Podcasts about Schoology

 Did learning management systems make teaching easier during the pandemic? Surprisingly, our study found that teachers using these systems, like Canvas and Schoology, reported higher levels of burnout, rather than relief. Instead of replacing old tasks, these platforms often added extra work, requiring teachers to submit lesson plans in both paper and digital formats. To truly support educators, schools must ensure that new technologies streamline workloads rather than increase them. 

Melton Littlepage is a seasoned marketing executive with over two decades of experience driving innovation, creating new categories, and accelerating growth in the technology sector. Currently the Chief Marketing Officer at 1Password, Melton previously held the same role at Outreach, where he led comprehensive global marketing teams to enhance brand presence and revenue generation. His prior leadership roles include transformative contributions at Tenable in cybersecurity, New Relic in software analytics, Schoology in edtech, and Concur, a multi-billion dollar global B2B SaaS leader. His expertise spans strategic communications, brand management, demand generation, and customer engagement across diverse domains.1Password is a secure password management tool that helps individuals and businesses store, manage, and use passwords and sensitive information safely. It features strong password generation, secure storage, encrypted data protection, and cross-platform accessibility. Ideal for personal and enterprise use, 1Password supports secure credential sharing, password hygiene monitoring, and integration with business tools, offering a user-friendly solution for enhancing digital security.On today's show, Alan and Melton discuss 1Password and its role in the cybersecurity space, exploring how Melton differentiates the brand. They explore 1Password's strategic move into the golf industry through the Presidents Cup and the potential power of sports marketing. Melton shares his approach to crafting marketing strategies for both B2B and B2C audiences. They end by examining how trends like Formula 1's resurgence and the popularity of longform podcasts are shifting the way we should think about marketing.In this episode, you'll learn:The strategy behind a bold marketing move Insight on how to successfully pitch a new strategyHow Formula 1 and longform podcasts are reshaping the way we approach marketingKey Highlights:[01:11] Personal story: Fear of heights[04:05] Career path to 1Password[11:42] What is going on in the cybersecurity industry[13:56] How 1Password is approaching security[16:33] Differentiating within industry[19:19] Recent sports marketing move with golf [24:12] The pitch [27:04] An experience from your past that defines you[29:08] Advice to your younger self[30:32] A topic that marketers need to learn more about: Mapping your buyers journey[33:04] Trends or subcultures others should follow: Formula 1 movement[36:00] Largest opportunity or threat to marketers today: Longform podcastLooking for more?Visit our website for the full show notes, links to resources mentioned in this episode, and ways to connect with the guest! Become a member today and listen ad-free, visit https://plus.acast.com/s/marketingtoday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this shortened post-TURKEY DAY EPISODE, we review the week that was for November 25, 2024, preview the upcoming week, and explain were the Unit Test Review Activities are in Schoology.

AMDG. In the 200 episodes since we rebooted the Kolbecast, we've heard from a lot of significant voices. In this episode, we hear from two of the most significant Kolbeans: our students. Ninth graders Noah (who does a hybrid of self-paced and online classes) and Caleb (who does all online) visit with Bonnie and Steven, where the real-life long-distance friends share about their typical school days, their happy and cautionary memories, the lessons they're learning about both diligence and rest, the effort they invest in their education and formation, and the things they like to do when they're not working on school.  Noah and Caleb utilize Kolbe offerings in different ways. Here's more information about the three ways to educate with Kolbe Academy.   To hear the talks given at the 2024 Call to Holiness Retreat, check out this YouTube playlist. Speakers include Fr. Robert Spitzer, Msgr. James Shea, Mr. Dan Angel, Fr. Charles Archer, and Sr. Mary Rose  Relevant Kolbecast episodes:  123 A Change of the Ages with Msgr. James Shea  195 Greatness Awaits with Bobby & Dan Angel  196 Adaptable Asynchronous & Dynamic Digital Homeschool Options  60 Mission: Possible   99 Gifted, Graced, and Formed  5 Planning on Paper and Online  Kolbe families can utilize the Schoology directory to contact each other. Here's information from the Kolbe website's help center.   Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you'd like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.  We'd be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!  The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles).  Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast! 

This week's guest is Brent Chudoba. Brent lives in Charleston, SC and has been the CEO of Biteable since February 2020. Prior to Biteable, he was COO at Calendly, COO/CFO at Thrive Global, COO at PicMonkey, Board Director at Schoology, and CRO at SurveyMonkey where he joined at as an early employee. Before his operating career, Brent was an investor at Spectrum Equity investors and an investment banking and hedge fund analyst. Brent attended Columbia University. When he's not working on software businesses, he spends his time chasing around his three young boys on the beach or the soccer field.  --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/uncharted1/support

Our guests zero in on how to use teaching strategies we already know in new ways that yield better results. I see, I think, I wonder, and the six-word story are among the familiar strategies they leverage in effective new ways. They highlight the versatility of these strategies across different subjects and age groups. Follow on Twitter: @ISTEofficial @mrhooker @drjennparker @k_grunow @hickstro @jonHarper70bd @shellthief @hyphenatic @bamradionetwork #ISTE20 #ISTEturns40 #edchat #edtech #edtechchat Jennifer Parker, Ed.D. is a Faculty Development Coordinator at the University of Florida. With over 30 years in education, she spent her last 15 years as an Instructional Technology/School Data Consultant for Macomb Intermediate School District. She is an adjunct faculty for Central Michigan University's Master of Arts in Learning, Design, & Technology, an ISTE Recognized Program. She has collaborated on hundreds of educational websites and online courses, most notably as co-creator of the 21things4 sites. She is recognized as a leader in connecting standards to best practices in educational technology and has led many state initiatives. Kate Grunow has been in education for over a decade as a K-12 digital media specialist and English teacher. She currently serves 130,000 students and over 10,000 teachers in metro Detroit. She is one of the co-creators of the 21 Things 4 project and a presenter at local, state, and national conferences on topics such as blended learning, free technology tools, learning management platforms, and digital-age teaching and learning. She is the Schoology implementation lead for Macomb ISD where she has trained over 3,000 teachers on Schoology basics and tech best practices during COVID-19. Learn more about Kate at kategrunow.com Dr. Troy Hicks is a professor of English and education at Central Michigan University, where he serves as Chair of the Department of Teacher and Special Education. He also directs the Chippewa River Writing Project, a site of the National Writing Project, and collaborates with K–12 colleagues to explore how they implement newer literacies in their classrooms. Dr. Hicks speaks regularly at conferences, workshops, and webinars and has authored dozens of resources, including books, articles, chapters, blog posts, and other media broadly related to the teaching of literacy in our digital age.

Discover the keys to fostering your child's academic triumph in this illuminating podcast episode featuring esteemed authors Dr. Wallace Panlilio II and Artyom Zinchenko, PhD. As the minds behind "Wisest Learners (Parent Edition)," they delve into the intricacies of student motivation from a parent's perspective, emphasizing the pivotal role of role modeling in nurturing encouragement. Join us as we explore the nuances of discussing academic success with children and unravel the secrets to fostering a lifelong love for learning. Dr. Wallace Panlilio II, armed with a Doctorate in Educational Psychology, specializes in online learning, best educational practices, and parenting. His extensive knowledge, gained at the renowned University of the Philippines, forms the foundation for insights that bridge the gap between theory and practical application. Artyom Zinchenko, PhD, a distinguished author and cognitive neuroscientist, brings his expertise to the conversation, drawing from his research at the Max Planck Institute for Cognitive Human and Brain Sciences. Delving into emotions and cognitive conflict processing, his perspectives offer a unique lens through which parents can understand and support their child's educational journey. Tune in as we unlock the secrets to nurturing the wisest learners and set your child on a path to academic success.   Catch the FULL video and episode by supporting the show on Patreon.    Attention educators! Say goodbye to traditional grading tools and embrace the future of assessment with Gradient by GradeCam – a comprehensive solution designed to elevate your teaching experience!  

Love the podcast? Consider supporting the show here at Patreon.  Data often gets a bad rap... for reasons that are completely justified! But we have long sang the praises of data—if used and understood correctly.  In this podcast, Jacob walks through an overview of what data is (and isn't), how to think about it, and ultimately, how to use it to empower your teams and your teaching.    Attention educators! Say goodbye to traditional grading tools and embrace the future of assessment with Gradient by GradeCam – a comprehensive solution designed to elevate your teaching experience!  

Hello everyone! Data in the classroom has become a buzzword that doesn't have a lot of buzz anymore for teachers. It's often seen as a punitive way to make educators feel like failures—and worse—make kids feel like learning is just percentages to move up on a chart. To really examine what data is supposed to be in the class, and give a fresh perspective on how it can effectively transform your classroom into a positive learning environment, I have brought back my good friend, Jen Kleiber. If you missed part 1, check it out here.  Jen is a coach, speaker, author, and educator focused on student growth. Her work in Texas has worked to transform classrooms in significant ways, and her perspectives have helped educators embrace the tools that lead to effective teaching. Her book, Building a Bridge From “I Can't” to “I Did!” is on sale now at a discounted price. Check out her FREE data one page wonder here.   You can watch the entire discussion by supporting the show on Patreon here.        Attention educators! Say goodbye to traditional grading tools and embrace the future of assessment with Gradient by GradeCam – a comprehensive solution designed to elevate your teaching experience!  

Hello everyone! Data in the classroom has become a buzzword that doesn't have a lot of buzz anymore for teachers. It's often seen as a punitive way to make educators feel like failures—and worse—make kids feel like learning is just percentages to move up on a chart. To really examine what data is supposed to be in the class, and give a fresh perspective on how it can effectively transform your classroom into a positive learning environment, I have brought back my good friend, Jen Kleiber. Jen is a coach, speaker, author, and educator focused on student growth. Her work in Texas has worked to transform classrooms in significant ways, and her perspectives have helped educators embrace the tools that lead to effective teaching. Her book, Building a Bridge From "I Can't" to "I Did!" is on sale now at a discounted price. Check out her FREE data one page wonder here.    You can watch the entire discussion by supporting the show on Patreon here.      Attention educators! Say goodbye to traditional grading tools and embrace the future of assessment with Gradient by GradeCam – a comprehensive solution designed to elevate your teaching experience!  

