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  • Post-Holiday Classroom Activities – Education Coffee Break

    Post-Holiday Classroom Activities – Education Coffee Break


    On the first week back you will need to review all the rules and routines. The first day back from break I treat like the first day of school. Not too much academic work, but lots of reviewing the routine, practicing them, and review your expectations. During the post-holiday classroom activities for the first week back, we review each of our literacy centers and what they should be doing during their center times. We review how to sit on the carpet and how to work hard to get their work done well. We review expectations of guided math and guided math centers. Students need a review of all the classroom rules and expectations that have not been on the forefront of their mind over the break.



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  • Expert Insights Into the 2024 Higher Education Landscape

    Expert Insights Into the 2024 Higher Education Landscape


    May 22
    2024

    Expert Insights Into the 2024 Higher Education Landscape

    Modern Campus Launches Personalization Engine for Higher Education ...

    As we step into the mid-way point in 2024, the higher education industry is bracing for a wave of transformative changes. Below, several experts from higher education tech company Modern Campus collectively paint a future where traditional educational models are rapidly evolving. The burgeoning adoption of microcredentials promises a more flexible and competency-based learning landscape, tailored to meet the ever-changing needs of the workforce. Higher education institutions are expected to pivot significantly, focusing more on aligning their offerings with industry requirements and enhancing the overall student experience.

    Peter DeVries, CEO

    • AI will continue to be a hot topic with a disconnect between the institution’s hesitancy and intent to drive efficiency versus student’s usage whenever an opportunity exists.
    • Microcredentials and stackable credentials will continue to be held up as a key area of innovation with slow demonstration of how it can be readily utilized by students due to institution inertia.
    • Students will continue to look for institutions that provide a modern engagement experience with personalization and value add services available seamlessly through online services.

    Amrit Ahluwalia, Senior Director of Strategic Insights

    • Microcredential adoption will continue to accelerate: More colleges and universities will offer a wider range of microcredentials to provide alternatives for people to engage in meaningful learning without forcing them to enroll in a full degree program. This will also drive increased adoption of competency-based learning models.
    • Higher ed will align more closely with the workforce: Colleges and universities will work to align offerings more closely to workforce needs, creating pathways for adults to engage in professional development to keep pace with industry changes while also streamlining the learner-to-earner pathway for degree-seeking students.
    • Colleges and universities will prioritize the student experience: To stem growing stop-out and drop-out numbers, higher ed institutions will begin to invest in mechanisms to improve student belonging and communication and will look for approaches to accelerate degree completion.
    • IT leaders will play a more strategic role: Historically, institutional IT leaders have played a largely operational role. But as technology plays an increasingly central role in the management of the modern postsecondary institution, these leaders will be asked to have a larger influence on the strategy and direction of their respective institutions. This will have a significant impact on higher education’s approach to customer/student engagement, leveraging/securing data, and software management.
    • Institutional IT leaders will be looking to address the “Digital Jungle” of software and vendors operating on their campuses. During the pandemic, colleges invested in massive numbers of disconnected and overlapping technology tools to deliver on specific needs through a challenging time. But now that we’re on the other side, CIOs and CISOs will be looking for ways to reduce the risk associated with having so many tech vendors operating simultaneously on campus, improving data security and simplifying the institutional tech infrastructure.

    Keith Renneker, VP Sales for Modern Campus Connected Curriculum and Modern Campus CMS

    • AI will continue to be a hot button topic – how to leverage in education delivery, impact on research, recruitment and engagement of students – essentially the whole education ecosystem.
    • Financial survival – while some schools have been able to thrive, others continue to struggle, with Birmingham Southern the most recent example of a school trying to avoid closure.  What will be the impact on affordability for students?  Will campuses close or merge?  Budget scrutiny will continue to slow and formalize more procurement processes.
    • A more politicized environment with government seemingly more engaged from the K-12 environment into higher ed – a leading example is loan forgiveness. Schools will be challenged with strong public views on political topics, creating risks for schools and including impact to donors.
    • Greater efforts on campuses for increased efficiency – platform solutions vs multi-vendor.  Continued call for services – for school and students.  Modernizing the experience for the learner.  Stronger tools to integrate different campus solutions from different providers.

    David Cashwell, VP Sales for Modern Campus Lifelong Learning

    • More centralization of CE programs in universities.  For example, School of Education, School of Business, etc.  They are sharing resources more, and that includes software.
    • Defining microcredential quality standards – this has become a more important issue with the American Council of Education, who oversees accreditation.
    • The Definition of FTE has become problematic because such a high percentage of full-time students are on financial aid and many “part time” students are paying in full. The question remains as to whether Pell dollars will be usable for students seeking a short-term job training program.
    • The higher ed institutions that are not well-endowed and who struggle with enrollments will be more deliberate about creating career pathways for their students. This will not be an issue for the most prestigious R1 universities who have 20% and below acceptance rates.
    • Institutions will be more focused on programs and marketing that focus on the stop out population through degree and non-degree programs. They will look to these populations as a supplement to the shortage in traditional demographics.
    • CIOs will continue to prefer purpose-built platforms that will play nicely within ecosystems. This shift in purpose-built solutions will be great for those that provide them assuming they can seamlessly integrate into “main campus” systems.
    • LMS providers will continue their momentum on combining with other solutions or building extensions of their LMS systems (see Instructure, Anthology (bB) and D2L). This will allow them to differentiate from each other outside of traditional “bake off” differentiators.
    • Institutions will continue to tighten up their security requirements. Universities have no regulations so it’s a big chance for cybersecurity in organizations.

    Andy Gould, VP Sales for Modern Campus Student Engagement Suite

    • Retention efforts/funding will redirect to enrollment support in the face of continued enrollment decline, which will put effective student engagement at further risk.
    • Students will continue to demand more mobile-focused, interconnected, and personalized technologies be a part of their experience.
    • Soft skill development/articulation demand will increase as employers reduce forces, putting pressure on recruiting high quality new graduates.
    • Academic support will receive increased pressure and existing technologies are in need of modernization. Products like TEDU will see quick adoption.
    • Centralized student platforms like Pathify will gain increased traction as institutions and students alike face technology overload and more demand for a personalized experience.

