Online Teaching Practices of Science and Mathematics Preservice Teachers in middle schools

The chapter presents a qualitative study that describes and discusses the teaching practices of four preservice teachers (PSTs) during their mathematics and science internship with 6th graders, performed in the context of distance learning related with the COVID-19 pandemic. The data collected included PSTs' documents, such as lesson plans, descriptions of and reflections on the practical work, student outputs, and interviews. The online organization and dynamics of the internship process describe the practices of the PSTs, inservice teachers, and teacher educators, which provided a practical context for the development of PSTs' online practice. Moreover, the results present digital educational resources used by PSTs, mainly for inquiry, communication, construction, and problem-solving purposes. PSTs pointed out benefits arising from the online internship experience. It better prepared them to use and create digital resources, increased awareness of the importance of collaboration and the role of formative assessment.

At home: Field education during lockdown

Field education during the 2020 Aotearoa New Zealand Covid-19 lockdown was a new experience for social work educators and students alike. This case study captures the experience of one social work student during this time while on placement at the Salvation Army. Included in the account are the perspectives of the Community Ministries Manager, the placement supervisor and the placement field coordinator. Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, the student undertook the placement while at home. A pandemic can offer students opportunities to learn about managing difficult situations. Reflection on the experience provided insight into what helped and what could have been done differently. Regular debriefing, supervision and a post- crisis debrief were all important elements that aided the learning and supported the wellbeing of the student.

Challenges for a New Role and New Teacher Competencies: Distance Teaching Experiences

The results of researches on distance teaching from the teacher’s aspect during the state of emergency are presented in this paper, there are the teachers of primary schools, from the territory of Vojvodina (Serbia). The aim is to answer questions about how the respondents assess competencies for distance learning, job satisfaction, and how demanding are the different teaching platforms. The sample consisted of 574 teachers. The questionnaire The teacher’s and educator’s thoughts and experiences on distance teaching during the state of emergency was used. The questionnaire was distributed online. The data was collected from April 2020 until the end of the school year. Respondents assess that they have technical and IT competencies, acquired in informal education and that they need further education. Distance teaching is a professional challenge and is stressful, and the vast majority of respondents prefer regular teaching. The stress level is higher, more work, student engagement, and clarity of expectations from teachers are reduced. Respondents most often used already known communication channels during distance teaching: mail and Viber.

Engaging with Silences

(Article forthcoming) This paper will discuss the theoretical framework and approach to educating archivists in the Clayton State Master of Archival Studies (MAS) program. The MAS program is an entirely online program based in the state of Georgia in the U.S. Across the curriculum of the MAS, we approached developing our curriculum to ensure that students engage with social justice issues through wrestling with archival silences. Through creating a theoretical framework, class discussion activities, and assignments, our hope is for our students to be prepared to engage with issues of representation in archival collections once they are in the field. This paper explains the basis for our approach and provides example assignments which other institutions can use as inspiration for their archival education curriculum. For many, archival education emphasizes fundamentals. Archival educators and professionals seem most concerned with educating new archivists on topics such as how to preserve materials, how to provide access, and how to acquire materials. These activities are the work of archivists, but emphasis on the technical disguises the complexities of cultural, economic, and social issues that surround archival work. Technical archival work often silences the voices of many groups found within our collections through emphasizing standardization and mechanics of archival work. Student archivists need exposure to discussions that go beyond the technical. The MAS program does this by encouraging students to engage with the silences that occur during our work.