Discover how this innovative Georgia district has implemented online and blended learning at its middle and high schools. Also hear how Tift County School District plans to launch a new virtual academy for students in grades six through twelve.
An Examination of Practices in the United States
All students have the potential to grow academically. However, some practices in U.S. educational systems reflect inequitable approaches for educating students. Listen to the webinar recording to learn how educational equity is impacted by many contributing factors such as race, gender, socio-economic status, language proficiency, learning disability status, and even the COVID-19 crisis.
Transformative justice is a nationwide issue at the forefront of every educators’ mind. How do we address this challenging issue in terms of theory and processes across disciplines in teaching and learning communities?
Join our webinar with special guest Dr Maisha T. Winn for an in-depth introduction to a Transformative Justice Teacher Education Framework where we’ll cover such topics as:
Registration is limited so save your spot today. We look forward to seeing you there!
Guest Speaker
Dr Maisha T. Winn
Chancellor’s Leadership Professor, UC Davis
Co-founder/Co-director of the Transformative Justice in Education Center.
A virtual event hosted by ALAS Executive Director, Dr. Maria Armstrong.
Join this edWebinar for a discussion with ALAS distinguished member and Assistant Superintendent of Clark County Schools, NV, Ignacio Ruiz, and Stanford University language development researcher, Dr. Kenji Hakuta, who will examine effective ways to address the educational needs of English Language Learners.
It will give attendees best practices for both instruction and leadership that they can implement today to ensure EL student success. The facilitator will be ALAS Executive Director, Dr. Maria Armstrong.
A virtual event around Literacy, hosted by Tina Patterson
Literacy expert Tina Patterson will guide participants through an overview of what the Science of Reading is (and what it isn’t). We will explore some of the ways that Imagine Learning has put the research into action and how practitioners can make changes within their schools to refine literacy instruction.
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October 21, 2022 6:20 pm
Being vulnerable in the classroom (or anywhere) takes courage. Here are just a few ways you can open up to your students and show them that you’re human, too.
Research professor Dr. Brené Brown — who is famous for her talks on vulnerability and taking risks, as well as her #1 New York Times bestseller Daring Greatly — says vulnerability opens us up to pain and tragedy, but also to love, joy, and connection. It is uncertain and sometimes risky, but it can lead to feelings that make life worth living.
Dr. Brown says that learning itself is inherently vulnerable, and encouraging vulnerability in the classroom is not synonymous with “coddling,” as many may think. It’s actually quite the opposite of coddling because it pushes students to open themselves up, leave their comfort zones, and learn in a more personal, intentional way. And the first step to encouraging students to be vulnerable is by being vulnerable in the classroom as a teacher.
Veteran English teacher David Rockower learned this after years of reading predictable, not-very-emotional memoir-writing assignments. In previous years, he tended to shrug off the lack of unique emotional experiences and deep connections in his students’ writing as just a result of their age. But one year, he decided to change his approach. He realized he had to show his students that he was willing to do exactly what he was asking of them. And it ended up changing the game completely.
When explaining the assignment, instead of giving students an inspirational quote from a poet or examples of memoirs from strangers, Mr. Rockower wrote a story about one of the hardest, most emotional experiences in his own life. After reading his story to the class, the questions that followed weren’t the usual, “How long does my paper need to be?” or “How many paragraphs?” Instead, some students clapped, some wanted to share their personal experiences, and one student even asked, “Can we please write now?”
The stories his students turned in later were powerful and far more emotional than any he’d received before. His takeaway from this experience was profound: “My unwillingness to share, to write from the heart, [and] to be vulnerable was ultimately holding my students back. And when I finally took the leap, they followed.”
Being vulnerable in the classroom (or anywhere) takes courage. Leaving your comfort zone is not easy, and there will always be students who want to mock or use things against you, but, as one teacher put it, “for every student who negatively takes advantage of our openness, there will be scores more who thrive because of it.” Vulnerability is a powerful, emotional, and, at times, uncomfortable journey, led by both self-exploration and genuine intrigue to discover often uncharted territories.
Another teacher, who strove for perfection and sought to avoid “inevitable” mockery from his students, says that being the “all-knowing, impenetrable teacher” was uninspiring and untrustworthy. After receiving some life-changing news, he altered his teaching style and allowed himself to be vulnerable in front of his students, which yielded a new type of connection with them. These days, he says, “the mark of a good teacher is having a willingness to learn alongside of their students.”
Being vulnerable in the classroom can promote deeper thinking, strengthen your relationships with students, and prompt more authentic responses. Showing students that you’re not perfect helps them understand that it’s okay to have flaws and imperfections. Teachers across the nation, who first told us why they teach during Teacher Appreciation Week, opened up on the importance of being vulnerable in the classroom, and how they show students they’re human, too.
“Every day, I remind students that we’re a team. In order to get them to fully believe this, I don’t pretend to be an expert on everything. I value students’ opinions and admit when I am not sure about something. I hope this kind of humility shows students that we are always learning, even as adults. I also think this has been an effective way for me to gain a healthier sense of respect rather than one based solely on power and authority.”
“I talk to my students on the playground at recess. I read what they write in their journals and ask them about it. I make sure that they know I care about them. I tell them stories about me, my kids, and my life, so that they have buy-in.”
“You should share with them aspects of your life that are important to things that you’re talking about in what you’re covering that lesson. I stress several aspects of my personal experience. They need to see that I come from somewhere, and I think teachers fail their students if they don’t show them their own backgrounds. You have to share yourself with your students if you want them to take you seriously.”
