eLearning Strategies Symposium 2015 Program

eLearning Strategies Symposium 

December 3-5, 2015 • Costa Mesa, CA 

Time, Place, Path, Pace 

Produced collaboratively by: 

@elearns 

elearns.org 

#ess15


Online Program Guide 

& Session Evaluations 

Symposium Schedule 

Thursday, December 3 

11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m................................ Registration 

1:00 - 4:00 p.m....................................Paid Workshops 

Friday, December 4 

ess2015.sched.org 

eSS Planning Committee 

Chris Bell..............................................EdTech Team 

Brian Bridges................................................. CUE 

Sandra Burdick.......... Stanislaus County Office of Education 

Jon Corippo.................................................... CUE 

Rob Darrow............................ Blended Teacher Network 

Alice Keeler............................................ CSU Fresno 

Machele Kilgore............. Orange County Dept. of Education 

Mary Kraus.................. San Diego County Supt. of Schools 

Mike Lawrence............................................... CUE 

Kristina Mattis...............................San Francisco USD 

Melody McGill.............................. Modesto City Schools 

Allison Powell...............................................iNACOL 

Sally Savona.............. Stanislaus County Office of Education 

Deborah Stauss......... Stanislaus County Office of Education 

Stanislaus County 

Office of Education 

The Stanislaus County Office of Education, 

through effective leadership, coordinated 

services, staff development, and partnerships 

among family, school and community, 

will support public education in preparing 

diverse students to become productive citizens and life-long 

learners. 

7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.................................. Registration 

8:30 - 9:30 a.m.................................... Plenary Session 

9:50 - 10:50 a.m...........................................Session 1 

11:05 a.m. - 12:05 p.m..................................Session 2 

12:10 - 1:45 p.m...................... Lunch/Awards/Keynote 

2:00 - 3:00 p.m.............................................Session 3 

3:10 - 4:10 p.m.............................................Session 4 

4:00 - 6:00 p.m..............................No-Host Networking 

Saturday, December 5 

7:30 - 9:00 a.m......................................... Registration 

8:15 - 11:15 a.m................................... Paid Workshop 

8:00 - 9:00 a.m.............................................Session 5 

9:15 - 10:15 a.m...........................................Session 6 

10:25 - 11:25 a.m.........................................Session 7 

11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m......................... Closing Keynote 

WireleSS AcceSS 

CUE is a nonprofit educational corporation 

founded in 1978. CUE’s goal is to inspire 

innovative learners in all disciplines from 

preschool through college. With an active 

current membership of thousands of educational professionals, 

CUE supports many regional affiliates and learning networks. 

CUE Conferences are California’s premier educational technology 

events. CUE is the largest organization of its type in the west and 

one of the largest in the United States. 

Page 2 

CUE, Inc. 

SSID: elearns 

Password: elearns15 

elearns.org

Thanks to our eSS Sponsors... 


Presenting Partners 

Symposium Partners 

Media/Non-Profit Partners 

@elearns 

Produced 

collaboratively by: 

Page 3


6 

NATIONAL CONFERENCE 

PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA MARCH 17-19 

6 

NATIONAL CONFERENCE 

PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA MARCH 17-19 

BRAD 

MONTAGUE 

KID PRESIDENT CREATOR 

Kickoff Keynote 

Thursday,March 17 

*new time 8:30 - 9:30am 

HADI 

PARTOVI 

FOUNDER, CEO OF CODE.ORG 

General Session 

Keynote 

Friday, March 18 

PEARL 

ARREDONDO 

TEACHER, PRINCIPAL 

Closing Keynote 

Saturday, March 19 

SPOTLIGHT SPEAKERS 

Leslie Fisher, Lisa Highfill, Cindy Moss, Luis Perez, Joyce Valenza 

CUE2016.org #CUE16 

PRIME CORPORATE MEMBER 

Page 4 

elearns.org


Workshops 

(must be pre-registered to attend these workshops) 

Thursday, December 3 • 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. 

Implementing and Sustaining a Blended Learning Program 

Rob Darrow (robdarrow74@gmail.com) 

Blended Teacher Network 

Blended learning is growing quickly across classrooms and schools around the world. The implementation of blended learning in several 

schools across the country have been observed and documented. The iNACOL Blended Learning Roadmap was developed and identified 

six elements essential to the implementation of any blended learning program. Leave this workshop understanding each element and how 

they can be applied in your school or district. 

Google Classroom - Jumping In 

Alice Keeler (mrskeeler@gmail.com) 

While Google Docs and Apps have allowed for new things to happen in the classroom, they were not designed expressly for the teacher 

and students. This left teachers with the need to create sometimes elaborate systems to fit these digital tools into the flow of their classroom. 

Google Classroom, however, was designed to simplify this process for teachers and students. An online interface for distributing and 

collecting digital work, Google Classroom makes it easier for teachers to facilitate a digital or blended learning classroom. This session 

will give teachers a hands-on experience using Google Classroom and go over innovative ways to create activities and lesson sets in 

Google Classroom. 

Creating a Moodle Course from Scratch 

Blair Roy (broy@otan.us) 

Outreach & Technical Assistance Network (OTAN) 

Spend some time creating a place with a guided path for your students as they study at their own pace in an online course. The Moodle 

learning management system facilitates posting and grading of assignments, administering assessments, facilitating online discussions, 

organizing documents, and tracking learner progress. This workshop will introduce the Moodle system as you create activities and add 

resources to a course shell provided for the workshop. Learn the basics as you evaluate this resource for your learners. Bring a laptop/ 

tablet to participate in this hands-on workshop. 

Pathways to Blended or Personalized Learning 

Saturday, December 5 • 8:15 - 11:15 a.m. 

Marcia Kish (kishmarcia@gmail.com) 

DSD Professional Development 

Create your own pathway towards blended learning or personalized learning with a hands-on approach to meet the individual needs of 

the learner. The participants will be able to see a personalized learning classroom environment as they explore their own pathways that 

will transition them from traditional teaching to blended learning or personalized learning. Formative assessments during the workshop 

will help the facilitators create customized paths and pace for each participant. We will be using PearDeck and Google Communities to 

quickly assess the skills of each learner and to create a backchannel for the workshop. 

@elearns 

Produced 


Page 5


Plenary Session • 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. • Friday, December 4 

Pacific Ballrooms 2-4 

Julie Evans 

Chief Executive Officer 

Project Tomorrow 

For the past 13 years, the Speak Up Research Project has collected and reported 

on the views of almost 4 million K-12 students, educators and parents regarding 

digital learning. Using current and longitudinal Speak Up data, we will provide 

new insights into the students’ vision for the use of games, mobile devices and 

digital content within learning, and counter mythology with the authentic views of 

teachers and parents regarding technology use within instruction. Going beyond 

anecdotes and assumptions, this interactive and eye-opening presentation will 

provide leaders with new metrics for evaluating the pulse of eLearning in their 

school or district. 

Session 1 • 9:50 - 10:50 a.m. • Friday, December 4 

You’ve Got to Move it, Move it! 

