Unpacking Education & Tech Talk For Teachers

Welcome back to Teacher Insights at Tech Talk for Teachers. With this series, we celebrate teachers and the important role that you play in our lives and community. We learn about what is happening in virtual and hybrid classrooms across the country—what is working and what's challenging. This week, we meet with Leif Voltz, a middle school science teacher from Salk Middle School in Elk River,...

Let's unpack hybrid learning to identify strategies that can best be used during distance learning. In a hybrid model, students learn some lessons during face-to-face classroom instruction and other lessons virtually, away from the physical classroom. The intention behind effective use of the hybrid model is to provide students with some control over the pace, place, path, and time of their l...

We are excited to introduce Teacher Insights to Tech Talk for Teachers. With this series, we celebrate all teachers and the important role that you play in our lives and community. We will regularly talk with teachers from around the country and beyond about their current experiences in the classroom—their challenges, their successes, and the lessons they have learned that they will continue to im...

Let's explore station rotation, playlists, and flipped learning—three models of blended learning that can be used to guide and inspire students to take ownership of their learning process. In this episode, our Digital Learning Specialists discuss what it means to be an architect of learning, bringing the art and science of teaching together to design learning that has the structure to support...

At its core, blended learning is learning that takes place partially in a face-to-face, brick-and-mortar setting and partially in a virtual, online setting. Blended learning leans on the ideas that both face-to-face and online learning offer significant benefits and that the blended-learning teacher will draw upon the advantages of each option. During the time of pandemic learning, teachers are in...

It's fair to say that no one expected 2020 to turn out like it did. Regardless, there are still lessons that we can take with us into the new year. Teachers have grown so much this year in their use of, and comfort with, technology. Students have had to assume a greater level of independence. This year will fundamentally change the future of education for the better to transform what happens...

It's almost the new year! Thank you for joining us for our special holiday series. We are sending you warm wishes for 2021, as we say goodbye to 2020 with tips for establishing a self-care routine for the new year that incorporates time to recharge. We also conclude our countdown by sharing our most popular episode with you. We appreciate your support as we celebrate over 20,000 downloads of...

We hope you are enjoying your winter break! Welcome to the second episode in our special holiday series. Join us as we share tips for rest and relaxation, as well as a countdown of our top three episodes! This week, we are celebrating our episode with the second-most downloads. We thank you for joining teachers around the world who have helped Tech Talk for Teachers surpass 20,000 downloads since...

We are preparing for the holidays and hope that you are looking forward to a winter break, as well! Our next three episodes will be a shorter format, focusing on sharing tips for rest and relaxation, as well as a countdown of our top three episodes! We hope that you join teachers around the world who have helped Tech Talk for Teachers reach nearly 20,000 downloads since we launched in August. Than...

While many things have changed as learning has shifted to virtual and hybrid environments, one thing remains the same: Celebrations and recognition of achievements are essential elements of every classroom. These moments and events drive student motivation and growth, as well as the development of a positive classroom culture. But how do you create moments for celebration and recognition when you’...

Don't share your personal information. Don't talk to strangers. Don't post rude comments. Too often, we have started the conversation about digital citizenship with students around the don’ts. By shifting to the dos, we engage students in a topic that inspires them to become thoughtful, empathetic digital citizens who collaborate to solve important problems at the intersection of te...

Whether you are in a completely remote or hybrid classroom, the reality of teaching during a pandemic has required teachers to develop new routines. Many of us are struggling with work time that blends into personal time. It’s too easy to slip into being on call 24/7, as we tackle emerging challenges and requests from learners anywhere and at any time. Join us as we talk about how we are tending t...

Unlike face-to-face teaching that relies on your physical presence, teaching presence in virtual learning depends on course design and organization, as well as your facilitation style during online interactions. Join us as we talk about the importance of spending time developing connections among your students to help build a positive and supportive online-learning environment, where even brief in...

Teachers need to regularly assess learning while their students are at home. While students and their families are coping with so much, how might we as teachers be mindful of developing assessments that check for understanding along the way, while also engaging students in the learning process? Join our Digital Learning Specialists as we discuss what assessments might look like in both synchronous...

In this week's podcast, our Digital Learning Specialists discuss how important it is for students to collect exemplars of their work, so they can reflect upon, share, and celebrate their learning growth. With an increase of tech-empowered classrooms and remote-learning environments, the need to teach students best practices for organizing their classwork, resources, and finished projects/perf...

A critical component of every student's educational journey is learning how to organize—both their physical learning artifacts as well as their thought process. In this week's podcast, we'll share strategies for helping students organize their educational life , so they can be more successful when learning at home. Visit AVID Open Access for the resources mentioned in this week&apos...

Teachers are working extraordinary hours to meet the needs of their students in what is, for many, an unfamiliar virtual-learning environment. The thought of adding one more thing is overwhelming. Differentiation can seem like that "one more thing" when it actually means focusing on our students' needs, and technology gives us the means to do it more efficiently and effectively. Joi...

  Developing a growth mindset is equally applicable to teachers and students. This week's podcast explores what that growth-mindset development can look like for you and your students, what it means for remote learning, and suggestions for how you can nurture and model a growth mindset for the benefit of your students and yourself. Learn how these moments help build trust in your face-to-face...

It's the start of the school year, and we are already seeing teachers across the country who are exhausted beyond measure. The challenges of teaching during a pandemic seem to become more daunting by the day. How can we work together to support each other in finding strategies that will help minimize the increased workload that comes with teaching one or more remote-learning models? Join our...

We know that student collaboration has many benefits, including engagement, inclusivity, scaffolded instruction, skill-building, and communication skill practice. By providing opportunities to collaborate virtually, we are also providing students with a real-world learning experience that will help them achieve college and career readiness. Join our Digital Learning Specialists as they discuss how...

Learning is a social endeavor. While it is impossible to recreate the exact conditions of a physical classroom when teaching virtually, teachers can continue to connect with students (and each other) despite the distance between them. This week's podcast explores strategies to establish strong relationships and support students’ need s in the virtual classroom. We also provide tips for stayin...

The shift to remote teaching requires us to think a little differently about how to build classroom culture with our students. This week's podcast shares digital strategies and tech tips for engaging students in the co-development of your virtual classroom norms and routines. We also share practical suggestions for connecting positively with students and families from the beginning of the sch...

When teaching remotely, engaging students in assessments—whether in a live or self-paced environment—can be challenging. This week's podcast shares digital strategies and tech tips for giving students voice and choice from the first days in their virtual classroom so that their creativity can bring learning assessments to life.   Our Digital Learning Specialists share tips for how to think ab...

The start of the school year has been challenging. Schools and districts across the country are deciding on which teaching model(s) will best support their students. This week’s podcast shares digital strategies and tech tips to help teachers design lessons that will work for both remote and hybrid learning models. Join our Digital Learning Specialists as they discuss best practices for developing...

Welcome to Tech Talk for Teachers, the podcast where teachers talk about how technology can positively transform teaching and learning. Meet the Digital Learning Specialists who will guide you along this journey, as we help teachers thrive, not just survive, in blended- and remote-learning environments.  We tackle the big questions facing teachers today. How can we plan with change in mind to quic...