Join Annmarie Iascone, E-Therapy Director of Business Development as she talks about compensatory services and how you can get up to date and stay compliant even if you are remote! This webinar is an opportunity to have an open conversation about how E-Therapy can help you and your district feel confident about serving your special education students without burning out your therapists and administrators.
About the presenter:
Annmarie Iascone, Director of Business Development – E-Therapy
Annmarie started her career as a high school English teacher and has spent 20 years in different roles in Education. Working with companies like Scholastic, Inc and Blackbaud she has always had a passion for making sure students get the services that they need to succeed. As Director of Business Development at E-Therapy, Annmarie works with school partners to make sure their special education teams are equipped with what they need to deliver compensatory services to their students virtually whether it be through providing a remote therapist or licensing out their premiere platform STAR.
Google 101 reviews basic Google application skills such as sharing Google apps and within Drive, formatting with styles, lists, and indents as well as adding images and links.
Google 102 focuses on Google Drive and Google Forms including designing with templates, section heading, attachments, branching, and reports/responses.
Discover how to build a quick survey, poll, or other type of form in minutes. You cancollect responses in real time and use built-in analytics to evaluate them as they are submitted to easily gather the information your organization needs.
Naturally Slim: How to Thrive in Times of Challenge!
Education has always been a demanding profession, but the heat really got turned up in March of this year. We all are experiencing varying levels of fear, uncertainty, and record levels of stress…and so are the populations we serve. Join us for a candid, timely conversation with Dr. Dana Labat, a clinical psychologist who will share practical advice on how to thrive through adversity without burning yourself out. This session is exactly what the doctor ordered!
Introduction to OneNote
Recorded Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Access the session recording HERE and a copy of Dr. Gillespy's slide deck HERE.
Dr. Geri Gillespy is back to share her expertise in OneNote with us!
This digital note-taking application provides a single place to keep all your notes, plans, and information. This tool will assist you with everything you need to help manage your life at home, at work, or at school.
With teaching becoming more digital, it is important that everyone understands security fundamentals related to remote work and learning.
Please join Nick Caromano as he talks about the four pillars of security within education while sharing the importance of a security strategy beyond a school’s physical campus.
This webinar will provide an overview of how to manage risk, protect against threats, and safeguard sensitive data. See high level examples of cyber threats and how Microsoft is responding.
About the presenter . . .
Nick Caromano has been in the IT industry for well over 14 years ranging from SMB to Enterprise, sprinkling in some SLG, and now living in the world of Education. He has a huge passion for security and has the honor to help customers learn the “art of the possible” with Microsoft Security solutions. Nick is currently the Sr. Security & Compliance Technical Specialist for the South Central region of the US in Microsoft Education and works with K12, Higher Education, and DoE’s alike.
STOPit SafeScreen: A Comprehensive COVID-19 Health Screening System for Schools
Recorded Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Access the recording HERE and the PowerPoint presentation HERE.
Join us to learn more about STOPit SafeScreen, a new HIPAA-compliant health reporting system that screens, identifies, and stops COVID-19 exposed or symptomatic individuals BEFORE they enter your schools.
SafeScreen includes:
Daily screening reminders & reporting
Easy-to-use entry badge system
Real-time 2-way Messaging
Fully-featured Admin Management System
Deep Customization for every school’s needs
Re-open safely and manage your schools’ COVID-19 screening process simply and efficiently with STOPit SafeScreen.
This webinar will be 45 minutes in length and include a live Q&A.
Meet the presenter: Tim Makris, CEO, STOPit Solutions
Tim was named the company’s Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors in March 2020 just days before the COVID pandemic hit the United States. Tim was previously Co-Founder and Managing Director at Sandy Hook Promise, one of the nation’s leading school safety organizations.
Tim is a proven leader who has excelled at strategic leadership and execution and was chosen to lead STOPit to accelerate growth within K-12 schools, higher education, local and federal government, and within the workplace. With more than 32 years in leadership roles in sales, marketing, and general management at Proctor & Gamble, Gillette, Kellogg, Thule, and Sandy Hook Promise, Tim has demonstrated a strong track record in initiating and leading change, driving results, and innovating within highly competitive markets. Additionally, Tim brings business acumen, integrity, passion for diversity and inclusion, and commitment to team development. These qualities have allowed him to be very successful in all he has been part of and now he brings them to STOPit Solutions.
