Join us for OETC 2024 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, February 13-15, 2024. OETC is the premier technology conference serving PreK-12 schools and higher education institutions. The OETC 2024 theme is syzygy, aligning the innovations of teaching, learning, and technology.
Registration is now open!
Add INFOhio's sessions to your conference schedule to listen and learn about INFOhio resources, digital content, high-quality instructional materials, and more. Sessions are focused on the following audience tracks: Instruction, Information Technology, Leadership, and Library/Media Specialists.
View our presentations by audience track:
Information Technology
Instruction
Leadership
Library/Media Specialists
There are many additional sessions to be excited about at OETC 2024. Check out sessions from INFOhio ICoaches, and INFOhio IPartners. Also check out these other sessions from across the Management Council.
Don't forget to stop by the Management Council booth (124) during the designated exhibit times to pick up your favorite INFOhio bookmarks, posters, pencils, and more. While you're there, play a ping-pong toss game, answer some questions with an INFOhio team member, and receive a small gift. Meet with INFOhio library and digital content partners to learn about updates and enhancements to their platforms.
Also, talk to your Information Technology Center (ITC) staff to find out what they’re doing to support your district. You can find them in the Management Council booth (124) throughout the conference. In the booth, they will be bringing outdoor fun indoors with corn hole and ladder ball. To play, answer some questions, provide feedback, and win a prize! Additionally, the ITCs will host a meeting for district Technology Directors at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 13th in Ballroom A.
Bandwidth Upgrade Project Helps K-12 School Districts Meet Rising Technology Needs
Tuesday, February 13, from 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Location: Short North Ballroom B
OARnet will host a panel discussion on the project, with panelists from the Management Council, Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, and ITC leadership. The panel will talk about the project from inception to completion, its design and partnership model, use cases and benefits to the K-12 school districts.
Session Background: Hundreds of K–12 school districts across Ohio are benefitting from a boost in bandwidth since OARnet and its partners upgraded their connectivity from 10 Gigabits per second (Gbps) to 100 Gbps this year, with up to 200 Gbps capability available for future expansion. The project, supported by a U.S. Department of Education Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund grant to the Management Council, updated the infrastructure for seven large urban school districts and 18 Information Technology Centers (ITCs) that serve Ohio districts.
Session Speakers: Denis Walsh, Chief Relationship Officer of OARnet, and Geoff Andrews, CEO of the Management Council
Session Panelists: Thor Sage, MVECA; Adam Truex, OMERESA; and Tyler Smith, SPARCC
Catalysts of Curiosity: Bridging Curricular Boundaries with STEM Resources
Tuesday, February 13 from 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Location: B140/141
In the cosmos of the classroom, students are the navigators of the stars of knowledge that light up the skies. Imagine a space where teachers are guides for inquisitive explorers, immersed in finding answers to their own questions. STEM goes beyond educational trends and stand-alone subjects. It's a dynamic approach to teaching, interweaving technology, real-world problems, cross-curricular themes, student choice, and project-based tasks to create learning that engages and challenges.
In this interactive session, we'll look at the core principles of STEM, discover the benefits it provides to educators and students, and explore exciting practices, strategies, and tools for integrating STEM concepts across the curriculum. We’ll also share STEM-focused resources from INFOhio that can ignite critical thinking and creativity in students, spark collaboration, and unleash innovation in the learning process.
Session Presenters: Matt Yauk and Emily Fitch
Workforce Ready: Resources to Support Student Development of Employability Skills
Tuesday, February 13 from 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Location: C171
Communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills perfectly align with instructional goals of every classroom and learning environment. The skills students will need for an ever-changing workplace overlap with the skills students need to thrive and succeed in every classroom environment. During the session, we'll unpack the top, employability skills for the workplace of the future. Next, we'll share no-cost eBooks, videos, interactives, and resources from INFOhio that can help Ohio educators, students, and families cultivate these perennial employability skills in any K-12 classroom or learning environment. Participants will leave with many workforce readiness resources and ideas that can be used straight away in the classroom with their students.
Session Presenters: Mary Rowland and Sarah Mowery
GoLearn: Let's Expand Ohio Learning Opportunities
Wednesday, February 14 from 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
Location: B234/235
What if a school could offer new academic choices for students? Share a unique course with greater enrollment? All while keeping a talented educator in their classroom? The Collaborative Course Catalog is turning "what if" into reality. The catalog enables schools to offer open seats to students across the state via distance learning and allows educators to connect learners with quality courses regardless of their zip code—expanding learning opportunities wherever a student lives—and enabling districts to continue to offer courses with low enrollment, keeping teachers engaged and fulfilled.
