Learning Together 2020

Let's Learn Together

Our usual ways of doing school have been disrupted in response to COVID-19, shining a glaring spotlight on longstanding inequities within our systems. Around the world, communities are coming together to challenge the deep structural racism that exists within our justice system and society at large, including our school systems. We live in a moment of great potential; we can and must use this disruption to the status quo to catalyze transformation. Together, let’s reimagine schools as sites for justice, well-being, and connection. Visit the pages below to find resources organized around three important foci for the 2020-2021 school year.

Resource Pages

Reenvisioning Education for Enacting Justice: Rather than seeking to return to "normal," let's leverage the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to build more just schools. We must dismantle the processes, policies, and practices that uphold racism within our educational systems and build new structures that center the voices of families and communities.

Teaching & Learning Online and at Home: This fall, many schools will continue to operate online or using hybrid formats. Let's work together to overcome technological challenges and create meaningful learning opportunities that foster connection and values children's home- and community-based knowledge.

Supporting Students’ Social Emotional Needs: Students, families, educators, and leaders are all coping with additional stress as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ongoing systemic racism adds an additional layer to this crisis. This fall, we'll need to prioritize social and emotional well-being, relationships, and connectedness more than ever.

Upcoming Professional Learning Opportunities

Offering	Description	Audience
Promising District Leadership Practices for Transformative Change in the Context of COVID-19 November 13 Learn more	In this webinar, district leaders from five school districts will reflect on what they’ve learned about supporting instruction during the “dual pandemics” of COVID- 19 and racial injustice. They will share their current and future efforts to center the experiences and perspectives of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and emphasize family and community relationships to reorient district-level decision-making.	District Leaders
Early Childhood Education in the time of COVID: Voices from the Field November 18 Learn more	Haring Center staff and Early childhood special educators (teaching in Birth-Grade 3 settings) will share strategies, practices, and supports that have effectively and efficiently supported families and young children during COVID. Please join us for a collaborative conversation around best practices and lessons learned as we all navigate this new normal!	Early Childhood Professionals, Elementary Teachers, Special Education Professionals
SPEB Institute: Transforming Partnership in Education- A Learning Institute for Families and Educators November 21 Learn more	Community members will come together to co-create optimum learning environments that center students and their families.	District Leaders, Early Childhood Professionals, Elementary Teachers, Informal Educators, School Leaders, Secondary Teachers
Leveraging Technologies to Support Families during COVID: Strategies for Virtual Family Support and Home Visiting December 16 Learn more	Family support is a large part of a special educator’s role, but the shift to online learning has made this incredibly difficult. This webinar will cover ways of supporting families during COVID 19 and with the shift to distance learning. We will share resources for conducting virtual home visits and discuss ways school staff can connect with families, assess their needs, connect them with resources, and support them in meeting their child’s’ needs at home.	Early Childhood Professionals, Special Education Professionals
Culturally Responsive Strategies for Building Relationships With Families February 17 Learn more	This webinar will focus on building parent-teacher relationships by increasing cultural awareness. We will share the importance of identifying cultural differences and strategies to address the needs of students and families. We will discuss strategies to manage and understand personal biases and their effects on family partnering. In addition, we will talk about how to determine the difference between equal and equitable practices.	Early Childhood Professionals, Elementary Teachers, Informal Educators
Disability Justice in Schools March 7 Learn more	This 90-minute webinar is an introduction to disability identity, history, intersectionality, and movements for Disability Justice in school. We will include activities that expose histories of ableism in schools and introduce you to disabled activist movements. Real-time captioning of the webinar will be provided.	District Leaders, Early Childhood Professionals, Elementary Teachers, Informal Educators, School Leaders, School Psychologists, Secondary Teachers, Special Education Professionals
Staying Safe Online: Teaching Elementary Students to Practice Digital Citizenship & Media Literacy February 16 to February 19 Learn more	In this course, participants will learn about why we need to practice media literacy when consuming, sharing, and creating print and digital media and how to stay safe as digital citizens. We will cover the core concepts of media literacy and digital citizenship and practice integrating them into existing lessons and pedagogical practices for in-person and remote instruction.	Early Childhood Professionals, Elementary Teachers, Informal Educators, Special Education Professionals