In addition to his new commitment to STOPit Solutions, Tim will also continue his passion of giving back through his various Board and Advisory roles with local and national non-profit organizations, associations, and universities. Tim lives in Connecticut with his fiancée, son, and daughter. Tim is an avid “outdoorist” who loves mountain biking, trail running, kayaking, and camping. He also plays a bit of hockey in an effort to relive his college playing days at the University of Michigan.
Back to School Help: Using Microsoft Tools & Resources to Support Blended & Remote Classroom Instruction & Learning
Recorded August 27, 2020
Access the recording HERE and a pdf of the PowerPoint presentation HERE.
BIG NEWS . . . Help with Back to School (BTS) for K-12 learning organizations!
Tips and resources for success including simple family guides to help with accessing Teams at home:
Community Health Magazine Publisher Mark Hornung and COO of Digital Operations Zach Payer share lessons from educational entities who have increased employee engagement and helped deliver better health care outcomes.
Example #1: An upstate New York teachers health plan was struggling to get the membership including district employees involved and engaged. In just 24 months their participation jumped more than five-fold from 2,500 to over 17,000!
Example #2: A 70,000 person health plan in western Pennsylvania saved millions of dollars by reversing the trend of colon cancer within their male population using a series of personalized articles and anecdotal success stories delivered directly to the rank and file.
Behavior Advantage combines over 20 years of expertise, intuitive software, and on-line clinical support to deliver a proven model, evidence-based practices, and progress monitoring solutions to school teams anywhere. Join us to see how our intuitive, easy to use software helps educators solve behavior problems across educational settings and populations!
Access a recording of the webinar HEREand a copy of the PowerPoint presentation HERE.
Connecting Careers to Learning--Answering the Age-Old Question: “When will I ever use this . . . ”
Recorded Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Why should I learn this stuff? This is an increasingly common question in math classes that suggests students are struggling to find purpose in their learning. In this session, we will explore a new career-focused math curriculum from Pathway2Careers that places ALGEBRA and GEOMETRY in the context of high-value career opportunities. Lesson samples will be explored that align with Common Core State Standards in algebra or geometry and demonstrate the real application of these standards in authentic on-the-job examples. Seeing the why behind the what can enhance both motivation and retention
This webinar is brought to you by AESA Business Partner Corwin.
Distance Learning Up Close: Teaching for Engagement and Impact in Any Setting presented by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie
Recorded Monday, August 3, 2020
Let’s admit it: the pandemic teaching of Spring 2020 was less about distance learning and more about crisisteaching. But if we start now, we have the opportunity to prepare for distance learning in the Fall with purpose and intent—all the while maintaining an indelible focus on equity. After all, effective teaching is effective teaching, no matter where it occurs.
In this webinar Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie draw on their newly published Distance Learning Playbookto reveal what works best in teaching, assessing, and planning in an online environment--per 25+ years of Visible Learning® research and evidence. Learn how best to advise teachers to:
Get started during the first days of school
Manage teacher-student relationships from a distance
Plan instructional units, engaging task design
Obtain equitable feedback for assessment and grading considerations
Another big benefit of the webinar? All attendees will obtain a free e-book after the event! Read the book's introduction here.
Research-Based Practice to Improve Student Math Outcomes
Presenters l to r: Lynn Lamers, Holly Nicholls
Recorded Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Access the recording HERE and a copy of the slide deck presented HERE.
Math proficiency is a key indicator of future academic success, and yet so many of our students are not achieving a basic level of proficiency. Join us to examine common myths about math instruction and assessment, and how they impact classroom practices. We’ll look at what the evidence-based research says about how to improve student math outcomes, as well as how Spring Math has infused that research into its program.
Lynn leads the Sourcewell Technology implementation team. As an educator, she has over 20 years’ experience as a classroom teacher. Following her classroom career, she served six years as a district data coach and Math Coordinator.
