Wednesday Webinar Series

The ICE Professional Development Committee is pleased to present Wednesday Webinars for 2012-13, created exclusively for ICE members. These special webinars are an hour in length and are free to ICE members. One hour of CPDU credit is available to all educators who request the documentation for credit.  Watch this page and follow us on Twitter (@ice_il) for announcements of future Wednesday Webinars for 2012-13.

Also, don't miss the webinars that were offered during previous years. The archived versions of each session are located in the "members only" section of the ICE web site. When you enter your ICE login information in the upper right corner of the home page, a "Members" tab will be displayed at the top of the screen. Links to the archived webinar sessions are posted here.

2012-13 Webinars

Wednesday Webinar #7: "Digital Citizenship: Teaching Tools and Strategies for Schools"
May 22, 2013
5:30-6:30 PM - Registration to open soon!

Sue Thotz is the Chicago Program Manager for Commo Sense Media.   Sue has provided  professional development training and support for hundreds of educators to help them create a culture where students behave thoughtfully, respectfully, and safely in their digital lives.  Prior to Common Sense Media, Sue managed research projects in the fields of literacy education and community food security and taught those research techniques through the Chicago Teachers' Center.  Sue holds a Masters in Public Health in Community Health Sciences from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a BS in zoology and chemistry.

Wednesday Webinar #6: "Google Chrome: Prepare to live in your browser!"
April 24, 2013
5:30-6:30 PM - Login as member to view archived webinar!

Jason Markey has been a leader in the infusion of technology in studnt learning at the classroom level as a teacher and continues to push technology initiatives in his role as an instructional leader.  Jason was named the principal of East Leyden High School in 2012-13 after previously serving the district both as an assistant principal and as a social studies teacher.  Jason has recently helped lead a district initiative to move the Leyden School District to 1:1, with every student issued a Google Chromebook.  This year Jason became a Google Certified Teacher.  Jason believes strongly in the power of the web as a social connector and continiously looks for opportunities to learn from and collaborate with others.

Wednesday Webinar #5: "45 in 60: Fill Your Technology Toolbox!"
March 27, 2013
5:30-6:30 PM - Login as member to view archived webinar!

Mike McGowan the former Supervisor of Technology for Lincoln Elementary School District 156 in Calumet City, is now an Education Solution Specialist for SMART Technologies.  He has been in Education Technology for ten years.  Mike has taught grades Pre-K - 12 and also teaches Education Technology classes for the University o St. Francis.  He has presented across Illinois, in a number of other states and internationally on topics ranging from the use of SMART products, GPS use in the classroom, technology evaluation, free web resources and more.  Mike runs two websites, MikesTechnologyCloset.com and SMARTerClassroom.com.  You can follow him on Twitter @MikesTechCloset.

Wednesday Webinar #4: "Power Searching with Google and MOOCs"
January 23, 2013
5:30-6:30 PM - Login as member to view archived webinar!

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are an educational trend gaining traction as a way for large groups of independent learners to take classes online. Recently, Google hosted a MOOC to teach about how to maximize the use of its search engine, complete with videos, examples, and practice activities. The session will cover an overview of MOOCs, give attendees a look at some of the Google search techniques participants will learn in the course, and discuss the future of open online courses. 

Joe Tita is the instructional technology manager at Lake Park High School.  He also taught English for seven years. He earned his master's degree in instructional technology from Concordia University and holds a bachelor's degree in English Education from Boston University.  In addition to teaching and working with technology, he is an assistant speech team coach and heads the literary magazine at his school.  In his free time, he enjoys learning to code, participating in a variety of educational chats on Twitter, riding his bike, and hanging out with his Boston terrier.  He can be contacted at mistertita@gmail.com or @JoeTweets on Twitter.

Wednesday Webinar #3: "Education Bloggers Unite!"
December 5, 2012
5:30-6:30 PM - Login as member to view archived webinar!

Learn how a first grade teacher leveraged the power of blogging to bring together collaborators from across the country to showcase technology integration in their classrooms.  Learn what the blogging buzz is all about. Join us on December 5th for blogging bits from Karla Kueber as she shares her tips and tricks on navigating through the blogging world!

Karla Kueber is a first grade teacher at Palos West School, she has been teaching first grade for eleven years.  Karla has a passion for teaching and integrating technology into the classroom.  Karla loves learning new ideas and enjoys spending time collaborating with her fellow educators.  Karla has presented at several area tech conferences, is actively involved in blogging and managing a collaborative technology blog.

Wednesday Webinar #2: "Using the iPad to Assess, Document and Reflect on Student Learning"
November 7, 2012
5:30-6:30 PM - Login as member to view archived webinar!

