session

Online Book Study: (SELF PACED)

Differentiation for Gifted Learners: Going Beyond the Basics

By Diane Heacox & Richard Cash

With increasing numbers of students receiving gifted services every year, it’s more important than ever to make certain we are meeting their unique learning needs in the classroom. Differentiated instruction for these learners must go beyond adjusting content levels, task complexity, or product choice—it must truly challenge and support learners on all levels: academic, social, and emotional. A leading resource in the field of gifted education, this book connects the unique learning differences among gifted students to the specific teaching methods used to tailor their learning experiences.

Participants will examine the world gifted education through the lenses of characteristics, brain research, common models, and most importantly practical strategies to use in the classroom. The primary focus of the book study will be applying these strategies and best practices to your lessons and examining how they alter the learning experience for your students.

Course is Open From September 21st – May 3rd and may be completed at any time during that window.

This 15 contact hour online book study will require:

• Self-Paced completion of content
• Independent reading of the text
• Engagement with online Chapter Modules
• Digital interaction with fellow participants
• Development of and reflection on actionable strategies in the classroom

Participants are responsible for the purchase of the book.

Meets Gifted PD Competencies:

The ability to differentiate instruction based on a student’s readiness, knowledge and skill level, including using accelerated content, complexity, depth challenge, creativity and abstractness;

The ability to select, adapt or create a variety of differentiated curricula that incorporate advanced, conceptually challenging, in-depth, distinctive and complex content;

The ability to provide an extension or replacement of the general education curriculum to modify the learning process through strategies such as curriculum compacting and to select alternative assignments and projects based on individual student needs.

Click for full details and registration.

http://www.escweb.net/oh_hcesc/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=44855

Gifted learners don’t need more work—they need different work.
Too often, advanced students move quickly through content but rarely experience the kind of thinking that truly challenges them. This course is designed to change that.

Challenge Your Highest Learners is a self-paced, asynchronous summer study where educators will explore four powerful instructional models that align with how gifted students actually think:

• Learning through patterns (Concept Attainment)
• Asking and investigating meaningful questions (Inquiry)
• Engaging in complex, collaborative problem-solving (Group Investigation)
• Moving from facts to big ideas and transfer (Concept Formation)

Throughout the course, participants will:

• Analyze real classroom examples through video and articles
• Reflect on current instructional practices
• Design ready-to-use lessons and tasks for their own classrooms

Each module is intentionally practical—teachers will leave with strategies and materials they can implement immediately.

Course Details
Dates: December 1, 2026 – May 1, 2027

Format: 100% Online, Asynchronous (work at your own pace)

Credit: 10 Hours HQPD (with an additional 5 hours available in the Fall with implementation of lessons and activities completed in the course).

Who Should Enroll?

This course is designed for:

• Grades K–12 teachers across all subject areas
• Gifted intervention specialists
• Any educator looking to increase rigor, depth, and engagement

Click for full details and registration.

http://www.escweb.net/oh_hcesc/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=44854

Asynchonous book study for gifted HQPD hours, using Google Classroom to connect the book to real classroom applications.

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http://www.escweb.net/oh_hcesc/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=44853

School counselors are experts in student development, social-emotional learning, and relationship building. However, many counselors receive limited formal training in instructional practices, despite regularly facilitating classroom lessons, small groups, and student interventions. This interactive professional learning session is designed to strengthen counselors’ instructional toolkit by applying research-based teaching strategies from the work of John Hattie and Visible Learning.

Participants will explore high-impact instructional practices including teacher clarity, learning intentions and success criteria, classroom management, student engagement, formative assessment, and effective feedback. Through self-reflection, lesson analysis, and collaborative activities, counselors will learn how to create more engaging learning experiences, gather evidence of student understanding, and adjust instruction to maximize student outcomes.

Counselors will leave with practical tools, templates, and strategies that can be immediately applied to classroom lessons and small groups.

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http://www.escweb.net/oh_hcesc/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=44833

This professional development will continue the exploration of technology tools that can enhance efficiency and effectiveness in daily work. Participants will also focus on authentic collaboration and practical strategies for navigating challenging conversations—approaching concerns with positive intent, communicating clearly and respectfully, maintaining relationships, and addressing differences honestly and productively.

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http://www.escweb.net/oh_hcesc/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=44852

With the help of our SST, we will be reviewing the updated evaluation paperwork.

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http://www.escweb.net/oh_hcesc/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=44850

Step into an exciting two-day camp themed workshop designed to ignite the minds of gifted learners and those who support them! This immersive experience focuses on developing the 4 Cs — Creativity, Critical Thinking, Collaboration, and Communication — to support educators in creating learning experiences built for expanding gifted students’ thinking and meeting the unique needs of neurodivergent learners.

Note: While the two days are intended to be attended together, participants can engage in sessions individually without missing content. This is a repeat of the 2026 summer version, so if you attended an earlier version it has new content.

Through engaging challenges, hands-on activities, and dynamic discussions, participants will:

• Explore outside-the-box thinking to enhance problem-solving and innovation.

• Develop critical and creative thinking strategies for stretching learning.

• Foster effective communication and teamwork in gifted learning environments.

• Nurture a culture of curiosity that drives deeper exploration and discovery.

• Gain practical tools and strategies to apply in all learning settings. Whether you’re an educator, administrator, instructional coach, or gifted learner yourself, this camp-style workshop will inspire new ways to think, create, and collaborate.

Get ready to break boundaries and elevate gifted education in a fun, hands-on learning environment!

Important session information: The June 7th session will fulfill 7 hours of the annual gifted HQPD requirement. Taken with the June 8th session, you will earn 15 contact hours of gifted HQPD.

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http://www.escweb.net/oh_hcesc/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=44841

An open meeting for all leaders of mathematics to connect and learn!

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http://www.escweb.net/oh_hcesc/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=44838

The Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES 2.0) Evaluator Training will prepare an evaluator of teachers, as defined by the role you serve in a Local Educational Agency (LEA), for effective, high quality and consistent staff evaluation using the OTES 2.0 Model. To become a credentialed evaluator of teachers in the State of Ohio, an individual must be properly licensed, or LEA approved as a peer evaluator, participate in the three-day state-sponsored evaluator training, and pass an online credentialing assessment.

Upon successful completion of the training (attendance for all three days of the training is REQUIRED), participants will have access to the online assessment.

The three-day state sponsored OTES 2.0 training will provide a better understanding of the OTES 2.0 Framework and Model, allow practice of skills such as scripting, evidence analysis/categorizing and coaching, and allow for sharing of resources and best practices in educator evaluation.

Click for full details and registration.

http://www.escweb.net/oh_hcesc/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=44842

The Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES 2.0) Evaluator Training will prepare an evaluator of teachers, as defined by the role you serve in a Local Educational Agency (LEA), for effective, high quality and consistent staff evaluation using the OTES 2.0 Model. To become a credentialed evaluator of teachers in the State of Ohio, an individual must be properly licensed, or LEA approved as a peer evaluator, participate in the three-day state-sponsored evaluator training, and pass an online credentialing assessment.

Upon successful completion of the training (attendance for all three days of the training is REQUIRED), participants will have access to the online assessment.

The three-day state sponsored OTES 2.0 training will provide a better understanding of the OTES 2.0 Framework and Model, allow practice of skills such as scripting, evidence analysis/categorizing and coaching, and allow for sharing of resources and best practices in educator evaluation.

Click for full details and registration.

http://www.escweb.net/oh_hcesc/catalog/session.aspx?session_id=44842