Wellness in educational spaces has become a trend that, while important, often falls flat in practice.That may be because teachers and administrators tend to forget that they have to actually make use of the time and tools given. Refilling your proverbial cup is the only way to ensure personal success and success for those in your charge. Good quality teaching is dependent on you being consistently rested and regulated for the classroom day. Similarly for administrators who balance many different types of duties daily, being well-rested and well-regulated is key to building a campus culture conducive to academic, emotional, and social success. Consider using the 8-8-8 rule and an Eisenhower matrix to prioritize tasks. The 8-8-8 rule divides your day into 8 hours of work, 8 hours of sleep and 8 hours of personal time spent on self-care, friends, family, hobbies, etc. An Eisenhower matrix can help you decide whether a task has to be done now, can be scheduled for later or delegated. With practice, these tools will become a natural part of your daily planning. Once you have a general idea of how you will prioritize your tasks, do these 5 things to ensure that you get the most out of your day without constantly working over a healthy capacity: 1. Decide how many hours you will work in a week. And then keep to it. My magic number was 45. 2. Delegate. Empower students. Have them manage the objective board, attendance, station timers and anything else that will give them a sense of ownership and responsibility. 3. Co-create with your students. For example, using student created review and test prep materials on Edpuzzle or Quizlet can build student confidence, skill, and capacity; and save you teacher time. 4. Stop using paper. Using an LMS like Google Classroom (or Canvas or Schoology if your district is so inclined) saves time and resources. Copier broken? Out of paper? No name papers? Make-up work? Put it all online. Create digital worksheets. Better yet, pay a niece, nephew or other older tech savvy student in your circle to do it for you. The time you take to do this ONCE will save you time all year so you can use you planning time to plan--and maybe even go to the restroom. 5. Go outside. This seems like a waste of time BUT ⁠research⁠ tells us that natural light boosts concentration, mood, energy and helps alleviate eye fatigue and headaches that come with florescent and computer screen lighting.  Putting in long hours can feel rewarding, but if you aren't being smart about balancing that work time with other activities, you'll suffer and so will the students and staff you serve. If you love what you do and love who you are doing it for, love them enough to practice work-life balance in earnest. Yes, some ‘important' things may go undone, they sometimes do. But rest and recharging do not belong on the "do it tomorrow" list. Ever.     --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hedreich/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hedreich/support

In this episode, we are exploring ways to set up your Learning Management System (LMS) effectively and efficiently to optimize course organization and learning for your students. We'll go over tips, strategies, and ideas for setting up your LMS, whether it is Brightspace, Canvas, Schoology, Google Classroom, or something else.If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don't miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!Featured Content**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/56**Use your LMS, even if you are fully face-to-faceLayout and Homepage:This is your doorway into your virtual classroomEasy navigation - minimize the links to the essentialsLink all of your other tools within the content areaInclude contact info on homepageAnnouncements Brightspace Part 1 and Brightspace Part 2 episodesOrganization:Embed third party tools (EdPuzzle, Google Slides, YouTube videos, etc) into your content areaLink in Google Docs when it makes senseUse consistent naming & numbering systems (reduces cognitive load)Folders - units, weeks, whatever works best for youUse your announcements to lay out weekly expectationsInclude student voice in planning and organizationInclude visuals and make it look pretty - design is important (consistent fonts, icons, emojis, etc to reduce cognitive load and increase engagement)It's okay to set up your LMS to meet your needs, just make sure you create an intro video to help your students navigate it - Screencastify is great!Canva is a great tool for design - Canvas Banner, Canvas Button, Google Classroom Header (also a Style Your LMS category available)Inclusion Ideas:Include important cultural celebrations Add your personality - Bitmoji or GIPHY is great and integrated into CanvaHave students design your classroom banners - include languages represented in your classroom tooDesign With Canva YouTube channelA Scary Suggestion:A little bit of basic coding (HTML and CSS) goes a long way!Code Academy (look under Web Development)This helps with interactive elements in your LMS - buttons, flipcards, etc.Final Advice:Use student-friendly language to increase accessibilitySupport the showConnect with EduGals: Twitter @EduGals Rachel @dr_r_johnson Katie @KatieAttwell EduGals Website Support the show

فى هذه الحلقة سوف نتحدث مع جواش شنج مدير خدمات Tutor.com ، استمع للتعرف على امكانية استخدام موقع خدمات الدروس الخصوصية . يمكن للطلاب استخدام هذه الخدمة 24 ساعة فى اليوم 7 ايام فى الأسبوع بغيى حدود. هذه خدمة مجانية للعلئلات. يمكن للطلاب الوصول للموقع عن طريق Schoology , يمكن للطلبة استخدام الموقع فى أى وقت و من أى مكان و لمعظم المواد الدراسية. الدروس الخصوصية هي تعليمات مركزة يتم تقديمها للطلاب بتنسيق فردي (صوت و / أو محادثة نصية). This episode features, Joash Chung, manager of Tutor.com. Listen to learn about the features and accessibility of this online tutoring service. Students have unlimited access to this 24 hour a day, 7 days a week, on-demand service. There is no cost to families. It's accessed through Schoology and parents can monitor the sessions. Students can connect online any time, any place, and in most K-12 subjects. Tutoring is focused instruction provided to students in a one-on-one format (voice and/or text chat). https://www.fcps.edu/resources/online-tutoring-services

AMDG.  After making the choice to homeschool, it can be difficult to admit when hard days arrive.  After all, we signed up for this, right?  It's easy to forget that every road comes with bumps and leads to blisters sometimes.  As the school year stretches on and the excitement of the holidays dissipates, Therese Prudlo, Amanda Hayes, and Krysten Pizzurro share their experiences with burnout: what it is, what it feels like, what it tells us we need, and what can make it better.  The group discusses ways to address and mitigate burnout, the reassurance of community and vulnerability, the importance of asking for help when you need it, and the power of silence and rest. Related Kolbecast episodes: 61 Middle Ground with Amanda Hayes and Alex Pischke 124 In This Together and 125 Call the Advisor with Krysten Pizzurro, Karen Allgood, and Erica Treat 36 Embrace the Fifth Day and 37 Take a Moment with Therese Prudlo 29 The February Staredown Other resources: This blog post about mottoes might be helpful right about now. Schedule a call with your Kolbe advisor. How to connect with Kolbe families via the Schoology directory org Help Center Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic education. Using the filters on our website, you can sort the episodes to find just what you're looking for. If you listen to the Kolbecast via a podcast app/player, we'd be so grateful to you for leaving a rating and review. That helps us reach more listeners. However you listen, please spread the word about the Kolbecast! What questions do you have about homeschooling, the life of faith, or the intersection of the two? Send your questions to podcast@kolbe.org and stay tuned for answers. You may hear them answered in an upcoming Kolbecast episode! Interested in Kolbe Academy's offerings? Visit kolbe.org

AMDG.  Kolbe offers an array of options for types of learning: fully homeschool, fully online, and two in-the-middle offerings called self-paced and self-paced plus.  We focus on those middle options today with Chrissy Almanzar and Everett Buyarski.  What is a self-paced online course?  What's the “plus” in self-paced plus?  How do both options help take a load off parents, increase engagement for students, and maintain flexibility while providing a lot of access to content?  Listen and find out. Relevant Kolbecast episodes & other links: Recordings from Kolbe's recent open house 113 At the Kolbe Table 58 Mystery Machines (describes Kolbe's tech tools including Schoology, the learning management system) 87 Home Base 38 Pro Omnibus Contendit The Kolbecast has covered a lot of ground in its 100+ episodes. Our website's new filters make it easy to find episodes organized by topic. Head to Kolbe.org/podcast and scroll down to choose episodes on a particular subject or to see the entire catalog of episodes. What questions do you have about homeschooling, the life of faith, or the intersection of the two? Send your questions to podcast@kolbe.org and stay tuned for answers. You may hear them answered in an upcoming Kolbecast episode! Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast app and never miss an episode. If you have a moment to leave a ratings and review, that will help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. Interested in Kolbe Academy's offerings? Visit kolbe.org.

In this blast from the past, Katie and I explore the ways to set up your Learning Management System (LMS) effectively and efficiently to optimize course organization and learning for your students. We reviewed tips, strategies, and ideas for setting up your LMS, whether it is Brightspace, Canvas, Schoology, Google Classroom, or something else.If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don't miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!Featured Content**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/56**Use your LMS, even if you are fully face-to-faceLayout and Homepage:This is your doorway into your virtual classroomEasy navigation - minimize the links to the essentialsLink all of your other tools within the content areaInclude contact info on homepageAnnouncements Brightspace Part 1 and Brightspace Part 2 episodesOrganization:Embed third party tools (EdPuzzle, Google Slides, YouTube videos, etc) into your content areaLink in Google Docs when it makes senseUse consistent naming & numbering systems (reduces cognitive load)Folders - units, weeks, whatever works best for youUse your announcements to lay out weekly expectationsInclude student voice in planning and organizationInclude visuals and make it look pretty - design is important (consistent fonts, icons, emojis, etc to reduce cognitive load and increase engagement)It's okay to set up your LMS to meet your needs, just make sure you create an intro video to help your students navigate it - Screencastify is great!Canva is a great tool for design - Canvas Banner, Canvas Button, Google Classroom Header (also a Style Your LMS category available)Inclusion Ideas:Include important cultural celebrations Add your personality - Bitmoji or GIPHY is great and integrated into CanvaHave students design your classroom banners - include languages represented in your classroom tooDesign With Canva YouTube channelA Scary Suggestion:A little bit of basic coding (HTML and CSS) goes a long way!Code Academy (look under Web Development)This helps with interactive elements in your LMS - buttons, flipcards, etc.Final Advice:Use student-friendly language to increase accessibilitySupport the show

