Leadership Feature: Jay M. Poroda, Tolles Career & Technical Center on Using the Center's Digital Engagement Series

Supporting and developing teachers has always been a core value at Tolles Career & Technical Center in central Ohio. Providing the right kind of support to teachers unaccustomed to connecting with students remotely became a top priority this school year due to the pandemic. 

Jay M. Poroda, Assistant Superintendent at Tolles, and other district leaders set out to research resources and tools to build teacher capacity to deliver virtual instruction. “Our staff see themselves as facilitators of learning based on face-to-face interaction; we had to shift the paradigm to a virtual online learning,” said Poroda. Any tool, resource, or platform had to fit with the district’s Directional System. “The Schlechty Center’s Digital Engagement Series was a strategic fit for Tolles because the content, platform, and adaptability are consistent with what “we believe and value.”

“COVID caused us to reflect on our practice and to think about what we are doing every step of the way. And how teachers are designing work in a virtual environment,” Poroda said.

Tolles teachers appreciate the range of content offered in the modules and the ability to choose those modules that speak to their particular challenges in addressing students’ needs and motives. “For example,” Poroda said, “we asked all teachers to start with the Building Relationships at a Distance module, but since many students are struggling with schoolwork and social connections because of the pandemic, teachers began accessing the Designing with Social and Emotional Learning in Mind module.”

“We celebrate the fact that we have this phenomenal tool that models good practice and gives teachers tools they can use immediately in their classrooms, whether it be using a Padlet or Google Docs in unusual ways, or creating podcasts or screen casting or flipping classrooms,” Poroda said. “The asynchronistic aspects encourage teachers to be the curators of knowledge and to interact with the knowledge so that students find meaning and value.”

Engagement—finding meaning and value—is essential for teachers in developing knowledge and skills and to be engaged themselves. “We want our students to be engaged and have high-quality work; that requires that staff also be engaged, to be intentional about the work they provide students.”

Teachers provide regular feedback to district leaders regarding the value of the Digital Engagement Series. “Teachers thank us for this professional development, and they Tweet out how impressed they are with the series,” Poroda said. “It’s transformational,” he shared, “especially since most of Tolles’ teachers are not ‘technology natives.’” Everyone agrees they want to provide students with high-quality instruction. “We are forging ahead to rethink virtual tools to transcend learning from a repository of online worksheets. The Digital Engagement Series does that for us.”

Working with the Schlechty Center, Poroda collaborated with Ashland University to offer up to two graduate credits upon completion of the modules. He found this incentive increased levels of teacher engagement. “In many cases,” Poroda said, “teachers are more collaborative in professional learning communities and within departments than before the pandemic using the tools offered through the Digital Engagement Series.”

“It’s an amazing tool series,” Poroda shared. “I appreciate the proactive role of the Schlechty Center to respond to the need of school systems. It makes me proud to be part of the Center’s networks.”

To learn more about the Schlechty Center and the Digital Engagement Series, visit https://mailchi.mp/schlechtycenter/digital-engagement-series

PILLARS OF SUPERINTENDENT LEADERSHIP Superintendent as Moral and Intellectual Leader

This article was written for our Superintendents Leadership Network in April 2020. It features ten pillars for superintendent leadership. A link to the full article is included.

1. Models and Develops Trust: Gives priority to building personal trust and trust in the organization.

2. Clarifies the Vision: Consistently and continuously communicates and clarifies a clear and compelling vision of the future.

3. Knows What He or She Believes: Understands the need to be clear about what he or she believes and understands that shared beliefs are the foundation of the direction of the organization.

4. Enhances Capacity: Attends to developing the capacity of the organization and the capacity of the people who are part of the organization to support continuous innovation.

5. Educates Community: Educates the community, especially community leaders, and informs policymakers about the condition of education.

6. Thinks and Acts Strategically: Employs systems thinking to understand how systems are linked to one another and how they interact.

7. Personalizes Relationships with Principals: Develops personal relationships with all principals in the district.

8. Unifies Central Office Staff: Educates central office staff so they understand and are committed to the direction in which they are being led.

9. Shares Authority: Shares authority rather than delegates it. Views authority as affective and highly personalized.

10. Personalizes Relationship with the Board: Strives to work as part of a team with the board in order to focus on the needs of children and the future of the community.

