This month’s guest column is from Dr. Cari Kennedy, with TIE, who is helping to administer South Dakota’s Rethink K-12 Education Models (REM) grant, Re-Imagining Remote Education. Learn why she’s so excited for the opportunities this grant offers educators and, in turn, students.

The REM grant came about in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to close and re-look at how educational models could evolve. In reality, we are really just looking for best practices to ensure that we are meeting the needs of today’s students. Why do I highlight today’s students? Well, it is because these students are the ones in our classroom now. What worked for students 10, 20, or 30 years ago might not work for today’s students. However, what I really invite you to think about is…what works for one might not work for another. We all know education is not, and should not be, a one-stop shop – so how can we work together to adjust the system? The REM grant focuses on several different pieces.

Quality Matters Teaching Online Certificate
The first piece is about best practices in the online world. If we have learned anything, it is that in-person education looks a lot different than online education. To address this, the REM grant established the Teaching Online Certificate (TOC) through Quality Matters. Quality Matters has an 11-week, mostly asynchronous course that focuses on best practices for teaching online. While the focus is mainly best practices for online learning, many of these practices can be applied in the classroom also - especially as educators become more and more well versed in blended learning. Tuition and books are paid for by the grant. Once complete, teachers receive a Quality Matters TOC and 45 continuing education contact hours. We will also have a Professional Learning Community set up upon completion so you can share your best practices with others who have taken the QM TOC. If you are interested in starting this program, click here for more information and for the link to apply. We can start cohorts pretty quickly. Educators can also email me directly to get set up in this program.

Competency-Based Professional Learning
Another piece of the REM grant is a professional learning opportunity for South Dakota teachers, administrators, and specialists. This program was developed by South Dakota teachers, administrators, and specialists who work with competency-based learning. There are seven courses worth nine credits that focus on competency-based learning methods. Participants will design lessons and units applicable to their classroom/school/district. There is a deep focus on incorporating choice, pathways, and learner agency in addition to assessment and whole child development. Embedded in the program, thanks to help from the Statewide Family Engagement Center, are methods to include families and communities as educators incorporate new practices with students. Courses run 6-8 weeks, and it takes about a year to complete. Nine graduate credits (through SDSU) and course books are paid for through the grant. Courses are asynchronous, but there are deadlines within each course. Click here for more information and the link to apply. Cohorts begin once 25 applications have been received.

Colloquium
The final piece of the REM grant is the colloquium. The colloquium is an opportunity for 30 (we currently have 14) schools to come together three times a year with a leadership team to learn about and plan to incorporate competency-based learning models. This is a powerful time of learning and planning where leadership teams determine what competency-based learning looks like in their school/district. Applications are now available for the second cohort. Click here for more information on the colloquium.

If you are interested in any part of the REM grant, please feel free to contact me at ckennedy@tie.net. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have! These are exciting opportunities for educators across our state.