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Tell us, how is your summer going?

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How do you think you could use simulations in your course?

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How do you think you could use simulations in your course?

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1. Tell us about your scenario in Teacher Moments.      2. Would you consider using Avatar-based simulations? Why or why not?

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1. Tell us about your scenario in Teacher Moments.      2. Would you consider using Avatar-based simulations? Why or why not?

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Share any additional materials here!

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Please share any wonderings, questions or comments!

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Please share any wonderings, questions or comments!

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1. After this asynchronous module- what have you learned about simulations?  How does your learning relate to our equity lens?

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1. After this asynchronous module- what have you learned about simulations?  How does your learning relate to our equity lens?

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Hi! My name is Jenny Butch and I have been working at Hunter for a good long time now. I teach pretty much year round and I am teaching ECC 709 and ECC 718 this July.

While I have gradually made integrations of technology into my classes, this is super new territory for me.

In other news, lol, I live in France for most of the year and Summer there has been great so far, sunny and great temps, but I am not looking forward to the big heat sure to come and the Olympics will be chaos.

I am super interested in this topic that we are addressing and I look forward to finding out about all of you!

Have a cool and great day!

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I learned so much about simulations as I had never heard or experienced the concept. The demonstrations were a great way to see the process, from both strength of practice and limitations perspective. I got a lot out of the thinking about Equity and Equality work that was shared. The teacher's reflections on their practices and reasoning were illuminating to me. I appreciated their honesty and self-criticism (or critical reflection). There does seem to be a disconnect for me in these ideals and how higher education approaches these exact concepts. Without throwing down the gauntlet too much, the idea that students can get achieve "success" in the equity model means that there has to be a certain amount of flexibility on the part of the instructor to allow for alternate assessment methods (or plans to get there for each student who needs an alternate means). This is a concept that goes directly against the "standardization" of the rubric evaluation model that is used with students in our teacher preparation program. It does seem to me to be a bit of "here is great practice, but we are not going to use it with you."

The integration of the idea of simulations and equity is a bit more fuzzy to me given that I do not know the algorithms that govern the simulation programs themselves and if the idea of equity is a fundamental part of how those avatars will respond. As a means of providing a basis for discussion with students in reflection on their performance, it certainly lowers the stakes for actual pupils and provides an avenue to talk about the more complex ideas around equity practices in a more "realistic" manner. -Jenny

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Hello HC family,

My name is Judy Sanchez. My journey at Hunter has come full circle. I attended Hunter during my undergrad and grad studies (many moons ago!). In 2019, I joined the adjunct faculty team teaching ECC703 - Curriculum and ECC 716/718 Student Teaching.

Throughout my years in the early childhood field, I have had the pleasure of working in various educational roles. I am particularly passionate about building teaching capacity to help teachers become more effective and intentional in order to sustain children and adults' love of learning.

I am excited about the opportunity to learn, reflect, and collaborate with everyone. I believe that by working together, we can create a dynamic and enriching learning environment for our students.

Summer has been filled with exploring, rekindling, and learning.

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I am Miriam Campos. I was born in California and raised in East Harlem. I love to visit California as often as I can! I love to read and have family game nights.

I am very passionate about teaching, specially working with students with different abilities. In connection to this, I find that if we provide the proper tools to students, anyone can improve in their abilities and learn how to thrive in difficult environments. I also firmly believe in advocacy. Many times, families who do not speak English, must navigate systems that may be confusing or not as accessible. I work hard to help families of students with disabilities learn how to find help and support.

Every year, I look for experiences that can help me in my work with students and families. I am excited for this camp. I look forward to working with other professionals and learning together!

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After reading through the available resources and watching the videos, I have learned that simulations are experiences, at times virtual, that allow someone to learn about or face a situation and respond to it.

Many of the readings and videos for this session were focused on Equity. The video Equity Vs. Equality stressed key points regarding Equity vs. Equality. Richard Milner, Vanderbilt University Professor, spoke about the importance of being conscious of our actions and prompted us to reflect on whether we are focusing on equality or equity. In our practice as educators, it is important that we base most of, if not all, of our decisions on what students need rather than focusing on doing the same thing for everybody.

Many times students do not have control of debilitating factors that directly impact their education and their future. A teacher with an equity lens provides the necessary supports for students who are struggling due to their life circumstances. Richard Milner emphasized that an educator with an equity mindset looks at privilege as one of the factors that impact student success. Therefore, these educators ensure that they provide students who need additional support with the necessary tools and experiences that will help them as they make their way into adulthood.

My learning relates to our equity lens because it gives me more tools and strategies to support teachers and students. In my position as a seminar instructor, I plan share and discuss these resources in class. New teachers must learn about Equity and how to support students facing hardships. We all have to act on the individual needs of students.

