Date & Time: Thursday, January 18 at 4 pm ET

Join us for a preview of the Future of Education Technology Conference 2024.

The FETC National Conference will be held in sunny Orlando FL January 23rd through 26^th at the Orange County Convention Center. Whether you’re a first-time attendee or FETC veteran, join this free webinar to learn how to maximize your professional development opportunities and get a preview of all the speakers, exhibitors, and exciting new events at FETC in 2024.

Discover how to make the most of your time and meet your professional goals at the nation’s largest independent educational technology conference! Get all the latest details on FETC special networking events, tracks, keynotes, workshops, sessions and using the mobile app to build your schedule. Come explore the new expo activities and event schedule to be prepared when you arrive! Our webinar team will help you navigate the schedule and the expo hall to maximize your time and return to school with the latest resources and technology skills to improve teaching and learning!

Presenters

Jennifer Womble, Conference Chair, FETC

Shannon McClintock Miller, District Teacher Librarian, Van Meter Community School/Future Ready

Jaime Donally, EdTech Presenter, ARVRinEDU

Keven Rinaman, Director of Innovation and Educational Technology, Calvert Catholic Schools

Kristen Brooks, Technology Specialist, Kristen Brooks #forEDU

Sponsored by

The post FETC 2024 Preview Webinar appeared first on District Administration.

This episode can also be found on Spotify and Apple Music.

Join us for this podcast episode featuring a thirty-minute discussion with Paul Timm, PSP at Allegion, who has spent his career helping schools on physical safety. As the landscape changes, Paul is bringing his decades-long expertise to the podcast airwaves and recently launched a series of conversations with other school security experts who bring unique perspectives and thoughtful ideas for schools to consider. This episode will give an overview of what Paul has learned with these conversations and the field work that district administrators should be aware of:

• Advocacy: The work industry associations are doing to drive the value of advanced technology in K-12 school safety and security. Organizations like PASS, NASRO and Axis Communications are helping with instructional offerings and trendspotting.
• Adaptation: Hear Paul’s takeaways from the field – from his personal experience on site walking school hallways for safety assessments, as well as what he’s learned from conversations with organizations like SafeSchools4All, that share the importance of education and technology.
• Action: Learn about the people and organizations who are taking action after tragedy – including lessons from incidents and how they affected the landscape of school security.

Speakers

Paul Timm, PSP, Director of Education Safety, Allegion

The post [PODCAST] The Changing Face of School Security: How Conversations with Changemakers Is Bringing Us Together appeared first on District Administration.

This episode can also be found on Spotify and Apple Music.

Join us for this podcast episode featuring a compelling thirty-minute conversation highlighting key moments from the career of David Schexnaydre, Ph.D., a school principal in St. Charles Parish Schools in Louisiana.

Schexnaydre is Executive Director of Secondary Schools in St. Charles Parish and was recently named 2023 Louisiana State Principal of the Year. In conversation with Tim Hudson, Ph.D., Chief Learning Officer at Discovery Education, the podcast provides inspiring examples of educational leadership while offering practical insights for school and district leaders in three main areas:

Belonging & Growth: How district leaders can develop a community and culture that enables long-term success, by empowering school leaders to inspire their teams, enhance morale, and sustain educator enthusiasm for continuous improvement.

Fostering a Healthy School Culture: How to create an inclusive, trauma-informed, supportive, and vibrant educational community where everyone belongs and is growing personally and together.

Balancing Technology with Humanity: How the right technology and education programs can significantly reduce educators’ workloads while boosting productivity and student engagement.

Speakers

David Schexnaydre, Ph.D., Executive Director of Secondary Schools, St. Charles Parish Schools (La.)

Tim Hudson, Ph.D., Chief Learning Officer, Discovery Education

The post [PODCAST] Reflecting on Resilience: Cultivating a Culture of Belonging and Balance appeared first on District Administration.

