us to flip-flop to the platform that is the best fit for you and your learners, keeping student voice at the center of learning!

Speakers

Jake Miller

Personalized Learning & EdTech Specialist

Jake has been a Personalized Learning Specialist since 2022. Before taking on that role, Jake spent 5 years as a technology integration specialist and 14 years teaching math, science, and STEM. Jake has also worked extensively in educational technology as a speaker, presenter, podcaster... Read More →

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

K-12, Ed Tech

Audience K5, 4-12
Area Ed Tech

10:00am EDT

Getting to Know Your Columbus Metro Parks and Ohio Wildlife

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

Learn all about the resources and opportunities Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks can provide for your students. Get to know more about Ohio wildlife and meet some of our animal ambassadors!

Speakers

Claire Whillans

Naturalist, Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks

Hello! My name is Claire and I work as a naturalist for Highbanks Metro Park. I design and develop programs for the public, private groups, and school field trips. I also help maintain the nature center and take care of our 'ambassador animals'. I'm excited to share more about what... Read More →

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

K-12, STEM

Audience 4-12, K5
Area STEM

10:00am EDT

Readers Read. Writers Write. Mathers Math!

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

“I am not a reading person” is not something we typically hear people say, yet it is pretty standard to hear, “I am NOT a math person!” Historically, education focused on literacy and mathematics was reserved for the elite. Basic computation skills without deep thinking were all the laboring class would need. A singular, lackluster version of mathematics void of exploration and wonder is what the masses inherited. Unfortunately, this perception lingers, so we must re-brand mathematics by changing our language and shifting our beliefs about who is wired to do math. By debunking myths of mathematics being a subject reserved for an elite group with “the math gene,” teachers are encouraged to set high expectations for all students. It is time to celebrate that we are all Mathers!

Speakers

Deborah Peart

CEO, My Mathematical Mind

I founded My Mathematical Mind to support parents, teachers, and leaders with the challenge of developing in their students positive math identities. In my more than 30 years of teaching elementary age students, I have seen the effects of math shame, where students are called out... Read More →

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

K-5, Mathematics

Audience K5
Area Mathematics

10:00am EDT

Teaching from Strength: Funds of Knowledge as the Foundation of Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

The students that come to our classroom bring their languages, cultures, and experiences. The present and the future are multilingual and multicultural. Through the lens of culturally and linguistically sustaining pedagogy, Stella will share instructional practices that promote a learning environment where students' funds of knowledge are at the heart of teaching. Some of the instructional practices we will explore include:
1. Using relevant literature that connects to students' life in authentic ways.
2. Using writing as an opportunity to compose stories from our lives.
3. Centering conferring as a crucial pedagogy in reading/writing workshops.
4. Using art and multimodal texts as tools to sustain students' funds of knowledge.

Speakers

Stella Villalba

EL Lead Teacher, Dublin City Schools

Stella Villalba is currently a Teacher Leader and a Staff Developer . She coaches and mentors educators to be ready for a Global Education that is rooted in multilingualism, biliteracy and culturally & community sustaining pedagogy.

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

K-5, EL

10:00am EDT

The Power of Read Alouds in Grades 2-6

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

As a reading community, it is during whole-class instruction that we come together, learn
together, talk together and grow together. This community time is critical to our readers’ growth. We share how we use this research-based routine, strategies for choosing books for read aoud and ways we plan intentionally. When our Read Aloud time is intentionally planned, our readers thrive.

Speakers

Franki Sibberson

Educator/Consultant, Franki Sibberson, LLC

Franki Sibberson is a long-time classroom teacher, having taught elementary students in Dublin, Ohio for over 30 years. She is a thought leader in literacy, with specific focus on literacy workshop, student agency, readers in grades 3-6, and digital literacy. Franki is past president... Read More →

Tuesday June 10, 2025 10:00am - 11:00am EDT

K-5, General

Audience K5
Area Literacy

11:15am EDT

Squaring the Circles: Finding and Teaching American Indian Content in Your Classrooms

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:15am - 11:30am EDT

The American Indian tribes have been integral to Ohio history and our educational environment, yet why is there so little content available? Go behind the scenes with public historians from Ohio History Connection, the state historical society. Learn how to find well-created educational resources made in collaboration with American Indian tribal nations and the philosophy behind what makes good American Indian history.

