Unpacking Education & Tech Talk For Teachers

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's podcast.

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. Join us as we discuss how we think about student voice and choice in differentiation to allow teachers to find the right mix so that students meet their learning targets and are engaged in the process. Visit AVID Open Access for the resources mentioned in this week's podcast.

 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 or virtual classroom while also modeling for students the positive power of persisting through challenges. Visit AVID Open Access for the resources mentioned in this week's podcast.

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 Digital Learning Specialists as they share three key strategies for managing a remote-teaching workload, with tips for how to effectively plan lessons that will work across teaching models. Visit AVID Open Access for the resources mentioned in this week's podcast.

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 to engage students in virtual collaboration, while ensuring the focus of their cognitive load is on learning rather than mastering digital tools.  Visit AVID Open Access for the resources mentioned in this week's podcast.

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’ needs in the virtual classroom. We also provide tips for staying connected to your teacher community for support, resources, and inspiration. Visit AVID Open Access for the resources mentioned in this week's podcast. 

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 school year to create a reliable and sustainable community partnership. Visit AVID Open Access for the resources mentioned in the week’s podcast.

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 about the first day, first week, and first month of your virtual classroom, where you go slow to go fast. Take the time to work with your students to establish norms, practice using the technology, and build routines together so that when it is time to pivot to a new teaching model, everyone feels prepared. Visit AVID Open Access for the resources mentioned in the week’s podcast.

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 a single lesson plan that will work whether you are in a face-to-face, remote, or hybrid model. We share tips for empowering students to become creators and problem-solvers in their online learning process, as well as share lesson plan models that work across teaching environments. Visit AVID Open Access for the resources mentioned in the week’s podcast.

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 quickly pivot from one teaching model to another? How can we improve student learning practices and outcomes through the use of technology? How do we integrate technology in a meaningful way to empower our students? There are big changes happening in this moment. This is an opportunity to innovate education and make teaching more student-centered. We are looking forward to sharing this journey with you. "Remember that learning is a journey. We need to embrace the learner in ourselves as we learn how to navigate this new way of teaching and learning. It's also important in this journey to be kind to ourselves—to give ourselves permission to take it one step at a time." -Pamela Beckermann, Host and PreK-12 Digital Learning Specialist, Elk River Area School District, MN