It has been a major transition for educators globally to transition from in-person to online instruction due to COVID-19 Pandemic. Since transitioning from in-person to virtual STEM professional staff development I have strived to provide engaging virtual professional science and STEM staff development for my clients. There are several key factors I have incorporated to provide quality and engaging virtual professional staff development training. The following is a list of tips that I believe will help teachers and education consultants deliver quality and engaging virtual presentations. Get yourself tooled up to provide professional presentations which will include purchasing quality audio, video, lighting equipment, and research green screen options. If you choose to not use a green screen your background should not be distracting. I signed up for a professional ZOOM account, allowing me to have up to 100 participants per session, and no time limits on sessions. Generally, I set-up my training sessions as a ZOOM meeting versus a webinar. This allows participants to share their audio and video, and be more actively engaged in the training session. I’m able to do this effectively because I normally have group sizes under 50. If the group size is expected to be over 50, or it is a keynote, etc. I choose the webinar format. Secondly, I provide the client with a list of hands-on materials that all the participants will need to have during the virtual training session. These materials are generally readily available to all the participants, as well as their students within their homes and/or classrooms. I have a narrow six-foot lab-type table set-up in front of me where I place all the hands-on materials I will use during the virtual session. Thirdly, I use the chat feature extensively throughout the entire training session. Lastly, I introduce participants to a variety of meaningful technology that will help to make their virtual lessons be more engaging, meaningful, and impactful such as Jamboard, CANVA, etc. I’m hoping that these basic tips will help educators as we continue to modify our methods of instructional delivery for remote and hybrid learning. For more information about the science and STEM professional staff development, I offer onsite and virtually worldwide check out my current offerings on this site. All trainings are custom-designed to suit the specific needs of the client.
Tag: COVID19
Supporting Teachers Virtually During COVID-19
The COVID-19 Pandemic has had a profound impact on education systems globally. School systems worldwide were forced to close down abruptly. Teachers were asked to transition to teaching virtually with short notice, and parents became teachers. Amidst the disruption and changes felt within all of our lives, there have been some silver linings of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Parents saw first hand the amount of time and effort teachers put forth on a daily basis. Teachers now had the time to pursue professional staff development virtually, usually for free, or at discounted rates. And education systems worldwide were faced with the reality that not all children have the opportunity to receive a quality and equitable education. In the United States, this has been a time for lengthy collaborative discussions, and action plans to address how we can move forward as a nation to provide every child with an equal opportunity for a quality education whether it be face-to-face instruction or virtual. Many teachers, administrators, and support personnel have spent the past few months becoming acquainted with online platforms. And how to provide quality and engaging virtual learning experience that can compare to the experience a student would have in a traditional classroom environment. I’ve been impressed by the level of commitment I have seen globally in so many educators as they transitioned to teaching virtually. Likewise, I have had to transition my onsite professional staff development offerings to virtual platforms. I conducted quite a bit of research on what equipment would be needed to assure that my science and STEM professional staff development sessions would be a quality and highly immersive experience. I have a nice set-up which consists of a quality microphone, headset, webcam, lighting system, document cameras, digital microscopes, 2 monitors, a lab table, and more. For the past four months, I’ve been conducting STEM-based ZOOM webinars and meetings reaching teachers from all over the world. I’ve even presented an interactive keynote ” Fostering Social-Emotional Learning Through STEAM in the Early Years” for the Global Forum for Teacher Educators in July using the Streamyard Platform. My goal is to have my virtual professional staff development be as close to an onsite experience as possible. Thus, I ask the participants to have readily available materials on hand to experiment with during the training sessions. Most of the materials requested teachers would have within their homes. During the sessions, teachers undertake engineering design challenges. They have discussions with their peers and are able to ask questions throughout the sessions. Additionally, Teachers are given engineering challenges to undertake overnight and share their designs, observations, and questions during the following session. I also provide the participants with a manual, and all of the PowerPoint slides used during the training. I look forward to the days of driving my car to neighboring cities and catching planes to travel across the nation and the world to share my passion and knowledge of STEM education with educators/administrators, and parents in person. But for now, I’m grateful for the advancement of technology which has allowed me and educators globally to continue inspiring their students. The following photos are from some of the recent virtual professional staff development sessions I have conducted for educators within the USA, and abroad. For more information on scheduling in-person or virtual professional staff development please complete the contact form found on the Contact Page.
Engineering At Home: Deconstructing Gadgets and Tinkering
During the past two months, parents throughout the world have taken on the role of the classroom educator due to the COVID-19 pandemic and forcing the closures of schools. Educators have quickly adapted to bringing their lessons to an online learning format. However, it has not been an easy task for educators to provide quality, meaningful and engaging lessons for their students. It has come with great effort on educators’ parts to become educated on distance learning /remote learning best practices. The 2019-2020 school year has come to an end for many across the globe but learning must stay alive during the summer. I would hope to see K-12 students continuing their learning throughout the summer with having opportunities to explore science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Perhaps one of my favorite STEM investigations to introduce teachers and students to is during my STEM workshops is “deconstructing gadgets and tinkering”. As individuals are given the task to thoroughly analyze a broken household gadget or toy they are strengthening their 21st-century skills, nurturing their curiosity, and being introduced to engineering careers. Furthermore, an item that was destined for the trash, and eventually the landfill becomes a great resource for a meaningful STEM-based learning experience. Deconstructing gadgets and tinkering is ideal for home settings as well as classrooms since broken and outdated electronics and gadgets are readily available in almost all homes. Gather the necessary tools to take the gadget apart, a pair of safety goggles, a ruler, some tape, poster board or cardboard, journal, and writing utensils and you are ready to dive into deconstructing gadgets. I will be conducting a free one hour STEM webinar on Tuesday, June 9th, at 2:00 pm ET USA via Zoom “Engineering At Home: Deconstructing Gadgets and Tinkering.” The webinar is free, registration is required. The webinar is geared for educators and parents of K-5 students however, the content can be modified for upper grades as well. Participants will be introduced to inquiry-based practices, the engineering design process, reverse engineering, tinkering, and more. This is an interactive webinar, participants will be asked to have a broken gadget as well as a few other supplies that they will use during the webinar. To register for the free STEM webinar on Zoom click here. To give you an idea of what participants will be undertaking within the confines of their own home as they partake in the STEM webinar check out the video below of a deconstructing and tinkering session I conducted at a local public library. We are in a time where many parents, educators, and students are overwhelmed but it’s also a time where we can bring about positive changes in the way we engage students in the learning process at school and home.