    Chad Rowe, VP Product for Modern Campus Lifelong Learning

    • Continuation of the rise and adoption of alternative credentials including digital badges.
    • Tighter integration of CE focused student information systems with customer relationship management systems to promote student engagement throughout their journey and lifetime.
    • Adoption of new tools and integration connectors to improve the student experience; tighter integrations between the CE-focused student information systems and the main campus SIS for more engaging catalog display.
    • Cautious exploration of AI use cases in the administration, reporting and predictive analytics or CE programs.

    Kim Prieto, SVP Product

    • As enrollments continue to decline, and budgets are stretched, institutions will work to meet students where they are at:
      • Continued and growing focus on micro-credentialing
      • Support of online and hybrid programs
      • Communicating clear paths to post school employment
    • As the costs of education rises, community colleges will see higher growth than 4-year institutions, increasing the need for clear and easy transfer paths.
    • Campuses will look to gain efficiencies in their vendor management – looking more for platform vendors who can fulfill multiple needs.

    From the accelerated adoption of microcredentials to the strategic role of IT leaders, and from the integration of AI to the focus on student engagement, these changes reflect a broader shift in educational priorities and methodologies. Higher education institutions must adapt to these changes, balancing innovation with the enduring values of accessibility and quality education. In doing so, they will not only meet the evolving needs of students and the workforce but also lead the way in shaping a future where education is more adaptable, inclusive, and aligned with the ever-changing global landscape.



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  • How Covid changed teaching in California: fewer pencils, more technology

    How Covid changed teaching in California: fewer pencils, more technology


    The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly changed how students and teachers spend their time in the classroom. Now, instead of writing with paper and pencil, students use computers for most assignments.

    Teachers lecture less and spend more time on individualized instruction, social-emotional learning and relationship building.

    The last five years have not been easy. Students returned to campuses in the spring of 2021, after spending more than a year learning alone from home on computers. They had knowledge gaps, and many felt isolated and unsure, often resulting in chronic absenteeism and bad behavior. 

    Thousands of California teachers, discouraged by disciplinary problems, quit the profession.

    But others doubled down on individualized instruction and social-emotional support, spending a good portion of class time reacquainting their students with how to behave in the classroom and encouraging them to socialize with their peers.

    Now, five years after Covid closed schools, student scores on the state’s standardized Smarter Balanced tests have improved slightly, although achievement is still not back to pre-Covid levels. 

    California teachers interviewed by EdSource are optimistic, reporting that interventions are working and that student discipline is improving.

    “They don’t miss their houses,”  said Erika Cedeno, who teaches Spanish at Golden Valley High School in Santa Clarita. “They don’t miss anything related to Covid. They want to be at school, and they are enjoying sports. They are playing tennis and swimming. It’s very different. I think we are probably getting to the point that we were before Covid.”

    More personalized learning

    Teachers report placing a greater emphasis on small-group instruction and personalized learning to accommodate students who returned from school closures with diverse learning needs, according to “Rewiring the classroom: How the Covid-19 pandemic transformed K-12 education,” released in August by the Brookings Institution. 

    The spring 2023 survey of 1,000 K-12 teachers and administrators across the country revealed that students now spend less time in lectures and more time working on educational software tailored to their needs. The increased use of technology by students, teachers and parents is the biggest change in the classroom since Covid-19 closures, said Brian Jacob, who co-authored the Brookings report. 

    After months of working on educational software during pandemic school closures, teachers are now more likely to incorporate it into their classrooms, according to the report. In early 2023, 70% of all students and 80% of all middle and high school students in the United States had a personal computing device.

    “I use technology more freely in the classroom now, and it’s an expected part of the day,” Todd Shadbourne, a sixth grade teacher at Foulks Ranch Elementary School in Elk Grove, told EdSource. 

    “We used to do a research project and everybody had to go to the library and get a book, and hope they could get a book,” Shadbourne said. “And we couldn’t study biographies when my neighboring class was doing biographies because there’s only so many books. … Now you have other resources because you have a computer in front of you.”

    Too much technology isn’t good

    There are some drawbacks to the increased use of technology in schools, however. Research shows that reading comprehension is better when students read printed texts instead of online materials, Jacob said. Students also struggle with writing and spelling because all their school work is done on computers equipped with programs that correct spelling and grammar, he said.

    “School officials and researchers really need to look at that carefully and determine how much time students are spending on devices, and how is that going?” Jacob said.

    Some California teachers try to limit their students’ screen time and require them to spend more time reading text, writing with pencil and paper and collaborating with their classmates.

    San Diego special education teacher Carly Bresee says the use of technology by students outside the classroom has also increased, prompting her to use less technology in class than before the pandemic.

    “I know that general ed teachers are kind of facing that question,” Bresee said. “How much computer use is healthy and positive for the students? They are having difficulty with that balance, knowing what the best formula is for learning.”

    Back to classroom carts at some schools

    School officials at James Lick Middle School have decided to go back to classroom computer carts because the school, in financially strapped San Francisco Unified, could no longer afford to maintain and replace student computers that are broken, lost or outdated.

    “Kids have broken them on purpose,” said Keith Carames, who teaches theater arts and English at the school. “Kids have lost them. Kids have dropped them.”

    That move away from technology is a big disappointment to Carames, who became a convert after spending three months learning how to use Zoom, Google Classroom and other online education programs. 

    “I saw the light,” Carames said. “I can edit stuff online with them (the students). I can post videos. I have resources that are accessible. If they are absent, they can get work. There are letters that you can send to the family and newsletters and interactive things. It changed my practice as an educator. ”

    Carames calls the transition back to paper and pen “a nightmare.”

    “There are some kids who don’t even know how to spell their own first name,” he said.

    Changing views on school attendance

    The biggest change for Elk Grove’s Shadbourne since Covid is the perception among some students and parents that attending school is optional. Students go on vacation during the school year or decide to work from home on a given day because they think they can get assignments on Google Classroom and email them to the teacher.

