Tech Coach in Training

During this term I had the opportunity to give a one-to-one technology coaching session to an instructional coach. She came to me asking for help because she had an idea for a math PD on proportional reasoning that she was running next week and wanted to incorporate the apps ShowMe and Explain Everything. Her idea was that these apps will help teachers hear and see their students responses and explanations in order to reflect to see what the next steps are in order to prepare them for EQAO.

I sat down with her and taught her the functions of the two apps, highlighting the similarities and differences between the two. She picked it up extremely fast and proceeded to use both programs with ease. Together we worked through challenges that both apps revealed with regards to student interaction and limitations within the apps. We found reasonable solutions for how to address these challenges with the teachers and their students. From here she asked me if I would attend the PD and help her teach these apps to the teachers.

Explain Everything

At the PD I used a series of scaffolding techniques that we as teachers use with students. Where I began by modelling, then had the teachers follow specific steps, and then having them complete a task on their own as if they were the students. I helped answer questions that came up while teachers were working on their task. We collaborated and came up with a way to go into a classroom for 20 minutes and record students strategies when solving a proportional reasoning question. After going into the classroom and retrieving the results we came back to “our” table to review and discuss the learning that just took place. Teachers noticed how well the app captures the added depth to a math explanation compared to what they normally get out of pencil and paper. Teachers were amazed at some students explanation as we watched the videos and discussed the strategies that were being presented. Overall the teachers response was that they were excited to continue to use these apps in their classrooms to support their students’ learning.