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From Observation to Action: How Data-Driven Feedback Fuels Teacher Professional Development

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 17:37:42 GMT

Teachers' ability to adapt to new teaching methods, technology, and student needs requires continuous growth and development. This is where teacher coaching and observations become essential—not just as stand-alone practices but as integrated components of a comprehensive professional development strategy.

Today’s students are growing up in a digital world quite different from the one that their teachers knew when they were students. For the absolute beginner, the learning curve to using new EdTech can be steep. School leaders are finding that to meet the challenge, they need to update the content and delivery of their district’s professional development (PD) programs.

Here is a roundup of educational technology trends that we are seeing today and how these technologies are changing how teachers need to pursue PD.

Customizable Rubrics for Tailored Observations

One-size-fits-all approaches to teacher observations simply don't work. Every school and district is unique, and so are their instructional needs. By integrating customizable rubrics into the observation process, administrators can easily build and tailor observation tools to meet their specific objectives. Customized rubrics provide a clear framework for consistent, meaningful observations, whether focusing on student engagement, classroom management, or technology integration.

With flexibility, administrators can ensure that observations are aligned with the school's instructional goals while teachers receive relevant and actionable feedback. Customizable rubrics also make it easier to acknowledge where a teacher has exceeded expectations, offering a platform for celebrating strengths while pinpointing growth areas.

Detailed Feedback: A Pathway to Improvement

As the Adult Learning Theory emphasizes, feedback for adult learners should be timely, relevant, respectful of their experience, and provide actionable guidance to foster self-directed improvement and motivation. Teachers need more than a score or general comments to improve—they need detailed feedback and actionable steps.

This feedback should not only highlight areas where they excel but also offer actionable suggestions for improvement. The coaching process becomes more effective when observation tools are designed with this level of detail. Teachers can reflect on specific aspects of their practice, understand how to adjust, and work with coaches to implement changes.

Detailed feedback is also essential in promoting teacher agency. Teachers are empowered to take ownership of their professional growth when they receive concrete, constructive insights. This kind of feedback loop fosters a culture of continuous improvement, benefiting both educators and students alike.

Data Aggregation: Driving Informed Decisions

One of the most powerful advantages of integrating teacher coaching and observations with professional development is the ability to aggregate data. By collecting and analyzing observation data over time, schools can gain a holistic view of teacher performance. This information can then inform professional development opportunities, resource allocation, and teacher evaluations when appropriate.

For example, data-driven insights can identify common areas where teachers across the school or district may need additional support. This enables administrators to create and facilitate targeted professional development that directly addresses these needs, leading to more effective PD sessions that directly impact classroom instruction. Furthermore, aggregated data ensures a more objective observation process, reducing bias and ensuring that decisions are based on clear evidence.

MobileMind, the modern professional learning hub, includes comprehensive coaching and observation tools that align with the entire PD lifecycle . By leveraging customizable rubrics, detailed feedback, and data aggregation, we provide schools and districts with the tools they need to support their teachers effectively and objectively.

Through this integrated approach, MobileMind helps administrators and educators work together to create a dynamic learning environment where teachers thrive.

How to Secure Teacher Buy-In When Launching a New Professional Development Program

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 17:36:45 GMT

Launching a new professional development program can be pivotal for school districts, impacting everything from teacher engagement to student outcomes. However, even the most innovative PD initiative will only be as successful as its buy-in from teachers. To truly inspire a culture of growth, the PD program needs to feel relevant, manageable, and rewarding to those who will benefit from it most: educators. Below are strategies for securing teacher buy-in.

1. Understand the Core Needs of Adult Learners

Teachers, like all adult learners, want to know that their time and effort are being put to good use. Traditional, lecture-based PD sessions often fall short because they don’t align with the practical, self-directed nature of adult learning theory . Adults bring a wealth of prior experience, and they are most engaged when learning is relevant, practical, and can be applied directly to their work.

Actionable Tips:

Connect Learning to Real-World Applications: Make it clear how the PD content will help solve immediate classroom challenges. For example, if educators struggle with tech integration, provide targeted micro-courses focused on tools they can access.
Offer Choice and Customization: Allow teachers to personalize their PD experience by choosing the courses or learning paths that align with their needs or interests. Giving teachers a sense of voice and choice over their learning path fosters a stronger commitment.

2. Embrace Micro-Learning to Respect Time Constraints

Time is a precious commodity for teachers. Launching a program that feels like a time drain can quickly lead to resistance. Instead, consider breaking down the PD curriculum into micro-courses—short, focused lessons that fit easily into a teacher’s busy schedule. Micro-learning respects teachers’ time and helps them digest information in manageable portions, leading to better retention.

Actionable Tips:

Set Manageable Learning Goals: Micro-courses allow for incremental, achievable goals, which can increase teachers’ motivation and sense of accomplishment.
Encourage Consistent, Bite-Sized Learning: A structure that promotes frequent, small doses of learning rather than occasional intensive sessions helps to reinforce knowledge without overwhelming educators.

3. Incorporate Gamification to Boost Engagement and Motivation

Gamification— integrating game-like elements into the learning experience—can be a powerful tool to engage teachers. Progress trackers, badges, and other rewards provide a tangible sense of achievement and encourage healthy competition. Incorporating gamified elements into PD can inspire friendly challenges and celebrate teachers’ learning milestones.

Actionable Tips:

Reward Progress and Milestones: Implement a digital badge system to recognize teachers as they progress through their courses. A leaderboard can also motivate by celebrating those who have reached significant milestones.
Promote Collaborative Challenges: Gamified challenges or group activities can create a collaborative culture around PD, allowing teachers to encourage each other’s growth and discuss what they’re learning.

4. Highlight the Immediate Benefits and Celebrate Early Wins

When teachers can see the value of the new PD program right away, they’re more likely to invest in it. Highlighting quick wins, like how a single session helped a teacher engage their students or streamline lesson planning, can create a positive ripple effect across the district.

Actionable Tips:

Share Success Stories: Encourage early adopters to share their experiences and successes. Whether it’s a teacher using a newly learned strategy or one achieving a certification, share these wins to inspire others.
Recognize and Reward Early Participants: Acknowledge the first group of participants by spotlighting them in meetings or district-wide newsletters. This reinforces a positive perception of the program and encourages others to join.

5. Leverage Peer Influence for a Stronger Commitment

Teachers are often most influenced by their peers, so tapping into this social dynamic can be invaluable for PD initiatives. Consider building a “PD Champions” network within your district—educators passionate about professional growth and willing to help their peers navigate the program. When teachers see respected colleagues invested in PD, they’re more likely to follow suit.

Actionable Tips:

Create a Peer Coaching System: A support system of peer coaches or mentors can make PD feel more accessible and less intimidating for those hesitant to try something new.
Hold Collaborative Workshops: Group settings allow teachers to learn together and share insights, creating a collaborative culture around the PD program.

6. Emphasize Flexibility to Reduce Resistance

One of the biggest hurdles in PD adoption is the feeling that it adds another obligation to an already packed schedule. By making the program flexible and accessible, you’ll reduce resistance and create a more welcoming environment for learning.

Actionable Tips:

Allow for Self-Paced Learning: Give teachers the freedom to complete their courses at their own pace, respect their time, and make learning more accessible.
Offer Multiple Access Points: Your program should be accessible across devices, with the option to complete sessions during lunch, after school, or even from home, meet teachers where they are, and reduce participation barriers.

7. Gather and Act on Feedback

No one knows what teachers need from PD better than teachers themselves. Regular feedback helps you tailor the program and makes teachers feel valued and invested in its success. A successful PD program evolves based on the input of its participants, ensuring relevance and engagement.

Actionable Tips:

Conduct Quick Pulse Surveys: After a learning path, invite feedback. A short survey or a simple thumbs-up/thumbs-down can provide insights without adding extra work.
Host Listening Sessions: Give teachers a voice in the PD program’s evolution by inviting them to share what’s working, what’s not, and what they want to see next.

By designing a program that aligns with adult learning principles, respects time constraints, and incorporates gamified and flexible learning options, you’ll create an exciting experience in which teachers are excited to participate. When teachers see the value in PD, they’re more likely to integrate their new skills into their classrooms, benefiting students across the district.

Educators' Perspective on Declining Achievement: What Teachers See That NAEP Scores Don't Show

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 17:35:26 GMT

This article was originally published on Study.com and can be viewed here: https://study.com/resources/educators-perspective-declining-achievement.html

While national assessments like the NAEP offer a snapshot of student performance, teachers see a more nuanced and concerning picture in their classrooms, one filled with complex challenges that scores alone cannot fully capture.

Recent NAEP results for Math and Reading reveal some worrying trends. While math scores have shown a bit of recovery since 2022, they're still below pre-pandemic levels. Reading scores, meanwhile, continue to decline.

NAEP provides valuable insights into how students are doing overall. However, they often miss the nuances of what's happening in individual classrooms. That's why Study.com conducted an exclusive teacher survey - to uncover what educators see firsthand in their classrooms that test scores alone can't capture.

2019 vs. 2024 - A Comparison of NAEP Scores

NAEP scores for 4th and 8th graders in Math and Reading reveal mixed trends between 2019 and 2024. While math scores show slight recovery, reading continues its steady decline, raising concerns among educators.

Key Takeaways from NAEP Data

Reading Scores

4th grade :
2024: 2 points drop from 2022, 5 points drop from 2019
Declines across all performance levels except the highest (90th percentile).
8th grade :
2024: 2 points drop from 2022, 5 points drop from 2019
Middle- and lower-performing students saw the biggest drops.

Math Scores

4th grade :
2024: 2 points drop from 2022, but still 3 points drop from 2019
Higher-performing students showed the most improvement.
8th grade :
2024 : No significant change from 2022, but 8 points drop from 2019
Scores increased for top performers but declined for lower-performing students .

What is Declining Achievement - What Educators Have to Say

Declining achievement refers to the widening gap between students' academic performance and grade-level expectations. But do these standardized test scores truly reflect the reality in classrooms?

To understand what these numbers mean in real classrooms, Study.com surveyed teachers nationwide. Their insights reveal that while most educators agree NAEP scores capture learning loss, a number of educators still believe the problem runs even deeper:

English Teachers:
47% say test scores accurately reflect learning loss.
31% believe the situation is worse than the scores indicate.
22% think test scores overstate the issue.
Math Teachers :
42% agree test scores provide an accurate picture.
36% say learning loss is actually worse than the data suggests.
22% believe it's not as severe as test scores indicate.

Potential Causes of Declining Achievement

What teachers say are the biggest challenges

English Teachers:
49% cite lack of parental prioritization of academics .
38% point to mental health and social-emotional struggles .
37% say students not completing homework or studying is a major factor .
Math Teachers :
49% also cite lack of parental prioritization as the top challenge.
36% highlight low student engagement .
35% say incomplete homework and lack of studying play a key role.
32% report mental health and social-emotional struggles .

Key Insights & Connections

Parental involvement matters : 49% of both English and math teachers identified a lack of family prioritization of academics as a top cause of student struggles, making it the most frequently cited challenge.
Homework & engagement : Students who skip assignments often fall behind, making it harder to stay engaged.
Mental health impact : 38% of English teachers and 32% of math teachers cited mental health and social-emotional struggles as key contributors to student learning gaps.

COVID-19 and Its Lasting Impact on Student Achievement

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated academic decline and widened existing achievement gaps. While recent NAEP scores show some signs of recovery in math, the data suggests that students are still struggling to regain lost ground.

According to the Harvard Education Recovery Scorecard (2024):

Students lost the equivalent of several months of learning in both math and reading.
Recovery has been uneven , with some districts making progress while others remain far behind pre-pandemic levels.

A Stanford Education study further highlights:

Math recovery has been stronger than reading , but many students still lag behind.
Lower-income districts experienced the biggest setbacks , widening achievement gaps.

What pre-pandemic and post-pandemic NAEP data tells us:

4th-grade math scores in 2024 improved slightly from 2022 but are still 3 points below 2019 levels.
8th-grade math scores remain 8 points lower than 2019, showing no significant progress since 2022.
Reading scores have continued to decline, with both 4th and 8th graders scoring 5 points lower than in 2019.