Nicol Howard, PhD.........................................................Balboa Bay 1 

Blended learning rotation models are spinning and spreading like wildfire 

as teachers seek to increase student engagement in the midst of changing 

and flexible classrooms. Within the rotation model, students move and 

grove between self-paced/personalized learning (often online) and small 

group instruction. This session is designed to support and encourage your 

implementation of rotation models in your K-5 classrooms. 

Pedagogy Beginner, Intermediate K-5 

Session Evaluation: bit.ly/ess1501 

Mapping The Journey: Step Outside the Traditional 

Classroom 

Beverly DeCuir, Kelly Robinette....................................Balboa Bay 2 

This session will showcase how two school districts, Pasadena Unified and 

Fairmont Private Schools, are creating dynamic learning environments 

both in the classroom and online. Join us for a unique look at program 

models and program plans for school and district-wide transformation. 

Presenters will share best-practices for leveraging technology, and a 

proven process for the development of digital curriculum. 

Learning Environments Intermediate, Advanced 6-12 


From RFP to Production: One County Office’s Journey 

Choosing a New LMS 

Catharine Reznicek..................................................Fountain Terrace 

This session will outline the processes, used by the Ventura County 

Office of Education, in choosing a new Learning Management System. 

Beginning with the RFP process and working through stages of 

evaluation, implementation, and production, we will discuss the methods 

and materials used/developed to determine the best LMS that fit our 

instructional and technological needs. These methods and materials 

(provided) can be used with any size district and are easily modified to 

fit the individual needs of any district/county office looking to replace or 

bring in a new Learning Management System. Stakeholder collaboration 

and pedagogical soundness is emphasized. 

Big Picture Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced K-12 


Page 6 

Key Strategies for Designing Professional Development for 

Teachers of Blended Courses 

Chris Grado................................................................... Emerald Bay 2 

This collaborative and interactive session culminates in ideas that identify 

key strategies for designing professional development for teachers of 

blended high school courses. Schools are moving toward more blended 

learning as technology becomes easily accessible to students. A welltrained 

teacher can expand upon the online components of the blended 

classroom. Research indicates that students achieve more if their teachers 

are well-versed in the pedagogical strategies and techniques necessary for 

blended learning. 

Capacity Building Beginner K-12 


A Blended Learning Roadmap: 6 Essential Elements 

Allison Powell............................................................... Emerald Bay 3 

Schools and educational systems around the world are moving to blended 

learning environments. iNACOL spent a year identifying elements and 

tools needed for successful blended learning planning, implementation 

and sustainability while working with schools across the U.S., resulting in 

the iNACOL blended learning roadmap. In this workshop, we will provide 

school leaders with the elements, tools and metrics needed for planning, 

implementing and sustaining a successful blended learning program. 

Learning Environments Beginner K-12 


Blended Learning For Deeper Learning: A District’s 

Strategy For Sustained Student Achievement 

Dustin Gowan, Brian Kull,........................................Laguna Beach 2 

Nick Robinson, Curt Smith 

Learn how Laguna Beach Unified embarked on a plan to implement 

blended learning for the highest level of student engagement and 

academic outcomes. A team of LBUSD educators formulated a plan to 

evaluate, pilot, survey, and subsequently adopt personalized CCSSaligned 

solutions with a focus on student-driven learning. Learn from 

two LBUSD educators how to thoughtfully plan, evaluate, and implement 

a successful blended learning program that ensures a culture of sustained 

student achievement and success. 

Pedagogy Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced K-8 


elearns.org


Session 1 • 9:50 - 10:50 a.m. • Friday, December 4 

National Certification for Innovative Educators - Be 

Leading Edge! 

Mary Kraus, Eileen Walters....................................................Bristol 1 

Discover a certification program designed for innovative educators like 

you. Leading Edge Certification prepares educators to be digital age 

leaders and learners. Certifications include Online and Blended Teacher, 

Digital Educator, Administrator, and Professional Learning Leader. 

Capacity Building Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced K-12, Adult Ed 


Using Digital Media to Stimulate Thinking and Writing 

Joanna Conrado, Mariel Zamora, ...........................Laguna Beach 1 

Bliss Boesh 

Help students increase sentence strength with word choice and details. 

Teach structure using digital tools. Students will learn to develop 

interesting characters, setting, and plot. Being able to visualize a subject 

helps to spark imagination and increase student communication. Google 

apps and other website resources are great tools to use to teach writing 

skills and get students to collaborate and showcase their writing. These 

tools and resources allow students and teachers to engage in flipped 

lessons. 

Content Beginner, Intermediate K-8 


Welcome to the (Google) Classroom of the Future 

Will Kimbley................................................................. Emerald Bay 1 

Google Classroom is a free LMS (learning management system) for 

Google Apps for Education designed to simplify the workflow of using 

Google Drive with students. Teachers can view, create, collect, and 

grade assignments, including one-click to create an individual Google 

Document for each student and organize them into automatically created 

Drive folders for each assignment. 

Gear Beginner K-12, Adult Ed 


You Can Blend! 

Emily Garrison, Brian Tuomy..................................Laguna Beach 3 

In this session two teachers (Teachers on Special Assignment for Blended 

Learning) will give a brief overview of blended learning and some key 

elements we have found essential to running blended classes in our 

public, comprehensive high schools. After, we will open up the session to 

roundtable discussions based on participant interests and needs. We will 

learn from each other and by the time you leave this session you will have 

tangible ideas of how you can blend your classes starting NOW! 

Pedagogy Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced K-12, Adult Ed 


LEARNING 

Blended learning For Deeper Learning 

A District’s Strategy for Sustained Student Achievement 

Laguna Beach Unified, one of California’s top performing school districts, formulated a plan to evaluate, 

pilot, survey, and subsequently adopt personalized CCSS-aligned solutions with a focus on studentdriven 

learning. Learn from LBUSD educators Dustin Gowan and Brian Kull how to thoughtfully plan, 

evaluate, and implement a successful blended learning program that ensures a culture of sustained 

student achievement and success. 

When: Friday, 9:50 a.m. Where: Laguna Beach Room 2 

@elearns 

Produced 


Page 7


Session 2 • 11:05 a.m. - 12:05 p.m. • Friday, December 4 

Agent of Influence: A Game of Educational Technology & 

Espionage 

Rebecka Anderson..........................................................Balboa Bay 1 

The Napa County Office of Education has gamified its educational 

technology professional development. Participants can earn badges 

online while participating in a fun and adventurous spy-themed 

environment. Agent of Influence: A Game of Educational Technology 

& Espionage has teachers assume the role of an undercover agent, who 

must complete missions (aka trainings) and spy games to earn badges and 

chances to win technology for the classroom. This session will explain 

how the game works, how we combined online PD with face-to-face PD, 

who can participate, how other counties/districts can become involved, 

and what it took to build and manage. 

Capacity Building Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced K-12 


Blended/Distance Learning in Adult Education: The Past 

Shapes the Future 

Penny Pearson, Branka Marceta....................................Balboa Bay 2 

California offers a rich history of implementing distance learning in adult 

education through the (now suspended) Innovation and Alternative 

Instructional Delivery Program. This session offers a brief history of the 

successful nature of distance learning in AE along with a discussion on the 

future of program development in light of WIOA program requirements, 

including the newly implemented Technology and Distance Learning 

Plans implemented by the California Department of Adult Education 

Office. Historically, agencies who implement an online/blended learning 

opportunity for their learners see significant learning gains. 

