Episode 30: A Look Inside Digital Learning During School Dismissal

Superintendent:
Hello, and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. We are again recording this podcast, using Google Meet in order to maintain social distancing as a District. We're very proud of the digital learning that is happening during the school dismissal, proud of teachers, students, and parents who are taking on this new challenge. We know it's been very difficult and it's a big shift, but we also know that great things are happening on today's episode of the Supercast. We check in with one of our Digital Learning Administrators, Ross Menlove, to get some tips for parents on how to help their students learn online while at home. But first, let's check in with Jordan Ridge Elementary School Principal, Melissa Beck, and teacher Bryan Youtz to hear about some creative things teachers and students are doing with digital learning. Thanks for joining us. Thanks for having us, Melissa. You've been there three years.

Melissa:
I feel like the luckiest person in the world to be at Jordan Ridge. This is a school of very high expectations, both from the teachers and from the community, very supportive community. Our teachers are very motivated to learn new content. We have many teachers who have multiple endorsements. We have teachers who search out their own professional development. Most teachers, thanks to Bryan, who is our Digital Teacher Leader have been exposed to a lot of these online tools already. So Bryan's been doing Tech Tuesdays and training teachers to lots of these, so teachers are doing a lot to stay connected. We're also doing some fun things. We did a a parade where we went out and wave to families and help them know that we are still thinking about them and still care about them.

Superintendent:
Tell me a little bit more about that parade. What was that like? You drove through the neighborhoods and did you go through all of the streets within your boundary and what was that experience like?

Melissa:
Yeah, so we almost hit every single street. There was a few that we didn't hit, otherwise the parade would have been two hours long and it was super fun. We have lots of families come out and had posters and signs, almost every single one of our teachers came. There were a few, you know, because of family situations that couldn't, but almost every teacher showed up and had decorated their cars. It was a really, really great experience. I received many emails from parents afterwards saying that's exactly what they needed. They needed that to feel connected and to feel supported. So it was super fun. And at first we thought we were doing that for the families, but we found soon after that, it really was for us.

Superintendent:
That connection with kids is why we become educators. I'm sure it was a great chance to reconnect. Bryan, how did it feel as a teacher to be part of that parade?

Byan:
It was a lot of fun being able to go around the different streets and see the different students that come out in support of us and in support of what they're doing at home. I got to see several students of mine, and also students that I knew throughout the schools, simply because of the relationship that I try to give to all the students that are around. There's a lot of students out there that know me, but I have no idea who they are. But I really enjoyed being able to go and be a part of something really special where we can say hello to the students and let them know that we are thinking about them. We care about them, and we are still here for them, even though we have to do this all digitally,

Superintendent:
I'm sure that's going to be an experience that kids and teachers will not soon forget. Have you seen that team spirit kind of enhanced by everyone being in the same boat all of a sudden?

Bryan:
Absolutely. We see a lot of teachers that have been coming together, asking for help on using certain programs that they might not be familiar with, but maybe someone else is familiar with. And my job here was to make sure that I hit every single grade to give them some suggestions of some programs that they can use. And I would show them how to use those programs for their classrooms. And being able to go around afterwards, after I had hit every single grade, making sure that no one else needs any other help from me, or they did need some further assistance. But being able to see teachers come together and really collaborate in this time has been very encouraging. The grade that really sticks out the most to me right now is our second grade team. Especially in the very beginning, they would all meet together in a classroom. Some were actually in the classroom and then some were actually doing video conferencing, just really collaborating on what kind of lessons they wanted to teach, how they wanted to teach lessons. They wanted it to be very cohesive in this. They wanted to be a very unified in what they're teaching, so that if someone had a question, the other teammates could help them out afterwards. And so it's been an absolute blast watching everyone take these digital tools and just running with it.

Superintendent:
I've been super impressed with exactly that. I've just seen so many teachers that have just jumped right in and stretch themselves and try some things that may have been uncomfortable previously. And they've done it together. They've kind of linked arms and joined together and worked on it in a very unified way, like you described. And I know it's a lot of work and I know it's hard and I appreciate it all the more because of that. Now, can you describe a little bit for those who may not be familiar, we have digital learning specialists at the district level, but every school has a teacher who's assigned as the digital teacher leader. And of course, that's you at Jordan Ridge. Tell us a little bit about that role and how that's been helpful in this circumstance.

