Blog One: September 14th - 18th

2020-21 NUA RCSD Virtual Collaborative

NUA RCSD Liaison: Linda Montes

Project Director: Maria Sudduth

Senior Scholar: Robert Price

Senior Scholar: Stefanie Rome 

Lead NUA Coach: Whitney Eakin

Essential Question: How does belief in the learner to achieve and thrive in high intellectual performance manifest itself in our instructional practice and our district/school culture?

NOTE: THIS BLOG, INCLUDING THE LINKS HEREIN, CAN ONLY BE SHARED BY PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR (MARIA SUDDUTH) . IT IS MEANT TO BE INFORMATIVE, PROTECTED BY CONFIDENTIALITY.

This was our "launch week". We held planning meetings on September 1st, 8th, 9th, 15th (Pedagogy Coach Training) and 16th in preparation for launching our Distance Learning support for Redwood City.

In addition, Maria Sudduth, Linda Montes and other members of the team as available created support documents for the work.

The Principal/Assistant Principal documentation provides a summative document that we are using as we move this work forward.

Our team decided that we would consistently provide three days a week as outlined in the above document for NUA Lab School Support. In addition, some of the administrators have asked for mentors to provide professional learning within their faculty meetings. Stefanie Rome provide these learning opportunities for Roosevelt and for Garfield. Robert Price has been asked to do the same with Clifford. There is interest for this to happen with other NUA Lab Schools as well.

For context, teachers in the district (I assume across the Nation) are feeling overwhelmed with the responsibilities of teaching full time online, creating both in real time and asynchronous lessons for their students. Wednesdays are their planning days (no required meetings can happen on this day) , Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays are their online teaching days.

Our plan to support the RCSD NUA Virtual Collaborative is as follows:

• provide co-planning and co-teaching opportunities for teachers
• provide observations with feedback; demo lessons; co-taught lessons as requested on online teaching days
• co-create asynchronous lessons (with coaches and with teachers (as requested)
• schedule regular collaborative meetings with administrators
• create "top of the hour strategy" sessions (7 minutes) for Wednesdays, that teachers can attend in real time or access through both "The HUB" and the NUA Strategies and Activities Sheet: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cG8XFxH7ZyquyiaIufHwPEQRagWtUByEXYgVO01BYqo/edit?usp=sharing
• create and meet with student focus groups to amplify student voice

In addition:

• collaborate on the creation of "The HUB" this internal Google Website will provide a "one-stop" resources for teachers and administrators
• create a system to identify, solidify and house documentation of the project.
• provide ongoing essential summaries on the Feedback Sheet:
• continue to align RCSD foci into the collaboration, other initiatives and data (ie I-Ready) so as to ensure cohesiveness for the district

My own impression is that our first week was successful with some glitches, as can be observed on the feedback sheet. The sign-ups for sessions has been uneven. This is most likely due to other obligations happening at this same time of the beginning of distance learning, this was certainly the case shared with me from one of our schools. Garfield has signed up across all of the offered dates. Orion has also signed-up for sessions this first week. Administrators have or are planning meetings with their respective NUA mentors so the expectation is that opened slots will be scheduled. NUA mentors held debriefing sessions with administrators and coaches at the end of the week.

During times when mentors weren't scheduled, they have met with various coaches for planning lessons and units; and/or to collaborate. NUA Mentors have also attended to documentation and plans for asynchronous opportunities. We have also brainstormed further opportunities for support. For example, next week we are launching the "Top of the Hour Strategy" These will be seven minute quick introductions and directions for appropriate strategies to support teachers in their distance learning teaching. We are offering three this first week on Wednesdays.

There have been some issues with gaining entry to classrooms in which we have been invited. Redwood City's Google Meets and now Zoom platforms are district protected. Not all teachers remembered to provide a link for their classroom sessions. Teachers and administrators have to physically change permissions for each of their zoom sessions so NUA mentors can attend. This led to some planned invitations not happening and needing to be rescheduled OR they happened late.

Throughout the week, the RCSD NUA collaborative team have been in constant contact to facilitate this work.