    “And the social benefits of school, and the problem-solving that we do as a group, and the common culture we hope to create, it’s hard to do that when people are gone,” Shadbourne said. 

    The impact of absences is amplified in special education, where a student might make progress one day, miss a day of school, and lose that progress, Bresee said.

    Students need social-emotional support

    Since schools reopened in 2020, California teachers have been spending more time greeting their students at the door, sending them notes and planning activities that encourage communication and help build relationships. Making these connections helps students develop social-emotional skills and encourages them to come to school.

    “In special education, we saw a huge increase in maladaptive behaviors, and that was really difficult both for the students, the support staff and for teachers,” said Bresee, a TK-1 special education teacher at Perkins K-8 School. “… It was hard to maintain a regular routine because it felt like we were more frequently in crisis mode.”

    Students, especially younger ones, had to learn how to play and communicate effectively with others. That meant more time was set aside for adult-facilitated playtime than before the pandemic, Bresee said.

    “It became, in my eyes, an even more important part of the day, right up there with our literacy and math lessons,” Breese said.

    The effort seems to be paying off. This year, student behavior has improved, and the class routine is back on track, according to Bresee.

    Social-emotional support and building connections between students and their teachers and classmates are equally important for older students.

    Cedeno greets her Spanish students at the door every day and then spends roughly seven minutes at the beginning of each class asking questions to draw students into conversations meant to help them connect with her and their classmates.

    “Cuál es tu color favorito (What is your favorite color)?” she asks one day. “Cuál es tu dulce favorito (What is your favorite candy)?” she asks on another day.

    Cedeno also invites students to have lunch in her classroom if they need a safe space to relax and a microwave to heat their food.

    “We are trying to rebuild this step by step,” Cedeno said. “We are not there yet. But I think we are going to get there if we put in a lot of effort, a lot of compassion and empathy, because these kids, they need this.”





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  • Why Home Tuition Should Be More Than Just About Grades

    Why Home Tuition Should Be More Than Just About Grades


    In an increasingly competitive academic environment, it’s easy to fall into the trap of equating education with grades alone. While good marks can open doors to opportunities, true education encompasses far more. Home tuition, often viewed as a tool for academic improvement, has the potential to nurture emotional intelligence, self-discipline, and a love for learning. It’s time to reimagine home tuition as a holistic development platform rather than just a grade-boosting machine.

    The Limitations of a Grades-Only Approach

    Grades represent only a narrow aspect of a student’s abilities. They rarely reflect creativity, critical thinking, or emotional intelligence. Focusing solely on marks can create undue pressure and lead students to lose interest in subjects they might otherwise enjoy.

    Why Home Tuition Should Be About More Than Grades

    Here’s why home tuition should go beyond just academic performance:

    • Learning at One’s Own Pace: Home tuition allows for personalized teaching that adapts to the student’s speed and understanding. Tutors can clarify doubts, revisit tough topics, and accelerate lessons as needed. This builds confidence and mastery over memorization.
    • Developing Critical Thinking Skills: A good home tutor incorporates real-world examples, encourages discussions, and promotes logical reasoning. These practices help develop problem-solving and analytical thinking.
    • Encouraging Curiosity and Independent Learning: The right tutor acts as a mentor, sparking curiosity and a love for learning by encouraging questions and deep exploration of topics.
    • Building Self-Esteem and Motivation: Personalized attention allows tutors to motivate students and turn mistakes into learning opportunities, helping build confidence and resilience.
    • Enhancing Communication Skills: One-on-one sessions allow students to express themselves more freely and build effective communication habits that benefit them in academic and professional settings.
    • Teaching Life Skills: Home tuition can be a platform for teaching important life skills like time management, accountability, and goal setting.
    • Parental Involvement: Regular feedback from home tutors allows parents to stay updated on both academic and personal development.

    How TheTuitionTeacher Goes Beyond Grades

    TheTuitionTeacher is a home tuition platform that understands the value of holistic education. Here’s how they stand out:

    • Personalized Tutor Matching: Students are matched with tutors who suit their learning style, academic needs, and personality.
    • Emphasis on Conceptual Clarity: TheTuitionTeacher promotes understanding rather than rote learning, helping students build strong conceptual foundations.
    • Progress Tracking: Parents receive regular feedback and reports to track academic and personal growth.
    • Empowered Tutors: Tutors aren’t just educators—they are mentors trained to support emotional and intellectual development.
    • Flexible Learning Options: With online and offline classes available, TheTuitionTeacher adapts to each student’s schedule and preferences.

    Conclusion: Redefining the Role of Home Tuition

    While grades are important, they are not the sole measure of a student’s potential. Home tuition should foster a well-rounded individual by nurturing curiosity, resilience, emotional intelligence, and communication skills. TheTuitionTeacher is pioneering this shift by offering personalized, supportive, and holistic tutoring that puts the child’s overall development at the center.



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  • Pandemic-era push to ‘build solutions’ must continue, panel says

    Pandemic-era push to ‘build solutions’ must continue, panel says


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nemKlBPWB2E

    The Covid-19 pandemic, which first shuttered schools five years ago, disrupted learning, disengaged students and harmed their mental health, amplifying the long-standing inequalities in their achievement.  

    Recovering from the effects of the pandemic has proven difficult for most California schools, and the challenges that defy easy fixes, such as chronic absenteeism, require partnerships with families, community members and organizations to develop support systems that will focus on student academic success, as well as a willingness to analyze and change those approaches, according to panelists at EdSource’s Thursday roundtable, “Five years after Covid: Innovations that are driving results.”

    “The pandemic showed us that schools are so much more than just places to teach our students in the classroom,” said Lorena Solorio, associate director of the Care Corps Program at Rocketship Public Schools, a group of TK-5 charter schools, mostly in East San Jose, that enlisted care coordinators during the pandemic. “We have to support our students and their families to get them to school, but also that they’re prepared to learn because our students can’t learn if they’re coming to school hungry.”

    While the pandemic is mostly defined by the personal loss and academic setbacks that most experienced, it presented opportunities for some communities to become creative and innovative in igniting change to improve the conditions that the pandemic magnified. 