Prior to joining Sourcewell Technology, she was employed by two nationally known assessment companies, traveling the country training districts on data-based decision making. In her current role, she helps districts implement and fully utilize our many software solutions.
Holly is the National Client Manager for Sourcewell Technology. Holly engages with educators daily who are searching for tools and solutions that drive student achievement in the classroom. Holly has a passion for education and enjoys working with educators and recommending tools to educators that improve academic outcomes in their classrooms. Prior to Holly joining Sourcewell Technology, she spent time at large curriculum and technology companies providing print and digital solutions that engaged students and built confident teachers.
Behavior Advantage: Building Legally Defensible & Clinically Sound Behavior Support Systems
As a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Aaron Stabel founded Behavior Advantage to help educators use their resources more efficiently to address challenging student behaviors. Behavior Advantage successfully trains and supports thousands of educators nationwide each year. Behavior Advantage combines over 20 years of expertise, intuitive software, and on-line clinical support to deliver a proven model, evidence-based practices, and progress monitoring solutions to school teams anywhere. Join us to see how Behavior Advantage can be used to create Simple Behavior Intervention Plans for any student:
• Saving hours of staff time
• Building internal capacity
• Improving service quality with evidence-based practices
• Preparing for various post-COVID situations using a flexible behavior support model
All attendees will receive free Simple Behavior Intervention Plan and Implementation Checklist templates to share with your staff back home.
Access the webinar recording HERE and the presentation slide deck HERE.
Using New Smart Phone App for Easier/Custom Access to Data . . . MindShine introduces The Interactive Voice Assistant (TIVA)
Recorded Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Join the owners of MindShine Technologies as they demonstrate their new smart phone app, TIVA, that allows service agencies and school districts to quickly access important data.
EXAMPLE ONE: School Bus Accident
Administrator arrives on the scene and quickly speaks into their cell phone: “I need all the names and emergency contact numbers for students on bus 129”.
Within a few seconds, that information appears on their phone.
EXAMPLE TWO: Student falls on the school playground and lies unconscious.
The teacher on duty quickly speaks into their cell phone: “I need 8th grader, Cindy Washington’s emergency contact numbers”.
Within a few seconds, that information appears on their phone.
TIVA can be customized by agencies and districts to include common FAQs, staff and parents can then use TIVA to get answers to their questions. As schools reopen, timelines and plans can be provided through TIVA.
TIVA uses a neural network around a database in order to recognize natural language requests, quickly and simple.
Mike Fuller, Director at Muskingum Valley ESC, will join us to discuss his plans to introduce and support TIVA in Ohio school districts.
WATCH THE RECORDING to learn how TIVA can make important data access easy and quick.
Learning Readiness with EyeSpy 20/20 during COVID-19
Recorded Tuesday, June 23, 2020
EyeSpy 20/20 uses the gold standard in vision screening and is the fastest, most accurate screening device that also records the results of each screening in “real-time.” EyeSpy 20/20 is a computerized kid-friendly “game” that ensures every student has access to an accurate and reliable vision assessment.
Learn how EyeSpy 20/20 can be added to your students mandated annual screening, health and record checks. In this unique webinar we will discuss how EyeSpy 20/20 is being used, can be used, and will be used during learning readiness assessments being performed nationally.
Access a recording of the webinar HEREand the slide deck HERE.
Next Steps: How to use Microsoft Teams to Support Staff & Professional Development Across Schools & Districts
Recorded Thursday, June 18, 2020
Now that we have learned how to use some of the applications and tools available in Microsoft Teams, let's discuss how to strategically use this program to support staff and provide professional development opportunities. During this session Dr. Geri Gillespy will share some examples, tips, and stories from her experiences supporting staff, districts, and families using Microsoft 365 Education tools with Teams as the hub.
During the first session, we scratched the surface of how Microsoft Teams can help you streamline your workflow and assist in the management of your educational service agency. In this session we will explore using Teams calls and meetings, as well as demonstrate how to streamline professional development and staff support. Learn how to utilize different team structures to create mentor teams, book studies, staff working groups, and other types of professional development needs.
