BARBER BULLETIN
Creating Joyful Leaders and Learners - Week of Sept 17-21
STRIVING FOR DIGITAL COMMUNICATION IN THE CLASSROOM: (Credit given to Beyond Integration)
Google Slides Q&A Presentation Mode Presenters can start a live Q&A session with an audience during a presentation with Google Slides. You can present questions at any time, and people can ask questions from any device.
FlipGrid video discussion platform.
TriCider crowdsource and backchannel discussion
VoiceThread allows students to use images, files, and video for collaboration and discussion. *Paid subscription, free to employees in our district.
Lino is a digital corkboard where students can leave “sticky notes”, images, or video.
Tozzl is a digital easy-to-use pinboard that enables people to collaborate with others
Google Classroom has a question feature in the classwork page to get a discussion going. Discussions can also occur in the stream page as a regular post
But when we get down to the details of thinking about the implementation of a digital discussion in the classroom, it can sometimes be hard to picture why you’d have students discuss online rather than face to face. Below they have outlined some benefits of digital discussions:
Teachers can capture responses from students more easily
Sometimes brilliant student responses occur in face to face discussions but before we know it, another student has jumped in or we teachers missed the opportunity to capitalize on the comment and it becomes a missed opportunity for student learning. Digital discussions slow down the entire process and can allow teachers to deepen and develop certain areas of learning. Particularly meaningful comments or threads can be saved and shared with other classes, other teachers and administrators, or even parents to inform the wider community of the students’ learning.
Teachers can incorporate learners from various classes and schools.
Teachers who teach multiple sections of a class can easily provide additional points of view by using a discussion board to allow for student responses from various sections of a class. Even more interesting, teachers from the same school or even other schools can collaborate and share a discussion board to bring the conversation broader than a single teacher’s class.
Some students may feel more at ease in a digital discussion.
Students who are learning English or students are shy during class discussions may find specific value in digital discussions. They are able to think through their responses at their own rate rather than respond on the spot and teachers will have the opportunity to hear from students they may not hear from during face to face discussions. All students have the opportunity to be on an equal plane.
So when does the class discussion happen? The beauty of it is that it can happen at various points throughout a unit of learning. Teachers can use responding to discussion prompts as a method to warm up the learning during bell work. Similarly, discussing can provide a closure opportunity to a lesson and allow the students to reframe ideas and display their own personal understanding. Discussion boards can also be used as a station during a station rotation lesson where students make a post and respond to various other students before completing the station.
Asking the right question of your students is a critical component of ensuring an effective digital discussion. Be sure to pose a question that is open ended and leaves room for discussion. Returning to the essential question of a unit, for example, as each lesson is completed is a great use for a discussion board. Asking opinion questions or asking students to take a stand with evidence is a great use of the tool and beautifully combines the pedagogical reasons for discussion with opportunities to practice digital citizenship.
So, ready, set, discuss!
TICKLED PINK
It's that time of year when we come together as a team to help support breast cancer research through Walk for Life! Please consider joining our team Pontiac Parrots are Tickled Pink!
The walk is on Saturday October 13th, at Spirit Communications Park. Even if you are not able to come to the walk, you will receive a t-shirt for giving and your support would be much appreciated!
Let's leave our MARK to help find a cure!
To Join:
http://events.palmettohealthfoundation.org/site/TR?team_id=10267&fr_id=1140&pg=team
QUESTIONS FOR SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES?
The Teacher Advocacy Committee from Teacher Forum met yesterday, and are working with the Women League of Voters to host the Richland Two School Board Candidates' Forum on Tuesday, October 16th at R2i2 at 6:30 pm. This committee is asking for input for questions and topics that YOU would be interested in having a candidate discuss. Please use the form below to submit any topics of interest or specific questions you would like to be considered for inclusion. You do NOT have to respond to every item. They are asking for these submissions to be completed by Friday, September 21st.
