TCOE recently held its first Virtual Learning Conference for educators and parents. Organized by Educational Resource Services, the free conference attracted over 1,600 registrants and featured 41 sessions conducted virtually through Zoom. Hour-long sessions began at 8:00 a.m. and concluded at 4:00 p.m., with up to seven presentations running concurrently. TCOE Instructional Services and Special Services staff and district personnel presented the sessions which attracted between 30 and 300 viewers each.
Parents attended a variety of sessions, including two conducted in Spanish. Topics included support with virtual tools and platforms, IEPs, preparing for college and career, and engaging their children in learning at home.
Educators and parents of children with special needs attended sessions on building effective communication within the IEP team, social/emotional learning, resource mapping and matching for student needs, and mindfulness. The special education strand also featured a teacher panel.
Topics for educators also included content-area presentations on English language arts, history/social science, math, art, science, and technology, with several sessions on supporting English learners through virtual instruction.
Kelley Petty, CHARACTER COUNTS! coordinator, attended the conference and shared, “As our office researches the most effective options to place training and curriculum into the hands of educators for quick virtual delivery, I appreciated learning how add-ons such as Peardeck and Google Slides can make student time more engaging. I also appreciated the knowledge and enthusiasm of the presenters in preparing us for greater virtual instruction.”
Copies of the Zoom presentations will be available soon on TCOE’s YouTube channel. Educators and community members who would like to receive a notification when the videos are available may contact Steve Woods at [email protected]. “I encourage Tulare County educators to make use of these video resources as we prepare to engage students in rigorous distance learning,” said Tim Hire, Tulare County Superintendent of Schools. “For additional support with any of the topics, please reach out to our presenters.”