Chromebooks are getting their own screencasting app, you can now select multiple sections of text in Google Docs, Flipgrid made some changes to how topics and topic titles work, you can embed TikTok videos in OneNote, and, finally, students can now use the Immersive Reader in Schoology.   VIEW THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE - youtube.com/watch?v=n4B0c6CByh0   TODAY'S CONTENT:   Segment #1 - Chrome OS Screencast App “The Anywhere School 2022” - https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/theanywhereschool-overview “Control Alt Achieve: Introducing Google Screencast for ChromeOS” - https://www.controlaltachieve.com/2022/06/introducing-google-screencast-for.html “Eric's YouTube Video - Introducing Google Screencast for ChromeOS” - https://youtu.be/hHyPcIHvlxo   Wacom Contest   Segment #2 - Multiple Text Selections in Google Docs “Take action on multiple text selections in Google Docs” - https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2022/05/multiple-text-selections-in-google-docs.html   Today's Sponsor: Shake Up Learning   Segment 3 - Changes to Flipgrid topics and titles Justin Chando's tweet where I learned of this change - https://twitter.com/justinchando/status/1523053040881729536   Support the Show reminder   Segment 4 - Embed TikTok videos in Microsoft OneNote Mike Tholfsen's tweet where I learned about this - https://twitter.com/mtholfsen/status/1534540886805164032?s=12   Segment 5 - Microsoft's Immersive Reader in Schoology “Introducing Immersive Reader for PowerSchool Unified Classroom Schoology Learning” - https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/education-blog/introducing-immersive-reader-for-powerschool-unified-classroom/ba-p/3299227   Segment 6 - Using the Date Chip in Google Docs DAD JOKE TIME!   HELP SPREAD THE WORD! Share about The EdTech News Brief in your favorite staff lounge or social media platform! If you dig the show, head over to Apple Podcasts, Podchaser, or another podcast review platform and review it! Share about the show with the hashtag #TheEdTechNewsBrief!   Follow The EdTech News Brief wherever you listen to audio! Tune into The EdTech News Brief on YouTube!   FEEDBACK! You can ask your questions or make comments! Let your voice be heard. Email JakeMillerTech@gmail.com Use my Speakpipe Page - speakpipe.com/eduducttape

Welcome to "Ask the Tech Coach," a podcast for Instructional Coaches and Technology Integration Specialists. In this episode of “https://www.teachercast.net/episodes/ask-the-tech-coach/ (Ask the Tech Coach),” Jeff and Susan welcome several tech coach colleagues from around the country If you would like to be a part of future podcasts and share your thoughts, https://www.teachercast.net/podcastguestform (please contact the podcast).  We would love to have you join the show. Join the TeacherCast Tech Coaches Network! Are you a Tech Coach or looking to become one this year? Are you searching for support in your position? The https://www.teachercast.net/TCNForm (TeacherCast Tech Coaches Network), is a dynamic Professional Learning Network designed specifically for Tech Coaches and designed to provide weekly support for all Instructional Coaches. https://www.teachercast.net/TCNForm (Click Here to Join!) Question of the Week Our favorite part of recording a live podcast each week is participating in the great conversations that happen on our live chat, on social media, and in our comments section. This week's question is: What is the difference between coaching in elementary vs coaching secondary buildings? ISTE Podcast “The Edge” Brand new ISTE “The Edge Podcast” has launched. Listen today on https://open.spotify.com/show/6OyTd6PS1QDzi2RjoK5X4H?si=24cf7ef7879e46d8 (Spotify!) Coaching Elementary vs Coaching Secondary “Our department is going through a district realignment. Our coaches are being asked to coach at the secondary level.  What is the secondary world like? Do I use similar strategy to get into teachers classrooms as I do now?” Relationships across the board. Make them comfortable coming to you no matter what grade level. Remember Technology integration is the same basic concept. As the coach you are not expected to know the higher-level content; just be an encourager and motivator in teaching them how to integrate technology effectively. Similar strategies are definitely effective such as 1:1 coaching, Lunch/learns, etc. Etc. I Do-We Do-You Do model can be effective then word spreads to colleagues about the effectiveness of what you as a coach has taught them At the high school level, think about meeting with the department heads periodically to get a feel for how things are going and then fill the principal in throughout the year. Summertime Tips and Tricks for Teachers and Coaches Cleaning up / Organizing Digital Files for the end of year https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/12izbpQkswvz0Ck_JnpCPBZE-I8K0RgFDskYnEJYzexA/edit?usp=sharing (Digital Self-Care Slides) Google Takeout Know your district's policy on Intellectual Property Cleaning up LMS Class (Google Classroom, Canvas, Schoology, etc.) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cjeb59zCWsgrwbMsmGmZ0avj69j7GrHy/view?usp=sharing (Example End of Year Checklist from Susan) Gmail Cleanout/setting vacation responder Enjoy a guilt free summer by planning your units and current routines and systems with what works and what doesn't.- DECLUTTER https://forms.gle/TWBYxki9PBScjUVy7 (Tech Device Collection (SIMPLE form)) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rdJUErYetqxhEXfA2JHr3NVlkNNS6V7ybRTRX4I5yBY/edit?usp=sharing (EOY Checklist for Tech/Instructional Coaches) Planning summer PD opportunities “PD on the Beach” https://padlet.com/jthomas67/DHSsummertech (Tech for Teachers Summer Toolbox) About our Guests Jen Thomas Jen Thomas is a passionate technology educator who began her career in education as a library media specialist. After twelve years in the school library, she decided to shift her role and is now the Instructional Technology Specialist at Dartmouth High School in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. She is dedicated to empowering teachers and students and has a strong interest in coaching teachers in...

Welcome to "Ask the Tech Coach," a podcast for Instructional Coaches and Technology Integration Specialists. In this episode of “https://www.teachercast.net/episodes/ask-the-tech-coach/ (Ask the Tech Coach),” Jeff welcomes Kaitlyn Caudill, Riina Hirsch, and Christine Davis on the program to discuss the importance of https://www.teachercast.net/how-to-value-individual-staff-profesional-development-through-incentive-programs/ (Incentivizing Professional Development). If you would like to be a part of future podcasts and share your thoughts, https://www.teachercast.net/podcastguestform (please contact the podcast).  We would love to have you join the show. Join the TeacherCast Tech Coaches Network! Are you a Tech Coach or looking to become one this year? Are you searching for support in your position? The https://www.teachercast.net/TCNForm (TeacherCast Tech Coaches Network), is a brand new Professional Learning Network designed specifically for Tech Coaches and designed to provide weekly support for all Instructional Coaches. https://www.teachercast.net/TCNForm (Click Here to Join!) Weekly Topic Instructional Coaching … with and without masks and COVID protections Can you incentivize professional development? Should you use an LMS for PD modules? https://www.instructure.com/canvas (Canvas) https://www.schoology.com/ (Schoology) https://joltedu.com/ (JOLT EDU) Should PD be top down … or peer pressure? What is your “badge” or “token” that motivates teachers? Who should lead PD … Coaches or Teachers or .. (other)? Button Pushing PD vs Application Based PD sessions How to build PD modules through: Pre-created YouTube videos Creating your own videos Project-based learning Should PD programs have a Leader Board? Where does the Teachers Union fit into the program? How to start an incentivized PD program in your building/district Start with one vs launch with many The importance of starting from the Data About our Guests Kaitlyn Caudill Dr. Kaitlyn Caudill is a K-5 instructional coach with the Cumberland County School District in Fayetteville, North Carolina. As an instructional coach, she focuses on supporting teachers through avenues such as supplying quality resources, modeling impactful teaching strategies, providing meaningful feedback, and facilitating professional development. In her current position, Dr. Caudill developed an incentive based, 22-module professional development program specifically garnered to the needs of the school's teachers. Previously, Dr. Caudill worked as a STEM Coordinator and STEM Lab teacher, as well as a special education teacher at the elementary level. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio in the areas of Secondary Social Studies Education and Special Education. Most recently she earned her Ed.D. from Liberty University in Educational Leadership. Twitter: @Caudill_Kate E-mail: KaitlynCaudill493@gmail.com Riina Hirsch Dr. Riina Hirsch is currently the Coordinator of Professional Development, Curriculum, & Instruction for the MERS/Goodwill Excel Centers in Missouri. In her role, she acts as curriculum developer, instructional coach, PLC facilitator, PD program administrator, technology integrationist, onboarding specialist, and occasional substitute teacher for four private, non-profit adult high schools. She is a passionate advocate for high-quality, relevant learning experiences for both students and staff. Her commitment extends beyond traditional professional development into creating job-embedded learning and facilitating seminars on effective tools for stress management/prevention. Riina spent 16 years as a middle and high school English teacher before moving into a full-time leadership role. She has earned a Masters in the Art of Teaching Secondary English from Brown...

Listen in as Anna and Rob host the author of “Literally The Book on Customer Success for MSPs” Marnie Stockman (CEO of Lifecycle Insights, former Director of Assessment at Schoology & Customer Success at Performance Matters/PowerSchool) and guest Stella Ikhnana, current CS specialist and former special education teachers for a deep dive into the X's and O's of Customer Success.

In the first episode Anna and Rob host the wonderful Amanda Rice (former VP of Sales at Schoology, Senior Director at PowerSchool, and current VP of Sales at Anvyl) and guest Jessica Terry, a teacher interested in learning more about EdTech sales, for an impactful conversation on interview tips and how to start thinking like an edtech employee.

In this episode, Natalie and Margaret discuss the topic of Fostering Positive Relationships using inspiration from the late Rita Pierson. Episode Resources: Rita Pierson Ted Talk: youtube.com/watch?v=SFnMTHhKdkw Edutopia Article: https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-strategies-building-better-student-relationships Margaret's Edutopia Article: https://www.edutopia.org/article/implementing-blended-learning-pre-k-students UCISD Digital Tools Page: https://ucisd.me/3eDy6X1 Link to Teacher Leaders Community on Schoology: https://ucisd.schoology.com/group/3012913369 Follow us! @BlendedUCISD @natariastx @tarski_margaret

In this episode, Natalie and Margaret discuss the topic of Circle of Control. Episode Resources: Royce & Associates Article: “What Covey Taught me About the Circle of Influence Enneagram Personality Test: https://www.eclecticenergies.com/enneagram/dotest Follow @mirabellecreations on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mirabellecreations UCISD Digital Tools Page: https://ucisd.me/3eDy6X1 Link to Teacher Leaders Community on Schoology: https://ucisd.schoology.com/group/3012913369 Follow us! @BlendedUCISD @natariastx @tarski_margaret

We talk to a member of the SIS/Edupoint Project Team to find out how they make Schoology run smoothly and the Schoology and Me team wins a Team Excellence Award in Innovation!

