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South Aiding 'Rock Star' Teachers in Distance Learning

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Posted on May 18, 2020

Thomas Becnel

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At the South Alabama Research and Inservice Center, the coronavirus pandemic has brought new urgency to online support for teachers and distance learning for their students.

鈥淲e were dipping our toes in online professional learning at the beginning,鈥� said Dr. Stephanie Hulon, director of SARIC, 鈥渂ut COVID-19 is forcing us to say, 鈥榃e just want to help. How can we help?鈥欌��

Across the state, kindergarten through high school teachers had to begin teaching classes online. Many turned for help to SARIC courses featuring faculty from the University of South Alabama College of Education and Professional Studies.

For one April session, 鈥淓arly Literacy and Online Learning,鈥� 158 educators logged into a Zoom session.

Dr. Lauren Brannan, a South assistant professor of leadership and teacher education, zipped through an hour-long survey of tips, programs and teaching techniques. On her computer screen, she shared ways to use interactive whiteboard apps such as ShowMe, Educreations and Google Classroom.

In between demonstrations, Brannan polled teachers on their use of personal lesson plans.

鈥淪ome of you rock stars are creating all of your own online content,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 amazing. I鈥檓 hoping today you can add to your toolbox for teaching online.鈥�

In a Zoom chat box, teachers traded questions, answers and comments. Some wanted more hands-on time to practice with certain programs. Others struggled with the basics.

鈥淗ow do you open the link through the browser window?鈥� one teacher asked. 鈥淚 am not good at all with technology.鈥�

Dr. Andre Green, the principal investigator for SARIC at South, can see the coronavirus pushing educators out of their comfort zones. Change can be challenging. In the long run, that might be a good thing.

鈥淲e wouldn鈥檛 be doing what we鈥檙e doing without the pandemic,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 hate that it鈥檚 happened like this, but you can see the possibilities.鈥�

Professional development for teachers often means schoolwork during the day and taking their own classes in the afternoon and evening. Green learned that lesson from his mother, who was also an educator.

鈥淪he used to say, 鈥楧on鈥檛 be a 2:30 teacher,鈥欌�� Green said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a teacher who leaves work when the bell rings and does nothing after 2:30, as if teaching ends there. Many times you have to stay and help kids, and often you have to bring your work home.鈥�

Dr. Pamela Moore, an assistant professor of counseling and instructional sciences, worries that new technology and working from home will overwhelm some teachers. She preaches time management and self care.

鈥淲hen it gets to be 24/7, that鈥檚 not sustainable,鈥� Moore said. 鈥淚 catch myself doing it, working on an iPad around the house. I should not be sending e-mails at 11 o鈥檆lock at night. No.鈥�

SARIC, which was established by the state legislature in 1984, is one of 11 regional centers in the state. It serves more 8,000 public school educators in southern Alabama and is funded through a grant from the Alabama State Department of Education.

Stan Stokley, principal at Saraland Elementary School, appreciates the convenience of online SARIC classes for his teachers. He participated in a Zoom training session with a South professor.

Communicating with schoolchildren at home, though, is much more daunting. Teaching is hard enough without technical problems and constant distractions. That鈥檚 been one of the lessons of the pandemic education.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no substitute for that one-on-one relationship with student and teacher,鈥� Stokley said. 鈥淭his has been hard for us. It鈥檚 hard to keep the attention of an 8-year-old in front of a computer screen at home.鈥�

Dr. Benterah Morton, an assistant professor of leadership and teacher education, has first-hand experience with the challenges of home education. With three school-age daughters and limited bandwidth, online time at his house must be scheduled in advance.

鈥淲e have an app,鈥� Morton said, 鈥渢hat we use to plug assignments and deadlines into a calendar. My wife is the calendar master.鈥�

In a difficult time, he sees teachers supporting one another. Their jobs just got harder, so they鈥檙e forced to become more effective communicators. Flexibility and understanding are important.  

鈥淚t鈥檚 been an interesting experience,鈥� Morton said. 鈥淲hen we鈥檙e in this setting, the tone of teachers has changed. I鈥檝e seen teachers who were much more forceful in the classroom become much more compassionate when they鈥檙e online.鈥�

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