Your Back to School Issue
Packed with ways to help you get ready for virtual learning!
This is your Virtual Back to School Issue that will help support you as you get off to a GREAT START!
1. What is essential the first days/week of school?
Here are some ideas that teachers normally think are essential: getting to know their students, families, background, how they are feeling, what they are thinking, interests, etc..
- You might have them do a writing prompt
- You might set up a virtual meeting with students and their parents to go over routines, procedures, schedule, etc..
- Have them go find 2 things in their house that helps others to get to know them.
- Other get to know you activities you may try:
Welcome your students back virtually!
Back to School Activities for Remote Learning!
2. What routines and procedures will you need to teach?
You've all taught routines and procedures face to face. Below are some areas that you may need to think about to teach/discuss the first week of school.
Consider:
1. Establish and communicate a simple schedule
2. List of materials they will need
3. Work Space Needed/Seating Needed (1 sitting at a table; sitting on the carpet)
4. Ways you will ask them to respond (hand signals, respond cards, oral response, called on by teacher, etc..)
5. Ways you will monitor their learning/engagement (see #2 High Leverage Instruction)
6. Come up with virtual classroom rules together (make them simple)
7. When/how can they ask a question? Do they put their question in the chat? Raise hand?
8. How will you asses their learning?
9. How will you give feedback on behavior?
10. When can they get extra help?
11. What if they get disconnected or need technology help?
See some on line examples:
4. Ideas for supporting my students' social and emotional well-being
Below are some ideas/activities to support your students while connecting with them virtually:
- https://xello.world/en/blog/social-emotional-learning-activities-growth-mindset-kids/
- https://www.edelements.com/hubfs/SEL%20in%20virtual%20seting/SEL%20Strategies%20in%20Virtual%20Setting%204-6-20.pdf
- https://www.arteducators.org/learn-tools/articles/643-social-emotional-learning-sel-remote-learning
- https://eab.com/insights/expert-insight/district-leadership/social-emotional-learning-in-the-virtual-classroom/
- https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/for-educators/empathy/5-tips-for-supporting-students-socially-and-emotionally-during-distance
- https://www.panoramaed.com/blog/sel-resources-for-educators-school-communities-and-parents-related-to-covid-19
- https://lalilo.com/blog/2020/05/11/4-weeks-of-sel-lessons-and-activities-for-distance-learning/
- http://blog.tesol.org/supporting-els-social-emotional-learning-in-a-virtual-classroom/
- https://shannonmareeteaching.com/social-emotional-learning-activities-for-online-teaching/
- https://casel.org/reopening-with-sel/
#3. Helping Stressed Educators During COVID-19: Noticing and Meeting Teacher Needs as Schools Reopen
These maps, specifically designed to support schools and districts for the 2020-21 school year, serve as lesson plans for professional learning that can be adjusted
for virtual or face-to-face environments. They can be adapted for use with large
groups (district or school teams), small groups (grade level teams or subject-area
teams), or individual educators.
Additional Information and Updates
Virtual Continuous Improvement Conference
*NEW INFO ADDED* MDE Fall 2020 Virtual Continuous Improvement Conference When: October 20, 2020 Registration is open for the MDE Fall 2020 Virtual Continuous Improvement Conference. Registration is $125 per participant and includes SCECH credit. Registration will allow the registered participant access to the conference sessions for three weeks following the event. To register for the conference, please click on the link below and follow the registration instructions. Leading for Equity: How leaders move beyond “school improvement” to school transformation toward a just, inclusive, and quality education for all! The first set of breakout sessions will take place from 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. At the end of each session there will be time for Q & A with presenters. The second set of concurrent breakout sessions will take place from 2:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and will also allow time at the end for Q & A with presenters. Where:
Where: Virtual
Learn more,and see the agenda
In her keynote address, Dr. Seena M. Skelton, Director of Operations for the Midwest & Plains Equity Assistance Center at Indiana University, draws from scholarship and research in critical praxis, systems change, and educational justice to discuss essential shifts in leadership practices needed for equity-centered transformative change in school systems. Dr. Skelton will examine the implications for policy development and implementation, school structures and practices, and continuous improvement activities.
When
October 20, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Virtual - Participants can join from a location of their choosing (i.e. home, office)
Cost:
$125 per participant
KRA Update
KRA Update RE: Administration of the Michigan Kindergarten Readiness Observation (MKEO) /Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) for fall 2020:
It is anticipated that the Governor will be signing the package of education bills passed by the state Senate on Saturday and by the House on Monday. Those bills include a suspension of the requirement for LEAs and PSAs to administer the MKEO/KRA for the fall of 2020.
Access to the online KRA portal and the administration site will remain open. Districts, building administrators, and teachers will still have access to the assessment and will be able to download Individual Student Records (ISRs) to assist with informing instruction. Administration for the fall 2020 administration window will be voluntary.
