The Ohio Educational Technology Conference (OETC) will be held in person February 14-16 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, and the Management Council is proud to be a collaborator of this conference. This event is designed to cultivate partnerships, promote collaboration, deliver high-quality information, and make technology accessible and enjoyable for educators.
The Management Council and Ohio’s Information Technology Centers (ITCs) will host mini ask-the-expert sessions in the booth throughout the three-day conference. Make sure to add the following Management Council sessions to your conference schedule:
THE MANAGEMENT COUNCIL
Forward with Data — Exploring Ohio’s FAFSA Story
Session Presenter: Ed Hill
Tuesday, February 14 from 8:00a – 9:00a
Location: B244/245
Ohio’s high school class of 2021 left $111,190,685 in Pell Grant awards on the table as a result of not completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). These funds represent an enormous opportunity for making postsecondary pathways. This session provides insights into how a collaboration between the Ohio Department of Higher Education, the Ohio Department of Education, and the Management Council is providing data-driven tools, strategies, and resources for district/building leadership and high school counselors in their efforts to assist their students. Examine strategies for tracking and managing completions using the FAFSA Data Service. Learn about the newly designed Ohio FAFSA Dashboard which tells Ohio’s FAFSA story through engaging data and content. Join us to discover how these tools along with other efforts are helping more professionals – help more Ohio students complete a FAFSA and be in a better position to move FORWARD.
Ohio’s Education Job Board
Session Presenters: Jessica Madison and Madison Ernst
Tuesday, February 14 from 2:15p – 3:15p
Location: C150
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 benefit schools, districts, and to-be-hired educators in Ohio by taking a deeper look at the SchoolSpring platform.
Get Your Parents Signed Up for the Affordable Connectivity Program!
Session Presenter: Joe Mancini
Wednesday, February 15 from 8:00a – 9:00a
Location: C150
The $14.2 billion Affordable Connectivity Program to help low-income families pay for internet. It provides a $30 per month discount on the household internet bill. The Ohio Connectivity Champions have been assisting school districts and their families with signing up for the program. Come check out this session on how the program works and how we can assist your district in getting as many families enrolled!
Please stop by the MC booth (booth 416) and talk to your Information Technology Center (ITC) staff to find out what they’re doing to support your district and learn how Ohio Connectivity Champions can help your students and their families access affordable internet at home.
INFOhio will also be exhibiting in the booth, offering mini expert sessions, and presenting sessions throughout the three-day conference.
Check out sessions from INFOhio ICoaches and INFOhio IPartners.
INFOHIO LIBRARY SERVICES SERIES
Collaborate & Curate: Librarians and Teachers Team Up with HQIM
Session Presenters: Janah Shumaker and Sarah Mowery
Thursday, February 16 from 1:15p – 3:15p
Location: C171
Librarians are curation experts. In this session learn the impact of high-quality instructional materials and how teachers and librarians can team up to curate standards-aligned content to support the development of background knowledge for students. Learn how to use the browser-based BLUEcloud Course Lists tool, part of the INFOhio Library Services Platform, and link to safe, quality digital resources from INFOhio. Librarians can collaborate with teaching staff to curate supplemental resources to bridge the gap supporting all learners and preparing them for future success. To make the most of this session, we encourage participants to attend with a colleague from your school district to start your collaboration journey!
Lighten Your Load with Cloud-Based Library Services Platforms
Session Presenters: Kamile Shed, Deanna Schumm, and Kim Connett
Thursday, February 16 from 9:15a – 10:15a
Location: B144/145
Become more mobile, efficient, and a key stakeholder of literacy at your school by using INFOhio’s cloud-based library platforms. With next-generation, browser-based tools, library staff have the flexibility to choose the features and functions that best meet their needs. With a clean, modern interface that works effectively, manage your school’s assets from any supported device with an internet connection. Learn how to create efficiencies in everyday library operations including cataloging, circulation, and inventory, giving you more time to help students and teachers discover the wealth of resources in your school library.
This session is for those who currently use the library services platform supported by Ohio’s ITCs and INFOhio, or for anyone interested in learning more about these cloud-based library tools.
