By the very nature of her title, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Tami Greggerson is constantly thinking about how to support teachers in designing engaging experiences for students. When COVID-19 hit the school community of Splendora Independent School District (ISD), Greggerson and her team wanted to collect every relevant resource to support teachers in delivering remote instruction to the district’s 4,200 students.
Already a partnership district with the Schlechty Center, Splendora ISD purchased a district license for the Center’s Digital Engagement Series, eight self-paced online professional learning modules for educators looking to use digital tools to increase student engagement and profound learning. “Teachers are hungry for new knowledge about virtual learning and always looking for ways to improve,” Greggerson said. “We have to support them in every way we can; I love these modules for this purpose.”
The Digital Engagement Series is consistent with Splendora ISD’s commitment to blended learning through the application of digital tools. “We were committed to digital teaching and learning already,” Greggerson said. “The modules are a treasure chest of resources that allow us to enhance the capacity to increase student engagement through our digital learning, one of our district goals.”
Although Greggerson wanted to jump right in and request immediate districtwide teacher use, she and her team paused and designed a process for how the modules should be introduced, with whom, and in what setting. “There is a lot of anxiety among teachers in this remote environment and understandably so,” she shared. “We wanted to build teacher confidence and create the conditions for teachers to want to learn and use the modules and apply the resources within their classrooms.” The Digital Engagement Series was first introduced to the district’s instructional specialists, those individuals who are responsible for coaching and providing feedback to teachers. Instructional specialists have been introducing the modules to teachers based on teacher needs and interests throughout the district. “It’s a customized approach,” Greggerson said.
Modules are used with teachers in professional learning communities and coaching sessions. “The wide variety of topics of the modules allows us to customize and personalize learning for our teachers,” explained Greggerson. “We’ve learned a great deal about design in working with the Schlechty Center over the years. That requires that we know our teachers, and we design experiences so that they commit and are engaged in the work.”
Digital teaching and learning are embedded in Splendora ISD’s culture. “These modules do a beautiful job of modeling expectations for where we are going as a district,” Greggerson said.
To learn more about the Schlechty Center and the Digital Engagement Series, visit https://mailchi.mp/schlechtycenter/digital-engagement-series