Escuche a Manuel Gomez Portillo, un maestro de recursos de FCPS ESOL, responder preguntas sobre Schoology (pronunciado SKOO-luh-jee). Schoology es el nuevo sistema de gestión del aprendizaje de FCPS. Este sistema promueve la comunicación, la colaboración y el aprendizaje personalizado para los estudiantes. Los padres que usan Schoology pueden mantenerse conectados con el trabajo escolar de sus hijos y participar en grupos especializados como PTA, deportes y banda. Los maestros usan Schoology para publicar sus materiales de clase en línea; proporcionar un foro seguro para que los estudiantes discutan sus ideas y colaboren en proyectos en línea; y para asignar y recolectar tareas electrónicamente. Ayuda a los estudiantes a mantenerse organizados y mantiene la clase conectada. Si tiene un tema sobre el que le gustaría saber más, envíenos un correo electrónico a EnPocasPalabrasfcps@fcps.edu Hear Manuel Gomez Portillo, a FCPS ESOL Resource Teacher, answer questions about Schoology (pronounced SKOO-luh-jee). Schoology is the new FCPS learning management system. This system promotes communication, collaboration, and personalized learning for students. Parents who use Schoology can stay connected to their child's schoolwork and participate in specialized groups like PTA, sports, and band. Teachers use Schoology to post their classroom materials online; provide a safe forum for students to discuss their ideas and collaborate on projects online; and to assign and collect homework electronically. It helps students stay organized and it keeps the class connected. If you have a topic that you'd like to hear more about, just send us an email at EnPocasPalabrasfcps@fcps.edu

Mr. Manuel Gomez Portillo إستمعوا الى, Schoology موضوعنا اليوم سيكون عن ال .يساعد مدرسين الأنجليزى لمتحدثى اللغات الأخرى بالموارد التى يحتاجونها resource teacher ESOL و هو .و كيف يمكن للأهالى معرفة الواجبات المدرسية لأطفالهم ESOL اليوم سوف يحدثنا عن ال Schoology .Blackboard التطبيق الذى حل محل هو Schoology .أداة ممتازة تساعد الأهالى على معرفة ماذا يحدث فى المدرسة والمواد التى يدرسها أطفالهم و الواجبات المدرسية :إذا كان لديكم أى إقتراحات لمواضيع للبودكاست, الرجاء التواصل معنا بالبريد الألكترونى على inafewwordsarabic@fcps.edu Hear Manuel Gomez Portillo, a FCPS ESOL Resource Teacher, answer questions about Schoology (pronounced SKOO-luh-jee). Schoology is the new FCPS learning management system. This system promotes communication, collaboration, and personalized learning for students. Parents who use Schoology can stay connected to their child's schoolwork and participate in specialized groups like PTA, sports, and band. Teachers use Schoology to post their classroom materials online; provide a safe forum for students to discuss their ideas and collaborate on projects online; and to assign and collect homework electronically. It helps students stay organized and it keeps the class connected.

In this episode, Natalie and Margaret discuss Trauma Informed Care with Miranda Dvorak and Dr. Hector Lopez of Crossroads Academy High School. Episode Resources: What is Trauma Informed Care?: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/trauma-informed-care-what-it-is-and-why-its-important-2018101613562 UCISD Digital Tools Page: https://ucisd.me/3eDy6X1 Link to Teacher Leaders Community on Schoology: https://ucisd.schoology.com/group/3012913369 Canva for Education: www.canva.com/education Follow us! @BlendedUCISD @natariastx @tarski_margaret

In this episode, Natalie welcomes her new co-host Margaret Tarski-Rodriguez for the season 2 kickoff where they discuss lessons learned from the COVID-19 school shut downs and distance learning experience.  Episode Resources: WeAreTeachers Blog: https://www.weareteachers.com/teachers-after-covid/ UCISD Digital Tools Page: https://ucisd.me/3eDy6X1 Link to Teacher Leaders Community on Schoology: https://ucisd.schoology.com/group/3012913369 Follow us! @BlendedUCISD @natariastx @tarski_margaret

In this episode, we are exploring ways to set up your Learning Management System (LMS) effectively and efficiently to optimize course organization and learning for your students. We'll go over tips, strategies, and ideas for setting up your LMS, whether it is Brightspace, Canvas, Schoology, Google Classroom, or something else. If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don't miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!Featured Content**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/56**Use your LMS, even if you are fully face-to-faceLayout and Homepage:This is your doorway into your virtual classroomEasy navigation - minimize the links to the essentialsLink all of your other tools within the content areaInclude contact info on homepageAnnouncements Brightspace Part 1 and Brightspace Part 2 episodesOrganization:Embed third party tools (EdPuzzle, Google Slides, YouTube videos, etc) into your content areaLink in Google Docs when it makes senseUse consistent naming & numbering systems (reduces cognitive load)Folders - units, weeks, whatever works best for youUse your announcements to lay out weekly expectationsInclude student voice in planning and organizationInclude visuals and make it look pretty - design is important (consistent fonts, icons, emojis, etc to reduce cognitive load and increase engagement)It's okay to set up your LMS to meet your needs, just make sure you create an intro video to help your students navigate it - Screencastify is great!Canva is a great tool for design - Canvas Banner, Canvas Button, Google Classroom Header (also a Style Your LMS category available)Inclusion Ideas:Include important cultural celebrations Add your personality - Bitmoji or GIPHY is great and integrated into CanvaHave students design your classroom banners - include languages represented in your classroom tooDesign With Canva YouTube channelA Scary Suggestion:A little bit of basic coding (HTML and CSS) goes a long way!Code Academy (look under Web Development)This helps with interactive elements in your LMS - buttons, flipcards, etc.Final Advice:Use student-friendly language to increase accessibilitySupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/edugals)

Host Scott Nourse explores how Pamela Littere and Kevin Pezzino have utilized Microsoft's One Drive and Schoology to maximize efficiency in their Global Scholars program. Host Contact Info: Scott Nourse, @snourseman on Twitter Guest(s) Contact Info: Pam Littere, plittere@buffaloschools.org Kevin Pezzino, kpezzino@buffaloschools.org Links, references, etc. Schoology support page: Using the OneDrive Assignments App – Schoology Support District Global Scholars Webpage: https://www.buffaloschools.org/Page/91158 Global Scholars Webpage Video on installing OneDrive Assignments in Schoology Video on assigning OneDrive Assignments as a Teacher in Schoology

In this episode, Natalie discusses the topic of EdTech tools with current Anthon IC, Margaret Tarski-Rodriguez. Episode Resources: EdSurge Article: https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-09-24-the-secret-sauce-to-choosing-edtech-find-tools-by-fit-not-feature 3D Flyover Tours: https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/take-flyover-tours-in-maps-ipad6f5e96f4/ipados SAMR Model Explained: https://www.schoology.com/blog/samr-model-practical-guide-edtech-integration UCISD Digital Tools Page: https://ucisd.me/3eDy6X1 Link to Teacher Leaders Community on Schoology: https://ucisd.schoology.com/group/3012913369 Follow us! @BlendedUCISD @natariastx

In this episode, Natalie discusses the topic of station rotation with 7-12 Grade Curriculum Specialist, Rachel Hohman. Episode Resources: 10 Tips for Teacher Using the Station Rotation Model: https://catlintucker.com/2018/09/10-tips-station-rotation-model/ BLGP Station Rotation Resources: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TKVPvvmpTzvOygxCqIkjXcwh0SfvoUS0?usp=sharing Station Rotation Model: Grouping Strategies: https://catlintucker.com/2018/03/grouping-strategies 3 Secrets to Successful Station Rotation: https://www.blendedlearning.org/3-secrets-to-successful-station-rotations/ Link to Teacher Leaders Community on Schoology: https://ucisd.schoology.com/group/3012913369 Follow us! @BlendedUCISD @natariastx

In this episode, Natalie discusses the topic of online learning design. Episode Resources: Remote Lesson Design Guide: https://drive.google.com/drive/search?q=remote%20learning Link to Teacher Leaders Community on Schoology: https://ucisd.schoology.com/group/3012913369 Follow us! @BlendedUCISD @natariastx

In this episode, Natalie discusses the topic of relationships. Episode Resources: Edutopia Article: https://www.edutopia.org/article/key-effective-classroom-management Link to Teacher Leaders Community on Schoology: https://ucisd.schoology.com/group/3012913369 IXL Leaderboard Blog: https://blog.ixl.com/2021/03/18/start-a-friendly-competition-with-ixl-leaderboards/ Follow us! @BlendedUCISD @natariastx

In this episode, Natalie discusses the topic of data-driven instruction with PK-2 Curriculum Specialist, Julie Hipp. Episode Resources: TeachThought.com Article on IXL: https://www.teachthought.com/technology/how-to-use-ixl-8-tips-for-using-the-k-12-adaptive-learning-platform/ Link to Teacher Leaders Community on Schoology: https://ucisd.schoology.com/group/3012913369 Station Rotation Plan + Resources: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TKVPvvmpTzvOygxCqIkjXcwh0SfvoUS0?usp=sharing Follow us! @BlendedUCISD @natariastx

In this episode, Natalie discusses the topic of small group instruction with Executive Director of Teaching and Learning, Dr. Sandy Garza. Episode Resources: Buy Balance with Blended Learning by Catlin Tucker on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2NZ8CJW Link to Teacher Leaders Community on Schoology: https://ucisd.schoology.com/group/3012913369 Station Rotation Plan + Resources: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1TKVPvvmpTzvOygxCqIkjXcwh0SfvoUS0?usp=sharing Virtual Station Rotation Template (Catlin Tucker): https://catlintucker.com/2020/06/station-rotation-in-an-era-of-social-distancing/ Mr. Martin's Virtual Work Choice Template: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1B6Kg9SnSKKBcFw-IxhbQ7-eKufPizMYo5Fi_fa99qRY/edit?usp=sharing Follow us! @BlendedUCISD @natariastx

In this episode, Natalie discusses the topic of Student Agency. Episode Resources: Buy Balance with Blended Learning by Catlin Tucker on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2NZ8CJW Link to Teacher Leaders Community on Schoology: https://ucisd.schoology.com/group/3012913369 Diagnostic Goals Tracker (Fillable Google Slide): https://ucisd.me/2ZQOr3B Digital Student Data Tracker Template: http://ucisd.me/38dhjHS Choice Board Templates: https://shakeuplearning.com/blog/interactive-learning-menus-choice-boards-using-google-docs/ Follow us! @BlendedUCISD @natariastx

In this episode, Natalie chats with Jennifer Griffin, 3-6 Grade Curriculum Specialist about the value of student conferences. Episode Resources: Buy Balance with Blended Learning by Catlin Tucker on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2NZ8CJW Link to Teacher Leaders Community on Schoology: https://ucisd.schoology.com/group/3012913369 Diagnostic Goals Tracker (Fillable Google Slide): https://ucisd.me/2ZQOr3B Follow us! @BlendedUCISD @natariastx

Episode Resources: ASCD Article by Mike Anderson/ Based on book Learning to Choose, Choosing to Learn: http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/116015/chapters/An-ASCD-Study-Guide-for-Learning-to-Choose,-Choosing-to-Learn@-The-Key-to-Student-Motivation-and-Achievement.aspx Link to Teacher Leaders Community on Schoology: https://ucisd.schoology.com/group/3012913369 Flipgrid: https://info.flipgrid.com/ Nearpod: https://nearpod.com/ Apple Clips User Guide: https://support.apple.com/guide/clips/welcome/ios Follow us! @BlendedUCISD @natariastx

