Navigating the Toggled Term: A Guide for K-12 Classroom and School Leaders

Online learning, blended learning, socially distanced classrooms, educational technology, safety protocols, instructional models, organizational logistics, and educator burnout are all realities presented by the toggled term. Navigating the Toggled Term: A Guide for K-12 Classroom and School Leaders sets the stage not only for the present but also well into the future to help K-12 classroom and school leaders navigate online learning, blended learning, integrating educational technology tools with effective research-based instructional strategies, and moving between various educational settings at the instructional and organizational level. This book provides experienced and novice classroom teachers and school leaders with best practice instructional and organizational frameworks integrated with mainstream educational technology tools to navigate the challenges of teaching students of all ages in an ever-changing world. Beyond the major instructional and organizational frameworks, this book touches on differentiating instruction for all learners, communicating to students and families within digital environments, and provides strategies for educator self-care. Last, this book includes teacher and school leader voice in the form of twelve narrative case studies of practicing educators that align with each chapter’s theme to show the strategies and frameworks in motion for readers.

Table of Contents:
List of Tables – Foreword – Preface – Acknowledgments – List of Abbreviations – Introduction: Navigating the Toggled Term – Building and Refining an Online Instructional Infrastructure – Differentiating Instruction, Special Education, and Student and Family Engagement During a Toggled Term – Instructional Models and Organizational Frameworks, and Planning During a Toggled Term – Professional Development and Educator Self- Care During a Toggled Term – Conclusion: Navigating the Toggled Term – Contributing Author Biographies – Index.

About the Author :
Matthew Rhoads, Ed.D., is a practicing Educational Specialist at a secondary school and a University Lecturer on Educational Technology and Teacher Candidate Supervisor in San Diego, California. He received his doctorate in Educational Leadership from Concordia University, Irvine. Dr. Rhoads was recognized by San Diego CUE as the 2020 Innovator of the Year for his innovative instructional integrations with technology to amplify student learning. He currently runs a blog on educational technology and instruction and is active on Twitter @mattrhoads1990.

Review :
"As I read the book, I found myself appreciating the teacher vignettes that were included in each chapter. As a Director of Educational Technology, I've yet to crack the code for how to best draw out teachers' thinking behind their technology choices so that it is visible to others. I imagine that this book could serve as a resource to teachers who thirst for professional conversations around technology and instruction. Additionally, time and time again, Dr. Rhoads circles back to what becomes a consistent theme of the book: Let instruction drive your choices with technology integration."—Zach Groshell, Director of Educational Technology “Dr. Rhoads has that rare element of expertise with educational technology combined with daily classroom experience and application. You can be assured that everything Dr. Rhoads speaks to in his books is based on countless interactions with students and personal reflection that continues to refine his instructional practice with educational technology. Dr. Rhoads’s vision for building an online instructional infrastructure is accessible and adaptable to any level of experience—from the novice ‘techie’ to those with deep knowledge and a broad repertoire of technology application. Dr. Rhoads is a forward thinker, always enthusiastic and generous in sharing his knowledge, and definitely someone to follow via Twitter or his blog.”—Mary Waldrow, Professor at San Diego State University and Former K–12 Principal “Dr. Rhoads’s education leadership begins with his own curiosity. A passionate educator who extends far beyond the walls of the class to deliver the best and most innovative practices to his students, Matt is truly a trailblazer and a teacher we all can be learning from.”—Philip Cutler, Chief Executive Officer, PAPER “Dr. Rhoads is a brilliant mind, committed to the excellence of our students, educators, and school communities. His knowledge and use of educational technology are innovative, precise and an incredible contribution to K-12 education.”—Malikah Nu'Man, Ed.D., Transition Teacher Coordinator “I am recommending Dr. Rhoads and his work due to its range of information on educational technology to introduce or increase the level of technology knowledge for student teachers and teachers. It closes the gaps that exist in using EdTech tools in asynchronous and synchronous instruction.”—Lupe H. Buell, Ph.D., Single Subject Bilingual Program Coordinator & Lecturer, College of Education, San Diego State and Former K–12 Principal “Navigating the Toggled Term: A Guide for K-12 Classroom and School Leaders helps us focus on the next steps we all need right now. COVID has pushed us to look at the necessary shifts in our educational practices and professional development. This book guides us through reflection on the Toggled Term and where we want to be moving forward. With a better understanding of research, options in practice and applications, these steps become actionable and we are able to shift from planning to practice. I really appreciate thinking about the impact on professional learning. As an Instructional Coach, Chapter 11 speaks to my heart. With a focus on the innovator's mindset and defining one's brand, I am now thinking about the impact that this must have on my approach to professional development. While the Toggled Term has brought many challenges, it also provides many new opportunities that this guide thoroughly details.”—Stephanie Rothstein, Instructional Coach, Mentor, Speaker Writer “In his previous work Navigating the Toggled Term: Preparing Secondary Educators for Navigating 2020 and Beyond, Dr. Rhoads introduced educators to the new realities that all educators would face due to the pandemic. Now, Dr. Rhoads provides a guide for K-12 classroom and school leaders that provides many resources to help leverage the resources districts have on hand to help teachers and students navigate through the difficulties we are seeing in education. Dr. Rhoads does a fantastic job in walking you through many of the situations you are being faced with and provides effective, and sustainable strategies to help education leaders, teachers and students be successful during this unprecedented time.”—Alfonso Mendoza Jr., M.Ed., District EdTech Coach and Host of the MyEdTechLife Podcast “The highest compliment, actually the two highest compliments one author and professor of professional development can pay another such author are ‘I wish I’d written that book!’ and, ‘I will be using this book for myself and for my own graduate and doctoral classes.’ Such is the case for Dr. Matt Rhoads’s efforts in delivering this timely and futures—based book to fellow educators. Dr. Rhoads’s Navigating the Toggled Term: A Guide for K-12 Classroom and School Leaders, is the sum of his experiences, expertise, research, and most importantly, his passionate commitment to twenty first century education themes and trends. That these themes and trends have in large part been accelerated by a crisis that educational leaders should have foreseen and planned for long before it occurred only accents the importance of this book. Each of Matt’s chapters address ideas, issues, and leadership matters that teachers and educators might address in transforming not only their own professional development plusses and minuses insofar as embedding technology into their personal high level instructional quivers but also for the capacity of the entire school systems they comprise for consistency of vision and for unanimity of purpose.”—Richard Bernato, EduFuturist, Professor of Education and Instructional Leadership, St. John’s University