Kelsey Tackett
Snapshot
Strategic Support for Differentiated Learners from a Distance
Beginning the school year in a virtual, non-traditional classroom setting will prompt teachers with the challenge of how to provide support to students who learn in a variety of ways. Students who are kinesthetic or visual learners may feel limited in their ability to communicate during this time. To eliminate some of the tension for our students, I propose that our school utilizes reusable Rocketbooks to encourage student participation by providing them with a resource that will encourage them to use their abilities to write, solve and draw as an alternative to typing. These innovative notebooks will allow students with varying learning styles to have a more active role during this time of distance learning. After students write, solve or draw in the notebook, they can use their devices to scan and instantly send to preloaded accounts. This will create ease for students who may struggle with using other platforms to upload and send their work.
This would require the purchase of 45 Rocketbooks that can be checked out when students collect their devices this year. I will pre-set up accounts for work to be sent to so students can communicate and send documentation with ease. The research question that will be used to focus this project will be, “Do students who have varied learning styles succeed and engage more when given resources that completement their learning preferences?” This question will allow us to investigate student engagement during this time of virtual learning. In order to see if this innovation is successful, teachers will monitor submission of work through a google form to identify that the student has submitted work via Rocketbook instead of a different platform. Although simplistic in its nature, this will allow those who need screen breaks or struggle with typing to thrive. Additionally, it will also support those who communicate with visuals or need the visual to complete mathematical equations to be successful. I will know that these measures are related to my innovation because there will be a correlation between the use of the rocketbook and frequency of submission. Additionally, student and teacher surveys will be issued to document student use when work is submitted using the: Rocketbook and a collection of surveys that will gage student and teacher satisfaction. It is my hope that with providing resources that compliment a students learning style, our school will continue to engage students during a time of virtual learning by offering them the resources, support and structures they need to be successful.
Dell Tech Crew
During this unprecedented school year there have been many trials and tribulations for educators and students around the world. However, here in Floyd County, we have a truly unique opportunity to bring innovation into the school and homes of our students. High school students have the opportunity to participate in the Dell Student Tech Crew Initiative. The Dell Tech Crew is a student based training experience that teaches students how to service and maintain Dell devices. The Tech Crew allows students to gain access to the same fundamental training and skills that employees at Dell receive themselves. With this training students are able to gain real-life experience of servicing and maintaining school devices for other students in their school. These experiences foster leadership, customer service and communication while also developing career readiness fundamentals. Through this program Floyd County students will not only benefit from this opportunity through skill development but by also concluding the program with certifications from Dell. Floyd County Schools and the Kentucky Valley Education Cooperative have partnered together to pilot this program within our four high schools. Together we will work to ensure the success of our students and this program can occur despite any changes in our educational setting this year. Our hope is that through a successful pilot in Floyd County, we can help other districts begin their own chapters of Dell Tech Crew so we can continue to bring innovation and opportunities to our students here in Eastern Kentucky.