Tag education

The Key to Reducing Burnout in K-12 Schools? Supporting Substitute Teachers

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Guest post by Mike Teng, in collaboration with @SwingEDU

Teachers continue to experience high levels of burnout, at rates that are the highest of all industries. From lack of confidence to impacts on physical and mental health, we see signs of teachers at all stages of burnout in districts and schools across the country.

One acute challenge affecting teacher burnout is a limited pool of substitute teachers. With fewer people to relieve permanent teachers, K-12 leaders are left playing an increasingly challenging game of chess, moving students and staff around for continued coverage and learning.

The truth is that the same burnout teachers feel is hitting substitutes too. Being a substitute means living with unpredictability. They never know when an assignment will come, where it will be, or how long it will last. Then, when there is an opening they can fill, substitutes face more questions. Where do I park? Where can I keep my lunch? How long will it take me to get paid? Of course, many substitutes understand and accept the unknowns of their job. Quickly adapting to and learning in new environments is part of the package. But with the addition of stress from the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about safety at school, and changes in students’ behaviors, among other factors, unpredictability is taking its toll.

The substitute shortage isn’t a new trend. Before the pandemic, districts struggled to find adequate coverage for absences. But according to a study from the Annenberg Institute, the problem has gotten worse. Today, 77 percent of districts have staffing problems because of unfilled substitute requests — up from about 20 percent pre-pandemic. Put those percentages in the context of nearly 600,000 substitute teachers covering 30 million teacher absences each year, and it’s easy to see the severity of the problem.

The challenge goes beyond the stress and anxiety of trying to find someone to fill a teacher’s spot for the day or week. Teachers remain one of the most important influences on student success, and unfilled absences can have a big impact on achievement. Schools may also be forced to have non-teaching staff to fill in, combine classrooms, or even group students in large spaces like the gym, cafeteria, or library with minimal supervision. In extreme cases, schools might have to close.

Better support for substitute teachers can help solve the problem. When substitutes are supported they are more likely to accept additional assignments, become quality placements, and stick with the profession over time offering more consistent relief to teachers. By adopting a few simple practices districts and schools can make their relationships with substitutes stronger.

Be welcoming

Substitute teachers are adept at stepping into new situations. Schools and districts often count on substitutes to be able to figure out information on their own, adapt on the fly, and keep their focus on providing students with quality instruction. But K-12 leaders can still meet substitutes halfway to create a more welcoming and supportive environment. A standard welcome packet can be something districts and schools make once and then use over and over with substitutes. Welcome packets could include information about parking, the teacher’s lounge, where to find lesson plans, contact information for key school staff, and timeframes for payments. Making digital PDF packets will make it easy to email the information as soon as a substitute accepts an assignment.

Provide peer connections

Most teachers and staff members in a building are friendly, but they’re also busy. If a substitute has a question during the day it can be hard to figure out who to ask. Assigning a peer to be a point of contact helps to eliminate the confusion. The point of contact’s role should not only be to answer questions but to make the substitute feel welcome. That could mean greeting the substitute when they arrive or checking in on them during the day. Creating peer connections for substitutes gives them a small dose of community support that can help them feel more confident during their assignment.

Show substitutes appreciation

It can be easy to see substitutes as only temporary staff members. But they are educators and important parts of students’ learning experiences. When we recognize substitute teachers and show them appreciation in ways we would for a permanent teacher it can build their confidence. One idea is to include a small note of appreciation in their welcome packet. Some leaders choose to follow up at the end of an assignment with a quick thank you email or give positive feedback during the day. For longer-term substitutes, including them in school-wide celebrations of educators and treating them the same as other staff members are effective steps.

Remove barriers to entry

Historically most substitutes were retired teachers or others in education who wanted to continue to give back. As fewer people choose the profession, we need different sources for substitutes. But the requirements to become a substitute teacher often create more barriers than doorways. We can make it easier for more people to become substitute teachers by building more pathways for people to enter the field. By finding better, more meaningful ways to assess instructional quality and classroom management skills, we can make substitute teaching more enticing to qualified people and simultaneously deepen the roster of available substitutes.

Caring for the well-being of substitute teachers is not only the right thing to do, but it also has a significant impact on the entire school community. When substitute teachers feel supported and valued, they are more likely to be reliable and committed, creating a more dependable pool of substitutes to draw on to fill absences. This, in turn, gives teachers the assurance that their class is in good hands and creates better retention of individual substitutes because they have confidence they’ll be welcome and supported at a school.

Mike Teng is the CEO and co-founder of Swing Education, a tech-enabled marketplace matching substitute teachers with schools in need. Before founding Swing, Mike was a software engineer in the private sector and then the tech director at a K-12 charter school network.

Learn more @SwingEDU

Blog of Rachelle Dené Poth

Looking for some PD for your school? I provide in-person and virtual training on the following topics. If you want to learn more about and explore AI and ChatGPT, contact me to schedule! Rdene915@gmail.com

**Interested in writing a guest blog or submitting a sponsored post for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find my books available at bit.ly/Pothbooks or via Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or EduMatch titles in bulk order.

Bringing STEM to All Classrooms

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

With a prediction of a need for 3.5 million jobs related to STEM by 2025, we need to focus on finding ways to bring STEM learning opportunities to all students in every classroom. Doing so can be a challenge, depending on whether we have access to the right resources or if teachers feel that they don’t have enough knowledge or resources available to get started. As I have learned in my own experiences, we just need enough information and a few resources to start with. Once we dive in, we can make a shift to being a facilitator of learning in our classrooms. We need to embrace the opportunities to co-learn with our students so that we can best prepare them and ourselves with the skills needed in the future.

With many unknowns when it comes to jobs that will exist in the future, we need to create a variety of learning experiences such as those made possible through STEM-based activities. The skills that are necessary today may not be needed in a few years. Jobs in demand and skill sets needed are constantly changing. To stay informed, I recommend referring to the Job Skills Outlook created by the World Economic Forum. Some of the top ten in-demand skills are collaboration, communication, critical thinking, problem solving and ideation, and resilience. Each of these are areas that we can focus on in our classrooms. Being flexible enough to adapt to a changing landscape of learning and work is key.

