Getting to the Core with Wayne RESA

What is “Culturally Responsive Mathematics?”

Using the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM.org) definition, Culturally Responsive Mathematics seeks to promote a positive mathematical identity in students by providing tasks that are relevant, personal and meaningful to students.

What does this approach look like, how does it differ from previous approaches to teaching mathematics, and how are students in Washtenaw, Oakland and Wayne County responding to this Tri-County initiative?

Join us as we learn from our regional experts, who are pioneering this work across our three counties:

• Jennifer Banks, Ph.D., Director of Instruction, Washtenaw ISD
• Yarisha Johnson, Mathematics Education Consultant, Oakland Schools
• Cherron Ramsey, Mathematics Education Consultant, Wayne RESA

Do you remember all the facts you learned in your history or geography classes? Does it still matter?  Are you an actively engaged, responsible citizen? In this episode, we sit down with David Hales, Social Studies Consultant at Wayne RESA, to discuss changes to the social studies curriculum over the past few years. Yes, facts and knowledge do matter, but we also need to learn the tools to use them to engage civically. David discusses how the C3 Framework for social studies instruction helps teachers address both the knowledge and action aspects to create responsible citizens.

Since schools first shut down in the spring of 2020, our students have experienced things that none of us really imagined, from emergency remote teaching, social distancing, packets being sent home, Zoom classrooms, wearing masks, and an ever changing set of circumstances. The 2020-2021 school year was unlike anything we had ever seen. This school year has also been different, and while we’re never going back to 2019, things are slowly looking like they once did.

So, we thought it would be a good idea to hear directly from students on how things have evolved over the past two-plus years.  What do they like?  What has changed and what has stayed the same? What do they want the adults to know?  To that end, we asked several students throughout the region about their experiences…learning in the pandemic.

In this episode, Wayne RESA Career Counselors Brad Minton, Tanji Lilly, and Chris Ferrell discuss how the Ready to Launch program assists local districts and students (and their parents!) by accelerating students' exposure to career resources by working with individuals and small groups and providing individual action plans. The counselors provide resources that help students explore career interests, expose them to careers they had not thought about before, pathways to achieving career goals, and opportunities for internships and financial assistance.

Length - 27 minutes

In this episode, Kyle Gnagey is joined by Heather Vaughan-Southard (Professional Learning Director - MAEIA), Brenda Bressler (Music Educator - Huron School District), and Susan Briggs (Art Educator - Dearborn Public Schools) to discuss the role of Arts Education in social emotional learning (SEL). Our three guests discuss the importance of student development through the arts, as well as the role art plays in supporting learning across the curriculum.

Length - 20 minutes

For this episode, we are joined by Ginni Winters, a School Culture and Equity Consultant at Wayne RESA, and Dr. Velicia Humes, a School Climate Consultant at Wayne RESA, to discuss school culture and climate, and how the pandemic has brought to light issues that can occur when the culture and climate of a school is not conducive to learning.  In addition, they give ideas on how teachers and leaders and take steps to improve the culture and climate of a building using Bruce Perry's 3Rs - Regulate, Relate, and Reason.

Length - 52 minutes

Welcome to Season 2 of Getting to the Core. To kick off the new season and school year, we sat down to interview Dr. Daveda Colbert, Wayne RESA's new superintendent, about her background, her journey to RESA, and her vision for the county, as well as some fun questions. Good luck as we start the new school year and enjoy the interview!

Length - 30 minutes

In our final episode for the school year, Dr. Ellen Vorenkamp sits down with RESA Instructional Technology Consultants Judy Bowling and Jason Siko to discuss innovative learning strategies for summer learning that are no-tech, low-tech, and high-tech. Whether it’s a structured activity, informal learning, or a passion project, there’s plenty of ideas for educators as they share summer learning ideas with parents and students.

Length - 46 minutes

In this episode, Melissa Wilson sits down with Randy Liepa (Superintendent - Wayne RESA), Andrea Oquist (Superintendent - Livonia Public Schools), and Terry Dangerfield (Superintendent - Lincoln Park Public Schools) to discuss the past school year, and what's on their wish list with respect to changes that they hope remain once the pandemic is behind us. The superintendents also discuss how the challenges over the past year have shaped and strengthened their views on the importance of public education, public health, and community involvement in the education of our children.

In this episode, Ellen Vorenkamp chats with Joe Musial, Cindy Cook, Jolia Hill, and Marvin Franklin about how Wayne RESA's Attendance Resource Team (ART) uses research and data to help combat chronic absenteeism, as well as challenges the pandemic has presented with respect to student attendance.

In our third episode of Getting to the Core, Michelle Wagner and Stephanie DeVee discuss creative ways to make connections with students in a remote environment. Stephanie is not a newcomer to K-12 online learning; she has been teaching for an online school for several years now, and has refined her toolbox to overcome the challenges faces when trying to build rapport and trust with students from a distance.

In our second episode of Getting to the Core, several Wayne RESA consultants discuss the importance of feedback and assessment, and how educators can adapt current classroom practice to the remote environment.

In our first episode of Getting to the Core, several Wayne RESA consultants discuss their experiences with remote learning as both educators and parents of school-aged children.