How Teachers are Combating Declining Achievement

Teachers are implementing multiple strategies to enhance student learning, with technology playing a significant role.

Almost 9 out 10 Math and English teacher use EdTech solutions.
81% of both English and math teachers feel confident using technology to enhance learning.
Most effective EdTech tool :
Adaptive learning platforms - cited by 53% (English) and 50% (Math)

Bridging the Gaps

NAEP scores and teacher insights confirm that declining achievement stems from multiple factors - parental disengagement, student motivation, and mental health struggles .

To address these challenges:

Schools are strengthening communication and outreach to increase parental involvement.
Educators are leveraging EdTech, tutoring, and personalized instruction to improve student engagement. Online platforms like Study.com provide tailored resources for subjects like English and Math , helping students reinforce key concepts outside the classroom.
Trauma-informed teaching is fostering safer learning spaces to support student mental health.

But lasting progress requires more than classroom solutions-it calls for collaborative action from schools, policymakers, communities, and families. Sustained investment in resources, technology, and student support systems is essential. With the right support, every student can regain lost ground and thrive.

Methodology

The 'Learning Loss' survey was conducted online from January 23-24, 2025, and included 700 elementary and middle school teachers across the country. The age distribution of respondents was as follows: Generation Z made up 10%, Millennials accounted for 41%, Generation X represented 33%, and Baby Boomers comprised 15%.

In terms of ethnicity, the respondents were predominantly White (55%), followed by Hispanic (17%), Black or African American (14%), and Asian (9%). Smaller groups included American Indian or Alaska Native (1%).

Disclaimer: This blog post was originally published by Study.com and is shared here with their permission. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the original author and do not necessarily reflect the views of MobileMind.

MobileMind Partners with EduMatch to Expand Professional Learning Opportunities for Educators

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 17:33:44 GMT

We’re thrilled to announce our latest partnership with EduMatch, a globally recognized community dedicated to fostering deep connections and collaborative growth among educators. Through this partnership, EduMatch’s high-quality asynchronous, self-paced professional development courses are now available in MobileMind’s ReadyMade Marketplace—bringing even more valuable learning opportunities to educators and school districts.

Bringing High-Impact PD to Educators

EduMatch is known for its mission to combat educator isolation by building a worldwide network of professionals who support one another’s growth and share their experiences. Their professional development offerings are tailored to meet the evolving needs of today’s educators , and we’re excited to offer their expertise directly through MobileMind.Through our ReadyMade Marketplace, educators and districts will now have access to EduMatch’s courses on:

✅ Digital Equity – Ensuring all students have access to technology and learning opportunities
✅ Teacher Productivity – Strategies for efficiency and effectiveness in the classroom
✅ Classroom Management for New Hires – Essential skills for early-career teachers to build a positive learning environment

Why This Partnership Matters

By integrating EduMatch’s courses into MobileMind’s self-paced, on-demand learning platform , we’re ensuring that educators can engage with relevant, high-quality professional learning that seamlessly aligns with their district’s broader initiatives. This collaboration will increase accessibility, engagement, and impact for educators looking to grow their skills while balancing their busy schedules.

“EduMatch is incredibly excited to begin this partnership with MobileMind. We are looking forward to impacting educators together, and bringing our community and our passion for educator growth to a wider audience.” - Sarah Thomas, PhD, Founder, EduMatch“

We’re absolutely thrilled to be partnering with such a talented team who cares so deeply about educator wellbeing and effectiveness, as well as student access and outcomes. This high-impact EduMatch offering will empower both new and veteran educators with actionable learning they can implement immediately.” - Amy Vitala, Ed.D, Chief Learning Officer, MobileMind

At MobileMind, we’re committed to expanding access to meaningful professional learning experiences that help educators thrive. This partnership with EduMatch is another step forward in ensuring that every educator has the resources they need to grow, connect, and succeed.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to grow our ReadyMade Marketplace!

MobileMind & Short Answer Partnership: Empowering Teachers to Build Better Writers Across All Subjects

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 17:31:26 GMT

We are excited to announce a new partnership between MobileMind and Short Answer, a collaboration aimed at transforming how writing is taught and practiced across K12 classrooms.

Short Answer is on a mission to help teachers build stronger writers through gamified, social writing activities that work across every subject, not just ELA. Their research-driven platform, developed at the Stanford Graduate School of Education, empowers students in grades 3–12 to respond to engaging prompts, give and receive peer and AI feedback, and reflect meaningfully on their writing. It’s a fresh approach that’s already been shown to double the rate of learning in the classroom.

Tackling the Writing Crisis with Innovation

According to NAEP data, about75% of 8th and 12th graders in the U.S. do not write proficiently. On top of this, AI tools are now capable of generating text for students, resulting in even less writing practice for students. That’s where Short Answer steps in.

Short Answer enables more writing in K12 schools by making it easy to embed writing in any content area. Instead of adding to a teacher’s workload, Short Answer reframes writing activities as tools for content assessment, helping students show what they know through written expression while enabling teachers to evaluate content understanding.

What This Means for MobileMind Educators

Through this partnership, MobileMind is excited to offer educators powerful, practical learning paths to get started with Short Answer and expand their usage with confidence:

Short Answer Basics

This Learning Path is your fast track to getting started. Educators will explore how to create and launch activities using Short Answer’s intuitive platform. Each module includes quick videos and a short quiz to solidify your knowledge—perfect for busy teachers looking for actionable training.

Short Answer Advanced

Ready to level up? This course dives into features like Immersive Reader, Peer Commenting, and exporting student responses. Teachers will also discover more advanced writing activity types to foster deeper learning and richer collaboration.

Both learning paths are designed to support flexible, on-demand professional learning. Educators can explore at their own pace whenever it works best.

A Shared Vision for Literacy and Equity

At MobileMind, we’re committed to helping districts modernize professional learning and close equity gaps in education. Our partnership with Short Answer reinforces this commitment by equipping teachers across all disciplines with the tools and confidence to embed writing across the curriculum.

Together, we’re helping districts build coherent, cross-subject writing instruction that boosts literacy outcomes and empowers students to thrive in a world where strong writing matters more than ever.

ClassDojo Joins the MobileMind ReadyMade Marketplace

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 17:28:23 GMT

We’re excited to welcome ClassDojo to the MobileMind ReadyMade Marketplace!

ClassDojo is one of the most beloved classroom tools in K–12, helping educators build strong classroom culture, connect with families, and celebrate student growth. Now, schools and districts can access ClassDojo’s professional learning directly inside MobileMind.

Through a collection of engaging micro-courses and curated learning paths, ClassDojo empowers teachers, school leaders, and districts with the skills to:

Get started quickly with setup and communication essentials
Strengthen classroom and schoolwide culture
Streamline rostering and save time with SIS integrations
Unlock advanced features and creative applications for learning

“Our mission at MobileMind is to help K12 leaders offer professional learning that is flexible, meaningful, and truly relevant to their educators’ work,” said Dr. Amy Vitala, Chief Learning Officer at MobileMind. “ClassDojo has long been a trusted partner for schools, and we’re thrilled to bring their professional learning into the Marketplace. This partnership connects teachers and leaders with on-demand ClassDojo training so they can effectively connect with families, build positive school culture, and celebrate student growth.”

This partnership brings even more high-quality, ready-to-use professional learning to the MobileMind Marketplace, making it easier than ever for educators to explore ClassDojo’s tools in meaningful ways that translate directly into their daily practice.

"At ClassDojo, we’re focused on helping every teacher, leader, and district create a thriving school community,” said Dave Herron, Head of School Partnerships at ClassDojo. “By partnering with MobileMind, we’re making it easier for educators to build confidence with ClassDojo, learn new strategies, and bring even more joy and connection into their classrooms and schools.”

By bringing ClassDojo’s professional learning into MobileMind, educators gain access to job-embedded PD that is practical, flexible, and impactful —helping them maximize their use of ClassDojo and drive stronger connections across classrooms, schools, and districts.

Lucid for Education Joins the MobileMind ReadyMade Marketplace

Tue, 23 Dec 2025 17:24:47 GMT

We’re excited to welcome Lucid for Education to the MobileMind ReadyMade Marketplace! Lucid for Education helps schools transform learning through collaborative tools like Lucidspark and Lucidchart , enabling students and educators to brainstorm, organize, and visualize ideas in creative and engaging ways. And now, all Canvas users already have free access to Lucid through their LMS —making it easier than ever for schools to bring collaboration and creativity into every classroom.

With Lucid’s professional learning now available in MobileMind, educators can explore Learning Paths that make it simple to:

Get started with Lucidspark and begin using interactive whiteboarding for collaboration and creativity
Learn how to integrate Lucid seamlessly into Canvas to boost student engagement
Discover how to design interactive activities that bring lessons to life
Earn recognition as a Lucid Certified Educator while building confidence with the full Lucid for Education suite

“Lucid makes learning more collaborative and creative, and with free access for every Canvas user, the opportunity to impact millions of educators is enormous. This ReadyMade content not only helps teachers unlock everything Lucid offers but also supports them in making the most of their LMS. By bringing Lucid’s professional learning into MobileMind, we’re helping educators move from access to confidence—so they can engage students in powerful new ways.” — Casey Clarke, Director of Partnerships at MobileMind.

“Lucid for Education is all about empowering teachers to bring creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking into every classroom,” said Vanessa Cicero, Teaching and Learning Consultant at Lucid for Education. “With Lucid available for free to every Canvas user, and now with guided professional learning in MobileMind, educators have a powerful path to making student engagement and collaboration a reality.”

By bringing Lucid for Education’s professional learning into MobileMind, schools gain access to ready-to-use PD that helps teachers unlock student creativity, maximize their LMS, and make learning more interactive.

Five Top AI Tools for Education

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 17:06:24 GMT

In this blog post, Andrew Caffrey from Canopy , looks at some of the most popular AI Tools in Education.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the world, and education is no exception. AI is already used in classrooms to help teachers develop learning resources, provide feedback, and automate tasks. As AI continues to evolve, it is likely to have an even greater impact on education.

AI can help save teachers time in a number of ways. For example, AI can be used to create lesson plans, write letters to parents, and develop schemes of work. This can free up teachers to spend more time on tasks that require human creativity and judgment. Additionally, AI Tools can be used to personalize learning for each student, which can help students learn more effectively.

At Canopy, we have been tracking AI Tools as they launch - here are some of the most popular from our Canopy AI Tools Directory.

Popular AI Tools for Educators

At Canopy, we have been tracking AI Tools as they launch - here are some of the most popular from our Canopy AI Tools Directory.

AI Professional Development

Created by Canopy, the MobileMind professional learning hub has three learning paths, thirty-seven micro-courses, and fifteen badges for AI! Below are descriptions of each learning path:

Understanding AI for Teaching and Learning

This learning path consists of eleven micro-courses and three badges. Learners will dive into AI basics including how to create effective prompts, how to find AI tools for education, and how to use AI tools to assist with quiz generation and creativity.

Chat GPT

Consisting of twelve micro-courses and six badges, this learning path covers topics like Chat GPT data and privacy, as well as generating schemes of work, school trip letters, parent emails, and more.

Google Bard

The Google Bard learning path consists of fourteen micro-courses and six badges. Courses cover topics like Google Bard basics, generating image responses, student and class feedback, creating questions, and so much more!

Are your teachers using AI in their classrooms? If so, they need training to use it safely and efficiently. If not, they’re missing out on a world of opportunity.

Read our blog, 6 Risks of Neglecting AI Professional Development , to learn more. Schedule a call with MobileMind today to discover how you can scale district-wide AI training with little effort.

6 Risks of Neglecting AI Professional Development

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 15:50:44 GMT

Artificial intelligence (AI) has the power to transform K-12 teaching and learning and educator productivity, but it can be intimidating to teachers and leaders, which is understandable. Just like any novel technology with significant educational potential, training is absolutely essential if we are to alleviate concerns about this revolutionary technology, as well as integrate it in a safe and intentional manner with our students. The focus should go far beyond discussing the potential benefits of AI; it's equally important to understand the risks of not providing teachers with proper AI training. In this blog post, we'll delve into six risks districts assume when not offering AI training to their teachers and staff.

