InspirED Virtual Learning Series

Video: InspirED Promotional Video

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Developed in partnership with the Ohio Department of Education’s Office for Exceptional Children, the InspirED Virtual Learning Series provides information and resources on a variety of topics to help support learning and successful outcomes for students and families.

Each recorded session is designed to help professionals and families navigate specific topics, with time provided for real-time Q&A in the chat.

Register Now for Our Latest Session

This ongoing Zoomcast series is hosted jointly by OCALI Center leads and ODE partners.

Celebrating 3 years of InspirED!

June 15, 2023 | 4:00pm

At the start of the pandemic, the Ohio Department of Education and OCALI partnered together to launch InspirED as a way to support educators, parents, caregivers, and professionals trying to quickly pivot to a virtual learning environment. Since the beginning, the goal for InspirED has remained the same: provide concise and accessible webinars with a focus on resources and strategies that can be immediately put to use. As this series wraps, we are proud to have touched the lives of so many and will continue to do so on our video gallery and on our YouTube channel. Join us as we take a look back on our journey.

Presented by: JoHannah Ward, Director for Ohio Department of Eduction's Office for Exceptional Children; Shawn Henry, Executive Director for OCALI

How it Works

The learning series consists of “Zoomcast” sessions or recorded, facilitated conversations that are approximately 30 minutes each. All content is focused on increasing successful engagement of diverse learners in a remote/virtual instructional environment, linking the users with appropriate resources and tools.

Learners have the ability to ask hosts questions in the chat, and also earn a professional development certificate by completing a survey at the end of each learning session.

Who It's For

Our vision for this virtual learning series is to fill a need and help educators, administrators, and families find the information and resources they need to support learning and successful outcomes for their students or children during a very unique time of learning.

Educators who support students with disabilities in their continued/newer role as remote learning instructors.

Administrators and other school leaders as they guide and support educators.

Families in their new role as at-home instructors.

Video Gallery

Recent Sessions

If you missed a recent session or want to go back and re-watch, check out the most recent InspirED sessions below.

Lean on Me: Peer to Peer Support Groups

Peer relationships are important predictors of academic and life skills for students. Learn how this is being used to form support groups in districts with students who are deaf/HH.

PBIS Lessons Learned Part 5: Beyond the Classroom - On the Athletic Field

Explore ways to engage athletic coaches and staff in district-wide PBIS implementation; consider the connection between school-sponsored activities and district culture, and more.

PBIS Lessons Learned Part 4: Elementary Age

Hear how an elementary school team adapted PBIS implementation to be responsive to various cultures in their community and supportive of immigrant students and families making the transition into their school.

PBIS Lessons Learned Part 3: Transition Age

Explore implementing PBIS at the high school level and hear how teams have overcome challenges unique to high school, including supports for students’ wellbeing, and how to incorporate student voice.

Want to Search by Audience or Topic?

To easily find specific sessions or content, all videos have been organized by audience and by topic. In the Gallery for Families and the Gallery for Professionals, learners can access all previously aired sessions, which include interactive transcripts, audio description, and session materials. These galleries are also a great resource to share with colleagues, families, and others who may benefit from the information.

Banner for InspirED Gallery for Families

Banner for InspirED Gallery for Professionals

Want More?

If you have participated in one of our InspirED Zoomcasts, we know that you are interested in expanding your knowledge and capacity through online learning. So, we want to be sure that you know about OCALICONLINE, the nation’s premier autism and disabilities conference.

While we usually bring thousands of people together in Columbus, Ohio each year, this year, we’re doing it all virtually! Registration is open now! We invite you to join us November 16-19! Head over to www.ocalicon.org to learn more!

Below we've included some resources from the Special Education Leaders Fellowship that address remote learning and are available to help school leaders on the return to school.

Learning modules on MTSS and making PD engaging at a distance;
Re-entry toolkits on engaging related service providers, student-centered staffing, IEP progress monitoring, and collaborative planning; and
Distance learning webinars to help educators use distance learning tools effectively and efficiently.

Made possible through a partnership between the Ohio Department of Education’s Office for Exceptional Children and OCALI