SYS Presents: Adventures in Online Education

Show Notes Peter Drake is Associate Professor of Computer Science at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. He teaches a variety of courses including Software Development and AI & Machine Learning. His research has involved building artificially intelligent programs to play the classical Asian game of Go, using deep neural networks to analyze photographs of clouds, and creating video games to teach people about earthquake preparedness.   In today's episode. Peter talks about learning management systems, knowing your purpose as a student, and helping high schoolers learn the basics of how to college.   Timestamps 2:22 What makes a good LMS, and how can a teacher harness those tools to effectively engage with their students? 4:33 An on-demand source of administrative information 7:41 Connecting the LMS with other technologies students are using 8:34 Don't use more technology than is necessary  12:53 How can online high schools prepare students for college? 14:43 In some ways, college is just the next 4 grades…. 15:20 Don't be afraid to ask questions! 18:22 If you've been using a system for years, you may think it's obvious, but not to a new user 18:32 Students are not alone!  19:14 Using your time wisely 20:40 Check your email at least once a day 23:27 The Plan, Change, Evaluate cycle 26:09 What holds students back when they're entering college? 26:51 Making mistakes is how you learn 31:47 If there was one thing Peter could give to every teacher in the U.S., what would it be and why? Episode Resources: Peter Drake's short essay on How To College Small Teaching and Small Teaching Online - Books by Flower Darby and James M. Lang Geeky Pedagogy - Book by Jessamyn Neuhaus Ungrading - Book edited by Susan Blum You can email me at [email protected]. For social media, I'm on Mastodon at https://qoto.org/@peterdrake.  https://github.com/PeterDrake/drakepedia/blob/master/administrivia/how_to_college.md

Guest Bio Maddy Dahl has been teaching online for 8 years. During her tenure, she has taught a wide range of classes from basic high school writing and grammar to AP English courses. When she isn't teaching, you can usually find her playing board games or exploring Oregon.    Episode Summary Maddy teaches us about how to create an online AP course for students, how to help students earn college credits while in high school, and provides invaluable advice to teachers just getting started on their AP journey.    Timestamps Maddy's exciting news! [2:13] How do you create high school AP courses online? [3:50] How the FCM works in an online AP class [6:40] A focus on collaboration asynchronously and synchronously [8:53] Supporting students' organization, practice, and executive functioning [9:30] All about formative assessments [11:50] Collaborate and listen [13:21] Partnering with community colleges [16:56] AP and college credit courses are rigorous but different [20:25] Maddy's advice for creating your own online AP course [22:00] Maddy's favorite teacher when she was in high school [26:29]   Resources Find Maddy Dahl at [email protected] How-To AP Guide FREEBIE College Credit Now (Oregon) Frontier Charter Academy College Board AP Central FCM Episode (S2 EP16)

Show Notes Matt Miller is the author of five books, including Ditch That Textbook. His Ditch That Textbook blog reaches thousands of educators in more than 100 countries with inspiration and practical teaching ideas. He's a keynote speaker, podcast host, and the creator of the Ditch That Textbook Digital Summit.   In today's episode, we talk about not just ditching textbooks, but finding your educational hammer.   Timestamps 2:02 The mission behind the work 3:23 Saving teachers time and helping equip them to level up their teaching 4:32 A lot of edtech principles are based on good, solid teaching 6:14 Does ditching the textbook mean textbooks are evil? 7:15 It can't get much worse 8:09 Sometimes you get great ideas just by looking at what others are doing 11:52 How to answer "How does this fit?" 12:04 EdTech tools are marketed to us 12:56 The carpenter analogy 13:56 Amass lots of tools that you can use at your disposal 14:56 Sometimes you need to go back to the tried and true, versatile tool 15:03 When you introduce new tools, students have to learn how to use them 17:27 What would Matt give to every teacher in the U.S., and why?   Resources ditchthattextbook.com/101 Twitter @jmattmiller

Nate is a tech-loving history teacher from Indianapolis, Indiana and author of two books on teaching. Don't Ditch That Tech: Differentiation in a Digital World, and Breaking the Blockbuster Model: Using Edtech and Accessibility to "See What's Next" in Classrooms. He was the Indiana Connected Educator of the Year in 2020 and his work has been featured in such publications as the New York Times and Washington Post. He also holds a Master's Degree in History from the University of Indianapolis.   In today's episode, Nate talks about old pedagogical models and new ones, and he explains how his new book helps educators to navigate through it all. We'll learn what the blockbuster model is and how we can learn from the streaming model to make online learning awesome.  Timestamps 2:53 Which instructional practices have stood the test of time, and what should we leave in the history books? 3:50 Two really disruptive things in the education world 5:14 Things to look at with direct instruction 6:28 Comparing collaborative learning with direct instruction 9:50 How student's perception of learning affects their learning 14:03 The need to improve digital equity 14:46 Continuing the good things we do as educators 15:48 The three metaphors of Nate's book 16:56 What is cloning? 19:46 Meeting students where they are and where they want to be 24:25 A blend of the theoretical and practical 25:13 What would Nate give to every teacher in the U.S. and why? Resources Nate's twitter - @TeachfromRidge Nate's blog - breakingblockbuster.com Breaking the Blockbuster Model 