When we choose methods or tools, we should focus on how we can make sure our instruction is relevant to the growing demands in the world of work. These in-demand skills can be fostered through STEM activities and learning experiences.

Why STEM skills impact future success

Many skills can be built through STEM such as creativity, critical thinking, innovation, problem-solving, and teamwork which will help students to be successful in the future. Through STEM, students also build social-emotional learning (SEL) skills, especially in the areas of self-awareness and self-management. By focusing on the five SEL competencies, research has shown that it increases student achievement and has a positive impact on student wellbeing. STEM promotes the development of SEL and empowers students with new ways to create, innovate, iterate, and reflect, which are directly related to the skills needed today. Students set goals, make decisions, collaborate, and build relationships that prepare them for the future and foster SEL.

Ideas for any classroom

First, there are many different STEM challenges that we can use in our classrooms that do not require many materials or the investment of a lot of time to get started. With some STEM challenges, asking students to find materials to design with or reaching out to the school and school community to ask for specific items to have on hand for a STEM/STEAM makerspace are helpful for creating more opportunities.

STEM challenges help students to build many skills which are essential in the workplace. A few examples are the Cup Tower Challenge, the Straw Challenge or the Parachute Challenge. There are even some free STEM challenges to do Around the Home to involve families in the learning!

An easy challenge without much prep is giving students a design challenge. Have students choose materials and design a structure representing their name, or a concept from class that meets a certain requirement such as height for example. Each of these can be used in all grade levels.

For all classrooms, connecting students with a guest speaker, whether in person or virtual, who works in one of the STEM fields can be highly beneficial. For students to explore careers and connect with real-world examples, it will spark curiosity and students may learn that they have a deep interest in pursuing a STEM-related career.

Project-based learning (PBL) is a method that can be used to focus on STEM. Connecting with another teacher and engaging students in a cross-curricular collaboration creates an authentic and purposeful way for them to build content knowledge in a relevant and meaningful way.

Resources to explore for STEM

  • Birdbrain Technologies. When I started to teach STEAM, my 8th-grade students learned to code by using the Hummingbird Robots from Birdbrain. We focused on French and Spanish culture and students created projects to represent something they learned. Birdbrain also has the Finch Robot, which can also be used in any content area. With the Finch, students can explore AI and robotics using Google Teachable Machine with the Finch. Teachers can sign up for a trial period with these resources.
  • CODE.org Offers many resources to help students of all ages learn about coding and STEM-related fields like computer science. According to statistics from the site, 67% of new STEM jobs are in computing, and as of today, only 54% of schools offer computer science courses to students.
  • CSFirst from Google: There are many resources to help educators get started with teaching computer science and that are aligned to the CSTA and ISTE Standards. Activities include focus areas of art and storytelling in addition to other free materials. Teachers can participate in distance training and download the lessons and other ready-to-use materials.
  • Defined Learning: They offer a variety of resources for educators to learn about STEM and topics such as PBL and SEL. Explore their blogs to find ideas for your classroom and check out their PBL solution that offers everything that teachers need to get started in the classroom.
  • Elementari: A platform that can be used for storytelling and coding together. Students can create a book and learn about coding by creating interactive stories. There are examples to explore that can be remixed. Teachers can incorporate STEM into any classroom by having students and have students
  • GoldieBlox: Offers materials for girls to become more involved in STEAM and also has activities and materials for use at home. They recently started the “Code Along” initiative with other STEM organizations including Black Girls CODE, with the goal of bridging the opportunity gap for underrepresented communities in STEM fields such as computer science.
  • Ozobot. A one-inch robot that can be used in any classroom and that has lessons and ideas available for subjects including English Language Arts, math, and more. There are also two different ways to code using Ozobots, screen-free by using markers and color codes and with the program on the computer. Some students have written a book summary and programmed the Ozobot to move around and stop at each point in the story timeline. There are many creative ways to use Ozobot in the classroom.
  • Marty the Robot. My students were thrilled when I brought Marty in for class. Marty is a humanoid that offers multiple ways to learn about coding. With infrared sensors on his feet, he responds to color cards, providing screen-free coding. The app has block- and text-based coding and students can quickly create a program to have Marty walk, dance and talk. Teachers can request a trial of Marty in their classroom.
  • Scratch and Scratch Jr. are free resources for students of ages 8 through 16. There are more than 70 languages available which help to promote accessibility and because Scratch is free, it also promotes equity in learning.

With STEM, we provide opportunities for students to drive their own learning. The knowledge gained and skills developed through STEM experiences will enable students to adapt to a changing world of education and work.

Looking for PD for your school? I provide in-person and virtual training on the following topics. If you want to learn more about and explore AI and ChatGPT, contact me to schedule! Rdene915@gmail.com 

**Interested in writing a guest blog or submitting a sponsored post for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

Five ways to demonstrate learning

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

As educators, it is important that we provide a variety of options for students to develop their content area knowledge and skills in ways that meet their interests and needs. When choosing methods and tools to use, it is also important to create opportunities for students to develop social-emotional learning (SEL) skills as they are essential for personal and professional growth. 

Our decisions need to focus on helping students by designing assessments and ways for students to show what they have learned while also promoting voice and choice in learning. Depending on the types of methods and tools we use for our assessments, they must help students to identify where they are on their learning journey and provide us with evidence of student learning that we can use to provide feedback and additional resources for our students.  

Some questions to consider when deciding on methods or tools can be:

  • How can we promote more interactive and collaborative experiences for students?
  • Which tools assist us by providing access to real-time feedback?
  • What are some ways to promote more student choice in learning?

As educators had to seek new ways to assess students and provide opportunities for students to share what they were learning, ask questions, interact, and feel connected to a classroom community, many sought digital tools. Technology has provided many options for learning and enables educators to find something that meets each student’s needs and interests and sometimes even their comfort level.

It is important to convey to students why we choose a certain method or digital tool for use in our classroom and doing this helps us to stay clearly focused on our purpose. Consider how the method or tool will enhance learning or provide more benefits for students beyond being a way to practice the content or take an assessment.  The use of digital tools promotes collaboration, communication, creativity, and many more of the essential skills while also boosting student engagement in learning as they have the power of choice in how to share what they have learned.

Here are five ways for students to demonstrate learning. 

