Popular Education Blog Features WNYRIC Tech Integrator Melanie Kitchen
For technology integrators at the Western New York Regional Information Center, passing on best practices is a valuable part of the service provided to component districts. Recently, WNYRIC Tech Coordinator Melanie Kitchen sat down with the creator of the education log, The Cult of Pedagogy, to discuss best practices as they apply to remote learning.
“I have been a fan of the blog for some time,” Kitchen said. “So when Jennifer Gonzalez reached out through a mutual friend, I was excited to work with her on a list of how online learning is different from in-person learning. Ironically, I was already working on a presentation on what is the same, so I had to flip my mindset.”
In the interview and article, 9 Ways Teaching Should Be Different From Face-To-Face, Kitchen focuses on community building and communication as well as instruction design.
“I started by thinking about what does good teaching look like and asking myself how we do that and what are some of the nuances to consider. For instance, if communication rituals are important in face-to-face learning, then we need to do them for online as well, but we need to be even more explicit and accessible,” Kitchen explained.
Although what the school year will look like is uncertain, readers have found the blog to be poignant and Kitchen says she and the other WNYRIC tech coordinators are bringing a mindset of flexible best practices into the professional development they provide to districts.
“The teaching environment may not be the same as we’re used to, but it’s important to remember that good teaching is still good teaching. All of those things that we know are really good practices can still be done virtually,” Kitchen said. “We have been focusing on how to prepare teachers for the challenges without too much extra work. That is being translated into blended learning models as well as asynchronous and synchronous learning.”
To read the article, visit The Cult of Pedagogoy. To contact Kitchen, email mkitchen@e1b.org. Or for information on professional development, contact Joseph Roaldi, CSLO/Model Schools supervisor at jroaldi@e1b.org or Steven Graser, director of Professional Development and Instructional Technology Resources, at sgraser@e1b.org.