Teams 101: The Basics
(repeat of the May 13th webinar)
presented by Dr. Geri Gillespy, Program Manager, Microsoft Education Engagement Team
Calling all ESAs, this webinar is for YOU! Join Dr. Geri Gillespy as she walks you through Microsoft Teams and how it supports the administrative side of education. This is an introduction to the Microsoft Teams platform demonstrating how it streamlines your workflow and assists in the management of your Education Service Agency. Learn the basics of how to communicate and collaborate within your organization, including file management, organizing Teams channels, setting up meetings and much more.
COVID-19: Preparing your ESA for an Uncertain Future
Recorded Wednesday, May 28, 2020
ESA executives have spent the past few weeks in triage as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, moving operations to a virtual environment and making decisions about upcoming activities, meetings, events, PD, and general operations. Planning for the future is the next logical step. It’s time to start asking questions like these: If we postpone our PD or change it to virtual, how will that impact attendance and revenue? How do I stay connected to the school districts in my region? How will that impact my cash flow? Should I take advantage of a government loan program? How should I manage my payroll expenses?
This webcast will explore how ESA Executives are developing a plan with multiple options to address the rapid changes occurring in these challenging times. Planning ahead for the new and uncertain normal.
Panelists:
Pam Wells, Executive Director, Region 4 ESC, Texas
During the first session, we scratched the surface of how Microsoft Teams can help you streamline your workflow and assist in the management of your educational service agency. In this session we will explore using Teams calls and meetings, as well as demonstrate how to streamline professional development and staff support. Learn how to utilize different team structures to create mentor teams, book studies, staff working groups, and other types of professional development needs.
An Educational Partnership with Microsoft: The Story of a Service Agency's Strategy & Success
Recorded Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Come hear the story of Region 4 in Houston, Texas and how they partnered with Microsoft to provide remote professional development to over 764 people in just three weeks! Dr. Allegra McGrew, Director of Publishing & Digital Learning, and Diane Cameron, Secretary, will share their strategy of utilizing all the resources and benefits of a Microsoft partnership.
Learn additional information about leveraging many of the amazing free Microsoft education support resources, from the Microsoft Education Community learning portal to the Microsoft hacking STEM curriculum, as well as virtual graduations and all the fun and interactive virtual field trip options.
Teams 101 for Administrative Support Professionals
presented by Dr. Geri Gillespy, Program Manager, Microsoft Education Engagement TeamRecorded Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Calling all ESAs, this webinar is for YOU! Join Dr. Geri Gillespy as she walks you through Microsoft Teams and how it supports the administrative side of education. This is an introduction to the Microsoft Teams platform demonstrating how it streamlines your workflow and assists in the management of your Education Service Agency. Learn the basics of how to communicate and collaborate within your organization, including file management, organizing Teams channels, setting up meetings and much more.
If you are an administrative assistant, CEO or any other administrative support professional this is a webinar you will not want to miss!
Geri’s Digital Integration Team supported the implementation, training, and evaluation of technology integration at all levels, K-12 throughout the largest school district in Utah, including full implementation of Office 365 and Teams across all 57 buildings. She is a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert Fellow and Trainer and was awarded the ISTE Make it Happen award for Leadership in Educational Technology at the NCCE 2018 conference.
Anonymous Reporting & Training for Schools
Recorded Wednesday, April 29, 2020
STOPit Solutions is the nation’s leading anonymous reporting system that teaches how to identify and get help for individuals displaying violent, unsafe or harmful behaviors. To date, over 6,000 K-12 schools nationwide use STOPit Solutions resulting in thousands of lives being saved and intervened upon. Join STOPit Solutions to learn more about life-saving programs and how to take advantage of offsetting school ESA-related costs BEFORE the Federal Government’s June 9, 2020 STOP Act Grant submission deadline.