  1. Blogging: Blogging has been effective in my Spanish classes for years. With the digital tools available, it makes it easier for students to have a space to build their writing skills as they share ideas with their teacher and possibly their peers. Having students engage in blog writing also helps to promote the development of digital citizenship skills, especially if they have the opportunity to respond to classmates and provide feedback. One option that has been great to try with my students is Spaces. Using Spaces promotes communication and collaboration between teacher and student or it can be between students and include audio as well. 
  2. Data visualization: Being able to process information and create a representation of what has been learned helps students to better retain what they have learned. For visual learners, using tools to create a concept map or an infographic can help with processing a lot of information. With tools like Canva or Piktochart, students can choose from templates available to help them get started with designing an infographic. These tools and others like them to promote critical thinking skills and creativity as students decide how to best illustrate what they have learned. There are also options for students who prefer to not use technology such as drawing a concept map or creating a sketchnote to capture what has been learned. 
  3. Digital Storytelling: Whether at the beginning of a new unit or at the end, having students create something using one of the many digital tools available will help them to share their learning in authentic and meaningful ways. use of digital storytelling or making a video. My students enjoy using tools that offer multimedia options and libraries full of choices in characters, backgrounds, animations, and more to tell their story. Some of our favorites include Buncee,  Book Creator,  Genially, and Story Jumper.  With several of these, students can even work together to create a presentation or a book to share with classmates. 
  1. Game-based assessments: Encourage practice and be able to provide feedback and more targeted lessons by using some of the digital tools available to do a pulse-check for where students are in the learning process. We can implement some hands-on games through flashcards, gestures, and conversations or leverage some of the game-based learning tools, such as Blooket, Gimkit, Kahoot!, Quizizz, and Quizlet Live!  Each of these offers a variety of question types or modes of play that will connect students with the content and provide us with real-time data to help plan our next steps and give meaningful feedback to our students.
  2. Interactive Lessons: Using tools that promote student engagement through the variety of content and activities that can be added to the lesson helps educators to better understand student progress and enables students to build self-awareness in learning. With tools like Edpuzzle, Formative, Nearpod, and Pear Deck, educators have many options for adding content and activities to help students to build their skills. What I really appreciate about tools like these is that we can provide students with a variety of ways to demonstrate their learning through open-ended responses, polls, multiple-choice questions, quizzes, and more, depending on the tool. Formative was a game changer in our classroom last year because I could use it to create lessons with videos and audio instructions that students could work through at their own pace. I could also use it in class for assessments which enabled me to provide timely feedback directly to students and adjust my lessons as needed. These options enable us to differentiate our instruction while promoting student choice in voice and learning. 

These are just some of the many ways that we can have our students demonstrate what they are learning. Whether through technology and the many tools available that facilitate communication, collaboration, and creativity, or using traditional methods, it is important to offer choices to our students. When we can provide options that promote agency in learning, it leads to more meaningful experiences that promote the development of essential skills for the future and empower students through self-driven learning.

Author

Rachelle Dené is a Spanish and STEAM Emerging Technology Teacher at Riverview Junior Senior High School in Oakmont, PA. Rachelle is also an attorney with a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. Rachelle is an ISTE Certified Educator and serves as the past president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network.  She is the author of sevens books including ‘In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking,” “Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU” “The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead,” “Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World”, “True Story: Lessons That One Kid Taught Us,” “Your World Language Classroom: Strategies for In-person and Digital Instruction” and “Things I Wish [..] Knew.” All books are available on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble. 

I am available for PD sessions in-person and virtually on a variety of topics. Key focus areas are AI, ChatGPT, AR and VR, SEL, and STEM.

**Interested in writing a guest blog for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

************ Also check out my THRIVEinEDU Podcast Here!

SEL, self-care, and self-love

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

In collaboration with PebbleGo

Especially at this time of the year when school schedules can become challenging with spring activities, testing, and daily routines, focusing on SEL, self-care, and self-love is essential. More importantly, we need to help students develop habits that enable them to focus on their well-being and develop the skills needed to work through challenges and deal with emotions. We need to foster the development of practices and behaviors that will promote emotional, mental, and physical health.

By creating opportunities for students to develop SEL skills and a positive self-image, it will enable them to manage their emotions, develop supportive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

Self-care is crucial for students’ well-being and academic success. Students who practice self-care are more likely to have better mental health, reduced stress levels, improved academic performance, and higher levels of overall happiness. This, in turn, enables them to focus better on academic work and set and achieve their learning goals. One idea to try is to have students design vision boards. The boards can include each student’s goals in each of these areas and can be a great activity for students to use for personal reflection.

Self-love, which involves developing a positive self-image and nurturing oneself with kindness and compassion, can boost self-esteem, self-confidence, and resilience. These directly relate to the SEL skills that are essential for personal success. Developing these skills will enable students to navigate their social and emotional worlds and build meaningful relationships with others. Students will be better able to manage emotions, communicate effectively, develop empathy and understanding for others, and work through challenges they may face.

Ideas for focusing on self-love and SEL

Buncee: Teachers can use Buncee, a multimedia and creativity tool, to help students create multimedia projects that promote self-care, self-love, and SEL. For example, students can create digital posters that showcase self-love affirmations, gratitude journals, or mindfulness exercises. They can also create projects to share that teach SEL skills such as empathy, self-awareness, and responsible decision-making. Buncee and using PebbleGo Create foster creativity and when students have writing or art assignments, they can express their emotions and thoughts in a safe and supportive environment.

Here are some examples to try!

