On Friday, August 7 Frenship ISD hosted the sixth annual West Texas Innovation Summit that was focused on educating during a pandemic. It helped provide teachers with more knowledge to navigate Frenship’s learning management system, Schoology, as well as many other virtual tools.
“From engaging students and building relationships during virtual learning, to the nuts and bolts of utilizing our various district-provided virtual tools, all of today’s sessions were laser focused on making sure our teachers are equipped to meet the challenges of this year head on,” said Keith Patrick, Frenship ISD Director of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. “The majority of our sessions are taught by teachers to teachers, additionally we also have sessions taught by Frenship administrators, technology professionals, and outside vendors.”
During the summit, attendees heard from keynote speaker John Antonetti through a recorded keynote address and were also given the opportunity to learn from their fellow educators.
Frenship High School Career and Technical Education (CTE) Coordinator, Amy Baker, led a breakout session entitled “Building Relationships During Distance Learning and Social Distancing.”
Baker’s session focused on maintaining personal and impactful relationships with students regardless of the environment and how to connect with students during a pandemic.
“Teachers were able to share and discuss strategies for keeping the classroom fun, engaging and collaborative,” said Baker. “We talked about digital classrooms, tips for creating a positive classroom culture and how to celebrate and connect.”
Baker said that it was powerful to see how excited many teachers are about the upcoming year, and that this year has the potential to impact lives and support children in a special way.
“Parents, teachers, and students will be able to work together to foster learning and expand potential,” said Baker. "Teachers will grow, students will progress, and the Frenship Way will continue to guide our hearts and actions. All the things that make Frenship special will continue to shine regardless of how or where our children learn.”