    The policy and advocacy work of Oakland REACH, for instance, wasn’t improving student outcomes before the pandemic. The pandemic became an opportunity for the parent advocacy group to “build the solution around education that we really know that our families wanted and needed,” co-founder and CEO Lakisha Young, a panelist, said. 

    Oakland REACH created a virtual family hub that trained parents and caregivers to tutor their children in early literacy — “a model that takes parents off the sidelines and to the front lines in an academic way.” 

    “Parents set the tone for how kids decide they want to engage in education,” Young said. 

    After five weeks of remote learning with the virtual hub, long before anyone realized school closures would last for at least a year, students in grades K-2 saw significant gains, as 60% improved by two or more reading levels and 30% increased by three or more reading levels on Oakland Unified’s assessment.

    Since the return to in-person learning, REACH has partnered with the school district to train parents, caregivers, and community members to go into classrooms as tutors teaching reading and math. 

    Rocketship Public Schools was inspired at the height of the pandemic to work directly with families and connect them with resources and services through care coordinators in all of its charter schools, according to Solorio. 

    The care coordinators, for example, connected families struggling with housing with community partners and hosted on-campus resource fairs and health, vision and dental screenings, referring students for additional services, as necessary, and allowing them to “show up and learn in the classroom,” Solorio said. 

    Today, the coordinators’ roles have expanded to help school leaders address chronic absenteeism. 

    “Helping support a culture of learning, a culture of coming to school is important,” Solorio said about coordinators helping families, “whether it’s changing mindsets or it’s driving out core root causes of some of these obstacles.” 

    Finding, providing and sustaining innovation

    Districts have used one-time pandemic relief funding and/or their own resources to address the persistent challenges facing students during and since the pandemic, including the fact that California schools have more staff now than at any time in history. 

    Federal pandemic relief and recovery funds from the state put California’s spending at over $18,000 per student, said panelist Marguerite Roza, director of the Edunomics Lab, an education finance research center based at Georgetown University. 

    “While the state was seeing some growth in scores earlier in 2014, 2016, there’s some decline during the pandemic,” she said. “But the part that frustrates us, I think, is the continued decline, on average, even after these investments were happening.”

    The high spending and low test scores make the state one of the nation’s worst in its “returns on investments,” the Edunomics Lab found. 

    There are districts, such as Compton and Milpitas Unified, that defy the average and show a rapid recovery for their students, Roza said. 

    Now, billions in pandemic-era funding have expired. California districts still have $6 billion in state funding to replace the federal relief, but as the Edunomics research shows, the spending alone won’t address student success. From now on, schools must know when to change their approach, panelists said. 

    Compton Unified exemplifies the importance of doubling down on a strategy that works. Compton Unified Superintendent Darin Brawley said that consistently assessing student performance to determine the academic strategies that schools use has led to the district being No. 1 in California in terms of growth in English and math test scores.

    “We’re measuring everything,” including graduation rates, core graduation requirements and chronic absenteeism rates that are also improving, Brawley said.  “It’s all about data: reflecting on that data, coming together as teams to reflect on how each individual school is doing, receiving that feedback.” 

    The common characteristic of districts nationwide that beat the odds for their kids, Roza said, is “they really focused on reading and math.” 

    Roza attributed the reading and math focus of Oakland REACH to its success. 

    Although the group will soon end its partnership with the district, Oakland Unified can continue the approach Oakland REACH started, much like 12 Denver schools recently did by replicating the model.

    “REACH exists out of a problem,” Young said about not knowing if the literacy and math it brought into the homes of low-income families would work, at first. Whether we think something is good or not, let’s test it. We cannot be so vulnerable to system disruption. When we’re vulnerable to disruption, our families are vulnerable to disruption.”

    Panelists echoed the importance of finding a method that works — and being unafraid to try things. 

    “If it doesn’t work, you’ve got to try something else, including nontraditional strategies,” especially in addressing attendance, Roza said. “I think we hear from district leaders all the time: ‘I would love to do these great ideas, but we can’t because dot, dot…”

    It’s that fear that leads to the status quo, Brawley said. 

    Cheryl Jordan, superintendent at Milpitas Unified, which developed an Innovation Campus that offers students real-world work and life experiences through internships, apprenticeships and project-based learning, said that it is only through looking at the opportunities that a crisis provides that schools and districts can “develop something that’s better and meets the needs of our learners in a way that is innovative and really excels them to become the leaders and creators of the future.” 





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  • How Advanced Print Management Systems Are Shaping the Future of Campus Innovation

    How Advanced Print Management Systems Are Shaping the Future of Campus Innovation


    Nov 20
    2024

    How Advanced Print Management Systems Are Shaping the Future of Campus Innovation

    In the ever-evolving landscape of higher education, innovation isn’t confined to classrooms and research labs—it extends to how universities manage their operations, resources, and technology.

    At the University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering, Terrapin Works stands as a shining example of how adopting cutting-edge solutions can transform not just processes, but outcomes.

    Terrapin Works, a hub of rapid prototyping, advanced manufacturing, and digital design, operates a sprawling network of more than 200 machines across 17 campus locations. This state-of-the-art enterprise isn’t just a facility; it’s a mission-driven ecosystem enabling students, faculty, and researchers to turn ideas into reality.

    But with complexity comes challenges, and the need to streamline its job request system became a pivotal moment for this operation.

    The Challenge: Streamlining Complexity in Innovation

    Managing job requests for hundreds of machines servicing diverse users—from students designing prototypes to researchers creating precision parts—was no small feat. Terrapin Works initially relied on a help desk ticketing system that, while functional for IT issues, fell short as a workflow solution.

    The system lacked a user-friendly process for submitting, tracking, and managing requests. Email threads became the backbone of communication, resulting in inefficiencies, delays, and an inconsistent user experience. Technicians, often students themselves, faced a cumbersome workflow that detracted from their ability to focus on the innovative work at hand.

    Nick Bentley, business systems developer and a former University of Maryland student, envisioned a better way. “We needed a one-stop, web-based storefront where customers could initiate a job request, track its progress, and get updates seamlessly,” he explains. For technicians, the solution needed to enable faster, more efficient processing of requests.