Read the full article here:

https://schlechtycenter.box.com/s/q9wryp8kidn28fg0avkzkyx9yn9bwg8s

Learn, Integrate, and Apply Digital Classroom Resources

The Schlechty Center continues its three decades of partnering with educational leaders who are interested in nurturing a culture of engagement in their organizations with the ultimate goal of increasing profound learning for students. In keeping with our mission, the Schlechty Center has designed digital platforms to better serve you in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and into the future. We are offering eight online self-paced professional learning modules to support teachers in connecting and communicating with their students, designing engaging virtual and equitable experiences, incorporating student voice and feedback, and integrating and applying digital tools and resources. 

Digital Engagement Series Modules:

• Building Relationships at a Distance

• Student Voice: The Importance of Being Heard When You Can’t Be Seen

• Designing with Social and Emotional Learning in Mind

• A Virtual Personal Learning Network for Distance Educators

• Video Chats, Screencasts, and Google, Oh My!

• Clear and Consistent Communication from Afar

• Equity Education Without Access

• A New Need for Feedback

Self-paced Flow for Each Module:            

• Hook: A fast and exciting way to introduce the topic (30 minutes)

• Content: Videos, podcasts, reading, and visual guides (60 minutes)

• Collaborative Activity: Integrating tool with a social component  (60 minutes)

• Individual Activity: Work that feeds directly into  your classroom (60 minutes)

• Exit Ticket: Reflecting on application and content (30 minutes) Includes a certificate upon completion

Learn more in this short demo video.

We invite you to explore our website and join our growing virtual learning networks. Contact us anytime at info@schlechtycenter.org.

Implementing Quality Distance Learning in a Pandemic Environment

When students are engaged, they do their work because they want to, not because they have to. This is true when students are learning either at home or in the classroom. However, as we have learned and continue to learn during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, distance learning can be a challenge for students, teachers, and parents. This is especially true when teachers are not supported with tools that make it possible to not only manage the learning experience, but to challenge students with work that results in increased student engagement and achievement. 

As designers of professional learning experiences, tools, frameworks and resources for the past thirty- five years, the Schlechty Center understands the value of listening to the voices of our clients in the field of education. During the pandemic we have been learning from educators about the challenges associated with providing engaging virtual instruction. One common theme we have heard is that school leaders want learning platforms that include quality professional learning for teachers, as well as for those who support teachers. Especially during the pandemic, teachers need professional learning resources that help them develop and strengthen relationships with students, and that include student voice in the design of engaging work. School administrators want to learn more about providing support that results in the kind of partnership that brings school, student and parents together. 

We have also learned that, in many cases, instructional resources designed for home-based instruction do not align with curriculum standards, and resources designed for in-person classroom instruction often do not work well when used at home. In both cases the result is learning gaps. We have learned from leaders from across the nation about the need for platforms designed for use either at home or school, and about the need for software programs uniquely designed to meet these challenges.

Over twenty years ago our founder Phillip Schlechty wrote about the technological imperative, making it clear that technology is the means of doing the job, not the job. Often, we lose sight of the main thing, which in this case is the work we want students to do. Below are some of the key components and considerations that we think should be provided and that are critical to meeting the opportunities that exist during this challenging time:

• Distance learning requires engagement. The programs need to be truly authentic with student learning needs and motivations, such as novelty and variety built into the design in order to encourage deeper student engagement. If the students find the program too difficult, inauthentic, or boring, not much will be accomplished.

• Professional learning for teachers, administrators, and students needs to be done online with tutorials that are informative, concise, and understandable. In an era of social distancing, there are limited means available for providing in-person professional learning opportunities. The professional learning needs to consider the important role of the teacher as designer and guide to instruction even when the learning must be remote in nature.

• The software must have a rostering component to interface with current administrative systems as well as a “single sign on” to simplify user identifications and passwords.

• The program curriculum needs to be tailored to the school district’s specific curriculum pacing guide. The teacher needs to be able to assign activities for the greater class with the availability to address the individual student.

• All curriculum associated with the teaching must be 100% aligned to the specific standards for that subject and grade. All standards must be taught.

• Software programs that are used should include extensive tutorials, well defined objectives, review materials, and measurement tools that are transparent to the student, teacher, administrator and parent.

The Schlechty Center has made great strides in becoming a trusted provider in the space relative to professional learning. Just as we believe learning experiences should be challenging, interesting and satisfying to students, we also believe that adult learning, including online learning, should be engaging. Finally, we believe that programs and platforms selected, should be carefully vetted to ensure they support the work of students and teachers.

