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High-Dosage Tutoring: A Research-Backed Math Intervention

by Henry Price
written by Henry Price

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly disrupted education, leading to widespread learning loss among students. In Texas, the recent results of the STAAR test reveal that only 45% of students are scoring at or above grade level in Algebra. This concerning trend has serious implications for students’ preparedness in STEM fields and college, as pointed out by Judith Cruz, a former HISD trustee and Texas assistant director for the Education Trust, in an interview with Texas Public Radio.

The Increasing Need for Math Tutoring

Low algebra scores are a pervasive and nationwide issue, with the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) data reporting math scores, on average, have declined by 9 points, reaching the lowest level in decades. The Princeton Review® and Tutor.com also report an unprecedented demand for algebra tutoring, correlating with historically low algebra assessment scores, and indicating that students are seeking math help more than ever.

Math, particularly algebra, has long been Tutor.com’s most requested subject. “Even for this historically popular subject and subtopic, we are meeting a demand for support we have not experienced before,” said Sandi White, Senior Vice President for Institutional Partnerships. “Our aggregate 2022 session data aligns with what Tutor.com tutors and quality specialists see every day.”

A Research-Backed Math Intervention

As the struggle with pandemic-related learning loss persists, High-Dosage Tutoring has emerged as a research-backed intervention to bridge the math achievement gap and provide timely assistance to students in need. The Annenberg Institute’s 2021 meta-analysis showcased the positive impact of High-Dosage Tutoring in Chicago Public Schools, where it significantly reduced math course failures by over 50% while improving overall course outcomes and math grades.

What Is High-Dosage Tutoring?

While High-Dosage Tutoring’s efficacy has been well-established among researchers, its application on a broad scale has never been more crucial. Effective High-Dosage Tutoring models, like the one provided by The Princeton Review and Tutor.com, follow the methodology outlined by the Annenberg Institute at Brown University. This model recommends a minimum of three weekly sessions with a consistent tutor in a small-group setting during school hours.

A diagram of a high-dosage tutoring instruction, which can be used for math tutoring.

High-Dosage Tutoring is a powerful and research-backed intervention to bridge the math achievement gap for students and provide much-needed assistance in their learning journey. With its proven effectiveness and scalability, High-Dosage Tutoring can further empower students to regain their math confidence and proficiency, setting them on a path to success in mathematics and beyond.

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Typing Resources for upper elementary and middle school
Uncategorized

How to Teach Typing in Upper Elementary and Middle School

by Sara Reed
written by Sara Reed

When I was tasked with teaching typing to 6th graders back in 2004, my only experience was from my own typing class in 1985. Thanks to an electronic typewriter, countless hours of practice, and my dedicated teacher, Berta Foster, I was a proficient typist. But I lacked the specific knowledge needed to teach 11-12 year olds how to type. To prepare myself for this new teaching opportunity, I delved into research on various programs. I hoped to find a resource that would be more engaging and less complex for today’s students. Here’s what I found to work in creating my own keyboarding program, starting with goal setting and building healthy habits.

Setting Goals and Providing Background Knowledge

Before students embark on typing instruction, it’s crucial for them to understand the positive benefits of developing this skill. Setting realistic goals for success is equally important. Drawing on my experience as a typing teacher for over 14 years, I’ve found that sharing this video about the history of the typewriter, along with a brief explanation of the modern keyboard layout, to be helpful. It addresses many questions students often have about why keys are arranged the way they are.

Each student learns at their own pace, particularly when it comes to touch typing. With this in mind, I discovered the effectiveness of an activity called “Meet it, Beat it, Double it.” This approach, which I learned about at TCEA’s Convention & Exposition a few years ago, allows for individualized goal-setting and can be used as a measurable tool in the early stages of instruction.

Developing Healthy Keyboarding Habits

It’s important to emphasize the significance of maintaining good posture while typing. To make this information engaging and fun, I created a digital breakout called “Sitting Pretty.” This resource incorporates various digital elements that highlight positive habits. Typists should adopt or adjust them to ensure their safety and well-being while typing.

Sitting Pretty digital breakout teaches healthy keyboarding and typing habits.
Screenshot of the Sitting Pretty Digital Breakout by the author
Get a Copy of the Breakout

Alphabetic Keyboarding Instruction

One major challenge I faced was the limited time I would have with my students each day. Just 30 minutes! Most of the programs I came across were software-based and centered on teaching the keys using the “home row” method. Given the number of lessons required to introduce the keys using this method, it would be challenging to establish a routine where students could experience success.

Continuing my research, I eventually stumbled upon another method. This method bypassed teaching from the home row and introduced the keys alphabetically instead. This approach, rooted in research and outlined in Diana Hanbury King’s book, “Keyboarding Skills,” yielded remarkable success. I combined her method of alphabetic keyboarding instruction with positive reinforcement. Additionally, I used a revised poem she adapted from Joyce Steeves of The Jermicy School. This poem proves invaluable in helping my students remember correct finger placement and reaches.