Guest Bio -  Christine Voelker is the K-12 Program Director for Quality Matters, a global non-profit dedicated to quality assurance in online and innovative digital teaching and learning environments.  QM provides a scalable quality assurance system for online and blended learning used within and across organizations grounded in research and driven by best practices.     Summary -  Today Chris is going to teach us about what QM does and how their work supports the national standards for quality online education.  Timestamps -  Career transitions over the years and seeking greater impact [2:44] What are the National Standards for Quality Online Learning? [6:55] What do the standards for teaching cover? [10:56] What do the program standards cover? [11:15] What do the course standards cover? [11:53] Similarities with the Danielson Framework [12:39] What is the Learning Portal? [13:40] QM's mission statement [16:46] Three-pronged approach to quality assurance [16:57] What's the course review process? [18:46] What is Rigorous Professional Development? [19:39] Quality Matters reviews are for you to see [21:23] How does the work of QM complement the work of the Standards? [23:32] What's "QM Lite"? [24:50] Becoming certified! [25:34] Who was Chris' favorite teacher as a kid? [27:28]   Resources -  National Standards for Quality Online Learning Quality Matters Bridge to Quality Course Design Guide Digital Learning Collab Virtual Learning Alliance Twitter: @nsqol; @k12qm; @qmprogram; @vllaonline; @theDLCedu; @voelkerc

Edi Cox serves as the Director for Low Country Virtual, an online school in South Carolina.  She began her career as a high school teacher who was recognized for her innovative work.  In her most recent role she served as the Executive Director of Online Learning and Instructional Technology in one of the largest school districts in South Carolina. She is credited with launching one of the first district-led virtual programs in the Palmetto State.  In 2013 Ms. Cox was instrumental in the writing and submission of a Gates Foundation Grant designed to help a district launch personalized learning efforts with a rollout of 1:1 devices to more than 43,000 students.  She holds multiple degrees and has completed additional graduate-level coursework through Western Governors' University, where I recently attended as well! Edi continues to stay current in the field by serving in a variety of roles with national organizations such as the Digital Learning Collaborative, Virtual Learning Leadership Alliance (VLLA) and Quality Matters. She provided guidance in the revisions to the National Standards for Quality (NSQ).    Today, Edi tells us about the power of collaboration among districts, and how important it is for us all to learn from our collective mistakes and wins.  Timestamps 2:53 What Edi's educational journey has looked like 4:46 Edi was an instructional designer before instructional designers were a thing!  5:45 Edi's work with the Low Country Educational Consortium 7:06 Taking advantage of the forced online learning from the pandemic 11:52 We know that the majority of students are well-served by the traditional brick and mortar classroom 13:06 Supporting the students who are not served well by the traditional model 17:45 Why is it important for Low Country Virtual to partner with organizations like Digital Learning Collaborative and Quality Matters? 20:33 Quality Matters 24:14 What would Edi give to every teacher in the U.S., and why? 

Dr. Allison Powell is the former Vice President for State and District Services/New Learning Models of the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL), which provides expertise and leadership in K-12 Blended, Online, and Competency-based Learning. Working at iNACOL, Allison helped write the National Standards for Quality and several other reports to expand and improve the field of K-12 online, blended and competency-based learning.   Allison taught in both face-to-face and online K-8 environments. She has been working in the field of online learning for over 15 years, starting as a K-8 blended teacher for Odyssey Charter Schools in Las Vegas, NV. After teaching in a blended environment, the Clark County School District asked her to help start the Virtual High School in the fifth largest school district in the country. In her role as an administrator for the program, she helped with training teachers, building courses, overseeing technology and educating leaders on the benefits of online learning.   Allison was charged with starting an online professional development program for the school district to allow all administrators, teachers, and district staff to meet their training needs in a more flexible environment.   Allison regularly shares her expertise in K-12 online education by speaking at various education and policy meetings and events around the world. She has served on several boards for various schools and organizations. Allison completed her doctorate in educational technology from Pepperdine University.   In today's episode, Allison talks about the importance of groups such as the Digital Learning Collaborative, Quality Matters and the Evergreen group. She reminds us that online instruction works best when everyone has equitable access, and relationships are strong. Timestamps 3:34 Allison's roles in the Digital Learning Collaborative, DLAC, and the Evergreen group 5:35 How does the DLC do their research?  8:10 What is DLAC like? 11:00 Allison's time with iNACOL and how she got involved with online learning 13:27 The process of creating an online high school program 15:50 Stories from the early days 19:21 What have been some of the most positive changes in the world of virtual education over the past 15 years? 21:21 It's common to form stronger relationships online than in brick and mortar schools 23:39 Some of the new things coming to online learning 29:19 What would Allison give to every teacher in the U.S.?    Resources Allison's twitter [email protected] Allison's LinkedIn

