Haysville School District Case Study
THE DISTRICT
Lisa Cundiff, the Director of Instructional Technology at Haysville School District (USD 261), was on a mission to bring accessible, realistic professional development to faculty and staff. “All of us – especially teachers – should be able to access professional learning opportunities anywhere, anytime,” Cundiff said. Spanning 36 square miles of south-central Sedgwick County, USD 261 draws students from urban and rural backgrounds alike.
To ensure the community is set up for success, Cundiff was seeking a way to bring personalized professional learning opportunities to administrators, teachers and other staff members. “I’d been thinking about personalized learning for a long time – we have an onsite learning center, so we had a means for delivering instruction to teachers, administrators and other staff members,” Cundiff explained.
THE PROBLEM
“We had some people who never come to the learning center because they aren’t able to give up that day or half day of instruction, and they don’t want to be away from their students,” Cundiff said. When USD 261 implemented Google for Education, Cundiff worked proactively to find the personalized support her district needed.
IT STARTED WITH AN EMAIL
“I get millions of calls and emails from vendors – but I came across a message from Tyce at MobileMind, and immediately liked what I saw,” Cundiff said. “Since I was already thinking about personalized learning, the timing was just right.” After looping in the district’s Learning Services Department, Cundiff and MobileMind met to discuss a plan, and a partnership was born. “My first impression was that the entire team at MobileMind is made up of down to-earth, fun people who are excited about what they are doing,” explained Cundiff. (And it’s true – we are excited about what we’re doing!)
UNLEASHING GOOGLE'S POTENTIAL
Decision making is a collaborative process at USD 261. When teachers suggested implementing Google’s education suite, district leaders were on board. “Our district believes that teachers should help drive decisions, and they really loved Google products and wanted to use them in the classroom,” Cundiff explained. “There was a bit of a learning curve, and it was clear that additional support was a necessity.”
From collaboration to classroom management, Google provides a variety of valuable learning tools and resources for educators. For districts like USD 261 to make the most of their investment, it’s important that teachers are able to fully leverage each solution. That need is what’s led MobileMind to design the most innovative personalized Google professional learning solution made specifically for schools. MobileMind’s modern professional learning hub engages educators in efficient and differentiated micro-courses, where learning and achievements are celebrated along the way. “When I watched MobileMind’s video previewing offerings, it was exactly what I was looking for,” Cundiff said. “It’s professional learning that’s easy-to-use and realistic for busy educators.”
PERSONALIZED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
Cundiff met with the district’s assistant superintendent for business to provide an overview of MobileMind, including its ability to bring personalized professional learning opportunities to teachers and staff. “I told him that the time and effort it would take to create something that’s the quality of what I’ve seen in MobileMind would be an immense challenge,” Cundiff said. “We can’t match the feedback, badges and certifications that MobileMind provides. It’s also a cost effective solution.”
The district began by having a group of twenty dive into MobileMind’s resources. “We had a mix of district- and building-level administrators, learning facilitators and a few others begin using MobileMind,” Cundiff said. “Looking back, I wish I would’ve added more to the group!”
DISTRICT GO DIGITAL
When the COVID-19 pandemic prompted USD 261 to make the move to remote learning, Cundiff knew that support was crucial. “I surveyed our teachers so that I knew where they were, what they were thinking and what they needed,” Cundiff said. “MobileMind has continued to support us in every possible way.”
To help teachers prepare for the demands of remote teaching and learning, the district’s Learning Facilitators used MobileMind content during PLC (professional learning communities) meetings. To further support staff, Cundiff also shares timely learnings from MobileMind’s weekly webinars.
POSITIVE OUTCOMES
At USD 261, teacher support is a priority, and MobileMind provides an avenue to help make that happen. “The outcomes were immediately apparent, and those who used MobileMind felt more empowered because learning to use technology can be challenging work,” Cundiff shared. “When you don’t use technology every day, making the switch to fully virtual instruction could feel crippling.”
District leaders sometimes don’t have the opportunity to hone their tech skills – MobileMind changes that. “Sometimes administrators, building principals and other school leaders haven’t taught in a classroom with technology – they don’t get the same hands-on training that teachers get,” Cundiff said. “A positive outcome of MobileMind is that it helps leadership build their foundational skills.” When people feel empowered, they’re able to help others. When educators start getting comfortable using technology, they can be there to support their colleagues. “When it comes to technology, our teachers want to learn more, and they want to be able to use the tools,” Cundiff said. “Previously, it would’ve been hard for them to build specific skills – MobileMind’s resources make it easy.”
What’s the best part of working with MobileMind?
“Accessibility, communication and collaboration – their willingness to respond to current needs and demands of learners, and stay on top of it,” Cundiff shared. “From the beginning, I just felt like it was a partnership – I work with all kinds of technology vendors, but recognized from the start that MobileMind would be a great partner.”
KEY NUMBERS
279
digital badges earned
567
courses completed
2
district learning facilitators
have become Google
Certified Trainers