A poem to introduce proper typing technique to students learning keyboarding.
Poem adapted by Diana Hanbury King

To delve deeper into this method of keyboarding instruction, I highly recommend exploring Ms. King’s book. You can also refer to my pacing guide for additional information. The pacing guide includes the following:

  • The history of typing with discussion questions
  • Goal setting activity
  • Healthy habits with discussion questions and an extension activity
  • Finger placement visual guide
  • Instructions for preparing to type
  • Left-hand letters video introduction and visual guides
  • Right-hand letters video introduction and visual guides
  • Typing with both hands video introduction and visual guides
  • Reinforcement activities in Google Slides that can be easily duplicated and shared with students digitally

Additional Practice for Keyboarding

After students have been introduced to the keys, additional typing practice will be essential to develop speed and accuracy. In her book, Ms. King suggests using short words to foster accuracy. Moreover, encouraging students to focus on practicing a sequence until they’ve mastered it correctly multiple times can be instrumental in honing these skills. Once students have mastered the alphabet, additional keys such as numbers, symbols, and capitalization can be introduced.

Google Slides Practice Sets

In the pacing guide, I provide activities for additional practice that can easily be shared with students digitally. These activities are in Google Slides and offer students practice with short words and phrases to build accuracy.

Additional keyboarding practice activities in Google Slides.
Example Google Slides Reinforcement Activity by the author
TypingClub.com

In my experience, after students master the keys, they benefit from additional activities to keep them engaged and focused on improving their skills. After extensive research, I found that TypingClub.com closely aligned with the needs of my students. This online resource allowed me to create a free School Edition account and generate login information for students through an import.

edclub School Edition provides typing practice for students.
Screenshot by Emily Horn: edclub School Edition page

Once the accounts were created, students were added to a class. Then, I assigned pre-made or custom activities tailored to their needs. While I’m not a fan of programs that exclusively instruct students using the home row method, I found TypingClub.com to be a motivating platform. It guides students through skill-building using challenges and a badging system. Additionally, I was able to monitor student progress both online and through the program’s reporting options, which provided valuable data for differentiation and remediation. I also incorporated other online resources to keep learning fresh and make practice time more engaging and enjoyable.

By setting achievable goals, providing essential background knowledge, and emphasizing healthy typing habits, I was able to create a foundation for successful learning with countless students. The alphabetic keyboarding method, complemented by positive reinforcement, has proven to be a game changer in my teaching experience. I hope these insights inspire fellow educators to refine their own typing instruction. Equipping students with this essential skill is an investment in their future success in our digital age.

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Title "20+ Science Books for Girls" on top of various book covers.
ReadingScienceScience

20+ Science Books for Middle and High School Girls

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Looking for science books for your daughter? Want to encourage critical thinking and thinking like a scientist? If so, let’s look at some recommendations from middle school science teachers. I’ll also add a few of my own selections from what I read with my daughter and, looking back, what I might add to the list.

What Is Critical Thinking?

One of my favorite authors is Louis L’Amour. He says in my favorite book of his, The Walking Drum:

“You are your own best teacher. My advice is to question all things. Seek for answers, and when you find what seems to be an answer, question that, too.”

Critical thinking is quite important, and this isn’t a bad way to think of it. Critical thinking is…

  • a set of skills and habits of mind,
  • a way to define a problem, identify assumptions, and analyze ideas
  • also an approach to reasoning in a critical manner
  • listing different possible causes
  • creating plausible solutions
  • evaluating the correctness of each using logical reasoning.
  • the ability to make creative connections between ideas from different disciplines (source)

Here is a great explanation of how to think like a scientist:

Kindling a Love of Reading

“Open a book, and you’ll never know where you end up.” It paraphrases a quote I read poring through Louis L’Amour’s Western stories. I’d stop at the library and pick up a “two-week” bag of books. In a few days, I’d return them all, finished. Every library I walked into was my church, every bookshelf, a pew. To pass on my love of reading, I would read to my daughter when she was younger. Years have passed, and we’re now both avid readers. Reading with your child is one of the best ways to grow a love of reading! My favorites to read to her at the time were a series of Did You Know? children’s books. Today, you can find a wide variety of Did You Know? science books online. Here are a few to explore:

Books that Use Science to Solve Problems

Introduce your daughter to Halley Harper, Science Girl Extraordinaire series of books. These five books feature a nine year old girl who uses science to solve problems. Topics range from the Laws of Motion to chemistry, fossils, nature, and outer space.

Science Books for Girls

Let’s look at 20+ nonfiction books to explore on the chemistry and physics shelf. These are primarily for middle and high schoolers. Explore them in more depth using the links provided.

  1. A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
  2. Bomb (Graphic Novel): The Race to Build–and Steal–the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin and Nick Bertozzi
  3. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
  4. Empire of Ants: The Hidden Worlds and Extraordinary Lives of Earth’s Tiny Conquerors by Susanne Foitzik (Author), Olaf Fritsche (Author), Ayça Türkoglu (Translator)
  5. Headstrong: 52 Women Who Changed Science and the World by Rachel Swaby
  6. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
  7. Lab Girl Hope Jahren
  8. Marie Curie and Her Daughters: The Private Lives of Science’s First Family by Shelley Emling
  9. Parasite Rex: Inside the Bizarre World of Nature’s Most Dangerous Creatures by Carl Zimmer
  10. The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
  11. Science Comic series of 28 books by Maris Wicks, MK Reed, and many others
  12. “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!”: Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard P. Feynman
  13. The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean
  14. The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars by Dave Sobel
  15. The Jazz of Physics by Stephon Alexander
  16. The Violinists Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code by Sam Kean
  17. What Einstein Told His Cook: Kitchen Science Explained by Robert L. Wolke
  18. What Einstein Told His Cook 2: The Sequel: Further Adventures in Kitchen Science by Robert L. Wolke
  19. Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky
  20. Women in White Coats by Olivia Campbell
  21. The Science of Science: A Guide to Thinking Like a Scientist by Crystal C. Li
  22. Think for Yourself: The Ultimate Guide to Critical Thinking in an Age of Information Overload and Misinformation by Andrea Debbink (author) and Aaron Meshon (illustrator)
  23. How to Think Like a Scientist by Stephen P. Kramer (author), Felicia Bond (illustrator)