Speakers

Trevor Rhodes

Public Historian, Ohio History Connection

Trevor Rhodes works as a public historian for Ohio History Connection, the state historical society of Ohio, at the intersection between education and public history. Trevor writes the Ohio as America and United Stories of America social studies curricula and works on various educational... Read More →

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:15am - 11:30am EDT

K-12, Humanities

Audience K5, 4-12
Area Humanities

11:15am EDT

Building Effective Text Sets for Secondary Classrooms

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm EDT

In this interactive session, educators across all core subjects will examine the purpose of text sets and discuss strategies for selecting diverse, engaging texts--ranging from articles and primary sources to multimedia--that align with curriculum goals and student needs. Leave with the necessary understanding to create text sets that enhance comprehension, promote student engagement, and build cross-disciplinary connections.

Speakers

James Cutlip

Regional Literacy Specialist, State Support Team, Region 11

James Cutlip-Savage recently joined State Support Team 11 as the Regional Literacy Specialist, bringing over two decades of experience in literacy instruction, teacher development, and data-driven decision-making. Previously, as the ELA Curriculum Specialist at the Madison-Champaign... Read More →

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm EDT

4-12, Literacy

Audience 4-12
Area General, Literacy, Humanities, Mathematics, STEM

11:15am EDT

Tackling Tough Texts in 6-12 STEM

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm EDT

Whether it’s science textbooks, research reports, experimental results, scientific diagrams or popular journalism, STEM texts are critical for disciplinary and literacy learning. They are also loaded with hidden reading challenges. In this session we’ll unpack principles and share examples of knowledge-building text set design in STEM. Then, we’ll examine how to design scaffolding around the texts’ disciplinary concepts, knowledge demands, vocabulary, text structures, and language demands. Finally, we’ll discuss how to support adolescents who aren’t fluent word readers--even in STEM classes. You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of how reading research can inform STEM literacy.

Speakers

Dr. Dan Reynolds

Senior Education Researcher, SRI

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm EDT

4-12, STEM

Audience 4-12
Area STEM

11:15am EDT

AI-Powered Accessibility

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm EDT

Ready to revolutionize your classroom into a learning space where all students have tools to help them achieve? Let's harness the power of AI to meet diverse learner needs through the lens of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). We'll analyze how students access, engage with, and express learning. Then we'll discuss innovative AI tools like ChatGPT, Diffit, MagicSchool, Brisk, SchoolAI, Goblin Tools, Descript, and NotebookLM that empower every learner to succeed on their own terms. We'll explore cutting-edge solutions for transforming and translating text, creating personalized resources based on student interests, bridging gaps in prior knowledge, supporting executive functioning, and much more!

Speakers

Jake Miller

Personalized Learning & EdTech Specialist

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm EDT

K-12, Ed Tech

Audience K5, 4-12
Area Ed Tech, General, Humanities, Literacy, Mathematics, STEM

11:15am EDT

Being a Person of Influence: Unlocking the Mystery of Influence in Order to have a Greater Impact

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm EDT

Evidence suggests that one of our basic human desires is to be a person of influence. In addition, those supporting learning within a system are often motivated to find ways to have a greater, more meaningful sphere of influence to accelerate learning and change for others.

During this session, learners will explore:

the role we can play in transforming everyday conversations to spark inspiration and
aspiration in others.
new and novel research on what makes a person of influence
how influence can vary from negative or harmful to empowering and life changing
walk away with doable practices and focus areas that will grow your influence with others.

