Agenda

 

Join UnboundEd and CORE Learning on December 12 for the inaugural Unbound2024, a full-day virtual conference for every educator committed to student-centered, high-quality instruction.

 

Registration is free and secures your access to the entire conference. If you can’t tune in on December 12, please register, and we will send you recordings from the event.

 

Register Now

 

Scroll down for details about our sessions and presenters.

Audience Icons:

  • t Teachers
  • c Coaches
  • d District/Network Staff
  • l School Leaders

December 12, 2024 at 10:00 AM EST

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Advancing Literacy: Science of Reading Through Structured Literacy

Leaders will explore the science of reading, dyslexia, and brain research, building a solid foundation for leading an effective literacy plan. This session will cover phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension with practical strategies for educators to support diverse learners in developing strong reading skills.

Presenter

Kristina Livingston
Kristina Livingston

Kristina Livingston is an Educational Services Consultant with CORE. She has extensive experience working with students in grades K-6 as well as training and coaching both preservice and in-service educators in the field of literacy.

December 12, 2024 at 10:00 AM EST

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Teaching Today’s Student Scientists in Three Dimensions

Deconstruct science standards for impactful three-dimensional instruction that seamlessly incorporates Science and Engineering Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Disciplinary Core Ideas. Instructional leaders and teachers will envision what great science instruction could look like and begin building a foundation for high-quality science instruction.

Presenters

Jessica Harrell
Jessica Harrell

As the Director, Science at UnboundEd, Jess is dedicated to changing the narrative around science education to ensure that teachers, schools, and districts provide all students with opportunities to learn, do and think about science in relevant and meaningful ways.

Amber Woods
Amber Woods

As Program Design Specialist at UnboundEd, Amber works to support teachers, school leaders, and district leaders in the implementation of science standards.

December 12, 2024 at 11:00 AM EST

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FEATURED SESSION: Translating Professional Learning to Real, Lasting Change

Ensure your professional learning investments translate to significant and sustained changes in practice. This panel discussion — grounded in implementation science — will feature leaders driving the implementation of culturally responsive, grade-level instruction at scale. Panelists will discuss decisions, challenges, and successes from their journeys, as well as the lessons they have learned along the way.

Presenters

Suruchi Keenheel
Suruchi Keenheel

As Vice President, Program Implementation at UnboundEd, Suruchi supports the effective implementation of UnboundEd’s educator development programming in school systems across the country.

Dr. Ian Roberts, Superintendent, Des Moines Public Schools
Dr. Ian Roberts, Superintendent, Des Moines Public Schools

Dr. Roberts is a career educator with over two decades of experience as a classroom teacher, school administrator and executive leader. An accomplished author and speaker, Dr. Roberts has written numerous books and publications about educational topics including leadership, empathy and cultural responsiveness. He is passionate about instructional excellence, diversity, equity, inclusion and innovation in education.

Dr. Michelle Balch, Chief Instructional Officer, Springfield Public Schools
Dr. Michelle Balch, Chief Instructional Officer, Springfield Public Schools

Dr. Michelle Balch is an experienced educational leader with nearly two decades dedicated to student-centered, equity-driven, and inclusive learning. As Chief Instructional Officer for Springfield Public Schools, she has driven transformative districtwide change by embedding culturally responsive practices into curriculum and professional development, ensuring equitable access and support for all students.

December 12, 2024 at 11:00 AM EST

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Scaffolding Tasks for Student Success

Explore principles for scaffolding in any subject, emphasizing access to grade-level tasks and texts. See how these principles apply to several of the common challenges teachers face every day. Participants will leave with a quick-reference scaffolding tool and new ideas for helping all students engage in rigorous work.

Presenters

Allison Bucklew
Allison Bucklew

As Program Design Director at UnboundEd, Allison develops instructional experiences and materials for the UnboundEd Planning Process™ (UPP®) suite of programs and support facilitators through intentional preparation and coaching.

Steve Sebelski
Steve Sebelski

As Vice President, Program Design at UnboundEd, Steve leads and contributes to program design and development.

December 12, 2024 at 12:00 PM EST

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Unbound2024 Keynote

Disruption: A Pathway to Action

Presenter

Lacey Robinson
Lacey Robinson

Lacey, President and CEO of UnboundEd and Chair of the Board, CORE Learning is a former elementary teacher, middle school principal, and professional development specialist. She works tirelessly to enable educators to accelerate impact in the classroom.