Inadequate Foundational Understanding

Scenario: A teacher is using AI in their classroom with the best of intentions, but they lack proper guidance on the tools and policies for AI use. Students are now engaging with AI in a way that does not adhere to district goals and regulations.

Just like the dawn of the internet, AI is feared by many educators due to the current lack of understanding regarding what AI even is and how it will impact them in their roles. Countless students and teachers are already ahead of the curve, using AI tools like ChatGPT and Bard regularly for productivity, instruction, and learning. Offering professional development around the basics of AI can go a long way in alleviating the fear and uncertainty among educators. Additionally, equipping teachers with foundational AI knowledge and skills will support them in adequately educating the modern student whose life will undoubtedly be impacted by the rapid growth of AI in education and the workforce. Districts need to catch up and provide support in a unified and intentional manner that is aligned with district goals and regulations.

K-12 Implications

Scenario: A teacher started using AI to organize her personal life over the summer, and she can’t wait to integrate AI tools into her classroom. While she understands how AI works in a personal context, she excitedly begins infusing the one AI tool she knows well. Students are now using a tool that is engaging, but not age-appropriate or aligned with instructional goals.

The quality of our classroom educators are the single most important factor when it comes to student success. Therefore, teacher input and buy-in is critical when it comes to any new innovation in K-12. Beyond a foundational understanding of AI and how to use it on a basic level, teachers need to understand what this means for their own instruction, student learning, and education as a whole. Artificial intelligence has the capacity to completely change the landscape of our industry, and we need to provide classroom teachers with the why , as well as vetted resources just for K-12 to start them off on the right foot.

Data Privacy and Confidentiality

Scenario : Unaware of data privacy protocols, a teacher uses a free third-party educational app that collects student data without proper encryption. The app's lack of security measures results in a data breach, exposing sensitive student information to unauthorized parties.

Not all apps and sites are safe for use in K-1 2, and some may even collect student data. As AI collects and analyzes this data to provide personalized learning experiences, data privacy and confidentiality concerns arise. Teachers may not fully grasp the importance of safeguarding sensitive student information without adequate AI training. This lack of awareness could lead to unintentional mishandling of data, potentially violating privacy regulations and eroding the trust between educational institutions, students, and their families. Teachers must be aware of data collection, storage, and usage regulations in the educational context. Professional development around data and privacy is essential if K-12 educators plan to leverage AI for teaching and learning.

Data-Driven Decision Making

Scenario : A teacher receives AI-generated insights about student performance. Lacking proper training, they misinterpret the data, leading to ineffective interventions and skewed assessments.

AI affords us with an opportunity to analyze student pe rformance in a way we’ve never experienced. Teachers who lack AI training might struggle to interpret the information generated by AI tools effectively, leading to ineffective interventions and skewed assessments. Of course, we want to avoid misguided decisions based on flawed or incomplete data analysis. Such decisions could impact assessments of student performance, resource allocation, and even curriculum or intervention planning. Teachers need professional development on how to effectively use AI to not only gather student data, but also interpret that data to make informed instructional decisions.

AI integration Strategies

Scenario: A teacher has received a list of approved AI resources and basic training from his district. He now understands AI basics and which tools are district-approved, but he’s clueless as to how to integrate these tools into practical learning experiences. It becomes clear that this teacher lacks intentionality in his AI-supported lessons. The AI tool becomes an impediment to learning, and student achievement begins to suffer.

Philosophical dis cussion of a new tool is one thing, but we know implementation is a whole other ballgame. Anytime an innovation, new curriculum, or novel tool is introduced in K-12, we must offer concrete, relevant use cases for educators to guide them as they integrate new tools in their practice with actual students. From lesson planning, to stimulating creativity, to group and individual feedback, AI has the ability to ramp up a teacher’s practice and offer new avenues to increase student achievement. For instance, there are specific strategies regarding the use of ChatGPT to promote meaningful questioning in the classroom. Teachers may also be interested to learn more about how they can use AI for productivity, such as email template generation, so they can focus their time on what matters most - their students. PD with examples and concrete strategies can make all the difference so your teachers can go beyond theory to strategic, real-world implementation.

Duty to our Students

Scenario: Teachers at a high school are fearful and ill-prepared to leverage AI for teaching and learning. As a result, students graduate with no knowledge of how to use these tools productively in order to maximize learning and creating. They enter their post-secondary schooling and work experiences at a disadvantage, as many of their peers have already been using AI for years.

This was mentioned briefly earlier, but we think this one deserves a highlight of its own. There is so much evidence pointing to the monumental impact that AI will have on our field. The growth of AI in such a short time indicates that this rapidly changing technology will only grow in significance in K-12 and our workforce. It is our duty to prepare our students for their future educational endeavors and the unpredictable future of our workforce. We are, of course, preparing the modern student for careers that don’t even exist yet, and we must equip them with an understanding of AI and how to use these tools safely and effectively. For instance, students need to understand why we need to check AI’s work, and why we should never share sensitive data through an AI tool. Without proper instruction for students, they are likely to use these tools in an unproductive or unsafe manner. Our students can’t possibly learn such essential information if our educators aren’t comfortable or prepared themselves, and that is our role as educational leaders.

Interested in learning how to provide AI professional learning to your educators?

Schedule a call with MobileMind here.

Canopy & MobileMind partnership provides K12 districts with AI training

Tue, 15 Aug 2023 15:50:59 GMT

MobileMind, the modern professional learning hub for schools, has partnered with Canopy Education CIC to offer districts robust AI training.

Districts can offer AI training that includes hands-on challenges and real-world examples of how to apply AI in the classroom.

Topics include, but are not limited to:

Understanding AI in Teaching & Learning
Leveraging Chat GPT and Google Bard for Teacher Productivity
Data and Privacy when using Chat GPT and Google Bard
Prompt best practices

“AI is disrupting the world as we know it. So partnering with Canopy to create AI training for our districts in MobileMind is a natural step for our professional learning hub already disrupting the K-12 professional learning market,” said Tyce Miller, MobileMind’s Founder & CEO. “Canopy’s AI courses will train teachers to effectively use AI, saving them valuable time.”

“At Canopy we think AI has huge potential to save teacher time, allowing teachers to focus on students rather than admin tasks. Partnering with MobileMind we hope to increase the impact we are having on teachers and their students” said Andrew Caffrey, CEO at Canopy Education.

If you are currently a MobileMind customer, please reach out to learn how to add this professional learning opportunity to your Hub.

If you are not already a district leveraging the power of MobileMind, learn more and schedule a professional learning consultation at mobilemind.io.

4 reasons your teachers hate PD and what to do about it

Mon, 22 May 2023 15:50:57 GMT

Professional learning is essential to a teacher's growth and development, but unfortunately, many teachers report feeling dissatisfied with their PD experiences. Here are four reasons your teachers may roll their eyes at professional development - and what leaders can do about it.

"One size fits all" approach

Just as learning should be differentiated for our students, it shouldn't be “one-size-fits-all” for teachers. Research suggests strong dissatisfaction with PD when it fails to consider educator needs or experience.

Those who have engaged with asynchronous personalized learning have repeatedly reported that, with self-directed PD, they can be in control of their own learning. Allowing educators voice and choice in their professional learning opportunities makes all the difference!

Takes them away from their classroom, and students

Teachers already have a lot on their plates, and taking them away from their classrooms and students for PD can be challenging. In fact, studies show that 30% of teachers work an average of 10 to 11-hour days, with many of those hours being unpaid. That said, it is a lot to ask teachers to stay late or come in early for PD, attend in-person training during the summer, or require them to get a sub and write lesson plans in order to attend a training.

Meaningful job-Embedded PD can allow teachers to complete training during the regular school day (within their contracted hours) and create authentic products they can use in their classroom.

"Sit-and-get" approach

Most professional development includes sitting through direct instruction in a classroom-style conference room with an administrator talking at educators - a "sage on the stage," if you will, with little collaboration.

Our recent white paper shows that teachers find self-directed, hands-on virtual PD 90% more engaging than traditional face-to-face training. In addition to personalization and application of skills or concepts, educators also find that gamification and a little friendly competition can go a long way.

Unintentional

With teacher shortages and educators being stretched thin in general, PD is dropping down on the list of priorities in K-12 districts. Training that is not intentionally designed to fit the roles and needs of each adult learner can feel like box-checking, which doesn't respect their time, knowledge, and experience.

In conclusion, PD is an essential part of a teacher's growth and development, but it must be provided to meet their needs and respect their time. By providing self-directed, interactive, and personalized PD, teachers can grow and improve while also enjoying the learning experience.

To learn more about how to design and facilitate PD that teachers love, schedule a professional learning consultation with our Chief Learning Officer, Amy Vitala, Ed.D. here.

Maximizing K-12 Federal Funding for Professional Development in 2023: Understanding Title I, Title II, Title IV, and ESSER

emily@mobilemind.io (Emily Pratt) — Mon, 15 May 2023 18:41:33 GMT

The world of K-12 federal funding is complicated and ever-evolving. However, as K-12 school districts move into the 2023 - 2024 budget season while planning next school year's goals and initiatives, it's essential to understand the changes that have been made this year to federal funding and how it relates to covering the cost of professional development.

Now let's dive into the different types of funding that can be used for K-12 professional development.

Title I

Part of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Title I is for schools and districts with at least 40 percent of students from low-income families. In 2023 Title I saw a $20 billion increase to $36.5 billion!

How is PD eligible?

Part of the Every Student Succeeds Act, Title I, promotes high-quality professional development to improve the teaching of academic subjects to help all children meet student performance standards.

Title II

Title II is the most significant source of federal funding for professional development and is all about attracting and retaining quality educators.

How is PD eligible?

Authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title II allocates $2.25 billion for K-12 school districts to use for all things professional development.

In fact, MobileMind falls under 11 of the 15 authorized uses for Title II.

Title IV

Title IV is included in Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act and is intended to "improve students' academic achievement by increasing the capacity of States, local educational agencies (LEAs), schools, and local communities to provide all students with access to a well-rounded education, improve school conditions for student learning, and improve the use of technology in order to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students."

How is PD eligible?

Title IV is meant to promote the effective use of technology and support high-quality professional development for educators, school leaders, and administrators to personalize learning. Additionally, it can be used to provide training for suicide prevention, trauma-informed practices, crisis management, and conflict resolution for the health and safety of students.

ESSER

The most significant amount of federal funding ever dedicated to schooling. Though ESSER I has already been allocated, the three packages equate to approximately $195 billion.

ESSER II (CAA), $54 billion to be allocated by September 30, 2023. ESSER II funds can be spent on all the same activities as ESSER I, addressing learning loss, school facility repairs and improvements, and improving indoor air quality in school facilities.

ESSER III (ARP), $123 billion to be allocated by September 30, 2024.

How is PD eligible?

Literally, all aspects of professional development can be covered by ESSER III. This includes new hire onboarding and SEL training, as 20% of the funding must be used on SEL. The goal for this funding is to "plan for the future."

Summary

As you have read, 2023 will have many K-12 federal funding changes. Here is a snapshot:

Title I, a $20 billion increase to $36.5 billion
$800M increase in Special Ed funding
$1B to double amount of counselors, nurses, and mental health professionals
$1.1B for EL programs
$1.6B to train teachers in special areas
$30M for leadership training

That is substantial funding to support educators in many different areas! We are here to help you navigate all things professional development, including giving guidance on how to cover the cost of your district's training.

Schedule a call with MobileMind for more information about maximizing the impact of your district's federal stimulus funding for professional development!

MobileMind Expands Partner Program

emily@mobilemind.io (Emily Pratt) — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 19:09:27 GMT

MobileMind , the modern professional learning hub for schools, is taking the hub to its next level with the company’s newly expanded Partner Program.

MobileMind’s Partner Program offers technology companies a program to collaborate and/or integrate. Partners with certification pathways or digital training content can leverage MobileMind’s patent-pending technology to deliver guided learning on any edtech tool. Additionally, through integration, external digital badges and training from any source can be tracked and reported in MobileMind.