Speakers

Kara Vandas

Author Consultant, The Core Collaborative

Kara Vandas is an educator with an enduring passion for empowering learners. She began her career in education at an alternative school for youth at-risk. Kara spent several more years in the classroom in public education as a middle and high school educator and then transitioned... Read More →

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm EDT

K-12, General

Audience 4-12, K5
Area General, Ed Tech, Humanities, Literacy, Mathematics, STEM

11:15am EDT

Empowering Learning through Design Thinking: Engaging Teachers and Students with Community Partnerships

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm EDT

Empower and enhance your ability to inspire change and drive educational innovation through the integration of design thinking, design challenges and community partnerships in your classroom and school's learning landscape.

Key take aways:

-Understanding the fundamentals of design thinking and its application in educational settings.
-Strategies for building and sustaining fruitful partnerships with community stakeholders.
-Examples of successful projects that demonstrate the impact of community-involved learning.
-Tools and resources to help educators implement design thinking and community collaboration in their teaching practices.

Speakers

Sandy Guinto

STEM Relationship Manager, Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN)

Sandy Guinto is a STEM Relationship Manager with Ohio STEM Learning Networks and a veteran teacher who spent over a decade teaching in a STEM designated school before joining Battelle. Sandy firmly believes that everyone can learn if given the right tools. Her work has been concentrated... Read More →

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm EDT

K-12, STEM

Audience 4-12, K5
Area STEM

11:15am EDT

Reading Comprehension: What's REALLY Happening and How to Support Students Better

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm EDT

This session will dive into the cognitive processes that are happening while we are attempting to comprehend a rigorous text to better understand why it is we talk so much about the “strands” of Language Comprehension. Next, we’ll discuss how we can support those processes in our students by introducing teaching strategies that will support all strands of the Language Comprehension part of The Reading Rope.

Speakers

Keith McCarroll

Ohio Adolescent Literacy Specialist, Muskingum Valley ESC

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm EDT

K-12, Literacy

Audience 4-12, K5
Area Literacy, General, Humanities, Mathematics, STEM

11:15am EDT

Books are Windows and Mirrors

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm EDT

Speakers

TBD

Librarian, Columbus Metropolitan Library

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm EDT

K-5, General

Audience K5
Area General

11:15am EDT

Foundational Literacy

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm EDT

Speakers

Amy Urban

Foundational Literacy Specialist, ESC of Central Ohio

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm EDT

K-5, Literacy

Audience K5
Area Literacy

11:15am EDT

Read. Write. Math.: Leveraging Literacy for Mathematical Understanding

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm EDT

Word problems have a bad reputation and can cause anxiety for many students and adults. The Cognitively Guided Instruction framework is grounded in word problems and supports using contexts to conceptualize mathematical ideas. Let’s explore this framework and how to use stories students can relate to and comprehend so they can solve problems and make connections through discourse. Students need to leverage the reading strategies they've already learned so the reading doesn't get in the way of the "mathing." Participants will connect the literacy strategies that students know and the skills they need to be successful problem solvers.

Speakers

Deborah Peart

CEO, My Mathematical Mind

Tuesday June 10, 2025 11:15am - 12:15pm EDT

K-5, Mathematics

Audience K5
Area Mathematics

1:15pm EDT

Afternoon Keynote: Learner Agency: A Field Guide for Taking Flight

Tuesday June 10, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm EDT

When teachers and students share a clear understanding of what success looks like, the pace of learning is accelerated, motivation increases, and progress is visible. Join us to explore simple but powerful practices, paired with examples and models of success from classrooms. Walk away with ideas about student-friendly tools that promote deep learning, formative assessment, effective feedback as well as structures for supporting the work through leadership and coaching.

• Explore practices related to establishing clarity in the classroom

• Experience models of success and student-friendly learning tools

• Gain ideas and structures to empower learners and grow efficacy in teachers and students.

