Blackboard Resources

Thank you to everyone for your questions and comments as you look to implement Blackboard in the fall. It truly speaks to the level of dedication in our Waukesha staff that so many of you are looking to increase your understanding of our learning management system. Below are a few resources that will be helpful as you get started. In the coming weeks, we'll be rolling out the specifics around how we will define what goes into a course shell as well as a tentative plan for building and rolling course shells out to staff. Stay tuned! 

• Teacher Development Program (TDP) Blackboard Self Paced Courses 101, 102, 103 (Registration Link)

• Staff Help Site Blackboard Page 

• Blackboard Teacher Help Page

• Digital Learning Tools

 

Moving Forward with Blackboard

Last week we rolled out the exciting news that our 4K-12 system would be using a common Learning Management System, BB9, in the upcoming school year. While we know there will be new learning that will have to take place to get up and running with this platform, in the long run, this is going to be a decision that will serve in the best interest of our students, staff, and families. Many of you have reached out around how you can begin to prepare yourself for this shift. Below are the milestones we hope to reach by September 1st. 

September 1st Milestones:

• Teachers can create classes, enroll learners, add a blank shell template (which has the universal navigation toolbar), and transfer content between Blackboard classes if needed.. The blank shell template is different from a course shell.

• Enrollment of administrators, instructional coach(es), library media specialist,  etc. to the course as a student within the course. 

• Integration of district resources (ex. Matific, EPIC, Sora, Gizmos, Google classroom, etc.) within the Blackboard course.

• The ability to post key content for end-users to access for learning during and beyond the traditional school day. 

 

Throughout the 2020-2021 school year, our director team will be working with teams of teachers to create course shells in Bb9. The Bb9 course shells are intended to be a launchpad for all teachers to the course, and they will house essential information around curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Course shells can be “layered” as time progresses, and they can easily be copied, so that every teacher has a starting point to use with their learners. Course shells are not designed to provide day-to-day instructional materials. Teachers will continue to adjust their daily plans based on the needs of their learners. This will be a big undertaking, and we know we will have hiccups along the way, but in the end, we will have a common platform to house our curriculum and instructional materials. 

 

Over the course of the next few weeks, building administrators will be working to determine what level of professional development will be necessary to meet the milestones outlined above as each building is in a different place around their implementation of Bb9. No teacher will be in this alone. In fact, the beauty of a common platform is that we can work collaboratively as we are all using the same tool. Stay tuned for a professional development plan around building your capacity to use this tool. As a reminder, the district does also have self-paced, virtual, Bb9 courses that you can enroll in to learn about the Bb9 platform. There are also a variety of other resources that are available as we look to grow in our use of this tool across our system. 

 

• Teacher Development Program (TDP) Blackboard Self Paced Courses 101, 102, 103 (Registration Link)

• Staff Help Site Blackboard Page 

• Blackboard Teacher Help Page

• Digital Learning Tools

 

 

Blackboard as our 4K-12 Learning Management System (LMS)

If there is one thing that we have heard loud and clear from our students and our parents during virtual learning this spring, it was the request that we PLEASE use a common system where curriculum resources, communication and materials are all located in one spot. Waukesha is poised to meet this request and we are all going to rise up to this expectation and opportunity!
All of our secondary staff have learned about this expectation already, but for our elementary staff, this blog will be new information.
Subsequent Connect posts and school communication will outline in much more detail in the coming weeks our plans for support.



























A few Blackboard supports for those that want to get a jump start:
Teacher Development Program (TDP) Blackboard Self Paced Courses 101, 102, 103 (Registration Link)
Staff Help Site Blackboard Page 
Blackboard Teacher Help Page
Digital Learning Tools

Although I would say that it was a goal for our system to build this robust learning management system for all levels, COVID has upped our timeline in this area. As one of our core goals to provide a guaranteed and viable curriculum for all and prioritizing equity and access for all...our collective work together on this will positively impact all students in Waukesha moving forward.

Summer Institute Pivot

Hello SDW colleagues,

I am sure you all would agree that this summer has been like no other one on record!
The purpose of this communication is to let you know that we hear you, your feedback around the return to school planning and preparation that has to occur between now and the start of school is greatly appreciated.  As we prepare for one of the most unpredictable times in the history of education, we have decided to make a pivot from offering our full two days of Summer Institute sessions.

Although we still value the work we have started with culturally relevant teaching, we would like all staff members to engage in 3 hours of learning with keynote speaker, Dr. Sharroky Hollie. Also, all K-5 Literacy teachers will be attending the Phonics training at designated times based on grade level. The remainder of the time will be spent in your buildings working collaboratively with other school teams on common topics related to COVID-19.  Stay safe to stay open procedures, as well as continued preparation for virtual learning should inevitably be the main focus if we are instructed to use that teaching and learning structure again.

Thank you once again for your feedback and voice regarding the start of the 2020-21 school year.  The goal is to ensure every school in the district is prepared to provide the highest quality of instruction to all students regardless of the circumstances.  

Lindholm welcomes our new Director of Secondary Learning with a familiar face!

 

This Wednesday, Rachel Hermann, former Lowell Elementary Principal was approved as our next Director of Secondary Learning. Rachel takes the place of Dan Keyser, who is now serving as the Interim Superintendent in the Beloit School District. This will be Rachel's 16th year in education. She started off as a high school English teacher for 8 years and then came to Waukesha in 2010, where she taught high school English at North and middle school English at Les Paul. Rachel then moved into a curriculum coordinator position in Waukesha, serving the 6th-12th grade Social Studies and English teachers. While in that position, she attained her Principal's and Director's licensure, and then made a move she never in a million years would have predicted and that was to become an elementary school principal. Serving in that role the past 4 years at Lowell, Rachel has learned so much about the importance of relationships, collaboration, family engagement, and of course, kids! It was the ultimate example of backwards design having taught seniors for many years, she got to see where kids ended their education journey in our schools and then being in elementary land, she got to see where they began. It truly was a rewarding experience for Rachel on many levels.

On a personal note, Rachel says, "I have 2 wonderful children, Sam and Sophie. Sophie is in 5th grade and Sam is starting 7th grade this coming year. My husband, Scott, is a Spanish teacher, and he continually grounds me as I navigate educational theory with the complex realities of teaching in a classroom. I have a strong passion for reading and writing, and in my free time, I imagine sitting by an ocean (it's been difficult to get to one this past year) and reading a good book. In reality, my free time mostly consists of watching my kids play on their various sports teams, which I also really enjoy!"

Please help me welcome Rachel Hermann to our central office team!