Lisa Rayner and the committee hopes you will make plans to attend the Candidates' Forum on October 16th! There will be 7 candidates running for 4 open seats on our school board. There are 4 incumbents, plus 3 additional candidates who are not currently on the school board. Traditionally the Candidates' Forum has not been exceptionally well attended, but it is the district's hope that this will change - there are so many hot topics of interest to educators - it is our duty to vet the candidates and become informed voters. Let Lisa Rayner know if you have any questions!
MANDATORY Open Enrollment Meetings
Open Enrollment will be held September 17, 2018 - October 31, 2018. All changes made during Open Enrollment will be effective January 1, 2019. It is mandatory for all benefits-eligible employees to meet with a benefits counselor this year.
Sign up for an appointment at wardservices.com/richland2schools
Important Highlights for Open Enrollment:
State Health Plan (SHP): SHP premiums remain the same for employees for 2019, and employees can enroll in, drop, or change health plans. Small increases to deductibles, copayments, out-of-pocket maximums, and some prescription copayments will apply. See page 2 of the 2019 Insurance Summary for a comparison of the two health plan options. Adult well visits will be a covered benefit under the Standard Plan, subject to copayments, deductibles and coinsurance in covered years.
Naturally Slim: This 10-week, online program will teach the behavioral skills necessary to lose weight and keep it off long-term.
State Dental Plan and Dental Plus: Changes to dental coverage can only be made during open enrollment in odd-numbered years. Your next opportunity to add or drop dental coverage will be in October 2019.
State Vision Plan: Employee can enroll in or drop vision coverage for themselves or eligible family members.
Life Insurance Options: There is no guaranteed issue on optional life insurance this year. Employees can enroll in or increase coverage with evidence of insurability. Employees can enroll in or increase coverage on spouses with evidence of insurability. You may enroll in or drop dependent life on your eligible children. The cost is $1.26 per month for $15,000 of coverage. One premium provides coverage for all eligible children. Employees can drop or decrease optional life and/or dependent life insurance on their spouses.
MoneyPlu$: ASIFlex is the new flexible spending accounts administrator. PEBA will administer the MoneyPlu$ enrollment so there is no separate system to access. There is no fee to participate in the pre-tax group insurance premium feature. There are changes to the how the plan will operate so be sure to read pages 8-9 of the 2019 Insurance Summary.
Please remember: Employees MUST enroll or re-enroll in the Medical Spending Account and/or Dependent Care Account for 2019. If you do not enroll online, you will not be a participant in the program for 2019. If you are currently participating, and do not re-enroll, your deductions will stop December 31, 2018. Due to the change in administrators, Health Savings Account (HSA) participants must also reenroll for 2019.
Mandatory Benefits Meetings: Benefits counselors will visit employees at all Richland Two locations. These counselors will meet with employees individually, answer questions about Open Enrollment, make your changes online, and assist you in accessing the MyBenefits Web site to electronically sign these changes. Meetings are required for this open enrollment period. Effective 2008, PEBA stopped printing benefits statements. To print a copy of your statement, you should log onto MyBenefits.
Employee Assistance Program - NEW FOR 2018-2019
New for 2018-19: Richland School District Two is offering an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). With our Employee Assistance Program and Work/Life Balance services, confidential assistance is as close as your phone or computer.
A LOOK AT OUR WEEK:
3:30pm Team Collaboration - please finalize your SLOs during this time. Admin will be around to support you!
Tuesday:
No school wide events scheduled
Wednesday:
Sign up for Covey Clubs during HABIT HUDDLE
11am RTI meeting
2:10pm Hispanic Heritage parade - please line the hallways
3:30pm AVID Site team meeting
Thursday:
7:45am SIC meeting in BrainForest
Grade level collaboration meetings held during planning
Grades K-2: Please plan to use this time to work on grade level WIG and hall display
Grades 3-5: Please meet in Brainforest with Audrey Brady for a data protocol during planning
Friday:
Textbook Inventories and Emergency Sub plans due
9am-11:30pm Office Staff attends Disney PD
9:20am Montessori Community meeting