Want more titles? Check out this curated list of STEM novels. Additionally, there are many fiction titles worth exploring that will pique interest. One of my favorites, for example, is Reynolds and Reynolds’ Going Places. You can get a taste for the spirit of the book in the video below:

So, what will you start with? I hope you’ve found some science book selections from the list that have piqued your interest and sparked some inspiration. Do you have other books to add? Let us know your favorites in the comments.

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Content AreasEducational ResearchGood Teaching

TCEA Responds: Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS)

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Dear TCEA Responds:

How do you go about strengthening Tier 1 instruction while also addressing Tier 2/3 needs with a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS)? Share best practices!

Thanks, Lucinda

Dear Lucinda,

Thanks so much for this insightful question. I recently read that if your Tier 1 instruction includes over 800 students, you need to improve. That is, improve your Tier 3 instruction. Let’s do a quick review of the three levels of instruction. I always have trouble remembering which is which!

The Three Tiers

The three tiers of instruction are as follows:

  • Tier 1: Core Classroom Instruction. This is the instruction that all students get. It’s high-quality classroom-wide instruction and support.
  • Tier 2: Targeted Small Group Instruction. This is instruction tailored to the needs of specific student groups. This instruction seeks to address a student’s gaps in skills.
  • Tier 3: Intensive Individual Intervention. This involves instruction for students in small groups or one-to-one. Intensive support is provided often and in smaller groups.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) defines multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) as a “framework that focuses on intervention best practices.” It works “within the areas of academics, behavior, and social/emotional supports.” This framework addresses the need of the “whole child” and is centered around student needs.

“The goal of MTSS is to find struggling students early and provide intervention.”

Interventions have to align with available research. Progress monitoring data suggests what movement, if any, there should be between tiers.

Universal Design for Learning diagram

Image Source: Dept. of Education, Massachusetts

Strengthening Tier 1 Instruction

It’s easy to see that evidence-based instructional strategies work well. Many educators may be unfamiliar with how to use evidence-based strategies. That is, how to use them to ensure student success.

Per the American Institutes for Research’s MTSS Center, here are some recommendations:

  • Use evidence-based practices that yield desired outcomes
  • Assess how effective the core program is for students struggling
  • Supplement with additional programs or materials (source)

They also suggest that teachers build in the following elements:

  • Daily small group instruction
  • Increase opportunities for students to respond and receive feedback
  • Maximized engagements by using prompts

Other Solutions Suggested

This TCEA Responds question came about as a result of a post on social media. Several responses appeared in reply. Some of those responses are paraphrased below:

  • Try Whole School Agreement. This allows teachers to agree on a common language, models, strategies, and more. The purpose of this is for students to hear and see the same things year to year. Listen to this podcast about instructional coherence.
  • Provide plenty of examples, models, and non-examples that students can examine in a critical way.
  • Provide alternative assessments, brief lectures, one-on-ones, and small group sessions within 50-minute intervals.
  • Use anchor charts, peer collaborations, visuals, and realia as needed.
  • Strengthen Tier 1 instruction through solid, direct instruction addressing common misconceptions.
  • Close gaps for Tier 2 and 3 through solid small group instruction to address specific/individual misconceptions. Do this while Tier 1 students are doing independent practice or group work.
  • Rely on AVID strategies such as focused notes and metacognition.

Some more suggestions include:

  • Explicit vocabulary instruction with references to earlier understanding and activities.
  • Modeling different strategies using manipulatives during whole group instruction.
  • Aggressive monitoring to check for misconceptions with instant feedback.

TCEA Solutions

Some suggestions you may find helpful appear below. While I am tempted to offer Amazing Lesson Design Outline (ALDO) to assist you in planning Tier 1, 2, and 3 interventions, you may want more.

I keep coming back to Peter Drucker.In a previous blog entry. I quote him and then share some suggestions:

“The largest and easiest gains in knowledge work come from redefining the task. They involve eliminating what need not be done,” says Peter Drucker. Didn’t get the results you want? Prune the unnecessary. Stop doing anything and everything that fails to move you towards those results. Are you a principal focused on achieving innovative learning? How you get there varies. (source).

Consider these offerings below from TCEA:

Tier 1: Supporting Universal or Core Instruction in a MTSS

TCEA has a variety of TechNotes articles focused on evidence-based instructional strategies. You can use ALDO to see how they can fit together to enhance behavior (e.g. social-emotional learning). Also, how to impact surface, deep, and transfer learning, as well as feedback.

Here is a short list of additional TechNotes resources:

Also, a list of TCEA online courses:

Tier 2: Targeted Small Group Instruction in a MTSS

Some additional TechNotes articles:

Relevant online courses:

What else do you think might be useful? How would you have responded to this TCEA Responds query? Let us know in the comments.