MobileMind’s Channel Partners have expanded opportunities, too. Partners now have the opportunity to White Label MobileMind and become a Managed Service Provider and/or deliver custom training via MobileMind as a Value Added Service. MobileMind can also be used internally by a Partner to centralize sales training on their ecosystem of vendors and products.

Lastly, trainers, consultants, and Professional Development providers can partner with MobileMind to create a blended learning experience. MobileMind’s Events solution enables Partners to unite live on-site facilitation with asynchronous or self-paced training.

To learn more about how to partner and collaborate with MobileMind, contact casey@mobilemind.io or visit mobilemind.io/partners .

Newline Interactive Announces Collaboration with MobileMind

Wed, 31 Aug 2022 16:33:59 GMT

Newline Interactive , the leading provider of quality interactive touch displays and collaboration solutions, is pleased to collaborate with MobileMind in offering Newline content on their professional learning hub.

Newline Interactive, which already offers free on demand training, is now available on MobileMind’s professional development platform. Now, existing MobileMind clients will have access to Newline content with their MobileMind paid subscriptions. This content will include training videos on our latest products that will have a short knowledge check after each video.

“This partnership ensures that educators new to Newline are set up for success and can leverage Newline’s award-winning interactive panels in a way that immediately impacts student outcomes,” said Tyce Miller, MobileMind’s Founder & CEO. “Newline engages students in creative learning just as MobileMind engages teachers in creative learning.”

“By collaborating with MobileMind, we are giving customers another avenue to learn about Newline and what we have to offer. MobileMind’s existing clients will now be able to access all things Newline and acquire tools that encourage innovative learning in the 21st century classroom.” Stated Ty Hall, Newline’s Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing.

Newline Interactive’s content page will be live on MobileMind’s professional learning hub soon!

About Newline Interactive
Headquartered in Allen, Texas, Newline Interactive is a leading supplier of interactive touch screens and innovative software that increases productivity and enables collaboration. Newline Interactive develops products that help organizations in a wide range of vertical markets including financial services, education, healthcare, law enforcement, manufacturing, municipalities, and legal services.

About MobileMind
Founded in 2015, MobileMind is a privately held, Atlanta-based educational technology company. MobileMind is a Google and Microsoft professional development partner offering a cloud-based, asynchronous professional learning platform designed to provide personalized growth opportunities to teachers and staff that improve teaching and learning. The professional learning hub is the only platform that allows districts to consolidate all of their PD initiatives, from new technology to curriculum to compliance. MobileMind delivers anytime, anywhere access to personalized micro-courses, activity-based learning, digital badging, and reporting to K-12 school districts.

Microsoft Education: Educator Badge Changes

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 19:00:56 GMT

Learn about the changes coming and how it affects Microsoft training at your school

MobileMind is a Microsoft Global Training Partner . We have earned this distinction by meeting rigorous standards that enable us to deliver in-depth learning experiences aligned to the Education Transformation Framework on behalf of Microsoft.

So what else does it mean to be a Microsoft Global Training Partner?

We create, update, manage, and facilitate all of our districts' Microsoft PD resources . Our staff of certified educators ensures that our Microsoft micro-courses and learning paths reflect the most current versions of tools like OneNote, PowerPoint, Flip (formally Flipgrid), Teams, and all of the other Microsoft tools used in K12 school districts!

Our districts do not have to spend a moment updating Microsoft training. Check out our 150+ MobileMind for Microsoft micro-courses here.

Additionally, earning the Microsoft Educator or Advanced Educator badge is a breeze with MobileMind!

Districts use our gamified, self-paced Microsoft learning paths to ensure their teachers and staff know how to use all Microsoft tools effectively and can translate them to skill application in their classroom or role.

But that's not all…

As a GTP, Microsoft trusts MobileMind to immediately carry the latest news and info about instructional changes to our customers. For example, in June 2022, Microsoft announced that it would be retiring the Microsoft Innovative Educator badge and announcing a new set of educator badges, and MobileMind is already ready for the change!

Here is the tea…

Microsoft Educator Badge

Complete the self-paced MobileMind Microsoft Educator learning paths to get educators new to Microsoft started on their professional learning journey! This includes six gamified learning paths that Microsoft requires to earn the badge.

Districts can set and track goals in the learning hub for specific roles, schools, groups, or even the entire district to complete these learning paths and earn their Microsoft Educator badge.

This badge is the stepping stone to more advanced Microsoft certifications.

Microsoft Advanced Educator

Starting October 1, 2022, educators who have already earned the first educator badge will be able to begin working toward their Microsoft Advanced Educator badge.

These learning paths will dive deeper into Microsoft's tools and include learning opportunities such as 21st Century Learning Design and Master Microsoft Teams for any learning environment.

Completing the collection of learning paths on 21st Century Design Learning and MS Teams will ensure adult learners are prepared to ace the Microsoft Certified Educator Exam .

However, the critical distinction between the Microsoft Advanced Educator and its prerequisite, Microsoft Educator, is that the criteria will change for Advanced Educator every year . Districts must ensure that anyone who has earned this badge remains current with the requirements. Through MobileMind, leaders can quickly see who is on their way to renewing their Advanced Educator badge and those who need a little extra encouragement."

Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert (MIEE)

The new Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert (MIEE) badge is for innovative educators constantly looking for new ways to engage other educators and students with Microsoft tools.

MIEE isn't just a badge. It's a community. The Microsoft Innovative Expert (MIE) community is full of high-flyers who love to share new, cutting-edge ways to apply Microsoft to their role or classroom.

According to Microsoft, "MIE Experts will be selected by the regional Microsoft representative based on the quality of the responses to the self-nomination form, the level of innovation and use of Microsoft tools described in the learning activity, and the level of detail describing how becoming a part of the program will impact both teaching and student learning."

Are you ready to learn more about MobileMind for Microsoft? Schedule a brief call here, where we will discuss your district's Microsoft training goals and how our personalized, self-paced learning hub can train your educators anytime, anywhere.

MobileMind Launches Professional Development App

Wed, 18 May 2022 12:46:36 GMT

In 2018, MobileMind launched the first version of the modern professional learning hub currently used by K-12 districts across the country. The company’s mission has been to provide a single hub that offers personalized, relevant, and convenient professional learning experiences in an intuitive and engaging virtual environment. Now MobileMind is taking anytime, anywhere learning to a new level with the company’s new iOS app.

MobileMind learners can now access personalized, gamified learning on their iPhone or iPad. The app is designed specifically for iPhones and leverages many iOS capabilities. It provides a unique “learning on the go” experience for learners while making professional learning fun and engaging.

New features include offering experience points (XP) for a wide variety of app activities related to learning and various activities in the app. Quests, which are MobileMind-led, are intended to further encourage learning through gamification and digital “prizes.”

Learners select an avatar called their “learning buddy,” who encourages and offers guidance through courses, learning paths, and the rest of the app. The iOS app keeps learners engaged anytime, anywhere with leaderboards, chances to earn points and badges, and quests that are added regularly.

MobileMind gives learners and leaders complete visibility on progress, earned badges, and challenge outcomes. All existing MobileMind content (learning paths, badges, micro-courses, etc.) will also be viewable in the iOS app.

Users must already have a MobileMind license through their school district to log in and access MobileMind via the iOS app.

About MobileMind

Founded in 2015, MobileMind is a privately held, Atlanta-based educational technology company. MobileMind is a Google and Microsoft professional development partner offering a cloud-based, asynchronous professional learning platform designed to provide personalized growth opportunities to teachers and staff that improve teaching and learning. MobileMind is the only platform that allows districts to consolidate all of their PD initiatives, from new technology to curriculum to compliance. MobileMind delivers anytime, anywhere access to personalized micro-courses, activity-based learning, digital badging, and reporting to K-12 school districts.

MobileMind and Clever Partner to Further Simplify Learning

Thu, 02 Dec 2021 13:47:15 GMT

MobileMind, the modern professional learning hub for schools, has partnered with Clever to offer rostering and single sign-on to their shared districts. This partnership will further streamline districts’ professional learning and user management. Both companies focus on digital engagement, simplicity, and personalization, offering solutions for educators that are convenient to access and easy to use. The integration of the two platforms allows seamless integration for all K12 districts partnered with the two companies.

About MobileMind

Founded in 2015, MobileMind is a privately held, Atlanta-based educational technology company. MobileMind is a Google professional development partner offering a cloud-based, asynchronous professional learning platform designed to help teachers integrate technology into the classroom to improve student outcomes. MobileMind is the only platform that allows districts to consolidate all of their PD initiatives, from new technology to curriculum to compliance. MobileMind delivers anytime, anywhere access to personalized micro-courses, activity-based learning, digital badging, and reporting to K-12 school districts.

About Clever

Clever is on a mission to unlock new ways to learn for all students. More than 65% of U.S. K-12 schools now use Clever to simplify access and improve engagement with digital learning. With our free platform for schools and a network of leading application providers, we’re committed to advancing educational equity. Clever has offices in San Francisco, CA and Durham, NC but you can visit us at clever.com anytime.

Solving the 6 Professional Development Challenges

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 15:18:05 GMT

Although there is quite a bit of in-depth research regarding effective professional development (PD) and best practices for educators, studies suggest that typical PD neglects to adequately address the needs of these adult learners. Research on adult learning supports the fact that there is a disconnect between research-based best practices and the traditional PD models found in schools. Unfortunately, it is rather challenging to meet the needs of all adult learners in typical face-to-face professional learning. The good news is that, with a more modern, virtual approach to PD, we can tackle such challenges, offering innovative personalized solutions for teachers.

In studies of educators’ dissatisfaction with traditional professional development, as well as leaders’ struggles with planning for teacher training, several themes repeatedly emerge in the findings. Challenges with traditional PD for teachers include, but are not limited to:

Buy-in from educators
Personalization
Sustainability
Time
Limited Resources
Synchronization of PD

Below we will address each challenge and discuss how to leverage personalized learning to meet the needs of all educator-learners.

Buy-In

In the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation study Teachers Know Best , teachers report wanting professional development that is relevant, sustainable, interactive, and teacher-driven. They want to be respected as professionals. Understandably, teachers wish for their knowledge and experience to be valued, as well as considered during the PD design process.

When teachers are required to sit through one-size-fits-all professional development, it is easy for them to become frustrated or even resentful. Unintentional PD design undoubtedly contributes to educators’ dissatisfaction with mandated teacher training, repeatedly leaving teachers with a bad taste in their mouths when it comes to any type of continued learning.

Adult learning theories such as Knowles’ Theory of Andragogy proposed concepts that most certainly initiated a revolution in the world of adult education. We know that educators (and all adults, for that matter) prefer professional development relevant to their needs and has practical use. Abundant research on adult learning has revealed the importance of offering learning opportunities that are problem-centered, self-directed, and lead to the immediate utility of newly acquired skills.

At MobileMind, we wholeheartedly believe that educators deserve high-quality, meaningful professional development that is grounded in such research. Providing PD grounded in said research is absolutely essential if any professional development initiative is to succeed. Our self-paced, personalized micro-courses allow teachers to guide their own learning.

Each teacher can engage in training relevant to his or her unique challenges, needs, and goals. We want teachers to know that their time is valued and for everyone to find success, whether they are seeking Google certifications or if they are brand new Google users wanting to build foundational skills. We ensure they reach success by offering micro-courses geared towards learners at any level. Finally, our hands-on challenges not only model the practicality of skills acquired but also allow educators to begin creating materials they can use immediately in their classrooms and schools.

Personalization

We often discuss personalizing the learning experience for students, but traditional professional development typically fails to personalize PD for our educators. Honestly, if you aren’t differentiating technology PD at scale for all your teachers, it’s a problem.

Teachers have told us countless times that a “one-size-fits-all” approach to technology training doesn’t work, and research has revealed this issue repeatedly when it comes to traditional PD offerings. If we train all teachers, leaders, and staff on the same content and in the same manner, we are marginalizing the majority of our adult learners and losing their interest from the very start, leading to failed technology adoption.

