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: professionalstaffdevelopment
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.
Head Start Teachers Introduced to STEM Practices and Content
Over 60 Madera Head Start Teachers and administrators gathered for a day of STEM training. The room was filled with excitement, building blocks, a mountain of recycled materials to be used in engineering design challenges, low-cost technology and tools, STEM-based children’s literature, and more. Teachers were introduced to the foundational principles of STEM education including teaching via inquiry, designing lessons that engage and empower students, incorporating 21st-century skills within all STEM-based lessons, and incorporating real-world STEM challenges for young children. During the day-long training, teachers were introduced to using low-cost, meaningful technology mathematical and scientific tools, using the outdoors to teach STEM practices and content, building dimensional structures, patterns, shapes, ramp science, tinkering, block building, journaling, and incorporating STEM-based children’s literature within STEM explorations and centers. The teachers were engaged throughout the session, experiencing the beauty and power of STEM education like their young students. I am grateful to be providing ongoing STEM teacher training for Madera Head Start, it takes time and quality professional staff development experiences for educators to truly feel confident to implement STEM learning experiences within their own classrooms. I am excited to see what takes place during the 2019-2020 school year in Madera Head Start Classrooms, the teachers and administrators have truly embraced STEM education. Check out the following video below which gives you a birds-eye view of two different days of STEM training conducted for Madera Head Start Teachers. More ongoing training to take place in February of 2020.
Teachers Views on Professional Staff Development
Over 18 billion dollars in the United States alone is spent on professional staff development. Yet many teachers report that current professional staff development offerings are neither relevant nor effective. So, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation contracted with the Boston Consulting Group in 2014 to reach more than 1,300 teachers, professional development leaders, principals, professional development providers, and thought leaders through a series of surveys and interviews. Read the complete findings of the study here. Professional staff development that is designed and delivered to meet the needs of the specific target audience will have long lasting positive impacts on those teachers in attendance, and the students they reach. Check out the following video with snippets from professional staff development sessions that Education Consultant, Diana Wehrell-Grabowski, PhD has conducted. Teachers attending the professional staff development sessions are engaged, empowered and inspired. When these factors come together this leads to positive learning experiences and transformations. [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vAcLXmPRw0[/embedyt]