The PLC chose this product because as the need for distance learning continues to increase, students want more options for studying, even as program budgets become increasingly stretched. With an increased number of outreach sites and limited staff to provide face to face instruction at all locations, there is a greater need to have available distance learning in more areas. Google Classroom is a free resource that can be used to provide online instruction.

The BCTC Innovation Plan begun in 2019 took a broad, sweeping approach to addressing the needs and outcomes of their students. To do this, BCTC’s PLC developed four teams. Each team identified specific products, strategies, or processes that would address their selected area. The teams included MSG Attainment, GED® Attainment, Community Outreach/Partnerships, and Distance Learning. During FY2021, the teams expanded and refined elements begun before the pandemic closed the program.

The purpose of this project is to introduce our adult students to the most common learning platform (LMS) they’ll encounter as college students at GCTC in hopes that the transition to post-secondary learning is smoother. Learning modules were designed for math, reading, and social studies.

 

Image by Mudassar Iqbal from Pixabay.

Created by Newport PLC, the group created an instructor-vetted compilation of content-specific resources designed to help instructors quickly locate resources to address student skill development.

After COVID-19 shuttled planned outreach to connection sites, MSU decided to shift its focus to providing a variety of distance learning options for study at home. The program created a detailed collaborative Google Sheet to track students’ resources, scores, and more to track the effectiveness of the products. As of November 20, 2020, MSU programs had achieved 54% of its SMART GED® Goal.

Hazard CTC Innovation for 2019 included creating a virtual classroom (VC) to make real-time interactive classes accessible to GED® seekers at home, in learning centers, on personal devices, and also on computers/laptops at satellite locations including the Kentucky Career Centers, Appalachian Regional Healthcare, and public libraries in all counties. Transportation vouchers from LKLP Community Action were purchased and used (pre-pandemic) so VC students could attend a minimum of one face-to-face class each week. Technology purchased for connection points shifted to loaning laptops and tracking them with a program-created tool.

BSCTC’s Innovation Plan is a Partnership and Delivery Project to take adult education services to high need rural areas in Floyd and Pike counties. The project includes partnering with stakeholders to create connection points and learning hubs throughout high-need areas so students may access instruction in-person and via distance learning. As part of the project, BSCTC’s plans include creating Google classrooms to utilize at hubs and increase distance learning wherever students may need them, creating a virtual learning library to use as a teaching/learning resource.

Our guiding motto was “Any Time, Any Where” GED® instruction through distance learning. We updated and expanded our Google Classroom with portable lessons; ordered technology supplies for students, including laptops, calculators, books, Study Buddies, flashcards, and online “seats”; and added Zoom classes via webcams, mics, and a web-conferencing platform.

“Never Stop Learning” with the Jessamine and Woodford Skills U website and YouTube playlists.

JCTC’s product was creating a wide array of options for remote learning, using a variety of products to expand student choice and remove student barriers to instruction, thus improving student participation and success.

Several KYSU programs are lending technology equipment to students (laptops, Chromebooks, hotspots, Study Buddies) to provide access to opportunities for learning outside of their brick-and-mortar learning centers. If your program is considering doing the same, you can find several examples of lending policies linked in the title above. Please feel free to copy and modify any of the KYSU examples.

 

A big “Thank You” to the (DL)² PLC Access to Technology focus group for creating, gathering, and sharing these with us.

The Hazard CTC PLC chose to work on strengthening the use of instructional technology for both staff and students.  They used a free version of …

The (DL)² PLC Student Engagement focus area group shared some AWESOME student-facing sites they found from across the state, created by KYSU instructors using free resources. The active title above has links to the sites, an overview of what they contain, and related resources for creating your own. Lots of good inspiration here!

 

Do you have a KYSU-created student site we could include? Let Emily know (emily.bosley@ky.gov), and she’ll add it to the collection of examples.

 

Thanks so much to the (DL)² PLC Student Engagement focus area group for sharing your creativity and resources.