Castleton Center for Schools Pivots to Meet Community Need
Castleton University’s Center for Schools (CFS) has quickly adapted to meet the needs of education professionals across the region.
Director of Education Ric Reardon, who also directs the Center for Schools, said that CFS staff quickly recognized the need to shift the delivery of professional development for childcare providers, PK-12 teachers, and school and district administrators to a remote environment.
“The CFS staff recognized, early on, that we would need to shift drastically and quickly, given the impending onset of Covid-19. Many of the spring courses on the CFS schedule had already started, with others about to start,” Dr. Reardon said.
The CFS asked its spring instructors to restructure their content models for online delivery. The transition was an incredible success, with 73 of 76 courses converted to remote delivery. Three new courses were added later in the spring that are focused primarily on issues related to Covid-19.
CFS retools summer offerings for online delivery
Many of the CFS courses planned for this summer are going through the same restructuring process for remote delivery. Technical assistance and training are available to all instructors to ensure a high-quality experience.
“All summer courses to be offered through the CFS, to this point, will be online, with very few courses canceled due to the shift toward online learning. The canceled courses required significant involvement with outdoor and group participation and travel. They are likely to be offered at a later date,” Dr. Reardon said.
The Castleton Early Childhood Educators Institute moves online for Summer 2020
Dr. Reardon also recognized that other professional development opportunities offered through CFS might need re-purposing.
The Castleton Early Childhood Educators Institute, traditionally a 4-day campus-based professional development opportunity will move online for summer 2020. The Institute is for individuals who provide support, services, and education in the Vermont Early Childhood field.
Dr. Reardon, Assistant Director Tara Lidstone, and Office Manager Bethany Sprague, in collaboration with an advisory/planning committee, developed a new format for the Institute where courses and professional development strands would be available online over four days in July. Instructors will utilize Zoom webinars and video conferencing to deliver course content.
The new institute format has been finalized, and registration is scheduled to open on May 18. Courses and strands will include such topics as:
- Augmentative Communication and Play Strategies
- Early Literacy Development
- Special Education
- Engaging Families and Communities
- Forest and Nature-Based Education
- Infants and Toddlers
- Leadership
- Legal and Financial Issues
- Portfolio Development
- Social-Emotional Learning
- Self-Care
- Therapeutic Work with Young Children
Meeting educator needs at a critical time
Dr. Reardon also noticed that some teachers were reporting challenges with the sudden shift to online learning and that some school and district administrators need information on content delivery and assessment of student progress.
In response, he developed a course for teachers and administrators practicing at Rutland City Schools in collaboration with their Director of Instructional Technology, who will oversee the course.
“This professional development offering, fully supported by Interim Superintendent Dave Wolk and Assistant Superintendent Rob Bliss, will provide opportunities for participants to reflect on the challenges and barriers to effective online content delivery,” Dr. Reardon said. “It will also identify success stories witnessed, and allow for the facilitation of a survey with students to determine what worked and what didn’t work during the shift for students and families.”
Data collected from the course will allow teachers to isolate other variables in students’ lives that might have inhibited learning. There are now 42 teachers who signed up for this course. Individual teacher data will be used to examine the effectiveness of individual teacher’s practices and to assess student outcomes. Administrators will also be able to use the data to review systemic successes and challenges given the sudden shift in classroom and student instruction.
Collaboration to meet the needs of childcare providers
The CFS is also meeting community need with its recent collaborative effort with Let’s Grow Kids (LGK), a statewide group focusing on “the need for more high-quality, affordable child care in Vermont to better support children, families, communities and economy.”
CFS developed two courses for childcare workers, many of whom have been furloughed or laid off due to the COVID-19 crisis. The courses, focusing on inclusive practices and food and nutrition, were displayed on the LGK website. Within two hours, both courses were filled, with 60 participants registering for early childhood professional development. Let’s Grow Kids reduced the cost for the courses to $30, making them affordable during this challenging time.
“The staff at the Castleton Center for Schools will continue to be proactive and nimble with content offered to Vermont educators and the manner in which that content is shared, as the community and state begin to shift back to yet a ‘newer normal,’” Dr. Reardon said. “We are proud to play a role in the development and growth of Vermont’s educators and look forward to doing so for years to come.”
About Castleton Center for Schools
The Castleton Center for Schools, established in 2002, offers professional development opportunities, including courses, webinars, institutes, workshops, independent studies, and symposiums, for teachers and administrators around the state who are supporting students in Vermont’s schools.