Pete Wharmby is an autistic speaker, writer, tutor and parent, who is working to improve autism acceptance in society by sharing insights and experiences of autism to the widest possible audience. He has spoken at many conferences and events, often as the keynote speaker, on topics such as autism in education, the experience of autistic students and teachers, the importance of monotropism and special interests and much more.   In today's episode, Pete talks about valuing our autistic student's strengths, like hyperfocus and clear communication. He tells us to encourage student interests and strengths in the online classroom, and reminds us that not every sound practice will benefit autistic students.    Timestamps 2:56 What Pete loves about being autistic 3:34 Hyperfocus 5:36 Be flexible! Allow students to stay in the "flow state" 7:30 Interleaving is a good idea, but won't work for a lot of autistic students 8:31 The clarity of autistic communication 11:45 Taking criticism from students publicly 12:24 Making expectations exact instead of vague 16:59 How Pete's special interests have shaped his life, and how it can teach you more about autism 21:02 Pete's advice to teachers: take it as a sign of trust if an autistic student shares their special interest with you 21:32 Just listen!  23:11 What would Pete give to every teacher in the U.S. or U.K., and why? Resources Pete's Website Pete's Blog Pete's YouTube Channel What is Neurodiversity - Harvard University

Traci has worked in special education for over 20 years.  She has been a Teacher, Autism Specialist and currently works as a Student Services Professional Development Coordinator.  Her professional work includes working with students from age 3-21, their families and their teachers.  You can reach her at [email protected].   In today's episode, Traci talks about supporting students with autism, in the online classroom and the brick and mortar setting. She also discusses the societal view of autism, and centering autistic voices in discussions. Timestamps 2:41 What kind of students tend to be successful in online classroom environments? 6:04 What about online school for students on the spectrum? 9:48 Who should parents go to if they need help figuring out in-person activities for their autistic child? 10:39 Developmental Disability Services 13:21 Light it up Blue and #RedInstead 14:32 A societal shift in perspective about autism 15:00 What does Traci wish teachers and admin knew about the needs of autistic students? 19:30 If there was one thing Traci could give to every teacher in the U.S., what would it be? Resources https://autismsociety.org/ https://www.learnfromautistics.com/light-it-up-red-for-world-autism-awareness-acceptance-day/ https://factoregon.org/ https://www.autismspeaks.org/teachers-and-administrators https://www.nea.org/resource-library/teaching-students-autism-guide-educators https://www.spectrumlife.org/tigard/therapy-and-interventions/apricot-clinic

Dr. Novak is an internationally renowned education consultant, an author, adjunct professor at UPenn, and a former Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Massachusetts. Dr. Novak has more than 19 years of experience in teaching and administration, a doctorate in curriculum and teaching, and is the author of 8 published books, including the best-selling education books, UDL Now!, Equity By Design, and UDL and Blended Learning.    Episode Summary In this greatest hits episode, we wind back to season two, where Katie Novak and I talk about intrapersonal variability and facing the skill-breakdown that often comes with starting on your UDL journey. She helps us understand the connection between UDL and equity and also how to ditch labels and focus on students as individuals.    Timestamps Where does Katie's UDL passion stem from? [2:51] Facing skill-breakdown in the face of inclusion [4:01] Effects of allowing students to make decision for themselves [5:07] What is UDL?  [7:46] Roots in architecture [8:23] Embrace intrapersonal variability [10:16] Firm goals, period. [10:50] Can learners really self-differentiate? [11:01] Your most beneficial source of growth [12:39] Firm goals, flexible means [13:00] A career commitment [13:30] The connection between UDL and equity [17:23] The general education classroom as the least restrictive environment [18:15] Labels don't have meaning? [19:41] Katie's universally designed breakfast [20:32] A child should be able to consent to their care [22:14] Get to know Katie's favorite teacher, Mrs. Krause [25:09]   Resources: Novak Education What is UDL? Infographic 30 Universally Designed Lesson Plans for Online Teachers The Science Behind UDL