8 with 8

This week, Debbie and Kim bring our listeners a quick 8 minutes on using something they call “BEFORE” strategies, which are a way to strengthen vocabulary instruction for adolescent learners. We're continuing to build on our learning from our interview with Natalie Wexler and these strategies are great ways to capitalize on students’ prior knowledge as they build their vocabulary.

Co-Hosts: Debbie Theirl, Educational Consultant and Kim Nagy, Urban Literacy Specialist

Additional Resources

We're diving deeper into last week's interview with educational journalist Natalie Wexler, to unpack the great ideas she shared. Are you considering the role background knowledge and vocabulary play in comprehension?  Join Annette and Chris as they discuss the impact that these critical areas of focus can have on instruction across all content areas.

Co-Hosts: Annette Gross, Regional Early Literacy Specialist and Christine Ferrell, Educational Consultant

Additional Resources:

Explicit Instruction in Vocabulary: Demonstration by Dr. Anita Archer

An Informed Framework for Comprehension Instruction: Ohio Literacy Academy 2021

Did you know? The biggest determinant of reading comprehension is not decoding ability or comprehension skills - it's background knowledge! In this episode, SST8 consultants ask eight questions of author and educational journalist Natalie Wexler. Natalie was the riveting Keynote Speaker at the 2020 Ohio Literacy Academy and her sessions on this topic changed the way SST8 consultants think about background knowledge and vocabulary. Join us as Natalie shares what she has learned through the research, as well as some powerful considerations for district leaders looking to improve literacy outcomes and close equity gaps among learners.

SST8 Co-Hosts: Janelle Schuler, Assistant Director; Annette Gross, Regional Early Literacy Specialist; Kim Nagy, Urban Literacy Specialist

About Our Guest: Natalie Wexler is an education writer whose articles and essays on education and other topics have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and other publications. In 2019, she published The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System - and How to Fix It. She is also the co-author of The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades.

Additional Resources

Literacy Academy 2020 presentation

https://www.thewritingrevolution.org/

Forbes Magazine article (January 2020): Will Getting Rid Of Admissions Tests Make Selective Schools More Equitable? 

At the heart of a strong PBIS framework is always strong relationships. Can you identify all of the relationships in action at Greenwood Early Learning Center (right here in region 8)? Join three staff members from Greenwood along with Michelle and Stacey as they highlight the impact on children, families, community and staff.

Co-hosts: Michelle Smith and Stacey Smith, Early Childhood Consultants

About our Interviewees: Greenwood Early Learning Center is a Preschool-Kindergarten building in their fourth year of PBIS implementation; they serve as an Early Childhood PBIS demonstration site for SST8 and Ohio.  They were recognized this year as a Silver award winning building and had the opportunity to share their Tier 1 and 2 practices at the state PBIS showcase in December 2020.

Additional Resources:

SST8 PBIS Warehouse: Examples and Ideas from Region 8 buildings

8 with 8 is back. (Actually, we never left!) Our second season is going to shift gears and focus on evidence-based literacy instruction. Specifically, we'll be looking at how background knowledge, vocabulary and oral language might just our best bets for accelerating student learning. Join us to learn Why Words Matter, in our second season of 8 with 8, starting March 5, 2021.

Head, Hands and Heart: What does this have to do with community engagement?  Join Michelle and Stephanie for 8 minutes to find out!

Co-hosts: Michelle Smith and Stephanie Denham, SST8 Educational Consultants

Additional Resources:

Community Involvement in Positive Behavior Support

Community Wide PBIS Checklist

Educators agree that it is critical for schools to build strong and positive relationships with the families they serve.  What barriers get in the way, and how can schools expand beyond traditional ways of involving families? Jenine and Michelle share two strategies and a 6-point framework (for a total of 8 takeaways) to get schools thinking creatively, as we continue this season's exploration of Ramping Up Relationships.

Co-Hosts: Jenine Sansosti, SST8 Director and Michelle Smith, Educational Consultant

Additional Resources

11 Easy Tips to Really Engage with Families

An Inventory of Present Practices of School, Family, and Community Partnerships

Ohio Statewide Family Engagement Center - Family Resources

Staff relationships matter in schools. Join Stacey and Stephanie in this short 8 minute look into research and district examples that highlight the power of staff relationships.

Co-hosts: Stacey Smith and Stephanie Denham, SST8 consultants

Additional Resources:

In this interview, Dr. Stephanie Martinez from the Florida PBIS project discusses strategies to foster relationships with students in a remote learning environment.  She recommends practices for all tiers of the PBIS framework and restorative practices.

Co-host: Heidi Kerchenski, SST8 consultant

About Our Guest: Stephanie Martinez is a Technical Assistance Specialist at the Florida PBIS Project at the University of South Florida. Dr. Martinez provides training and technical assistance to districts around Tier 1, Tier 2, Classroom Coaching and 4 step problem solving to address disproportionality. She recently completed the coursework for certification in Applied Behavior Analysis. Prior to coming to the project she worked as a Special Education Teacher and a Placement Specialist. Her current research interests include implementation of school-wide PBIS in urban schools and secondary schools, Tier 2 supports, classroom supports and disproportionate discipline.

Additional Resources:

Did you know that the relationships you build with your students today could impact the lives of their great-grandchildren? Stacey and our guest Missy McClain discuss the connection of relationships to the brain, trauma and mental health.  Hear some ideas and strategies that you can implement immediately to intentionally build relationships with students.

Co-Host: Stacey Smith, SST8 consultant

Guest: Missy McClain is the Community Education Program Coordinator at Akron Children's Hospital.  She has spent the last 14 years traveling across the state presenting on trauma-informed care, the power of relationships and alternatives to traditional school discipline. Find Missy on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest: @followmissy.

Additional Resource: Banking Time - ECE Virginia