For our inaugural episode, we will discuss the importance of the growth mindset. Episode Resources: Growth Mindset Graphic: http://bit.ly/3cKV6Eg Link to Teacher Leaders Community on Schoology: https://ucisd.schoology.com/group/3012913369 Google Meet Button Video: http://bit.ly/3oTawbU Carol Dweck's Book Mindset on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3jtsj8w Follow us @BlendedUCISD @natariastx

Jake share who to follow, how to level up your mentality, and offers his favorite quote as he unpacks it's wisdom! Connect with Jake Miller at: @JakeMillerTech (on Twitter) Or JakeMillerTech@gmail.com Jake is an authorized Google Apps for Education Trainer and is currently the Technology Integration Specialist for Brady Middle School in the Orange City School District. At Brady, Jake helps manage the implementation of Google Apps, 1:1 Chromebooks and Schoology, while working with a team to envision the building's future integration of STEM, Fab Labs and MakerSpaces. He is a member of the Lead to Learn Project Core Team, which was recently awarded a $750,000 ODE Straight A Grant to further the school's efforts in 21st Century Learning through innovation, design thinking and project based learning with access to a FabLab, MakerSpace, and other design resources. He previously taught and co-created a middle school STEM Program at Kimpton Middle School in Stow-Munroe Falls, Ohio. Prior to that he taught 9 years of math and science in various grades. His Bachelor's Degree is in middle-level education (math/science) from the University of Akron and his Master's Degree is in Instructional Technology from Kent State University. Jake has presented in the past at many conferences including the Chromebook Institute Great Lakes, the SPARCC Education Conference, the ITIP Ohio Summit featuring Google Apps for Education, the NEOTech Conference, the OCTM Conference, the OAESA Conference, the KEEP Academy, the NEOTIE Conference, the Cuyahoga ESC LEAD Conference and the OMLA Conference. He has keynoted professional learning experiences for the Akron City School District (The Teach. Tech. Transform. Summit) and Cardinal Local School District. He has also led professional developments for many area school districts and is the Technology Consultant for the Martha Holden Jennings grant-funded projects Writing Ourselves 1, 2 and 3. He loves learning and sharing on Twitter (@JakeMillerTech). --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edtoday/message

@JakeMillerTech JakeMillerTech@gmail.com Jake is an authorized Google Apps for Education Trainer and is currently the Technology Integration Specialist for Brady Middle School in the Orange City School District. At Brady, Jake helps manage the implementation of Google Apps, 1:1 Chromebooks and Schoology, while working with a team to envision the building's future integration of STEM, Fab Labs and MakerSpaces. He is a member of the Lead to Learn Project Core Team, which was recently awarded a $750,000 ODE Straight A Grant to further the school's efforts in 21st Century Learning through innovation, design thinking and project based learning with access to a FabLab, MakerSpace, and other design resources. He previously taught and co-created a middle school STEM Program at Kimpton Middle School in Stow-Munroe Falls, Ohio. Prior to that he taught 9 years of math and science in various grades. His Bachelor's Degree is in middle-level education (math/science) from the University of Akron and his Master's Degree is in Instructional Technology from Kent State University. Jake has presented in the past at many conferences including the Chromebook Institute Great Lakes, the SPARCC Education Conference, the ITIP Ohio Summit featuring Google Apps for Education, the NEOTech Conference, the OCTM Conference, the OAESA Conference, the KEEP Academy, the NEOTIE Conference, the Cuyahoga ESC LEAD Conference and the OMLA Conference. He has keynoted professional learning experiences for the Akron City School District (The Teach. Tech. Transform. Summit) and Cardinal Local School District. He has also led professional developments for many area school districts and is the Technology Consultant for the Martha Holden Jennings grant-funded projects Writing Ourselves 1, 2 and 3. He loves learning and sharing on Twitter (@JakeMillerTech). At home, Jake leads a crazy, but fun family life with his wife, April, and their three kids–Cohen (8), Parker (6) and Beckett (3)–and dog, Kermit. The Miller Family are happy “Black Squirrels” as members of the great Kent, Ohio community. Jake and April, a school psychologist, have been married since July 2007. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/edtoday/message

This week in the Teacher's Lounge, Kristin and Hannah discuss their favorite ed tech, best and worst of LMS, and what you can do to earn all the badges! Show Notes Hannah's Recommendations- Flipgrid, Flippity, Gimkit, Screencastify, Google Teacher Podcast, Leslie Fisher, Ashley G, Heather Anderson Kristin's Recommendations- Quizizz, Pear Deck, Kahoot!, Nearpod, BrainPOP, Teaching with Schoology Facebook Group run by Natalie Skibinski @mrs.ski.in.5th and Kelsey Amaya @techteachandtransform Learning Management Systems mentioned-Google Classroom, Schoology, Canvas

Schools are doing their best all over the nation to open safely and responsibly for their students. Some schools are opening entirely in person, while others are opening using distance learning. Distance learning is the use of technology, such as Google Classroom, Seesaw, Schoology, Class Dojo, Zoom, and many more platforms to teach students remotely. Another model is the hybrid model, where schools combine these two methods in a unique way. Today we're going to be focusing on distance learning, and ways to encourage best practices for all involved. How can teachers make their workload easier? How can teachers attract more engagement from their students? How can teachers make things easier for parents or guardians trying to help their students or students who are trying to do it alone? --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/highedpod/support