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Leadership

Five Tips for New School Principals

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Are you an aspiring principal or about to step into that role? Perhaps, you are responsible for supporting new principals? Every principal faces a mountain of new tasks aligned with district mandates. And they often have to sort through what is critical, important, and/or what can wait until later. But how do you support new principals? And if you’re a new principal, how can you get support? Earlier this year, I stumbled on a fantastic Facebook group that discusses a variety of relevant topics. Let’s take a moment to explore some of the top topics, tips for school leaders, and resources shared in preparation for your leadership journey. Then, I’ll share the Facebook group so you can join in on the discussion.

  • Take time during the evening to unplug from work.
  • Observe, listen, and learn. Avoid making changes right away.
  • Own your mistakes, and offer a sincere apology.
  • Schedule time for one-on-one meetings with your team.
  • Give yourself time to think about decisions.

Tip #1: Your First 90 Days

When I applied for a Career and Technology Director position, I came up with a 90-day list of tasks. It’s not a bad idea to take that list with you to an interview and showcase what you imagine your first 90 days in a new role will be like.

I love this spreadsheet of the first 90 days in a new school:

Gif of the New School Principal Checklist. The document is linked below .

Principal’s Checklist: 90-Day Plan

Tip #2: Empower the Chain of Command

When you first land in a role, it’s easy to want to solve every problem that you run across. But to lead with empowerment, it’s important to affirm your chain of command, that is to empower the people who are responsible as first responders to campus personnel. These people are in leadership roles and their responsibility is to resolve situations before they get to you.

Success of a leader is not how strong your team is while you are leading. Success is how strong your team is able to be in the absence of leadership.

One example is that of a principal who learned this lesson.

I was an assistant principal and principal in a school with over 1300 secondary students for 6 years.

My biggest mistake was not adhering to the line management roles. I always had my door open to teachers, parents and also students. At the time, I thought this was the best approach.

I have now moved on to another school and have changed my view. I feel I undermined managers and senior teachers with my open door approach.

Now, I have adopted what I should have adopted before – anyone should have to see a current line manager and, if necessary, the current assistant principal before me. Nothing should to come to me before this happens.

I felt I had to solve everything after moving up the ranks. In reflection, I disempowered others and added to my crazy workload

How are you managing the monkey, supporting other people’s work?

Tip #3: Celebrate Growth

“I asked each staff member to write two glows from the year on leaves and one grow on a rock,” said one principal. This is what they came up with:

This Principal Glows and Grows Activity shows a tree with leaves stating "glows" and rocks stating "grows" to highlight areas of success and areas of needed growth.

Isn’t that amazing? Glows and grows might be described in this way:

The idea of “glows and grows” is to boil a great deal of information down to a relatable level.

A “glow” is a bright spot we should call out as a strength and continue to nurture. A “grow” is an area where, if we focus on improving, we stand to make important gains. I didn’t want to anchor our thinking around challenges, but rather places where we can make great gains by growing and improving. (source)

What’s more, be sure to check out Mike Alpert’s collection of two-minute inspiring videos. Use these to enhance your staff communications.

Here are my top five favorites from Mike’s list (TIP: Grab a box of tissues):

What are your favorites? What lessons could you and your team get from these? Here’s an alternate list, although there may be some duplication.

Tip #4: Read a Book

From Leaders Eat Last to The IT Factor: Discover and Unleash Your Own Unique Leadership Potential, there is a wealth of leadership books to read. Some recommend Leverage Leadership (read MyNotes series on this text). Others suggest Ken Blanchard’s The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey.

What I find curious is that the book you choose reflects what you perceive as your biggest growth area. If it’s time management, Blanchard’s book may be the one for you. Or, if you expect staff management issues, Crucial Conversations might be the best pick. Take some time to reflect on what YOUR biggest area of growth needs to be, then plan your course of study accordingly.

Getting a leadership book group going isn’t a bad idea. Here are a few more suggestions from the group:

What books would you include on this bookshelf?

Tip #5: Be a Change Agent, an Instructional Leader

One tip that often goes unstated is, “Focus on being an instructional leader rather than a transformational one.”

Activities associated with instructional leadership had a greater impact than those associated with transformational leadership.”

(Source)

The climate and culture of a school mediate the principal’s impact on learning (Source). We know that different kinds of leadership are more effective than others. For example, Hattie’s research points out that transformational leadership differs from instructional leadership.

Reminder: John Hattie says that any instructional strategy has an impact on learning. The average impact on learning of any strategy is 0.40.  Anything greater than a 0.40 effect size accelerates student growth in a calendar year.

What are the effect sizes for these two types of leadership? Transformational leadership has an effect size of 0.11. Instructional leadership has an effect size of 0.42.

What activities do researchers associate with instructional leadership?

  • Engaging in classroom observations
  • Interpreting test scores with teachers
  • Focusing on instructional issues
  • Ensuring a coordinated instructional program
  • Being highly visible
  • Communicating high academic standards
  • Ensuring class atmospheres are conducive to learning

If principals can adopt these behaviors that speed student growth, shouldn’t they? Researchers and reformers say, “Yes.”

The Facebook Group

Where can you find these and other resources? Be sure to visit The Principal’s Desk Facebook group. You will be sure to find resources to support aspiring or new principals.

