More about Jon

Jon Epstein, Ph.D., is the creator of the ECCO Map System, an instructional approach designed to help students develop stronger analytical thinking before formal writing begins.

Over the past 18 years, Jon has worked with students in IB programs, ESOL classrooms, intervention settings, and general education courses. Across those environments, he repeatedly encountered the same challenge: many students were being asked to produce sophisticated analytical writing before they had fully processed the material they were studying.

ECCO grew out of that problem.

Rather than beginning with a thesis statement, the ECCO Map asks students to start with evidence. Students collect details, identify patterns, develop connections, and gradually build larger analytical ideas. The process slows thinking down in productive ways and helps students develop more original and confident interpretations.

Over time, ECCO evolved beyond a writing strategy into a broader framework for visible analytical thinking. The approach has been used across subjects and grade levels to support close reading, discussion, evidence-based reasoning, and cross-curricular literacy instruction.

In recent years, ECCO has also become increasingly relevant in conversations surrounding AI-generated writing. Because the preparation emphasizes process, evidence collection, and visible reasoning, it helps teachers evaluate how students arrive at understanding rather than simply assessing finished products.

Related Writing Endeavors

-He has distinguished himself professionally with the National Board for Teaching Standards’ Master Teacher designation, STAR teacher award (3x), New Teacher of the Year and Teacher of the Year.

-He trains a variety of senior-level leaders, including medical school faculty, marketing executives, physicians, and entrepreneurs.

-He has served as an instructor for the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University, teaching Strategic Leadership Communication in the Professional MBA program.

-He holds degrees in both the fields of language and education. Epstein earned a B.A. and a M.Ed. from the University of Florida and a Ph.D. in Literature from Georgia State University.

-He has worked with Partnerships across the Curriculum and the EmoryWinship Summer Scholars, which serve to create a continuum of language and writing instruction that bridges both high school and college instruction.