Transcript

Welcome to BLaST the Airwaves with BLaST Intermediate Unit 17. Here at BLaST Intermediate Unit 17, we strive to transform lives and communities through educational services. On this podcast, we will provide you with educational solutions for all, no matter the learning environment. So teachers, administrators, caregivers, what are you waiting for?

What would happen if we started questioning, what if? What if we had a positive perspective on education? What if we flip the switch on education? What if we were the solution?

Hello listeners. Welcome back to season two of BLaST the Airwaves! We are excited to be back with you to provide educational solutions for all. My name is Rebecca Gibboney and I am the Coordinator of Professional Learning here at BLaST Intermediate Unit 17. This season, we will focus on providing solutions for caregivers as they navigate distance learning. So, let’s get started!

Dear Caregivers,

You might be a parent, a grandparent, a sibling, a community member, an aunt or uncle, a coach. Maybe even just a friend. You! Yes, you. I’m talking to you this season. This season is all for you. All about you. Because let’s face it, this pandemic, in the education world, is hitting you just as much as it is hitting our students and our teachers.

Three kiddos logging onto Zoom at the same time. Pivot. Your work phone ringing. Pivot. Oh no, your child forgot to mute their Zoom on their class session and now the whole class heard your whole work conversation. Come on, you know you have seen those commercials on social media.

It’s reality. It’s a crazy reality, but it’s reality.

So, this season, we hope to reach you, wherever you are. We hope to help you navigate distance learning and provide you the support needed to help your kiddo or kiddos in the virtual space. Why? Because you are not alone. You may not have the answers. We don’t have all the answers. Quite frankly, I’m not sure who has the answers right now. However, together I will tell you…we know a lot and we can help one another along the way.

Here’s the thing, we acknowledge that times are not ideal right now. School doesn’t look like it used to. It doesn’t look like it used to 20 years ago, 10 years ago, even a year ago. The way you were educated, is not how our students are being educated now. The times are changing.

But, one thing that has remained the same is teachers. The relationship, the mentorship, a teacher provides for a student does not go unnoticed. No matter the setting, our teachers show up every single day. No matter behind a screen or in brick and mortar, teachers are showing up. Teachers, administrators, districts, even communities, are finding ways, finding ways to make it happen. It truly does take a village.

Now, more than ever, it takes a village to build the future. That delicate future who we call our student or whom you call your son or daughter or grandchild or even friend. The fact that we have the power to change his or her life still remains. You have that power. That does not change, but we must work together during these times to find a way.

Everyone is trying their best. We cannot argue with that. We found a way during what some people call “quaran”teaching (aka when schools closed in March 2020) and we continue to find ways as a community to educate our children.

The fact of the matter is, it is what we do with our students or our children that matters. Maya Angelou once said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” In March 2020, we didn’t know better. We did our best. We did our best to find solutions. You did your best. We spent countless hours finding solutions until we knew better. And, now, we know better and we continue to do better.

Yet, we still aren’t perfect. Nothing about this is perfect. However, we continue to seek solutions, together as a community, as a Commonwealth, to do our best and do better. Like I said in season 1 for our educators, we are writing history. We are living in times that no one has ever lived in before. You are raising children in times no one has ever had to before. While, at the same time, we are reimagining education. We are learning from and creating more…we are creating better. How powerful is that?

There is no one size fits all. There is no “right way” and that is the tricky and frustrating part. There is no known, no guarantee. We know the unknown exists. We know disappointment happens. We know there are inequities and concerns. Again, I urge you that no one man (or woman) can find the solution alone. Together, we can. It’s not the school entity on one side and the caregiver side on the other. At least, it should not be.

It should be a partnership. Let the teacher teach; let the parent parent. No one ever said you had to be the teacher; you are the caregiver. What you can do though, is support the teacher. Support your child. Implement recommendations from your district. Trust when maybe you are just unsure… We can all help one another.

Things will get messy. Things are messy. But, I don’t know about you…but, messy seems to be my new normal and I’m learning to live with it.

Trust me, we will figure this out. We will get through this together because there is no other way. Our Educational Planning division always reminds one another here at BLaST Intermediate Unit 17 that we got your back. Having a stressful day? I got your back. Need a coffee run? I got your back. Need someone to keep you on track? I got you back.

Caregivers, I want to remind you. If you need help figuring out the basics of distance learning for your child? We got your back.

Caregivers, you need some guidance on the value or reading or math or wait time? Not even sure what guided practice means? Well, we got your back.

Perhaps, you just are not even sure what this all means or how to get started? Do not worry. We at BLaST IU 17, we have your back!

You are not sure how to navigate this or figure out all this scheduling. What is even going on? I bet there is someone in your community, outside of BLaST Intermediate Unit 17, that has your back.

And, this, this is exactly what season two of BLaST the Airwaves is all about!

Caregivers, we have your back!

We would like to thank you for blasting the airwaves with us today. If you like the show, please subscribe or leave a review. If you want to know more, check out www.iu17.org for further resources and show notes. As always, we want to thank you for what you do every single day. Remember, keep shining. We’ll be back next episode to provide you another educational solution for all, as we continue to transform lives and communities through educational services.

Additional/Suggested resources mentioned in the episode:

The Distance Learning Playbook by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie

Dana Vermilya – dvermilya@iu17org

BLaST Intermediate Unit 17 – www.iu17.org 

Professional Learning Opportunities at BLaST IU 17 – https://www.iu17.org/professional-learning/ 

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