  • Healthy Habits: Use PebbleGo to research healthy habits. A focus on self-love involves practicing healthy habits such as exercise, nutrition, and getting adequate sleep. With PebbleGo, students can research healthy habits in areas such as health, physical education, or science. Students will learn about the benefits of exercise on the brain and mood, the importance of sleep for mental and physical health, or the role of nutrition in energy and well-being. By learning about healthy habits, students can develop SEL skills of self-management and promote their physical and emotional well-being. Students can then create a visual to share what they have learned and encourage others to focus on their habits too!
  • Gratitude Jars and Journals: Showing gratitude is a great way to promote self-love and positive emotions. Students can think about what they are grateful for, whether it is something they learned, a story they read, a historical figure that developed something that impacted the world. Students can then use PebbleGo Create to design a digital gratitude journal or a gratitude jar and can add pictures or audio recordings to personalize their journals. By doing this, it will help students develop positive emotions and SEL skills of social awareness.
  • Learning About Others and Building Awareness There are many wonderful non-fiction articles available with PebbleGo that cover a range of SEL topics that will help students develop self-awareness and social awareness. Students can find articles about emotions such as anger, fear, or sadness, and learn about strategies that will help them to better manage their emotions. Through the resources, they can learn about empathy, perspective-taking, and even conflict resolution, which are essential relationship skills. To share their learning, students can create a PSA to share in the classroom or the school!
  • Create Digital Affirmation Cards: Making affirmation cards is a powerful tool to better promote self-love and positive self-image. It can be a great way to help students connect with how they are feeling and set some goals. Students can explore the topics about health and wellness, and then create digital affirmation cards to refer to when they need a confidence boost or a reminder of their self-worth. The multimedia options available with stickers, animations and more boost creativity and help students to create visually appealing affirmation cards. Students can also create cards that highlight their strengths and accomplishments, such as “I am a good friend,” or “I am a talented artist.” These activities help students develop their self-awareness skills and boost their self-esteem.

PebbleGo can be used to explore feelings and emotions across content areas, such as science, social studies, or language arts. For example, students can research different animals and their emotions, such as how dogs show affection or how dolphins communicate with each other. Students can also explore emotions in literature by researching characters’ feelings and motivations in stories.

Researching inspirational figures, exploring feelings and emotions, creating positive affirmations, researching mindfulness practices, and researching healthy habits with Pebble Go, students can develop self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. These skills are crucial for academic success and personal well-being. As teachers, we can use PebbleGo to provide students with access to a variety of non-fiction resources that promote self-reflection, positive self-talk, and healthy habits, which can help them develop a positive self-image and promote their emotional well-being.

**Interested in writing a guest blog for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

************ Also check out my THRIVEinEDU Podcast Here!

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How does a techy teacher navigate ChatGPT and AI?

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Guest post by Joe Warner, 2nd-grade teacher at West Lafayette Elementary School in West Lafayette, IN

@jdswarner – Twitter

I am what most refer to as a “Techy teacher.” I love most things edtech and pursue a lot of edtech use in my classroom. I have been so driven by edtech that I pursued a master’s degree from Purdue University in Learning Design and Technology. The program has really helped me develop stronger edtech tools and designs for my classroom. When someone needs help with tech in our school, they usually come to ask me. I am not saying this in a bragging sense, it is merely to give the background that I love technology and see its benefits to our daily lives as human beings, especially as teachers.

All that said, I have some reservations about AI and the newly discovered ChatGPT (which I have only read about, and not used). Let’s first start with AI. For me, AI is an easier topic to discuss. I use Google Assistant on my phone to prioritize my daily life. I have even used IFTTT in conjunction with my Google Assistant to create a verbal command system that would award points to table groups similar to the house points in Harry Potter. So there are some great benefits of AI. My only reservation is something that I read about in EdTech Magazine. The title of this article is Empowering Teaching and Learning with Interoperability written by Douglas Konopelko. Interoperability was a new term to me but I have since embraced it. Interoperability in short is the ability of various programs and software to talk and work with each other seamlessly. My frustration with this topic and AI is how little companies are trying to accomplish this. The Google, Microsoft, and Apple battle are well known. None of those companies seem to want to work together and share their systems to work with each other. The same can be said for EdTech. If we are to fully be able to use the systems we have in education, we need them to have interoperability. The companies behind them need to embrace this. The question then turns to, can AI help us in accomplishing this? I am writing this post hoping to seek the answer to this question. There is so much overwhelming data in education and we need systems that can easily combine all the pieces we need into one system that makes it easy for teachers to use.

This brings me to the next tricky subject, ChatGPT. I have not used ChatGPT. It is blocked in my school and I have no desire to use it at home. I keep coming across Twitter posts with articles discussing the benefits of ChatGPT in education and for educators. I am extremely cautious to embrace this. The biggest issue I have with ChatGPT is originality and authenticity. In the article How CHATGPT is fast becoming the teacher’s pet from Forbes, a teacher is quoted saying that he lets the students use ChatGPT to write their first draft of code for them. But if ChatGPT is writing the first draft of code, then how is it “their” code or program? Other uses for ChatGPT in this article discussed are writing emails, comments for students, and creating tables and charts to name a few. And sure, automating these processes do seem like they would make my life as a teacher more efficient. The struggle I have is how can we confirm originality with these processes. How can we ensure there will not be mistakes? Yes, we all know “Skynet” is not taking over but when will ChatBot perceive the student, parent, or teacher as a threat and send the wrong message home? And maybe this is because I have some control and trust issues with the processes of my own classroom.

Let’s circle back to our topic of interoperability. What role does AI or even ChatGPT play in this term? If ChatGPT can create charts and tables, can it then provide interoperability for the systems that we use in schools? Can it gather all of the data from all the sources we use and make reports for schools to use? I for one am tired of chasing down data, copying it from one source to another. Could ChatGPT and AI automate and streamline this process for me? There are systems out there like Class Composer which let us take all of our data and put it into one place. I am a teacher so I am not on the backend of the data dump but I do know, I have had to enter my student data into Class Composer. So what can be done to make this process easier and eliminate my need to enter the data? We all know how much time this will save. Can ChatGPT solve this issue for us?

In this evolving world, I am more than happy to embrace change and technology. There are great benefits to using technology in our lives, especially in the classroom. And we can forget to take the time to measure the value of technology in the classroom. Our efforts should be on interoperability. How are we going to push all these systems to work together? How can ChatGPT help with that? How can I be assured of trust in ChatGPT’s originality or authenticity? I am just a techy teacher trying to navigate this evolving world and embrace the new tech.

Sources:

Konopelko, D. (2020, July 9). Empowering Teaching and Learning with Interoperability. Technology Solutions That Drive Education. https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2020/07/empowering-teaching-and-learning-interoperability.

