The Inside Edge - Pandemic Edition
May 2020
THE INSIDE EDGE Inside Education’s Slightly Different Partner’s Update
Digital Classroom Inside Education’s team of educators worked quickly to adapt and many of our existing online teacher resources. We also created an extensive series of lessons for all grades, deliverable by teachers or parents and through student discovery learning. Of note, many of our resources and lessons were developed in English and French.
Webinar Wednesday Since our teacher professional development programs were postponed by COVID-19, we decided if were not able to take teachers to the experts, we would bring the experts to the teachers. Each Wednesday we have worked with our partners to deliver engaging one-hour natural resources and environment webinars. Providing real-world information and classroom (virtual and otherwise) applications.
Virtual Classroom Presentations Our saddest change has been losing direct connection to young people. Our Spring field trip season has been pushed into the Fall (fingers crossed), though we have had fun delivering Google Meets presentations to students across Alberta (pictured above).
Inside Ed’s Program Pivot As our long-term partners and friends know well, we at Inside Education take pride in providing regular updates to those individuals and organizations who help make our programs so successful. Certainly this report will seem a little different, given everything that has happened in society with the COVID-19 pandemic. For us at Inside Education, you can imagine the most significant change (on top of numerous dogs appearing in Zoom chats) has been the closure of schools. Like our teacher peers, we were quite suddenly needing to pivot to turn our hands-on, interactive, experiential learning programs to digital platforms.
The Inside Edge - Pandemic Edition
Teacher & Student Feedback
May 2020
So how is it going? No question about it - it’s different. We pride ourselves and even use shorthand that in the energy, natural resources and environmental education world - we are the people people. We are fortunate to have an extensive network of teachers, all of whom are enthusiastic supporters and keen on engaging environmental, energy and natural resources themes in their teaching. Immediately upon the pandemic declaration and closure of school buildings, we reached out to the +6000 teachers on our distribution list. Their insights and advice helped inspire the programming we have delivered between March 15, 2020 to May 21.
“It has been very difficult to change all my lessons to online delivery, so having the support from organizations like Inside Education is very valuable. Thank you for your assistance.” -Adriana Bryenton, St. Albert “All of the Webinar Wednesday presenters were interesting and very informative. I truly appreciate all the work done by Inside Education to enhance teacher professional development. I came away inspired to move my Trees and Forests unit in different directions. Thank you so much! - Maxine Hildebrandt, Warburg
Program Area
Number of Events
Number of Participants
Virtual Lesson Plans 1400 unique page viewers
4485 interactions
Online classroom presentations
30 presentations 13 communities
482 students & teachers reached
Webinar Wednesdays
4 Webinars Topics:
197 Teachers participated (total)
A+ for Energy Grants
• • • •
Forests & Forestry Species at Risk Water Innovations Classroom Climate Change
42 grant applications from across Alberta
“It was a very engaging program that met all the curricular outcomes. The students were the most engaged I have seen in the last few weeks as we have adjusted to the new “normal”. - Shayla Timinsky, Cold Lake Middle School Q. “What was your least favourite part of the program?” Answer: “The end of it!” - Morgan, Steffie Woima Elementary School, Sylvan Lake
We extend our sincere appreciation for the ongoing support of our partners and friends. While these are certainly difficult times for all of us, the commitment, support and amazing good humour as we all figure out what is hopefully a temporary normal is so appreciated by Inside Education staff, Board and importantly the teachers and students we (still) work to inspire and support every day. We wish good health to everyone.