Online platform to go live districtwide at all K-12 schools this fall
Summer camp may be traditionally for students, but during the first two weeks of June, nearly 1,000 HISD elementary teachers and campus instructional technologists attended “HUB Camp” to receive training and learn more about the district’s online teaching and learning platform, known as the PowerUp:HUB, or “HUB” for short. During the 2015–2016 school year, the HUB will be transitioning from the pilot phase at 48 schools to full districtwide implementation at all 283 HISD schools. The implementation is part of the district’s larger efforts to digitally transform instruction and integrate technology into content development and classroom instructional practices.
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The four-day training and professional development session guided teachers through the online platform’s various features and gave participants hands-on experiences on how to use the HUB to collaborate with their peers, deliver instruction to students, and access educational information, resources, and tools. Teachers left having created several exemplar lessons that they could use in the fall with their students.
“Reaction from teachers has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Elementary Curriculum Manager Donelle Williams. “They have seen firsthand how the HUB can help with integrating technology into their planning and classroom instruction as early as kindergarten.”
Teachers like that the HUB creates a “one-stop shop” for digital resources, tools, and district curriculum that can all be accessed with the same login and password. The HUB also creates an online space where teachers can collaborate with colleagues from their own schools and from campuses across the district.
“I have already set up a page for our fifth-grade team,” said Red Elementary teacher Lafoscia Maxie. “Next, I am going to set up a page for each of the grade-level teams at Red so teachers can collaborate and share.”
Elementary teachers and instructional specialists who attended HUB Camp in June will receive additional training in July and will return to their schools in August as HUB Leads who will train, support, and guide their colleagues throughout the school year. Middle- and high-school teachers will undergo HUB training at one of five Secondary Transformational Institutes scheduled for late June and July. Secondary teachers who still need to sign up for the four-day training can get more information here.
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