
Enumclaw Case Study
The Challenge
Our primary “challenge” from the beginning was to “frame” this work as an instructional project, rather than a technology project. At every opportunity, we have sought to communicate this message with our staff and community. In addition, we wanted to operate with two major principles in mind:
- Once a student has the advantage of learning with a device in our system, we want them to always have it for the rest of their schooling
The Solution
In order to have “live experiences” in our own system of how instruction changes by having 1:1 devices available in the classroom, we created the Connected Classroom Teacher (CCT) format. In the 15-16 school year, these 15 teachers in the original cohort represented core content in grades 8, 9, and 10 (the grades of our first student device deployment in the coming year). These teachers served as “learning laboratories” for us to understand and better support the learning at different levels across different content areas. This structure not only built in natural leaders with staff and students, it also generated unimaginable enthusiasm and excitement in advance of our deployment of 1:1 devices with our students. Finally, this structure has created a model that we have continued to follow as we expanded and supported new groups of “receiving” teachers as our deployment of devices expands.
Number of students impacted by training through 2018
Students 1:1 take home in 17-18
students 1:1 at school in 17-18
Number of PD hours each CCT Cohort receives with Jeff
Working with Jeff
We are picky about who we bring into our system! We wanted to identify a support colleague that would partner with our district over the long-term and serve as a visionary to help inform and communicate our vision, to help inspire and equip our staff, and to challenge our thinking as we develop our project over time.
We sought out the support of someone who could bring the technical expertise and experiences with students using devices, BUT who filtered and delivered this content through a purely instructional lens. Our goals for the project are long-range and support the desired outcomes we have for students as a result of this work. We wanted an excellent “teacher” who could work effectively with staff in an adult-learning situation, but who could also easily walk into a classroom and model excellent instruction with students. We required someone who could help to inspire in a whole-group setting, who could effectively communicate with community and staff, and who would continue to bring the most recent practices and research to light in our work.
You simply have the communication, instructional, technical and interpersonal skills to help us lead this project with success!
Chris Beals and CCT Teachers
Number of teachers
Total Hours of Teacher Training
It is so exciting to see the possibilities the Chromebooks will open up. I’m nervous about my ability to pull it off but Jeff has done a great job of helping us to not “fear the struggle” and be willing to FAIL! ~ CCT Teacher
Connected Teaching and Future Learning Certificate
As we continued our work in Enumclaw, the administrative team and Jeff came together to brainstorm what “next level” training would look like for its educators. We settled on the idea that if we expect teachers to teach and be comfortable with a blended learning format, then we needed to create a blended learning professional development opportunity for the staff to experience and learn. Teaching and learning does not have to be only offline or online…it can be both. Together we created the Connected Teaching and Future Learning Certificate. The certificate was launched in the 2018-2019 school year with a cadre of 16 teachers.
Number of Face to Face Sessions
Number of Weeks Online
Number of teachers
The Results
The results of this project, so far, have been simply incredible. Every professional development opportunity with Jeff in our system has been inspiring, challenging, and instrumental in influencing positive change for learning. Our staff members in the original CCT group have created a huge “ripple” across our schools, as a result of this work. The examples of student learning work that have come out, as a result of our learning times with Jeff, are excellent examples of what we hope to see spread across our entire system. Students are challenged, motivated, and re-energized about learning as a result of this project.
The relationship that Jeff
State of Education Address
In January of 2015, Superintendent Michael Nelson invited Jeff to be a part of the State of Education Address. This address is held every year to inform the community on the district’s progress towards their own goals and where they are headed in the future. The video below is from the State of Education Address to the Enumclaw community. Along with this keynote, Jeff has also been the opening keynote for the school district for the 2015-2016 school year and again to start the 2016-2017 school year. By involving all stakeholders and having a consistent message about the work being done, this ensures that the technology the school district has invested in is being implemented in a way that truly changes learning experiences for students.
Enumclaw School District
Located approximately 40 miles south of Seattle, WA
225 Teachers
Serving 3970 students
Enumclaw School District
Engaging the Whole Community
The learning does not stop for community members as we continue to help students thrive in the innovation era!