Tag

Midway ISD

Aug 20
0

Student Engagement Research

By | Research

The LEx Collaborative’s research was published in Learning Environments Research and continues to explore the impact of flexible furniture in elementary classrooms. In this study, we investigated the various impacts of flexible furniture paired with teacher professional development in 10 elementary classrooms. It’s critical work as educators look to the physical learning environment as an additional resource in meeting learning outcomes. The findings from our research has helped inform design of both space and professional development for our clients.

To access the paper, click here.

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Jul 21
0

MORE Momentum: Technology

By | News

Our latest MORE momentum webinar focuses on technology, instruction and virtual learning in 2020 and beyond. We discuss the tangible aspects like infrastructure and devices, the instructional aspects like designing learning and the tools to do that well, and the relational aspects like student engagement and teacher support. Each guest offers a unique perspective as we explore the past, present and future of these new waters we are charting.

Our guests include:

  • Jesse Garn, Executive Director of Technology, Midway ISD
  • Dr. Becky Odajima, Director of Innovation and Learning, Midway ISD
  • Wes Kanawyer, Principal at Woodgate Intermediate School, Midway ISD
  • Russ Johnson, CEO, True North Consulting Group
  • Kerri Ranney, Vice President of Educational Practice, Huckabee

We’ve broken out each question for MORE Momentum #7: Technology + Instruction below. You can view the webinar in its entirety by clicking here.

Introduction + Past

Let’s start by looking back at March 2020 when schools closed for the school year. School districts had about a week to prepare amidst significant change. What did that look like in Midway ISD and what did your teams do to solve the challenges you faced?

One of the first things we had to do was mobilize technology to each student in the district and address connectivity (which remains one of the biggest challenges). We also had to support staff, students, devices and services from a remote location to homes across the district. Being a district with an existing 1-to-1 technology initiative helped us deliver instruction. We also focused on professional development to help teachers understand the online tools, resources and learning management systems they’d be using on a daily basis. We released about 100 hours of PD. Our curriculum and instruction team simplified instructional requirements, which helped teachers and parents in this situation.

At the campus level, our number one priority was student wellbeing and ensuring fundamental needs were met. We know that when anxiety goes up, performance goes down—that is true for adults and students. The goal was to lighten anxiety levels, simplify the process and then push out content.

Across the state we saw a lot of innovation in district technology teams. Districts fully embraced collaborative tools so they could maintain engagement with students and staff, but they also had to create new ways to support these tools in remote environments. Districts knew they still had the job of delivering instruction and delivering it to high expectations; this led to exploration of asynchronous PD as well as the #bettertogether movement that opened up new partnerships between school districts and business organizations.

Present

Let’s look at summer 2020. School districts are working feverishly to develop plans to open schools safely in the fall while meeting the needs of families while they deal with this pandemic. What are some of the solutions from the spring that you’re carrying forward into fall?

Instructionally, we are looking at the essential curriculum standards and the best way to deliver them to students. We are implementing a hybrid learning model for students who cannot return to school and supporting the transition for students, teachers and families whose delivery method for learning could change throughout the year. Student interaction is still important, even if learning is taking place remotely. We are re-formulating our approach to interaction and even assessment.

We are also utilizing technology to keep students connected to their peers and developing methods for synchronous instruction that can occur with virtual and at-home students concurrently. At the same time, we are looking to maintain virtual collaboration between teachers and across campuses. Professional development will never be the same, and we are looking at ways to evolve our efforts. 

At the site level, we will have to work to build rapport with new students and families across the district. We will front-load the year with tech proficiency and relationship building.

On the technology side, we have realized more flexibility within our support model. We have also become more comfortable with being uncomfortable and are more flexible mentally. School districts state-wide are remaining focused on connectivity and filling the gaps where needed. We are also seeing the success of content capture in higher ed trickling down into K-12 as school districts incorporate asynchronous learning into curriculum.

Future

Let’s look to the future. What are some of the challenges you already foresee that you’re just now beginning to tackle?

Even once we overcome this virus, we will likely see hybrid learning remain for many different reasons. Some of the main challenges of this environment will be: improving accessibility to fiber networks and community WiFi; cybersecurity threats; and our ability to secure devices and data in an environment that we don’t always control.

We also have to prepare teachers for this hybrid model of learning and set a new standard for best practices in pedagogy. While we hope we never have to close schools so unexpectedly like we did this year, we’ve learned that we need to create a contingency plan in case we ever need to move to a fully virtual learning model again while maintaining consistency.

#InnovationRevolution and the Power in Collaboration

In education, we preach the power of collaboration, and this crisis has continued to show us the importance of collaborating with our colleagues, students and communities. We have found collaborating with different districts in the area to be beneficial as we are able to give one another encouragement and best practices. Our district began using the term #InnovationRevolution to publicly share ways we can all be innovative during this time.

About MORE Momentum

Huckabee’s MORE Momentum series highlights how our educational partners are investing their time, energy and focus to keep the momentum going during this unprecedented “pause.” We will explore themes related to bonds, planning, design and safety and security, among other topics that impact Texas public education. Follow us @HuckabeeInc on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In, or complete the form below to get a first look as new content is released. 

For the full webinar, click below

To learn more about True North Consulting Group, click here.

Keep the momentum going!
Reach out to our Huckabee Communications team to learn MORE.

More Momentum
Sending

Feb 10
0

Midway ISD CTE Expansion

By | Clients

Midway ISD and Huckabee started design on a CTE expansion to Midway High School. The first charrette brought together students, teachers and district staff to share ideas and discuss program needs. The project centralizes CTE classrooms and labs into a more modern space. It will create opportunities for greater collaboration between programs and students, while also supporting long-term growth in CTE offerings. To read more, click here.

