DISTANCE LEARNING WORKSHOPS
As a technology coach and STEM teacher, I helped lead my district in blended and virtual options. As a university professor, I have worked as a Digital Fluency Initiative mentor, provided professional development on course design, and helped professors transform their face-to-face courses into distance learning courses.
Although I work full-time as a university professor, I also deliver keynotes and provide workshops on empowering students with voice and choice. My style is hands-on, engaging, practical, and fun. I infuse each learning experience with storytelling, humor, and movement. While I tailor each the learning to the needs of your staff, here is a sampling of what type of workshops I lead.
Better By Design: How to Empower Students in Virtual and Distance Learning Environments (Full Day)
Educator Expertise: Any level
Description: We didn’t ask for this. We didn’t anticipate this. But now many of us are teaching online and virtually. In this workshop, we explore how to boost engagement, improve collaboration, and increase student ownership in distance learning environments. We explore, step-by-step, how to improve virtual class meetings, how to use choice menus strategically, and how to get students engaged in creative projects at home. By the end, you’ll have tools, strategies, and a clear plan for the future.
Boosting Student Engagement Online (Half Day)
Educator Expertise: Novice
Description: In this session, we cover seven specific strategies you can use to boost student engagement when doing virtual sessions. We dive into how to create meaningful small group interaction and how to incorporate movement and creativity into these sessions. We also explore how to design meaningful online instruction that takes students away from their screens.
Creative Collaboration from a Distance (Half Day)
Educator Expertise: Emerging
Description: Distance learning does not mean you have to abandon collaborative grouping. In this session, we explore how to build accountability and interdependency into student collaboration. We cover specific tools you can use for shared creative work and for both synchronous and asynchronous communication.
Taking Distance Learning to the Next Level (Half Day)
Educator Expertise: Expert
Description: In this workshop, we focus on how to take our distance learning to the next level with UX Design. We explore what it means to do in-depth choice menus, project-based learning units, and interdependent collaborative work. This is ideal for schools that have already been experimenting with virtual and distance learning platforms and want to take the learning to another level.
Empowering Students in Distance Learning (Self-Paced Course)
Educator Expertise: Any level
Description: What does it mean to empower our students in distance learning environments? How do we help them become self-directed when they are away from their classroom? We tackle these hard questions as we focus on what it means to have students self-select scaffolds, use choice menus, engage in creative projects and self-assess. Each day, you will watch a practical video with specific strategies and then create something meaningful that you will actually use in your distance learning classroom.
This course begins on April 20, 2020, with a new 60 minute lesson each day. It will last ten days over two weeks. However, the course is on-demand and all deadlines are flexible. Every video and resource will be available even after you have finished this course.