E-Therapy: An Online Therapist Training, Special Education Solution, Making you the Teletherapy Expert
Tuesday, April 28, 2020 2:30 pm Eastern (1:30 pm Central; 12:30 pm Mountain; 11:30 am Pacific)
E-Therapy provides a comprehensive platform solution webinar that supports districts' special education programs. This webinar will address how E-Therapy is extending the use of their platform and therapist training program to SPED Directors, In-House Therapy staff and paraprofessionals when working remotely. Their STAR platform addresses how to directly train therapists to become E-Therapists, supervise paraprofessionals, document student progress, track data collection, assign HIPAA compliant, private and secure therapy rooms, and maintain total oversight of a remote Special Education Program. E-Therapy, getting your program quickly and safely online.
Access a recording of the webinar HERE, the PowerPoint presentation HERE, and more information HERE.
Responding to COVID-19: Helping Your Members with Financial Planning
Recorded Friday, April 24, 2020
This webinar is an online discussion about the financial challenges school districts are facing as a result of COVID-19, and the critical role you can play in assisting your districts in addressing these challenges. AESA Executive Director Joan Wade along with analytics experts from Forecast5 Analytics, reviewed strategies for year-end projection modeling, multi-year forecasting, and stakeholder communication and transparency during this unprecedented time.
Participants learned about relevant financial considerations for districts, regardless of their location, supported by examples from around the country and explored a checklist of budget implications that districts can use to guide their efforts in determining COVID-19’s impact on their financial situations.
Access a recording of the webinar HERE and the presentation slide deck HERE.
Resources & Tips for Remote Professional Development
Recorded Thursday, April 16, 2020Presented by Cathy Cavanaugh, Director of Research & PD, Microsoft Education and Becky Keene, Director, Content & Professional Learning, i2e
In-person interactions have temporarily paused but the need for teacher professional development still exists. Join the Microsoft Education Team as they share free on-demand resources as well as tip and tricks for delivering live virtual PD.
SLA Management will work with its school districts to keep as many of its emergency feeding locations open for as long as possible, but we want to do more. In this webinar, you will learn more about emergency feeding.
The goal is for you to walk away with a better understanding of how to make meals accessible to families while schools are shut down. Please join us and this incredible movement!
Accessibility & Remote Learning-Free Tools to Help All Learners
Recorded Wednesday, April 1, 2020
With many schools moving rapidly to remote learning, it is critical that no student is left behind. Microsoft Education has free tools and assistive technology to support students who struggle with reading, writing math and communication. This session will showcase how these free Learning Tools can be used to support distance learning for students, including those with learning differences such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, ADHD, or a combination of any of the broad range of unique student abilities. Details, demonstrations and examples will be shared about several new and improved sets of features across Microsoft products, all of which are free to schools and can be used immediately.
Nearly all schools have closed their buildings and campuses to contain the spread of coronavirus. As a result, the entire industry is rapidly adopting online and remote learning models. For over 22 years, schools have trusted ClassLink to deliver online learning. Wanting to help schools transition to e-learning models in 90 minutes, we created ClassLink Lite and are delivering it to schools through our partnership with AESA.
In this webinar, learn how ESAs can help schools make the switch with:
Access - Single Sign-on gives students and staff instant access to all their online resources from one location and on any device.
Analytics - Ensure teachers and students remain engaged when remote learning days are in effect.
My Files - Simplify remote access to school folders and files. Bring together your school network and cloud storage into one location including Google Drive, O365, and Dropbox.
As early as 75 years ago, ESAs have been guiding and supporting schools through both successful and difficult times. That leadership is especially critical during challenges like what schools face today.
Please join this webinar to learn how your ESA can help local districts improve remote learning through an easy to use, and now, easy to activate, single sign-on portal with analytics.
For more information, see this PRESS RELEASE from ClassLink.
How to Implement Remote Learning During a Pandemic
Microsoft Education has free tools, resources, and support to help schools with remote learning. Whether you need a full, free, solution like Microsoft Teams for Education, or free tools to complement existing systems you already have, Microsoft is ready to help support schools in your state. Microsoft has also recently created a new Remote Learning global community. The goal of this extended professional learning network is to connect Microsoft product teams with educators, administrators and school leaders who are looking to collaborate, learn, and support with implementing remote learning.
Meet the presenters . . .
