Presented by Stepan Mekhitarian, Ed.D., Director of Innovation, Instruction, Assessment and Accountability, Glendale Unified School District (CA)
Moderated by Terrie Noland, Ph.D., CALP, Vice President, Educator Initiatives, Learning Ally

Sponsored by Learning Ally

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Closed captioning will be added to the recording within 2 weeks of the live presentation. Get a CE Certificate for this edWebinar Learn more.

In this edWebinar, Stepan Mekhitarian, Ed.D., Director of Innovation, Instruction, Assessment and Accountability for Glendale Unified School District (CA), explore how to prepare for post-pandemic instruction using takeaways from our unprecedented experience with distance learning. He will look at how effective instructional programs build on best practices from classroom instruction and critical skills learned from the distance learning experience to create a blended learning environment that benefits from the best of both worlds. Viewers will understand how a blended learning approach is ideal for the post-pandemic classroom and how it can foster collaborative learning, constructivist thinking, and individualized differentiation.

Dr. Mekhitarian also examines effective practices from Glendale Unified School District’s experience, including their instructional technology leader initiative, technology support efforts, formative data reimagining, and peer tutoring program. The widespread exposure to instructional technology during distance learning will certainly impact the classrooms this year, and preparing for this transition now will set up our students and our school teams for success.

This recorded edWebinar will be of interest to K-12 teachers, librarians, and school and district leaders.

About the Presenter

Dr. Stepan Mekhitarian serves as the director of innovation, instruction, assessment and accountability for Glendale Unified School District, where he was awarded the Robert A. Sanchis Award of Excellence in 2020. Dr. Mekhitarian previously served as the coordinator of data and blended learning in Los Angeles Unified School District and has been passionate about instructional technology and data-driven decision-making since his first year as a public school teacher. He has a wide breadth of experience in classroom and leadership positions and holds degrees from UCLA, Harvard, and Loyola Marymount University. Dr. Mekhitarian’s doctoral research at LMU’s Educational Leadership for Social Justice program focused on the skills and training needed to effectively implement blended learning across schools and systems. He is a Google Certified Trainer, a Microsoft Innovative Educator, Blended Learning Universe Expert Advisor, and lecturer for the Instructional Technology for School Leaders course at Loyola Marymount University.

About the Moderator

Listen. Learn. Teach. It’s that simple. Terrie Noland uses this philosophy as an innovator and a motivator, and it’s evident as she leads, coaches and mentors thousands of K-12 educators about the science of reading each year. She has a unique perspective on the need to unify all stakeholders around a vision for education to smash the reading divide for the millions of struggling readers. Her daily mission is to add value to educators to help influence transformational changes in school districts across the country by addressing the needs of marginalized students. Terrie seeks to share her expertise and passion to encourage and to illuminate a path towards success and measurable outcomes.

If you looked at Terrie’s resume, you would be confused. Her undergraduate and graduate degree work placed her in the field of criminal justice. However, it was through continuous listening and learning that led her on a journey in education starting out in preschool teaching and administration, then becoming a Certified Academic Language Practitioner (CALP) and earning a Ph.D. in literacy and educational leadership from St. John’s University. Terrie is also a John Maxwell certified speaker and coach.

As Vice President of Educator Initiatives at Learning Ally, Terrie works to ignite enthusiasm and excitement by building champion educators and administrators on creating cultures of literacy and learning.

Closed captioning will be added to the recording within 2 weeks of the live presentation.

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Learning Ally is a leading education solutions organization committed to transforming the lives of struggling learners. The Learning Ally Audiobook Solution is a proven reading accommodation comprised of human-read audiobooks, student centric features and a suite of teacher resources. Used in more than 17,000 schools, this solution successfully helps students with reading deficits become engaged learners and reach their academic potential.