Diving into Digital Delivery
March 01, 2024
Appears in March 2024: School Administrator.
Embracing multiple models of teaching and learning, whether students are in person or many miles away
Raja Habbal, a trainer of teachers with ASU Preparatory Academy, knew she was on the right track when a teacher told her, “You gave me permission to be wrong. I never heard that before.”
Habbal trains international teachers through an ASU Prep partnership with The Digital School in the United Arab Emirates. A Jordanian teacher told Habbal that her words lifted the pressure he was feeling to be the all-knowing expert when it comes to teaching students online.
That’s just the shift in perspective Habbal needed to refocus trainees on the more important task of remote instruction: Understand what students actually are ready to learn.
“We sometimes think, ‘I’m the teacher. I’m the giver. I’m the one who is going to give you the knowledge’,” she explains. “To know that it’s OK to not know is big.”
This teacher was learning to see himself less as the expert and more as the coach who intervenes when needed but also allows students to build “muscle” by working at just the right stretch level and by learning to trust themselves. In time, the coach hands off ownership to the students themselves for their learning.
It is a decidedly different mindset from what can be found in millions of classrooms worldwide.
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Equipping Teachers to Excel Online
Now in its fourth year, the Arizona Virtual Teacher Institute originated in the early days of COVID-19 shutdowns. ASU Prep Digital collaborated with the Arizona Department of Education, the governor’s office and the Helios Education Foundation to introduce a program to help teachers succeed in a remote instruction environment.
“When we are able to work with school and district leaders who are willing to step out of their comfort zones to provide innovative instruction to their students, it encourages teachers to do the same within the walls of their own physical or virtual classroom,” says Alison Hernandez, director of professional development and learning for ASU Prep Digital.
A good professional development program equips K-12 teachers with resources, instructional skills and collaborative support to create successful virtual or digitally supported learning environments. Key elements are granting permission for educators to change and evolve, to try new ideas and refine on the go and to create solutions using digitally powered environments.
The Arizona Virtual Teacher Institute recently surpassed a milestone by serving its 20,000th educator. More than 2,800 hours of training on digitally supported instruction have been delivered to more than 1,550 schools in various states, though primarily Arizona.
Training courses address topics such as “Thriving as a Digital Teacher,” “Intro to Blended Learning” and “Elevating Student Engagement.” Certified, experienced virtual teachers bring their expertise to the table, whether for live, virtual sessions or asynchronous courses.
Working with course designers, schools can customize sessions to address local challenges. School leaders can specify staff requirements, allow teachers to choose, request a custom session or offer a combination of free choice and required sessions.
Learn more about ASU Prep’s teacher training at asuprepdigital.org.
— Amy McGrath
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