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Back to SchoolPlanning and Preparation

A Back to School Calendar Packed with Celebrations

by Emily Horn
written by Emily Horn

If you’ve ever checked out National Today (or worked in a school), then you know there is more than one reason to celebrate each and every day. As I was thinking about the start of the year, I thought to myself, “Wouldn’t it be great to have a calendar for 2023-2024 with all the special weeks, months, and days marked with celebrations that might apply to school life?” So, I tried to create just that. But, it’s likely that I missed a few celebrations (there are thousands!), so I made this calendar an editable template for you to rework to your heart’s content. Here’s what you’ll get today:

  • An editable, printable 2023-2024 calendar with celebratory dates marked throughout (download at the end of this post)
  • A list of celebrations for each month of the year with linked resources

I wish everyone a wonderful back to school season. Have fun celebrating!

August 2023

August 2023 Calendar

September 2023

September 2023 Calendar

October 2023

October 2023 Calendar

November 2023

November 2023 Calendar

December 2023

December 2023 Calendar

January 2024

January 2024 Calendar

February 2024

February 2024 Calendar

March 2024

April 2024

April 2024 Calendar

May 2024

May 2024 Calendar

June 2024

June 2024 Calendar

July 2024

July 2024 Calendar

2023-2024 Back to School Editable Calendar Template

Get the Editable 2023-2024 Calendar Template
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CybersecurityUncategorized

Three Cybersecurity Priorities for Schools and Districts

by Dr. Suzanne Newell
written by Dr. Suzanne Newell

For the better part of the last 25 years, I served public education. But a year ago, I transitioned from public education leadership into a role on the education strategy team at Dell Technologies. Along with learning many new acronyms and adjusting to remote work, I gained new perspectives on the technological challenges and opportunities across hundreds of school districts. It didn’t take me long to realize that my previous approach to cybersecurity (which might best be described by the phrase “head in the sand”) could have easily landed me on the front page of a newspaper and left countless headaches and consequences in the wake.

How Cybersecurity Has Changed

The job I signed up for in 1991 as an educator morphed and changed into something I never could have predicted. Security in 1991 meant remembering where you put the key to your desk drawer so a mischievous six year old wouldn’t sneak in and either find your candy stash or rearrange your pile of papers for the afternoon lesson (both of which I experienced). Security in 2023 means much, much more, and to be honest, I was so focused on caring for the well-being and learning progress of the children in my care, I didn’t make space to consider the unseen factors that could derail lots of my good work. 

One of the first conversations I had upon joining Dell was with the Chief Technology Officer of a central Texas school district. His district had recently experienced a ransomware attack, and every aspect of their teaching, learning, security, and basic facility functionality was interrupted. I thought back to my aware-but-not-imminently-concerned approach to cybersecurity in the months prior. I really don’t think I had a full understanding of what was at stake. Grading systems – down. HVAC – off (GASP!). Curriculum systems – unavailable. Email – nope. Special education records – inaccessible. Large screen display monitors – virtually useless. Campus physical security systems (door locks, video cameras, intercoms, etc…) – off.  When I heard him describe their experience, I thought back to the way I’d taught in 1991 and imagined trying to do that again, but without air conditioning. No thanks.

School Vulnerability Has Increased

Perhaps as penance for my previous apathy around cybersecurity, I’m on a bit of a mission. Ransomware attacks on schools have increased 837% (not a typo) in the last year. Public school entities are especially vulnerable due to the value of young people’s data and the likely length of time before their compromised data is detected. Our society has been working very hard to manage the physical security of schools – and for good reason. 

Quote: Ransomware attacks on schools have increased 837% (not a typo) in the last year.

Cybersecurity can be just as critical to a school’s safety, and with the drastic increase of 1:1 programming in schools, cybercriminals now have more targets. While it’s impossible to guarantee that a breach won’t happen, there are steps that can greatly reduce the likelihood of an attack and mitigate the damage if one does occur. Given the limited bandwidth, educators have to focus on the critical things that are a bit less visible than the critical things they’re doing each day with students in their classrooms, these are the things worth prioritizing.

Three Priorities for School Cybersecurity

1. Own your own security.

Create and securely store complex passwords (no sticky notes on your desk or sharing them with your colleagues). Invest the time to set up and use multi-factor authentication to frustrate or slow down a would-be hacker. Lock your laptop/ mobile device in your car’s trunk when parked. Don’t use USB drives with your computer if you don’t know their origin. And, just in case, keep printed copies of important rosters, contact information, or critical emergency records of students, staff, etc., handy in a secure location. 

Quote: Invest the time to set up and use multi-factor authentication to frustrate or slow down a would-be hacker.

2. Be both a good teacher and a good student.

While compulsory cybersecurity training sessions in school districts may not be as much fun as the holiday party, they are designed to ensure that you can actually use your computers to plan and communicate for said festivities! Follow your tech department’s guidance and pay close attention to the training they provide. They know more about the current threat landscape than they may be able to disclose, so treat them like the virtual security team that they are. Talk with your students about your security efforts. Model behaviors for them that will help the whole school to be a less appealing target. 

Quote: Follow your tech department’s guidance and pay close attention to the training they provide.

3. Build a culture of cybersecurity.

If you lead a tech department, consider your communication routines. How are you communicating your cybersecurity plan with Trustees? School leaders? The community? Sharing stories of breaches you’ve prevented or bad actors you’ve deterred can help raise awareness AND make it a bit easier if/when you have to share bad news of an attack. Additionally, know when to ask for help. With tech departments varying greatly in size, it can take a village to cover the necessary bases. Monitoring services can be key components of your security framework as well as loyal friends during the frightening hours of an attack, should one occur. 