Big Picture Intermediate Adult Ed 


San Diego STEM Quality Criteria 

Mary Kraus, John Spiegel.......................................................Bristol 1 

How did your school arrive at its STEM/ STEAM designation? The San 

Diego K-12 STEM Quality Criteria Self-Assessment Rubric (SDSTEMQC) 

was created to support the growing number of K-12 STEM schools and 

programs as they implement integrated STEM learning experiences in 

all K-12 classrooms. This tool may serve as a framework to facilitate 

inter-segmental discussion on program quality indicators. Across the 

nation, K-12 STEM programs and schools are proliferating in response 

to education, policy, and business reports supporting expansion and 

improvements in STEM education. School and district personnel, after 

school program providers, community members, business partners, 

parents, and STEM professionals may find this SDSTEMQC tool useful 

to ultimately provide measurable program outcomes. 



Using Google Classroom For Blended Learning 

Kevin Fairchild............................................................. Emerald Bay 2 

Google Classroom, now in its second year, is not a full-featured LMS, but 

it can still be used for blended learning, with some planning. This session 

will introduce you to Google Classroom, including its recently-introduced 

features. We’ll also learn about some strategies and best practices for 

conducting effective blended learning with Google Classroom. 

Content Beginner 6-12 


1-2-3-4 New Ways To Examine Blended Learning 

Outcomes 

Julie Evans..................................................................... Emerald Bay 3 

While the debate continues as to how to measure outcomes in blended 

learning environments, some districts are now evaluating their 

blended learning programs based upon student annual growth, student 

engagement in learning, teacher effectiveness and parental support. In 

this flipped seminar, we will explore the how/when/why/what of those 

outcome measures, and collaboratively develop a new template for 

assessing the real impact of blended learning. 

Big Picture Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced K-12, Adult Ed 


Blended Learning Strategies: What, So What, Now What 

Dewhanne Nyivih.....................................................Fountain Terrace 

This session presents a step-by-step guide to using technology in learning 

and teaching. We’ll share these strategies for adopting any of the following 

modes of operation: (a) facilitating course management and resources 

for learner support, (b) enriching the quality of the student learning 

experience through interactive learning activities beyond those attainable 

through face to face classroom interactions, and (c) supporting learning 

that is largely self-directed but also involves the use of interactive and 

collaborative learning activities. 

Gear Beginner, Intermediate 6-12 


Collaborative Tools for School Leaders 

Bliss Boesch, Joanna Conrado,.................................Laguna Beach 1 

Mariel Zamora 

In this session you will explore cool, collaborative apps and web tools that 

are key to becoming a connected and effective leader in a 21st Century, 

digital education world. Administrators, Project Managers, Instructional/ 

Tech Coaches, and Lead Teachers will examine ways to maximize time, 

connections, and productivity using these #eduawesome tools. 



Page 8 

elearns.org


Session 2 • 11:05 a.m. - 12:05 p.m. • Friday, December 4 

How Online Learning Builds College and Career Readiness 

Preston Carr, Ed.D.....................................................Laguna Beach 2 

What is the impact of online learning on graduation rates, and college 

and career readiness? During this session, a panel of teachers and 

administrators from a respected California school district will discuss 

21st century learning and “best practices” for creating or increasing online 

learning opportunities at your school sites. Join us for an interactive look 

at successful online program implementations, the potential of emerging 

online learning technology, and how to personalize learning in and out of 

the classroom for better student outcomes. 

Pedagogy Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced 6-12, Adult Ed 


“I’m Not Blending Today”: Motivating a Faculty Culture 

Change 

Ashley Benning...........................................................Laguna Beach 3 

Teachers may understand the definition of blended learning - and even 

agree it’s a good idea - but they may resist implementing it in their own 

classrooms because they don’t know where to begin or because their 

way is “just fine.” Learn how Chaminade College Preparatory in the San 

Fernando Valley has used PD, messaging, and mentoring to embrace 

their blended learning initiative and support faculty as they transition to 

a more blended model. 

Capacity Building Beginner 6-12 


Shape how, when and 

where students learn. 

To reach today’s learners we need to expand beyond the 

traditional classroom and provide flipped, blended, and 

online learning environments that meet students’ diverse 

needs while impacting achievement. Pearson partners 

with educators to deliver real results that break through 

the challenges in education today with new personalized 

ways of learning through effective practices, scalable 

assessments and instructional tools, enabled by 

technology and supported by services. 

Visit our booth to learn about our 

online and blended learning solutions. 

PearsonSchool.com/VirtualLearning 

@elearns 

Produced 


Page 9


Opening Keynote • 12:10 - 1:45 p.m. • Friday, December 4 


Dr. Chris Haskell 

Clinical Assistant Professor 

Boise State University 

At Boise State University, Dr. Haskell specializes in preparing pre-service 

teachers by focusing on the use, adaptation, and implementation of 

emerging technologies in teacher education including gaming, mobile 

communication devices, portable media players, social networking tools, 

and virtual worlds. He’s actively piloting and developing ground-breaking 

alternative approaches to delivering and tracking learning. 

In his keynote, “Ahead of the Game: The Data Behind Innovative, Blended, 

and Game-Based Learning,” Dr. Haskell will share new opportunities to 

motivate, support, promote, and differentiate students in blended and 

online environments, as well as research surrounding game-based learning. 

His presentation will highlight the innovative practice, pedagogy, and 

outcomes of more than 1000 educators worldwide who are piloting gamebased 

learning in their blended and online classrooms. 

Page 10 

elearns.org


Lunch/Awards • 12:10 - 1:45 p.m. • Friday, December 4 


eLearning Educator of the Year 

eLearning Advocate 

Larissa Barrickman 

Avalon Elementary, Val Verde USD 

Larissa Barrickman was the first teacher at 

Avalon to bring and encourage teachers to use 

blended learning in their classrooms. She started with flipping 

her classroom for math instruction and soon had the entire fifth 

grade flipping for math. This year she has GATE classrooms using 

a self-learning model. We have five televisions in each classroom 

that our students use with chromebooks for collaboration. She is 

a technology native who is always researching fun and engaging 

ways for her students to learn. She is an innovator always looking 

for new ways to teach and is never afraid to try something new. 

Julie Evans 

CEO, Project Tomorrow 

Julie Evans is the CEO of Project Tomorrow, an 

internationally recognized education nonprofit 

organization that focuses on improving learning opportunities for 

students through the effective use of STEM resources. 

Throughout her illustrious career, Julie has not only advocated 

for online and blended learning education, but for the last twelve 

years, Project Tomorrow has provided valuable data from which 

we are able to lobby legislators and policy-makers to implement 

changes supportive of eLearning in education. 