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Hi, My name is Shana Stanley. I have been working at Hunter College over 10 years and I love working with this group. I also work on an Inclusion Project in New Jersey. I consider myself somewhat well versed in technology, but I am looking forward to learning more about new ideas and how to further infuse them into my practice! I am also looking forward to some down time this summer to focus on relaxing and spending time with my family.

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Hello! My name is Jere Davis, and I was born and raised in New York. I love spending any free time I have with my dog, upstate hiking, or cooking from new recipes.

I am an adjunct and field supervisor here at Hunter College, working exclusively with teachers who are in ECC 717. I am excited for this training session(s) because I would like to expand my digital literacy. I feel like technology has been changing so rapidly, it's a lot to keep up with and I feel like I have taken myself out of the race. I am eager to learn as much as I cam over the course of the next few days.

This summer I'm in grad school 2.0, working on a degree in leadership and school administration, so I've been very busy completing assignments, I am looking forward to a vacation coming up in late summer.

-Jere D

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Simulations are models or virtual representations of real-world systems, and processes. They can be used to test hypotheses, practice a variety of outcomes, and analyze scenarios.

I have heard about simulations before, but have yet to see it used as a way to support teacher candidate in college programs until today. I thought it was interesting for simulations allow for the refinement of approaches before implementation in real classrooms but am curious to see how accurate simulations can be.

In terms of equity, simulations can help teachers recognize and address their biases by recreating classroom scenarios that highlight unconscious biases and their impacts. This increased awareness, coupled with reflective practice in simulated interactions, helps teachers understand and adjust their behaviors. The simulations can provide a safe space for teachers to practice equitable teaching skills and develop strategies for developing a more inclusive classroom.

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Hi my name is Gina Acosta and I have been an educator in the field of early childhood education since 2003 having worked in many different capacities - preschool teacher, instructional coach, supervisor, education manager, PD trainer, adjunct instructor, and site director. My passion for my work in early childhood is social-emotional learning and teacher development. I am going into my 5th semester working with Hunter as an adjunct in the supervision of student teachers. I am looking forward to working together and engaging in reflection of the learning content in this camp. My summer has been busy with work and balancing time with my 2 sons. We will be traveling at the end of July to enjoy the beach and have some fun together before my older son heads off back to college for his sophomore year.

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I thought the information on simulations was really valuable as the best way to learn is to practice with real life examples and scenarios. I often use video examples and case studies but adding simulations would be a great addition as well because there are so many variables in addition to planning that teachers need practive with.

The readings on equity vs equality were very impactful. My work in special education has me always looking at situations with an equity lens and it is so important because teaching is not a one size fits all practice and students need modifications based on their individual profiles. No 2 students are the same and it is not fair to have them meet expectations that are not realistic for them.

The reflection piece that was discussed is also a very valuable teaching tool and it is really important for teachers to be able to reflect on things that have happened so that they can consider what they may have done differently and to consider what is working and what needs to be changed.

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I've learned that simulations actively engage students by immersing them in realistic scenarios, promoting critical thinking, and providing a safe space to experiment. They bridge the gap between theory and practice and encourage collaboration. Especially as we transition into a tech world, providing opportunities to receive hands-on practice is vital to students' learning.

The focus on learning supports the work of equity by helping to reflect, recognize, and honor the students we serve. It is about supporting students by creating an inclusive environment where all learners feel safe. Including cultural relevance helps to reflect the experiences and backgrounds of all students. Differentiating instructions offers complexity and support, empowerment, and addresses biases. The resources shed light on the work needed to address equity in achievement gaps. Rich Milner addresses these issues well. I particularly liked the way he said, "Individuals make the systems, so each of us has to take our own role and responsibility in helping to build the kinds of systems and places that we want and deserve to experience educative opportunities." This emphasizes the important work we do and promote.

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Gina Acosta - Day 1 - Reflection

I had no prior knowledge of the teacher simulation concept prior to this module. I enjoyed watching the videos of the teachers sharing their reflection and feedback on what they learned from engaging in the simulations and reflecting on the scenarios in the practice space. In the equity vs equality unit, important information was shared on the differences between the two mindsets. The professor in the video highlighted the examples of teaching, planning, and supporting students’ individual needs to set them up for academic success. It was also emphasized that it is important to try to lessen the focus of implementing the same approach in the delivery of instruction for all students the same way. Fair and equitable classrooms are spaces where every single student receives the support and attention that they individually need. Those who utilize the equity mindset in their teaching engage in reflection of the planning, implementation of instruction, and the classroom environment. Teachers who work with the equity mindset are open to updates and revisions to the planned lesson content as necessary to ensure the learning environment and setting allows for flexibility and accessibility. Modifying the content and assessments to meet the individual needs of each student is an approach that is fitting to the students’ needs. All students need something different and it is important for the teachers to have opportunities to engage in reflection of their knowledge and practice to understand that it is part of their role to do their best to provide the students with what they need. Practice spaces are great for helping teachers with reflection of their teaching practices. Building rapport, establishing, and maintaining meaningful relationships with students is invaluable to our work.