Geri Gillespy, Program Manager, Microsoft Education Engagement Team
Geri’s Digital Integration Team supported the implementation, training, and evaluation of technology integration at all levels, K-12 throughout the largest school district in Utah, including full implementation of Office 365 and Teams across all 57 buildings. She is a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert Fellow and Trainer and was awarded the ISTE Make it Happen award for Leadership in Educational Technology at the NCCE 2018 conference.
Mike Tholfsen, Principal Product Manager, Microsoft Education Team
Mike’s team focuses on Inclusive Classroom, Learning Tools and OneNote Class/Staff Notebooks. He is passionate about education and has been regularly working with students and teachers around the world over the past ten years to create products that improve student outcomes.
AESA Business Partner PlanMember Services, in partnership with MidAmerica, brings this FREE webinar to AESA members!
Accumulated Leave Payouts – Reducing Cost While Increasing Value
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
1:00 pm Central Time (2:00 pm Eastern; 12:00 pm Mountain; 11:00 am Pacific)
Dedicated, long-tenured educators often accrue significant leave balances toward the end of their careers. But when paid out in cash at retirement, these leave balances subject both employer and employee to tax consequences. In an era of budgetary pressures for educational agencies and increasing costs for retirees, creative solutions for accumulated leave payout are a powerful method to drive meaningful savings for those who do so much to take care of our communities.
As part of the Workplace Savings Program, PlanMember (in partnership with MidAmerica) will discuss how employers can contribute accumulated leave dollars into qualified retirement plans to generate permanent tax savings for both employer and employee. The webinar will also illustrate how accumulated leave payouts can be used tax-free for employee health care needs — a valuable benefit as educators look to “bridge the gap” between retirement and Medicare eligibility.
February is Career and Technical Education Month®. As part of AESA's ongoing commitment to policy awareness and advocacy, one of our business partners, Pathway 2 Careers, hosted a free webinar to review the Perkins V Policy and its impact on communities and local school districts. The webinar is a short 30-minute review of the significant components of Perkins V, the Local Needs Assessment requirements, and how educational service agencies can be a leading effort for program alignment within each community. Two best practices from ESAs across the country will be shared.
AESA Business Partner Microsoft has information to share with you about cyber security in schools.
Safeguard your students, online and at school . . .
Safety and security are key considerations for students and parents choosing a school. They are also some of the top concerns that educators face today. Schools have become a major target for phishing attacks, ransomware, and data theft. Safeguarding physical and digital security at schools is more critical and complex than ever before.
In this webinar geared toward K-12 schools, you will gain knowledge to help you build your security strategy. Join this webinar to learn:
· How to plan an approach to security that considers how to both protect information online and ensure a safe school environment.
· How smart-cloud technology can automatically address and remediate security threats online.
· How to plan an approach to security that considers both protecting information online and ensuring a safe physical environment.
See how Microsoft Azure and Microsoft 365 integrate physical and cyber security with sophisticated artificial intelligence that works seamlessly in the background—sharing intelligence and working smarter to protect your campus.
Contact Ann Fiene for a link to access a recording of this free webinar!
October 24, 2019 @ 1:00 pm EST Cyber Security & Risks . . . Is Your ESA Prepared?
Presenters: USI Insurance Services Education Team
In the ever-evolving and increasingly-global cyber security world, it is essential to protect your students, your staff, and your organization. The USI Insurance Services Education team brings decades of experience to identify and address the myriad of complex cyber-related exposures and deliver thoughtful, specific insurance solutions for the education sector.
AESA is partnering with USI Insurance Services to bring you a free webinar, "Cyber Security and Risks – Is your ESA Prepared?" on Thursday, October 24, 2019 at 1:00 pm (EST); 12:00 pm (CST); 11:00 am (MST); 10:00 am (PST). Join us to find out what you can do to prevent a cyber incident in your organization. More information . . .