She is a champion of non-profit leadership, through her role as 

CEO of Project Tomorrow, and has served on the ISTE Board of 

Directors, playing a crucial role in establishing the organization’s 

future during its recent CEO transition and served as an advisor 

to CUE and its leadership. Through her leadership, eLearning gets 

an annual Congressional Briefing, speaking with lawmakers and 

their staff on Capitol Hill. 

Save the Date... 


$80 

Registration 

Fee 


ETC! 2016 

Educational Technology conference 

The Future Is Now! 

Saturday, February 27, 2016 

8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. 

California State University, Stanislaus 

Registration Now Open 

http://www.stancoe.org/scoe/tlr/depts/etc/2016/ 

For more information regarding the conference and other 

services provided, please access the ETC web site at: 

www.stancoe.org/etc 

co-sponsored 

by 

California State University Stanislaus 

@elearns 

Produced 


Page 11


Session 3 • 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. • Friday, December 4 

Blending in Reverse 

Todd Reed........................................................................Balboa Bay 1 

Blending is typically bringing technology into instructional practice to 

support the teacher being the guide on the side. Blending in Reverse 

is bringing personalized support in a synchronous method to students 

in virtual settings. This session will describe one program’s response to 

struggling online students and its efforts to effectively support and engage 

students with individual learning needs. 

Pedagogy Intermediate 6-12, Adult Ed 


Blended Digital Curriculum Development and Best 

Practices for English Language Learners 

Brenda Huey-Rosas.................................................................Bristol 1 

Trying to build a curriculum? We have first hand experience developing 

a complete blended course lineup for 6th grade to adult English 

Language Learners. As ESL Curriculum and Instruction Specialists with 

20+ combined years of diverse ESL teaching experience, we became 

the primary authors of our school’s ESL curriculum. We will take you 

through each step of the process that we went through while managing 

our curriculum development team, our budget, and the learning 

management system. We will share our hurdles and victories to arrive at 

our final product that is always a work in progress. 

Content Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced 6-12 


Myths and Realities of Digital Learning: Findings from 12 

years of Keeping Pace 

John Watson.................................................................. Emerald Bay 3 

As online and blended learning are growing in California and elsewhere, 

there is also an increasing amount of confusion and misinformation about 

what is really happening. John Watson, lead researcher for Keeping Pace 

with K-12 Online Learning annual report, and CEO of the Evergreen 

Education Group, will dig into twelve years of Keeping Pace data, 

including the newly released 2015 report, to separate hype from reality. 



Google Classroom for PD: Teachers/Admin as Students 

Katie Moreno................................................................ Emerald Bay 1 

Google Classroom is the perfect blended platform to deliver professional 

development to teachers. Classroom can also be used to organize 

leadership teams for administration. This session will go over how to use 

Google Classroom with teachers to do professional learning. It will also 

go over how Wasco UHSD is using Google Classroom with the leadership 

team. 

Gear Intermediate Adult Ed 


Out of Your Seat PD: Lessons Learned From 3 Districtwide 

Digital Badging Implementations 

Steve Regur, Jennifer Burks......................................... Emerald Bay 2 

Participants will explore the lessons learned from three district-wide 

implementations of digital badging as a model for proficiency-based 

professional development. This approach to professional development 

immerses teachers in the style of blended learning they are expected 

to implement. Participants will leave with practical examples, steps for 

development, and tools for implementation if they are interested. 

Capacity Building Intermediate, Advanced K-12 


Beyond Sit and Git: Making Professional Learning 

Personal 

Rob Darrow...............................................................Fountain Terrace 

“Professional Development” has been a part of the teaching profession 

since the beginning of time. The belief that teachers must be physically 

present to “get” the latest information and guidance about the latest 

teaching strategies continues to be part of most school districts. Forward 

thinking schools and districts have moved to professional learning 

networks and using the term “professional learning.” This session will 

provide structures and ideas about how to create a professional learning 

system that is more personalized for teachers and administrators through 

the use of blended and professional learning tools, and moves beyond just 

“sit and git” professional development. 



From Cell Phones to Social Networking 

Joyce Hinkson. Branka Marcheta.............................Laguna Beach 1 

Penny Pearson, Blair Roy 

This fast-paced session provided by staff from the Outreach and Technical 

Assistance (OTAN) office will give you a repertoire of ten different lowcost 

or no-cost online resources that you can use immediately with your 

learners. Join us for an entertaining and productive session! 

Pedagogy Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced Adult Ed 


Integrating Projects Into Online History Classes 

David Dillon................................................................Laguna Beach 2 

Participants will examine two 10th grade history projects integrated 

into Riverside Virtual School’s World History course. These are second 

semester projects that synthesize and demonstrate a student’s mastery 

of CCSS visited during the first semester of class. In these projects, 

students use instructional technology, historical literacy, and research 

skills to design webquest and document-based questions. The presenter 

will share materials, websites, processes, and student work as evidence of 

student competency. 

Content Advanced 9-12 


Page 12 

elearns.org



iNACOL Blended Learning Teacher Competency 

Framework 

Allison Powell.............................................................Laguna Beach 3 

As blended learning models become more prevalent, the need to identify 

and foster core educator competencies for strong instructional practice 

becomes greater. iNACOL developed a blended teaching competency 

framework which will be shared. 



Learning has never 

been so limitless. 

Apex Learning digital curriculum for grades 6-12 

prepares students for college and career success. 

Rigorous 

Relevant 

Personalized 

Effective 

www.apexlearning.com 

@elearns 

Produced 


Page 13



MathemaTECHs! 

Lauren Steinmann, Kristy Andre..................................Balboa Bay 1 

Educators will learn how to create an engaging math lesson that shows 

students’ thinking processes and mathematical understanding by 

integrating a few technology tools. This session focuses on student 

creation rather than consumption of technology and information. 

Utilizing the 4 C’s: Creativity, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and 

Communication, educators will use dynamic technology tools to engage 

students in authentic 21st century learning experiences! 



Do You Gooru? 

Wendy Numata, Larissa Barrickman............................Balboa Bay 2 

This session will focus on using Gooru Learning, a free web-based 

personalized learning site, as a part of your blended learning program. 

We will show you how to find, organize, and push content out to your 

students in an easy, streamlined way. We will also show you how your 

students can take the wheel and begin creating collections of their own to 

share with their classmates and students around the world. 

Gear Beginner K-8 


Applying SAMR to Blended Learning - New Ways to Assess 

Your Blended Learning Program 

Rob Darrow..............................................................................Bristol 1 

The SAMR Model has been developed and utilized in one-to-one 

programs to identify how technology can be used to transform teaching 

and better engage learners. This presentation will show how the SAMR 

Model can be used as another measure for the implementation of blended 

learning. Also shared will be a continuum from textbook-enhanced 

to online teaching and learning that can be utilized with SAMR as a 

professional learning tool for teachers and administrators. 



No Need To Dread the Thread: Strategies for Digital 

Discussions 

Cynthia Sistek-Chandler, Patricia Dickenson.......... Emerald Bay 2 

Threaded discussion boards and forum tools can be used for so much 

more than simply posting information. Digital discussions can be formal, 

informal, playful (gamified), and encourage social and peer attention. 

Learn strategies for using digital discussion tools to enhance teaching and 

learning from practitioners and researchers. 