If we want teacher buy-in , as discussed above, we must provide differentiated learning experiences for teachers, just as we strive to do for our students. So how do you effectively offer targeted technology PD based on varying proficiency levels?

First, every single MobileMind micro-course is differentiated between beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Most of the time educators will fall into one of these three groups. So, it is very easy for a teacher to start learning based on their relative knowledge of a Google tool. Educators can rate their skill levels across Google tools, and their micro-course library will be tailored to meet their needs.

Additionally, we have certification pathways that are also segmented based on proficiency. For example, a brand new user to Google may need to complete some early foundational elements before they even think about things like Google Certification levels. They could start with our Google Basics learning path. You may also have a veteran Google user wishing to earn Google Educator certification - or even Google Trainer certification. We can help with that as well! We empower educators to choose their own learning pathways based on their knowledge and skills, as well as their professional goals.

Finally, we even offer micro-courses specific to leaders and staff. It’s great for an instructional leader to know what to look for in the classroom, for instance, but how can leaders leverage Google tools to improve school culture and productivity? We’ve got you covered there, too!

Sustainability

The pace of change in educational technology can make it seem nearly impossible for teachers and edtech leaders to stay current on updates and new features. Consider the constant evolution of Google tools, for example. With frequent updates to key Google tools, such as Google Drive and Classroom, there are simply not enough traditional training days to keep educators abreast of this dynamic suite of tools.

Many districts provided Google Classroom training during preplanning, for instance, only to watch Classroom undergo some pretty significant updates a month or so later. We’ve also seen schools receive Chromebooks or launch Google Workspace for Education in August or September, hoping that they can start using the tools before their first dedicated PD day a month or two later. When districts rely only on face-to-face training, educators are at the mercy of the district's schedule, and it might be weeks or even months before teachers can receive initial training or refresh training on tools they’re expected to be used in the classroom.

This helps explain the major shift to the concept of “always-on”, continuous learning. Educators need to have access to PD that they can hop into at any time and from anywhere. In addition, they need to up-to-date training on the tools they’re expected to be using regularly. This means offering job-embedded, on-demand PD to our extremely busy educators that is regularly updated.

When developing the MobileMind professional learning hub, we kept in mind the need to be able to update our content quickly based on the fact that technology is constantly evolving. So, it is our job is to stay current with all Google applications and share updates with educators so you don’t have to. Because we embrace a micro-learning methodology, we can shift very quickly when Google enhances their tools, meaning we can update a course quickly for our teachers.

Lastly, because we have made MobileMind easily accessible and available anytime, we are accomplishing our goal of facilitating meaningful job-embedded learning that is accommodating to teachers. MobileMind data shows that on average our learners access at the highest volume during work hours. This means that our Google PD is valuable and time conscious enough that teachers are choosing the right time and place to learn for them, individually. This can often also mean that they don’t have to learn after school hours following a long day of teaching. (We have facilitated quite a bit of after-school PD, and we all know that it is less than ideal!)

We know that educators have so much on their plates, so to have anytime, anywhere access to sustainable training at the click of a button is a win!

Time

There are a few challenging elements when it comes to the issue of time and facilitating effective PD.

First, we struggle to find time to offer effective teacher training during the school day, week, and even the school year. Not only does it consume quite a bit of time for the preparation itself, but you often have to remove teachers from classroom instruction and get subs - or have them dig into their own time for off-contract or after-hours PD.

Second, we must consider new information we now h ave regarding the impact of time in relation to actual learning. What do we mean by that? Studies have shown that our attention span has declined significantly and steadily since the year 2000, or since the internet and digital tools started to become mainstream. Several resources report these days that our attention span is less than that of a goldfish. As educators ourselves, we’ve sat through hour-long and sometimes even day-long PD sessions that failed to meet our needs. It is truly easy to become very resentful when you feel that your time is not valued; we have felt this and have found through a great deal of research that we are not alone! It is imperative that we acknowledge how much teachers already have on their plates and then act accordingly when designing educator training.

So, how has our team at MobileMind addressed the challenge of time?

At MobileMind, we embrace micro-learning and personalization. We have created what we call “micro-courses”, which are comprised of very brief learning videos (never longer than 5 minutes!) supported by short, hands-on learning challenges. In addition, the ability for a teacher to personalize his or her learning experience makes the learning process more efficient than one-size-fits-all training that might not make the best use of educators’ valuable time.

Teachers can begin learning at the click of a ( Chrome extension ) button. They can filter their personal micro-course library by their own learning goals. They can stop and then continue learning at any time to fit their busy schedules. Finally, they receive human feedback for each challenge submission, which further demonstrates how much we value each learner’s time and energy. Within seconds, a teacher can click to begin learning something new… no subs needed, no more dreaded after-school training, no more time wasted.

Limited Resources

We have heard from countless instructional leaders that the task of training teachers spread out over many school buildings can be daunting. The combination of multiple physical locations and the distance between them increases the difficulty of facilitating sustainable training.

On top of this, in many schools and districts, there is typically a small number of dedicated resources for training. This varies by district, but we see that the number of instructional resources relative to the number of teachers is rarely a ratio that enables easy facilitation of PD for technology like Google. Finally, there is very little visibility that instructional leaders can tap into regarding how well teachers are doing after traditional PD is offered. Do they need more help? Are they superstars who need a greater challenge? Either way, teachers (like students) need different levels and training and varied content that meets their skills level and learning goals, and instructional leaders need accurate visibility into teacher progress.

MobileMind is cloud-based, accessible by a browser extension. Anytime, Anywhere access to professional learning removes the physical barriers of training. And, while the value of face-to-face learning has undisputed merits, one-off training is problematic when trying to provide teachers with up-to-date PD on rapidly changing technology like Google, LMSs, and any other popular edtech tools used.

At MobileMind we offer virtual, personalized PD, so we can establish multiple schools or groups who can learn anytime and anywhere… during planning when they find 10 minutes or in their PJs at home... whenever works best for each individual teacher!

What’s more, is that district or school leaders have a bird's eye view of teacher progress in MobileMind and how many teachers at each school are engaging in PD. They can even drill down into any group to see how active each teacher is at a particular school has been in MobileMind.

Not only does this provide visibility for accountability, but leaders also can gain insights into training needs, teacher interest, struggling teachers, or previously unidentified teacher leaders. We can build up those teacher rockstars and begin to accelerate adoption and build internal capacity much more rapidly.

MobileMind’s cloud-based, location management gives us the ability to facilitate sustainable and effective PD at scale, regardless of logistical challenges, while expanding the reach of instructional resources and providing actionable insights to assist teacher progress.

Consolidation

There has never been an edtech solution that has truly integrated both synchronous and asynchronous professional learning efforts. This can make tracking continuing education hours and offering a cohesive professional learning experience impossible for districts that value continuous learning.

MobileMind Events provides the only synchronized PD solution to K-12 school districts. From workshops to conferences, MobileMind Sync allows leaders to easily create and schedule synchronous training events, invite participants, track attendance, and more.

Districts can even assign prerequisite courses to learners before a synchronous event, share related courses to complement live training, or offer replacement courses if learners cannot attend.

Sync join codes make it possible for facilitators to automate tasks like taking attendance, awarding credit hours, releasing digital badges after an event, and much more.

Synchronizing PD efforts brings teachers' professional learning full circle, and allows for a smooth transition from in-person PD events and asynchronous events or training.

MobileMind Launches Scheduling Solution: MobileMind Sync

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 13:45:12 GMT

MobileMind, the modern professional learning hub for schools, has launched MobileMind Sync, the first full-service PD scheduling solution. MobileMind Sync allows districts to seamlessly manage all asynchronous and synchronous PD efforts within the same platform. "MobileMind Sync has been a transformative tool for our district in the fact that it enables us to connect and carry out effective, informative PD from any location. Having a central hub for all our PD needs has made my job as an Instructional Technology Director easier," explained Adriane Ellis, Director of Instructional Technology and Media Services for Murray County Schools in Georgia.

MobileMind Sync allows districts to create and schedule synchronous training events, invite participants, track attendance, assign asynchronous prerequisite courses, and much more. The full-service scheduler eliminates manual work for facilitators. For example, tasks like taking attendance, awarding credit hours, and releasing micro-credentials are all automated as learners use join codes to enter virtual synchronous PD events. Districts can create single-session events like workshops, as well as conference-style PD days that consist of multiple days and/or sessions. MobileMind Sync also provides an excellent resource for department/grade-specific training and meetings (e.g. PLC, Data, or Team meetings). Visit mobilemind.io to learn more about MobileMind Sync and the modern professional learning hub.

About MobileMind

Ed Tech Tools for Virtual, Hybrid, or In-Person Learning

Mon, 20 Sep 2021 18:10:11 GMT

As educators return to teaching in the 2021 - 22 school year, lesson planning is just one of the many challenges they will face. However, whether those classrooms are in-person, remote, or hybrid, teachers can future-proof their lessons with tools that can be used in any classroom environment.

Below we will review some of the best edtech tools that teachers can add to their toolkits.

Google Workspace for Education

Teachers have been using tools like Google Classroom, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, and Meet throughout the pandemic as a way to engage with students during a challenging time for everyone. Those who know Google well understand that these tools are constantly evolving, as does their impact on student learning. Here are just a few examples of new ways Google tools have changed teaching and learning:

Google Classroom

Teachers can now schedule assignments across multiple classrooms in just a few clicks and all at once!

This was the #1 requested feature from educators; and teachers finally have this option!

Google also announced a new update at the Anywhere School that has teachers buzzing - student engagement tracking! Teachers will be able to view when a student was last active, the last time they submitted an assignment, and participation through comments.

Docs

Teachers can now use new interactive checklists for activities such as student progress monitoring, collaboration with colleagues, or individual productivity.

New voting table templates will be released soon and can be used for a variety of things like formative assessment, quick student surveys, and so much more!

Google Meet

Meet has recently undergone some major host improvements. Teachers will soon be able to co-host virtual sessions and have greater control over student participation.

In addition, teachers can leverage some new engagement features within Meet sessions.

Forms

Google is increasing Forms efficiency and customization power for learning activities. From mental health check-ins to formative assessment to gauge student progress and inform instruction, teachers will have more control over the look and feel of Forms for students.

Beginning Sept.15th, Forms will also automatically save participant responses for 30 days - or until the form is submitted. This is another long-awaited update, and teachers will be thrilled!

Jamboard

Jamboard is Google's collaborative, interactive whiteboard, but teachers don't have to have a physical Jamboard to get the benefits of the app!

An amazing tool for group collaboration, students can engage with one another using drawings, images, and text. Use Jamboard for emotional check-ins or awesome interactive lessons on topics like coin counting, cell structure, and even the Bill of Rights.

Seesaw

Seesaw is a student engagement and collaboration platform that students and teachers can use in any classroom environment. Students can demonstrate what they have learned through a digital portfolio of sorts where they can insert elements like drawings, videos, voiceovers, and pictures!

Flipgrid

A video discussion tool, Flipgrid is perfect for social learning, which is more important now that ever.

Teachers can present a video for discussion and groups of students can then post their video responses seamlessly - even from a smartphone! Flipgrid is a great way to stay connected with students during remote and hybrid learning.

Nearpod

Nearpod "makes every lesson interactive". Teachers can create lessons for students with activities like gamified quizzes and virtual reality. They can also save time by borrowing from the wide array of lessons that are already in the Nearpod library!

The three teaching modes - live participation, student-paced, and front of class - give teachers the flexibility to use this tool in all learning environments.

Surviving to Thriving

For teachers, the 2020 - 21 school year was about surviving teaching with technology. Now that they have some great foundational edtech skills, the 2021 - 22 goal is thriving with it.

Even for districts who are facilitating in-person classes, the unfortunate reality is that quarantine will continue to force teachers into some state of hybrid or blended teaching, at least in the near future.

MobileMind provides competency-based, relevant PD on all of the tools mentioned above! Don’t lose the great edtech momentum from the previous year of foundational skill-building. If you want to ensure that your teachers are thriving with instructional technology this year, schedule a call with us to learn how MobileMind's agile PD platform prepares teachers for any instruction model.

