Donna Campbell-Patrick is a Master Teacher of Teachers
Q familiar with history, even if they won’t become historians, it’s important that they have some knowledge of coding because technology is so integrated into their daily lives. The Forefront Campaign brought two new Makerspaces to Cannon Campus and additional 3D printers. Through collaboration and intentional innovation, teachers find ways to partner together to design learning experiences that help students make critical connections in understanding the world around them. For instance, in the Lower School Makerspace, fourth graders used green screen software on their iPads to deepen creativity for their documentary project. Upper and Lower School science teachers collaborated to create 3D models of the Grand Canyon for a second-grade science lesson on erosion, and an IB student collaborated with chemistry teachers to create cation and anion puzzle pieces for teaching ionic bonding. Country Day’s commitment to educational technology helped our teachers, students, and families pivot to emergency remote learning last spring as many tools were already in place to offer virtual and online lessons seamlessly. Over the summer, every faculty member received at least 20 hours of professional development in remote educational delivery in preparation for our blended learning model to begin the 2020-21 school year. And they are supported by a strong team of educational technologists who analyze, design, develop, implement, and evaluate processes and tools to enhance the educational experience.
uizlets, Flipgrids, Streams, Teams, OneNote,
Nearpod, Sway. These are just a few of the online tools today’s teachers are using to deliver their lessons in new and innovative ways. For the past five years, Upper School Educational Technologist Donna Campbell-Patrick has been leading her colleagues into this new world with her trademark patience, good humor, and commitment to excellence. “Donna is an exemplar of the Country Day teacher—she is regularly pushing herself to learn something new, something better,” says Tanya Andrysiak, Upper School director of studies. “She provides multiple ways of presenting information, from small group training sessions to archived online videos she has created, knowing that there will always be ‘students’ among the faculty who prefer the 1:1 instruction.” Donna, a certified Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert and a Certified Trainer, says “My goal is always to help teachers use technology effectively in the classroom, not as a ‘neat-o’ gimmick but as a genuine tool to support learning. I try to be the support they need to craft amazing lessons for our students. Regardless of their comfort level with technology, I get to meet them where they are and guide them through the process.” When Country Day moved to emergency remote learning last spring, Donna quickly built out an expansive Ed Tech Hub within the Microsoft Teams platform to house tutorials, videos, and examples for teachers. In preparation for our current blended model, she hosted webinars, created test classes in Teams, and worked individually with teachers to help them polish their skills on the tools needed to deliver their curriculum in person and remotely. “I’m proud of our teachers,” says Donna. “In February, they were teaching all students in one classroom, able to collect paper assignments, use social cues and gestures to communicate with students, pass out a quiz, use active games and candy incentives—the things we had in high school.
When I look at classes today, it is unbelievable to see the transformation the teachers have undergone. Teachers are currently using technology to change how those things are being delivered without compromising what is being delivered. “English teachers are managing fruitful, synchronous discussions with students who are in the classroom and at home. History teachers are using technology to assess and provide meaningful feedback on the research process. Math teachers are innovating with Flipgrid to have students show their math steps. Science teachers are using virtual labs when the hands-on version puts students too close. Fine Arts teachers create Wakelets for at-home lessons and are implementing digital portfolios. The teachers have grown and changed so our students can get the most out of each lesson, and each of these changes demonstrates to the student both the power of technology and that using it effectively is a necessary skill for whatever tomorrow may bring.” 2019/20 ANNUAL REPORT
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