5. Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia PD:
The Department is offering a free, graduate-level course, “Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, and Dysgraphia: Using Current Research to Develop Assessment Frameworks to Plan Evidence-Based Instruction that Improves Student Outcomes.” The course is presented by Crafting Minds in collaboration with Bay Path University and is designed for school- and district-based teams of three to four educators working at the K-5 level. More information is available online, and applications are due Monday, December 7.
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6. Workshop on Designing Learning Experiences for Equity:
The Department, the Teacher Collaborative, and the Teachers’ Lounge are hosting a virtual workshop on “Designing for Equity: Pause, Acknowledge, Reflect, Change” from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 8. The workshop will be a chance to come together with educators who are passionate about relevant learning experiences that are empowering and culturally sustaining. Participants will learn about equity pauses and how to use them in instructional design, discuss a lesson’s strengths and areas for growth, and learn about upcoming opportunities to build participants’ social justice and deeper learning skills. Registration is open at the link above.
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7. Health and Physical Education During COVID-19:
The Department, in partnership with Lighthouse Wellness & Health Education Consulting, is pleased to announce a second webinar focused on helping health and physical education teachers and administrators deliver high-quality instruction during COVID-19, whether students are learning in person, remotely, or through a hybrid model. Register here for “Technology Tools for Health and Physical Education,” which will be held from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 9 and will feature health and physical education educators from across the country sharing their tips and tools. Participants will consider strategies that engage students and can boost instruction during both in person and remote instruction.
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8. Professional Learning through Kaleidoscope:
The Department’s Kaleidoscope Collective for Learning is pleased to announce a professional learning opportunity, Engaging Students as Complex Thinkers, which will be offered twice, from 3:45-5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 15 and Thursday, January 14. In these sessions, teachers will explore practices that ask students to apply disciplinary thinking and skills, such as those of scientists, mathematicians, sociologists, writers, and researchers, to real-world problems in ways that build student engagement in remote, hybrid, and in-person learning. Educators will have time to collaborate with colleagues from across the Commonwealth to strategize ways to apply these practices and mindsets in their own virtual or in-person classrooms. Please register online.
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9. Growing Literacy Equity Across Massachusetts (GLEAM):
The Department is excited to announce the upcoming GLEAM: Growing Literacy Equity Across Massachusetts grant program. Through GLEAM, DESE expects to award over $19 million in grants to school districts, including charter schools, over the next 5 years. The grants are designed to improve schools’ multitiered system of support for literacy so that schools can effectively ensure all students, especially historically underserved students, have equitable access to literacy. For details and updates about upcoming GLEAM opportunities and deadlines, visit the GLEAM program website.
Districts that may be interested in applying for the GLEAM grant should apply for the GLEAM Collaboration and Preparation Grant, which will be due in early January and is intended to help districts develop strong proposals for the GLEAM program grant.
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10. DESE Resource Corner:
Superintendents’ Checklist: The Department creates a superintendent’s checklist at the beginning of each school year as a service to help school and district leaders meet a variety of federal and state requirements and responsibilities. In recognition of the challenges that districts are facing this year, DESE has modified some of its monitoring and other activities, as permissible under the applicable requirements. The checklist and accompanying documents are posted at https://www.doe.mass.edu/commissioner/checklist.html.
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- Free PD on experiential learning: Citizen Schools, in partnership with Boston Afterschool & Beyond, is offering “Catering Experiential Learning to Unique Learner Needs” via Zoom from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 9. Educators, school and district leaders, youth workers, and program managers are invited to this session on using hands-on curricula and giving learners the chance to engage with a variety of tasks that may be out of their comfort zone. The session will involve tools and strategies for considering whether curricular units, plans, and activities address the wide range of student talent and needs present in classrooms. Registration is open online.
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