Quote: Monitoring services can be key components of your security framework as well as loyal friends during the frightening hours of an attack, should one occur. 

My wise grandma often said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Obviously, she wasn’t referring to cybersecurity, but the wisdom still applies. As nostalgic as it can be to remember the days when ransomware wasn’t in our vocabulary, school leadership today requires us to take this wisdom to heart in service of our students and the integrity of our systems (and, in Texas at least, to keep the HVAC functioning at optimum levels!). An ounce of cyber awareness is worth a pound of school district safety.

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AccessibilityLibrariesReading

Five Ways to Engage Your School Community with Ebooks

by Jenny Dean
written by Jenny Dean

Today, as many librarians host visitors in their libraries, they hear the same questions being repeated over and over: “Do you have less books?” However, the answer is not a simple yes or no. As spaces change and shelf space decreases, libraries are seeing huge growth in their digital collections. Ebooks have become readily available for every title and digital shelves are bursting at the seams. So, while it may seem that there are fewer books on the physical shelves, there are more books on the digital shelves than ever before. And it is time that we used those books to their fullest potential. 

Ebooks are becoming increasingly popular in libraries and classrooms. Through the use of ebooks, we are able to reach students in ways that we never have before. Here are five ways that you can use ebooks in your space to encourage literacy and learning throughout your school community.

1. Engage your struggling readers through interactive ebooks.

For a struggling reader, even the task of looking at a screen and reading can seem daunting. Using interactive ebooks in large group settings or during quiet reading time allows the student to feel like they are participating in reading by being able to do more than just understand the phonics of the words. Invite your classes with struggling readers into the library and show them that books can truly be fun for every student! If you are unable to have the classes come to you, introducing this to your library can be as easy as making a display with QR codes or links to access the interactive ebooks. You can also post links and QR codes in Google Classroom or send them via email to teachers. 

2. Invite students to participate in an online book club.

While we are all busy talking about getting back to normal, many of our students have adapted to the life that they have been living and their normal looks different than ours. One of the ways that this might be showing itself more than ever right now is through your book club attendance. A multi-access and multi-user ebook allows students to all access the books from their phones, eReaders, or laptops and still have the enriching experience of reading a book together. Digital communication is completely at our fingertips now and discussions online with students can still be rich and rewarding – sometimes more so, because the student is in their comfort zone. The introduction of a completely online book club experience will not only allow you to interact with students you might not have had the opportunity to work with before, but it will also put books into the hands of students who might not have some in otherwise.

3. Highlight and celebrate assistive technology in ebooks.

All too often students see assistive technology as something that should make them feel shame. They don’t want anyone to know that they use the online dictionary, the translator, or the text to speech feature. However, these groundbreaking tools can offer every student that steps into your library something beneficial, and it is time that we begin to promote them as tools for all students. Use your ebooks as an opportunity to show how exciting these tools can be! This can be as easy as setting up an interactive display with an eBook and instructions on how to highlight text, get definitions, and notes. Every time you see a class for check out, remind them about the ebooks and the technology behind them. As students continue to move into a digitized world, they will see even more success if we arm them with those tools now and remind them that every student can benefit from assistive technology.

4. Host a community ebook night.

There is certainly trepidation about online reading for many parents and community members. The idea of students looking at a screen for any extended amount of time can be an unsettling thought to many who have not used or accessed an ebook before. Hosting a night where parents and community can come in and interact with your ebooks, ask questions, and learn about the technology, will help put their minds at ease and also give them the knowledge that they need to help their students check out books through the online catalog while at home. Have parents or community members who can’t make it? It can be digital, too! One of the best parts of embracing one part of technology is it lends itself to many other parts. Host a digital night, live stream, or have a digital read aloud with community members using one of your ebooks.

5. Help your teachers embrace ebooks.

Many teachers see another added digital component as a distraction and worry that this will hinder their classroom instruction rather than help it. However, textbooks are almost all completely digital now, and students are becoming more acclimated to online reading. Sometimes your teachers just need you there to offer a little support. If there is a class with students who cannot look at their phone without immediately going to social media, work with the teacher to start with small literature ebook circles where students can be actively monitored. If they have students on completely different learning levels, work with them to encourage the use of the assistive technologies in ebooks. Reminding teachers that you are there to help with hiccups and hurdles can ease their mind when moving into something completely new. 

5 Ways to Engage Your School Community with ebooks Infographic with the 5 tips from the article

Here’s the bottom line: the digital world isn’t going to stop coming. In fact, it has already arrived. Technology like ebooks can do wonders for our libraries and our students. Let’s learn to use it to our advantage and to teach our students that a love of reading can stem from anywhere – even the screen right in front of them.

Did you know that April is School Library Month? TCEA will feature a guest article written by a member librarian once a week throughout the month! April also includes:

How will you show appreciation for your librarian, media specialist, and library staff?

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revamping labs
CTO/CIOLeadershipTechnical SupportTesting

TCEA Responds: Revamping School Computer Labs

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Dear TCEA Responds:

I am planning a major revamp of our current elementary school computer labs. Aside from one goal being to update the space for students, there’s another: Create an alternative learning space for teachers. With that in mind, we are considering the following:

  • Adding approximately 15 desktop computers around the perimeter
  • Providing 15 laptops for checkout
  • Offering flexible seating options
  • Including a 3D printer
  • Offering VR sets
  • Adding makerspace kits

What would you include at the elementary level? Do you know of a district that has a similar space for their teachers and students?”

