Districts and schools across the country are making decisions about how to best utilize federal funding. Regardless of the programs, software, and technology professional development and training plays a critical part in acclimating educators and students to what’s “new” for best integration for teaching and learning.
Boxlight-EOS Education has extensive experience in providing high-quality Professional Development programs to schools. Since the beginning of the pandemic, they have worked with thousands of teachers supporting them in using technology to provide engaging and effective instruction for remote, hybrid, and blended learning environments.
Their programs offer personalized professional development that is job-embedded and evidence-based. With sound technology integration, Boxlight-EOS training courses are designed to increase teacher’s productivity and classroom integration, address the comprehensive needs of students, and provide flexible, multi-tier PD programming to align with best practices for any learning environment.
“COVID-19 funding” (ESSER I, II, III, GEER I, II, III) will help schools not only to create a safe learning environment, but also can be designated to mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic on student academic achievement (learning loss) and their general well-being (SEL).
GEER II and ESSER II funding has been already allocated per state. It is recommended that schools submit their requests for the three to five years of funding as soon as possible (in most cases until July 30th, 2021), as states must claim their funds by September 30, 2021.
These funds can be allocated to Professional Development in areas such as:
- Addressing unique needs of specific groups of students (e.g., students with disabilities, English language learners, English language development)
- Addressing learning loss through high-quality assessments, differentiated instruction, implementing evidence-based activities to meet the comprehensive needs of students
- Providing information and assistance to parents and families on how they can effectively support students, including in a distance learning environment, improving student engagement in distance education
- Supporting teachers in planning activities for summer learning and supplemental afterschool programs.
To address the needs of every school, Boxlight-EOS has developed seven PD Program Packages aligned with, and support, the Federal Funding allocation for Professional Development.
One such program package is Technology to Support Instruction of Specific Groups of Students. To meet the unique needs of children from low-income households, children with disabilities, English language learners, and other higher-risk populations, teachers must differentiate their instruction. In this professional development offer, teachers will be equipped with best practices for using digital tools to differentiate their instruction not only through all parts of the teaching cycle but also by creating materials that are accessible to all students.
Teachers will also develop the skills to create materials for students with accessibility in the forefront. By building accessible digital resources and lessons, teachers will be able to meet the needs of a diversified classroom and help students use technology to express their learning and stay engaged. Resources used will include those that teachers are most familiar with such as Microsoft 365, G Suite for Education, Windows 10, Chromebooks, and browsers.
Critical to successful student instruction is effective assessment. Teachers will be able to create and administer high-quality, non-traditional assessments to determine students’ abilities to perform meaningful tasks. Using digital tools, teachers will be able to efficiently capture relevant student knowledge and understanding, collect and analyze student data, and communicate results to students, colleagues, or parents. By using assessments that are valid, reliable, and accessible, teachers will be able to accurately assess students’ academic progress and use differentiation to meet their unique academic needs.
For more information on this valuable course offering, click here: Technology to Support Instruction of Specific Groups.
