View webinar recording (to come)

A focus on students: Supporting special needs and well-being during school closures

Special educators, school counselors, and school support personnel will share the challenges and successes of providing remote support for distance learning and the social/emotional needs of students during school closures.

Guest panelists:

Dr. Hélène Dionne
Director of Counseling Services, Landmark School, Prides Crossing, MA, USA
Coeducational school for students diagnosed with dyslexia or another language-based learning disability (LBLD), private/day and residential, grades 2-12 
 
Michael Donahue
Special Education Team Chair, Hopkinton High School, Hopkinton, MA, USA
public, grades 9-12
  
Cynthia McCobb
Counselor, Clinton Avenue School and Edgewood Magnet School, New Haven, CT, USA
magnet schools, grades K-8
 
Jason Roderick, MSW
Director of Counseling Services and Wellness Coordinator, Providence Country Day School, East Providence, RI, USA
private/day, grades 6-12

Angela Smith 
Upper Primary Principal, English Modern School, Doha, Qatar 
international, grades KG1-6 

Debbie Stanton
Head of Upper School Student Services, Upper School Guidance Counsellor & DDSL, ACS International School Egham, London, England
international, grades 6-12

RECORDINGS:

Student Voices: Distance learning during COVID-19 (04/28/2020) 

Assessment and grading during COVID-19 (04/21/2020)

College Admissions: Impact of the Coronavirus (04/14/2020)

Sustaining Virtual Learning (04/07/2020)

DESCRIPTIONS AND RESOURCES:

Student Voices: Distance learning during COVID-19 (04/28/2020)

Guest panelists:

We invited a small group of students (grades 5-12) representing public schools in the U.S., independent schools, and international schools (Helsinki and Shaghai are represented) to tell us what's on their minds about the transition to distance learning during COVID-19 school closures. Hear how they have been coping, what they miss — and don't — about going to school, and what they'd like their teachers and parents to know about their recent experiences. 

Schools represented: 
Holderness School (private), Holderness, New Hampshire, USA
Hopkinton Middle School (public), Hopkington, Massachusetts, USA
International School of Helsinki, Finland
Shanghai American School (international), China
Souhegan High School (public), Amherst, New Hampshire, USA

Assessment and grading during COVID-19 (04/21/2020)

In this webinar we will discuss effective assessment strategies for students in a digital environment as well as the implications for grading during COVID-19 school closures. We will be responding to questions posed by participants in our previous webinars such as: How do we know what students know and can do in a virtual environment? What are all the considerations in determining how student performance will be recorded and communicated during this time? What types of assessment practices will be most successful in a digital environment? What are some suggestions for alternative or non-traditional assessment pathways in the Covid19 era? 

Guest Panelists:
Abby Benedetto @AbbyBenedetto
Deeper Learning Coach, Envision Learning Partners
presentation slides

Stacy Caldwell @MastTranscript
Chief Executive Officer, Mastery Transcript Consortium
presentation slides

https://mastery.org/mtc-insights

Dr. Julie Hackett @lexingtonsuper
Superintendent, Lexington Public Schools
Lexington Public Schools Remote Learning Webpage

Resources shared during the webinar include:

https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2020/04/01/grading-students-during-the-coronavirus-crisis-whats.html

The Promise and Practice of Next Generation Assessment - https://www.amazon.com/dp/168253197X?tag=duckduckgo-d-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1

Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools - https://www.amazon.com/dp/1118955153?tag=duckduckgo-d-20&linkCode=osi&th=1&psc=1

The Blended Workbook: Learning to Design the Schools of our Future - https://www.amazon.com/Blended-Workbook-Learning-Design-Schools-ebook/dp/B074CDWTR7/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&qid=1587474913&refinemen...

Performance Assessment: 4 Best Practices - https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2019/02/06/performance-assessment-4-best-practices.html

Urgent care for an assessment system in an emergency: https://www.cce.org/uploads/files/Pop-Up-Assessment-Kit.pdf

https://www.cce.org/thought-leadership/blog/post/performance-assessment-six-examples

Performance Assessment Bank - https://www.performanceassessmentresourcebank.org/

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/3rs-effective-assessment-adrian-von-wrede-jervis/

Maintaining Rigor Through Distance Learning - https://www.teachbetter.com/blog/maintaining-rigor-through-distance-learning/

PORTFOLIO DEFENSE - https://envisionlearning.org/portfolio-defense/

DEFENSE OF LEARNING - https://envisionlearning.org/defense-of-learning/

DEFENSE DESIGN - https://envisionlearning.org/defense-design-studios/

https://www.thinglink.com/card/1308368554818535427

https://eleducation.org/resources/expeditionary-learning

College Admissions: Impact of the Coronavirus (04/14/2020)

College Admissions: Impact of the Coronavirus
Presented in partnership with the New England Association for College Admission Counseling (NEACAC)
As school closures resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic continue with no predictable end, the college admissions process is quickly adapting to the new virtual paradigm: expanded online recruiting, virtual campus tours and interviews, delays and cancellations in test reporting, virtual high school classes, and changes in grading and assessments are among the many challenges. Join us to hear from a panel of college admissions professionals who will share their perspectives on how schools can help their students navigate the college search and application process during this uncertain time.

Guest Panelists:

Erik S. DeAngelis, Senior Associate Director
Office of College Admission, Brown University

Leykia Nulan, Dean of Admission
Mount Holyoke College

Michael C. Iorio, Assistant Vice President of Enrollment & Director of Admission
Saint Anselm College

Erin W. Earle, Ed.D. Director, Campus Visit Experience
The University of Rhode Island

Christina Doyle, Executive Director
New England Association for College Admission Counseling

Sustaining Virtual Learning (04/07/2020)

Sustaining Virtual Learning
In this session, we will hear from colleagues at international schools that were some of the first to make the transition to emergency distance learning in the wake of COVID-19 school closures. They will share their experiences, respond to questions gathered from participants in the March 31st Forum session, and provide insights from some of the lessons learned - and mistakes made - on the front lines of the pandemic. We will specifically discuss strategies for teaching younger children and children with special needs, as well as, supporting the social-emotional health of students and the school community.

Guest Panelists:

Anne Gardon @AnneGardon
Head of Primary, Chinese International School, Hong Kong

• Primary Online Learning Guiding Statements 
• Primary Online Learning Zoom Lessons & Meetings Schedule 
• Primary Online Learning Plan Sample #1 (Reception)
• Primary Online Learning Plan Sample #2 (Year 3) 
• Primary Online Learning Plan Sample #3  (Year 5) 
• Primary Online Learning Guidelines For Synchronous Meets with Students 
• Primary Online Direct Instruction By Year Level 

Stephen Taylor @sjtylr
Director of Innovation in Learning and Teaching, MYP Coordinator and High School Science Teacher
Western Academy of Beijing

Stacy Stephens @curriculumstace
Director of Learning and Strategic Planning
International School of Beijing  |  eLearning Resources