Content Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced K-12, Adult Ed 


Page 14 

elearns.org



Programmatic Decisions That Have Helped a Large Urban 

District in Southern California Maintain the Integrity of 

Their Online Learning Credit Recovery Program 

Ellen Palmer.................................................................. Emerald Bay 1 

This session will focus on: documentation that has been developed and 

systematized for the district wide program, ongoing teacher assistance 

that is provided to ensure all teachers feel supported, professional 

development that is conducted on an ongoing basis to ensure teachers 

stay current with the program, progress monitoring strategies that are 

being used, and systems and structures that the district and sites have in 

place so this large urban district in Southern California can maintain the 

integrity of their online learning program and help students be successful 

at recovering their credits. 

Big Picture Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced 9-12 


Lessons Learned: Promising Practices In Digital Learning 

Kelly Schwirzke, John Watson.................................... Emerald Bay 3 

The Evergreen Education Group has helped several dozen schools in the 

planning and implementation of online and blended learning programs 

across many states, and Dr. Kelly Schwirzke has supported independent 

study and personalized learning programs extensively in California. 

This session will build on national findings, and explore key issues in 

developing digital learning programs, including acquiring content, 

technology platforms, teaching, professional development, and related 

issues. Come ready to share your experiences, comments, and questions 

in this discussion-based session. 



Building a Blended Culture 

Stacy Hawthorne......................................................Fountain Terrace 

The models of blended learning are defined. The research is emerging to 

show improved student achievement with blended learning. Undoubtedly, 

there are pockets of blended learning happening all around you. This 

workshop will help you design a plan to build a culture that embraces 

innovation and change. We have to change the culture of our schools 

before we can successfully implement personalized learning models. 

Capacity Building Beginner, Intermediate K-12 


Open Education Resources (OER) in Adult Education 

Penny Pearson.............................................................Laguna Beach 1 

While the printing press was a world-altering invention, so is the 

Internet. Could the next information revolution come from something 

so simple as the act of sharing? Come learn about Open Education 

Resources (OER); what are they, where and how do you find them, how 

to understand Creative Commons licensing, and how you can create and 

share your own OER. Discover how to find and implement re-usable, 

re-mixable, re-sharable materials for your classroom. Working together 

with the facilitator, you will identify open-licensed materials, review OER 

repositories and review a few tools to manage your new resources. 

Content Beginner K-12, Adult Ed 


Integrating Digital Curriculum in the Classroom 

Amy Thompson..........................................................Laguna Beach 2 

Looking for a simple, FREE tool to blend digital lessons with classroombased 

coursework or to differentiate instruction? If so, this training is for 

you. Find out how you can use a new Learning Management System to 

effectively create blended and/or digital curriculum that engages students 

as well as prepares them to navigate the complexities of our connected 

world. 

Pedagogy Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced 9-12 


21st Century Skills in the New ELA/ELD Framework 

Renee Ousley-Swank, Cynthia Gunderson.............Laguna Beach 3 

Developing 21st century skills is one of four overarching goals of ELA/ 

literacy and ELD instruction set forth in the new English Language 

Arts/English Language Development framework: Students develop the 

readiness for college, career, and civic life; attain the capacities of literate 

individuals; become broadly literate; and acquire the skills for living and 

learning in the 21st century. This session will focus on developing these 

21st century skills. We will explore how research and technology threads 

throughout the themes – especially meaning making, effective expression 

and content knowledge. 



You are invited 

to join us for an 

Informal Networking Opportunity 

located in the 

Exhibitor Area 

from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. 

on Friday, December 4, 2015 

@elearns 

Produced 


Page 15


Session 5 • 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. • Saturday, December 5 

Who Is Doing the Learning? 

Mariel Zamora, Joanna Conrado..................................Balboa Bay 1 

This session will provide information on how elementary students are 

meeting the Common Core State Standards with web tools and Google 

Apps. Students are taking ownership and responsibility of their learning. 

The presentation will show examples of student-created interactive 

activities. The use of technology will also show how individual learning 

needs are being met and how differentiated instruction is being applied. 

These teachers are using technology in the classroom to create a paperlite 

environment that is student-centered and develops students’ 21st 

Century Skills. 



Using the Google Cloud! 

Melinda Holt....................................................................Balboa Bay 2 

Cloud computing is the future – and the future is now! This presentation 

will cover “The Google” and its tools to all participants and how using 

Google forges an enhanced learning and teaching experience for both 

student and educator. Tools like calendar, calculator, translator and easy 

advanced search techniques will be shown and geared towards adult 

education but are very useful for all levels of education. This presentation 

will also cover the sharing and collaborative aspects of Google Drive 

where research tools, add-ins, as well as creating and sharing in real-time 

with colleagues or students will be discussed and displayed. 

Gear Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced K-12, Adult Ed 


1:1 In a Common Core World 

Audrey Lee, Max Eissler, ............................................ Emerald Bay 1 

Samantha Groess, Alexis Tamony 

Martinez USD is in the fourth year of their successful 1:1 mobile computing 

initiative involving netbooks, take-home chromebooks, and iPads. This 

session will provide an overview of the innovative practices MUSD has 

implemented to build knowledge, skills, and leadership capacity around 

Blended Learning in a Common Core world. This model pairs teachers 

and administrators as partners, models best practices, and authentically 

integrates technology into the instructional program. Participants will 

receive the district’s multi-year plan, professional development resources, 

and a variety of tools, resources, and strategies to assist districts in their 

own implementations. 

Capacity Building Beginner, Intermediate K-12 


Motivating At-Risk Online High School Students To 

Complete Work 

Christine Kasitz............................................................ Emerald Bay 2 

High School students enroll in online classes intending to quickly 

complete the courses. Many times students rarely log into the program 

to complete work. Come learn some research-based and implemented 

strategies to motivate students to login more often and complete more 

work to reach their goals. 

Pedagogy Beginner 9-12 


Designing Active Learning Spaces 

Gerardo Martinez......................................................... Emerald Bay 3 

Design is about how things work. Technology in our hands fundamentally 

changes the dynamic between teacher and student, providing an 

opportunity to design learning experiences that respond to a student’s 

capacity to learn. Content delivery and pedagogy are being revolutionized 

daily and require active learning environments as students exercise higher 

order thinking skills through digital media, project-based learning, 

STEM education, and maker spaces. The flipped classroom and blended 

learning have enabled teachers to create active learning but the classroom 

space may not be addressing the learning needs beyond passive learning. 

Learn how design thinking can lead to informed and researched-based 

decisions for redesigning active learning classrooms and professional 

learning environments. 

Big Picture Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced K-12, Adult Ed 


Construction Zone Ahead: Building a Successful Online 

and/or Blended Learning Program 

Jennifer Reese..............................................................Laguna Beach 3 

If you’ve been tasked with creating and/or managing an online or 

blended learning program, you likely have questions and are looking for 

resources. Drawing upon the nearly 20-year experience of the country’s 

first statewide, Internet-based public high school, this session will help 

you ask the right questions and create a blueprint for action. Topics will 

include: staffing your program, generating enthusiasm from both internal 

and external stakeholders, infrastructure, courseware and monitoring, 

and evaluating performance. 