    When Bentley discovered PaperCut MF, a solution renowned for its robust print and workflow management capabilities, he saw its potential to redefine how Terrapin Works operated. However, implementing a new system meant addressing concerns about compatibility with existing processes and minimizing fragmentation.

    The Power of a Unified Solution

    Bentley made a compelling case for PaperCut, highlighting its integrated features beyond workflow management, such as billing and 2D print management. This holistic approach allowed Terrapin Works to sunset legacy systems, reduce inefficiencies, and create a unified platform that could scale across the university.

    The results have been transformative. Technicians now process orders with unprecedented speed and accuracy, while users enjoy a seamless experience that eliminates the confusion of the old system. Customers can explore equipment options, verify specifications, and submit orders—all within an intuitive, human-centered interface.

    Terrapin Works’ success with PaperCut didn’t stop at addressing immediate challenges. It sparked a broader vision for what was possible. The platform’s adaptability has led to pilot programs across other campus operations, from copy centers to financial services. With integrations like Nelnet’s payment gateway, the university is leveraging PaperCut to drive innovation in areas far beyond its original scope.

    Rethinking Operational Excellence

    Terrapin Works’ journey underscores an important lesson: Innovation isn’t just about technology; it’s about creating systems that empower people. By prioritizing user experience, integrating processes, and fostering scalability, the University of Maryland has set a benchmark for how universities can evolve in the digital age.

    As higher education institutions navigate the future, the success of initiatives like Terrapin Works serves as a reminder that the right tools—and the right vision—can turn operational hurdles into opportunities for leadership and growth.



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  • Federal investigation targets California ban on parental notification policies 

    Federal investigation targets California ban on parental notification policies 


    The LGBTQ+ community rallies in solidarity, opposing the Social Studies Alive! ban in Temecula Valley Unified in June 2023.

    Credit: Mallika Seshadri / EdSource

    Jennifer Vietz’s transgender daughter came out to a teacher and friends at her school’s Gay Straight Alliance group. 

    “If my daughter didn’t get the kind of support that she did,” Vietz said, “she wouldn’t be here now.” 

    She’s grateful for the school’s and teachers’ support of her daughter, and is aware that not every student has the same support from their family. 

    “They should be able to come out in a way that’s safe — or not come out — and still have a trusted adult that they can talk to,” Vietz said. “If they don’t trust their families, they need to have another trusted adult that they can talk to and (have) that speech protected.” 

    Vietz is one of many parents and advocates who have expressed concern for the welfare of LGBTQ+ students since the Trump administration announced an investigation into the California Department of Education over a state law, California Assembly Bill 1955, which bans schools from implementing parental notification policies. 

    The investigation, announced Thursday, includes claims by the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office that schools that implement AB 1955 violate the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA) and that the California Department of Education has enabled practices that “may be violating FERPA to socially transition children at school while hiding minors’ ‘gender identity’ from parents.” If the state is found to be violating FERPA, it could lose federal funding, the announcement said.

    “LGBTQ+ youth and their families deserve to have sensitive conversations on their own terms and in a way that ensures students feel safe and supported at school,” said Tony Hoang, the executive director of Equality California, a nonprofit organization focused on the rights of the LGBTQ+ community, in a media release.

    But several school board members support and applaud the Trump administration’s efforts. 

    “I will not waver in opposing initiatives that undermine the parents’ God-given rights and prioritize social-political agendas over the well-being of our children,” said Joseph Komrosky, a member and former president of the Temecula Valley Unified school board. “To that end, it is great to see our president fight from the top down to vindicate our efforts at the local level.”

    In 2023, parental notification policies that require school officials to notify parents if their children show signs of being transgender started to gain traction in various parts of the state. Chino Valley Unified, Temecula Valley Unified, Murrieta Valley Unified and Orange Unified were among the California school boards that adopted such measures. 

    “I remain steadfast in my commitment to empowering parents and protecting the innocence of children as a (Temecula Valley Unified School District) school board trustee,” said Komrosky. “The fight against woke policies continues, as we have seen our parental notification policies challenged by special interest groups and state officials, such as Gov. Newsom’s support of AB 1955.” 

    When Temecula Valley Unified’s parental notification policy first went into effect, many students were left concerned, and many teachers were left confused, according to Edgar Diaz, the president of the Temecula Valley Educators Association, the district’s teachers union. 

    “It’s just been confusing over time, as we had a board approve something like this, without bringing employee voice into it, and then the state bringing a new law, and now … this investigation from the federal side,” Diaz said. “It just brings a lot of unknowns when you have different layers of government trying to add their own flavor to it.” 

    He added that the school board is currently in talks with the educators association and Temecula Classified Employees Chapter 538, which represents classified employees, about bringing a parental notification policy back under another name. 

    Jennifer Wiersma, a member of Temecula Valley Unified’s school board who supported the district’s parental notification policy, said, however, that the district has been working with unions on policies that are “nebulous” and that “don’t include parents as the focal point but instead mention sensitive topics and neutral classrooms.” 

    Those who oppose parental notification policies, including allies of LGBTQ+ students, have argued that revealing a student’s gender identity to their parents can be detrimental to their well-being.

    “We respect our justice system and follow laws in California. We wish we could say the same for the Trump/Musk administration,” said David Goldberg, the president of the California Teachers Association, in a statement to EdSource. “In California, we also provide safe and supportive learning environments for all students, and educators were proud to support the SAFETY Act (AB 1955) to protect all students’ rights to a safe and supportive learning environment.” 

    Equality California, which partnered with the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus to pass AB 1955, also doubled down on its commitment to transgender students. 

    “California’s laws don’t keep parents in the dark — they simply prevent extremist school boards from passing policies that target transgender youth and intrude into the parent-child relationship,” Hoang said.  

    Theo Burns, a professor of clinical education at the University of Southern California, says it’s critical for students to open up to their parents on their own terms. 

    He said that sometimes, reactions from parents are negative. But other times, parents might just be exhibiting a more immediate reaction, which can include misunderstanding, shock and denial. 

