This week on TeachLab, our host Justin Reich joins a panel of education leaders with Superintendent Dr. Baron Davis from Richland School District Two in Columbia, SC, Superintendent Dr. Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed of  Hopkins Public Schools in Minneapolis, MN, and Dr. Beth Rabbitt, CEO of The Learning Accelerator, hosted by the US Department of Education's Office of EdTech. 

In the conversation, panelists share recent experiences in districts, schools and classrooms throughout the pandemic. In the face of challenges, new strategies and innovations have emerged. Panelists reflect on how educators can take these insights and move towards more equitable learning experiences for all students. 

The conversation was moderated by Chris Rush, Sr. Advisor for Innovation & Director of Educational Technology, Office of the Secretary at U.S. Department of Education, and Kristina Ishmael, Deputy Director, U.S. Department of Education, as a part of the Office of Education Technology’s “Planning for Changing Scenarios: Navigating the Road Ahead”, a webinar and blog series to help districts and schools share challenges and strategies.

“It's really important for us to take some time and reflect on what we have learned in the past 20 months, recognizing the uniqueness of everyone's journeys… then also look ahead and strip away the things that we don't necessarily need, and continue with things that have worked for our learners.”  

- Kristina Ishmael, Deputy Director, Office of Educational Technology, U.S. Department of Education

In this episode we hear about:

• The future of learning in the context of a post-pandemic world
• The importance of listening to the needs of teachers, students, and families
• Staying mission focused to make hard decisions
• Strategies for creating more meaningful learning experiences for students, and letting go of the things that aren’t contributing to that mission
• The importance of centering health and wellness
• Culturally responsive organizational values, culturally affirming curriculum, and culturally respectful instructional practices
• Stories of new learning models that unlocked brand new opportunities, including new technologies, learning spaces, community connections and partnerships.
• How the practice of including students, teachers, and families in a co-design process will be critical to creating the most meaningful, relevant, and beneficial experiences for students.
• Centering equity across discussions, decision-making, and codesign processes.

Resources and Links

Visit The Office of Ed Tech’s Webinar Replay — Planning for Changing Scenarios: Emerging Stronger Post-Pandemic to reflect more on this episode’s conversation

Don’t miss our online course Becoming a More Equitable Educator: Mindsets and Practices

Learn more about MIT Teaching Systems Lab’s Imagining September and The Teachers Have Something to Say Reports

Check out Justin Reich’s book Failure to Disrupt: Why Technology Alone Can't Transform Education

Transcript

https://teachlabpodcast.simplecast.com/episodes/emerging-stronger/transcript

Produced by Aimee Corrigan and Garrett Beazley. Recorded and mixed by Garrett Beazley

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