Big Picture Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced 6-12 


Page 16 

elearns.org



Rethinking Curriculum: Teaching Across the Curriculum 

With Google Sites 

Joanna Conrado, Mariel Zamora,.................................Balboa Bay 1 

Bliss Boesh 

Harness the power of Google Sites (or other website builders) to build 

units of study that teach cross curricular concepts using STEM ideas. 

Science and social studies nonfiction content creates the base of the unit, 

and writing is used as an assessment tool. Gather all your resources in one 

place to allow students easy access and an interactive experience during 

the unit of study online. Combine reading passages, comprehension 

skills, videos, interactive games, math, writing, and hands-on activities 

for students that stimulate thinking and increase student engagement. 

The unit website becomes your digital lesson plan, and a permanent 

location for students to revisit and review skills. 



Engaging Students Through Leveraging Student Voice and 

Collaborating on Local and Global Scales 

Rachel Freed, Lisa Meyer DeLapo.................................Balboa Bay 2 

This session will focus on several aspects of engaging students within an 

eLearning environment. Drawing out student preconceptions is key to 

building new knowledge and understanding, and deep learning depends 

critically on intrinsic motivation which is rooted in one’s own experiences 

and choices in learning. We will explore several Google tools (docs, forms, 

sheets, presentations, sites) Blogger, Livebinders, LucidChart, LucidPress 

and Snagit, as well as Screen-casting tools, and collaborative techniques 

for leveraging student voice and fostering collaboration and sharing of 

ideas as a means of learning. 

Pedagogy Beginner, Intermediate 9-12 


Google Forms: May the Forms Be With You 

Will Kimbley................................................................. Emerald Bay 1 

Take your Google Forms to the next level. Create Google forms to use 

for quizzes, surveys, rubrics, and assignment dropboxes. Create quizzes 

in Google Forms, then use Flubaroo to autograde and provide student 

feedback. Take control of student Docs-sharing nightmares and tracking 

assignments with Forms dropboxes. Create self-grading rubrics, use data 

validation and branch logic, and much, much more (Best on a laptop). 

Not recommended for programs with tablets. 

Gear Beginner, Intermediate K-12 


Planning, Managing, and Assessing Projects With Online 

Tools 

Shane Hildebrand......................................................... Emerald Bay 2 

I will be demonstrating how to use free online tools to plan, manage, and 

assess your next project, no matter what subject you teach. This will be 

a hands-on session so you can use these tools and decide which options 

work best for you. This will help you keep your thoughts and ideas 

organized and help turn those ideas into a 21st Century Project. This will 

also help you keep your students on track as they progress through their 

project and allow you to check for understanding within the project. This 

will also help you keep your assessments organized and help you retrieve 

the data you need for each student, while allowing your students to selfreflect 

and give feedback to each other. 



Creating a Cohesive Blended Learning Lesson 

Kate Petty....................................................................... Emerald Bay 3 

So many times we hear about amazing apps, but never do we hear how 

to bring them together cohesively into one lesson for our students in a 

blended learning environment. This session will show how to organize 

digital content into a unit for your students to work with online. The best 

part? You will be given an opportunity to begin a lesson of your own with 

a small amount of workshop time at the end. Templates and resources 

will be shared. 



Helping Students Achieve THEIR Math Goals: New 

Resources to Support Personalized Learning Models 

Ahrash Bissell, Dani Pedrotti....................................Laguna Beach 3 

The NROC Project is a non-profit, member-guided organization focused 

on college and career readiness. Working with our member institutions, 

NROC has developed a suite of resources and tools to support innovative 

practices in math instruction for both online and blended environments, 

with a special emphasis on personalized and differentiated instruction. 

NROC’s new learning platform which diagnoses gaps in math proficiency 

then provides a personalized study path, paving the way for each student 

to achieve their desired academic and/or career goals. Join our session to 

learn about NROC member-led programs adapting this new educational 

tool for a variety of use cases. 

Pedagogy Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced 6-12, Adult Ed 


@elearns 

Produced 


Page 17



Simultaneous Math-focused STEM in a Continuation High 

School Classroom 

Dennis Ashendorf...........................................................Balboa Bay 1 

Lightly-coordinated with Google Drive & Classroom, students choose 

work in math and STEM from a set of curriculums including MOOCs, 

Khan, CSMLearn, Code, Codecademy and Project Ignite. Know your 

students and situation, then engage the non-engaged through solution 

sets and student choice. 

Pedagogy Beginner, Intermediate 6-12 


Ancient Maya: A Cross Curricular Middle School Study 

Elizabeth Phillips, William Sanchez.............................Balboa Bay 2 

This session will focus on a middle school cross curricular unit on the 

Ancient Maya in an online/blended learning program. Growing beyond 

a social science and English language arts collaboration, middle school 

students learn about the culture, astronomy, literature, language, history, 

agriculture, religion, art, math, sports, and daily activities of the Ancient 

Maya in English language arts, social science, math, science, and physical 

education courses. 

Content Beginner, Intermediate 6-8 


The Great iPad vs Chromebook Smackdown 

Burt Lo, Will Kimbley.................................................. Emerald Bay 1 

Burt Lo and Will Kimbley will square off in a (semi) competitive session 

about the virtues of two common 1:1 platforms in a 9 round extravaganza. 

We’ll discuss each platforms benefits and weaknesses, including aspects of 

deployment, costs, use of apps and much more. Join Burt and Will and the 

#EDUREF who will keep all the blows above the belt. 



Online Learning: Building Connections Outside the 

Classroom and Skills For the Future 

Erin Kahn...................................................................... Emerald Bay 3 

Whether you teach in a traditional classroom or in a blended/online 

course, creating connections outside the classroom and guiding students 

through online learning is a priority. Online learning has become 

increasingly popular in higher education, but we are now seeing online/ 

blended courses in high school as this will prepare students for what they 

will face in college and beyond. With this comes the ability to navigate 

Learning Management Systems (LMS), time management skills, curating 

an online presence, fostering connections in an online community and so 

much more! Attendees will walk away with the tools needed to integrate 

online learning into their curriculum. 



M-Teaching: Go Small or Go Home 

Sue Hellman................................................................Laguna Beach 3 

Creating engaging and effective m-learning experiences requires 

an element of design thinking which is different from our familiar 

educational planning. During this session, we’ll explore guidelines and 

tools that can be used to help (re)design content and interactives for 

smartphones. By shifting our instructional focus from what we have 

to share to what students need for learning and taking a ‘small first’ 

approach, we can begin to develop new m-instructional models which 

will fulfill the promise of putting learning at our students’ fingertips - 

anytime, anywhere, and any device. 

Content Intermediate, Advanced K-12, Adult Ed 


Privacy, Practice, Presence, and You 

Branka Marceta............................................................. Emerald Bay 2 

How comfortable do you feel about your presence online? Do you know 

your account settings for social media and other sites you log into? Join 

us and brainstorm strategies to become safe and confident citizens of the 

Web, and help our adult learners to achieve the same. Participants will 

explore their own settings on Facebook and Google, and identify relevant 

resources that teach about Internet safety and digital citizenship. 

