As we all prepare for getting back-to-school, incorporating any number of blended instruction scenarios, we know that teachers, parents and administrators are buried. Educators on the front lines are feeling like there may be no end in sight to the ever-changing demands and requirements needed to help students navigate the new learning models. And now, more than ever before when we can’t see a student in person, in a classroom everyday; information that we can gather from various systems and data points are going to be more important than ever.

Connected data plays a critical role in painting a full picture of a student, tackling this challenge is of the utmost importance if we are going to successfully navigate our new normal. The importance of real-time, seamless data cannot be overstated and must be prioritized. That is why we need you to help us understand the circumstances at your school district, what scenarios you are preparing for and where you need help so that the Ed-Fi Community can work together to develop technical solutions to help the entire K-12 community. We’re calling on you to take action and join us for Fix-It-Fridays!

What:
The Fix-It-Fridays concept is that on each Friday, Ed-Fi Community members participate in a collaborative community working session to:

    1. Identify big gaps and data problems that learners and educators are experiencing due to COVID-19 responses.
    2. Utilize design thinking and agile methodology principles to apply Ed-Fi technologies and expertise to solving identified challenges.
    3. Create and share tools and applications that could be easily deployed in LEAs to solve the problem and support learners and educators with data NOW.

What we did:
PROJECT BUZZ launched last month & ready for you to put to work.

What we are working on now:
PROJECT FIZZ, where we are tackling:

    1. Unlocking data from Learning Management Systems and instructional tools for LEAs and giving you the export/extract toolkit
    2. Helping you use, understand, and find value from this learner engagement data
    3. Identifying and sharing effective practices across the U.S. and the Ed-Fi Community to leverage engagement data plus its relation to attendance and participation

What we need:
YOU!

    1. It’s a small time commitment (1 hour working meeting a week, same time every Friday) with occasional sharing/updating in between via collaboration tools like our shared Kanban board.
    2. We know you’re consumed with back to school preparations – but we believe this will help you support ALL of your learners in this new year and course correct early in your instructional models.
    3. We want to put these data tools into your hands and to help give you and learners and educators EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO SUCCEED this year.

What do you get out of it:

    1. HELP from your peers
    2. DATA AND TOOLS you get to help shape and put to work
    3. AGILITY to support your learners and educators as we all adjust together to the rapidly shifting instructional models and needs of this 20-21 school year
    4. CONFIDENCE that in a challenging situation you are backed by a community and power in numbers effort

How do I join?
Just ask Sean.Casey@ed-fi.org or call/text 512-619-8123 and he’ll add you to the Fix-It-Fridays front lines!

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