MOESC’s Gifted Team Adaptations
Launch the media gallery 1 playerThe COVID-19 pandemic has affected everyone, and Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center (MOESC) is adapting to make sure that students continue to be served. This month, MOESC’s press releases will be focusing on showing the public what steps are being taken by each department or team. This second release will focus on the Gifted Team.
The Gifted Team at Mid-Ohio ESC quickly responded with support to our area school districts and continues to create new services daily that directly support our teachers and guidance counselors who are providing the direct service to our students. A summary of these supports is listed below:
To our teachers (our direct service providers):
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We have been providing feedback and support to teachers as they design their online lessons or packets for students via email and virtual meetings. We are supporting them as they continue to deliver the service each student’s written education plan (WEP) outlines.
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We have collated a list of online resources by grade level and content that have the greatest opportunity of supporting students as they continue to pursue high levels of content. This is shared with our teachers via a Google document so that it can be a “living document.”
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As many of our teachers were already completing professional development (PD) specific to gifted students, we have created a grid outlining ongoing PD opportunities, and designed several more opportunities for teachers. These opportunities include our online gifted modules, a “reboot” of two of our online book studies, and a “choose your own PD menu” containing a menu of options on a variety of topics that range from 1 – 3 hour assignments with practical application to their instruction.
To our guidance counselors (our front line in helping to meet the social and emotional needs of students):
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We have been in constant communication with our guidance counselors, supporting them with resources specific to gifted students during this time.
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Serving as a direct resource to our students (as coordinated by the counselors) through already established relationships and work that was being done within our districts.
To our districts:
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In addition to providing support in the ways listed above, we continue to work on the necessary data reporting aspect of our role.
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We are working to build capacity for when districts return to school through designing supports that prepare for what will be new challenges, as well as those needs that remain constant with every instructional year.
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We are supporting our districts by providing data and guidance in assisting with scheduling and class placement of gifted students for the 2020-21 school year.
Leanna Ferreira, Gifted Learning Consultant, explained, “Our gifted team stepped up to build a bridge – a bridge for the teachers that spans the gap between the myriad of resources available online and instructing our students. So many of our dedicated teachers have taken the time to send us a note of appreciation for this list; stating it is a ‘go to’ for them during this time.”
She went on to say that in conjunction with these steps, they have been conducting virtual office hours to continue to be available as a resource to students and their teachers.