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Wishing you a blessed Christmas and a wonderful new year ahead! I look forward to continuing to connect with each of you on this learning journey called life. It is certainly a natural time of year to look forward and look back.
Looking forward!
Need help with technology at your school?
 While attending a conference, I had the opportunity to talk with Ernie Delgado from Beyond Technology Education. Ernie's company helps schools with technology implementation - from hardware to software and technology curriculum. What really caught my attention is their unique model of helping schools implement technology that they call the SWIMGrid (School Wide Integration Model). They take a school's existing curriculum, integrate effective uses of technology, and then help train teachers how to implement their units of study using technology! Beyond Technology Education uses a very effective planning model to help schools in four main areas:
 Assessing, training and supporting classroom teachers- Training and guiding students to use technology for learning purposes
- Integrating relevant, available and future technologies into the classroom curriculum
- Identifying infrastructure needs and improvements as schools move towards individual device environments
- Project management and assessments to make sure nothing falls through the cracks and that the plan is updated over time.
BTE has been helping schools plan in technology for 20 years. I am pleased to partner with them in assisting schools to move forward in technology use! I will be hosting a webinar with Ernie on January 21 @ 1:30 EST and we invite you to join us. To sign-up for this free webinar, please click here.
Need help with curriculum mapping and articulation?
This year we have helped a record number of schools set up their Curriculum Trak programs! Curriculum Trak is really resonating with schools due to its ease of use, reasonable price, customizability, networking capabilities, and excellent support. We now have a number of international schools using this product as well. For a complete listing of schools using Curriculum Trak you can view this interactive Google map. Through DB Consulting I continue to work with schools on a short and long term basis by helping them to implement effective curricular design via the mapping process.
Need help with teacher evaluation processes?
Recent movements by states have changed the teacher evaluation landscape for public educators through placing a greater emphasis on student achievement results as part of a teacher final rating. Is this effective? What elements should be considered in the summative evaluation process? How can administrators encourage growth through formative processes and balance truth and grace in the summative processes? I can help your school through a review of current thinking and assist you with designing evaluation processes that make sense, motivate teachers and balance truth and grace.
Need help connecting mission, vision, and classroom practice?
How are we connecting mission, vision, and classroom practice in our schools? Are the student outcomes we hope for in our hearts represented in the words we have on paper, in what our staff believes, and how teaching and learning happens in the classroom? What are the strengths/disconnects? I have helped schools make stronger connections between structures, tools, processes around student learning. My popular two day Distinctives workshop connects mission, passion, faith development, and teacher practice. Please contact me for more details. Is your school intentional and focused?
Announcing....SCS Community!
As one outcome of our SCS Conference in November (more details below) we are forming a community of learners. I believe this network will be very helpful for Christian schools! Watch for more details in the new year.
Upcoming speaking/events:
January
- The Rock School - Gainesville, FL
- Lutheran School Association - Maspeth/Queens, NY
- Southeast Christian School Center - Chattanooga, TN
- Association of Christian Schools International conference, Lancaster, PA
February
- New Hope Christian School, Graham, WA
- Association of Christian Schools International conference, Galveston, TX
- Association of Christian Schools International conference, Fish Camp, CA
- National Association of Independent Schools conference, Orlando, FL
March
- Beaver County Christian, Beaver Falls, PA
April
- National Catholic School Conference - Pittsburgh, PA
- Greater Grace Christian - Baltimore, MD
Looking back!
The Strengthening Christian Schools conference in November was a highlight of the year for DB Consulting and Dynamic Internet Solutions, sponsors of the event. A wide variety of school leaders from across the country attended this event and enjoyed two full days of learning and networking at Faith Church in Dyer, Indiana. We had many requests to repeat this conference and so we are pleased to announce that we will hold the conference again next year on November 13 and 14, 2014! We expect to keep the same reasonable rates and high quality presenters, so mark your calendars now to attend. More details will be available in my June 2014 newsletter or check out our website.
 Andreas Center/CACE - it was a great privilege to be one of the plenary speakers at the Andreas Center/Christian Educators Journal conference October 31-November 2 held at Dordt College. It was also very exciting to hear the announcement of Dordt's new Center to Advance Christian Education (CACE) which will begin in January 2014.
Blogging/Writing
Recent journal articles:
ACSI's Christian School Education journal - Going Beyond the Common Core
Christian Educator's Journal - upcoming book review (Spring 2014)
I am in the middle of my seventh year of writing the Nurturing Faith blog for Christian Schools International. Here are some recent posts:
 Wishing you a blessed time of celebrating Immanuel - God with us!
Contact Dan:
Email: danbeerens@gmail.com
Phone: (616) 826-0536
Website: www.danbeerens.com
Twitter: DanBeerens
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