Social Studies Summer Institute 2025: Full Schedule

You will be able to validate your attendance (Check-In to sessions) using your personal schedule.

8:00am CDT

Data-Driven Strategic Grouping for Effective Small Group Instruction

Thursday June 19, 2025 8:00am - 9:25am CDT

This professional development session, "Data-Driven Strategic Grouping for Effective Small Group Instruction," equips educators with strategies to utilize formative and summative assessment data for creating intentional and effective student groupings. Participants will learn to maximize instructional time through efficient grouping practices, align groups with learning objectives, and analyze the benefits of data-informed grouping decisions. The session covers data analysis, group formation strategies, instructional tailoring, and progress tracking.

Speakers

Gary Chattman

HS Social Studies CCS, Pasadena ISD

Thursday June 19, 2025 8:00am - 9:25am CDT
Rm 1832

K-12 Social Studies

8:00am CDT

Engaging Every Learner: Using Nearpod LIMITED

Thursday June 19, 2025 8:00am - 9:25am CDT

Rm 1852

Discover how to transform your history classroom with Nearpod! This interactive session explores practical strategies for using Nearpod to differentiate instruction , increase student engagement, and meet diverse learning needs. Learn to create dynamic lessons, utilize real-time feedback, and integrate multimedia content that brings history to life for all learners. It can be applied to all contents.

Speakers

Elizabeth Quijada

Thursday June 19, 2025 8:00am - 9:25am CDT
Rm 1852

K-12 Social Studies

8:00am CDT

Increasing Student Engagement and Success LIMITED

Thursday June 19, 2025 8:00am - 9:25am CDT

Rm 1843

In this professional development session educators will explore the Four "Will Drivers" that lead to student success. We will also examine strategies to increase student interdependence and collaboration when working in a group setting.

Speakers

Jason Shelton

Campus Content Spec HS - SS, Pasadena Memorial High School

Melanie Shelton

Sec History Teacher, Pasadena Memorial High School

Thursday June 19, 2025 8:00am - 9:25am CDT
Rm 1843

K-12 Social Studies

8:00am CDT

Super Civics & Voting Exploration LIMITED

Thursday June 19, 2025 8:00am - 9:25am CDT

Rm 1849

Presentation
In this session teachers will utilize ready-made lessons: ICivics offers over 200 lesson plans written by experienced teachers, designed to be easy to implement and adaptable to various classroom settings. These lessons are standards-aligned and come with teacher guides for easy integration. All the lesson from ICivics will enhance your curriculum they can be used as stand-alone lessons or integrated into existing curriculum to supplement teaching materials, fill gaps, or go deeper into specific topics.

Speakers

Malvin Baerga

Social Studies Campus Coach/Teacher, Milstead Middle School

Handout I Civic SS Summer Institute pdf

Lesson Plan I Civic pdf

Elementary Scope & Sequence 0 pdf

Middle School Scope and Sequence pdf

Thursday June 19, 2025 8:00am - 9:25am CDT
Rm 1849

K-12 Social Studies

8:00am CDT

The How-To of Processing Skills - Enhancing Student Comprehension through Effective Teaching of Core Processing Skills LIMITED

Thursday June 19, 2025 8:00am - 9:25am CDT

Rm 1835

In this session educators will gain effective strategies for teaching students critical processing skills essential for academic success. Participants will engage in interactive activities and discussions to deepen their understanding and application of techniques to teach students how to summarize texts, draw inferences, identify main ideas, draw conclusions, make generalizations, make predictions, and identify cause-and-effect relationships.

Speakers

Melody Shelton

Campus Content Specialist for Social Studies, Pasadena ISD

Thursday June 19, 2025 8:00am - 9:25am CDT
Rm 1835

K-12 Social Studies/English

9:35am CDT

Beyond the Text LIMITED

Thursday June 19, 2025 9:35am - 11:00am CDT

Rm 1843

We have a text… now what? In this session , we will dive into strategies for helping students move beyond simply reading informational texts to actively engaging with them through inferencing and writing. Learn how to guide students in analyzing historical documents and texts while using writing as a tool for inquiry, reflection, and synthesis. This session will equip you with practical approaches to deepen content understanding, support literacy goals, and empower students to think like historians.

