Southeastern Section Update by Dr. David Betancourt
Finding Ways to Stay Connected It was wonderful to see so many colleagues face-to-face at CASMEC in February. If there is one thing the conference confirmed, it is that we really missed being with each other! At the same time, we have also discovered ways to stay connected and reach out by using technology. Over the past two years, Zoom/Teams became our friend and nemesis. And now that it looks like we are heading back to fully face-to-face instruction, Zoom/Teams remains present as a way for us to connect when we cannot breach the physical space. And let’s face it, with gas prices soaring, we might find that continuing to leverage the virtual platform just might work for many of us when we are wanting to attend meetings, network, or reach out beyond our own community. With this in mind, the CMEA Southeastern Section has organized an event on the afternoon of May 24 entitled: Take a Break, Share, and Connect. While we are inviting the CMEA-SES membership to join us over dinner (virtual or in person), it occurs to us that we could leverage the resources already in place to reach out to all colleagues across the state in an effort to help us stay connected. If you are not in the CMEA Southeastern Section, but would like to join us virtually, please take a moment to let us know you are interested by going to the link https://bit.ly/3B28DRL. Be sure to click on the “virtual option.” This is not a registration link. We are simply getting a read on the interest level. Registration will take place in April. And yes, it is free! The virtual portion will be 90 minutes long and we are confident that the discussion will leave us all feeling better. Check out the flyer on the next page. Speaking of all things virtual, here are the top three online tools that many colleagues are keeping as face-to-face instruction resumes: 1. Announcements: posting announcements online not only keeps them there for the duration of the term, but every platform allows you to delay posting so you can create announcements (prior to the term) you know will come up throughout the semester. No need to try to remember. And they are “pushed” right to the student devices . . . . most likely their phones! 2. Discussions: getting the students to engage in discussions about the pieces can be a challenge. There are students who will not speak in front of their peers, but if you post
3.
a prompt as a discussion online, you can’t stop them! Leveraging the different modes of engagement is a fantastic student-centered approach. Posting content online: from performance links to written and media content, the practice of housing information online that is accessible to the students is a best practice. One of the biggest benefits is the ability for differentiated learning to take place; the student that needs the information once, has it. So does the student who needs the information several times. And they are able to access it in their time windows.
Let’s keep sharing and connecting. This way, we all benefit!
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CMEA Magazine