Join Carolyn Skibba and Michelle Nash on Wednesday, November 7, from 5:30 - 6:30 pm for the next ICE Wednesday Webinar!  Technology can offer us a window into student learning in ways that were never before possible.  From embedded, just-in-time information about student understanding to rich multimedia reflections or projects, there are numerous ways in which the iPad can reveal key assessment information.  In addition, students can use the iPad to document and reflect on their own learning journey in varied, engaging ways.  The presenters will share assessment strategies that have been successful in first and fifth grade classrooms and can easily be adapted to other grades.  These strategies feature free and paid apps, as well as online tools such as Google Forms, Edmodo and Kidblog.  Registration is FREE to current ICE members, so register online now to save your seat for this special learning event from ICE!

Since 1999, Carolyn Skibba has served as the technology coordinator at Burley School, a public elementary school in Chicago's Lakeview community.  At Burley, she has taught technology classes for grades 1-8, developed technology curricula and integration strategies, led professional development for the school and district, and implemented a 1:1 laptop program.  She currently supports the school's iPad initiative in grades 1-6 and presents frequently on iPad curricular integration and program implementation  Before joining Burley, she was a third grade teacher, and Upward Bound instructor, and received her master's degree in Technology in Education.  She is an Apple Distinguished Educator and a recipient of the 2012 Chicago Public School's "Ones to Watch" award.  Learn more about Carolyn and Burley's iPad program at ipadsatburley.blogspot.com, or by following Carolyn on Twitter, @skibtech.

Michelle Nash has been a Chicago public school educator for ten years.  For the past two years at Burley School, she has taught a 5th grade one-to-one iPad classroom in which each student has a dedicated device to use throughout the day.  She has assisted in the development of best practices in classroom iPad use and integration strategies for the school and district implemented these in her classroom, and shared her practice as a demonstration classroom for national and international audiences.  Before joining Burley, she was a city-wide coach of classroom instruction and received her master's degree in Teacher Leadership.  She is a National Board certified teacher in the Middle Childhood Generalsit area.

Wednesday Webinar #1: "Flipping 101: A High School Teacher's Perspective"
October 10, 2012
5:30-6:30 PM Login as member to view archived webinar!

Our first Wednesday Webinar for 2012-13 will help you turn your student's world around by "Flipping" how content is delivered and how you use class time.  Join Matt Ragusa as he shares his experience implementing a flipped classroom model.  Regstration will open this week for this special online learning event to be held on Wednesday, October 10, 2012 from 5:30-6:30 p.m.   ICE webinars are FREE to all current ICE members, so REGISTER NOW!

Matt Ragusa is originally from Naperville, Illinois, and graduated from the University of Illinois with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a minor in Secondary Education in 2009.  Since then, Ragusa has been teaching science at Neuqua Valley Highschool in Naperville Illiois.Besides teaching science, Matt also coaches cross-country, track and field, and co-sponsors a new STEM club.  At Neuqua Valley he has been an early adopter of technology in his classroom, inclujding student response systems, assessment systems, web-page design and the flipped classroom model.

2011-12 Webinars

This series of webinars is archived on the ICE website and can be accessed free by current ICE Members.
To view archived webinars, login and select "Wednesday Webinars" in the drop-down list under the "Members" tab in the navigation menu under the ICE

Wednesday Webinar #7: "Getting the Most Out of Atomic Learning"
May 16, 2012
5:30-6:30 PM

Our Wednesday Webinar for May will give you the inside scoop on Atomic Learning.  All ICE members receive a complimentary subscription to this online professional development resource as a member benefit. Heidi Reller, a Senior Account Manager for Atomic Learning, will be our webinar presenter.  Join Heidi to learn more about how your subscription can assist you in meeting the needs of all learners as well as your own professional learning needs. Regstration is now open for this special online learning event to be held on Wednesday, May 16, from 5:30-6:30 p.m.   ICE webinars are FREE to all current ICE members, so register NOW!

Heidi Reller is a Sr. Account Manager at Atomic Learning in Little Falls, MN, where for the past 7 years she has provided support and training to the Northwest Central and Western Region Accounts.

Wednesday Webinar #6: "Decoding QR Codes!"
April 25, 2012
5:30-6:30 PM

Don't miss Nicole Zumpano's Decoding QR Codes, our next ICE Wednesday Webinar.  Quick Response (QR) Codes are found everywhere these days, from gum wrappers to ketchup bottles to magazine advertisements to ICE 2012! How can they be used in education? This webinar will provide participants with background information on QR codes, how to create and read codes, and examples of how they can be used in the classroom.   Registration is now open for this special online professional learning event to be held on Wednesday, April 25 from 5:30-6:30 p.m.   ICE webinars are FREE to all current ICE members, so register now!

Nicole Zumpano is the lead Technology Teacher and Technology Coordinator at May Community Academy located on Chicago's Westside.  She has spent 19 years serving Chicago Public Schools in this role and that of a 4th grade teacher.   Nicole is a National Board Certified Teacher.  In October 2011, she was named as Chicago Foundation for Education's Teacher of the Year.  In January 2012, she was one of five educators named as "One to Watch" within CPS.  Nicole strives to find engaging ways to bring technology to her teachers and students.  Last year she wrote an iPad grant to receive 96 iPads to create a 1:1 initiative for the 5th and 6th grade students.