Date & Time: Thursday, February 15 at 2 pm ET

Economic impacts like a possible recession, rising inflation, and a higher cost of doing business are changing the employment landscape. Which is why, now more than ever, it’s critical that educators prepare students for current and emerging professions through Career and Technical Education (CTE).

In this DA Ed Talk, a digital curriculum expert will discuss three ways school and district administrators can take their CTE program to the next level by developing long-term goals that allow it to grow and adapt over time.

Practical takeaways include:

• Tips to understand your students’ interests and build CTE programs they want to participate in
• A checklist to better understand your local job market and post-secondary school options
• Strategic questions to leverage when refining your CTE offerings

Presenter

Amy Heflin, Senior Manager, Curriculum Development, FlexPoint Education Cloud

Register Now

Sponsored by

The post 3 Ways School and District Leaders Can Elevate Career and Technical Education appeared first on District Administration.

Date & Time: Wednesday, February 7th at 2 pm ET

Virtual learning enabled teaching and learning to continue during the pandemic, but today its use is rapidly evolving. As part of efforts to expand offerings of CTE and AP courses and meet the academic needs of more students, district leaders at the Johnson City Schools in Tennessee revamped their virtual learning program to better align to the future of K-12 education.

Attend this 20-minute DA Ed Talk with the district’s Director of Secondary Education to learn how to design and utilize a virtual learning program that provides more flexibility, choice, and expanded learning opportunities for students.

Topics will include:

• How to design a virtual learning program that meets your district’s unique needs
• How to scale a program as needed while maintaining academic excellence
• How Johnson City Schools is using virtual learning to expand CTE and AP course offerings and provide more choice and flexibility

Presenter

Dr. David Timbs, Director of Secondary Education, Johnson City Schools (Tenn.)

Register Now

Sponsored by:

The post Flexibility, Choice, and Opportunity: The Next Chapter of Virtual Learning appeared first on District Administration.

Date & Time: Thursday, January 25th at 2 pm ET

According to national data from the NAEP 2022 report card, more districts than ever before are facing large gaps in student learning.

To overcome this challenge, successful districts are structuring coordinated intervention teams, systems, and supports to increase academic results.

Join us for a 30-minute Ed Talk and discover how to cultivate a framework for intervention success that positively impacts student growth in your schools.

Gain valuable insights on how to use data to pinpoint student learning needs. Then learn how to leverage this data to personalize interventions, instruction, and practice, ensuring every student gets the support they need.

This webinar will cover:

• How to structure a framework for intervention success
• How to use data to make the right intervention decisions
• How to address social, emotional, and behavioral factors to influence outcomes

Presenter

Jenny Parris, Professional Learning Consultant, Istation

Register Now

Sponsored by

The post Cultivate a Framework for District-Wide Intervention Success appeared first on District Administration.

Date & Time: Wednesday, January 17th at 2 pm ET

Millions of key instructional decisions are made by educators and administrators each school day, but what evidence of learning is guiding those decisions? And which types of evidence should be used to guide them? 

Attend this 20-minute DA Ed Talk to learn how to identify which types of evidence are most informative for instructional decisions, and how to empower educators to make more evidence-based instructional decisions and create more personalized learning environments.  

Topics will include:  

• How to understand and identify the essential evidence of learning, and use it to guide instructional choices 
• Using evidence of learning to personalize learning through tailored teaching approaches based on individual student strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles  
• Empowering educators with insightful tools that facilitate data analysis and decision-making for targeted interventions and improved learning outcomes 

Presenter 

Dr. Laine Bradshaw, V.P. of Classroom Solutions, Pearson School Assessment 

Register Now

Sponsored by

The post Evidence-Based Instruction: The Missing Ingredient for Personalized Learning appeared first on District Administration.

Date & Time: Thursday, January 11th at 2 pm ET

The emphasis on reading instruction in education has often overshadowed the importance of teaching writing skills. Yet, evidence shows that enhancing writing skills directly boosts reading proficiency.  

Attend this webinar with the Executive Director of the Penn Literacy Network—a professional development organization at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education—to learn how to elevate the Science of Writing across your district, and boost student proficiency in both reading and writing.