Content Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced Adult Ed 


Page 18 

elearns.org


Closing Keynote • 11:25 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. • Saturday, December 5 

Pacific Ballrooms 2-4.................................................................................................... 

Catlin Tucker 

Google Certified Teacher & 

CUE Lead Learner 

Windsor Unified School District 

Catlin Tucker is a Google Certified Teacher and CUE Lead Learner. 

A teacher at Windsor High School in Sonoma County, she was named 

Teacher of the Year in 2010. Catlin’s second solo book, Creatively Teach 

the Common Core Literacy Standards with Technology, was published by 

Corwin in June 2015. She also writes a monthly column for Educational 

Leadership about her experiences teaching with technology. 

In her keynote, “Blending Technology & Tradition to Transform Learning,” 

Catlin will share how she transformed her low-tech classroom by 

leveraging her students’ connectivity at home and the devices they bring 

into the classroom to create a blended learning model. 

Engage Your Students with a JTouch Whiteboard 

$1,999 Limited Time K-12 Pricing 

The new InFocus JTouch Whiteboard offers collaboration, creativity, and content-sharing—all in a bright, 

65-inch 1080p touchscreen built for the classroom. 

• Interactive whiteboard is built-in and packed with 

features 

• Display your PC, Mac, or Chromebook and control it 

from the touchscreen 

• Durable for long-term use 

Upgrade to the JTouch Whiteboard with LightCast 

(INF6501c) to enhance your classroom with 

additional tools: 

• Wirelessly share content from your personal device 

• Access online content from the built-in web browser 

Contact your certified InFocus reseller or visit jtouchk12.com 

to learn more about special education pricing. 

IN6501w 

@elearns 

Produced 


Page 19


eSS Presenters 

Rebecka Anderson 

Napa County Office of Education 

randerson@napacoe.org 

Session # 2 

Dennis Ashendorf 

Newport-Mesa Unified School 

District 

dennis@ashendorf.com 

Session # 7 

Ashley Benning 

Chaminade College Preparatory 

abenning@chaminade.org 

Session # 2 

Ahrash Bissell 

The NROC Project 

abissell@montereyinstitute.org 

Session # 6 

Bliss Boesch 

Ballico-Cressey School District 

bboesch@ballicocressey.com 

Session # 2 

Preston Carr, Ed.D. 

Ayala High School 

Preston_Carr@chino.k12.ca.us 

Session # 2 

Joanna Conrado 

Ballico-Cressey School District 

jconrado@ballicocressey.com 

Sessions # 1, 6 

Rob Darrow 

Blended Teacher Network 

robdarrow74@gmail.com 

Thurs Wkshp, Sessions # 3. 4 

Beverly DeCuir 

Thesys International 

BdeCuir@thesysintl.com 

Session # 1 

David Dillon 

Riverside Virtual School 

ddillon@rusd.k12.ca.us 

Session # 3 

Julie Evans 

Project Tomorrow 

jevans@tomorrow.org 

Plenary, Session # 2 

Kevin Fairchild 

San Dieguito Union High School 

District 

kevin.fairchild@sduhsd.net 

Session # 2 

Rachel Freed 

Institute for Student Astronomical 

Research 

r.freed2010@gmail.com 

Session # 6 

Emily Garrison 

Palo Alto Unified School District 

egarrison@pausd.org 

Session # 1 

Dustin Gowan 

Laguna Beach Unified School 

District 

curt.smith@dreambox.com 

Session # 1 

Chris Grado 

Antelope Valley Union High School 

District 

cgrado@avhsd.org 

Session # 1 

Chris Haskill 

Boise State University 

chrishaskill@boisestate.edu 

Opening Keynote 

Stacy Hawthorne 

Hawthorne Education 

stacy@hawthorneeducation.com 

Session # 4 

Sue Hellman 

suehellman.edu@gmail.com 

Session # 7 

Shane Hildebrand 

Minarets High School/Minarets 

Charter High School 

shane.hildebrand@gmail.com 

Session # 6 

Joyce Hinkson 

Outreach & Technical Assistance 

Network (OTAN) 

jhinkson@otan.us 

Session # 3 

Melinda Holt 

SCOE / OTAN / IMS 

mholt@scoe.net 

Session # 5 

Nicol Howard, PhD 

Santa Ana Unified School District 

nicol.howard@sausd.us 

Session # 1 

Brenda Huey-Rosas 

Fairmont Private Schools 

lmichael@fairmontschools.com 

Session # 3 

Erin Kahn 

Notre Dame High School 

ekahn@ndhsb.org 

Session # 7 

Christine Kasitz 

Mission Academy Blended High 

School 

ckasitz@learn4life.org 

Session # 5 

Alice Keeler 

mrskeeler@gmail.com 

Thurs Wkshp 

Will Kimbley 

Tulare County Office of Education 

willk@ers.tcoe.org 


Marcia Kish 

DSD Professional Development 

kishmarcia@gmail.com 

Sat Wkshp 

Mary Kraus 

Health Sciences High and Middle 

College (HSHMC) 

mkraus70@gmail.com 


Audrey Lee 

Martinez Unified School Distri 

alee@martinez.k12.ca.us 

Session # 5 

Burt Lo 

Stanislaus County Office of 

Education 

blo@stancoe.org 

Session # 7 

Branka Marceta 



bmarceta@otan.us 

Session # 7 

Gerardo Martinez 

Orange County Department of 

Education 

gmartinez@ocde.us 

Session # 5 

Katie Moreno 

Wasco Union High School District 

kamoreno@wascohsd.org 

Session # 3 

Wendy Numata 

Val Verde Unified School District 

Wnumata@valverde.edu 

Session # 4 

Dewhanne Nyivih 

Edgenuity 

dewhanne.nyiuih@edgenuity.com 

Session # 2 

Renee Ousley-Swank 

California Department of Education 

ROusleySwank@cde.ca.gov 

Session # 4 

Ellen Palmer 

Pomona Unified School District 

ellen.palmer@pusd.org 

Session # 4 

Penny Pearson 



ppearson@otan.us 


Kate Petty 

Saddleback Valley Unified School 

District 

pettyapps@gmail.com 

Session # 6 

Elizabeth Phillips 

Riverside Unified School District 

ephillips@rusd.k12.ca.us 

Session # 7 

Allison Powell 

iNACOL 

apowell@inacol.org 


Todd Reed 

Palm Springs Unified School District 

treed@psusd.us 

Session # 3 

Jennifer Reese 

FLVS Global 

jreese@flvs.net 

Session # 5 

Steve Regur 

Educators Cooperative 

steveregur@educators.coop 

Session # 3 

Page 20 

elearns.org


eSS Presenters 

Catharine Reznicek 

Ventura County Office of Eeducaiton 

creznicek@vcoe.org 

Session # 1 

Blair Roy 



broy@otan.us 

Thurs Wkshp 

Kelly Schwirzke 

Santa Cruz County Office of 

Education 

kellyschwirzke@gmail.com 

Session # 4 

Cynthia Sistek-Chandler 

National University 

cchandler@nu.edu 

Session # 4 

Lauren Steinmann 

Tustin Unified School District 

lsteinmann@tustin.k12.ca.us 

Session # 4 

Amy Thompson 

Cyber High 

athompson@fcoe.org 

Session # 4 

Catlin Tucker 

Winsor Unified School District 

catlintucker@gmail.com 

Closing Keynote 

John Watson 

Evergreen Education Group 

john@evergreenedgroup.com 

Session # 3 

Mariel Zamora 

Ballico Cressey 

mzamora@ballicocressey.com 

Session # 5 

Proven, Tested and Flexible Curriculum 

for Your Blended Classrooms 

To advance student achievement and engagement in today’s digital world you need 

great teachers and great digital curriculum. The challenge is finding the best digital 

resources and then integrating them into a cohesive, complete curriculum. 