MobileMind Launches the Industry’s First Crowd-Sourced Hub

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 18:06:28 GMT

MobileMind, the modern professional learning hub for schools, has launched MobileMind Community, the industry’s first competency-based, crowd-sourced PD platform. MobileMind customers can now create and share quality-assured micro-courses across all topics, methodologies, and technology with other MobileMind districts.

MobileMind Community allows districts to save valuable time creating district-scaled PD for common training topics like learning acceleration, project-based learning, interactive whiteboards, LMS, and even subject-focused PD. Districts can quickly add micro-courses to their district’s learning paths with one-click cloning and edit content to fit their district’s needs.

To learn more about MobileMind Community and how MobileMind can maximize the impact of ESSER funding, visit the company's website and schedule a call .

About MobileMind
Founded in 2015, MobileMind is a privately held, Atlanta-based educational technology company. MobileMind is a Google professional development partner offering a cloud-based, asynchronous professional learning platform designed to help teachers integrate technology into the classroom to improve student outcomes. MobileMind is the only platform that allows districts to consolidate all of their PD initiatives, from new technology to curriculum to compliance. MobileMind delivers anytime, anywhere access to personalized micro-courses, activity-based learning, digital badging, and reporting to K-12 school districts.

MobileMind and ClassLink Partner

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 18:06:25 GMT

Atlanta, Ga. (June 21, 2021) MobileMind , the modern professional learning hub for schools, is now a certified ClassLink partner, a leader in cloud-based education products, including single sign-on and streamlined class rostering.

Through the partnership, MobileMind and ClassLink customers can leverage ClassLink for user management, and those settings will automatically be applied to the district's MobileMind learning hub, streamlining district-scaled professional development like never before. The seamless integration satisfies both of the companies’ goals, which is to empower educators through easily accessible technology to ensure positive student outcomes.

About ClassLink
ClassLink is a leading provider of cloud-based education products that connect educators and students with their classroom, curriculum, and each other in richer, more powerful ways. As leading advocates for open data standards, we offer instant access to apps and files with single sign-on, streamline class rostering, automate account provisioning, and provide actionable analytics. ClassLink empowers 14 million students and staff in over 1,800 school systems.

3 Tips for Addressing Learning Loss and Closing Achievement

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 18:06:14 GMT

Research shows that students could lose up to 12 months of learning by June 2021, bringing new challenges to administrators, teachers and support staff. The “new normal" is that "normal" no longer exists, as the needs and requirements for students and teachers are constantly evolving.

To avoid exacerbating existing education gaps, our education system must take an agile approach to teaching and learning. There is no quick fix, but rather a long-term, sustainable solution: quality professional development.

Meaningful professional development for administrators, teachers and staff members will be crucial for addressing student learning loss, focusing on assessment, remediation, and acceleration in order to narrow or close existing achievement gaps.

Here are three tips for using professional development to improve instruction, address learning loss, and close gaps.

Tip #1: Equip teachers with strategies to personalize learning for students

To effectively combat learning loss, teachers must understand how to use technology and other resources to allow students to drive their own learning. When used correctly, technology can be a powerful tool for enhancing educators’ unique teaching styles and personalizing learning for students.

Consider the following seven principles of personalized learning compiled by Fulton County Schools :

Varied strategies. Students are given more than one way or modality to learn material or access content.
Just-in-time direct instruction. Direct instruction is available when it is needed, regardless of the availability of an in-person teacher.
Choice and voice. Students express their learning styles and preferences as learners in the lesson.
Mastery-based assessment. Students drive the curriculum, rather than the curriculum driving the students.
Choice for demonstrating learning. Students have multiple ways to demonstrate mastery of standards. They can leverage both technology and traditional tools.
Flexible pacing. Students move through the curriculum at a pace that fits their individual abilities and allows for mastery of learning, rather than a time-bound schedule.
Co-planning learning. Students, parents and the community are involved in planning and setting goals, demonstration of learning, pace and mastery level.

Professional development opportunities can help teachers learn how to use the tools at their disposal to build upon these principles. By leveraging Google apps and other technology, educators can provide more meaningful learning opportunities for students.

Free Resource: Essential Guide to Time-Saving Tips & Hacks for Google Classroom

Here are three timely professional development opportunities for district leaders to consider using MobileMind:

Summer Enrichment: Create and facilitate professional development opportunities that communicate goals and expectations of your district’s summer enrichment programs.
Tutor Training Programs: Create learning paths to train tutors who work with individual and groups of students, whether it’s virtual, hybrid or face-to-face.
After School Programs: Implement a learning path or badge for educators and other staff members to ensure everyone is up-to-speed on the goals and structure of after school programs.

Tip #2: Create training around district and school learning loss initiatives.

According to a recent article from Education Week, districts are eying summer and beyond to recoup learning losses.

“With the weather warming up and—cross your fingers—an increasing rate of COVID-19 vaccination nationwide, most school leaders expect the 2021-22 school year will be largely in person. Now they’re planning supports for students to make up for the harmful academic and social impacts of the last year.”

For maximum impact, professional development opportunities should be aligned to learning loss initiatives. Agile, efficient PD can help teachers and support staff prepare for this summer and the 2021-22 school year.

To help district and school leaders provide personalized professional development to support staff, such as tutors and instructional coaches, MobileMind provides tailored micro-courses, learning paths and badges so all staff have access to exactly what they need.

View this real-world example from Brainerd Public Schools to better understand how districts can roll out professional development that supports internal initiatives and stakeholders.

Tip #3: Communicate new policies and targeted initiatives to stakeholders.

With the pandemic still impacting student growth in 2021, districts have been tasked with creating and implementing robust initiatives centered around learning remediation and acceleration. A report from the National Conference of State Legislatures covering public education’s response to the pandemic provides additional context:

“The question of assessments and accountability during the pandemic is made more urgent by student learning loss data. Spring projections suggested that students may have returned this school year with less than two-thirds their normal annual learning gains. Fall studies suggest substantial variations, but clear losses across states: most students are behind where students stood last year, particularly in math, and student performance in schools with a majority of students of color may lag other schools by at least ten percentage points. The gap between low-income students and students of color and their peers may be attributed to a higher likelihood of these students learning remotely, and more representative data in the future may show even greater learning loss and larger equity gaps .”

Communicating new policies and targeted PD initiatives to teachers and other staff members is crucial. MobileMind HQ provides an Announcements feature, which can be used to create and send communications to relevant stakeholders. Communication regarding professional development could include notifying teachers and staff of state mandated COVID-19 safety training or a requirement for tutors to complete a new learning path. Districts can also filter announcements so they are only visible to specific groups, like instructional coaches, specific schools, or PLC teams.

(Mobile)Mind the gap

Homework , equity , technology and achievement gaps existed before COVID-19, but are at risk of widening due to the pandemic. District leaders have an opportunity to take action and invest in quality professional development opportunities that can help teachers and other staff members close these gaps while leveraging ESSER funding.

Free Resource: Guide to Leveraging ESSER Stimulus Funding for Long-term Success

For additional professional development strategies that address learning loss, register for our webinar taking place on June 10.

Schools’ Essential Guide To Google Classroom

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 18:06:08 GMT

Google Classroom is Google's very own hub or landing spot for classroom connectivity and collaboration. This free tool helps educators easily manage and assess the progress of learners, whether it be from school or in the comfort of their own homes!

Google Classroom allows you to set up a class within minutes. This not only simplifies both teaching and learning, it is also a great way to enhance communication with both students and guardians.

Unsure of where to start with Google Classroom?

Discover how to create/manage your class and assignments in minutes.

Create A Class

After you log into Google, click on your nine dots in the top right-hand corner. It is here you will find all of your Google Apps. By clicking on the classroom icon you can see all of the classes you have created. If this is the first time you are logging into Classroom, you might be prompted to indicate whether you are a teacher or student; make sure you select teacher. Next, click the plus sign in the top right-hand corner and select “create class”. When the pop-up window appears, you can then name your class and simply click “create again”.

Once your class has been created, you can change the theme that has automatically been selected for you. To do this, look in the bottom right-hand corner of the banner and choose “select theme”. Your choices will appear in a gallery and you’ll be able to choose one that appropriately represents your content matter. Once you have decided, select “class theme”.

You can also upload your own photo matching banner dimensions of 1000x250 pixels, however, different sized images may not work within the banner.

How To Add Your Students

Next, we’re going to discuss how you can add students to your classroom .

At the top of your classroom, you will notice four tabs; stream, classwork, people and grades. In this instance, we are only going to be looking at the “people” tab. This is where you can add students, parents or other teachers to your classroom. The first way to add students is to go to the people tab and look under the students heading, then click the “add people” icon. From this point, you will be able to enter your students email addresses manually or copy and paste them from a list, if you have one available to you.

Once they log in, they will automatically see the class icon appear and can simply click “join.” While this may be more time consuming on your part, it is easier for your students.

The second way you can add students to your class is by giving them a join code. This is most common. You can find this code at the bottom of the people tab before you add students. In addition to this, you can also find it by clicking on the settings gear, where the class code can always be found. By clicking on the arrow next to the code, you can display it larger on your screen. Once you have copied your code you can paste it anywhere you would like, such as an email, text or class website. The code can also be reset or disabled if you wish for your students to no longer join using this code, once it has expired.

To join the classroom, students can log in to Google Classroom and click the plus sign followed by “join.” They will then need to enter the code provided and will automatically be accepted into the classroom.

How To Create Announcements for Your Students

Now that you know a little bit about how Google Classroom is set up, we can take a look at how to create an announcement for your class . This is great for when you need to give reminders to students or simply make general announcements.

When you click on the classroom that you will be working with, it will open up into the stream. From looking at the four tabs at the top of your screen you will see stream, classwork, people and grades. The stream is where you can post both general announcements or reminders. At the top of the screen there is also a box that says “announce something to your class,” this is where you can type general announcements.

Once this has been clear, this will open your announcement window where you have a number of different options to choose from.

If you'd like to send your announcement to more than one class, click on the drop-down arrow next to the name of the current classroom that you're in. Then check the boxes next to the classes that you would like to receive this information.

If you do choose to send the announcement to more than one class, then you do not have the option of sending it to specific students. However, if you send your announcement to only one class, you can choose which students you would like to receive your announcement. This feature is especially useful when you are trying to differentiate or communicate to students on an individual basis. To do this, simply click the drop-down arrow next to “all students,” you should then see a list of all the students that are enrolled in your class and you can then choose accordingly.

From here you can type the information needed for your announcement, as well as attach documents, files, images, videos or links by choosing where you want to get your attachment from. Keep in mind that when in the announcement feature all files will be viewable and not editable by students.

When you have finished entering the information you need, click “post” to add it to your stream. This will allow all students to see your announcement when they first click into your classroom.

How To Create Assignments for Your Students

Let's keep going in the class work tab in Google Classroom. If you have not yet done so, we highly recommend first creating topics so you can best organize your Google Classroom for your students.

You can also create assignments for when you want students to turn in their work, this can be done via the class work tab in Google Classroom. It is here you can also create a spot for classroom materials that you want your students to have access to.

It's important to note that, in order for your classroom to run seamlessly, we suggest that files are pulled from your Google Drive and not from your computer. You can visit settings in Drive to automatically convert all files uploaded into Drive to Google editor format.

You can use the topics previously set up when creating your assignments. To do this click on the create button and choose “assignment.” Like the other Google Classroom features, you can choose to send an assignment to more than one class or to specific students. There may be many instances where you might want to send an assignment to just a small group of students in order to differentiate or for group work. Remember that if you choose more than one class to send this to, you will not have the option to send to specific students.

Next, you can fill out your assignment title, instructions, points for the assignment, due date and of course topic. If you select to use grade categories in the settings of your class, you will see the option to choose a grade category and it will have a default point value that you chose in your settings. However, you can change the point value as needed.

You will have multiple attachment options, including documents from your computer, drive, videos or links to other websites, which you can also include within your assignment.

If you want to allow your students to type on the document and simply hit “turn in”, you will need to attach a file. To do this, click the Google Drive icon and select the file you wish to attach to the assignment and click “Add.” You will now see the options for student viewing or editing. Then click the drop-down menu beside the words “students can view file.”

