Back to School Teacher Edition
Judson ISD Curriculum & Instruction Department
August C&I Newsletter
Amazing Judson Teachers...Welcome Back! Although COVID-19 has completely changed our approach to teaching, one thing is certain...educators have proven time and again that we can stand up to any challenge! The C&I Team appreciates your grace as we had to make certain adjustments to district PD when we lost internet connectivity. Although not an ideal situation, it yet again proved that we can be flexible and can handle all the challenges that may come our way. We want to say THANK YOU for all you do and let you know that our team is here to provide guidance and support as we navigate this year together to provide the best for our Judson students.
C&I began sharing a monthly newsletter mid-year last school year and will continue to do so. The focus will be sharing important information that teachers and instructional staff need to ensure consistency as we offer two instructional models this year - on campus and remote virtual instruction. Since Canvas is our new Learning Management System, we will have a section with Frequently Asked Questions about our LMS. We will also share information about district-wide initiatives in the content areas.
We appreciate all the work you have done in preparation to serve our students in multiple teaching and learning modalities. Please do not hesitate to reach out to any member of the C&I Team for any questions or assistance you may need.
Sincerely,
Cecilia Davis
Assistant Superintendent of C&I
Canvas FAQs
Question: Is there a 24/7 Canvas Help Desk that teachers can call for questions?
Yes! The district purchased a 24/7 Canvas Help Desk support for you! The number to call is 855.207.9755. Please take advantage of this and call as often as needed.
Question: Is it a violation of FERPA if teachers record lessons and then share on Canvas for other students to view?
Teachers can record instruction and post to Canvas as it is password protected, but should try to avoid a full face view of students. In particular, teachers cannot provide specific student feedback through the recorded lessons, especially grades. Please see slide 23 for guidance from the Department of Education on the following link: FERPA and Virtual Learning Guidance
Question: Must I use the Judson ISD templates found on Canvas Commons as I design my courses?
Yes, for a variety of reasons. This will ensure that our students see consistent templates across different teachers and content areas. Parents, who will be observers of their children's Canvas accounts, will not have to learn a different view for each teacher. Finally, information requested that all teachers post is already labeled on the template, including email, daily/weekly schedule, etc.
Question: How many daily checkpoints are needed in virtual learning and can they be graded?
A checkpoint should NOT be graded. The purpose of the daily check-point is for remote attendance, and if a student is not submitting an assignment on that particular day, the checkpoint will demonstrate progress with one simple question, which is how we count students PRESENT remotely and ensure that students meet the 90% attendance rule.
Think of it as a spiral warm-up or exit ticket which gives you great information for you to provide feedback, which TEA requires you provide remotely at least once a week. More specifically, a self-contained teacher, regardless of the grade level, in elementary needs to have one daily checkpoint. For departmentalized/team teachers in elementary, regardless of the grade level, should have a daily checkpoint in all five content areas - reading, writing, math, science, social studies.
Elementary PE and Music teachers are a little different because they only post one weekly lesson and assignment, and therefore only need one weekly checkpoint. RtI teachers are not required checkpoints as they are not the teacher of record.
For secondary, every teacher must have a checkpoint or assignment due daily.
Jennifer Johnson, Literacy Director
Jennifer Johnson joined us when the pandemic began, but we are so lucky to have her vast expertise and skills in the area of literacy, early childhood, and interventions. She holds a Special Education degree with a minor in Early Childhood education. She earned certification as a Master Reading teacher and began teaching Master Reading teacher candidates through Region 13. She earned a master degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a literacy focus, and was recently chosen to participate in the ELAR TEKS update process through TEA. She has become a cohort leader for the state reading academies and has been chosen as a Prekindergarten Lead Reviewer with Safal Partners for the Texas Education Agency’s Texas Resource Review. We are blessed to have her join our team, and love her approachability and her love of literacy!
Email: jjohnson872@judsonisd.org
Phone: 210-945-5309
Twitter: @EarlylitJISD
Randy Rogers, Instructional Technology Director
Email: rrodgers@jdusonisd.org
Phone: 2109455100
Twitter: @rrodgers
C&I Road Shows COMING SOON
Tuesday, Sep 1, 2020, 12:00 PM
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Technology Conference: Elevating the Virtual Learning Experience
6 Tech Conferences in 2020
Variety of Instructional Programs Learned
Fun and Engaging
Looking for Reading and Math Instructional Hotline Teachers
To support our remote learning students, Judson ISD is providing evening virtual tutoring for math and reading as needed via video conferencing or phone. The Instructional Hotline is scheduled to operate Monday through Thursday of each instructional day as follows:
- Elementary Instructional Hotline: Monday & Wednesday from 5-7 pm
- Secondary Instructional Hotline: Tuesday & Thursday from 6-8 pm
In order to apply, you must be certified in reading or math for the appropriate grade levels AND must have earned at least a Proficient rating in T-TESS in 19-20 (you can submit evaluation or exemption). We prefer teachers with an ESL certification and teachers who can speak in both English and Spanish at the elementary level. Please read the attached job description for more information. APPLY IN EDUPHORIA UNDER FORMSPACE, SUBMIT NEW FORM, INSTRUCTIONAL HOTLINE! Deadline is this Friday! Virtual interviews will occur early next week afterschool.