College Knowledge Podcast - Episode 4: Advocacy Being a college student with a visual impairment can be challenging but connecting to the College Success Program can help you make the most of this experience and succeed in reaching your goals. Join our mentors and cohosts, Bryan Duarte, Rachel Grider and Rashad Jones as they explore the academic, the professional, and the personal aspects of College Knowledge. If you are a college student who is blind or who has low vision, or you are curious about the world of college and visual impairment, this show is for you! Episode 4: Advocacy Many people know that if you are blind or have low vision, you need to advocate in the classroom and around campus. But advocacy is part of our daily lives, and you never know when you'll get the opportunity to use or sharpen this skill. Join Rachel, Rashad and Bryan as they dive into advocacy for all kinds of situations. You can also find this episode, and previous episodes, on iTunes by searching College Knowledge or by clicking here. Be sure to leave us a rating or review! Learn more about the College Success Program and sign up at learningally.org/CollegeSuccess.   Episode 4: Advocacy Transcript Rachel Grider: Welcome to “College Knowledge,” Learning Ally's podcast for college students who are blind or visually impaired. This show brings together the three core elements of Learning Ally‘s college success programs: mentors, resources and community. I am your co-host Rachel Grider, blind (?) mentor, music teacher, performer and lifelong advocate. And speaking of advocacy, that's exactly what we're going to be talking about today.  Last year, based on the feedback for mentors, the college success program added a course to the curriculum called, “Living on your own.” I was really excited to write some resources for this course. For instance, I wrote a resource about shopping on your own, but I also wanted to write a resource about advocacy. I wanted to show that when it comes to advocacy, we've all been there. We've all most likely gotten it wrong a few times. Well, we're all human, and we also want to make advocacy easier for people. I also wanted to show that advocacy happens all the time. You usually don't get a break from it. It can happen in your classes, in job interviews, with friends and family, in restaurants and in recreational activities. So unfortunately, or fortunately, you always need to be prepared.  Here to join me in our advocacy chat are my co-hosts Rashad Jones and Bryan Duarte. To get us started, Bryan is going to discuss advocacy in a professional and educational setting, as well as appropriate and effective strategies for both situations.  Bryan Duarte: Thank you, Rachel, for that great introduction. And yes, advocacy is something that is very, very important to me, and I'm a big advocate of self-advocacy. I believe that in a lot of situations there are right ways and wrong ways to advocate, and you're not always just advocating for yourself. In a lot of ways, especially in the social aspect of things, you are really under a microscope. So the way that you interact with people in a professional or educational setting really could have repercussions on other individuals who are blind or low vision. If you have a good interaction, it could reflect good on the next person they interact with, so it's very important that when you are advocating to not just stomp your feet and storm out or start banging things.  So let's look at this from a scenario kind of perspective. When I was an undergraduate, I had a really rough time. I think I've talked about this before where I had a rough time. My first semester was almost my last semester because of the time that I had, and I expected things to be in place and things really were not in place to the standard that I thought they should have been. And I had a couple meetings and things did not go well, and I had a decision to make then. I was meeting with the Dean, I was meeting with the director of the Disability Center, as well as my disability advisor, and I think my professor. One of my professors was included in this meeting, and I had to really think about it. How I present myself and my problem and my issues in this meeting could really help me or they could hinder me, so I really thought long and hard about it. I took time. I wrote down the points I wanted to make--the things that I thought that I needed or wanted and wasn't being given, and I directed my energy into that so that when it came time to be in this meeting with these very, very important people so that I didn't make a fool of myself first of all, but also that I was getting things in place for myself and those to follow behind me.  So during the meeting I directed most of my attention to my Disabilities Advisor. Most of my conversation was almost directly to her at the time because I wanted to let them know that I respected her as my “first in command,” so to speak. I didn't try to go over her head by directing it directly to the Dean or directly to her supervisor, the Disabilities Advising Supervisor. I went straight to her and to my professor because I wanted them both to know that I respected their authority and their position.  The next thing I did really was I outlined, like I said, I outlined the things that I felt like I needed to be successful in the course, as well as the things that I didn't feel like I was getting or weren't adequate for me as a blind student, so that was very important. And I want to emphasize the fact that going into a meeting like this with a game plan is probably the most important thing that you can do for yourself. Because it's very easy when you have what feels like your back is against the wall --I was on one side of the table; all five of them were on the other side of the table. You can really feel like everybody is against you, but if you go in prepared, it really reshapes your mindset in something like this. It tries to help you from being put into a corner and having nothing to stand on, and then what happens? Your emotions come out, and then you start yelling or crying or demanding, and that's not really effective or appropriate in this situation.  Finally, to conclude the meeting (I had this in my notes by the way), was to lay out next steps. Who was going to do what? How was it going to be done? Was the professor going to be responsible for getting me accessible content, or was the Disability Center going to be responsible? Was more money needed? Now this gets directed to the Dean and to the Disabilities Advising Supervisor.  Was there more resources that were needed? Was it something that we needed to brainstorm together? All these things were strategies that now we came together amongst the people at the table. We came together to outline the next steps and the strategies that we were going to use. At the end of the meeting, things went well. We had a plan in place. We were holding each other accountable. They were checking in with me, and the next three years, four years, I guess, were history. I was able to not only be successful in that class but the classes to come; and I developed great working relationships, and I helped others. I think that the important thing to take away from this is to make sure that you plan ahead. Don't let your emotions get in the way, and really make sure that when you are talking to them, you're not just advocating for yourself. You really are advocating for yourself, but you're maybe teaching those. Maybe you're the first person who is blind that they are interacting with, but there definitely will be more to follow behind you, and you want to make sure that you don't leave a bitter taste in their mouth because interacting with you was not pleasant.  So that concludes my piece on interacting in a professional and educational setting, but what we are going to do now is put Rachel back on, and she is going to go over advocacy in a public setting. So, Rachel?  Rachel Grider: All right. Thank you, Bryan. Great, great examples there. So there are so many times when we have to go out into the community to do various things, whether we're going out to eat at a restaurant or just walking down the street. Or if we're volunteering our services in some capacity; Going to a store. Going shopping. Going to the movies. Going anywhere, really. And you may not think of it this way but advocacy, you have to advocate for yourself, even in settings like that. So, for example, I'll give you an example of a time. This has happened to me a couple times. I was walking down the street one time, just minding my own business on a busy city street and I was about to cross. And someone came up behind me and grabbed my arm and said, “I will help you cross the street.” And there was no introduction or anything, just this random person. And so I could have chosen various ways to react to this intrusion. I could have pulled away and said, “No,” and been very rude about it.  I could have elbowed him in the ribs and said, “Get away from me.” Or I could have said politely but firmly, “No, thank you. I know  how to cross the street independently, but thank you for your help.” I also could have just accepted his help and meekly gone along with him. So I chose to do the third option. Politely, but firmly, I said, “Thank you for your help but I can cross the street independently.” He asked me how I was able to do that, and I told him how I could cross the street by listening to my parallel traffic. It was a really nice, actually a really good conversation because I was able to educate this person on how a blind person can cross the street.  And I think it's very important, just as Bryan said, that in order to really have a good impression on people because we are representing the blind community by the way we react to these types of things. And yes, there are there are times when we may need to be more firm than others and sometimes we don't necessarily have time to stop and give a lesson on how a blind person is able to do things, but but it does happen, and it can be a great opportunity for us to share our insights and to educate people so that the next blind person that comes along, that that person will know better how to help them.  Another thing that I told this particular person after I had explained to him how a blind person crosses a street, I said you may come across a blind person that needs help sometime, and when you do that, this is the appropriate way to to address it. You ask them if they need help and how they can best help them, and that would be more appropriate than than going up and grabbing the person's arm without any introduction. So it was a very positive experience for all of us, but there have been other times where I know I haven't always reacted the best way in public situations. And I think we probably all have done that or not not acted appropriately. Sometimes, as Bryan said, our emotions can get in the way. So I think it is very important to try to approach these situations in an objective way and to remember that in all these types of situations, or most of them, people have our best interests at heart even if they are misguided about how to appropriately address them and what our best interest might be,  so it's an opportunity for us to educate, and I think that's really important. We will talk a little bit more about different scenarios later, but I think there is one other type of advocacy that we haven't quite gone over yet. We are going to have Rashad address it. Rashad, what are some other ways other situations where we might be in where we would advocate? Rashad Jones: Well, you know what there are a lot of different situations, so like Bryan said, it's very important to be prepared when it comes to interacting in those professional situations. I can attest that I have gone through something like that, and he's absolutely right about how the emotions can get in the way and then how did you end up having to really you feel like you have to just do whatever they've said because you didn't know going into the situation what it would be like. So you end up having to follow whatever they say without very much input, so that's one reason why it's very important to do that. And then as Rachel was talking about in a public setting, that's always, you know, you come up with a million and one different time where things have gone right or things have been like, “What in the world just happened?”  One thing that really here's something a lot of people may or may not think about is that you even have to advocate sometimes amongst your family and your friends, and this can sometimes be some of the most challenging territory to navigate through because these are the people who know you the best. They've known you the longest, so they've seen you at various levels of your life and sometimes in the case of family members, particularly, they see you at a younger level so they don't always, they may not always value as an adult, as a young adult or wherever you currently are and what you're capable of. So it could be really easy for them to kind of trivialize what you are able to do and what you're capable of. So, we're going to talk about this type of thing in specifics and greatest specifics kind of an review later, but I can think of several times where family members have played video games and things like that, and I haven't been able to do that, because it wasn't accessible or there hadn't been much thought, or it had just been automatically assumed. Anyway, and these are people who genuinely, generally want to include me, but you know there there is the occasion where they're playing something, and it doesn't help too that I'm not very up on what's all out there, although I'm learning that there are games and things like that in, and ways that accessibility has been incorporated, but at the time I didn't know.  I just automatically assumed from what my brothers and other family members were doing that it just wasn't very accessible anymore. And they are so involved at so many different levels to these games and stuff like that as far as they become so much more sophisticated. So I just thought it was just out of my league, beyond of my reach, so I would just sit there if there was a gathering or something like that, or if they were playing a card game or something like that, I would make mention of the fact that there were Braille cards and things for certain things, but I just didn't know where to turn. So even in these situations, I was there. I was able to enjoy myself somewhat. There was food and drink and snacks and things like that available, but you know when you don't take the time to think about these things, then you can really get a very big disadvantage.  My family and I get together as much we can. We find an excuse to get together and celebrate. I think one Thanksgiving was when I really found out that they were willing to be accommodating. They were playing this game called Taboo. It's one where it's a card game, for those of you who are familiar or those of you who aren't, it's an awesome game. I love it. It has a phrase or word on it and then below it the line that separates that term from the terms that the person who's giving the hints and stuff cannot say when they're trying to get you to understand what it is, the rest of people on the team. I remember it was so funny. It was perfect timing. I walked into the house, to my aunt's house, and they were trying to get the word “daredevil” and they were talking about the guy in the movie, and how he moved around and did stuff really fast. Or they talked about just different things, you know, maybe the guy couldn't see. It's safe to say I haven't watched the movie, but the point is that they were throwing out clues, and I said, oh my Gosh, I know this one, I know this one! And then after nobody on the team got it, since I was just a late coming to the game, and I was like, I know what it is! It's “daredevil!” And they were like, “You could play this game.” So it was instantly, one of those situations where me just being willing to participate and having that familiarity with my family, where it was really helpful. So it worked out and then so every time we play a game, they often think about how they can include me. Because we don't have stuff in Braille most of the time. It's just whichever game my family member happens to bring with them. But they've been really good about it, but it's just because I was willing to say, “Hey, I wish I could play” or “Is there a way that we can make it work so that I can enjoy too?” or asking that question that may feel uncomfortable and may feel like you're nagging, but you know the squeaky wheel gets the oil or however that phrase goes. But you know you have to really put yourself out there even amongst your friends and your family members to just say I would love to be included and here is what has worked for me in the past. So you being willing to present some possible solutions and things like that can really help them out. Rashad Jones: So that's really what I have on that one. And this really brings me to a great question that I want to get you guys to chime in on: How do y'all think you can, you should be advocating for yourself and the things that you need, without putting anybody else out. Without alienating somebody or putting them on the defensive? What do you all think about that? Bryan Duarte: Rachel, why don't you chime in first and then I'll follow up after you. But how do you feel about how to do this? Rachel Grider: I think it's important to remember that most of the time, it's just that they don't know. They just don't know how to include you or how to make those accommodations for you.  