Bryan:
Well, the role of the digital teacher leader I feel is to be an extension of what the Digital Learning Specialist has been across the District. Whereas the Digital Learning Specialist is in charge of several different schools, now they have a Digital Teacher Leader that they can communicate with to push out these different programs, different learning tools, to all the other teachers. That way one Specialist doesn't have to just hit one school and then hit the next school, then hit the next school. They can be a little bit more efficient in introducing these new tools. So my job here at Jordan Ridge has been once a month to be introducing a new tool, or re-introducing a tool I've previously introduced to the other teachers. Something that they can use in the classroom, whether it's been Near Pod, video conferencing, etc.?

It's been great to learn all these different new tools as well. And it's been wonderful to have these teachers come in, not ever knowing these tools before and showing them how it works and how they can use some really practical application in their own classroom, but just to the point where they're not feeling overwhelmed. That's the one thing I've been really trying to make sure not overstate. I don't want to overstimulate everyone with everything else that they have on their plate. I wanted to make sure that they have enough, that they feel they can be empowered to empower their students as well.

Superintendent:
Melissa, what's it like to have Bryan there to help teachers move forward as well with digital learning?

Melissa:
Bryan has been invaluable. Our teachers have gone to him and felt very supported by him. And they feel like when they go to him for questions, they will get answers, they'll get great ideas, they'll get the suggestions that they need. He'll actually sit down with them and go through and help them create content using appropriate digital tools. So we love, love, love the District's vision of having the Digital Teacher Leaders in every school and training them often to make sure we are up to date in all digital tools and digital learning. And then again, we're so grateful for Bryan for going above the call of duty and bringing those tools back to our teachers and supporting them that way.

Superintendent:
That's amazing. Thank you, Bryan, for everything that you're doing. That's awesome. I'm sure the teachers really appreciate it as you've worked with them. Are there some stories about just how they've kind of discovered what's available and moved forward in their journey toward doing more digital learning?

Bryan:
They seem to be seeing a theme among the teachers here where they're being introduced to these new tools and a bit of a light bulb goes off in their heads. Oh, I can do this. I wonder what I can do with this tool. How can I apply that same tool into this content area? It's not necessarily a specific story, but just a common theme of what the teachers are doing. I actually emailed our staff last night, just asking them what was their favorite tool. And I was actually amazed by the responses that I'm getting, we're getting a wide variety of tools here. Like why is your.me thinks central, Near Pod is noon for video conferencing, Khan Academy, Google Classroom. And one thing that's been great that I made sure to email the teachers a few days ago just to give them some encouragement that this is brand new for many of them, it's almost like we're becoming first-year teachers again. And we've got even a few teachers at our school that are first-year teachers. So they're feeling this doubly, and it can absolutely be overwhelming. One thing I really wanted to make sure is that it's okay to not be perfect at this. It's okay to not have everything down right at the get go. We gotta take things one step at a time.

Superintendent:
So what have you seen happen with teachers as they've expanded their digital teaching capacity?

Melissa:
This actually just happened yesterday. A teacher on Bryan's team came and was sharing. I just asked her how things were going and how she's feeling about things and if things are getting better. It was really cool to see a sense of mastery as she has taken on these digital tools. And she said, it's been really cool. I've been able to refine my process every single weekend and feel like it's improving to the point where it's very efficient. And then she read me an email that a parent sent her about how wonderful she has been in creating and designing her content. The parent thanked her because it it was very organized. It was very structured. It was very easy to find out what was assigned, where to find things. And she was thanking this teacher for her work. So it was really cool to see her. I think all teachers start out with a little sense of frustration and how are we going to do this? And then to see her have a sense of mastery yesterday in referring to this parent email, it was really cool to see.

Superintendent:
That's exciting. And I love to see that type of progress. And I know that parents have been really patient as well. They've understood that we're trying something new. That we're going into new territory and it's really strengthened that partnership between teachers and parents as well. Bryan, do you have any advice for parents as they help support their students through digital learning during the school dismissal?

Bryan:
Oh, I think it's important that parents are not afraid to ask questions. If there's a tool that they're struggling with, or if there's an assignment that they may have a question with. I know that just for me, I've had students message me or email me saying that this tool isn't working properly, reminding me that I forgot to put it in the submit button for them to turn in their assignments. So it's been great for me to go back in and just do that quick fix. We're all still learning how to use these tools in the way that we want them to be used. And so it's absolutely okay for parents and for students to email the teacher with any questions that they have on the tool. If they don't know how to use it, or if the teacher needs to make a tweak here or there, just so that the students can turn it in. We are all in this together as a community. The teachers, the students, the parents, the administrators, we're all in uncharted territory and in an event that's completely unprecedented. And it's just been very encouraging to see everyone come together as a community, working and helping each other out, wherever it is needed.

