Hi WOL Friends,
I have loved talking with so many of our friends and partners. In our last episode we spoke with one of our newer district principals, Don Vogt, from Ridgedale SD in Ohio. Don highlighted his focus on providing the best experience for his students who live in rural Ohio. His hands-on approach has let him see the value of authentic , relevant and engaging instruction.
In this episode we talked with Zach Marsic, our new Social Studies Virtual Learning Facilitator (VLF). His smooth entrance into his work with the WOL is impressive. One of the things we have all noticed right from the start is his quick and detailed feedback for students when they complete assignments. It is a best practice in the virtual world.
We also love that Zach has already envisioned stories of History and Civics that engage and excite learning. Zach seems made to be a perfect fit for our World of Learning Institute team and our mission to provide high-quality virtual instruction. He and our other new fulltime Virtual Learning Facilitators (VLF) have gifts and talents that will help as we serve full time students.
It is fun to see things like Zach’s get to know you activity - and the pictures his parents posted of him on Facebook in his courses and lessons. I bet the kids can really relate to the embarrassment - when parents post pictures on social media! We are excited that he, and our other ‘founding teachers’, see the importance of recognizing each student as an individual and the value of incorporating these personal and sometimes embarrassing elements into the virtual classroom to make connections.
Zach discovered his passion for virtual teaching after graduating from Clarion University (now Penn West) and taking on a graduate assistant role that exposed him to various learning management systems. He saw first hand the unique challenges and opportunities of teaching online, he highlights the importance of building strong relationships with his students and peers, addressing individual needs, and fostering engagement.
As always, we discussed the value of authenticity, relevance, and engagement in virtual teaching. Zach has learned that creating a welcoming homeroom environment, incorporating technology effectively, and using real-life events, such as political debates, are helping make learning meaningful for his students. He acknowledges his the gifts of his peers and is excited that they share and make meaning together as they work without IU8 Extended Campus students.
Lauren also made sure we didn’t forget the importance of nurturing our VLF’s and helping them to expand the opportunities to build the teacher-student relationships. So much of teaching and learning, in any environment, is being flexible. We are grateful that Zach and ALL of our folks seem to get that as their students are adapting to the virtual learning landscape - they play a huge role in creating the engaging and meaningful educational experience all students deserve.
In our last episode, Don named flexibility, as well, as a important quality in the success of working virtually.
As always, if you have a need or just want to find an alternative for your students - reach out. We love to learn what you are up to and learn with you.
Here is another great video blog to check out! Lauren and Allison Zmuda about her work on our French 1 Course.
Have a great week,
Pat
Learner Focused and Flexible