Speakers

Jennifer Morton

Social Studies Coordinator, Pasadena ISD

Thursday June 19, 2025 9:35am - 11:00am CDT
Rm 1843

4-12 Social Studies

9:35am CDT

Empowering Educators: Strategies for Self-Promotion and Distinction in TTESS Observations LIMITED

Thursday June 19, 2025 9:35am - 11:00am CDT

Rm 1826

In this professional development session, educators will explore effective strategies for promoting their teaching practices and achievements to gain recognition in their TTESS (Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System) observations. Participants will learn how to prepare for pre-conference discussions, articulate their instructional goals, and showcase their impact on student learning. The session will also cover techniques for reflecting on post-conference feedback to enhance professional growth. By fostering self-advocacy and leveraging their unique strengths, educators will be equipped to demonstrate their commitment to excellence and strive for distinguished ratings in their evaluations. Join us to unlock the potential of your teaching narrative and make a lasting impression.

Speakers

Ashley Deadwyler

HS Social Studies CCS, Pasadena ISD

Traci Jacobs

HS Social Studies CCS, Pasadena ISD

Thursday June 19, 2025 9:35am - 11:00am CDT
Rm 1826

K-12 All Contents

9:35am CDT

AI in the Classroom: Where Robots Help, But You're Still in Charge LIMITED

Thursday June 19, 2025 9:35am - 11:00am CDT

Rm 1830

This hands-on workshop guides educators who are new to educational AI through implementing AI tools using the HAIL framework while maintaining meaningful human connections in education.

Speakers

Diana LaBauve

HS Social Studies Instructional Specialist, Pasadena ISD

Central Office

Thursday June 19, 2025 9:35am - 11:00am CDT
Rm 1830

K-12 Social Studies

9:35am CDT

Collaboration vs. Coblaberation: Getting real about student talk LIMITED

Thursday June 19, 2025 9:35am - 11:00am CDT

Rm 1822

This focused professional development session equips teachers with practical strategies to facilitate meaningful student discussions in social studies classrooms, emphasizing historical discourse and critical thinking.

Speakers

Tanya Lopez

HS Social Studies CCS, Pasadena ISD

Thursday June 19, 2025 9:35am - 11:00am CDT
Rm 1822

K-12 Social Studies

9:35am CDT

Safe Simulations in Social Studies LIMITED

Thursday June 19, 2025 9:35am - 11:00am CDT

Rm 1852

Speakers

Stephanie Nelson

MiNT Social Studies Instructional Specialist, Pasadena Independent School District

Thursday June 19, 2025 9:35am - 11:00am CDT
Rm 1852

K-12 Social Studies

9:35am CDT

The How-To of Processing Skills - Enhancing Student Comprehension through Effective Teaching of Core Processing Skills LIMITED

Thursday June 19, 2025 9:35am - 11:00am CDT

Rm 1835

Speakers

Melody Shelton

Campus Content Specialist for Social Studies, Pasadena ISD

Thursday June 19, 2025 9:35am - 11:00am CDT
Rm 1835

K-12 Social Studies/English

12:30pm CDT

Teach Smart, Not Hard: Fun and Effective Strategies for Every Classroom LIMITED

Thursday June 19, 2025 12:30pm - 1:55pm CDT

Rm 1835

In this session, we will dive into the art of teaching smart with fun and effective strategies designed for today’s diverse classrooms. We will explore a variety of innovative instructional techniques that reduce workload while increasing student engagement and learning outcomes.

Speakers

Melody Shelton

Campus Content Specialist for Social Studies, Pasadena ISD

Thursday June 19, 2025 12:30pm - 1:55pm CDT
Rm 1835

K-12 All Contents

12:30pm CDT

AI in the Classroom: Where Robots Help, But You're Still in Charge LIMITED

Thursday June 19, 2025 12:30pm - 1:55pm CDT

Rm 1830

This hands-on workshop guides educators who are new to educational AI through implementing AI tools using the HAIL framework while maintaining meaningful human connections in education.

Speakers