Session Presenter: John Mitchell
Take Care! Resources to Support Educator Growth and Wellness
Wednesday, February 14 from 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Location: B132
Educators are asked to inspire the next generation. But what happens when the inspiration makers don't feel inspired? Reclaim your creativity in your classroom and professional life with resources to feed your heart and mind. We'll share professional growth opportunities to invigorate intellectual wellness and creativity. Whether you are blazing a new trail or working with your teacher team, we have professional resources to support individual or collaborative opportunities for wellness and professional growth.
Session Presenters: Emily Fitch and Mary Rowland
Best Practices for Curation: Instructional Materials for High-Need Topics
Tuesday, February 13 from 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
Location: C171
A simple Google search can provide thousands of results of unvetted supplemental instructional materials. The sheer number of materials can be overwhelming. How can educators ensure they are finding and using high-quality instructional materials in their classrooms that meet the needs of their learners? Join our session to discover how to evaluate instructional materials, learn the best practices and best digital tools for curating these instructional materials, and explore already curated packages of instructional materials for high-need topics such as financial literacy, career exploration, STEM, and the Holocaust and genocide.
Session Presenters: Sarah Mowery and Janah Shumaker
Leveraging AI in the School Library
Tuesday, February 13 from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Location: C162A/C162B
The buzz about Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere these days and new uses pop up every day it seems. As a school librarian how comfortable are you with this technology? Not only do you need to be aware that it’s out there, but know how to use it, especially to understand how your students are using it. AI can be used in a variety of ways specific to the library: to automate tasks, personalize recommendations, create interactive learning experiences, and so much more. Once you start to think about it, maybe you are using AI technology in some way and don’t even know it! This session will explore the different ways that AI can be used in the school library. We will discuss different types of AI, what to look out for when using AI, and how to get started with AI in your library. Come join us and share your thoughts and ideas on using AI in the school library!
Session Presenters: Janah Shumaker and Michael Ridinger
Libraries Connect Ohio: Online Library Resources for all Ohioans
Thursday, February 15 from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Location: C161A
Since 2003, the library partners in Libraries Connect Ohio (LCO) have provided a core collection of database resources available to all Ohioans. This suite of databases is a necessary resource for Ohioans’ continued academic success and works to prepare Ohioans of all ages for the jobs of today and tomorrow. Three library organizations, OPLIN, OhioLINK, and INFOhio, representing public libraries, academic libraries and school libraries respectively, together with the State Library of Ohio, contribute funding, training, and support for this project. Through this unique partnership of library organizations, Libraries Connect Ohio is able to provide a strong set of resources that demonstrates the benefits of shared services and effectively serves Ohioans of all ages. This session will describe this collaborative initiative, including each of the resources and how students might use them, and how these high-quality resources help students develop skills for their future education and employment. It will provide practical information about to access and use these resources, including use cases for students throughout their educational career, from elementary school through higher education.
Session Presenters: Lori Lee, INFOhio; Joanna Voss, OhioLINK; Christine Morris, OPLIN
Ohio Education Job Board: Your PreK-12 Job Posting Hub
Tuesday, February 13 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Location: C171
Early in 2022, the Management Council partnered with PowerSchool to launch the Ohio Education Job Board through SchoolSpring. Built specifically for the education community, the Ohio Education Job Board is the central hub for PreK-12 jobs in Ohio. From teachers to bus drivers to support personnel, if it’s a job in PreK-12 education, you can post it on the Ohio Education Job Board. Learn how SchoolSpring and the Ohio Education Job Board benefits schools, districts, and to-be-hired educators in Ohio by taking a deeper look at the SchoolSpring platform.
Session Presenters: Jessica Madison and Madison Ernst
Securing Your K-12 Environment
Tuesday, February 13 from 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
Location: B240/241
Learn about security threats in K-12, what they are, and why K-12 is a target. Learn about steps districts should take to help avoid cyber events, and the tools and services available to help.
Session Presenters: Jessica Madison and Scott Gaughan
INFOhio is Ohio's PreK-12 digital library. Our vision is "Each Ohio PreK-12 student has equal access to high quality digital resources for a successful education and future." Our mission is "INFOhio transforms student learning by providing equitable access to quality resources and cost-effective instructional and technical support for each student, educator, and parent in Ohio." INFOhio is optimized by the Management Council.
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For more information about Fetch, please visit the Fetch information page or contact INFOhio support at https://support.infohio.org.
