ESC-20 Tots To Teens

In our last Podcast, join Sam and Sarah as they learn the innovative strategies that Jeanette Driffill of NISD discovered to help students achieve their school and community goals during COIVID-19. She shares her use of a “ton of online resources” and different ways to communicate to help teachers help students.

Working in a Collaborative Classroom in NISD, Miranda and Shiloh, share their methods and tips to create a virtual learning experience offering safety, security, and parental support.  They share their use of video personal messages, phone calls, various learning options and activities that help everyone “BE BETTER!”

If you are wondering how to make accommodations and modifications when instructing virtually, you don’t want to miss this session with team of Gabriella and Melody of Neff MS in NISD. They will walk you through their successful methods and use of technology.

Back from vacation, Sam and Sarah speak with ESC-20 Special Education Component Director, Sherry Marsh. Sherry discusses the impetus for the Tots to Teens podcast, the unique challenges for special education during the initial COVID-19 emergency and plans for the next school year. She also shares the importance of meetings with TEA, special education directors and the personal side of meetings with her own family in order to get through this time period.

Tammie Sinclair, Consultant at ESC-20, joins Sam to discuss the impact that COVID-19 has had on their work serving educators across the region and their family life as adults and children work and learn from home.

Navarro ISD second grader, Carlynn, and her mom, Amy, share their experience of remote learning.  The T2T (Tots-to-Teens) team learn the pros and cons of learning via computers, tips for scheduling, technology and even special education evaluation from both perspectives.   Way to progress to third grade Carlynn!

This week, Sarah, Sam and Lisa learn remote learning isn’t always Zoom and Google classrooms, sometimes old school becomes innovative. Hear how Dr. Patti Shaffer of Texans Can-Highlands meets the needs of Secondary Students by exercising flexibility in platform, scheduling, building relationships, and old school means. She offers great ideas to help all teachers, engage and increase learning for all students.

Using powerful visuals, (backgrounds like hippos eating, pictures of their student’s classroom), home scavenger hunts and interactive flash cards,  SLPs Danielle Korte and Katherine Flores of NISD take us from their learning to their teaching/therapy they use to keep their students making progress in this new remote platform.

Sarah and Sam speak with Sherry Whitton of Boerne ISD as she shares how she doesn’t let COVID-19 disrupt her plans of field trips, garden walks, plant safaris, maintaining IEP progress data, using a team approach of paraprofessionals, parents, and even to grow a student teacher while keeping students engaged.

Great discussion with Ronnie from NISD, on SLP services for students who attend the Reddix Center 18 plus program. 

Great things during COVID-19 from Deaf and Hard of Hearing teacher Katy Longley

Michelle Hayes from NISD discusses the idea of her youtube channel to enhance supporting distance learning, and the great idea of keeping students engaged with the learning.  

Episode 1