TEACHING WITH INFOHIO DIGITAL CONTENT SERIES
A+ Professional Development: Making the Grade with INFOhio Learning Pathways
Session Presenters: Emily Rozmus and Jill Finnan
Tuesday, February 14 from 1:15p – 3:15p
Location: C172
When it comes to selecting high-quality instructional materials for the classroom, professional development is essential to ensure educators choose the best. Join us for this working session to learn how to train others on INFOhio’s quality digital content and implement it in the classroom.
Participants will learn best practices for adult learning and how to tailor those to meet the needs of their audience. This session will include an in-depth look at INFOhio’s Learning Pathways and explore options for using the content to build customized professional development. INFOhio’s Instructional Specialists will model best practices for training on a featured resource. Participants are encouraged to bring or have in mind an upcoming event where they are responsible for professional development on using INFOhio’s digital content in the classroom and will begin planning for its delivery during this session. Templates to plan high-quality professional development are included in the takeaways for this session.
Abracadabra! Harnessing the Magic of eBooks and Interactives
Session Presenters: Mary Rowland and Matt Yauk
Tuesday, February 14 from 3:30p – 4:30p
Location: B142/143
Are you looking for a way to make learning more engaging? Do you want to update your textbook but don’t have the funds? By introducing digital texts and interactive learning into the classroom, teachers can spark interest, make strong connections to the existing curriculum, and use innovative instructional strategies. Thousands of eBooks and interactive resources for math, science, English language arts, social studies, computer science, financial literacy, and more are available completely free to you through INFOhio. No tricks or illusions here.
Because the content is all available digitally and across devices, you don’t have to worry about storing materials or updating classroom technology. You can assign content and activities to complete on your learning management system, as part of a flipped learning experience or social annotation activity, for differentiation and extended learning opportunities, or through choice boards. In this session full of magical ideas, we’ll explore the extensive library of eBooks and interactive learning materials available at INFOhio, discover best practices in using digital resources, see accessibility tools in action, and identify tangible steps you can take to introduce this engaging content in your classroom. No witchcraft or wizardry experience is required.
Curated Resources for the Creative Classroom: Create, Lead, Empower Ohio
Session Presenters: Emily Fitch and Mary Rowland
Tuesday, February 14 from 8:00a – 9:00a
Location: B130
Free up your time and find new inspiration in the classroom when preparing students for future success by empowering teachers and students to work creatively together. Find support in this collection of resources created to enhance what teachers are already doing in the classroom: engaging students with challenging content designed to develop leadership skills, creative problem-solving, and self-directed learning.
INFOhio’s Create, Lead, Empower Ohio (CLEO) is a curated collection of supplemental instructional materials, digital content, websites, lesson plans, and instructional units for educators. This technology-centered curated collection focuses on elevating opportunities for students and teachers to engage in creative, self-directed learning and career exploration in classrooms, libraries, and innovation spaces.
CLEO offers supplemental instructional support for content area teachers and the unified arts, with a focus on content to provide the integration of the following skills:
- 21st-century literacies
- Career exploration and planning
- Self-directed learning
- Employability skills
Participants will learn how to navigate CLEO and what resources are available to bring creative learning experiences and STEAM into the classroom and library. Consider how web-based instructional resources in collaborative learning spaces can encourage leadership, foster creativity, develop digital citizenship, and empower self-directed learning. Leave feeling inspired to incorporate something new and interactive into your classroom or library!
Discover Quality Text from INFOhio
Session Presenters: Emily Rozmus and Mike Ridinger
Wednesday, February 15 from 8:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
Location: C172
Quality text is essential for student learning and literacy growth. Providing students with grade-level text that is diverse and represents all text types is an important part of preparing students for future success. Join us for this session to learn more about the characteristics of quality text and how to find it using INFOhio’s research and discovery tools ISearch and Fetch. Learn the tips and tricks to drill down and locate the best texts, eBooks, and print books to support your students’ achievement.
Visit the OETC conference website for information on registration and view the agenda.
Chad Carson, a 1994 graduate of Ohio University Athens in computer science, has spent the last twenty-nine years serving the Ohio Education Computer Network. Chad began his career at the LACA ITC in 1994, immediately after college. Originally hired to support Student Services, Chad advanced to systems manager, then served as LACA’s director of technology from 2001-2017. Chad was the executive director of LACA for four years prior to joining the MCOECN in the fall of 2021 as the manager of the MCOECN Data Center Operations team. In his current role, Chad is primarily responsible for the overall operation of the MCOECN server, network, and storage infrastructure, and continuously focuses his technical skills on enhancing, optimizing, and improving delivery of hosted services to MCOECN’s customers.