-Pete

Dear Pete,

Thanks so much for your question. As I reflect on what I would say to you, I realize that my response has changed over time. When in a large urban school district fifteen to twenty years ago, I would have had one response. Then, a few years later in a suburban district, I would have had another. In fact, my response has evolved and that’s an important thing to ponder before answering you. Why has my response evolved, and how does that mirror ed tech changes?

How Ed Tech Is Evolving

Evolution happens in the face of competing needs and priorities. Those include:

  • What is popular technology?
  • What do teachers know how to use in classrooms? At home?
  • What are students willing to use in the classrooms and at home?
  • What is the budget available?

The interplay of your organization’s responses impacts what you can do. Let’s look at possible responses for each.

A Process to Follow

No doubt you have a process for getting things done and collecting insights. Here are my steps, learned after years of project planning and implementation.

  • Seek approval and support through district channels; invite collaboration in planning.
  • Form an organization-wide community of stakeholders. Include teachers, students, parents, district-level staff, and admin.
  • Speak in a tentative manner. Develop a canon of books, articles, and podcasts you can all process together.
  • Remember that this act is political, and there may be repercussions whether done right or wrong.
  • Draft a memo of understanding. It should address what the goals, vision, and resulting product/actions will be. Ask: “How will this affect each of the stakeholders?”
  • Present your findings and resolutions to the school board or governing agency. Be prepared for failure (non-adoption of materials). Also, plan for success! Seek out community businesses that can fund the program. Get or craft feedback on implementation steps.
  • Implement in small, measurable steps. Meet on a regular basis to process results. Share those results in video/audio format in positive ways online.

This process works well. Cultivate an attitude of curiosity. Nurture a sincere desire to assist the committee in finding the best way forward.

I love these action steps and use them for major projects.

Think It Through

If your school thinks Chromebooks are the rage, but you have Microsoft 365, there may be a bit of a problem. Or if you are 100% Apple iPads but want to use Google Workspace for Education, you might run into a problem. The best alignment of tools puts the digital in line with the ecosystem.

Read Five Steps to Leading Campus Tech Efforts.

For example, if I wanted to deploy Microsoft SurfaceBooks, this would happen first:

  • Professional development on Microsoft 365 tools like Teams and OneNote Class Notebook
  • Set up screen projection tools that match SurfaceBooks

If budget limits are in place, then you may opt for less expensive options. Some districts might argue that Chromebooks and Google Workspace for Education cost less. Others may say you get more bang for your buck with Mac desktops for design and Chromebooks for on-the-go needs. It all depends, and you don’t want to make that decision alone.

Instead, take a moment to gather data and form a district-wide committee. Avoid making this decision alone in your office. When you’re asked how you could have decided this, you want to say that you:

  • Assessed needs (focus on what people would do in the space).
  • Formed a district-wide committee that informed the choice.
  • Explored solutions.
  • Researched what other nearby districts/schools were doing.
  • Formulated a solution that best aligned with the needs of the situation.

Your job is to ease this journey for the people who:

  • Know the community better
  • Are going to use the tools in real life
  • Do everything possible to meet the needs of stakeholders

To get you started, I took a moment to ask a few colleagues and friends some questions.

Gathering Data

It’s important to ask other districts around you, “What would you do given XYZ?” For example, I asked several technology directors and CTOs your question. Here are some of the responses, edited for readability:

Response #1: Troy Patterson

Troy Patterson is a Director of Educational Technology. He works for Cape Elizabeth Schools in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Find him online via social media (@troypatterson@scholar.social).

Interesting. We’ve moved away from the concept of a Computer Lab (a special place where technology happens). Instead, embed technology into the classroom.

Skip the VR sets, 3D printer, and get mobile computing devices. Evaluate your options.

Response #2: Mark Gabehart

Round Rock ISD’s Chief Technology Officer, Mark Gabehart, says:

“We’ve moved away from computer labs. These provide the campus with an additional classroom. Some elementary campuses have a makerspace or robotics lab. That lab comes with chromebooks and 3D printers. Now, we are piloting an eSport MiniLab. A YMCA/Dell Foundation grant makes the pilot at five elementary schools possible. It includes an eSports MiniLab of five computers.”

Response #3: An Infrastructure Administrator

Others echo this point of focusing on mobile computing devices:

We have completely done away with any desktop related hardware. We have a mix between Chromebooks and tablets. 3D printers are a fun have, but they need quite a bit of care and feeding. (Source: Network staff, Toot via Mastodon social media)

Response #4: District Technology Director

TCEA member, Kory Prince (Technology Director for Bullard ISD), makes these points and offers a suggestion:

“At the elementary level, we separate out the lab from the STEM/STEAM stuff. In general, the STEM lab is treated more as an elective (like art or music) with an elective teacher instead of the primary teacher using the space with their students. We’re 1:1 with carts down to 3rd grade (each teacher has a Chromebook cart in their classroom), and have stand-alone Chromebook labs for grades lower than 3rd.