Whitford, E. (2023, March 27). How CHATGPT is fast becoming the teacher’s pet. Forbes. Retrieved March 28, 2023, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawhitford/2023/03/25/how-chatgpt-is-fast-becoming-the-teachers-pet/?sh=39c665de5177

**Interested in writing a guest blog for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

************ Also check out my THRIVEinEDU Podcast Here!

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Learning to Code with VinciBot

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

This post is sponsored by Matatalab, Opinions expressed are based on my own experience

During the past year, we have been exploring a lot of new products as we work on our coding skills in my eighth-grade STEAM class. My students really enjoy trying out different tools to find something that matches their interests and that gives them opportunities to build their coding skills. We also take opportunities to try tools that are geared toward younger students as well, to better understand how students can develop coding skills and the benefits. It also helps to spark interest in coding, which is an in-demand skill for the future. 

Sometimes, students hesitate to get started with coding because of a fear of not understanding how to write the code, or troubleshooting if the code does not work. However, with the different options and resources available through Matatalab, my students have really enjoyed the experience and are excited to dive right in.

Matatalab is a company that specializes in developing educational coding products for young children. What I love about using them is that their products are designed to teach early learners the fundamentals of programming in a fun and engaging way through interactive and hands-on learning experiences. It is not all about the technology, Matatalab offers screen-free coding and also comes with cards to teach students about the coding steps.  They offer a range of products that are suitable for different age groups and skill levels, from preschoolers to elementary school students and older.

Through the various products available, educators are able to provide opportunities for students to learn about coding, even at an early age as young as 3! Last year I started exploring the Tale-Bot Pro which makes it easy for kids to get started on their own and build their knowledge whether at home or school.

The VinciBot

The newest product from Matatalab is the VinciBot which is aimed at slightly older children, ages eight and above. Matatalab products are designed to be intuitive and easy to use. The coding blocks are color-coded, making it simple for students to understand the different types of commands and functions. This helps to make the learning process more accessible and enjoyable, especially for students who may be intimidated by traditional coding methods. By programming the robot, students can develop their problem-solving skills and spatial awareness and have fun working together to explore coding and the world of robotics! 

When I brought it into school, my students were lining up to be the first to explore it!  VinciBot is the new and maybe even one of the most popular coding products from Matatalab. It is a versatile and interactive robot that is designed to teach the basics of coding in a fun and engaging way. VinciBot can be controlled using a range of programming languages, including Scratch, Python, and the MatataCode App. With these options, it provides each student with a way to engage in coding at a pace that is comfortable and supports them as they build their skills and confidence in coding.

[creating a program for VinciBot]

Features

The VinciBot comes with everything you need to provide an engaging learning experience for students. There is a challenge booklet with 18 challenges for students to explore.  The VinciBot is equipped with interactive sound, light, and movement effects and has 8 sensors. There are 21 musical instrument sounds, an LED matrix, and an LED RGB light structure. The infrared and ultrasonic sensors allow it to navigate its surroundings and interact with the environment. Students can program VinciBot to complete a variety of actions including dancing and can even program it to sing Happy Birthday!   VinciBot also offers the opportunity for students to explore artificial intelligence (AI) through its AI-based teaching scenarios and gameplay.  This is a great benefit, especially with the increased interest in getting started with AI, coding, and STEM, having one resource that can provide it all is a great opportunity. The Tiny Machine Learning of VinciBot is available even without the Internet in the classroom. Students will have programmed with the AI data and trained the robot before and perform their program in a non-internet environment. The Tiny ML enables students to go through the whole process by learning about model creation, data acquisition, training, and development to then programming. Engaging in this ongoing learning journey helps them to develop a much greater understanding of AI at their own pace and in their own way. 

Learn more through their video tutorials and the overview of the VinciBot in action. 

Accessibility

The coding program is available in multiple languages, making it more accessible to a wider audience. This allows children from different countries and backgrounds to learn to code using their native language. Additionally, the programming blocks are designed to be easily understood by young children, regardless of their level of literacy or cognitive ability, promoting inclusivity and accessibility for all.

[Students can select the language for coding, making it more accessible for all students as they build language skills and coding skills together!]

One of the key benefits of VinciBot is that it is designed to grow with the student. As they become more proficient in coding, students can use more advanced programming languages to control VinciBot and develop increasingly complex programs. This means that VinciBot can provide years of educational value for children of all ages.  

​​

Extra features

The VinciBot is also compatible with LEGO bricks and other products, making it possible to even combine robots together for a larger project or a robotics competition!  Students are so creative and can problem solve and collaborate to design a solution to a challenge or work with design thinking in the classroom.

Benefits of coding

In addition to learning to code, students develop many other skills that are essential for future success. It fosters the development of social-emotional learning (SEL) skills, building self-awareness as students learn to code and evaluate their growth. It fosters self-management as students set goals and problem solve and deal with challenges that can come with coding. Students build relationships as they work with one another to create, while also building skills in communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. 

Why explore Matatalab?

Matatalab products promote hands-on learning and encourage creativity and imagination. Students can use the coding cards to think about the steps in the coding process or use the remote to drive the robot. Once logged in, students are able to create their own programs. Being able to explore their own ideas and interests helps to foster a love of learning and discovery. By encouraging creativity and imagination, Matatalab products help to prepare children for the challenges of the future.

By providing an intuitive and hands-on approach to learning programming, Matatalab products help to prepare our students for the challenges of the future. They are designed to be accessible and engaging for kids of all ages and skill levels. Whether you are a parent or an educator, Matatalab products offer a fun and effective way to introduce kids to the world of coding and programming.

About the Author

Rachelle Dené Poth is a Foreign Language and STEAM Educator at Riverview High School in Oakmont, PA. She is also an Attorney, Edtech Consultant, Speaker, and the Author of seven books about education and edtech. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @Rdene915

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Spring Ideas to bring STEM to your classroom!

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

By Rachelle Dené Poth, @Rdene915

As we continue to seek ways to best prepare students for the skills that they need to be successful in the future, it’s important that we are not afraid to take risks in our classroom by bringing new methods and different digital tools for our students. In looking at resources from the World Economic Forum and the Job Skills Outlook for 2025, for example, many of the skills that we’ve been talking about for years are still in demand and predicted to be even more essential in the future. Some of those skills include critical thinking and problem-solving, creativity, collaboration and communication, flexibility, resilience, leadership skills, and digital literacy. Deciding on methods to use or which digital tool to use in our classrooms can be a challenge sometimes, however, there are some easy ways to get started with STEM learning activities that provide many benefits for students.