Spotting & Resisting Misinformation: Teaching Secondary Students to Practice Critical Media Literacy (Feb 16-19) February 16 to February 19 Learn more	In this course, participants will learn about why we need to practice media literacy when consuming, sharing, and creating print and digital media. We will cover the core concepts of media literacy and practice integrating them into existing lessons and pedagogical practices for in-person and remote instruction.	District Leaders, Informal Educators, School Leaders, Secondary Teachers, Special Education Professionals
Spotting & Resisting Misinformation: Teaching Secondary Students to Practice Critical Media Literacy (April 21- May 5) April 21 to May 5 Learn more	In this course, participants will learn about why we need to practice media literacy when consuming, sharing, and creating print and digital media. We will cover the core concepts of media literacy and practice integrating them into existing lessons and pedagogical practices for in-person and remote instruction.	District Leaders, Informal Educators, School Leaders, Secondary Teachers, Special Education Professionals
Grown-ups and Kids Together: Let’s Examine What We Consume and Create on Our Screens February 18 Learn more	This one-hour professional development course will engage elementary educators and their families in a personally meaningful experience with media literacy. What better way to learn about students’ thinking than with a young learner by our sides? Adults/caregivers and their elementary age children are encouraged to join together for an interactive and investigative experience. Please note that educators joining on their own are welcome, and will find the experience meaningful as well!	District Leaders, Early Childhood Professionals, Elementary Teachers, Informal Educators, School Leaders, Secondary Teachers, Special Education Professionals
Third Grade Virtual Science Unit Workshop February 2 Learn more	Third Grade Teachers, join us for an exciting opportunity to engage in learning about how to teach an Orca whale unit in a virtual learning environment. This interactive and entertaining workshop will bring science to life as we explore best practices for online learning about a true orca whale story. Walk away with a complete Orca unit and confidence in using it with your students.	Elementary Teachers
Washington Early Achievers Institute: Promoting Inclusive Practices for all Children December 1 to December 5 Learn more	Join us for a week of inclusion. This free virtual institute will enhance the capacity of providers by sharing a research-based tiered approach to inclusive education. Sessions are designed for all childcare providers who care for children age 0-12 and want to learn research-backed strategies to promote accessible and inclusive learning environments. Plenaries will be led by disability self-advocates and experts in the field of inclusion with a focus on culturally responsive inclusion practices for early learning and school-age providers.	Early Childhood Professionals
Investigating Privilege and Access in Educational Systems: How to Avoid Being a “Karen” or “Ken” in the Workplace & with Students March 17 to March 31 Learn more	In this course, participants will investigate how privilege and access intersects within the educational system through unsuspecting or intentional/unintentional behaviors. We will discuss how people use their privilege as a form of entitlement to gain access, popularly known as being a “Karen” or “Ken.” Participants will dissect and reflect on how this denies others access and perpetuates stereotypes, bias, and racism using historical structures, systems, and institutions to oppress. Together, we’ll develop skill in navigating spaces in more culturally responsive ways in order to begin dismantling structures that gate-keep marginalized or under-represented populations.	District Leaders, Early Childhood Professionals, Elementary Teachers, Informal Educators, School Leaders, Secondary Teachers, Special Education Professionals
Virtual Social and Emotional Support: Zoom Social Skills for all Learners January 27 Learn more	In this webinar, Drs. RinaMarie Leon-Guerrero and Ariane Gauvreau will discuss concrete ways teachers and providers can provide social skills instruction, strategies for facilitating social skills groups online, and other means to increase social opportunities for students during distance learning.	Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Early Childhood Professionals, Elementary Teachers, Informal Educators, School Psychologists
Green Screen Workshop: Using a Green Screen to Create Active and Engaging Lessons for Learners of All Ages and Abilities February 10 Learn more	This workshop will cover everything you need to know about green screens. We’ll introduce tricks for setting your space and uploading photos for your background, show lots of examples of how you can teach a range of social and academic skills, and review how to use green screens in large, small and individualized settings.	Early Childhood Professionals, Elementary Teachers, Informal Educators