Weekly Teacher Download for Feb. 7, 2022

ALL TEACHERS

Academic Instructional Technology

Tech Tuesdays
Please join us for Tech Tuesday sessions Feb. 8 to learn more about PearDeck and WeVide, which engages students and enhances learning while incorporating technology into instruction. Win swag in certain sessions! Register by clicking here and searching OneSource #1461032. 

Canvas launch and HUB phase out support
AIT is excited to announce Canvas as the new district learning management system for the 2022-2023 school year! Teachers and staff will have access to Canvas beginning March 21, 2022, and HUB access will end in July 2022. The AIT team is here to provide support with saving teacher-created HUB content through June 2022. We have created a series of HUB phase out resources (videos and how-to guides), and Educational Technology Specialists will be hosting weekly open labs each Thursday from 3:30–5:00 p.m. to help you save content before access to the HUB is removed. Register in OneSource for #1468031.

Learning.com Keyboarding Contest
All students in grades 3-12 may enter the Learning.com keyboarding contest, which runs through Feb. 28. Learning.com is the district’s technology application curriculum resource that promotes keyboarding practice and skills. To participate, students must complete the initial diagnostic test and actively practice in the Learning.com Adaptive Keyboarding application to increase their word-per-minute (WPM) accuracy. In addition, campuses must post at least one promotional tweet with the hashtag #HISD_DigLitStrong and tag @HISD_Inst_Tech to be in the contest. The top two schools per Schools Office with the highest WPM accuracy and a Tweet will be awarded a prize. If you have questions or need additional information, contact AIT at InsTech@HoustonISD.org.

Free access to Adobe software

HISD is providing high school teachers and their students access to the most popular applications of Adobe Creative Cloud and the premium version of Adobe Creative Express, both at school and at home. HISD is providing elementary and middle school teachers access to the entire collection of Adobe Creative Cloud applications and their students with access to the premium version of Adobe Creative Express, both at school and at home. For Creative Cloud, once you’ve logged in, you can choose the apps you’d like to download. Please visit the website at www.HoustonISD.org/Page/192234 for guides and tutorials. You can use Creative Suite in any browser. To access Creative Express, you can sign in through Clever or from your web browser. Go to www.adobe.com/express/. On the top right corner of the browser select “sign in.” This will bring up a new page. Select “log in with school account” on the right side of the page and enter your school email and password. For Adobe Creative Express, please visit our website at www.HoustonISD.org/Page/192202 for guides and tutorials. You can use Adobe Creative Express in any browser, including Chromebooks.

Social and Emotional Learning

Self-Care: According to Webster, self-care (noun) is:

• The practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health
• The practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness during periods of stress

Please refer to the February self-care calendar for daily activities to add to your self-care regimen. Share with a colleague and/or friend. Be well and stay safe.

Office of Special Education Services

Issue #4 of the Instructional Digital Download, which supports teachers, leaders, and staff with timely, relevant research-based instructional strategies, mini-model lessons, resources, and coaching, is now available. The bite-sized lessons are designed to model digital tools and designated supports and accommodations appropriate to identified TEKS. It contains examples of how to support students with disabilities and those who struggle with learning.

ELEMENTARY TEACHERS

Early Childhood

Lead Teacher Meeting #4: PreK and early childhood special education teachers are invited to join us 4:00-6:00 p.m. Feb. 8 or 10 to learn how to facilitate communication between each campus and the early childhood department. Also included is current information regarding district/state issues and district initiatives, as well as professional development opportunities. Register for OneSource Course #1464081.                                          

Early Childhood Conference: The Early Childhood Conference will take place 8:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Feb. 12. PreK teachers and teacher assistants, Head Start teachers, and administrators may choose breakout sessions that address various domains of instruction in early childhood to build a unique and innovative learning experience. Other sessions will focus on implementing best practices in PreK using the recently purchased instructional materials funded through ESSER. See this flyer for more information.

The Early Childhood Team announces the purchase of additional instructional materials through ESSER funds for Pre-K teachers (Pre-K, ECSE, Pre-K/K split) serving 3- and 4-year-old students to support high-quality instruction and mitigate learning loss. Teacher training on how to best utilize these materials in the classroom will be offered at the virtual Early Childhood Conference. See this ASM for details.

Elementary Math

See this flyer for 2022 February Math sessions. See this document for the Feb. 21 Teacher Service Day math sessions. Share your experiences via Twitter and tag @HISD_ElemMath #MathMatters.