PROVIDING HIGH-IMPACT PROFESSIONAL LEARNING WITH MICROSOFT
Presenters: Robyn Hrivnatz and Steven Anderson
At Microsoft, the mission is "to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more." Because of this, Microsoft has recently partnered with AESA to bring free, professional learning to all member State and Regional Education Service Centers by thought leaders in the field. Join Education leader Steven W. Anderson to discuss how State and Regional Education Service Centers are tasked to provide professional learning to the districts they serve on high-impact instructional strategies, grounded in research, and aligned to federal, state, and local mandates, the challenges Education Service Centers face when supporting learning in their own staff members' knowledge to meet the diverse needs of their districts, and finally, how to bring professional learning on Inclusive Classrooms, Literacy, Technology Leadership, Differentiation, and Initiative Implementation to your agency and the districts you serve through this new Microsoft Partnership.
FOSTERING INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS
Presenters: Mike Tholfsen and Lauren Pittman
This session will discuss what inclusive classrooms and employing accessibility looks like from the standpoint of reading, writing, math and communication. The presenter will be sharing examples from Microsoft Education’s free accessibility suite of tools and including the stories of teachers who have worked with students of all abilities in an inclusive classroom setting.
Learn about:
The benefits of inclusively designed lessons and classrooms employing assistive technology.
Improving learning outcomes for all learners powered by assistive technology tools.
Current updates on Microsoft Education’s reading, writing, math and communication tools.
The power of built-in assistive technology and its impact on both social and normative constructs of today’s classrooms.
Streamlined Collaboration and Professional Learning Communities
Presenters: Cathy Cavanagh and Meredith Roe
As educators take on the role of active change agent in schools and communities, their work has become more complex and dynamic. Continuous embedded collaborative professional learning is now part of the role of many teachers. This session showcases ways in which schools around the world are using collaborative digital learning environments for professional learning communities (PLCs) and networked improvement communities (NICs) for professional development and school improvement.
POVERTY & TRAUMA VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
Presenters:
Rebecca Lewis-Pankratz, ESSDACK
Rebecca has experienced a life of poverty. Hear how her personal story has shaped her professional career. She is the Director of ESSDACK (KS) Learning Centers and is helping numerous districts become trauma-responsive in order to both heal trauma and work to solve poverty.
Gerry Briscoe and Martha Gould-Lehe, SERRC-Alaska
Both Gerry and Martha are Senior Associates with the Center on Culturally Proficient Educational Practices. In this quick snapshot, participants will learn a strategy for helping to disrupt the poverty mindset in students. Educators who succeed with students who live in poverty use a pedagogy that is consistent with what research tells us about how people learn.
AESA colleagues presented a virtual conference on the effects of poverty and trauma along with ideas on how to resolve its effects on learning. IF schools truly want to ensure the success of EACH student, what is the one, single factor that, if we can solve it, will have the greatest impact on improving learning and life for all students? Poverty and Trauma
The problem is too big. Schools and communities will never have enough social workers, and counselors to solve it. Schools must mobilize classroom teachers and aides to use the power of science and relationships to help build brains so that students can thrive.
This work is as much about healing and mitigating stress for staff as it is for students - in order to have resilient students we must have resilient staff.
In the sessions, the topics presented included:
Learn more about the effects of poverty and trauma on students and staff.
Gather ideas on how to resolve its effects on learning.
Nick Caromano has been in the IT industry for well over 14 years ranging from SMB to Enterprise, sprinkling in some SLG, and now living in the world of Education. He has a huge passion for security and has the honor to help customers learn the “art of the possible” with Microsoft Security solutions. Nick is currently the Sr. Security & Compliance Technical Specialist for the South Central region of the US in Microsoft Education and works with K12, Higher Education, and DoE’s alike. 
Tim was named the company’s Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors in March 2020 just days before the COVID pandemic hit the United States. Tim was previously Co-Founder and Managing Director at Sandy Hook Promise, one of the nation’s leading school safety organizations. 
Keeping Employees Healthier While Controlling Costs
Behavior Advantage: Solving Behavior Problems with Technology & Online Clinical Supports
Geri’s Digital Integration Team supported the implementation, training, and evaluation of technology integration at all levels, K-12 throughout the largest school district in Utah, including full implementation of Office 365 and Teams across all 57 buildings. She is a Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert Fellow and Trainer and was awarded the ISTE Make it Happen award for Leadership in Educational Technology at the NCCE 2018 conference.
