Getting ready for 2020-2021

August 11, 2020

Good afternoon -

I hope you are all well. I will be hosting a check-in on Thursday and look forward to hearing your thoughts, ideas, and concerns as we get ready for August 27.

Please note that some schedule adjustments are being made and classes are being balanced by alpha (A-K, L-Z) as we get ready for hybrid classes. Department liaisons have been providing a great deal of support and ideas as we do this work and it is greatly appreciated. 

Topic: Faculty meeting/check-in
Time: Aug 13, 2020 12:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81138060873?pwd=K0NtN3A3ZUtGdXZuWUNjOEZVVWZsUT09

Meeting ID: 811 3806 0873
Passcode: s94DgE

APS PD Offerings:

Below is a list of VOLUNTARY professional learning opportunities created by Ashland teachers. These learning modules will be made available to you in the coming days via AshlandPD. As some of these offerings are synchronous, you will be able to sign up on a first come-first serve basis beginning Thursday, August 13 at 10:00 am. Please use AshlandPD to sign up for the trainings, in order to receive PDPs. If there is a wait list, we will consider offering additional opportunities.

ASYNCHRONOUS MODULES

Paper to Digital: Transforming Mathematics Activities for Online Learning

Presenter: Sue Reap

Learning math requires practice. Lots of practice. As math teachers, we have worksheets. Lots of worksheets. Some of the worksheets are fun mazes or riddles or puzzles; some are just collections of really great problems. But our favorite classroom activities require some updating when instruction goes online. This presentation will teach you a few ways to take your pencil and paper activities for the classroom and create digital versions for use remotely.

Asynchronous

Available: August 14 

Google Classroom

Presenter: Carolyn Breault

This Google Classroom offering will show teachers how to set up a Google Classroom, create topics and incorporate topic materials in the Google Classroom environment. Types of assessments will also be discussed. Attention will be given to how specialists can use Google Classroom.

Asynchronous

Available: August 17

 Remote Teaching: Focus on Design

Presenters: Mary Moynagh and Kristen Scully

Teachers will explore best practices for designing their remote presence using the Google Suite. Focus will be on the organization of and navigation to your Website and Google Classroom. This module will present easy to use apps that can enhance your connection in the digital world as well as student learning. Teachers will develop products that can be used on Day 1 of Hybrid Learning.

Asynchronous

Available: August 24 

Remote Learning Focus on Delivery

Presenters: Mary Moynagh and Kristen Scully

This module will focus on the delivery of content in the remote classroom. There will be a focus on developing appropriate strategies to blend both synchronous and asynchronous methods for the best possible outcome. Teachers will develop learning plans that can be used immediately once school resumes. Teachers will be introduced to new apps that are easy to learn and use.

Asynchronous

Available: August 24

SYNCHRONOUS OFFERINGS

Getting to Know Google Classroom and Google Meet

Presenter: Chad McGowan

Ashland Public Schools is providing all teachers with the opportunity to take this voluntary 90 minute session to get your school year started in the Google Classroom environment. If you have little to no experience with the platform, then this session will be for you. Additionally, we will provide follow up sessions during our PD week where teachers can get clarifications and work on adding more skills. What will you get out of this session?

•Learn how to setup and manage a section in Google Classroom

•Learn how to create announcements and assignments

•Learn how to stay organized

•Learn how to give feedback to students directly in GC

•Learn how to effectively incorporate Google Docs

•Get a basic overview of Google Meet

•Q&A time with the instructor

This session will be synchronous by default, though videos will be made available for those who cannot commit to the times. This session will not cover more advanced topics but will lay the groundwork for teachers to explore more topics over the upcoming month as they prepare for classes to start in mid-September.

Synchronous

August 19, 2-3:30pm (25 participants) 

Virtual Therapy Rooms: Promoting Student Engagement Across Therapy Models

Presenter: Jennifer Hoffmaster

Upon completion of this PD, related service providers will have knowledge and completion of a virtual therapy room, created via Google Slides. Strategies and recommendations regarding how and when to implement virtual therapy rooms will further be provided. Participants will be asked to complete some aspects of the PD prior to attendance: additional information to follow.

Synchronous

August 25, 9:30am (15 participants) 

Creative uses of Google Slides for Online Teaching

Presenter Chad McGowan

Get ready for quality remote teaching with this session. Participants will explore built-in features of Google Slides to create presentations in which students can provide text input, data collection, use drawings and images, organize by small groups, and more . Using Google Slides as a central tool in a lesson will allow teachers to manage interactions for both synchronous and asynchronous activities. Get tips and tricks to make slides functional in ways you may never have thought of. Added bonus... tie it all together with Google Classroom!

Synchronous

This training will take place during our first 10 days of professional learning. It will be made available on AshlandPD at a later date.

PD Offerings from DESE in August and Early September:

The Department’s Center for Instructional Support is providing additional professional learning opportunities to support educators as they prepare for reopening. Session topics include strategies for hybrid and remote learning for different subjects and grade levels, as well as guidance on remote identification of English learners and issues related to remote early literacy screening assessments. A full listing of available sessions is posted online (download).

PD Offerings from MSAA:

Succeeding with Students with Special Needs Approved by DESE for Use Toward the 15 PDPs in Special Education for License Renewal for Teachers, School Clinicians, and Administrators
			Featuring Presenter: Jane Hardin, Department Chair of Special Education at Ribas Associates and Publications offered asynchronously (self-directed) online
MSAA will offer this online workshop in five parts. Registrants may sign up for all five modules, or only the ones they find useful/appropriate. Upon completion of each module, registrants will receive a certificate for 3 PD hours. For all five modules, registration is accepted through August 15, 2020, and the workshop portals close August 30, 2020. Please use the links below for detailed information on each Module and registration opportunities:
Workshop Delivery: Asynchronous (on demand online) and self-paced					Up to 15 PDPs Content Area: Special Education
Fees: $55/module $250/all five modules					MSAA Contact: pd@msaa.net
Module 1: Overview of Disabling Conditions in the Classroom
Module 2: Executive Function: Strategies for Teaching & Learning
Module 3: Working in Classrooms with Students with Neurological and Emotional Disorders
Module 4: Working With Students with Behavioral Issues
Module 5: Teaching and Reaching Your Students on the Autism Spectrum
Click here to register for all five modules

Succeeding with English
Language Learners

Approved by DESE for Use Toward the 15 PDPs in ELL for License Renewal for Teachers, School Clinicians, and Administrators

Featuring Ribas Associates and Publications Presenter:

Dr. Cindy Crimmin

 

offered online, asynchronously (self-directed, on demand) 

MSAA will offer this online workshop in five parts. Registrants may sign up for all five modules, or only the ones they find useful/appropriate. Upon completion of each module, registrants will receive a certificate for 3 PD Hours.

Registration is accepted through August 15, 2020, and the workshop portals close August 30, 2020.

Please use the links below for detailed information on each Module and registration opportunities:

Workshop Delivery: Asynchronous (on demand online) and self-paced

Up to 15 PDPs

Content Area: English Language Arts

Fees: $55/module

$250/all five modules

MSAA Contact: pd@msaa.net

 

Module 1: Overview of the English Language Learner

Module 2: Questioning and Assessment for Non-English Speaking Students

Module 3: Teacher Language and Social-Emotional Learning

Module 4: Special Education and English Language Learners

Module 5: Where Culture and Language Intersect

Click here to register for all five modules