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By: Miriam Campos

One way that I can use simulations in my course, to start, is by presenting a scenario to teacher candidates that can be addressed  in multiple ways. For example, analyzing a common situation they will face at the start of the school year. In September, children will need to learn routines. As part of the module, I will ask students to explore different ways to teach routines and expectations. In addition, I will have them revisit this resource if one of the strategies they implemented  did not yield the intended results. They can also come back and add on other strategies they attempted.

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Simulations are a great way to give students practice before going to the "real" thing. If they are given the tools to practice their intuitive responses ahead of time, they would be better able to analyze them for glitches, refine language used, and brainstorm alternate pathways. Demonstrating its value to students would be very important and this is something that could be built into a seminar session.

What I really want to use more are the provocative scenarios that can be highlighted in Teacher Moments. This rapid response technique really emphasizes the on your feet thinking, but then gives a chance to reflect and even to change thinking when presented with additional information or knowledge (such as in the Jeremy scenario) to the actual teaching in action process. Something that might be a good topic would be an in the moment situation where a child needs differentiation of a lesson and thinking about the multiple ways that could be addressed.

Jenny

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I think that as a supervisor, it would be good to direct students to simulations that could help them develop more skills and confidence in areas that they are struggling with or inexperienced in. I think it is helpful to have them be able to anticipate student responses and make necessary adjustments.

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I am eager to explore new and exciting methods to engage students in computational thinking and learning through simulations. The incorporation of simulations will offer students a fresh approach to education. I am curious how I can develop simulations to enrich discussions in the course. I plan to utilize simulations as group and independent activities to provide additional context to our conversations and leverage students' critical thinking and reflections.

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In working in supervision with the student teachers, I feel the simulations could be very helpful to their field experience work. Encouraging the student teachers to use the simulations as a form of reflective practice is one way they can start. I would also share the ways that they can start to think intentionally and work on practicing the algorithms and trial and error in their teaching practice. I also like the idea of helping the teachers see the simulations as a tool for mental mapping on how to solve a problem. Providing the teachers with practice simulations to tinker breaking down the problem similar to the way teachers would do with breaking down the routine within the instructional day to individualize support for students in need of more targeted instruction and strategies could also be beneficial to their work.

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The simulation that I brainstormed is connected to social emotional teaching and learning. I started by developing a scenario where a teacher candidate can practice using prompts to address behavior. I would be open to the use of avatars. I would want teacher candidates to practice their responses to a challenging situation using avatars so they can receive feedback from myself and their peers before they start their in-person fieldwork. I would much rather teacher candidates have as many opportunities to practice their responses to behavior with an avatar rather than with a child, in order to avoid causing any emotional harm to students. With enough practice and support, the use of avatars can be a useful tool for myself and for teacher candidates.

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The situation I created was ablou conflict resolution between students, which is an area we often don't address when preparing our student teachers. The small skills that I discussed was having proactive behavior regulation and coping visuals available to students to both prevent and address situations as they come up. I loved hearing all the scenarios that others created and discussing it together to make our cases stronger.

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I really enjoyed the simulations. I had never seen a teacher simulation before. I believe these are valuable as it allows teachers to practice and as a professor you can see how students respond to the challenges. I would like to be able to try to use simulations in my course in the future.  I would need to make sure I have the time and understand how to use it. I equate using a simulation to spending time sorting through videos and trying to find the perfect video to demonstrate to my students with the correct lesson.  I would be open to using simulations in my teaching practice.  I would like to see how much time it takes or learn how to utilize lessons already created and adapt them to my teaching practice.

In equity and equality unit I agree that you need to provide modifications and adaptations to students. A child's home experience

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I really enjoy the topic of algorithmic thinking. Think ahead about things so you can plan in advance.  Algorithmic thinking is an important skill a teacher is required to utilize to teach lessons.  As a professor try to incorporate this thinking as I prepare my student teachers and as I plan my classes. I often find myself breaking tings down into steps.  It can be understanding a child’s needs, a lesson or a considering their experiences when aligning my teaching instruction to their needs.  We should do this in our teaching to think about a student teacher  and their experiences in our course. I find many student teachers have difficulty breaking down their lesson into steps. Breaking down a skill into steps can be hard and needs to be taught explicitly. Sequencing events or target goals can be hard to define for some students.

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I thought about how teachers run meetings in prek and k classrooms. What to do when students do not raise their hands and when teachers are unaware when they inadvertently reinforce calling out behavior. Providing structure to meetings can help a teacher be consistent and help students with the expectations.

I would consider using teacher simulation as I believe it is hard to provide examples of certain situations and I think this technology can be helpful for specific scenes and problem solving opportunities.