Virtual HB3 Math Academies Grade 2 Building Content Capacity: Fractions, 3:30–5:00 p.m., Feb. 8: Join us to delve into grade-level specific concepts by exploring strategies that build conceptual thinking and teaching of mathematics. Also, to learn how to strengthen content knowledge and instructional delivery by exploring TEKS-specific strategies for upcoming mathematics concepts.  

Virtual HB3 Math Academies Grade 3 Building Math Content Capacity: Measurement, 3:30–5:00 p.m., Feb. 8: Join us to delve into grade-level specific concepts by exploring strategies that build conceptual thinking and teaching of mathematics.  Also, to learn how to strengthen content knowledge and instructional delivery by exploring TEKS-specific strategies for upcoming mathematics concepts. 

HISD 100^th Day of School: Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022

EXTENDED Kindergarten TX-KEA Assessment MOY Window: Jan. 10–Feb. 18, 2022

Elementary Science

Spring 2022 Elementary Science Sessions: Sessions will be offered synchronously (facilitator-led) after school. To view spring science sessions, see this link. Share your experiences via Twitter and tag @HISD_ElemSci.

Grade 5 Elementary Science STAAR 2.0 Item Types: Join us 3:30–5:00 p.m. Feb. 10 to learn about the new item types, implications for checking for understanding, and practice creating using Google slides. Register for OneSource #1464076.

Grades 3-4 Science Instructional Planning—G3: Unit 11 Part 1, Plant Life Cycles; G4: Unit 12 Part 1, Animal and Plant Growth: Join us 12:00–2:00 p.m. Feb. 21 to learn how to leverage teacher-facing and student-facing resources to plan for upcoming units of instruction and practice difficult concepts that are noted within data. Register for OneSource #1464073.

Grade 5 Science Instructional Planning—Unit 13 Food Webs and Unit 14 Inherited Trait: Join us 2:00–4:00 p.m. Feb. 21 to learn how to leverage teacher-facing and student-facing resources to plan for upcoming units of instruction and practice difficult concepts that are noted within data. Register for OneSource #1461119.

Grades K-5—Using the Discovery Education Experience to Support Flexible Science Learning Environments: Join us 12:00–1:00 p.m. Feb. 21 to learn how to use the DE platform for instructional modifications to reach varied student learning types. Register for OneSource #1467086.

Grades 3-5—STAAR 2.0 Redesigned: Join us 9:00–10:00 a.m. and 12:00–1:00 p.m. Feb. 21 to gain understanding of upcoming 2022-2023 STAAR 2.0 Technology Enhanced Items (TEI) and explore sample items and get a preview of new item types for 2023 spring STAAR assessment. Register for OneSource #1467081.

Elementary Science Lead Teacher Collaborative for lead science teachers and campus leaders: Join us 3:30 -5:30 p.m. Feb. 22 or 23 to learn trends outlined to district and state data, collaborate on best practices for increasing science outcomes, and plan for delivering learning to build campus capacity. The session will be styled within a ToT model. Register for OneSource #1458054. 

Virtual Learning Opportunities for Students and Families: Students and their families are encouraged to engage in hands-on, minds-on science investigations at home. The Houston Museum of Natural Science and Elementary Science Curriculum & Instruction present a series of videos and activities aligned to tough-to-teach standards in grades K-5. Click here to access these resources. Click here for the Science at Home Symbaloo web mix.

Elementary Reading

Please attend an “Ask/Answer” meeting provided by Really Great Reading Implementation Specialists Jill Dickerson, Susan Hohertz, and Roxanne Rooney. For questions, email Tasha Howard at thoward1@houstonisd.org.

• Feb. 8, 3:30–4:30 p.m.:  Click here to join the meeting
• Feb. 10, 9:30–10:30 a.m.: Click here to join the meeting

SECONDARY TEACHERS

Career and Technical Education (CTE)

Please view this week’s CTE bulletin, February 2022, Volume I. Visit the HISD Career Readiness page here for all CTE bulletins. The next Teacher Service Day (no students) for CTE is Monday, Feb. 21, 2022.

Spotlight on CTE: To bring awareness to the district’s CTE programs of study and post-graduation opportunities, campus personnel are invited to showcase campus events, student work, and more. Please submit using the CTE Spotlight Form. You may enter:

• Photos
• Videos
• Event flyers
• Business partnerships
• Campus initiatives
• Professional learning
• Best practices and more!

Submissions will be highlighted on the Career Readiness website and social media platforms (Instagram, Twitter, YouTube). Contact your campus’s designated senior CTE program specialist with any questions.