Speakers

Kara Vandas

Author Consultant, The Core Collaborative

Tuesday June 10, 2025 1:15pm - 2:15pm EDT

Keynote for ALL, General

Audience 4-12, K5
Area General, Ed Tech, Humanities, Literacy, Mathematics, STEM

2:30pm EDT

Portable Innovation Labs: A Lab for Every Classroom

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

Come experience how Portable Innovation Labs (PILs) can bring hands-on, engaging learning to your classroom! These free, ready-to-use STEM labs come with materials, standards-aligned lessons, and support to help you integrate them into your curriculum with ease. In this interactive session, you’ll get to explore the labs, try out activities, and see firsthand how they can spark curiosity and deepen student learning. Whether you're looking for new ideas or just want to make STEM more accessible, you'll leave with practical tools to bring innovation to your students.

Speakers

Brianna Agomessou

Portable Innovation Labs Coordinator, Investigator of Intellect, The PAST Foundation

Brianna Agomessou is the Portable Innovation Labs Coordinator at the PAST Foundation, an educational nonprofit in Central Columbus. A graduate of The Ohio State University, she is passionate about STEM education and the power of hands-on, innovative learning. She advocates for experiential... Read More →

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

Audience K5, 4-12
Area STEM, General

2:30pm EDT

Drone Discoveries

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

Learn from real classroom experience how to incorporate drones into your teaching! We’ll explore the opportunities and challenges of using drones with upper elementary and middle school students, as well as, give you the chance to try flying a drone yourself. Walk away with fresh ideas and resources for how to bring drones into your classroom.

Speakers

Claire Anthony

Science/STEM Specialist, ESCCO

Claire Anthony is the Science/ STEM specialist at the ESC of Central Ohio. She has spent a her career as a middle school teacher and leader at a STEM school and believes in STEM for all!

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

4-12, STEM

Audience K5, 4-12
Area STEM

2:30pm EDT

Tackling Tough Texts in 6-12 ELA and History

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

Whether it’s primary sources in archaic language or complex literary texts laden with layers of meaning, tough texts are critical for disciplinary and literacy learning in history and ELA. They are also loaded with hidden reading challenges. In this session we’ll unpack principles of knowledge-building text set design in ELA and history. Then, we’ll examine how to design scaffolding around the texts’ disciplinary concepts, knowledge demands, vocabulary, text structures, and language demands. Finally, we’ll discuss how to support adolescents who aren’t fluent word readers. You’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of how reading research informs ELA and history scaffolding.

Speakers

Dr. Dan Reynolds

Senior Education Researcher, SRI

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

4-12, Humanities

Audience 4-12
Area Humanities

2:30pm EDT

Comprehensible Input: Strategies for EL Students

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

In this interactive session you will explore what comprehensible input is and instructional techniques that will allow EL students to access the language. Increasing comprehensible input helps students acquire language by exposing them to understandable messages in the target language.

Speakers

Alicia Dyer

EL Specialist, ESCCO

Alicia has been in public education for 22 years, with 19 years of teaching experience in the classroom. She has specialized in English Language Development for the last 13 years. Alicia is passionate about equity in education and enjoys mentoring new teachers, coaching and providing... Read More →

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

K-12, EL

Audience 4-12, K5
Area General, Humanities, Literacy, Mathematics, STEM

2:30pm EDT

Explore Authentic Learning Projects for Advanced Learners with NASA Educator Resources

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

Blast off into an out-of-this-world learning adventure! Ignite your students’ curiosity for discovery with hands-on experiences that bridge critical thinking and real-world applications from NASA educator resources. We’ll explore how interdisciplinary projects fuel learning for advanced students while teaching valuable social and executive functioning skills —guiding all students as they design and construct their own rockets. We will also explore other projects that spark their individual interests with a student centered approach. Get ready to launch their imaginations to infinity and beyond!

Speakers

Carmen Tarbill

Gifted Consultant, Educational Service Center of Central Ohio

Aside from being a proud space geek, Carmen Tarbill is a gifted consultant for the ESC of Central Ohio.