You will have the following options to choose from:

Option one- Students can view file: This will allow students to view the file only, they will not be able to edit.
Option two- Students can edit file: This will allow all students to edit the same document, brainstorm or sign up for a topic.
Option three- Make a copy for each student: This option automatically generates an editable copy for each student individually, allowing students to edit the document and turn it into you without saving or downloading. This is the most commonly used setting if you wish for students to each complete their own version of the file.

The drop-down arrow next to the word “assign” gives you the option to assign now, you can save this assignment as a draft, or schedule the assignment to go out at a later time.

Many teachers like to give students access to classroom materials but don't require anything from them in return, this can also be done within the “classwork” tab. We would recommend creating a topic for each unit labelled “class materials.”

You can keep materials separate from your assignments by going to “create” and choose “materials”. When adding your files, it is the same process as adding an assignment, the difference being you will not have the option to make a copy for all students.

You can however add several files to one post or create separate posts. If you don't want the students to be able to edit your document, you will need to confirm that your file is on “view only” in your sharing settings. Once you add materials to the appropriate topic, the student will be able to view any files you add.

We’ve taken you through how you can use Google Classroom to support your distance learning. Using announcements, topics, and assignments in Google Classroom will help you streamline teaching and learning in the virtual environment.

We have hundreds of videos and micro-courses that can help support your G Suite for Education in your school or district. Simply click here to book a call with MobileMind.

Google Shouldn’t be the Only Hero of Your School’s PD Story

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 18:06:06 GMT

Once upon a time, there was Google. And Google was a hero...as usual.

Here’s a short story of how a different hero saved one school's PD.

A crazy, record-setting deep freeze has just swept the nation. As a result, it left the schools across the U.S. in a mad scramble to provide remote learning for their students.

“Flee from here!”

“Go home!”

“Take a computer with you!”

It became a virtual learning frenzy!

Consequently, all the educators and leaders of the districts needed guidance.

So, Google came to the rescue, of course, and did not disappoint.

In fact, the educators were amazed at the generous amount of educational resources at their fingertips...for free!

“Our virtual learning problems are over!” the leaders exclaimed. So, one day, the leaders of the districts called a virtual gathering on Google Mee t. They wanted to check-in with their faithful subjects.

But, what they heard...was disturbing.

They didn't hear how smoothly everything was going or how great it was to teach from home. They heard murmurings full of pain and anguish. For instance, one teacher stated, “There is so much available, I don’t know where to begin or how to use half of it.” “I thought I was decent with technology, but I’m more confused than ever,” said another teacher.

“How are we supposed to:

get the teachers up to speed with all of this technology,
provide professional learning that makes sense,
and have a way to monitor progress?” exclaimed the technology specialist.

Sound familiar?

Ok, let’s cut to real-time.

Yes, that’s a dramatic, silly story, but guess what?

It is so realistic.

The Real School PD Story

Education is unbelievably demanding on all fronts. With weather craziness and the unfortunate challenges presented by a global pandemic, I bet there isn’t one teacher out there saying, “Bring on another computer program for me to try and figure out. I have all the time in the world!” Let’s face it, administrators and tech specialists don’t have time to undergo lengthy training on how to effectively integrate new or existing technology into their school's PD either.

So, what ends up happening? All of these outstanding resources Google for Educatio n provides are simply not used to their full potential or, worse, not used at all. What a waste.

Schools need a plan to ensure that technology works seamlessly together to support student learning during this difficult time. Educators need professional development that is personalized, practical, and convenient. In other words, they need a hero...someone to save the day by making their life easier, not harder. Sound too much like a fairytale?

What Is a Professional Learning Platform?

First of all, it’s not a fairytale.

It’s real, logical, and life-changing for teachers right now.

A professional learning platform houses all of a school's PD (and so much more) in one learning hub, available at the click of a button through our Chrome extension.

MobileMind is an example of an all-in-one professional learning platform that offers teachers:

Personalized professional learning (Teachers can begin at their skill level.)
Micro-courses (Information is chunked into short bursts and easy to digest.)
Human feedback (Certified teachers grade their challenges and offer helpful, live feedback.)

This platform offers administrators:

Progress Reporting (They can view progress and track and collect data for accountability purposes.)

How to Choose a Professional Learning Platform

It is not easy to choose the most effective professional learning platform for your school's PD. This is a huge decision. Technology is front and center. But, if teachers don’t know how to integrate technology into their classrooms effectively, they miss rich opportunities to transform learning by using it. However, choosing the right platform doesn’t just affect teachers. In addition, it affects the technology coaches, professional learning specialists, and administrators. That’s a lot of people to keep happy, and each of these professionals has very different needs and expectations that the school's PD platform must accommodate.

Technology Coaches

The technology team needs something easy to roll out to all staff members, including administration. Gone are the days of gathering everyone in the library or cafeteria for hours at a time to have professional training on a new computer program. MobileMind is so user-friendly that the tech coach or instructional leader can simply tell the staff to check their email, click the link, and get started. It’s truly a breeze from there.

Administrators

School and district leaders need a platform that allows them to view learning progress and access information they can collect for reporting and accountability. MobileMind offers leaderboards. They show who the top-performing learners are, the learning paths they are taking, badges earned, and even compliance reports to compare learners’ progress. The MobileMind HQ plan has an area where Administrators can even develop learning paths specific to their school, including onboarding new teachers. These paths cover everything a new teacher has to read, sign, learn – you name it. As a result, it makes training new employees nearly effortless.

Teachers

Teachers need online PD that is easy. They are already overwhelmed with all of the technology currently available to them. Learning that is personalized and self-paced is a huge bonus. The reason being, teachers have very different skill levels when it comes to technology. An all-in-one platform like MobileMind allows teachers to set their learning pace, choose their learning path, do hands-on challenges, and get feedback from certified teachers. In addition, they can do it all from the comfort of their own home when it fits their schedule.

Practical Professional Learning Is Not a Fairytale

In conclusion, the right platform for your school's PD should be personalized, practical, and convenient. MobileMind has impacted over 11,000 teachers who have completed over 242,000 micro-courses. So, will you be the hero of your school’s PD story? You will be, if you deliver your school’s professional learning through a user-friendly, impactful platform. And...we would love to help you with that.

Utilizing GSuite for Education: Distance learning made easy

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 18:05:24 GMT

Distance learning is becoming a necessity in our everyday lives, both as educators and students. This is not just limited to school time, but also over school breaks. Even during the current circumstances, it’s still incredibly easy for students to face daily distractions or become unmotivated to complete assignments. As educators, tackling these challenges can sometimes be difficult, but is certainly not impossible with the right preparation and communication in place.

Below we go over what to consider when it comes to distance learning over school breaks and what you can implement to make it easier for both yourself and your students.

Prevent Distractions With Engaging Resources

Typically the completion of school work during a school break isn’t in the forefront of a students mind. In order to overcome this, learning resources need to be engaging and visually appealing, whether it be via documents, presentations, video or audio.

A great way to ensure more interest on the students' part is by varying the learning resources available to them. Taking more of a differentiated approach as opposed to just sending all students the same old text-filled files is a great start.

Google docs and Google Slides are two great alternatives for providing more engaging information to your students, making education more exciting and easily digestible.

How To Make Your Google Documents and Presentations More Engaging

Google Docs:

Guide students on exactly what they need to do and how they can achieve specific outcomes. This will not only improve communication, but also eliminates any unnecessary downtime spent by students trying to understand what is required from them.
Link to websites that provide valuable information relevant to your subject matter. This limits the amount of time students need to spend browsing external sites and makes their research path clearer.
Ensure information is segmented out in a way that makes it easier for students to navigate the document.
Incorporate imagery to break up text and make your resources easy to digest. This also caters to those who are visual learners.
Use bullet points and tables where possible to further structure your information.

Google Slides:

Follow the instructions listed above, however you can add these too:

Incorporate image, video and audio files to cater to both auditory and visual learners.
Indicate in your presentation when you are moving onto a new subject matter or section of the assignment. Use strategies such a new title slides, new slide colors or headers, or clearly indicating topic shifts in the notes section.

Connect to Students with Technology

When it comes to distance learning over school breaks, having access to the necessary platforms to complete assigned tasks is vital, as well as ensuring both incomplete and completed assignments are stored in one easily accessible place. This not only helps you organize and assign new work to your students, but it also makes working from home easier for them, leaving room for more productivity and prevents loss of interest due to poorly managed assignments which are hard to access.

Utilizing online tools such as Google Classroom and Google Drive is a great place to start!

Google Drive

Google Drive is a central hub for the secure storage and easy access of your files; whether that be documents, presentations, audio or video files. From your drive you can easily share these files with your students, their guardians, and your colleagues.

With the potential of home distractions being more prevalent than ever before, ensuring that students have access to well-organized materials will reduce the likelihood of potential online distractions, which may lead to procrastination and the incompletion of work.

Whether it’s sharing documents with individuals or your entire class, the simplicity of Drive makes it an easy to manage and accessible solution for both educators and students alike.

Google Classroom

This is a free solution for both educators and students, where you can set up classes, post assignments and provide insightful feedback to your students efficiently and effectively. You can even differentiate and personalize content and assignments for different students. Classroom not only allows your students to get started on work with little distraction time, but it also provides you with the opportunity to plan your semester in advance, giving structure to your workload.

Additional Features That Will Improve Your Classroom Experience

Organizing your classrooms with topics will allow you to easily keep track of the units you have taught, create and announce assignments, as well as locate existing assignments.
Add due dates to your assignments. This is an effective way of giving your students a target to work towards. With a sense of urgency created, they are more likely to complete the work assigned to them over their school break.
Add some engaging learning materials and resources to your classroom before creating your class.

If you are using any education apps, ensure you are making full use of the Google Classroom integration opportunities that are available. Unsure if the apps you use can be integrated with Google Classroom? Click here to find out!

Consider Home Dynamics

It is understandable that during school breaks students lack the strict schedule we are used to seeing within a regular school day. Therefore, it’s important to cater to this difference in the most effective way possible.

A common issue that we tend to face is a lack of internet access. To account for this, Google Drive has a feature known as “offline mode.” This is easy for your students to enable while connected to wifi so they are still able to access docs, sheets and slides should their internet become unstable.

Communicate with Parents, Teachers, and Students

Due to the amount of communication typically carried out over school breaks being limited, upfront communication is key to prevent any confusion from both your students and their guardians. Fortunately, Google Classroom allows you to communicate with both students and parents via email.

Posting and scheduling announcements is a very effective way to communicate with your class to provide helpful reminders (i.e. when an assignment is due or to provide additional information on a topic or tips for their current assignment.)

Classroom also includes a feature where guardians can receive email summaries on any assignment changes and updates. The guardian summary feature allows parents and guardians to opt into automatic updates about announcements, class activities, upcoming assignments, and missed work. This is especially useful over school breaks; using this will not only ensure there is no breakdown of communication, but will also provide parents with the necessary resources in the instance students need help completing the given task.

Throughout the pandemic, MobileMind has taken the lead on supporting schools and districts with their distance learning, providing free resources on how to use G Suite for Education and how to use it effectively and efficiently. In addition, the Google for Education team has been listening to educators and has made several improvements to key classroom apps over the past year. Distance Learning with G Suite for Education has never been easier.

If you have already purchased or are planning to purchase G Suite Enterprise for Education licenses, visit the following link to see how you can claim FREE Google Professional Development Services.

How to Prepare Teachers for Google’s Major Changes with Agile PD

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 18:04:21 GMT

The only constant in the past 16 months of education has been upheaval. Since the pandemic forced schools to close last spring, educators and students have forged new ways to learn using online video, hybrid classes, asynchronous lessons, and more. As you catch your breath and prepare for what should be close to a “normal” school year starting this fall, we all know that the way teachers work will continue to adapt to new realities.

While you might yearn to retire the word “pivot,” the reality is that education is always changing, and the best schools and leaders are not only ready for what comes next, but also planning ahead to maximize the effectiveness of these modifications.