    “A child might think, ‘Oh gosh, you know what, my parents are really against me coming out as transgender,’” Burns said, “when in reality, the parent might just be not against it, but having to kind of sit with initial reaction before they come to a place of advocacy.” 

    Burns also said revealing transgender students can be associated with heightened mental health symptoms, like anxiety and depression, and can negatively impact their attendance at school. 

    “When we, as … a culture that values young people’s experiences, when we allow individuals to disclose who they are and what they want us to know in ways that feel safe and supportive,” Burns said, “it … not only benefits the individual, but also benefits community norms and values that those individuals are embedded into.”





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  • 5 Tips for Authentic PBL

    5 Tips for Authentic PBL


    PBL Project ideas Image

    Explore Project Idea

    To delve into a project concept, it’s important to cultivate your idea by identifying potential starting points, as mentioned in the book PBL in Elementary Grades.

    The information for project ideas is from the following in this blog:

    • PBL IN THE ELEMENTARY GRADES Step-by-Step Guidance, Tools and Tips for Standards-Focused K-5 Projects book suggests to look at the standards.
    • Trevor Muir, author of 5 ways to Engage PBL Project Ideas, suggests 5 tips to developing PBL Project Ideas.

    Develop an idea

    PBL In Elementary Grades book reminds us of a good project includes significant content and 21st Century Skills features and they are:

    • Significant Content. At its core, the project focuses on teaching students’ important knowledge and skills, derived from standards and key concepts at the heart of academic subject areas.
    • 21st Century Skills. Students build skills valuable for today’s world, such as critical thinking/problem solving, collaboration, and communication, which are taught and assessed.
    • In-depth inquiry. Students are engaged in a rigorous, extended process of asking questions, using resources, and developing answers.
    • Driving Question. Project work is focused on an open-ended question that students explore or capture the task they are completing.
    • Need to know. Students see the need to gain knowledge, understand concepts, and apply skills in order to answer the Driving Question and create project products, beginning with an Entry Event that generates interest and curiosity.
    • Voice and choice. Students can make some choices about the products to be created, how they work, and how they use their time, guided by the teacher, depending on age level and PBL experience.
    • Revision and reflection. The project includes processes for students to use feedback to consider additions and changes that lead to high-quality products and think about what and how they are learning.
    • Public audience. Students present their work to other people, beyond their classmates and teacher.

    Places to Start Explore Project Idea

    The book suggests looking at the standards you teach. You want to ask yourself, as you read through your standards documents and curriculum guides, “Which are the more complex standards — the ones where students need to show in-depth understanding or apply what they’re learning?” Those are the best candidates for projects. Here are some examples the book provided:

    • Science Standard (K): “Students know objects can be described in terms of the material they are made of and their physical properties (e.g., color, size, shape, weight, texture, flexibility, attraction to magnets, floating, sinking).”

    Potential project: To demonstrate the physical properties and characteristics of various materials that everyday objects are made of, kindergarten students create and host interactive displays for the school’s “Science Night” using toys, clothing, and other common objects found in the home.

    • Social Studies Standard (1st grade): “The student understands the concepts of goods and services. The student is expected to: identify examples of goods and services in the home, school, and community; identify ways people exchange goods and services.”

    Potential project: Students interview their parents and visit various businesses near the school to find out what and how they buy and sell, make a map showing local business locations, then create and operate a “flea market” in their classroom.

    • Science Standard (2nd grade): “Describe how animals may use plants, or other animals, for food, shelter and nesting.”

    Potential project: Students are placed in the role of scientists in a fictitious scenario in which various plant species in a local ecosystem are threatened by pests and disease, and try to predict the effects on the ecosystem if they disappear from it.

    • Math Standard (3rd grade): “Formulate questions that can be addressed with data and collect, organize, and display relevant data to answer them.”

    Potential project: Students measure the wind in the field behind their school by designing and building a simple anemometer to answer the question, “Is it windy enough here for a wind turbine to create enough energy to power our classroom?”

    • English/Language Arts Standard (4th grade): “Compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and patterns of events (e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and traditional literature from different cultures.”

    Potential project: Students showcase stories from various cultures with written commentary, comparing and contrasting them on the website pages they create.

    • Social Studies Standard (5th grade): “Draw upon data to describe the experience of immigrant groups.”

    Potential project: Students capture the experience of a child immigrating to America by using information gathered from stories, maps, interviews, and diaries to write and perform a play.

    5 Tips Developing PBL Project Ideas

    5 Tips Developing Engaging Project idea Video

    Trevor Muir, author of 5 ways to Come Up with Engaging PBL Project Ideas, suggests 5 tips to developing PBL Project Ideas. Muir, who is a teacher, author, and speaker, has 10 years of experience with Project Based Learning. As a former teacher myself, I would use his 5 tips for developing PBL project ideas. See below for Muir explanations of the 5 tips:

    1. Create a List of Problems
    2. Alter Existing Project Ideas to Fit Your Classroom
    3. Identify a Theme Within Your Power Standards
    4. Brainstorm With Other Educators
    5. Use Your Network to Find Authentic Partners

    Create a List of Problems:

    One of the best ways to come up with a project idea for a specific unit of instruction is to first ignore that unit of instruction. It can be easier to brainstorm project ideas when the academic standards do not encumber you that must be covered. Instead, create a list of problems that your students could solve in your school and/or community. Be as broad or specific as you want. Consider issues that matter to your students, or you think will be relevant to them once they are introduced to this problem. The list might include items like:

    • Neighborhood littering
    • Crowded hallways
    • Homelessness
    • old playground equipment
    • lonely elderly
    • Kids at Children’s Hospital
    • Busy Street needing a crosswalk

    Once you have this list, you can then begin to consider how to incorporate them into a set of standards or learning unit.

    *As a tip, consider what they are passionate about AND what you are passionate about. I’ve found the most successful projects to address problems everyone can be inspired to solve – including the teacher.

    Alter Existing Project Ideas to Fit Your Classroom

    There is no need to reinvent the wheel. There are thousands of other educators out there who have led their students through Project Based Learning, and thanks to the internet, many of those ideas are available to anyone who searches for them. Some of the best projects my students have ever completed were ones I altered to fit my classroom.