Regardless of the grade level or content area, all teachers can bring in ​STEM-focused activities for students in a variety of ways. There may be concerns about a lack of teacher training, however, it just takes a little bit of time to become familiar with the technology or the concepts and then let students dive in and take the lead in learning. It is great when students teach us as well. It does not require us to be experts in all of these areas. We just need to find a few ideas and get started.

Why STEM Matters

Helping students to learn about STEM is important for their future success as many of the in-demand careers are in ​STEM-related fields. These careers will increase in demand and it is important that all students have opportunities to explore their interests in these areas. There are many benefits of learning about STEM including that it helps students to develop problem-solving skills, which is a valuable skill for any type of career. Students build collaboration skills when working with classmates to solve STEM challenges for example. These opportunities also spark curiosity as students become more engaged in learning, not just the content area but also learning more about the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. Providing STEM-related learning opportunities helps students to become more comfortable with taking some risks in learning and also shifts students from being consumers to creators and even innovators. ​

STEM also helps students to build social-emotional learning (SEL) skills. As students work through a learning activity, they build self-awareness in regard to their skills and their interests, self-management as they work through challenges, and develop persistence and resilience as they may face obstacles in learning. They also become better with time management as they plan their project-based learning​ (PBL)​ or need to meet a specific deadline for their work, depending on the methods used. Students build relationships as they collaborate with classmates and develop social awareness as they learn about one another or by exploring the United Nations’ ​S​ustainable ​Development Goals (SDGs) and learning about places and challenges being faced around the world. Decision-making skills are developed as they focus on their learning journey and make decisions and take greater ownership of their learning. Providing STEM activities helps students to become quite flexible in their learning as they have to continue to iterate and reflect on where they are in the learning journey.

Getting Started and Ideas to Explore

Finding the time to get started with ​STEM may present another challenge for teachers, especially with benchmarks that need to be met and specific curricula that must be followed. However, there are some different ways to bring STEM in even if it’s for a short term or as a class activity. 

  1. Start with a discussion about the various subjects of STEM and then encourage students to explore something related to their interests and share it with classmates. There are many online resources available and even educational programs and courses that can help students to learn about STEM subjects. It could be that they enroll in an online course or follow a tutorial and then create something to share in class. Hands-on learning is a great way to get students involved in STEM and that can require very little if any funding. 
  2. Think about the content that you are teaching and identify a real-world problem for students to solve or apply a STEM concept to it for a solution. Students can work individually or in small groups to come up with different solutions and then provide feedback to each other.
  3. Design ​h​ands-​o​n learning activities for students. Depending on the course you teach, it could be having students conduct an experiment in a science class, they could design a prototype for something, reconstruct a famous landmark from history or another course of study, and try to improve upon it using STEM concepts. Use the STEM challenges to connect students in the classroom and boost student engagement in learning.
  4. Bring in some digital tools and STEM materials. There are many digital tools available that not only provide students with opportunities to learn about STEM but also involve emerging technologies like artificial intelligence for example. We have been working with Marty the Robot, a humanoid that can be coded screen-free with color cards or using the app with text-based and block-based coding. This is another great opportunity to bring in STEM, PBL, and SEL and understand how AI is programmed. Also with the great choices focused on STEM and SDGs and more with iBlocks, students engage in learning that is authentic, meaningful, and personalized for them. Teachers have all of the materials they need to get started. Another option is Ozobot, a one-inch robot for teaching students about coding that is a favorite in my STEAM class. It can be used as a screen-free coding resource too!
  5. Think about cross-curricular collaboration. Finding time to bring in STEM activities can be done when collaborating with colleagues through cross-curricular collaborations. Find a common focus and have students apply their knowledge from these courses to design a project or work together with classmates to develop STEM and essential SEL skills.

Finding the Funding

Some of the challenges with bringing STEM into classrooms may include a lack of funding, depending on the type of resource that a school may want. Applying for grants or connecting with a local school or organization that offers a lending program or a library of resources that they share can be a great way to get started. Another suggestion is to obtain a few items and have students work in learning stations. Giving students a chance to explore multiple resources and then exchange ideas and reflect on their learning experience is also beneficial. When it comes to technology, not all schools may have access to the right devices, so finding a variety of resources to use that provide students with the opportunity to learn and engage with these tools is important. Also connecting subjects with other areas of the curriculum so that they see the real-world connection makes it more meaningful for students.

Another idea is to find guest speakers who can talk to students about STEM fields and the importance of these areas. In my school, we have access to a cohort that helps us find local organizations, technology companies, and local universities that offer resources or STEM-related learning opportunities for students.

The Benefits are Long-Lasting

Providing access to resources that equip students with the right information and opportunities to work at their own pace and explore based on their specific interests and needs is essential. Providing students with opportunities to engage in more student-driven learning through STEM-related activities will offer many benefits beyond just the content knowledge. It will prepare them for whatever the future holds and equip them with a variety of skills that will be adaptable to many areas of work and life.

About the Author:

Rachelle Dené Poth is an ed-tech consultant, presenter, attorney, author, and teacher. Rachelle teaches Spanish and STEAM: What’s nExT in Emerging Technology at Riverview Junior-Senior High School in Oakmont, PA. Rachelle has a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. She is a Consultant and Speaker, owner of ThriveinEDU LLC Consulting. She is an ISTE Certified Educator and currently serves as the past -president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network and on the Leadership team of the Mobile Learning Network. At ISTE19, she received the Making IT Happen Award and a Presidential Gold Award for volunteer service to education. She is also a Buncee Ambassador, Nearpod PioNear, and Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert.

Rachelle is the author of seven books and is a blogger for Getting Smart, Defined Learning, and NEO LMS. Follow Rachelle on Twitter @Rdene915 and Instagram @Rdene915. Rachelle has a podcast, ThriveinEDU https://anchor.fm/rdene915.

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New AI detection feature via Turnitin

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Over the last couple of months, it’s unbelievable how much has changed in the world of artificial intelligence (AI). For the last couple of years, I have spent time researching, writing about, presenting on, and teaching about AI in my classroom and continuing to learn as much as I possibly can each year. When ChatGPT became available to the public in December, I didn’t hesitate to dive in and explore exactly what it was capable of doing. I even co-wrote an article about its potential impact on not just education but other areas of work.