At Thesys we’ve mastered the art of delivering well rounded courses, blending in the 

classroom instruction with online curriculum across four models: 

Rotation: flipped, stations and lab 

Flex: online + teacher supplement 

Self-Blend: students take 1+ online course(s) 

Enriched-Virtual: time in class and online 

Thesys serves students from New York to 

California and is a division of Fairmont 

Education Group (who has proudly served 

students for over 60 years). 

FOR EDUCATORS. BY EDUCATORS. 

Our Line Up Includes: 

• High School – Language Arts, 

Science, Math and Social 

Studies 

• AP and Honors Curriculum 

• High School Electives 

• English Language Development 

(ELL/ESL) 

• 100% online for alternative 

education 

• Credit Recovery 

Thesys International • 1575 West Mable St. • Anaheim, CA 92802 

Contact us to schedule a 1:1 to learn more about how our technology-enhanced 

curriculum can expand your students’ opportunities to learn. 

Thesys International is a part of the Fairmont Education Group. With five, WASC-accredited campuses in the 

Orange County area, Fairmont Private Schools is the oldest and largest family of private schools in Southern 

California. Starting in preschool and continuing through high school graduation, Fairmont prepares students to 

succeed in colleges of quality and challenges them to become exemplary citizens of a global society. 

@elearns 

Produced 


Page 21


Exhibitors and Sponsors 

Accelerate Education 

Paul Gusman 

(503) 784-9961 

paulg@accelerate-ed.com 

accelerateeducation.com/ 

Accelerate Education works with schools all 

over California to deliver Original Credit 

online courses, Credit Recovery courses and 

Independent Study courses for grades K-12. 

We are UC A-G Certified. We also offer a 

Blended Learning Program. 

Apex Learning 

(800) 453-1454, option 1 

inquiries@apexlearning.com 

www.apexlearning.com 

Apex Learning is the leading provider of 

blended and virtual learning solutions to the 

nation’s schools. 

BYU Independent Study 

Amanda Davis 

(801) 422-4787 

isconferences@byu.edu 

elearn.byu.edu 

Make your education as unique as you are, 

with over 400 courses in over 100 countries, 

we go where you go. 

Connections Learning by 

Pearson 

Evan Pinto 

(949) 697-6262 

evan.pinto@pearson.com 

www.connectionslearning.com 

Bringing personalized learning to students 

everywhere, Connections Learning by Pearson 

combines a proven curriculum, the latest 

instructional tools, highly-qualified teachers 

skilled in online instruction, and state-of-theart 

learning platforms. 

CUE, Inc. 

Mike Lawrence 

(925) 478-3460 

cueinc@cue.org 

www.cue.org 

CUE is a nonprofit educational corporation 

founded in 1978. CUE’s goal is to inspire 

innovative learners in all disciplines from 

preschool through college. With an active 

current membership of thousands of 

educational professionals, CUE supports 

many regional affiliates and learning networks. 

CUE Conferences are California’s premier 

educational technology events. CUE is the 

largest organization of its type in the west and 

one of the largest in the United States. 

Cyber High 

Rob Cords 

(559) 265-4067 

rcords@fcoe.org 

www.cyberhigh.org 

Cyber High provides the best value in 

online A-G courses. Save money, serve more 

students, and enjoy the industry’s most userfriendly 

interface. Switching is easy; request 

your free trial today. 

DreamBox Learning 

Curt Smith 

877) 451-7845 #414 

curt.smith@dreambox.com 

www.dreambox.com 

DreamBox Learning Math offers rigorous 

CCSS K-8 curriculum in a highly engaging, 

game-like environment powered by our 

industry-leading intelligent Adaptive Learning 

technology which dynamically adapts in 

real time creating millions of learning paths 

tailored to a student’s unique needs. 

Edgenuity 

Jennifer Dunn 

(877) 202-0338 

jennifer.dunn@edgenuity.com 

edgenuity.com 

Edgenuity provides engaging and flexible 

online and blended learning solutions. 

FLVS Global 

Jennifer Reese 

(321) 442-3628 

jreese@flvs.net 

www.flvsglobal.net 

FLVS Global is an established leader in 

developing and providing customized online 

and blended education solutions for grades 

6-12. As a non-profit organization, revenue is 

reinvested into research and development. 

InFocus 

Mary Potter 

(503) 246-8996 

Mary.Potter@infocus.com 

www.infocus.com 

InFocus(r) Corporation is the industry 

pioneer and a global leader in the visual 

communication market. Our digital displays 

make bright ideas brilliant everywhere people 

gather to communicate and collaborate - in 

meetings, presentations, classrooms, and 

offices around the world. Backed by more than 

20 years of experience and innovation in visual 

collaboration technology, InFocus is dedicated 

to helping people communicate, collaborate, 

create, and be more effective every day. 

iNACOL 

Allison Powell 

(703) 752-6216 

apowell@inacol.org 

www.inacol.org 

iNACOL is an international nonprofit 

transforming education to student-centered 

learning. We ensure all students have access to 

a world-class education and quality blended 

and online learning opportunities that prepare 

them for a lifetime of success. 

NROC 

Dani Pedrotti 

(253) 732-4788 

dpedrotti@theNROCproject.org 

www.thenrocproject.org 

The NROC Project is a community-guided, 

non-profit organization focused on college 

and career readiness. NROC members 

represent education leaders, teachers, and 

learners cooperating to develop impactful 

digital resources and tools. 

Page 22 

elearns.org


Exhibitors and Sponsors 

Shmoop 

Kelsey Olson 

(650) 488-7778 

kelsey@shmoop.com 

www.shmoop.com 

Shmoop is a digital publishing company 

with “a point of view”. We own 100% of our 

content and present both a consistent voice 

and a distinctive product offering. 

Thesys 

Beverly DeCuir 

(714) 234-2726 

BdeCuir@thesysintl.com 

www.thesysintl.com 

Thesys helps schools explore and implement 

innovation teaching models. We’ve developed 

digital curriculum and teaching strategies to 

be used in new ways to produce quantifiable 

gains for student outcomes and teacher 

experience because Blended Learning works. 

@elearns 

Produced 


Page 23

Symposium Map 

Online Program Guide 

& Session Evaluations 

ess2015.sched.org

eLearning Strategies Symposium 2015 Program

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?