    I once had a unit on World War II, so while brainstorming PBL project ideas I Googled, “WW2 PBL Project.” I found a blog post where a teacher wrote about her students interviewing veterans and writing their life stories. Inspired by this, I had my students do the same. However, because most of my students have cell phones with videos cameras, we filmed our interviews and turned them into documentaries. At the end of the project, the students showcased their work at a local theater.

    It became one of the most amazing things I’ve ever been a part of, and it all started with a Google search. There are some great resources online with project ideas to borrow for your classes. Check out PBLWorks’ Project Resource, this list from the site TeachThought, or the number of project ideas I often share in my blog.

    Another great place to discover existing project ideas is social media. Post a tweet saying something like, “Has anyone ever done a PBL project about geometric shapes?” or “Have you ever found an engaging way to teach students about invasive species?” On Twitter, you can use hashtags like #PBLCHAT, #ELACHAT, #SSCHAT, or #EDCHAT to widen your reach. It sounds crazy, but asking a bunch of strangers for ideas often works in the education world. Whether it’s in PBL Facebook groups or on Teacher-TikTok, teachers all over the place are willing to share their ideas.

    Identify a Theme Within Your Power Standards

    Sometimes your content standards will have thematic elements to them that can help you generate project ideas. A theme is a universal takeaway from a learning unit, something bigger than just the subject of what students are learning. If you can identify a theme at the start of project planning, you can begin to think about how students will learn that theme.

    For instance, let’s say these were standards you were working with:

    Industrialization – Analyze the origins, characteristics, and consequences of industrialization across the world by describing the social and economic impact of industrialization.

    Increasing global interconnections between societies, through the emergence and spread of ideas, innovations, and commodities.

    After analyzing these standards, you could determine that a theme might be, “Industrialization can have a major impact on people and society.” From there, you can begin to brainstorm how students can learn that theme. Ask questions like: Who is being impacted by industrialization right now? Is it happening in our community? Who could my students serve in this project? What can they create to lessen this impact?

    Brainstorm With Other Educators

    Once you determine a theme or identify a problem for students to solve, find a group of people to brainstorm with. Of course you can come up with ideas on your own, but the best creativity often happens during collaboration. Share the problem, theme, and set of standards with teacher friends at a staff meeting or during a planning period, and start throwing ideas at the wall.

    And when I say throw ideas at the wall, I mean literally. Write down every idea, whether it’s crazy or not, on a whiteboard or sticky notes. Forget about what’s possible or reasonable for the constraints of your classroom, and see what people come up with. After a short time, you will start to see a project idea take shape that is possible. For instance, I had these industrialization standards to brainstorm with my peers. At one point someone said, “This reminds me of a documentary I saw about how refugees from developing nations often struggle to adapt to our industrialized society when they arrive in America.”

    After some further brainstorming, I ended up planning a project where students created tools and resources for a social work agency that help incoming refugees assimilate to our city. You can learn more about that epic project here, but I will tell you, there is no way I could have come up with that project on my own.

    Use Your Network to Find Authentic Partners

    For the past 10 years I have been leading workshops for teachers on how to plan Project Based Learning projects, and at every single one I ask if anyone knows someone who relates to their local zoo. At every workshop for 10 years, at least one person raises their hand and shares a connection they have with someone at the zoo. I then make the point that if you want to plan a project that has something to do with animals, and you’re looking for an authentic audience, all you must do is ask a group of teachers and someone will be able to connect you with the zoo!

    The point is, we all have networks. When coming up with PBL project ideas, we need to take advantage of that. Want your students to present to an official in local government? Someone in your circle probably knows someone who your students could create a project for. Would bringing in a pilot enhance a physics unit? I’m guessing you at least know someone who knows a pilot who could work with your class. Reaching out to friends, family, parents, and colleagues asking for help planning for projects is a great way to come up with ideas and up the authenticity in your classroom.

    Muir wished there was a magical formula for coming up with strong project ideas. You just do this, this, and this and you now have a project that will make learning more authentic and engaging for students. But the truth is, coming up with project ideas is a creative process. It requires thinking outside the box and collaborating with others. Ideation might mean searching online and using your network. However, when you do this, when you approach project design with a creative lens, you will come up with engaging projects. And when that happens, learning will be deeper, richer, and dynamic for your students.

    If you want to dive deeper into Project Based Learning Check Muir’s epicPBL.com where he has free resources, videos, workshop options, and online courses.

    Conclusion

    Developing an idea to create a project is the beginning of the PBL project planning process. Other things to consider when you plan a project are:

    • Deciding on the Scope of the Project
    • Focusing the Project on Content Standards and 21st Century Skills
    • Deciding What Major Products Will be Created and How They Will be Presented
    • Writing a Driving Question

    If you are just starting Project Based Learning, I understand it can be overwhelming. I will help you understand PBL as best I can.

    Keep Learning

    You can review 8 elements of Project Based Learning to refresh your memory on the basics of PBL.

    Reference

    Hallermann, Sara; Larmer, John; Mergendoller PhD, John. PBL in the Elementary Grades: Step-by-Step Guidance, Tools and Tips for Standards-Focused K-5 Projects. Buck Institute for Education. Kindle Edition.

    Keep Learning

    Check out my next post on The First PBL Project Modest in Scope Achieve the Best Results.



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  • Allison Gill: Did the Supreme Court Waffle on the Return of the Unjustly Imprisoned Man from Maryland?

    Allison Gill: Did the Supreme Court Waffle on the Return of the Unjustly Imprisoned Man from Maryland?


    ICE swept up a Maryland man and deported him to the infamous prison in El Salvador for terrorists and hardened criminals. But Abrego Garcia was not a terrorist or a gang member. The Trump administration admitted that his arrest and detention was an “administrative error” but claimed that he could not be returned because he was no longer in U.S. jurisdiction. The lower federal courts ordered the administration to bring him back. The Trump administration objected–unwilling to bring home an innocent victim of their error–and the case went to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court released a unanimous ruling that seemed to favor the return of Abrego Garcia.