Superintendent:
Well, I know you're both very busy. Thank you very much for taking the time to be on the Supercast and thank you very much for everything you're doing to help the Jordan Ridge community have the best experience possible with digital learning.

Melissa:
Thanks for having us.

Superintendent:
Thank you. We'll take a quick break. And when we come back, we'll talk with digital teaching and learning administrator. Ross men love to talk about what's happening out there and how teachers and students and parents are adapting to the school dismissal and online learning.

Break:
I'm Steven Hall, Director of Jordan Education Foundation. In today's challenging and uncertain times is more important than ever to support one another. Here at Jordan Education Foundation, we invite you to join us in providing food for children so they are not hungry. Each $10 donation to the Foundation will help us feed one student for a weekend. With food and hygiene in Principal's Pantries at Jordan District Schools depleting and in high demand, every financial contribution made will help us to keep these pantries filled for students who would otherwise go without. Jordan Education Foundation exist due to the generosity of people who care about kids and teachers. If you would like to donate to help kids from going hungry, visit jordaneducationfoundation@jordandistrict.org, or contact the Foundation at (801) 567-8125. Thank you. Together, we can make a difference.

Superintendent:
We're back with Ross Menlove, Digital Teaching and Learning Administrator to talk about what's happening out there and how we're adapting. Ross, thanks for joining us.

Ross:
Hey, it's great to be here with you today. Thanks for inviting me.

Superintendent:
We talked with Ross back in our first Supercast episode about the Corona virus back at the beginning of March, before there was any school dismissal. A lot has been put in place to help provide support to teachers. I know that teachers have worked very, very hard to put this in place, and you have a lot of Digital Teaching and Learning Specialists who have just dived in and really made things work. Tell us a little bit about what's happening out there.

Ross:
So  what we're doing with our Digital Learning Specialists, they're kind of the phone tree help for anybody who needs some help with how to use the programs and how to access the programs. One of the great things we've done is we've created that hotline here at Jordan District and get those phone calls because as part of this team, I myself have taken on a few schools. And so the parents that are part of those schools call me, and it's been fun just talking to the parents and getting their insights, but they're just a lot of questions about making sure they're supporting their kids. But the conversations I've had with parents and students has all been positive and the same from the Digital Learning Specialists. They'll get phone calls from parents, from grandparents, from students. And a lot of them just have questions about what they're doing and they're all positive and they help them out and support them and answer their questions and move on. It's been really fun to be part of.

Superintendent:
I really loved the way that hotline was set up because it automatically forwards, based on the menu choices that the caller makes to the cell phones or the home phones of the Specialists who are working from home and through reprogramming the phones, Mike Heaps, our Director of Information Systems was able to set that phone tree up so people can reach your Specialists and get one-on-one help with their needs at home.

Ross:
Yeah, it's been great. The other thing we're doing is our website, our http://digitallearning.jordandistrict.org. That website we updated every day. There are new tutorials for teachers, for parents, for students, new ideas, all of our contact information is on there. And it's just a way we can keep updated everyday to the new things that are coming out and new possibilities. That's really fun. Teachers will email me and say, Hey, have you ever tried this or principals email and say, Hey, can you get this out there for people? And would you update that website every day? Probably five or six different people can go and look at it and learn more about this online learning process.

Superintendent:
Tell us the web address again.

Ross:
So that is http://digitallearning.jordandistrict.org. The hotline number is (801) 567-8999.

Superintendent:
And that's available Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Is that correct?

Ross:
That's correct. And that'll be closed the Thursday and Friday of spring break, but every other weekday that hotline is available.

Speaker 7:
That's true. And also on the, on the website, you can find our email addresses and probably the digital learning specialists by the different schools. So people have questions. They can email us anytime. Yeah,

Anthony Godfrey:
I'm really excited about how my keeps our information systems director was able to reprogram the calling system. So that based on the menu choices made by the caller, they can be connected directly to someone who can help with their specific question. And it connects to the cell phones of digital learning specialists who are working from home, and that all happens automatically. So parents can be quickly connected to someone who helps. And I think that's, that's really exciting. So Ross, tell us about some of the innovative and exciting things that you have seen happen. Are there teachers who are maybe nervous about doing this at first that are now really enthusiastic about being able to teach online?

