CCTI Newsletter 2020-2021
September/October
Cohort 4 Launch a Success!
Highlights
The CCTI launch programs on Saturdays, August 8th and 29th were a success! We look forward to our collaborative efforts with our teachers in this 2020-2021 cohort.
During our E-Conference, we participated in collaborative, relationship-building activities, established norms and FAQs for students and families, modeled virtual rotation models for learning, joined chat lounges with guest speakers, and shared our student surveys to prepare for new learning in the upcoming school year.
We are very excited about this school year and also impressed by this cohort of teachers. Already, they demonstrate flexibility and creativity at a time when these skills are as critical as ever. Our teachers are anchored in an equity mindset and the need for incorporating social-emotional learning as a consistent practice. With nearly half of our teachers already Google Level 1 Certified, and the balance working toward certification, we know that we will parlay this synthesis of extended knowledge to grow our learners, and each other, in this dynamic learning environment.
Dr. Chavis Returns this Year as our Keynote Speaker!
Particular thanks goes out to Dr. Chavis, our keynote speaker and 2019 Wake County Schools Principal of the Year. Dr. Chavis shared strategies for equity and inclusion in schools and in the classroom, and his "My Why."
Later in the day, he graciously joined us in our chat lounge, to answer more questions and provide support for our resident teachers.
Chat Lounge
Thank you to our panelists: Dr. Chavis, Ms. Shaw, Dr. Steinbrecher, and Ms. Gilbert
Our cohort members had great questions and you were informative!
Some highlights included the following advice:
- Develop positive relationships with your students in your redesigned learning setting through intentional strategies.
- Engage in opening and closing practices to support social and emotional learning.
- Don't be afraid to be yourself, but also practice what you want to say.
- Engage in inclusive practices, but also be intentional in redressing bias and celebrating diversity.
- Practice self care.
- Understand diverse learners while celebrating and supporting their unique needs and contributions.
Social Emotional Learning with Tinisha Shaw
Exceptional Learners with Dr. Trish Steinbrecher
Dr. Steinbrecher provided resources and advice to support to our newest cohort members.
Virtual and Blended Learning with Kate Gilbert
Collaborative Coaching
We are excited to start the new coaching structure with our cohort members to support instruction, collaboration, and best practices.
Back to School Resources for Learning Environment Support and Instruction
How to Keep Students' Attention in a Virtual Classroom
Teachers worried about students zoning out during distance learning can lean on program features for help. (Caveat: make sure you use aligned, approved district platforms.)
By Liz Krulder
June 16, 2020
We’ve all been there: We ask our class a question and no one responds. Awkward silence. Students start to look at the ceiling or flip through their notebook to avoid eye contact. Eventually, someone volunteers an answer, someone is called on, or worse, we simply move on without any participation.
WAYS TO BOOST ONLINE PARTICIPATION
Video chat polling features: Many video chat platforms come with polling features where the students see a question pop up on their screen. This is a great feature for a few reasons.
It helps you gauge what your class understands and what they may need you to review again. If you just spent five minutes reviewing a concept and end with “OK, any questions?” what do you usually hear back? Crickets.
Instead, ask a comprehension question using the poll feature. If only 35 percent of the class answers the question correctly, maybe it’s worth spending a little extra time reviewing.
Discussion breakout rooms: Polling is great for helping break up concepts in a lecture, but what if your class is discussion based and you want your students to break out into small groups to work on a shared assignment?
Read the whole article with resource links here
Good discussions are respectful, equitable and inclusive, and hand signals can be a powerful tool to engage more students.
Using Hand Signals for More Equitable Discussions
Whether your class discussions are online or off, hand signals enable students to engage in multiple ways.
Because hand signals allow students to engage both verbally and nonverbally, conversations that use them can be more inclusive. Teachers can post the hand signals in the classroom or share them online so that students can easily refer to the visual reminder.
Watch the video below and post the hand signal guidelines to your learning environment to establish norms.
July 31st 2020 George Lucas Education Foundation
What shifts do we need to make in our face-to-face teaching practices to make the most of online learning?
Preview #5 from 9 Ways to Teach Online Learning Differently by Cult of Pedagogy,
5. “FACE-TO-FACE” TIME SHOULD BE USED FOR ACTIVE LEARNING.
Online instruction is made up largely of asynchronous instruction, which students can access at any time. This is ideal, because requiring attendance for synchronous instruction puts some students at an immediate disadvantage if they don’t have the same access to technology, reliable internet, or a flexible home schedule.
But you’re likely to offer “face-to-face” or synchronous opportunities at some point, and one way to make them happen more easily is to have students meet in small groups.
You can locate the full article here for more details.
We encourage you to listen to the podcast by clicking the button below to hear a discussion between Melanie Kitchen and Jennifer Gonzalez on best practices for online instruction.
Prioritize Relationship Building
As educators, we have the ability to shape how students see themselves as learners and also how families see education as a way to bolster student confidence and self-efficacy.
We know it is challenging, particularly in new and changing learning environments, to balance new learning and building positive student relationships. Consider the following visual, podcast, and video to guide your thoughts. Set reasonable and meaningful goals, and remind students you care for them and you are learning along with them. The point here is not that you should memorize 150 new names in a week, it is that students need to be seen, and acknowledged as individuals. Set goals to learn names, use surveys and other safe, creative means, to connect the person to the name, and have fun getting to know your students with an understanding of how much a name, pronounced well, means to a student and their family.
Mindful Practices Relevant in any Learning Setting
We shared the impact of pronunciation last year, and it's a great complement to acknowledging our students. This is critical to relationship-building practices and letting students know you see them.
This is beneficial in any learning environment.
Here is a list of mindful practices from Hattie, Fisher, and Frey:
- Gesture when talking.
- Look at students and smile while talking.
- Call students by name.
- Use we and us to refer to the class.
- Invite students to provide feedback.
- Use vocal variety (pauses, inflections, stress, emphasis) when talking to the class.
Hattie, Douglas Fisher; Nancy Frey; J. The Distance Learning Playbook, Grades K-12. SAGE Publications, Inc. (US), 2020.
The Impact of Pronunciation
This article, podcast, and video respond to the age-old question, "What's in a name?".
Click on the picture to interact, listen and view.
Educators Turn to Bitmoji to Build Community and Engagement
Here is an article, with links, to help you imagine your own Bitmoji classroom for unique forms of information, community-building activities, and classroom interaction.
ONLINE LEARNING
Educators Turn to Bitmoji to Build Community and Engagement
Both fun and practical, Bitmoji classrooms are adding some levity to fall planning this year.
By Emelina Minero August 14, 2020
Since remote learning started this past spring, Bitmojis have taken the education community by storm.
Available through the Bitmoji app, these customizable, mini-me avatars have become stand-in teachers running virtual classrooms, enforcing rules and expectations, collecting assignments—and making students smile, we’ve heard. Simply put, they’re fun.
Keep reading here