“I joke and I share things about my life, weekend plans. I think it is also important to admit mistakes and let them know that even we make them, and that’s okay.”
“You have to show your students that you are human, and that you also make mistakes. If you try to look perfect in front of them, you will fail. I think that by showing them you aren’t perfect, you really can connect with them. They become more comfortable with you and see that they can make mistakes and won’t be judged for them. I also feel that incorporating lessons/readings about what they’re interested in can create connections. They feel that you genuinely care about them and their needs, so they feel more comfortable and willing to open up to you.”
If you’re feeling anxious or uneasy about opening yourself up more to your students, remind yourself of the blessing of teaching—it’s naturally a very personal profession, and human connections will always strengthen learning. As our once not-so-vulnerable teacher says, “vulnerability is the essential root of the thinker and learner.” And it starts by challenging yourself to be courageous.
Distance Learning – What’s working and best practices serving teachers, students, and families
Join Imagine Learning for another district leader panel discussion to hear about how the transition to distance teaching continues to evolve. Hear about the new day to day in leading schools through this time of change. See what’s working and how school leaders are adapting to a new learning environment for educators and families.
in intervention and core instruction with Imagine Learning
Lighthouse Imagine Learning users from Michigan detail their implementations and show how it significantly impacted their student’s performance and supported teachers with differentiation and extension resources, both during traditional school and distance learning.
Goal:
Data is all around us, yet data is not always used efficiently or effectively to drive a mathematical vision for schools and/or districts. Ideally data should be used to assess student progress towards mathematical understanding, and to support teachers’ instruction. Imagine Learning experts discuss alternative ways to look at and use data. Learn how to use technology to effectively collect data, to drive instruction, and to drive your school’s mathematical vision.
October 14, 2022 8:00 am
Within just a few hours, U.S. students who solved more than 228,000 Imagine Math problems, converted earned math points to $5,000 for the American Red Cross Hurricane Ian Fund
Scottsdale, Ariz., OCTOBER 14, 2022 – Students across the U.S. who use Imagine Learning’s Imagine Math program completed math problems and donated earned points from the program to raise $5,000 for the American Red Cross Hurricane Ian Relief Fund in just a few hours. Throughout the school year, students solved more than 228,000 math problems to earn more than 5 million math points, which translates to $5,000 for Hurricane Ian relief. On Monday, Oct. 10, Imagine Learning representatives presented a $5,000 check to the American Red Cross chapter in Tampa, Florida. The funds will be dedicated to supporting relief efforts in Lee County, Florida.
“The Red Cross is grateful for the generosity of community partners like Imagine Learning, which makes a life-changing difference to neighbors facing unimaginable loss from Hurricane Ian,” said Kristin Burke, Chief Development Officer for the American Red Cross of Central Florida.
The donation is a part of Imagine Learning’s charitable giving program. Since the incentive program’s inception in 2008, students who have used Imagine Math have donated 1.7 trillion math points, completed more than 2.6 million math lessons, and worked through more than 84 million math problems for a total giving of $172,173 to the American Red Cross. Over the years, students have converted their hard-earned point donations to a variety of American Red Cross causes, including the Haitian Relief Fund, the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund, numerous hurricane relief funds, and most recently the Jackson, Mississippi water crisis.
“When Imagine Math students learned they could contribute to the Red Cross to help people affected by Hurricane Ian, they responded in record time,” said Jeff Pendleton, SVP and General Manager of Supplemental and Intervention for Imagine Learning. “Normally, it might take up to a week for student donations to reach the $5,000 level but in this instance, it only took 3 hours, which is both astonishing and inspiring.”
Students from schools all over the country donated their Imagine Math points. Top donations came from schools in Illinois and Texas, in addition to Renaissance Middle Charter School in Doral, Florida.
“We could not be prouder of our students; they are an amazing example of our Charter School USA tenets, Integrity of putting others first, and Passion for providing the best education for every child,” said Renaissance Middle Charter School Principal, Elaine Castellanos. “On behalf of Renaissance Middle Charter School, I commend 6th grade accelerated math teacher Mr. Beck and his students for their dedication and kindness.”
Imagine Math combines a rich curriculum with fun, adaptive digital experiences to help students become confident math learners. Recent studies have shown that students who utilize Imagine Math demonstrate significant academic gains on standardized assessments. Ideal as a supplement to standards-based PreK—Geometry core instruction, Imagine Math’s two age-appropriate learning environments are designed for student engagement. In grades 3 and above, students are invited to a meaningful exploration of mathematical understanding. Rigorous, standards-rich content adapts to the unique needs of each learner to develop essential foundations and conceptual understanding they need to achieve grade-level mastery. In addition, students in grades 3 through 8 can earn points by completing lessons which can be turned into charitable donation dollars.
More information about Imagine Math is available at imaginelearning.com/imagine-math.
About Imagine Learning
Imagine Learning is a PreK–12 digital learning solutions company that ignites learning breakthroughs by designing forward-thinking solutions at the intersection of people, curricula, and technology to drive student growth. Imagine Learning serves more than 15 million students and partners with more than half the school districts nationwide. Imagine Learning’s flagship products include Imagine Edgenuity®, online courseware and virtual school services solutions; supplemental and intervention solutions for literacy, language, mathematics, and computer science; and high-quality, digital-first core curriculum, including Illustrative Mathematics®, EL Education®, and Odell Education®—all on the Imagine Learning Classroom—and Twig Science®. Read more about Imagine Learning’s digital solutions at imaginelearning.com.