Topics will include: 

• The critical importance of the Science of Writing  
• The current landscape of writing education, and the need to integrate it with reading 
• How to advocate for more writing resources and support within a school district 
• Systematic and hands-on approaches to teaching writing in grades K-12 
• Methods to improve teacher self-efficacy and engage students in writing education 

Presenters

 Lara Paparo, Ed.D., Executive Director, Penn Literacy Network, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education

Jaclyn Gochoco, Senior Community Engagement Manager, NoRedink 

Register Now

Sponsored by

The post Elevate Literacy by Integrating the Science of Writing appeared first on District Administration.

Date & Time: Tuesday, January 9th at 2 pm ET

The middle of the school year is the ideal time to create next year’s strategic plan. Through clear vision setting, intentional planning, and effective execution, school leaders can lead their educators and students to achieve extraordinary outcomes.  

A clear strategic plan is vital to these goals, but the key is seeing the planning process as not just a “to-do” but as an opportunity to tell a story—about where the school has been and where it’s going.  

Attend this 20-minute Ed Talk with a former school leader, educator, and school leadership coach from Relay Graduate School of Education to learn how to help principals use strategic storytelling, identify the right priorities, and energize staff as part of an effective strategic planning process for next year.  

*All registrants will receive a free copy of Strategic Storytelling: A School Leader’s Guide to Annual Strategic Planning, from Relay Graduate School of Education. 

 Topics will include: 

• Gathering the right data and feedback from a school community 
• Finding your focus—instructional, cultural, etc.—and using it to motivate your team 
• Gathering stakeholder input to craft a compelling school story 
• How district leaders can support principals in the strategic planning process  

Presenter

Dr. Ben Klompus, Vice President, Impact and Innovation, Relay Graduate School of Education

Register Now

Sponsored by

The post Strategic Storytelling: Help Principals Start Planning Now for a Great Next Year appeared first on District Administration.

Date & Time: Wednesday, December 13th at 2 pm ET

Join us this December for an enlightening prelude to our comprehensive workshop at the FETC conference, titled “Charting the Digital Frontier: Building Blocks of Cyber-Resilient Education Systems.” This webinar serves as the gateway to understanding the pivotal transition in K-12 cybersecurity from awareness to resilience. As cyber threats grow in sophistication, our districts must not only adapt but anticipate. But how?

In this exclusive preview, we’ll uncover the building blocks for transforming your district into a digitally resilient fortress. You’ll get a sneak peek into:

• The Evolution of Cyber Threats: Trace the transformation in cybersecurity challenges within the last year and understand the urgency for an evolved stance.
• Pillars of Digital Resilience: Discover what ‘Digital Resilience’ means for a K-12 district and why it’s the cornerstone of modern educational delivery.
• Community as a Cyber Shield: Learn about the critical role of galvanizing district-wide efforts—from educators to learners—in fortifying cybersecurity defenses.
• Actionable Insights: Gain early access to insights that will shape the strategies for safeguarding your educational environment.
• Blueprint Preview: Receive an exclusive preview of what it takes to craft your ‘District Resilience Blueprint’ through a snapshot of our hands-on, interactive session planned for the conference.
• The Proactive Shift: Explore how districts can move from a defensive to a proactive cybersecurity posture, readying themselves against future challenges.

Cap off the session with a Q&A segment that will not only answer your immediate concerns but also deepen your curiosity about the advanced strategies we’ll be unveiling at FETC. This webinar is not just a conversation starter—it’s the first step towards redefining the cybersecurity narrative in your district.
Seize the initiative: Be among the first to embark on this journey towards creating an unbreakable digital learning environment. Reserve your spot today, and let’s pave the way for a safer, more resilient future at FETC!

Presenters

 Don Wolff, CTO of Portland Public Schools (PPS) in Portland, Oregon

 Tami Lundberg, CTO of Fresno Unified School District, California

The post Charting the Digital Frontier: Building Blocks of Cyber-Resilient Education Systems appeared first on District Administration.