Districts choosing to administer KRA for the fall 2020 should contact Miriam White at kra@washtenawisd.org
Our anticipation is that the MKEO/KRA requirement will resume for all Michigan LEAs/PSAs in the fall of 2021. Miriam White Miriam White MKEO Specialist Washtenaw ISD Phone 734-680-7689 kra@washtenawisd.org
Spotlight for August 20th
Each week, Spotlight on Student Assessment and Accountability provides you with time sensitive, important information on student assessments and accountability. Don’t miss critical information -- Please click the following link for the August 27, 2020 edition of Spotlight on Student Assessment and Accountability.
LOOKING AHEAD...
Leadership Meetings-HELD VIRTUALLY until further notice
ELA
- Elementary Leadership - 1st Meeting - September 17, 2020 - This brief one hour meeting will be held virtually. Time to be determined.
- Secondary Leadership/GFEC - 1st Meeting - October 1, 2020
- *No registration required for these events
Math
- Elementary Leadership - 1st Meeting - October 14, 2020 (view details & enroll here)
- Secondary Leadership - 1st Meeting - October 13, 2020 (view details & enroll here)
Social Studies
- Elementary Leadership - 1st Meeting - October 27, 2020 (view details & enroll here)
- Secondary Leadership - 1st Meeting - October 6, 2020 (view details & enroll here)
Science
K-3 Essential Instructional Literacy Practices Series 2020-2021
- Increasing Educators' Capacity through the Implementation of Research-Supported Early
- Instructional Literacy Practices (EILP)
- Supporting the K-3 EILP in Every Classroom Every Day
- Networking K-3 Educators throughout Genesee County School Districts
- Personalized Coaching in the EILP for Attendees
- Setting-up Your Classroom with the Essentials in Mind
- K-3 EILP Classroom Resources
This series begins September 22, 2020.
View details and enroll here!
Running Records of Text Reading: Focusing on Struggling Readers K-2
Running Records provide an accurate and reliable assessment of text reading. They are designed to be taken by the teacher as a child reads orally from any text. Learn to record and interpret running records to inform your instruction. At the same time, discussions will be around the reading process and the child's literacy processing system.
Two-day series beginning September 23, 2020.
View details and enroll here!
2020-2021 Genesee County Counselors Meetings
The first meeting in this series will be held virtually via Zoom platform. For more information or to register for these meetings, please click here!
First Meeting: Thursday, September 24, 2020
6-12 Essential Practices (All Content Areas)
October 5, 2020
View details and enroll here!
Phonological Awareness: Preparing Kindergarten and First Grade Readers and Writers
October 6, 2020
View details and enroll here!
4-5 Essential Instructional Practices
Have you seen or heard of the Essential Instructional Practices in Literacy for Grades 4-5? Research suggests that each of these practices in every classroom every day could make a measurable positive difference in the State's literacy achievements.
This three-day series will begin on October 7, 2020.
View details and enroll here!
Chemistry Workshop - VIRTUAL
October 9, 2020
View details and enroll here!
Biological Sciences Workshop - VIRTUAL
October 23, 2020
View details and enroll here!
The following events have been postponed with the intention of being rescheduled this year. New dates/times TBD.
[POSTPONED] Cognitive Coaching Seminar
August 19 & August 20, 2020
September 30 & October 1, 2020
February 2 & February 3, 2021
March 2 & March 3, 2021
Due to the current uncertainty of the pandemic, this series has been CANCELED at this time with the intention of being rescheduled later in the year. Please stay tuned for updates!
[POSTPONED] Add+Vantage Math Recovery Course 1 (AVMR 1) - MiSTEM Grant Funded
This series, originally scheduled to begin in August 2020, will be held virtually and dates/times will be determined.
View details and enroll here!
[POSTPONED] Adaptive Schools
This training not only explores what makes teams effective but how to develop skills as facilitators and knowledgeable group members in informal and formal settings of all group sizes. Participants will move beyond the idea of professional learning communities into the actual implementation, describing specific ways to weave the collaborative fabric of faculty, develop group member skills, and acquire the principles and understandings to engage a continuous cycle of a team and individual improvement. Adaptive Schools is the “how” of professional learning communities: how to behave in groups, how to lead them, and how to facilitate them for improved leading, teaching and learning.
For more information about this workshop, please visit https://www.massp.com/adaptive-schools-seminar.
Due to the current uncertainty of the pandemic, this series has been CANCELLED at this time with the intention of being rescheduled later in the year. Please stay tuned for updates!
Other E&L News...
Virtual Summer Camp at Ligon Outdoor Center
Lessons From Ligon!
To learn more and to view these exciting new videos, please click here!
Welcome Back/Return To Use Guide
The GISD has been working diligently to adapt to the ever-changing situations related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As such, Ligon Outdoor Center has implemented important changes to keep all visitors safe and healthy.
Please read more about how Ligon can offer premium learning opportunities and experiences while maintaining standards of safety for all visitors, by clicking here!
Education and Learning
Email: dprevett@geneseeisd.org
Website: www.geneseeisd.org
Location: 2413 West Maple Avenue, Flint, MI, USA
Phone: 810-591-4487