Due to pandemic-driven increases in school districts’ purchases of devices and software, there’s now a need to develop cohesive systems in which data can be transferred and analyzed quickly and easily in order to improve student outcomes and district operations.
Presented by Dr. Doug Brubaker, Superintendent, Texarkana Independent School District (TX); Dr. Michael T. Conner, Superintendent, Middletown Public Schools (CT); and Dr. Mary Wegner, Assistant Professor and Superintendent and Educational Leadership Coordinator, School of Education at the University of Alaska Southeast
Moderated by Ann McMullan, Project Director, CoSN (Consortium for School Networking) EmpowerED Superintendent Initiative
Presented by Christina Bretz, MS, OTR/L, Sr. Professional Learning Developer, Learning Without Tears; and Jennifer Ehehalt, Sr. Regional Manager, Common Sense Education
Last year, Chris Böttger’s son spent fifth grade learning at home because of his disability, intractable chronic migraine. That was until COVID forced the school, Oak Meadow (MA), to shut down and go remote. Virtual learning ended up being the boy’s path “into the classroom.”
“Despite decades of existing research, most professional development programs fail to adhere to established criteria for effectiveness. The Center for Public Education found that while over 90% of teachers reported that they engaged in some type of professional development during the year, most found it to be completely ineffective.” In a recent edWebinar, sponsored by ClassLink and co-hosted by CoSN and AASA, three district leaders from Wake County Public School System Superintendent Cathy Moore, Senior Director of Digital Learning and Libraries Allison Reid, and Marlo Gaddis, Chief Technology Officer, discussed critical guidelines for implementing successful professional technology development.
In this edWebinar, Brian Burkhard, lead researcher at EVERFI, will explore the latest research related to mental health and technology to identify ways to promote positive development and reduce negative outcomes for youth living in an increasingly connected world.
The current crisis has highlighted the disparity between students with and without equitable access to technology, especially in rural schools. While most teachers are being asked to take their lessons directly to the students’ homes, many administrators know that the challenges in their district go beyond whether or not students have enough devices to do their classwork. During CoSN and ClassLink’s edWebinar, “Leading Digital Transformations in Rural School Districts,” the presenters talked about how the COVID-19 situation amplifies the obstacles rural schools face transitioning to a 21st century learning environment.
At Common Sense Education, the edtech reviewers have seen it all. And to help teachers navigate the plethora of materials for the digital classroom, Tanner Higgin, Director of Education Editorial Strategy at Common Sense Education, presented “50 Top Edtech Tools for the Classroom.” Below are some of Higgin’s favorites.
Despite universal concerns about student data privacy, communicating school policies can quickly overwhelm school leaders. CoSN has stepped in with guidance for superintendents and principals to help them with several aspects of student data privacy, including best practices for informing the community. In their edWebinar “Assuring Student Data Privacy: Lessons for Our Times,” presenters offered insights into how school leaders can take charge of communications for this critical issue.
In this edWebinar you’ll learn about tools that will help you understand where your students are and how best to support them.