M-CESC Teaching & Learning

August Focus: Preparing for 2020-21

Where do I begin?

We have a sneaking suspicion that this question has crossed your mind a time or two. If so, you are not alone. Most of us are wondering where to even begin the 2020-21 school year with so many unknowns. In this month's newsletter, we are sharing with you some of the resources to help you plan and prepare.

And as always, please reach out to us if you have questions.

Building a Culture of Care

Whether your students are learning in-person or online, creating a culture of care is essential for student learning. We have an upcoming professional learning opportunity centered around the use of Community Circles. The event will be virtual, and it will focus on the use key aspects of conducting a Community Circle virtually, although those key components transfer seamlessly into the physical classroom.

Equity Resource as You Begin

The following article is about how videoconferencing can present problems for students who feel self-conscious about their home environments, and for teachers who may have built-in biases about the things they see on camera. Taharee Jackson's article is a quick thought-provoking read. (Taken from Cult of Pedagogy).

COVID-19 and Videoclassism: Implicit Bias, Videojudgment, and Why I’m Terrified to Have You Look Over My Shoulder

Just this week, I found myself leading an all-day webinar on antiracism for a group of over 100 Vermont educators. I was originally due to co-lead the session in person with the nation’s foremost expert on poverty, Dr.

linkedin.com

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Reframing Education

A statewide network of ESC personnel worked collaboratively to create a decision-making framework to support districts as they consider best practices, have authentic conversations about instructional expectations and make plans to “reframe education” moving forward.

The time is right for Ohio to begin reframing its education model so that learning can become the constant and time and place can become the variables. The intent of the “Reframing Education” project is to support Ohio districts as they strive to meet the needs of all students in a multifaceted and multilayered manner.

You will find guiding questions, supporting documents and related resources aligned to each of the following areas (with links to those sections we believe you will find most beneficial):

Create your “Reframing” Purpose, Team, and Goals
Data Use: Gathering Stakeholder Input
Educational Considerations – District and Building Level
Determination of Student Educational Needs
Educational Considerations and Planning – Teacher Level
Educational Considerations – Non-building Based Learning Opportunities
Exceptional and At-Risk Populations
Remote / Blended Instructional Delivery Resources – Identification and Preparation
Technology Needs
Communications Planning
Professional Development for Educators
Culture & Climate
Mental Health – of Students and Staff

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ODE Series: Teaching in Uncertain Times

The Ohio Department of Education’s Office of Learning and Instructional Strategies is hosting a three-day professional learning series, titled Teaching in Uncertain Times, on Aug. 11-13, 2020. Sessions will focus on the Community of Inquiry framework and its three Social, Cognitive and Teaching Presences (Garrison, Anderson & Archer, 2000).

Participants are encouraged to attend all three days of the learning series. Certificates of attendance and contact hours are available for attendees. Participants do not need to register. Each session description contains information to join the session. View the session agendas and descriptions below.

Please note that some sessions will be in the Microsoft Teams Live format. If you have not yet attended a Teams Live event, please review the Participant Q&A prior to attending.

Recorded sessions will be available on this site within 30 days of the Teaching in Uncertain Times professional learning series.

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Student Readiness Toolkits

The Ohio Department of Education has created Student Readiness Toolkits, which are standards-based guides designed to help educators determine students’ levels of educational attainment when starting the new school year. The toolkits include curriculum and assessment materials, which may help identify instructional gaps and determine instructional priorities.

Restart Readiness Assessments

Additionally, the Department, in conjunction with Cambium Assessment, Inc., is providing a suite of optional online assessments for educators to use in grades 3 through high school. The Restart Readiness Assessments, available for English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies, are designed to help schools and districts identify student progress early and receive actionable performance data. These assessments, which may be offered remotely, will be administered using systems with which Ohio educators and students are familiar from the administration of Ohio’s State Tests.

LiveBinders

The vast number of resources available to teachers can be overwhelming. In an effort to consolidate the list of resources while also organizing them based on subject area, grade level, or purpose, we have created a number of LiveBinders for your use.

Free Resources Shared out due to COVID-19 Shutdown

Ohio Math (K-12)

Ohio Science (K-12)

Ohio Social Studies (K-12)

We consider these an ongoing project, so please let us know if you have any suggestions or find issues with any of the links.

Smart Start 2020 Week 1

docs.google.com

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WE ARE HERE TO HELP

While we are not self-care experts, we can help you with instruction. Please reach out to us if you find yourself needing instructional or curricular help during these complicated times. We know that you have been inundated with resources, so we have worked to organize those for you. We are here to help - reach out to one of us.

james.cutlip@mccesc.org

tracy.merica@mccesc.org

melissa.scoville@mccesc.org