Teacher Education: Part 1
*This post has been written as part of my professional growth plan through my #ISTE20 scholarship.
PD Magic: Applying the Best Practices of the Walt Disney Co.
Presenters: Ryan Boeckman, Jerry Johnson
Overview: “P.D. Magic is a transformative professional development model that strives to create future-ready classrooms and schools. Explore the instructional methods, concepts and activities that P.D. Magic uses to develop graduate-level courses, workshops, online courses and experiential on-site learning experiences.”
Main Takeaways:
- 6 Core Values
- 1. Creative storytellers
- 2. Innovative designers
- 3. Memorable leaders
- 4. Blue sky thinkers
- 5. Empowered learners
- 6. Knowledge constructors
- The goal is to develop opportunities for students to be all 6 of these
- Focus on an experience that takes into account all elements
- setting
- smells
- sounds
- content
- Education and engagement through storytelling
- sparks interest
- aids the flow of lectures
- can make material memorable
- can overcome student resistance/anxiety
- builds rapport
Further Resources:
- Ryan’s website
- Presentation slides
- Class trip slides
- Educators’ field trip slides
- My Disney Class podcast
Edtech Wellness Guide
Presenters: Stephanie Filardo, Stephanie Madlinger, Lindsay Schmidt
Overview: “Our society is connected 24/7, so we need the knowledge and skills to compete in today’s world. Educators need to protect themselves and be digitally fit. Learn techniques for being safe online, tips for checking your privacy, and ideas for stretching and exercising when working on your digital devices.”
Main Takeaways:
- Mindfullness
- Focus, body awareness, non-judgemental, regulated emotions, clarity, perspective
- 1-minute meditations can be beneficial for all (students and staff)
- Body scans can be a strategy to connect minds to body
- Desk-based Yoga
- Other sources of wellness
- Healthy snacks & water
- Self-care kits (loption, nail polish, sweet treat)
- Fidget toys
- Music moods
- Books
- Ed Tech Wellness
- Meditation Music playlists on Spotify
- Workout apps like 7 Min Workout
- Calm or Headspace
- Word Stacks Games
- Set your privacy settings
- Turn OFF notifications
- Set screen timers
- Read user agreements
- Design an ergonomic work station
Further Resources:
Preservice teachers’changing perceptions on mobile phone use in the classroom
Presenters: Dr. Kevin Thomas, Dr. Michael Hylen, Dr. Beth Carter
Overview: “This study examined the perceptions of 158 preservice teachers to determine their support for the use of mobile phones in the classroom. Results indicated that 89% used their phones for school-related work, over half (55%) supported their use in the classroom, and age and school policy affected participants’ perceptions.”
Main Takeaways:
- Changing landscape
- Increased access to mobile phones
- 81% of adults own a smart phone and 54% of teenagers
- Increased access to online content
- Increased access to educational apps
- Purpose
- Examine preservice teachers’ perception regarding the use of mobile phones in the classroom
- Do they support the use of phones in the classroom?
- What features do they use?
- Do phones support student learning?
- What features support school-related work?
- What are perceived barriers to the use of phones in the classroom?
- Results
- Implications
- Continues to be low-level of integration
- Divide between personal and educational use
Further Resources:
- Full paper details from ISTE session description
Using technology to create community for preservice teachers in remote learning
Presenters: Dr. Theresa Cullen, Mat Pullen
Overview: “How do we help new teachers stay in the profession especially during COVID-19 ? The answer is community that we form when they are still at University. This session will share two professors’ activities to begin developing their PLN. And how to persist in this mission during remote teaching.”
Main Takeaways:
- Higher Ed students are isolated, do not have opportunities to spend time with pupils, having challenges with balancing online learning and personal life but some are excelling
- PLNs have become even more impactful during the isolation of the pandemic
- Current preservice teachers have an advantage of learning about remote learning alongside their mentors
- Strategies
- clear expectations
- use of online tools for collaboration and communication
- opportunities to be heard and connect with peers and staff
- regular check-ins
- Opportunities for face-to-face where possible to allow for social interactions
- Offer accessibility tools like closed captioning so students with different learning needs are not further isolated
- Try to still build in events that are usually offered face-to-face to establish community, offer support, build connections, etc
- Modify preservice curricula to ensure new skills such as use of video conference software, distance pedagogy, etc is included
- Offer “informal” options to ask questions and brainstorm as emails and video meetings sometimes feel formal and students will not utilize these routes as they deem their question “not important enough”
Further Resources:
Due to the high number of sessions I chose to attend in this topic I will be summarizing my learning across two posts.
Stay tuned for part 2!