He goes on to say that the contents of the STEM Lab includes:

  • LEGO wall
  • Lite Brite Wall
  • 3D Printers (they use TinkerCAD on the Chromebooks)
  • 3D pens
  • Various flexible seating options
  • Robotics kits (LEGO Spike Prime, Osobots, Dash robot, Cubelets)
  • Various structure building sets (LEGO, Superstructs, KEVA Planks, consumables like paper plates, straws, construction paper, etc)
  • Oversized versions of games like Connect 4, Jenga, etc
  • Osmo (iPad + learning apps)

Response #5: Director of Technology

Scott Laleman points out the following:

My questions on that would be around the different experience for students, especially at the lower elementary levels, between using a desktop and a laptop. Do they have external mice available for the laptop users, or are they expecting the students to learn how to use a trackpad? What types of teacher learning would be expected to go on in there? What are they planning to use for full room display? Interactive panel? Projector?

I’ve seen libraries going this direction, since they have larger spaces to begin with and seem to have more flexibility in how to use that space. For a lab, though, I think it needs to cater to the students first, and in our situation, it needs to have the ability to convert to a regular classroom if needed, since we’re running out of space quickly.

Given this, the question shifts, doesn’t it? This allows you to make the argument for a less attractive tech-rich space. Instead, you focus on the functionality of what people would need and use. Also taking advantage of space is essential and that varies from campus to campus.

The Student Testing Angle

One of the reasons I focused on building a traditional computer lab at campuses was testing. In my most recent post as a technology director, testing had a big influence. Every campus had purchased a different set of technology (e.g. iPads, Chromebooks, desktops), or nothing. That meant that testing was a mixed bag at each campus.

As a result, ask: “What is your primary platform for testing?” Pick the one that is most reliable and put in enough devices to get the job done.

What Do You Think?

By now, you know I wouldn’t give you a straight answer. I could tell you what I would decide if no other factors were in place. But that would certainly be wrong. That said, here’s my take. Divorced from the important variables custom to your situation, it’s not that valuable:

  • Create a testing center at each campus that reflects a standard for set up for every campus.
  • Put the least expensive platform there for testing and have a plan for maintaining it.
  • Create a productivity area (“Design Center”) with a few iPads.
  • Put high-end desktops running a variety of easy-to-use tools. My recommendation is free, open source or free, web-based tools.
  • Provide professional development with digital badges on how to use the Design Center.

What I did in my district was get the standard set of equipment aligned to testing requirements. I asked, “What is the easiest set of equipment to manage and support for the lowest cost?” My focus was to get the best and most for what the organization could afford. Then, for the Design Center, ask the campus principal and site-based committee, “What would work best for you?” Then, I took the whole program forward to the Superintendent’s Cabinet for review.

To the Superintendent’s Cabinet, and then to other stakeholder groups, I said, “This is the organizational need we have. This is what we can afford with the budget provided.” I included the results of my research as an addendum to an executive summary (one page), as well as what campuses requested.

Whether that will work for you is another question. Regardless, I hope you’ve found the information in this article helpful. CTOs and technology staff out there reading this post – how would you answer this question? Leave us a comment.

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Back to SchoolClassroom ManagementDigital CitizenshipLeadershipLibrariesPlanning and PreparationSocial-Emotional LearningSTEM/STEAMWeb 2.0 Tool

Back-to-School Roundup

by Sara Qualls
written by Sara Qualls

Where did the summer go? With the start of a new year, I’ve gathered back-to-school resources from our amazing PD team and staff here at TCEA. Check out this categorized list full of ideas to create a successful school year.

You can skip to a section by selecting a category below:

Icebreakers

Bellringers

Leadership

In the Library

STEM

Social Emotional Learning

Activities

Templates

Lesson Planning

Choice Boards

Tools

Classroom Management

Classroom Walls

Coaching

Artificial Intelligence

Icebreakers

Bellringers

Leadership

Image of a bingo card for a Staff Summer Bingo Game

In the Library

STEM

  • Prepping for a STEM/STEAM Year
    STEM/STEAM activities are a powerful way to engage students. Here are a few resources to help you prepare for a stem-rific school year.
  • Back to School with STEM
    STEM activities are a powerful way to engage students. Here are a few resources to kick off your school year in the STEM direction.

Social Emotional Learning

Activities

Templates

self-reported grades

Lesson Planning

  • 2000+ Lesson Plan Templates and Ideas for K12
    Discover a wealth of lesson plan template resources and treasures in this searchable collection for grades K-12 in all subject areas.
  • Back to School Apps for Lesson Planning
    Looking for tools to make lesson planning easier? Look no further than these three free apps that can assist you in designing amazing learning experiences.
  • Lesson Planning: 5E Model + Technology
    Lesson planning remains a tool for teachers to use to make sure they are covering the required material. If you follow the 5E Model for planning and add technology to it, you end up with a very powerful way to bring the curriculum to life for all students.

Choice Boards

Tools

Classroom Management

Classroom Walls

Coaching

  • Ten Ideas for Tech Coaches to Help Their Teachers Grow
    Explore creative and fun ways for tech coaches to encourage teachers in their growth with technology integration. Ready, set, ed tech!
  • Conference for Educational Coaches
    Sign up for the Conference for Educational Coaches (CEC) to discover the latest in professional development, best practices for coaching, and even more ideas for supporting educators. Attend in person in Austin, Texas or online from October 9-10.

Artificial Intelligence

For Texas Educators

I hope these strategies, activities, templates, and more get the brain flowing with ideas to create a successful start. Have a wonderful new school year!

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