After about 3 hours, I was pretty impressed with what I was seeing. I was also a little bit concerned about what it could be used for, whether by educators, students, or anybody for that matter. ChatGPT and the evolving AI technologies are not something that will impact educators and students, it is something that will impact many areas of the workforce and jobs that are out there. A big concern that has come up during this ChatGPT exploration is plagiarism. How will educators be able to tell when students may be using ChatGPT to complete their assignments especially with something evolving as fast as this technology? Will students begin to rely on this technology and as a result, lose the opportunity to develop essential skills on their own? What policies may need to be in place? Is it plagiarism if it is not citing a specific source? These are some of the many questions on the minds of educators and parents.

Plagiarism detection

There have been plagiarism checkers available for years and many educators and educational institutions use them. In my own experience as a doctoral student now, and when I worked on my Master’s degree five years ago, assignment submissions go through a plagiarism checker instantly. Turnitin is one that has been used. Honestly, there have been times when I’ve been shocked to see the percentage that comes back stating the likelihood of plagiarism, knowing that I did not plagiarize. I work hard to cite my sources but apparently, something that I did was not completely accurate and I used it as a way to evaluate my writing and improve my citations. Now enter ChatGPT.

Three years ago, I helped to do some research for a blog post about GPT-3 and I was impressed with what it was capable of back in 2020. Fast forward to early December 2022, working with and exploring ChatGPT, I was amazed at how much it had evolved since 2020 and the number of ways that you could use it. It didn’t take long for educators and lots of people to express concern about what the impact of this type of powerful technology would have on student learning.

Would it lead students to lose learning opportunities?

Would they rely on everything that they found by using this, and lack skills that they need to be prepared for the future?

What should educators do when it comes to teaching about these technologies in the classroom?

How can you tell whether or not a student has used ChatGPT to complete an assignment or project and how do you handle it?

Learning opportunities

AI writing and the use of ChatGPT and other AI writing tools are increasingly common not only in business. Students are using it and know about it. There are high schools banning its use. Educators are worried it will erode writing skills. But is banning it the solution? Detecting the presence of artificial intelligence in a student’s writing is helpful, but I hope that it is focused not on catching them doing something wrong but rather to use it to improve writing. We should use it to start conversations with students.

Turnitin has been developing writing and feedback tools for educators for 25 years and has continued to refine the ways that teachers give feedback to students. Turnitin commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of 1,011 parents and/or guardians of high school students in the United States to understand their perceptions of AI writing tools like ChatGPT and Google Bard. Interestingly, 81% of respondents believe that teachers should use technology tools to detect when something has been written by AI to check homework or test answers to cut down on cheating.

On Tuesday, Turnitin released a new AI detection feature that has the ability to detect AI with 98% accuracy. They are also continuing to monitor the detection settings to watch for false positives. The new AI detection feature works like similarity checking. If something is noted, then teachers can look at the writing and provide feedback to students. It becomes a conversation and a learning opportunity for teachers and students about how to evaluate information and also for properly citing sources that have been used. The software should not be viewed as something that is set to accuse students of plagiarizing.

[image via Turnitin]

Also helpful is the sidebar with resources for educators to explore.

[Similarity report via the AI writing feature]

As educators, we have a responsibility to help our students to develop skills to navigate all of these changes that are happening in the world of education, and that may impact them in their future line of work.

Lessons to learn

I see this new feature as a way to provide information for teachers so they have data for analyzing student writing and providing further instruction and feedback, not as a tool for accusing students of misconduct. We want students to understand the importance of academic integrity while also learning about the tools available, including ChatGPT and other AI technologies. It is a way to also build literacy skills and stress the importance of evaluating our sources and checking information for accuracy.

Now what?

I recommend following the conversation about ChatGPT in the variety of educator spaces and communities. As for tools that detect plagiarism, explore the resources available to assist educators in integrating this new technology into their classrooms. The Turnitin page features a glossary of AI terms, which provides a useful reference guide for educators who are not yet familiar with the technical vocabulary associated with this technology. Additionally, there is a guide on updating an academic integrity policy in the age of AI, which is essential for ensuring that educators have a clear understanding of the ethical considerations surrounding AI-generated text.

And the best advice I can offer is to dive into trying out ChatGPT. Think about questions that you ask your students, projects that you have assigned, assessments that you’ve created, and lesson plans that you’ve written, and put all of those in as prompts. See what it generates and then regenerate the response a few times and look for commonalities. I test this out to see how similar the answers are and also check it for accuracy. I have explored this with my students as well because we know that not everything that we find on the Internet is accurate, which is why we have to embrace this and help students to learn to be digitally literate and model this practice for them.

This post was in collaboration with Pando PR. Opinions expressed are my own.

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Unfinished Business: A Different Peer Review Strategy

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Guest post by laura steinbrink, posted in education

EVERY ROSE HAS ITS THORN

This strategy is based on Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process, which has amazing potential even outside of its intended use. After reading her book on this process, I have been pondering ways to use this model with students of all ages, and with some restructuring according to the age or grade level of the student, I believe it is possible. To use this, students must be creating, writing, or have a product that is in progress or not complete, or maybe even a rough draft. Then, as students are in the process of creating, whether it be writing, artwork, research, project-based learning (PBL), presentation, etc., this process can help students refine their work with controlled peer feedback. There are three roles for this process, and if you have a small class, then you can do this whole group. For larger classes, you may need to conduct the process with the whole group as a model, and then break it up into smaller groups if necessary.

JUST LIKE EVERY NIGHT HAS ITS DAWN

The purpose of this strategy is not to “fix” the student’s work, but to provide questions to clarify areas that need more work and statements to point out strengths of the work in progress. This is actually the hardest part for me, as I am generally in “fix it” mode. This is also the part that needs to be addressed up front with the students the first time you do this with them. They are not to offer ways to fix any part that the creator is struggling with but to come up with questions to ask the creator about those issues that will help them come up with their own solution. In step 5 below, you could allow an opinion to contain a “here’s what I would do,” but the creator is still the one deciding whether or not to accept or act on those ideas.

