CFBISD Joins the Dynamic Learning Project, a National Educator Coaching Program
July 25, 2017 | Carrollton, TX– The Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD (CFBISD) Middle Schools (Blalack, Bush, Field, Long, Perry and Polk) are six of 50 schools joining the pilot year of the Dynamic Learning Project, a national program supported by Digital Promise, EdTechTeam, and Google, aimed at improving education equity by empowering teachers to leverage technology in more powerful ways.
The CFBISD Middle Schools were selected for the program by Digital Promise based on need (measured by percentage of students eligible for free and reduced lunch), existing technology infrastructure, and innovative leadership committed to helping their teachers succeed.
“CFBISD is excited to be a part of this project knowing that coaching in the area of technology in our Middle Schools will have a dynamic impact on the instruction and achievement in our classrooms,” said Georgeanne Warnock, CFBISD Associate Superintendent of Educational Services. “This investment in our school district is appreciated and we look forward to watching the innovation continue to flourish in our classrooms.”
The Dynamic Learning Project is designed to help deliver on the promise of technology by investing in a school’s greatest assets: teachers. It’s not just about access to technology, but how prepared teachers feel to meaningfully use that technology in their classrooms. The Dynamic Learning Project will sponsor and train a coaching fellow, in most cases a former classroom teacher, who will provide personalized, tech-based coaching to help educators in their community leverage technology in transformative ways.
The coaching fellows will be embedded in 50 underserved middle schools in five regions across the U.S. The full list of participating schools and more information on the project can be found here.
“It’s imperative that teachers are supported as they create new and powerful learning environments so students are prepared for the jobs of the future,” said Karen Cator, President and CEO of Digital Promise. “Early research studies point to the positive impact of educator coaching on teacher practices and student achievement. We’re thrilled to work with Google and EdTechTeam, to bring the Dynamic Learning Project to CFBISD schools.”
Coaching fellows and principals at participating schools will:
- Work with teachers to apply best practices in the powerful use of technology for teaching and learning;
- Promote a culture of openness, personalized professional development, and continuous improvement between faculty and administration; and
- Engage with other coaching fellows and their principals to share knowledge and build community of support.
In addition to coaching fellows and principals, the program will extend to benefit the entire school and school district, as well as the broader community.
The Dynamic Learning Project officially welcomed the 2017-2018 cohort coaches and principals at a week-long Summer Institute hosted by Digital Promise at the Google headquarters in Mountain View, CA.
“At Google, we believe in the power of educators. Technology is just a tool; it can only be transformative when it’s in the hands of an educator who uses it to create meaningful experiences for students,” said Liz Anderson, Head of Social Impact Programs at Google for Education. “We’re excited to support such a dedicated group in laying the groundwork for innovative use of technology in classrooms across the country.”
For more information on the Dynamic Learning Project visit: digitalpromise.org/dynamiclearningproject
Press Contacts
Digital Promise
Erica Lawton
erica@digitalpromise.org
Google
press@google.com
CFBISD
Angela Shelley Brown
shelleya@cfbisd.edu
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About Digital Promise
Digital Promise is a nonprofit organization that builds powerful networks and takes on grand challenges by working at the intersection of researchers, entrepreneurs, and educators. Our vision is that all people, at every stage of their lives, have access to learning experiences that help them acquire the knowledge and skills they need to thrive and continuously learn in an ever-changing world. For more information, visit the Digital Promise website and follow @digitalpromise for updates.
About Google for Education
Google is committed to directing our resources — our products, programs, philanthropy and people — toward making education accessible for everyone. While technology alone won’t fix or improve education, it can be a powerful part of the solution, and we want to help ensure that all teachers and students are able to benefit from it. We’ll continue working toward a future where every student has access to the skills they’ll need and the quality education they deserve. For more information about our work in education, visit edu.google.com and follow along at @googleforeducation.
About EdTechTeam
EdTechTeam, a California Benefit Corporation, is a global network of educational technologists dedicated to inspiring and empowering other educators. With 34 employees and over 250 contractors around the globe (most current or former educators), EdTechTeam has subsidiaries in Canada, Australia, Mexico, South Africa, and the UK. The team is a Google for Education Partner and operates in 48 US states, 9 Canadian provinces (and territories), 8 Australian states (and territories), 28 other countries, and on all 7 continents. EdTechTeam produced professional development experiences in 10 languages for over 88,000 educators in 2016. For more information, visit edtechteam.com and follow at @edtechteam.
Student musicians from all six middle schools in CFB have been learning new music at the 2017 Orchestra Camp. The musicians have been learning new music over the summer and participating in some group games. They are working on advancing their technique and preparing for school to start again. They will be performing their new selections on Aug. 4, at 2-2:30 p.m. in the Polk Middle School cafeteria. The public is invited to attend and there is no cost for admission.
CFBISD’s first official logo was designed in 1976 by a Field Middle School Student, after holding a logo contest. There were over 130 entries from CFB schools. The slogan for the logo contest was, “Liberty for Education – Hand in Hand.”
Registration opens March 20th for incoming 6th,7th, & 8th graders