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

K-12, General

Audience K5, 4-12
Area General, Humanities, Literacy, Mathematics, STEM

2:30pm EDT

Hands-on with Prompt Engineering

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

Learn how to effectively collaborate with an AI chatbot. We will walk you through several different scenarios and be there to support you as you explore the process further on your own. Please bring a device, there is no need to have an existing AI account for this session.

Speakers

BJ Thaman

Instructional Technology Coordinator, ESC of Central Ohio

BJ Thaman is an instructional technology coordinator at the ESC of Central Ohio. He has 25 years of ed-tech experience and is a CoSN Certified Education Technology Leader and an ISTE Certified Educator.

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

K-12, Ed Tech

Audience K5, 4-12
Area Ed Tech, General, Humanities, Literacy, Mathematics, STEM

2:30pm EDT

New and Notable Non-Fiction Books for K-12

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

Join Columbus Metropolitan Library Children's Librarian Kat Gilbert as she shares new and buzzworthy informational books for K-12. The librarian will give brief book summaries on a wide variety of topics.

Speakers

Kat Gilbert

Librarian, Columbus Metropolitan Library

With a love of all things creative and a passion for "edu-taining" kids and teens, Kat has touched the lives of many young people in her role as Youth Services Librarian at the Main Branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Kat earned her BFA from the Columbus College of Art and... Read More →

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

K-12, Humanities

Audience K5, 4-12
Area General, Humanities, Literacy, Mathematics, STEM

2:30pm EDT

The Anatomy of a Mastery Moment

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

What does it mean to have a mastery moment? How do we foster motivation for change and growth in both students and educators? What enabling conditions must be in place? Have we considered how mastery moments can revolutionize learning in our schools? During this keynote, you will learn how redefining how we notice, share, and build on mastery moments can impact an entire system, build self and collective efficacy, and propel learners and educators into an upward spiral. That upward spiral will impact all learners in the system, building the disposition toward learning and the desire for deeper learning. We invite you to listen in and discover a missing link in empowering learners and educators.

Speakers

Kara Vandas

Author Consultant, The Core Collaborative

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

K-12, General

Audience 4-12, K5
Area General, STEM, Humanities, Literacy, Mathematics

2:30pm EDT

Let’s Share Stories NOT Problems!

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

Word problems have a bad reputation and can cause anxiety for many students and adults. Visual representations can be used to make sense of stories and confidently tackle story problems. This session focuses on the math problem types correlating with bar models (tape diagrams) as a sense-making tool. Participants will solve problems together, modeling with cubes, drawing bar diagrams, and sharing anticipated strategies. Participants will compare anticipated strategies with student work samples using a template designed to include sense-making before solving. Together, we will explore a framework for using contexts to deepen conceptual understanding, strategies for building confidence in solving word problems, and visual representations to help students mathematize stories and their world.

Speakers

Deborah Peart

CEO, My Mathematical Mind

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

K-5, Mathematics

Audience K5
Area Mathematics

2:30pm EDT

Oral Language: The Foundation for Knowledge Building

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

Oral language is the foundation for building knowledge. Too often, our students are entering school with underdeveloped oral language. This session will uncover the stages of Oral Language and provide teachers with safety nets to increase a child's level of communication, including his/her vocabulary. Learn some ways to lift and shift a child's language and communication, ultimately having an impact on his/her background knowledge and reading development.

Speakers

Terri Crawford

Urban Literacy Specialist, ReadOhio Coach, State Support Team, Region 11

Terri Crawford retired from the South-Western City School district after 34 years in 2024. There she served as a general education teacher in grades Kindergarten through 4th grade. She also served for several years as a Literacy Coach in various intermediate schools and elementary... Read More →

Tuesday June 10, 2025 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT

K-5, General

Audience K5
Area Literacy

ESC Summer Learning Institute 2025

From $0.00