Wednesday Webinar #5: "Working SMARTer in the Classroom!"
March 21, 2012
5:30-6:30 PM

Join Tabitha for tips and tricks to effectively using Notebook software for the SMART Board.  Also, Tabitha will share strategies to maximize classroom management and ideas for organizing/storing lessons to facilitate collaboration with colleagues and future reference.

Tabitha Swain is a 5th grade teacher at Palos West Elementary School in Palos Community School District 118 in Palos Park.  She received her undergraduate degree from Eastern Illinois University and completed her Master's Degree as a Reading Specialist from Olivet Nazarene University.  She is a SMART Exemplary Educator as well as being a SMART Certified Trainer.  Tabitha has provided training within District 118 and has presented at SMART User Groups across Northern Illinois and at ICE 2012.  Tabitha is an extremely passionate educator who would like to ensure the best for her students at all times.  She is "obsessed" with technology and strives to create a classroom environment that is highly engaging and with lots of opportunities for hands-on learning.

Wednesday Webinar #4: "ePub: Publish a Multimedia eBook on the iPad""
February 22, 2012
5:30-6:30 PM

Helen Lazzaro has worked in the field of education for nine years after retiring from AT & T.  Since 2003, she has served as Technology Teacher, Building Technology Integrator and District Professional Development Instructor at Elmhurst School District in Illinois.  At Sandburg Middle School, she was the department chair and has taught technology classes for grades 6-8, developed technology curriculum and integration strategies, led professional development for the school and the district, and wrote and implemented a variety of technology grants within her school building.  Helen founded, installed and sponsored the student-run Sandburg Spartan TV channel, which broadcasts live daily announcements, events and other news to each classroom.  She was instrumental in integrating TV channel into science, math, PE and English curriculums.    Helen currently is involved in custom professional development technology projects for several school districts.  She is also Secretary for NICE and serves as the NICE Mini-Conference Co-Chair as well as on a variety of other committees and is a Discovery Star Educator.

Charlene Chausis is the Technology Training and Integration Manager at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, IL, where she maintains an extensive staff development website and weekly blog for promoting the learning of adults in schools. Charlene is a frequent presenter at national, state and local education conferences, and serves on the Northern Illinois Computing Educators (NICE) board as the Chapter Past-President, Newsletter Editor and Mini-Conference Co-Chair.

With the influx of this powerful mobile device in schools across the state, if you don't have an iPad yet, you're probably about to get one. In this session, you'll get valuable information to get started. If you have already started, you'll pick up a few ideas that you can use with your students the next day!

• What is the very first thing I can do with this device and my students?
• What is one of the biggest misconceptions about his device's use for learning?
• What apps can't be missed?How do I find apps that meet the needs of my students and how do I evaluate them?

Nadine Norris is the Instructional Technology Coordinator for Community Consolidated School District 15 in Palatine and the current President of Illinois Computing Educators. Nadine has been in education for over 12 years in positions including classroom teacher, technology coordinator, integration specialist, and professional development provider. Within the past two years, her district has deployed approximately1200 iPads including 35 classrooms with one-to-one.  She has a particular interest in helping teachers develop lesson plans and assessments that use the iPad as a content creation device that allows for constructivist learning and higher order thinking.

Wednesday Webinar #2: "Cache the Excitement: Geocaching in the Classroom"
November 16, 2011
5:30-6:30 PM

You've seen how GPS systems can help you in your personal life but have you ever thought how to use them within your curriculum? Come and learn
how to integrate these skills in your daily teaching and engage and excite your students! You will gain ideas and take-away lessons during this webinar.

Cheryl Lykowski has been teaching for over 15 years and presently teaches 2nd Grade in Southeastern Michigan. She has a Master's Degree in Educational Technology and  currently serves as the chairperson for the Michigan Discovery Educator Network (DEN) Leadership Council.

Wednesday Webinar #1: "Twitter for Professional Development"
October 19, 2011
5:30-6:30 PM

Looking for quick, free, sustainable Professional Development? Look no further than the power of Twitter.  This webinar will introduce attendees to the basics of Twitter, explain how it can become the keystone of a strong Personal Learning Network (PLN) and leverage the power of third party applications to cultivate the knowledge made available through this revolutionary micro-blogging platform.

James Gubbins is currently the District Technology Coordinator at Maine Township High School District 207 in Park Ridge, IL. With over 13 years experience in Educational Technology, he provides support and professional development for all things technology related for District 207's administrative center and special education satellite schools.  James is constantly scouring the Internet for the latest Web 2.0 and Social Networking tools while helping educators find ways to successfully integrate these utilities into existing curriculum.

The webinars will be offered in cooperation with National-Louis University.  ICE is grateful for the help and support that National-Louis University has provided for the Wednesday Webinar series.