Speaker 7:
So let me tell you about an experience I had working with some teachers, their kindergarten teachers. I won't tell you exactly what school are at to kind of help them out, but they called me that second day after the school closure. And one of them would just in tears, just like, I don't know if I can do this. I don't know what I'm doing. And I kind of just coached her through a little bit of what we set up, kind of we've created a template to help teachers be able to put content online. And she, her and her team took on that challenge. And they at a kindergarten level is pretty fun. The other day, I contacted the teacher to see how things were going, and she invited me to be part of her Google meet session with her class. And so she sent me that link and I was able to watch her teach kindergarten kids online. And then with their canvas course, the kids get on there. And she has daily videos for the kids to watch. They have a Nearpod session for a couple of those sessions that go through each day. It was really fun actually to watch these kindergarteners get online, interact with their teacher, interact with the other classmates. And it was in a very structured format. I mean, she kind of set up the expectations at the beginning of the meeting with the students and they behaved really well. And it was actually really, really fun.

Anthony Godfrey:
Remember in cabinet meeting, we had you there right before we felt like there might be the possibility of a school dismissal that had happened in some other States. And we asked you to show us a canvas course with some of the preloaded lessons for kindergartners. And I was amazed at how engaging it was and how it was just spot on to the curriculum. And it must've, I've, I'm, I'm envious that you got to sit in on that kindergarten class and I'm really impressed. That's a good, that's a good example of how, you know, for some teachers, this is something that's very new. And they, they just said, you know, I'm going to embrace it and get some help and let's, let's see what we can do. And I've just been very impressed because I know how difficult and stressful it can be.

Speaker 7:
Yeah. But that's kind of what the great things about the digital learning specialist for teachers. They just provide just a different mental perspective, just add, add a little insight, you know, cause the teachers are the specialist, they know what they're doing. We can provide just a different perspective and they can take that and they run with it and they have so much fun. And it's fun just to be part of those classes. I've, I've joined in probably five or six classes each week and just kind of watch the teachers do their thing.

Anthony Godfrey:
What advice would you give for parents who have difficulty maybe getting their kids to be involved with online learning, or maybe not knowing how they as parents can be, can, can help,

Speaker 7:
You know, it's interesting. You mentioned that because I have a kindergartener and it's been fun, like watching him. I mean, yes, I know digital learning. And so I've kind of taken a couple steps back in. My wife has kind of done and she's not as well versed in this. And she's, you know, came to me with those types of questions and what I've encouraged her to do is just reach out to the teacher. And so she reached out to the teacher, they had like a Google meet session with a parent and the teacher, just to talk about what's going on, talk about different expectations. You know, that's the thing is our teachers want to communicate with the parents as much as they want to communicate with the students. They want everyone to find success and everyone to be happy, you know, and just reaching out to the people who are there is the one thing that I tell parents just to read it.

Anthony Godfrey:
I know there are some times that are scheduled with teachers and students, but there's a lot of flexibility. Also, should parents be structuring time? Is that the most effective or is a level of flexibility important? What's the, what's the best approach?

Speaker 7:
Well, what we've found with students is that students learn best in small chunks of time. And so the advice I would provide to parents is set aside a time that is consistent each day. So every day there's a time set aside when they're, they're going to do their schoolwork and they do that. And then, you know, in small chunks and that might be depending on how old they are or their attention span, 15 to 30 minutes, then let them go run around and let them go play for five or 10 minutes and then bring him back. You know if we try to sit them down and have them bust out the schoolwork for extended period of time, multiple hours, the parents are going to get frustrated and students will get frustrated. But if we kind of break that down into small learning chunks, you know, and that some that teachers do in the classroom every day is they break down their learning and chunks. And then they do an activity without learning. They bring it back, provide some instruction and then they go do another learning activity and provide kind of like those different environment and breaks. But the structure is important to have that going each day. So a kid knows what to expect

Anthony Godfrey:
Ross, thanks for being with us. And thank you for the support that you're providing to parents, students and teachers. You've done an amazing job. And the way you've been preparing things in this district, it's as if you knew this was going to happen, because you've really built in the structure to provide support. And I'm really pleased with the way things have gone. I'm, I'm really excited about all of the positive feedback I've been hearing and hats off to all your digital learning specialists. They've worked so hard and they've been so dedicated and, and you and your team and everyone associated with digital learning and in the teaching and learning department has just done a bang up job of, of moving this forward and helping support teachers in their great work. So thank you very much, Ross. I appreciate it. We know there are many challenges associated with such an abrupt switch to digital learning, but I deeply appreciate the efforts of parents, students, teachers, and digital learning specialists. It moving us so quickly down this path. We're grateful for. Everyone's willingness to dive in and make the best of a difficult situation and learn some new things along the way. Thanks again for joining us. And remember education is the most important thing you'll do today. We'll see you out there eventually.