So I think if you approach in with that mindset, from an objective mindset, and say, okay. You know, I'm going to teach this person, rather than just be aggressive and try to get my way. I think that really helps. So using those moments to educate, and I like Rashad's example of being able to jump in and just start doing. Sometimes you don't even need to say,”this is how I'm going to do it.” Sometimes you just need to do it. I've had many situations where I've done that, where you just jump in and do it. I think that's really the main thing, and also not taking certain things personally. Like in Bryan's example in his meeting. If you're not getting the accommodations that you need for school, it's not personal. It's not something personal to you. I mean, it is because you feel like it is, but they're not sitting around saying, “You know, I don't care about this person. We're not going to accommodate this person.” They're not doing that. They just don't know how to best help you, and so it's your job to teach them. So don't take things personally. Figure out solutions and have the solutions in your mind, how you're going to do it. And if someone asks you how you're going to do something, and if you don't know the answer, then tell them, “I'm not sure yet, but I'm going to find out.” And do your research. Use your network. Talk to your friends and colleagues who have done these things before. Bryan Duarte: That is really great.  That is a spot on, the best approach. I remember back shortly after that semester, maybe even the very next semester, I really gained a lot of knowledge from that meeting and that preparation and being able to advocate for myself. And so what I ended up doing was going kind of a step beyond that, and I said hey, that seemed to work with all of those people, that professor. Maybe I can try to build what I call a working relationship with my professors. Maybe I don't even need to go up as high as that, and so what I started doing was I started attending office hours. I started sticking around after class. I started talking to the professors one-on-one. I started brainstorming with them. I looked at the syllabus ahead of time, and I would say, oh look. We have this big project and it seems to be a project that you can very well look at, I mean it's software engineering, so yeah there's going to be a very heavy visual component of this. How am I supposed to do that? Instead of going into his office and throwing it on the ground and being like, “You know what? You need to change this! This isn't right. I'm going to go to the ADA,” or something. I went in there and I said, “Hey, you know, Professor, I can see that we're going to have this big project coming up and I'm just wondering, do you think it's possible for me to develop something similar but without such a visually intensive component of it? And you know, this is what I was thinking.” Like you just said, Rachel, have done your research and really understand, like prepare for what you're trying to do, and develop that working relationship. And so I would go in there and say, “Hey, you know, I see this is going to be a part of it. What if I did it this way?” You know, really think about, I can meet those requirements of this assignment by doing it this way. And then you start brainstorming with them and then they get engaged and say look, he's not trying to skirt the system. He's trying to learn in his way. He's trying to do this the way that he can. That really helped and I think probably the whole rest of my educational career ,I pretty much handled most all of my accommodations directly with the professor. Because I had built working relationships with all of them, every single semester. So that's big.  Bryan Duarte: How do you meet with people without alienating them? I really think you hit it on the head right, you you just have to be willing to understand that they're not doing it in spite of you. They're not doing it to attack you. They're not doing it because they don't want to. They could just be doing what they're doing because they don't know. And you have to approach it in that way like, hey, are they really trying to do this against me? Or do they not know? Maybe I need to teach them. Maybe I need to show them what is possible. And I say this, and I mean it. I say it all the time: it's one thing for you to be laughing with me. It's a different thing for you to be laughing at me. And in the same way, you've got to approach these situations with that same kind of mindset, where are they trying to help me and they don't know how? Or are they really not trying to me at all? And so when we think about it in that way, you can approach it with a different mindset, like Rachel said.  Rashad Jones: If I could, you know those are great points that both of you made in terms of how to do this, because it can be tricky. I can personally say that I was somebody who it took a long time for me to get that I had to be organized enough to start advocating for myself in college myself, because I'd been so used to doing, to having it done for me, prior to going into college. So making sure that I had those course registration numbers and the ISBNs for each book, and emailing the professors. I know this wasn't necessarily in my area of expertise to cover earlier but just in the general discussion, sometimes it takes people like me awhile to get it through my head that if I don't wanna go through it being my fault that something wasn't in place, then I've got to make sure that I do this. And so for me, I will say that there were times where I seriously and to this day question how much some of those professors were actually looking out for me as much as they were trying to cover their own skins, so unfortunately you will run into that sometimes. It's not always the case, so I recognize that now. Rachel Grider: Very true. Rashad Jones: Whether or not you think they're trying to help you or they're out to get you, you want to be prepared. You want to put your best foot forward so that even if they are trying to get you they won't get you this time because you were prepared, and you emailed them and you were able to copy everybody to the emails so they saw that you took for the effort to take the steps that you needed to get it done. So if they tried it, I'd say, if you would refer back to my email that I sent on these dates, then you'll see where I made the effort. I did what was asked of me and so it's at that point it's up to the University or the people to make it happen. It's not on your plate. Just in a broader sense, I just wanted to say that you know, I definitely felt what you were saying about being in a position. Feeling like you're not in power because you don't have things in place or you don't have anybody on your side. Sometimes it's because they're trying to help you and you're not prepared and sometimes it's because they don't really want to do it in the first place. So you will run into both definitely. Bryan Duarte: Let me just say that accountability part is critical. It is crucial. It is essential to anything and it's not always a “refer back to my email” because you're trying to throw it in their face. Sometimes it's just a good way of finding, even yourself, what did we talk about? That's actually really good thing that you brought up, Rashad. I remember when I started kind of advocating for myself and learning, one of the things that I learned early on was a paper trail goes a long way. So whenever I would have in-person meetings I would leave that meeting and go directly to my computer and I would send an email: “Hey, I just wanted to follow up on that. You know we talked about this; you said you were gonna do this; I'm gonna take care of these things, and we're going to meet next week. Have a great day. Talk to you next week.” And once that paper trail is laid, it's really an accountability piece. I really like that you brought that up, so it's a really good strategy to follow up meetings like that, in person meetings, like that. Again, it's not always that you're going to throw it in their face later. It's also just a really good reminder for yourself as well as to who's doing what when is it going to be done by, because you know you're not the only student they're working with. So it's important to keep that in mind.  Bryan Duarte: But real quickly I wanted to throw another kind of question out there for us all to tackle real quick. And I know Rachel that you had a kind of different view on this, and I think both views are important from my view, so maybe we can talk about this. When is it a good time to advocate for yourself? Or when is it a good time to ask for help? And I think that keyword there is asking for help. So why don't you start off and talk about how you think of asking for help, and then I'll jump in and talk about it from my perspective. Rachel Grider: Okay, so that's such a great question because I feel like a lot of times when we think of being independent, sometimes we think that independence means that we have to do everything on our own. So, we have to have all of our skills in place and everything, and we don't need help from anybody! We can be islands! But people aren't islands. We are all interdependent on each other to some degree or other, whether you're blind or sighted or whatever. That's just how it is as members of the human race. So there are times, I think, that you know we may need to ask for help, and everybody is different. In terms of you know, I know Bryan you're going to speak to the educational aspect in a minute, but in terms of just, say, mobility is an example. A lot of us are at different levels when it comes to how you, being able to travel from point A to point B independently. So if I'm in an airport, my personal preference is use IRA (?)  to get around, but there could be someone who maybe needs more hands-on help, and that is totally okay. So if you feel like there may be, if someone feels like they want to be able to be more independent, they may need to ask for help to learn how to be independent traveling, and that's okay. I think that we're all at different levels, and when it comes to, in a situation where, say you're at a job interview and you're asked a question. You know, how are you going to be able to do this job? Maybe you didn't prepare for that question, so it's best to have prepared for that question and to be able to answer that question, so we also hopefully you already know the answer to that or have had ideas, but ideally what you could do is you could ask for help from someone who has done this job before. Use your network. We all have great networks. I mean, we're representing Learning Ally, and if you're listening to this podcast, you probably either work with a mentor or you've used some of the other resources of Learning Ally. There is a plethora of blind and visually impaired people who are, who work here and also who are students. Being able to depend on each other in a way that does not take away your independence, but it enriches it, enhances your independence and enriches it. And I think that's when it's really absolutely okay to ask for help and to say, you know I don't know how to do this on my own right now, at least not yet, but I need help learning how to do it on my own. Rashad Jones: Absolutely. Bryan Duarte: Absolutely, and there's so many good points you've just made right there. Yeah and I really agree, and I think it is so important that we hear that perspective of getting help. When I think about getting help or asking for help, I tend to think about it in a more rigorous way, and both of them are applicable. You need to know when you're in a situation for both. So the way that I look at getting help or asking for help is, the situation I gave with my professors and I was able to develop a working relationship with them, and then I didn't really have to go to the Disability Center or my DSO all the time. And I definitely don't have to go to the Director of the Disability Services, and I didn't have to go to the Dean all the time. That is one ideal situation right? It's not always going to be like that, as Rashad pointed out. Sometimes you're going be faced with adversity. They're not going to budge. I'm sure one if not all of us have had that situation where the professor just wasn't willing to do anything. They wanted to teach the class, and they wanted to go. They did not want to take any time to work with you. They didn't want to take any time to make things accessible. And in that situation, what do you do?  So when I think about asking for help, you need to know your chain of command. You have to understand where your network is and how to use them. So my professor. I would talk to them. Let's say they weren't willing to work with me. Okay, well, then now I need to go to the Disability Center. I need to go ask the Disability Center. Hey, Such and such class has this going on. The professor isn't able or isn't willing to get it for me I need to have the disability center convert this for me. Now let's say for example the Disability Center says, you know what? We don't have the time, the resources, or the money to be able to convert that for you. Okay, well that's not my problem. Now it's a bigger problem. So now I need to go ask the Director of the Disability Center, “Hey, your DSO said that they weren't able to do this for me, that they didn't have enough funding.” “Oh, well it's true. We don't have enough funding.” Well, guess what I gotta do now? Now I have to go above their head. So really what I'm trying to get at here is sometimes asking for help is knowing who to involve next and how to do it, still navigating it along that line of being appropriate and effective. So if you go to the Disability Center then to the Advisor Supervisor and then possibly the Dean, eventually you're going to get what you mean because you know the chain of command and how to ask for it appropriately.  Rachel Grider: So I think there's also important, I think what you said is spot on. But I would, that's a situation where you may also need to take some of that responsibility on yourself. For example, okay so I'm in a situation that was similar kind of to what you described. I was in grad school and I had a large or part of the book that I needed to be transcribed. and I needed it by a certain date, and my DSO was not able to get it done. And I was I was doing exactly what Bryan, what you were saying, but there wasn't time, you know, because the date was coming and coming. And I couldn't get it resolved. There was no way I would be able to get it resolved in the amount of time that I needed it to be resolved, so I had to, I ended up scanning it myself so that I could do the assignment. Now I suppose I could have asked for an extension, but I wanted to get it done. I knew it would be a lot more stress later on, so for that particular situation, I had to find that balance. Okay yeah, that is their responsibility, but I still need to be responsible and get this done. And I still of course pursued it, and I still wanted to make sure because I also had to think of the future. I didn't want this to happen to me again. I didn't want to spend a whole Saturday night scanning a book using ???? because that was a long night. It wasn't something I wanted to have to do again. I think finding that being able to find other ways around some of these barriers we may face is also very important. Okay, go ahead Rashad. Bryan Duarte: I think that's a great thing before Rashad goes, that is a very, very key thing that neither of us really touched on, so I'm glad you brought that up. Asking for help is one thing, and knowing when to ask for help with another point. But understanding your chain of command is just as important as being effective and appropriate in it. But there's still one other component and that component is, do I need to just tie up my boot straps and do this myself? That is amazing. And there's one thing that I think it can be said for most all individuals who have a visual disability is they are problem solvers.  