Teachers get innovative with NTI, still working through some kinks

April 13, 2020 | 12:13 am

Updated April 13, 2020 | 12:14 am

Though there was a bit of a learning curve in the beginning, teachers across the county have adapted Non-Traditional Instruction and are using a variety of methods to virtually deliver lessons to and interact with their students.

Some classrooms already had experience with virtual learning, but when schools closed for an extended period, it was a new test altogether for everyone involved.

“It’s the same in that we are teaching the same content,” said Hannah Ward, who teaches algebra at Apollo High School. “I feel like that’s the only thing that’s the same. You ask any teacher why they got into teaching and it’s probably to make a difference in kids’ lives, and we’re able to do that virtually but it’s a lot different than being able to see them face-to-face.

“You can’t see the confused looks on their face, you don’t get the hand raises, you don’t get to see those lightbulb moments that are going off in your classroom. So much is being taken away in this virtual experience. I think that’s the hardest part.”

Ward has been creating videos of herself as if she were teaching in her normal classroom and uploading them for the students to watch. She also uses a Edpuzzle, which creates an interactive video that occasionally stops and asks questions so it ensures the students are watching and learning from it.

Olivia Owen, a K-5 science teacher at Foust Elementary School, has taken a bit of a different approach with her young students.

Her second-graders were learning about erosion but hadn’t been able to see it. Owen saw an example of erosion in the street one day, so she took a video and uploaded it to their school Facebook page.

It was a hit, so she turned the makeshift science experiments into a 3-minute daily video lesson.

“Every day I do something from home with materials I already have,” Owen said. “I do a quick science experiment or just point out scientific concepts they do at home all the time — like putting lotion on your hands and trying to open something.”

For Trinity High School math teacher Christina Hawkins, the transition away from the classroom room was a fairly easy one to make. Many of their assignments were already internet-based, but Hawkins has also found ways to create a virtual classroom — whiteboard and all.

“I’m using a program that is a whiteboard that I can write on and it records your writing and records your voice. I use that app and I present my lesson like I would in class every day,” she said. “We’re also using Zoom, and with that I can actually turn the whiteboard over to them so they can write a question on it. That’s been really cool because we have the teacher-student back-and-forth.”

That interaction with the students is just as important as the lesson itself, according to Matt Madej, a theology teacher at Owensboro Catholic High School. Madej is trying to bring some sense of familiarity with his class, starting each session with a friendly video and a prayer before diving into the lesson.

“The real big focus is maintaining the relationships we have with the kids,” he said. “We are doing the best with the videos to provide some type of stability. We’re in uncharted territory — everybody is.”

All four teachers said there are a variety of obstacles that still must be overcome, so there is still plenty of fluidity and flexibility in working with their students.

Some students — and teachers — have limited or no access to the internet. Some students are having to care for siblings with parents still working full-time jobs. There are also countless distractions at home, even with nearly everything else closed due to the coronavirus.

“I am trying to get (the daily workload) down to 30 minutes a day and give them two days to do it because I know they have so much going on right now and their anxiety I’m sure is higher than it was,” Ward said. “I try to be understanding that it is going to take a little longer to do their work than it would in the classroom.”

Owen said she’s somewhat lucky in having younger children because they aren’t as distracted by what is going on around them.

“I think it’s going really well considering the circumstances,” she said. “I think it is easier teaching elementary because the older ones want to get out and be social and they can’t. So I bet it’s harder for the teenagers than it is the little guys.”

Hawkins said one of the biggest struggles in Whitesville has been staying in communication with everyone. Many students live in areas that don’t have great service, so she has to get paper copies to their houses. Even the ones with internet may now be sharing one computer among the family, so they have to take turns doing work.

“In education, teachers have to think on their feet a lot to try and solve problems,” Hawkins said. “I wouldn’t say it was a super smooth transition, but I think we are starting to get everything worked out and how to connect with all kids.”

Madej said luckily, there hasn’t been much decline in the quality of work. He thinks that’s in part because the students accept they still need to learn, and they are willing to do what they can to regain some sense of normalcy.

“Not that they would admit this out loud, but I bet if you had a one-on-one conversation with them, most of them would say they crave structure they are used to,” Madej said. “They accept there are still expectations. They know they need to still be learning. It shows that even with bizarre circumstances they are still pushing through and doing their best. I am thoroughly impressed with the students and how they are dealing with this.”

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April 13, 2020 | 12:13 am

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