If you have any questions or would like assistance in developing the learning methods necessary for distance learning, please contact me directly.

Sincerely,

Dr. Steve McCammon President

Schlechty Center

Phone: 502.895.1942

smccammon@schlechtycenter.org

Download or Print Statement Here

Hitting Reset

We are starting anew with our Blog and our LinkedIn page. This is fitting as we've spent the last few months creating new virtual offerings and transitioning our work to better support district leaders. Read more about what we've done:

Dear Colleagues,
 
I truly hope that this message finds each and every one of you healthy and settled into the significant transitions of the new school year, even as there are so many unknowns. The challenges are so very real. We have been impressed by leaders in our partnership districts and schools who, in the words of Dr. Phillip C. Schlechty, “are clear about their core business; treat change as an ongoing, expected, and normal process; introduce innovation as a means of improving performance; and place a high value on innovation and novelty” Leading for Learning: How to Transform Schools into Learning Organizations.
 
Here at the Schlechty Center, we have been designing new experiences using virtual and digital platforms to better serve you both in the midst of this crisis as well as into the future. This was something we needed to do and had taken some small steps to do prior to the pandemic, but now have been motivated by your needs to make a significant transition to new work and new delivery models. We have done all of this to be a more effective partner in providing the quality of professional learning that you have grown accustomed to while working with us in the past, but in ways that will ensure greater efficacy of our important work with you in the future. We have been listening.

Effective July 15, we are launching the Schlechty Center’s new Digital Engagement Series and a new Virtual Leadership Series.  

Please reach out to us for more information about how we can customize these new offerings (or the many other professional learning experiences we provided onsite and are now able to provide virtually) to help your team further your transition to becoming a learning organization. Most of our colleagues are finding that the challenges during this time provide the real need to lean into this pursuit. Let us use our three decades of experience and tools to help your team achieve that worthy mission.
 
Steve

Dr. Steve McCammon
President
Schlechty Center
502.895.1942

Coggle It!

Coggle is a really neat tool for graphic organizing, mind-mapping, or creating diagrams.

A user begins with a blank screen. By double-clicking anywhere on the screen, boxes come up that can be filled with text and/or an image. These boxes are then connected in a variety of ways to create a flowchart, mind-map, or virtually any diagram.

Coggle can address many Design Qualities including Novelty and Variety, Organization of Knowledge, and Clear & Compelling Product Standards. Here is a sample Coggle.

Coggle gives users three free diagrams before requiring a move to paid status. We tested this by making and deleting over five diagrams. As long as the user keeps three or fewer diagrams in the dashboard, it can be used for free.

The platform is easy and intuitive to use. Everything needed to get going is in the video below.

To use Coggle, students or teachers will need to create an account with either their Google or Microsoft password. There is no independent user name - password function. Coggle states they do this to avoid security issues for them and their users. When you log in with Google, you are getting all the Google security measures you would get when you use your Google account.

A Coggle Introduction.

Flipgrid Away!

Allowing students the opportunity to express their knowledge verbally has always been a powerful motivator for some students. Creating opportunities for students to express themselves is important. Practically, the technique can be time consuming. Just imagine yourself watching thirty students stand and deliver. Consider a music teacher, who needs to listen to 60-70 students play a passage for assessment. Consider a trades or science teacher who wants a classroom of students to demonstrate safety techniques before working in the lab on a project. Consider an ELA teacher who would like to have students read a poem or prose passage dramatically.

Teachers can expand opportunities for verbal expression with a digital tool called Flipgrid. At its core, Flipgrid allows students to record video content responses on virtually any device. Chromebook and laptop users can rely on a built in video recorder. Tablet and phone users can record and post with iPads and phones.

Flipgrid is so much more than its core capability of gathering video responses. Entire lessons can be built into the grid with links and video resources. Student responses can be shared or kept private. Feedback from teachers or peers is easily created.

Microsoft bought Flipgrid recently, unlocked the previous paid professional features, and has given the entire platform to teachers and students - for free.

Multiple Design Qualities can be addressed through Flipgrid including Organization of Knowledge, Affirmation, Novelty & Variety, and Clear & Compelling Product Standards.

The following video is a great tutorial on using Flipgrid. We enjoyed viewing the video on a separate device (iPhone) as we built our first Flipgrid on a laptop.