Binge Worthy Podcasts for Your Summer Break

A beautiful view of the lake as the sun rises, a steaming cup of coffee, and ear buds streaming my favorite podcast. Yes! Summer is beginning and after this unforseen year, it is more welcomed than ever.

Although you craved professional learning this year, you probably had no time for it. Catch up on that missed podcast as you continue that cup of joe or go for a walk.

This year Literacy Leaders and Coaches Network dove into a new way to share learning. Mark Raffler (Literacy and Social Studies Consultant, Kent ISD) and Sarah Shoemaker (Literacy Coach, Kent ISD) met up with several notable experts in the field of literacy on their new podcast LLCN Brief.

Top 10 Posts from 2020, You May Have Missed!

What a year! Although it may have seemed like the longest and worst year yet…I think we can all agree that some good has come out of it. Yes, you might have to dig hard to find the good, but it is there. 

In my personal life it has been great getting to spend time with my kids. We explored Michigan and spent countless hours doing puzzles. In your classroom, I am sure that there are some things that you cannot wait to return to normal, but I think we have all learned new and interesting ways to teach to students remotely. Although we are still learning and navigating this new world we live in, we can all still take time to reflect on all that we can be thankful for.

Simplify Your Digital Collaboration Strategies

Written by Sarah Wood, Education Technology Consultant at Kent ISD

The Covid-19 pandemic has presented many challenges for educators in trying to deliver content to in-person students as well as virtual students (and for some both at the same time!).  This school year has often been described as one of the most challenging years teachers have faced in their careers. 

Despite its challenges and obstacles, pandemic teaching has allowed teachers to try new teaching tools and methods, which often includes educational technology resources.  The use of these resources not only allow for physical distancing, but also bringing those from a distance together.  The days of trading papers, sharing manipulatives, or huddling close together for brainstorming sessions are no more, but that does not mean that students cannot actively collaborate with one another.

Remote Learning Resources

This past spring, Kent ISD assembled a Remote Learning Implementation Support Team to assist districts in implementing the many components of their Continuity of Learning Plans. The following weeks, the team put together several blog posts on the following topics: Communication, Digital Access, Feedback, and Engagement.

At the time we had no idea that we would continue to face the pandemic at the start of the 2020/2021 school year. Now many of us are back to school, in a face to face atmosphere  preparing for the possibility of remote learning, or already in a remote learning environment. With this in mind, I wanted to make sure that the tools created last spring to support you were not lost. The information shared last spring is just as valuable now as it was during that time.

Results Show Student Engagement Increase

Written by Diane Titche, Early Literacy Coach at Kent ISD

How do we get our students to be truly and authentically engaged in classroom activities and learning? How can we know when they are engaged, and how do we sustain high levels of engagement once students have reached them?

These are the questions that a small group of educators set out to answer this school year. Together, this cohort of professionals and I embarked on a year-long journey of professional learning grounded in Ellin Oliver Keene’s research on student engagement, which she shares in her book Engaging Children: Igniting a Drive for Deeper Learning (K-8).

How to Provide Student Specific Feedback Virtually

How is my remote instruction working? If you are wondering this very question, you are seeking feedback which is crucial for the growth of all learners, students, and adults. Simply stated, feedback is information about how we are doing in our efforts to reach a clearly defined learning goal.

Professor James Pennebaker from the University of Texas at Austin explains, “When people are trying to learn new skills, they must get some information that tells them whether or not they are doing the right thing.” (Edutopia)

5 Days of Professional Learning- We’ve Got Your Back

Last Thursday, we all learned that by Executive Order, our students will not be returning to our buildings for the remainder of the year.  Many of us we will be embarking on a new journey of teaching our students at a distance.

Many districts are planning to utilize their five days of professional learning as granted to them through the Executive Order as early as April 13th. Kent ISD’s Teaching and Learning, Career and College Readiness, Special Education, and Information Technology departments have been hard at work addressing the content and technology needs of our own staff and our districts.  They are working hand-in-hand with member districts to develop a base level of instruction for each grade level and school district while assisting them with the development and implementation of their learning plans.

Save Time with Homework Management Tools

Written by Joe Phillips, Design Lab Instructor at Kent ISD

If you are one of the many teachers embracing technology and having your students submit paperless writing assignments, perhaps you have experienced this:

It’s late at night and you are trying to grade your students’ papers before tomorrow’s class.  You search through your e-mail to find the link to the assignment from the first student in your grade book.  You click on the link only to find you do not have permission to view the file.  The student did not share the document with you properly!  You make a note in your grade book, send the student an e-mail about the problem and search your e-mail for the next student.  There must be an easier way!

How I Save Time

For the last several years I have used two tools to help manage and grade digital writing assignments: Doctopus (think octopus for documents) and Goobric (think Google + rubric).  If you have students turn in digital papers, these two tools are essential!

Will ESSA Impact You? Yes!

“With this bill, we reaffirm that fundamentally American ideal—that every child, regardless of race, income, background, the zip code where they live, deserves the chance to make of their lives what they will.” — President Barack Obama

New Education Law

In 2002, No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was put into effect to help educators identify when students were making progress and recognize when they needed additional supports without discriminating based on race, income, language, etc.  Over time, we found this act was not helping us all reach the goals of fully preparing all students for success in college and careers.

On December 10, 2015 President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).  This new law reauthorizes the 50 year old Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which is a national law that gives equal opportunity to all students. The new law will build upon NCLB and ESEA to fully prepare ALL students for success in college and careers.

But the real question is, how will these changes impact us as teachers, administrators and students? And exactly how will it impact the classrooms and schools?