Transcript

(00:03):
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, caretakers, 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?

(00:44):
Hello listeners, and welcome to BLaST the Airwaves. We are excited to be here with you today and provide educational solutions for all. My name is Rebecca Gibboney, and I am the Curriculum and Online learning specialist here at BLaST Intermediate Unit 17. And I’m thrilled to welcome you to episode one. Yes, you heard me episode one of BLaST the Airwaves. During this episode, we will empathize with one another around the dreaded day of school closures and start to change our mindsets on education in the distance learning environment. So, let’s start blasting the airwaves. Where were you when you first heard about school closures? It’s crazy to think about because it was so long ago, like six months or something, but really, for me, it feels like yesterday. I hate to say it because nothing right now is normal, but it almost feels like I’ve always been wearing a mask.

(01:42):
I’ve always been social distancing. We even clean off our groceries. I feel like I’ve always been doing this, taking all of those precautious measures. It almost feels normal. But for me, thinking back to March 13th (yes, Friday the 13th, 2020) that is when here at Northcentral Pennsylvania, our schools closed. I was actually on a staycation. And for some reason I felt like, I just needed to come back to work for the day. Yes, I was supposed to be in the Dominican Republic on a getaway, relaxing. But instead, here I was in Williamsport, Pennsylvania learning to relax. And I say learning to relax because I truly have to learn how to relax. And I’m sure some of you can relate. But remember that day, March 13th? Maybe you were a week before, maybe your school closed a week after, but just remember that day. How did you feel?

(02:41):
Shocked. Scared, terrified. I remember feeling so overwhelmed at first. I mean petrified the unknown. We were literally living and still are in the unknown. I had to get groceries. I had to get sanitizer. All we had was little bottles at home. I was starting to make my own. And for heaven sakes, I needed to find toilet paper. There were no, these things were nowhere to be found, but after all of that, I sat back and I felt somewhat of a relief. How’s that even possible? Like, what’s wrong with me? Did you feel it or was it just me? Because even though I was living in the unknown and again, absolutely petrified, I felt a pause. There was a pause in my life the first time in a long time where I could just breathe a little. I wasn’t so go, go, go. I had no choice, but to stay home. So let’s just breathe. Seriously, breathe right now, wherever you are. Take a second and just take a deep breath.

(03:49):
Because that breath, that breath, they felt back in March, it didn’t last too long because fast forward now everything is go, go, go. It’s back to go, go, go. How quickly that pause has become a fast forward button. And my Apple watch continually tells me now to breathe. I don’t even realize I’m holding my breath. It’s that whole fast forward, breathe, fast forward, breathe, fast forward. We are back to the races.

(04:18):
And we’re in education 2020. No one ever expected we’d be where we are today. This instant, this second. You didn’t, I didn’t, no one did, but we’re here. And you know what? It’s still scary, but we’re making it. We’re educators; and, that is what we do best. We make the most out of any situation. It’s just who we are. I continually challenge educators that I work with, what if? We truly are living in the world of what if. The question is, are you going to be that educator that looks at the glass half empty or the glass half full?

(04:58):
What if could be a negative spin or it could be a positive spin on. Of course, if you know me and maybe you feel like, you know, five minutes in almost you already feel like, you know me, I try to always take that positive spin. What if this is our year? What if this is your year? What if this is where we shift education because we are forced out of our comfort zone? What if our students blow our minds and exceed expectations? What if, because honestly, what are we basing everything on? Our perspectives? What are, where are we getting our assumptions? No one has ever experienced anything like this before. No one has taught in masks. No one has social distanced. No one has used as much hand sanitizer as we have. No one. We are writing history. Let me repeat that for you. We are writing history, and it’s pretty incredible.

(05:53):
So, before we start blasting the airwaves, we need to clarify three in education that was brought to my attention during a webinar with Douglas Fisher, it made me take a step, a step back, actually pause and think. You know that pause I was talking about. That pause among that fast forward and the checklist and the go go go. Because we educators, we have the power right now. We have the power to change. We have the power to change the education of the future, the power to lead by example, the power to rewrite the narrative.

(06:25):
So, misconception number one, Douglas Fisher mentioned that we need to change that narrative hat what we did in the spring is nothing like what we’re doing this fall. What we did in the spring is something called crisis teaching. We did what we had to do when we had to do do it. And the fear right now in society is that no one can blame anyone, because we know no different. Is that what we’re doing this fall is what we did last Spring. In fact, it’s going to be the complete opposite, because we are this Fall, intentional. We are more prepared than we were in the Spring. Even though sometimes we don’t feel as prepared, but we are. The goal is that we move from this crisis teaching, and we move to more of a collective form of instruction working together, collaborating, right? We change that narrative. It is not crisis teaching.

(07:19):
Misconception number two is that students cannot grow based on their research with Hattie, Fisher and Frey. They learned that the setting has actually no effect size on student learning. And if you don’t know what I’m talking about by effect size, check out, John Hattie’s work on visible learning. It has no effect size, the setting, hard to believe, right? I mean, yes, there are those outside factors regarding home life and internet access. They do have an impact, but the actual setting, where our students are learning, has no effect size. Instead, it’s also our decisions that we make as educators, as our students are collaborating. As we listen to them, think out loud and their thought process, as we reflect on our impact, we’re actually having on them. It is, educators, it is our decisions that we’re making, not the setting. Our students, they can grow.

(08:18):
Misconception number three. And, this was like an aha moment to me. I don’t know why, but it really was. You know, people keep saying teaching is easy. In the Spring educators, we were heroes. And now in the Fall, it’s almost like education is this whole controversial topic. Should students be face to face? Should they be in a hybrid setting? Should they be, how do we, how do we keep them safe? All of these things, and we’re not doing enough. That’s the thing. We’re not doing enough. Well, we are doing the best that we can do. And you know, teaching what Doug Fisher says is not easy, because it matters. And I always keep going back to my why, you know, Simon Sinek. I keep going back to my why and summing that completely up. You know, teaching is not easy because everything that we do matters. Every decision we make as educators matters. And that can be exhausting, but it’s because we pour our heart and soul into what we do. And that is why teaching is not easy because it matters.

(09:22):
And so, we need to acknowledge where we are. We need to change that narrative. We’re not doing crisis teaching. We are teaching, we are doing our art. Our students can grow and we will make sure of that. And teaching is, is easy. No, teaching is not easy because what I do, what we do, it matters. We need to acknowledge our failures, our struggles. We need to come together and discuss solutions. We need to be educators. We need to be the solution, not the problem. And thanks to Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie, my mindset has shifted. This podcast, this season, from September here until January, we will be focusing our book, sorry, focusing the podcast on their book, the Distance Learning Playbook from Doug Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie. Side note: If you do not have this playbook in your hands, it is an educator must. Find it. Amazon, Corwin, get your hands on it. And we’re going to discuss those different modules and takeaways that we’ve had. We’re going to feature some guest speakers and experts in the field here at our IU. And, we’re going to give you some solutions for all. Because after all, we cannot do this alone. We can do this. Just like I said, not alone. I can’t do this all by myself, but together we can do anything and we could rewrite education as we know it.
(10:58):
[inaudible]

(10:58):
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

Find Your Why by Simon Sinek, David Mead and Peter Docker

Start Today Journal – Rachel Hollis

BLaST Intermediate Unit 17 – www.iu17.org 

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

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