Rachel Grider: Yes, they are! Bryan Duarte: I worked with a person just the other day on a software. He wanted me to do a user study for him. And he said you know I've never seen people who have such a desire and such an aptitude to finding work arounds. I know, I never thought about that, but it's true. We find ways and that is a very, very important thing, and don't lose that, but understand that it might take you a whole Saturday late night doing it yourself, but you'll get it done, versus it could take you a month or two to get it done the other way. Sometimes you need to buckle up your bootstraps. Other times you just need to ask. So very, very good, very important question. Rashad, did you have something to add to the question? Rashad Jones: Yeah, really what you have said is very important to remember to keep in mind. You guys covered everything, and just in thinking about how else a situation like that could be covered. A pro tip: something that I've done several times, was I went to, since I was a music student, I went to the music library and I had a music librarian help me when it came to having text and things like that scanned because I didn't have the technology to do it on my own, and I didn't know how to do it. So it's working those networks. I think we may have covered that in a podcast episode, but the thing is being willing to reach out, and actually taking the step of asking for help is so important because sometimes you just need it. Sometimes you need help. To me there's no shame in asking for help. You put yourself back, you set yourself back when you're in need of something and you don't ask because you're trying to struggle and do it on your own. And you may not be successful in certain situations. But I would just say a general rule of thumb is if it's something that is within your reach, or your ability then you should do it for yourself because you get a greater sense of accomplishment when you do it that way. And then if there's something that you just cannot do on your own, and there's no time, and you need the help, then help is there, and you should not feel bad about asking for help, if you've done all that you can. Because you don't want to become that person that seems like they can't do anything by themselves but by the same token, I think that we need to realize that even people who don't have disabilities need help sometimes. I mean I didn't build the townhouse that I'm living in, nor the shoes that I'm wearing, so we all have to have that sense of like Rachel said, interdependence to a certain degree, so just knowing that and really being a willing participant in your education inside the classroom and outside. It's so important. Rachel Grider: So, the mentors have come up with some great situations we've all most likely been in or are heading for. We would like to chat about a couple of them on this podcast, and we'll definitely be revisiting the topic in the fall because, like it or not, advocacy is going to be, or is already a constant for us. So we're going to start with Bryan for the first situation. Bryan Duarte: Nice. So let's talk about a situation that I think most all of us should or have already interacted with. And that is inaccessible handouts. How are we going to approach this? So here's the scenario: you receive an email from your professor you open the file and your screen reader just does not read it. It's a PDF, and it is inaccessible. What do you do? Do you: A) decide to ignore the email because your professor wasn't able to create an accessible handout?  B) Do you send an angry email to your DSO demanding that they transcribe it because your professor did not create it accessible to begin with. C) Have your roommate read the document to you because your professor isn't responsible for Accessibility. D) Explain why you weren't able to do the excitement next time you have class. (I think I said excitement, but it's really assignment.) E) Do you use technology to try to convert the file and send an email to your professor and the DSO explaining the situation. Bryan Duarte: So I'm going to ask you two to give me what you think. If you need me to repeat any of these, definitely let me know, but how would you approach something like this where you have an inaccessible file? Rachel Grider: Bryan, I thought I was done with school and that I wouldn't have to take anymore quizzes! What is up with this? Just kidding. So I think for me, what I would do, there are definitely different ways. I think it's important to realize that we all have choices in how to respond to these different scenarios and those choices will come with varying results. So I decide to ignore the email --what would happen? I mean what do you guys think would happen? Would the problem go away?  Bryan Duarte: Definitely not. Rachel Grider: What would the professor think of me? Definitely not, right? So if I sent an angry email to my DSO demanding that the professor be educated about the Accessibility and I mean that would probably not be..., it would probably get the job done, right? So could I do that?  Rashad Jones: You could do that. Should you? I don't think you should though. Rachel Grider: Probably not. Probably wouldn't give the best side impression. I suppose I could have my roommate read the assignment to me, but you know and I could get it done, but then do we think my roommate would want to do that every time I get an inaccessible assignment?  Rashad Jones: Nope! Rachel Grider: Probably not. I could be a victim and explain why I, poor me, couldn't do the assignment. Probably wouldn't be a good idea either. So what I think would be the better solution or at least the solution that would produce the best results? I can try to use my technology or if there's time, you know get DSO to make this file accessible for me, and I would maybe go and talk to my professor or send an email to my professor and ask, explain, ask if I could possibly have it in a different format next time. And either that, if this professor refuses to help me even after I've explained the situation, then I suppose I would have to work out with my DSO how they can make things accessible for me in the future. Bryan Duarte: Absolutely, and I think that what I'm hearing is you're probably leaning towards E: try to take matters into your own hands. You're going to see if you can do it through assistive technology, trying to convert the file, and you're going to email simultaneously to your professor and the DSO to let them know about it, and hopefully they can get things rectified for the future, and that is the way. Although, I do agree with you that it might be tempting to send that angry email. That's definitely not the most appropriate or most effective way of handling this situation.  Rashad Jones: Right, I think that's true. You could be tempted, especially if you've faced something like this before, if it's from the same professor or something like that. But the thing is this too. A lot of times the people who work for the DSO, they know some of the professors and they know how some of them operate. So some of them are really good about accessibility and accommodations, and then some of them are not. So sometimes they're not unknown entities,  then they'll have something in place. So it's a good idea to follow up with that email like Bryan said between yourself, the professor, and the DSO just so that you have that trail and just so that everybody's on the same page. Rachel Grider: Yes, having the records is very important. Having the paper trail as Bryan mentioned earlier.  Bryan Duarte: So Rachel, what do you have for us? Rachel Grider: All right. So I have “Service to Humanity!” All right. Scenario number 2. You hear that during the COVID-19 crisis, hospitals are short on blood. You have been responsibly social distancing for two weeks, and you've given blood before, so you should qualify again. But when you show up to the Blood Bank, a frazzled staff member sees your cane and says, “Um, I don't really know how I'm going to lead you to the different stations, so I'm sorry, you can't give blood today. I'll give you a participation sticker though. So what would you do? Would you: A) Take your sticker and leave, relieved that you can at least pretend you gave blood today. B) Ask in a defiant tone to speak immediately to this person's manager, determined to show these unenlightened fools that blood is blood. C) Leave because this is a crisis situation, and they have enough to deal with. D) Politely reply that you would very much like to give blood, explain that you can follow the staff members' directions without any physical physical contact with them, and ask if they have any additional concerns.   What would you all do? Rashad Jones: I mean it's something where you really have to be diplomatic about it and say, you know I don't understand why you preventing me from doing this. This is something that I can do. I would explain to them that blood is blood, and you know I'm healthy, I meet all of the requirements, so can you give me a reason as to why you don't want me to do this? Sometimes having them provide you an answer will help you and then if that doesn't work, if they're being contrary about it, then you would need to escalate the situation and say you know this is really not acceptable behavior, and you know as a citizen or as as a concerned volunteer, I'm going to have to speak to someone above you about this because... Rachel Grider: Well now, the Blood Bank person has already said that they don't think that they should take you because they can't lead you to the stations without violating social distancing.  So how would you respond to that, if they said that to you? Rashad Jones: Well, then hopefully, you have a cane or if you're a guide dog user, you have that, and so you could tell them they can verbally give you cues as to which way to go as they lead you, something like that. That's just off the cuff what I'm thinking. Rachel Grider: Yeah. So you're going with D. Okay, so I have a follow up question for either of you. What if you're comfortable taking verbal directions and following, then that is the solution. Now what if though, what if you're not? If you don't feel comfortable with that. How would you address that issue? What do you think you would do? Rashad Jones: I don't know. This is a tough one. I'm sorry, Bryan? Bryan Duarte: I was going to say what you said, we'd be getting into deeper woods there, because you could argue that maybe the person needs training. They should be able to take directions verbally or in any other way. I don't think that going in and expecting someone to give you human guide assistance here is always the right choice. In that situation, I would argue that maybe the individual should maybe just say, I'll come back with a family member, and they can lead me around or come up with a different situation. Because it probably isn't fair for them to break social distancing rules on your behalf because you aren't trained. Rachel Grider: That's an excellent thought. So you're actually saying that the person would go back and ask for help from a family member, and maybe with the ultimate goal of eventually having the skills that they can navigate the Blood Bank or wherever on their own with verbal directions.. Rashad Jones: Right. And it did make me wonder how the person got there in the first place, so that might one of the cases where… Rachel Grider: Took Uber! Rashad Jones: Right, right if they took Uber, but then they had to get into the building. But I mean, this could happen, it certainly could. Rachel Grider: And some of you who may have multiple disabilities in addition to blindness, other disabilities in addition to blindness, may need to think outside the box of other ways, maybe discussing with a family member or friend, how you can navigate this type of situation. Because it's going to be the same for all of us. So I think trying to come up with productive, creative ways where you can still give this type of service right now during a crisis like this and do it in a safe way. So let's go to our last situation with Rashad. Our last question. Rashad Jones: All right, well here we go. This is something that most of us, or some of us at least could really identify with. Friends from school or work are going to be meeting up on Zoom for a game night, but they did not invite you because they thought that you wouldn't have fun, because the game that they're going to be playing is inaccessible. You find out that they're going to play the game at the last minute. That definitely happens. So, do you yell, “You're violating the ADA! You'll be hearing from my lawyer”? Or do you sit quietly on sidelines and hope that somebody recognizes that you're not having fun? Do you politely approach one of your friends or colleagues to see if you could talk about how to make it accessible for you? Or do you just not participate, and sit at home and cry? What do you do? Now I'll start off by saying… Rachel Grider: Aww, it's sad. Rashad Jones: It is sad. Personally, I have done the second one. I will admit to having been someone who's just sat there, like, maybe they'll notice. But that doesn't always work. Then sometimes what ended up happening with me was they realized later on, and they said something about it later on, like “dang, we just left you out. Sorry.” That happened with family one time. That's not always the best thing to do. It's a pity party. Rachel Grider: I'll admit that I've done that as well. I've done the last one too before, honestly. Maybe not stayed home and cried, but I've decided not to go, felt sorry for myself, yeah moped about it. Not very productive. Rashad Jones: Nope. Bryan Duarte: I tend to be the outspoken one by nature, so I threaten them with my lawyer. No, I don't.   Rachel Grider: I think that's a great solution! Bryan Duarte: I take the same approach that I take in other situations, but in a much different way. And sometimes humor goes a long way. Just being able to lighten the mood, or maybe being able to modify the game in some way. You pair up, and you have somebody who is on your team. Rachel Grider: That's what I usually end up doing. It's fun. It's totally fun. I think there are always ways. If they're really your friends, then they'll be more than happy to make those accommodations or maybe change, have someone pair up with you. I think it's totally fair to ask, to discuss ways to help the game be more accommodating, to accommodate you. And it's fun. You can always have fun, and sense of humor is great. I love that Bryan, what you said about having a sense of humor. Bryan Duarte: Nice. Well, I think that this has been a great discussion. Thank you both for your insightful and your transparent experiences in both situations. I think we all had fun. I know I can speak for myself that I had fun. I just want to give a special thank you to Rachel for the beginning of this idea. She wrote a nice resource that you should all go check out. You can find that through the Schoology app, or you can go to LMS.learningally.org, and you can find it on your dashboard in your courses in the Schoology app. And if you need any help, please feel free to email at csp@learningally.org. This is the end of our podcast pilot. We hope you enjoy it. We'll be back in the fall with more content, more drama, and more fun. Be sure to subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, and be sure to tell your friends about our new adventure in creating a podcast. Rashad Jones: Before we go, we'd just like to take the time to thank our Learning Ally staff for supporting the launch of this podcast, as well as all of our funders and stakeholders for supporting all that we do. The co-hosts for College Knowledge are Rachel Grider, Bryan Duarte, and Rashad Jones. Our program director is Mary Alexander. Our podcast writer is Kristen Witucki. Abigail Shaw produced the audio for this podcast, and our social media and distribution manager, Katie Ottaggio. I'm Rashad Jones, and this is College Knowledge.

This episode is about things relevant to Eastern Tech related to the Corona virus restrictions and closures. If you are having technology issues you can message me on Schoology, or email me at tmichocki@bcps.org. This is a short episode, as I did not have anyone to talk with due to the temporary closing of schools. If your group would like to be on the next episode, message me and we will see if we can set up a remote call in.

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