    Allison Gill took a close look at the decision and finds many opportunities in its decision to keep Mr. Garcia imprisoned.

    She wrote:

    It appears to be a victory – that the Supreme Court “unanimously” agrees that the government must “facilitate” the return of Abrego Garcia – the Maryland father that was disappeared to the CECOT torture prison in El Salvador on a government-admitted “administrative error.” 

    But the Supreme Court did the wrong thing here by even bothering to weigh in.

    The Breakdown is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

    Do you remember in the immunity ruling, when the Supreme Court sent the case back down to Judge Chutkan after they made their “rule for the ages?” They shoved their robes where they didn’t belong because they should have just denied Trump’s application. Remanding it back to the District Court left the door open for Judge Chutkan’s clarification on official acts to be appealed again – all the way back up to the Supreme Court if necessary – so that the supremes could once again have final say over what the lower court had decided. It also had the added bonus of tacking at least another year of delay onto the case – provided the Supreme Court would have let the case live after the second go-round.

    In the Abrego Garcia case, the liberal justices say they would have denied Trump’s application outright, leaving the lower court order in place:

    Because every factor governing requests for equitable relief manifestly weighs against the Government, Nken v. Holder, 556 U. S. 418, 426 (2009), I would have declined to intervene in this litigation and denied the application in full. (Statement of Justice Sotomayor, with whom Justice Kagan and Justice Jackson join.)

    Technically, the ruling is unanimous because the three liberal justices ultimately agree with the court’s ruling, but by intervening instead of denying the application outright, the Supreme Court is asking the District Court to clarify it’s ruling “with due regard” to Trump: 

    The rest of the District Court’s order remains in effect but requires clarification on remand.The order properly requires the Government to “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador. The intended scope of the term “effectuate” in the District Court’s order is, however, unclear, and may exceed the District Court’s authority. The District Court should clarify its directive, with due regard for the deference owed to the Executive Branch in the conduct of foreign affairs.

    The District Court should clarify its directive, with due regard for the deference owed to the Executive Branch in the conduct of foreign affairs. I mean, you could park a truck in that sentence. It might as well say “Hey District Court, go ahead and give it a shot but don’t cross the blurry lines we aren’t going to draw and don’t break the secret rules which we aren’t going to tell you about. See you in a month!” 

    Share

    They were super vague on their instructions to the lower court in the immunity ruling, too: virtually guaranteeing the case would come before them again. Remember Footnote 3? It was about as clear as mud:

    “[a] prosecutor may point to the public record to show the fact that the President performed the official act. And the prosecutor may admit evidence of what the President allegedly demanded, received, accepted, or agreed to receive or accept in return for being influenced in the performance of the act. … What the prosecutor may not do, however, is admit testimony or private records of the President or his advisers probing the official act itself. Allowing that sort of evidence would invite the jury to inspect the President’s motivations for his official actions and to second-guess their propriety. As we have explained, such inspection would be “highly intrusive” and would “ ‘seriously cripple’ ” the President’s exercise of his official duties. … And such second-guessing would threaten the independence or effectiveness of the Executive.”

    And just as with the immunity ruling, the Supreme Court will likely get another review of whatever the court orders the Trump administration to do to return Abrego Garcia. Because I’m pretty sure that the government isn’t going to want to do what the lower court tells it to, nor will it be forthcoming with the steps it’s taking to comply with court orders. The Trump administration will say “The Supreme Court told you to have deference for how we conduct foreign affairs. You’re not deferencing enough.”

    So yes, it’s awesome that the Supreme Court didn’t outright abandon Abrego Garcia, but now we’re going to potentially drag out the remedy – while a man is wrongfully imprisoned in a gulag – and give the Supremes another at-bat when things don’t go smoothly. The high court should have outright denied the application, just as they should have done in the immunity case. 

    Just my two cents. 

    ~AG



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  • Save Time and Spark Creativity with New Google Slides Templates

    Save Time and Spark Creativity with New Google Slides Templates


    Jeffrey D. Bradbury
    Latest posts by Jeffrey D. Bradbury (see all)

    Google has recently unveiled a set of new templates for Google Slides, offering educators fresh and innovative ways to create engaging presentations for their classrooms. These templates are designed to save time and inspire creativity, making lesson planning more efficient and enjoyable.

    Much like you would see in other popular slide presentation apps (ahem, Canva) these new templates provide not just one, but several slide designs in each template, many of them also including a slide at the end with all of the graphical elements for easy reusing throughout the project..

    How to use Google Slides Templates

    1. On your computer, open a presentation in Google Slides.
    2. To use templates, at the top left, click Templates .
    3. Click on the template you want to use.
    4. You can choose to insert:
      • An individual slide: Click on the slide.
      • All slides from the template: Click Insert all slides.

    Reference Websites

    For more information on these new Google Slides templates and how to use them, visit:

    Additional Resources for Google Slides in Education

    Explore these educational websites for more Google Slides resources and templates:

    • TeacherCast: Offers tutorials and creative ways to use Google Slides in the classroom.
    • Alice Keeler’s Website: Provides innovative ideas and templates for Google Workspace tools, including Slides.
    • Control Alt Achieve: Features extensive resources and tips for using Google tools in education.
    • Slides Carnival: Provides free, customizable Google Slides templates for education.

    Conclusion

    In thinking in long brush strokes about this new feature, these new Google Slides templates offer exciting opportunities to enhance classroom engagement and streamline lesson planning. By incorporating these templates into your teaching practice and exploring additional resources from educational websites, you can create more dynamic, interactive, and visually appealing content for your students. If I had one request to google, it would be to put the button for these new templates where they moved the Layouts tool was moved to and to put the layout dropdown back where it was previously. But … progress (I guess). Remember, these templates are fully customizable, so feel free to adapt them to best suit your classroom’s unique needs and your teaching style.

    To stay updated on the latest educational technology trends, teaching strategies, and exclusive resources, don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter. It’s a great way to keep your teaching toolkit fresh and stay connected with a community of innovative educators. Join us today and take your classroom engagement to the next level!

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