Joe spent 29 years in public education as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent. He started his career in Grove City, Pennsylvania as a teacher and coach and finished in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania in the superintendent role. During his time as an administrator, Joe was focused on innovative ways to deliver instruction, both in the classroom and through technology. He led Ellwood City in their 1:1 laptop adoption for students and changing instruction to both direct instruction and using Google Classroom as a learning management system. He also was integral in bringing a 3-12 STEM program to the district.
Geoff has served as CEO of the Management Council since 2015, leading the mission and strategic plan for the Council and growing the organization that connects, optimizes, secures and empowers academic and administrative systems that support every learner, teacher and leader in Ohio. He is responsible for the array of work done by the Management Council on behalf of the Ohio Department of Education and Ohio’s 18 Information Technology Centers.
Jessica began her career in higher education working for the Art Institute of Ohio – Cincinnati, Kaplan College, and the Everest Institute before discovering that the public sector was her passion. She left the realm of higher education to pursue a non-profit career with the Griffith Foundation before securing a position with the Ohio Educational Service Center Association as Program Manager for Membership & Special projects.
Melissa began her career as a district technology coordinator and computer application/business teacher and during that time was fortunate to develop a wonderful relationship with her district’s Information Technology Center (ITC). While at the district, she led the implementation of OhioSchoolNet and Raising the Bar technology initiatives. In the mid 2010s, she transitioned from the district to an ITC, which introduced her to the Management Council and many of the programs that they support state-wide.
Erica came to INFOhio in the early 2010s with more than 10 years’ experience, including as an early childhood teacher and elementary music teacher. Prior to her role as an INFOhio ILibrarian, now known as Instructional Specialist, she worked for two collegiate universities, one as the Humanities Librarian and the other as Library Director. In her role with INFOhio, Erica evaluated and selected digital tools and resources aligned with Ohio Learning Standards, and supported integration of those tools and resources into classroom instruction. She also collected, analyzed, and shared INFOhio usage data to inform instructional design, and wrote for INFOhio’s social media, blog, and news. She earned a BA in English and Music and a Master of Humanities from Wright State University, and a Master of Library Science from Indiana University.
Matt Calmes serves as the Director of State Software Development. Matt has been with the State Software Development Team since the early 2000s. In his current role, he leads and manages the teams that develop and support the various products in the SSDT’s portfolio. He has a passion for technology and solving hard problems that provide benefit to Ohio’s educational community and the students they serve. 
Greg Buddelmeyer serves as the Chief Financial Officer for the Management Council. He joined the Management Council staff in the mid 2010s. Greg began his career with the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office as an Assistant Auditor, working on audits of Ohio government entities. In the early 1990s, he accepted his first school district treasurer position with Liberty-Benton Local School District. He also spent time as the school treasurer for Defiance City School District and Shawnee Local School District. He eventually moved to The University of Findlay as the Financial Director for Projects and Grants, overseeing the financial operations of The All Hazards Training Center and university grant programs.
As Director of Customer Services and Support, Bill Young is the chief evangelist for excellent customer experiences across the Ohio Education Computer Network (OECN). Bill manages customer support teams that are dedicated to delivering timely and knowledgeable support for major K-12 programs and applications used by teachers and leaders across Ohio. Teams deliver support via a live-chat, a statewide call center, email, and responsive self-help web sites.
Scott Gaughan serves as the Director of Network Services. He currently focuses on network related initiatives, information security, video conferencing, and collaborative purchasing agreements. He joined the Management Council in the early 2010s after spending 30 years in state government, including Ohio DAS/OIT, Ohio SchoolNet and eTech Ohio. 
Ryan has committed his career to serving the K12 education community in Ohio. Starting out in serving INFOhio at a regional Information Technology Center in the 1990s, he quickly adapted to the changing needs of the ITC and became their lead systems administrator. When given the opportunity in the mid 2000s, he came to the Management Council to initiate the first disaster recovery services. Since then and through leading many diverse initiatives, Ryan has developed into a talented technologist who focuses on aligning technology needs and educational outcomes.