December 12, 2024 at 1:00 PM EST

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Making Math Instruction Grade-Level, Engaging, Affirming, & Meaningful

How does a leader’s own math identity impact the systems, policies, and practices put in place to support teachers in providing grade-level, engaging, affirming, and meaningful — GLEAM™ — instruction? Implementing a high-quality curriculum is just the entry point!

Presenters

Adrienne Baytops-Paul
Adrienne Baytops-Paul

As Program Design Specialist at UnboundEd, Adrienne collaborates with a team to design mathematics professional development content.

Brian Dean
Brian Dean

Brian, Director, Program Design at UnboundEd, co-leads the development and management of the MILA (Math Identity Leadership Accelerator) grant and supports coaches during the virtual summits.

December 12, 2024 at 1:00 PM EST

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Shifting Mindsets & Practices for Lasting Impact: Designing Transformative Professional Learning

As a leader, you know mindset shifts are key to driving growth and educational impact. But changing adult mindsets is no easy feat. Entrenched habits, assumptions, and resistance often make the process feel daunting. Learn how to leverage professional learning to cultivate mindset shifts by designing intentional experiences that create the conditions for teams to grow, adapt, and meet the challenges ahead, all while ensuring lasting success.

Presenters

Valery Dragon
Valery Dragon

At UnboundEd, Valery leads the Strategic Partnerships portion of the Sales & Partnerships team. She directs customer’s learning journey, guiding assigned accounts from onboarding through multi-year engagements.

Doe Kim
Doe Kim

As Program Design Director at UnboundEd, Doe is excited to share her passion with district and school leaders who will create those very spaces in which students can truly thrive, both as learners and as human beings.

December 12, 2024 at 1:00 PM EST

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Vocabulary and Comprehension Strategies for Adolescent Literacy

Using history and science content, discover ways to build academic vocabulary and reading comprehension for adolescent learners. Develop grade-level lessons with robust instruction and scaffolds to ensure inclusion for all learners.

Presenter

Katie Dubiel
Katie Dubiel

Katie Dubiel is an Educational Services Consultant with CORE Learning. She is a creative and dynamic teacher and presenter with over 17 years of experience in education as teacher, school leader, and national consultant.

December 12, 2024 at 2:00 PM EST

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Advance Effective Literacy Instruction Through Scaffolding

Leaders will gain strategic insights and tools to advance effective literacy instruction through scaffolding. Through interactive activities, we will focus on shifting mindsets and consider how concrete practices, resources, and aligned professional development plans can provide educators with the structures and materials needed for engaging, affirming, and meaningful grade-level instruction that meets diverse student needs.

Presenters

Suruchi Keenheel
Suruchi Keenheel

As Vice President, Program Implementation at UnboundEd, Suruchi supports the effective implementation of UnboundEd’s educator development programming in school systems across the country.

Sierah Tyson
Sierah Tyson

Sierah Tyson, Senior Director, Program Design at UnboundEd, drives the vision, design, and strategy for UnboundEd’s two leadership development programs.

December 12, 2024 at 2:00 PM EST

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Leading Through the Five Stages of Curriculum Implementation for Student Success

Leaders will explore the five stages of curriculum implementation and learn practical strategies for navigating technical and adaptive challenges at each stage. Whether you are just implementing a new curriculum or want to refine your existing implementation, this session will provide insights and tools for enduring success.

Presenters

Kathleen Stevens
Kathleen Stevens

Kathleen Stevens, Curriculum Services Director at UnboundEd, is an educator with experience as a middle school math teacher, curriculum coach, instructional technology coordinator, and district level director.

Edwina Woods
Edwina Woods

Edwina, Curriculum Services Director at UnboundEd, is a visionary leader and strong motivator who inspires educators, school districts, and students to thrive.

December 12, 2024 at 3:00 PM EST

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FEATURED SESSION: Making Structured Literacy Work for Language-Diverse Classrooms

Many believe Structured Literacy doesn’t work for Multilingual Learners — and that’s true if applied through a monolingual lens. In this session, educators will learn how Structured Literacy principles can be adapted to support Multilingual Learners and gain actionable instructional practices to integrate explicit language and literacy instruction that leverages students’ linguistic diversity as a strength.

Presenters

Dale Webster
Dale Webster

Dale Webster, President of CORE Learning, brings over 30 years of experience in teaching, professional learning, research, state-level policy work and administration, and curriculum development to schools and districts across the country.

Maya Valencia Goodall
Maya Valencia Goodall

As Chief Strategy Officer of CORE Learning, Maya ensures that the vision and mission of CORE’s products are based on scientific pedagogy, applied linguistics, and asset mindset.

