DIGITAL AMBASSADOR PROGRAM In this time of distance teaching, educators have gone above and beyond in finding creative outlets to engage and communicate with both students and colleagues. We’re highlighting several tools educators like you have found success using:
Jody Guarino @jody_guarino Mathematics Coordinator Orange County Department of Education
Supporting the teaching and learning of teachers as they transition to distance learning is a big part of my current work as an elementary mathematics coordinator. I’m finding a blend of Zoom and asynchronous platforms such as Desmos, Seesaw, and Flipgrid to be valuable tools in distance learning spaces. In Newport-Mesa Unified School District, elementary math fellows engage in regular one-hour Zoom sessions where we do math together, using a variety of platforms. In one recent session, we solved a story problem live on Zoom and shared our work in small-group breakout rooms, holding up and explaining our strategies. Within the same session, a student strategy (which had been done previously on Seesaw) was shared and analyzed by the group. This shared experience provided an opportunity to unpack the affordances and constraints of different platforms and explore considerations when deciding what to do synchronously and what to do asynchronously.
Additionally, it allowed us the chance to experience the nuances of technology together, as we navigated the digital space from both a teacher lens and a student lens all while using a variety of technologies representative of student devices, including iPads, phones, tablets, Chromebooks, and laptops. We’ve found engaging in this work together provides opportunities to anticipate and troubleshoot some of the challenges that may emerge, develops a professional vision of teaching and learning within distance learning spaces, and further builds our community of learners as we navigate new ways of thinking and doing collaboratively. CORE CONNECTIONS| 48