Aug 06
0

Leaders of Learners

By | Research

LEx Collaborative was recently featured in Leaders of Learners. LEx Collaborative is Huckabee’s educational research partnership with Education Service Center (ESC) Region 12 and Baylor University’s Center for Astrophysics, Space Physics and Engineering Research (CASPER). Leaders of Learners is a magazine written out of Texas’s Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). Located at the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative (BRIC), LEx Collaborative conducts research in the intersection of professional development and the built environment to determine impact on student engagement and the learning experience.

In the article, LEx Collaborative dives into “the psychosocial aspects of the classroom, the culture of the school, teacher pedagogy, and most importantly, the built environment, and how each of these facets of education directly impact learning and student engagement.”

To read the essay and learn more about the LEx Collaborative’s partnership and how our team of experts is bringing together their specific skillsets and knowledge to improve education, click here.

Sep 23
0

Huckabee at TASA/TASB

By | News

Team Huckabee is at TASA / TASB this weekend, sharing insights with our partners at three break-out sessions. Here’s when and where to find us:

Process not Product: Promoting authentic learning in elementary education
Kerri Ranney is joined by Dr. Benny Soileau and Dr. Joel Nolte of Huffman ISD and Tona Blizzard of Grapevine-Colleyville ISD at the TASA/TASB convention in Dallas for this session that focuses on how to leverage design, instruction and community to create a supportive and explorative learning environment. The team looks at Huffman ISD’s new elementary school and Grapevine-Colleyville ISD’s new STEM education campus.  The conversation explores the steps that were taken to fully adopt a culture shift at a campus and district level that promotes skills-based education and a love of life-long learning. A VR component and “Experience More” goggles are included.

The session takes place at 7:30 AM on Friday, October 6 in Room D172.

Top 10 Conversations and Aspirations Influencing School Design
Kerri is joined by Konrad Judd, Huckabee’s Chief Design Officer, for a light-hearted 30-minute discussion on the top 10 things school districts are asking for now. Think David Letterman meets public education with a design twist. Kerri and Konrad count down the 10 most requested items, spaces and cultural influencers that are topping out wish lists across the state. From power outlets and parking spots to adaptability and autonomy, they’ll answer: why these items are being asked for, how they’re being used and how they are changing the learning experience for students and teachers.

The session begins at 9 AM on Friday, October 6 in the exhibit hall at TASA/TASB.

Furniture as a Learning Tool: Drawing inspiration beyond educational portfolios
Konrad, Tami O’Neal, Huckabee’s furniture coordinator, and Amy Wood, Granbury ISD’s Director of Technology, explore a case study on Granbury ISD’s high school reconstruction and the impact furniture had on curriculum and design. GISD looked beyond typical K-12 furniture options and designed a solution that maximized instructional and economic value for their $49 million modernization. They gained square footage, increased utilization and delivered a 21st century environment for less than they had estimated.

The session takes place at 1 PM on Friday, October 6 in room D172 during the TASA/TASB convention in Dallas. The session will be repeated at the EdSpaces conference in Kansas City at 3:30 PM on October 25.

May 31
0

Huckabee honored by Midway ISD

By | News

Midway ISD named Huckabee a 2017 Friends of Midway recipient. We are honored by the designation and proud of our 15+ year partnership. Here’s an excerpt from Midway ISD’s announcement:

Suzi Pagel, Executive Director of the Midway Education Foundation, says, “Huckabee has donated to the Midway Education Foundation each year since the nonprofit organization held their first annual campaign in 2001. We appreciate the faithful support that Huckabee has provided us. To date, seven grants have been named in honor of Huckabee. These grants have provided district-wide programs such as Midway Reads as well as elementary and high school level grant.”

In addition, Huckabee Architects have been instrumental in the successful launch of multiple recent large-scale, creative projects at Midway ISD. The Studio, a renovation to the 30-year old Midway Middle School library, has tremendously impacted the life of the campus. The Studio has also served as a best practice example to multiple other school districts interested in makerspaces and flexible arrangement spaces. Huckabee experts have also been crucial to the partnership between Baylor University, Spring Valley Elementary, Education Service Center Region 12, and Huckabee to study how the learning environment affects student engagement.

Read the full story here.

Dec 02
0
school common area Huckabee Texas

Middle School Maker Space

By | Clients

Huckabee has long explored innovative ways to help school districts design spaces that engage students and support creativity. This concept has become an integral part of the planning and programming process as more and more clients are looking to incorporate flexible-use space into their facilities. Schools nationwide are integrating “maker” spaces into libraries and other areas.

At Midway Middle School in Midway Independent School District, Huckabee is designing a flexible-use makerspace where students have access to materials, tools and technology to freely create, or remake, physical and digital designs and prototypes. The project is part of a comprehensive district-wide initiative to help students prepare for the workforce and college, starting with the introduction of project-based learning techniques in elementary school and increasing in intensity through middle school and into high school. The makerspace in Midway Middle School will build off of similar spaces found in the district’s elementary schools (read more about the concept here), allowing students to work collaboratively and focus on problem-solving and innovation.

The project is part of a media center renovation for the school, which is creating intentional areas within the center that are clearly individualized and identified, yet cohesively integrated into the larger concept of a resource-rich and flexible-use learning space. The makerspace is adjacent to technology and learning resources, a future A/V lab, study and group presentation areas and a learning stair. The space will feature movable furniture, which will allow students to configure the area based on learning goals. In addition, it will offer ample physical and counter space, a sink and storage areas, wall-size dry erase boards and glazed partitions that can be arranged as needed.

Construction will take place in summer of 2016, opening in time for the 2016-17 school year.