JUST LIKE EVERY COWBOY SINGS HIS SAD, SAD SONG

What is particularly striking about this process or strategy is the potential for students to truly see that the process of creating is important, there’s usually more than one right way to do something, the class can truly be a learning community, and that revising work is a natural part of the creating process. Students often get into the rut of the “one and done” mode. We write a paper, create a product, paint a picture, and then turn it in and move on. This occurs even when we use our beloved rubrics. I have conducted workshops on how to effectively use rubrics, like the single-point rubric, and teachers have complained that they hand back a rubric and the student looks at it and tosses it in the trash. My question to all who have experienced this is, “Was there a grade on it?” If so, that’s the feedback the student wanted. No need to reflect. A teacher in my previous district pointed out that she handed back the rubrics and a student looked at it and crumpled it up, and that the student was my son. I asked him about it later, and he said, “It had a 100% on it. What did I need to look at or do with the rubric?” Right. No need to reflect at that point is a common student reaction. I encourage not putting grades on rubrics, instead, it is better to use them to guide instruction and feedback in the process of creating the work.

EVERY ROSE HAS ITS THORN

The Unfinished Business strategy can help students see that revising as we go is a common and productive practice. Research shows us that reflecting is a powerful learning strategy, so what better way to teach it than to have students reflect on feedback to find ways to improve and revise the work in progress? According to John Hattie and Helen Timperly, feedback is the “consequence of performance.” So to elicit strong feedback to help learners value the creation and revision process, try the strategy below and adjust as needed to fit your learners.

Role 1: Artist/Maker

Offers a work-in-progress for review and is prepared to examine the work critically in conversation with other people.

Role 2: Responder

Commits to the artist/maker’s intent to make excellent work. They question and respond to questions. They want the artist/maker to do their best work.

Role 3: Facilitator

Initiates each step, keeps the process and students on track, and works to help the artist/maker and responders frame useful questions and responses. The project rubric, if you have one, would be helpful here. Students can either form questions based on the criteria or you can have premade questions from the criteria that students can ask. Giving students a question to ask when first trying this or each time it is tried can really help get a productive conversation going. Those questions would be scaffolds for the responders. Most questions they will need to generate independently and need to be useful to the artist/maker.

Step 1: Artist/Maker shares the work in progress or a part of the work that they are struggling with or aren’t sure of at that moment in the creation process, or even after a draft or prototype has been completed.

Step 2: Responders then respond to what was meaningful, surprising, interesting, exciting, and/or striking in the work they have just witnessed, heard, read, etc. Each responder verbally or on a sticky note writes one positive response to the work. They cannot use “I like” or “I love” in the statement. Instead of saying/writing “I like the way you…” students write or say things like “Your thesis statement is strong and engaging” or “The color choice really complements the piece,” depending on the type of work being reviewed.

Step 3: The artist/maker then asks any questions they may have about the work. In answering, responders must stay on topic with the question and may only express opinions in direct response to the artist’s questions. This might be tricky, so after a practice round or two, determining a limit on the questions the artist/maker may ask might help with the facilitation. Time constraints in general mean that having the artist ask 1-3 questions would prevent the process from dragging on, which is important for the engagement of the responders. All responders should write down a response and the artist/maker can choose one or two to call on verbally. The artist receives all written responses also. On the same sticky note, (Use one or two per student responder for each session.)

Step 4: Responders write out neutral questions about the work on the same sticky note, and the artist chooses 1-3 students to ask their questions and then they respond to those questions.

Questions are neutral when they do not have an opinion added to them. This step is one of the most fundamental, challenging, and misunderstood steps of the Critical Response Process as noted by Liz Lerman. The questions are focused on anything unclear, confusing, complicated, or too simplistic about the work and should promote critical thinking among the responders. This part of the process is meant to provide the artist/maker with areas to consider for improving the work. The artist/maker has ultimate control over the end product, and responders are not there to “fix” the work, so they should not include solutions. The “fixers” in your classroom may struggle with this, so be prepared to help them suppress that instinct.

Step 5: (Optional-if time permits) Responders state opinions about the work in progress, given permission from the artist; the artist/maker considers the opinions but has the option to say no. Here is where you could include “fix it” ideas from those students who are your “fixers.” This round may be best if it is oral and not written down. The artist/maker calls on one or two responders, and again, the decisions lie with the artist/maker to accept one, some, all, or none of the proffered suggestions.

YEAH IT DOES

Students who are in the role of responder will still get a lot out of this process. The artist/maker will as well. This will provide the motivation to reflect on the work and then revise it. This is the beauty in this strategy for me, as there are times when getting students to review, edit, or revise their work is like Sisyphus rolling his rock up the hill each day. Again, revise this as needed for younger learners. This strategy can also promote an inclusive and safe learning environment when done properly (manage unhelpful criticisms), which can lead to students taking academic risks. Set up time in your pacing guide for this in place or in addition to any peer review feedback activities that are already built-in, and then do the strategy. It could work as a one-day weekly activity or as needed. The goal is for students to manage their own learning, and you will know you have achieved that goal when students start requesting the strategy to receive help with their work. Good luck, and tag me on Twitter or comment below if you find it useful.

Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2016). The Power of Feedback. Review of Educational Research. https://doi.org/10.3102/003465430298487

HEADINGS ARE PARTIAL LYRICS FROM EVERY ROSE HAS ITS THORN BY POISON.

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Bobby Dall / Bret Michaels / Bruce Anthony Johannesson / Rikki Rocket
Every Rose Has Its Thorn lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc

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How to Build Your Team

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Guest post from Henry Turner @turnerhj

Coalition Building is perhaps the most important step that you should be thinking about right now in building your DEI team. In Change the Narrative: Fostering an Antiracist Culture in Your School and the companion course Kathy Lopes and I discuss coalition building as an important part of strategic thinking.

As we planned our next “Change the Narrative” videos, I asked Kathy what topics she thought were the most important to cover. Without a pause, Kathy responded, “Coalition Building!”

So check out this video and build your team!

Why this Matters

Build a stronger coalition. Energize and develop the advocates of DEI initiatives. Resistance will form among some community members in dealing with any DEI initiative. In response to this resistance, we need to build up the voices of advocates for the work.

Build a broader coalition. Who are the groups that may not immediately jump on board with DEI work but may support some of the initiatives or changes you are advocating for? Find natural partners in this work.

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