Kim Sergent and Bethany Coleman from Pikeville Elementary reconvene to discuss the lesson Bethany taught in EP #1 of this series.

Ep #1 - We are visiting Bethany Coleman's 6th grade Social Studies class as she demonstrates the format of an inquiry lesson. While this focuses on a daily lesson, you get a glimpse into how a unit unfolds in the middle school classroom. Kim Sergent, KVEC's Social Studies Instructional Specialist, spotlights those moments when our KAS for Social Studies standards are being applied.

The Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative’s Digitalachia Podcast hosted by Robert Brown welcomed guest Dr. Ann Coffman, Manager of Teacher Quality with the National Education Association (NEA) to discuss the organization's supports of schools and educators in an era of virtual learning.  

The conversation also focused on how micro-credentialing, and other professional learning opportunities, could enhance competency-based learning opportunities to accommodate learning needs for educators and paraprofessionals.   Resources mentioned by Dr. Coffman may be found at NEA.org.  Dr. Coffman may be contacted at [email protected].

The first episode of The Holler's new podcast, The Hills Have Voices is a journey into the world of Netflix's latest miniseries, The Queen's Gambit.

 

We hope you enjoy this first episode.

On December 1, 2020, the Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative's Digitalachia Podcast hosted by Robert Brown,  welcomed guest Sarah Bracken, NBCT, who serves as a Refugee Educator Academy Project Consultant, at the Center for Learning Practice with the Carey Institute for Global Good.  

Sarah shared elements of the Center for Learning in Practice's Sustainable Learning Framework. She also described how micro-credentials are an integral component of the professional learning of educators who will work with students among the migrant refugee population, numbering over 79 million across the globe.

To learn more about the Refugee Educator Academy you may contact Sarah Bracken and visit the websites listed below.

Sarah Bracken's email address: [email protected]

REA general website: https://www.learninginpractice.org/refugee-educator-academy

REA's 2020-2021 offerings: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19HoSN8I44067e-au3-Tya6l8W0AoPwm_/view?usp=sharing

REA's "Critical Issues in Refugee Education" 20-21 Series: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KzL1g9a-A5hCO3kt9sRI-fv9kEsLTGXa/view?usp=sharing

And a flyer with registration link for our upcoming workshop on Dec. 12, "Shifting Power in the Classroom":

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13h_QeKiv1wCYul5sZXBdXebIfN8TW0k-/view?usp=sharing

Our Digital Promise Micro-Credentials: 

https://microcredentials.digitalpromise.org/explore?page_size=24=1=Carey%20Institute%20for%20Global%20Good

The Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative's Digitalachia Podcast hosted by Robert Brown, with co-host Dr. Dessie Bowling,  welcomed guest Dr. Doug Anthony, Chief Consultant of Anthony Consulting Group.  Dr. Anthony has done extensive work in leading principal pipeline development and described how he helps schools to address the pipeline.  

He also shared some observations of principals' promising practices to address virtual and hybrid learning challenges.   Having completed his dissertation which analyzed conditions of principal attrition, Dr. Anthony discussed elements of school culture that encouraged principals to remain in the profession.

Digitalachia was developed to inspire creativity and enable educators to network in real-time and share professional learning experiences, thus ensuring equity, access, and opportunity for all in our remote rural areas regardless of zip codes.  

Through KVEC’s learning platform on theholler.org, a collection of free resources and online professional development tools are available to aid in virtual learning and teaching in non-traditional ways. 

 

Reports and tons of additional information on pipelines and educational leadership can be found at the Wallace Knowledge Center.

 

Research Reports:

 

Principal Pipelines : A Feasible, Affordable, and Effective Way for Districts to Improve Schools

 

Taking Stock of Principal Pipelines

 

Six Districts Begin the Principal Pipeline Initiative

 

Building a Stronger Principalship Vol 2. Cultivating Talent Through A  Principal Pipeline

 

Building a Stronger Principalship Vol 3, Districts Taking Charge of the Principal Pipeline

 

Building a Stronger Principalship Vol 4, Evaluating and Supporting Principals

 

Building a Stronger Principalship Vol 5, The Principal Pipeline Initiative in Action

On November19, 2020, the Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative's Digitalachia Podcast hosted by Robert Brown welcomed guest Kareem Farah, Chief Executive Officer of the Modern Classroom Project.  The Modern Classroom Project empowers educators to meet every student’s needs through blended, self-paced, mastery-based instruction. The goal is to help change the way teachers teach, thus helping all students learn.  For free resources visit www.modernclassooms.org.

On November 18, 2020, the Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative's Digitalachia Podcast hosted by Robert Brown, with co-host Jennifer Carroll, welcomed guest Raymond (RJ) Rodriquez, Licensing Specialist with the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board to discuss the state's progress in assisting with virtual learning for educators due to COVID-19.  The conversation also focused on how micro-credentialing, and other professional learning opportunities, could enhance competency-based learning opportunities and strengthen or create networks of educators across the islands. An example of the created networks is the Hawaii Teacher Standards Board use of the Educator Ethics professional development course made possible only through the collaboration with HSTA (linked here) and NEA Micro-credentials (linked here).

 

https://vimeo.com/464087617

On October 28, the Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative's Digitalachia Podcast hosted by Robert Brown welcomed guests Dionne Bates and Chasity Craft to discuss their new podcast series for the Exceptional Educator's Playbook.  The purpose of this series is to develop a network of SPED teachers across the region and provide the opportunity for them to share strategies, ideas, and techniques with each other. Educators who join the podcast can expect to receive the following: 

 

1. Strategies from teachers for virtual learning and assessment.

 2. Access to resources from other teachers. 

3. Real talk from real teachers 

4. Opportunities to share your strategies and resources.

The Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative’s Digitalachia Podcast series hosted by Robert Brown, welcomed guests, Ann Marie Fenton, Director, Rules Management and Educator Assessment, Georgia Professional Standards Commission and Troy Hutchings, Senior Policy Advisor, National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) to discuss the Model Code of Educator Ethics.    

Model Code of Educator Ethics Development 

It is the responsibility of educator preparation educational communities to ensure educators and prospective educators understand how professional decision-making can impact the safety and well-being of children, as well as the culture and mission of the school. The safety and reflective decision making that must occur to keep our students and educators safe has become even more evident as more students and educators engage in virtual learning environments.   

  

A number of different professional organizations came together for the purpose of creating a unified set of professional norms which jurisdictions can adopt or adapt to help ensure states, educator preparation programs, and local education agencies are effectively equipping educators in ethical understanding and decision-making aligning to professional norms of educator professional practice. The result of this collaborative effort is the Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE). This critical work will lead to a more intentional emphasis, at national, state, and local levels, being placed on ethics and ethical preparation. Ultimately, not only will ethical violations in education be reduced, children will be safer in classrooms.  

The Model Code of Educator Ethics and free resources, including video case studies, may be found at https://www.nasdtec.net/page/MCEE_Rationale.