For instance, consider that Google, likely the nerve center of your district’s teaching and learning network, had instituted more than 100 changes to its tools from January 2020 to May 2021, when school models were altered during the pandemic. G Suite transitioned to Google Workspace and had 20 updates alone. Google Meet had over 50 updates, with many of them concerning host control and engagement options that are critical for teachers. Likewise, Drive, Docs, and Slides had several updates that impacted teachers as well.

To incorporate all these changes into your district’s Google professional development your district would have spent approximately 1,500 hours updating any online training content, not to mention any time spent offering face-to-face PD. Alternatively, if you’ve been using MobileMind to help facilitate and coordinate your district’s professional development, the work would have been completed behind the scenes, and your district would have spent 0 hours updating Google PD. This saves valuable time for your staff, which is likely stretched thin, and allows them to spend their time in other valuable areas.

On June 22, Google announced at The Google Anywhere School that they are making wholesale changes to improve Google Workspace for Education , responding to the new ways people connect, work, and learn. (Stop for a second and consider that Google Docs and Sheets are 15 years old. That means students who were in kindergarten when these apps debuted are now likely halfway through college.)

The changes to Google Workspace, called smart canvas , will make it easier for people to stay connected and collaborate , focus their attention, and create results. Some of the changes have occurred already, while others will roll out during the rest of this calendar year. But you don’t have to take our word for it; just listen to what Google itself is saying: “Smart canvas is our next big step.” Just as in the past, the MobileMind educator team is already hard at work updating their Google PD to incorporate these improvements.

Below is a shortlist of how Google updates its tools and what these improvements might mean to your district.

Google is incorporating what it calls smart chips into its programs. These will allow users to complete a wider variety of work, from having meetings to adding documents, without leaving the Google application you are in. Users will be able to hold a Google Meet while remaining in a Google Doc or embed a Google Sheet right into a Doc.

How will this work? When you @ mention a person in a Google app, you’ll not only see that person’s location, job title, and contact info, you’ll be able to skim the person’s associated meetings or preview linked documents, all without changing tabs or context.

You’ll also be able to assign checklist items to other people from your PLC to a classroom of students. Adding table templates to Docs will allow users to incorporate voting to gauge team or student feedback or capture milestones and statuses on the fly.

Teachers and administrators will be able to present content to a Google Meet while working in any of the other Google apps, such as Docs, Sheets, or Slides. People will be able to see and hear each other while they collaborate on a document. The new updates will even offer live captions in five languages.

Formatting work will be easier as well. Users will be able to go pageless in Docs, allowing the work to expand to whatever screen size they are using. This will improve the experiences of anyone who uses wide tables, large images, or detailed feedback in comments. And to print the work or save it as a PDF will be just a click away.

The entire Google experience will offer users more security through enhanced capabilities to protect against security threats and abuse.

As you plan 2022 professional development, make sure that your district stays on top of all these Google changes with MobileMind for Google. Additionally, leverage Google’s 2021 promotion to get your district’s Google PD for free! For more information about MobileMind, schedule a call with us today.

Guide to Leveraging ESSER Stimulus Funding for Long-Term Success

Fri, 17 Sep 2021 18:03:33 GMT

How the American Rescue Plan federal stimulus funding is allocated in K-12

March 11, 2021 was a historic day for school funding in this country. When President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law, he immediately committed $123 billion for K-12 education in the United States.

That’s the largest amount of federal funding ever dedicated to schooling. Combined with the $72 billion from two COVID-19 relief packages passed last year, it means schools have received about $195 billion in aid; that’s nearly double the $100 billion K-12 schools received after the 2009 recession.

On top of that good news is a relative lack of restraints limitations on how schools can spend this money. But there are rules, as well as deadlines, and school officials who best understand these rules will be able to better use these federal funds to boost learning for their students.

This guide explains the terminology of the bill, unwinds how the money will travel to states and schools, and details exactly how this funding can be spent by school officials. It also highlights the deadlines associated with the various forms of funding.

The difference between ESSER funds

As an educational expert, you are likely already steeped in dozens of acronyms, so here are some more. The money from the three coronavirus relief bills makes up what is called ESSER funds, the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund. The $13 billion for education from the first COVID-19 relief bill, the CARES Act passed in March 2020, is known as ESSER I. The $54 billion from the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) makes up ESSER II. This bill was passed in December 2020. The $123 billion from the American Rescue Plan is known as ARP ESSER or ESSER III. All of these funds are also referred to as the Education Stabilization Fund. Right now, your district’s CARES money has likely been spent. In fact, it’s a requirement to exhaust those funds before schools spend ESSER II monies. The deadline to spend ESSER II funds is September 30, 2023.

In the new Rescue Plan, federal money is doled out to states based on existing Title 1 funding. Even though the money goes to states, at least 87.5 percent must be passed on to schools. As a rough estimate, schools should expect to receive about 2.2 times the amount of funding received under ESSER II. In general, the average new funding per student is about $2,500, although some high-poverty areas may get significantly more money.

Although states are allowed to keep 12.5 percent of the money, which is roughly $15.4 billion, there are three areas where state money must be spent. State officials have to set aside 5 percent of their funds to address learning loss, one percent for evidence-based summer enrichment, and another one percent for evidence-based comprehensive after-school programs. States also cannot cut their own funding for schools in 2022 or 2023, and states cannot pass laws that disproportionately impact high-poverty schools.

How schools can use ESSER federal stimulus funding

While there is great latitude in how school districts can spend the bulk of these funds, there are some rules that must be followed. Within 30 days of receiving funding, districts must publish a plan to reopen schools for in-person instruction. In addition, at least 20 percent of the funds schools get need to be spent to address learning loss through evidence-based interventions that respond to students’ academic, social, and emotional needs. As of right now, there has not been a clear-cut definition of what will qualify as an evidence-based program for these areas.

The remaining funds can be used for any allowable use under these four acts:

Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, and
Adult Education and Family Literacy Act

One government funding expert said, “It’s easier to list the things the money can’t be used for.” It is expected that some states will issue guidance to school districts, but that advice will not lock districts into any sort of spending commitment.

Professional development is a major area where these funds can be spent, as . A 2015 report from TNTP estimated that schools typically spend $18,000 a year on professional development for every teacher. That figure is likely to increase as schools scramble to accelerate learning coming out of the pandemic. Teachers today will need to know not only which skills are key, but how to diagnose unfinished learning, and use that data to create new pacing guidelines.

As districts now face challenges like student learning loss, teacher burnout, and new compliance requirements, MobileMind HQ can serve as your central hub, minimizing and remediating the impact of COVID-19 on teachers and, ultimately, their students. As a school or district leader, you can leverage MobileMind HQ to create, facilitate, and manage district-specific, activity-based micro-courses with streamlined tracking and reporting all in one place. Address learning loss with MobileMind and support your teachers with PD initiatives that remediate or accelerate learning, such as:

Training for summer enrichment and after-school programs
Offering 1:1 tutoring support
Streamlining PLC and data team activities
Engaging teachers in grade-level or content-specific remediation strategies
Improving how teachers engage learners in a blended or virtual environment

There are endless possibilities when it comes to the PD that leaders can include in MobileMind’s professional learning hub. From personalized, project-based, or social-emotional learning, to procedures and policies around safety, MobileMind is the one place teachers know to go for any training they need.

Leaders can also use MobileMind to share how teachers and staff can utilize other technology programs, such as a district SIS/LMS, interactive white boards, or other technology that supports learning in the classroom. Best of all, educators can determine their own learning pace and can complete micro-courses anytime, anywhere - and receive feedback from certified educators along the way! Administrators appreciate the ability to conveniently track learner progress on courses, badges, and learning paths.

If COVID-19 and distance learning has taught us anything, it's that PD must be agile, as skill requirements and circumstances change. It’s vital for districts to have the ability to pivot instruction and continue to offer quality learning experiences for kids.

Even as more schools return to in-person education, technology-enhanced learning is not going away. Schools will need to refine how their teachers provide instruction and support student learning, and professional development can help teachers improve upon their current practices. In addition, if your district is returning to a traditional classroom setting, it’s important to ensure your teachers don’t lose the instructional technology skills they gained throughout distance learning.

Leaders can use MobileMind to achieve this through activity-based, asynchronous professional development. Use ESSER funds to streamline PD and allow you to create, manage, and track all of your district's PD activities related to addressing the impact of COVID-19 and the abrupt shift to distance learning.

Important ESSER spending deadlines

The timing of spending all this money follows a simple pattern. Funds from ESSER I have to be fully allocated before funds from ESSER II are used. Similarly, funds from ESSER II must be allocated before the latest round of funding, ESSER III, can be tapped.

ESSER I funds must be allocated by September 30, 2022. ESSER II funds’ deadline is a year later, on September 30, 2023. The deadline for the biggest pot of money, ESSER III, is September 30, 2024. Note that these funds must be allocated by the dates listed, but that doesn’t mean all the funds have to be spent by those dates. School districts are in compliance if their officials have entered a contract for the money even if all the money hasn’t been paid out by the above deadlines.

One final area of funding is the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund. This money comes from the federal government and is earmarked for emergency assistance from the coronavirus. These grants are typically case focused. GEER funding is split into two streams: one part, $1.3 billion, is for both K-12 and higher ed. But $2.75 billion is set aside for emergency assistance for non-public schools. While governors administer this funding, non-public schools have to apply to local educational agencies to get these funds.

Schedule a call with MobileMind for more information about how to maximize the impact of your district’s federal stimulus funding for professional development!

Beat Teacher Technology Skill Regression with PD that’s Relevant, Convenient and Engaging

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 21:33:25 GMT

Spurred by pandemic-related school closures, educators adapted to different methods of instruction – like remote learning and hybrid teaching – and have gained valuable technology skills in the process.

As students begin returning to physical campuses, it’s natural that some teachers may lean towards “returning to the old ways” and stop using the new technological skills they attained. This trend can be referred to as teacher skill regression (TSR).

District leaders can prevent teacher skill regression by providing professional development opportunities that prioritize connection, convenience and culture.

Connect and personalize professional development

Seek out professional development that’s immediately relevant and valuable to educators and support staff. This means providing PD that is directly connected to each teacher’s role, skill level, and individual learning goals.

Offering voice and choice isn’t just effective for engaging students; it’s also a great strategy for connecting with teachers.

Consider the following excerpt from Future Ready Schools:

“Successful school leaders model effective professional learning by offering choice and voice when leading teachers; they also empower teachers to lead throughout the process. Teacher choice and voice are essential characteristics of a school’s professional development framework. Both are critical to promoting self-directed learning as well as a bias toward action. In a system designed to advance choice and voice, teachers enjoy and benefit from driving their own learning in response to students’ needs. “

District leaders are encouraged to empower educators by letting them voice their PD preferences and personalize their learning experience.

Offer professional development that’s convenient

Educational models were evolving prior to the pandemic – a trend that’s only accelerating now. Teachers are facing unique challenges and might be feeling overwhelmed. It has never been more crucial to ensure access to agile, flexible professional development.

Providing on-demand, bite-sized training modules is an easy way to provide convenience to educators, given their already-packed schedules. Micro-learning and micro-credentialing opportunities are easier to fit into a teacher’s busy day, and often result in a higher rate of engagement.

Build a culture of continuous growth

District and school leaders can build a culture of continuous growth by celebrating teachers’ progress, awarding badges and offering consistent encouragement. Many districts are reaping the benefits of gamified PD, as explained in this brief from K-12 Dive. Fun, engaging PD not only increases teacher retention, it also strengthens community.

Every MobileMind course is built to adapt to educators’ specific needs, celebrating learning and achievements along the way. We use features like human feedback, leaderboards, badging and certificates to make teacher training feel less like a chore, and more like an opportunity to grow.

Gain (and retain) technology skills with the right PD

Educators pivoted and adapted throughout the pandemic, gaining invaluable skills along the way. Professional development that’s relevant, manageable, and practical can help new technology and instructional skills stick.

District leaders are encouraged to reinvest in their staff and take steps to avoid teacher skill regression by focusing on connection, convenience and culture. MobileMind HQ supports these “three C’s of PD” to help educators confidently infuse technology in any environment, whether remote, hybrid or in-person.

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