December 12, 2024 at 4:00 PM EST

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Unpacking Language Across Disciplines: The Mentor Sentence Strategy

Participants will explore an engaging mentor sentence protocol that enhances vocabulary and text structure while boosting fluency, comprehension, and writing across subjects. This flexible approach supports students at all levels, empowering both Multilingual Learners and native English speakers to strengthen their reading, writing, and communication skills.

Presenters

Sharone Brinkley-Parker
Sharone Brinkley-Parker

Sharone is Vice President, Program Design at UnboundEd and has served as a facilitator of Standards Institute, Virtual Summit, and the System Leaders Academy program.

LeAndrea Taylor
LeAndrea Taylor

As a Program Design Specialist at UnboundEd, LeAndrea develops professional learning experiences for ELA educators serving students in grades K–5.

December 12, 2024 at 4:00 PM EST

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Key Levers of Leadership: Team, Time, & Tools

Aligning your team, time, and tools with the GLEAM™ Instruction framework is essential to fostering effective instruction. During this workshop, leaders will consider and discuss how to empower their team, allocate time strategically, and develop tools for ensuring that every aspect of their approach is optimized for meeting diverse needs and strengthening the quality of education.

Presenters

Jen Arberg
Jen Arberg

As Program Design Director at UnboundEd, Jen works on the development and management of the MILA (Math Identity Leadership Accelerator) grant, along with supporting coaches during the virtual summits.

Sierah Tyson
Sierah Tyson

As the Senior Director, Program Design at UnboundEd, Sierah Tyson drives the vision, design, and strategy for UnboundEd’s leadership development programs.

December 12, 2024 at 5:00 PM EST

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Curriculum Adoption: It’s Not Just Picking the Next Textbook Series

Successfully adopting high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) aligned to your district vision takes both technical and adaptive change management expertise. In this session, leaders will grow their adaptive change capacity to ensure all adoption careholders are equipped for success.

Presenter

Sarah Murphy Traylor
Sarah Murphy Traylor

Sarah serves as a Curriculum Adoption Manager at UnboundEd and supports high-quality instructional materials adoption in districts.

December 12, 2024 at 5:00 PM EST

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The Extraordinary Potential of Grade-level, Engaging, Affirming, and Meaningful — GLEAM™ — Instruction

As educators, we strive to foster the next generation of innovators, problem-solvers, and leaders by cultivating students’ knowledge, skills, and talents. In this session, we’ll explore the extraordinary potential of grade-level, engaging, affirming, and meaningful — GLEAM™ — Instruction. By emphasizing grade-level learning, creating engaging experiences that build on interests and knowledge, affirming students’ identities, and providing meaningful connections to real-world applications, GLEAM Instruction challenges the predictability of student outcomes by equipping educators to meet the needs of each and every learner.

Presenters

Sophie Green
Sophie Green

In her role as Strategic Initiatives Director, Sophie manages grant processes and development work for the organization, and lends her design, strategy, and writing expertise to both program staff and leadership at UnboundEd.

Alice Wiggins
Alice Wiggins

As Vice President, Program Design, Alice focuses on ensuring cohesive instructional design across all of our products and offerings — including alignment to our organizational vision and approach.

December 12, 2024 at 6:00 PM EST

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Enhancing Literacy Teaching and Learning for Linguistically Diverse Students

Explore the vital role oral language plays in supporting literacy development for linguistically diverse students. Drawing on the latest research in the science of reading, we will discuss how language acquisition principles intersect with literacy instruction. Participants will discover practical strategies — including the use of language frames and culturally responsive pedagogy — to create inclusive classrooms that celebrate linguistic diversity. By fostering an asset mindset, educators can recognize and leverage the rich linguistic resources that Multilingual Learners offer.

Presenter

Breanna Guzman
Breanna Guzman

As Vice President of Product Development at CORE Learning, Breanna oversees and directs the development and management of CORE’s product portfolio.

December 12, 2024 at 6:00 PM EST

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Math Teaching & Learning: Lessons from Brain Research

Is anyone else struggling with student retention of key math concepts? Teachers and instructional leaders connect how students learn and remember math content through instructional routines that stimulate the brain and promote retention. Explore the brain research behind forgetting as part of learning and supporting both working and long-term memory.

Presenters

Katie Salguero
Katie Salguero

As Mathematics Director at CORE Learning, Katie develops professional learning experiences that support teachers in their instructional decision-making to create active math learning environments and deepen students’ mathematical competence.

Lisa Michel
Lisa Michel

Dr. Lisa Michel is an Educational Services Consultant for CORE Learning and has been working in the field of education for 30 years.