COI Discussion by Katalin Wargo

kwargo4 — 2025-10-23 21:04:19 UTC

Provide a wide range of tools/ media to support teaching online, along with robust training opportunities.

2025-10-23 21:04:24 UTC

When leaders give teachers agency and trust them as professionals, this increases their motivation to use innovative teaching strategies and try new methods for deeper learning.

2025-10-23 21:06:35 UTC

Providing time, both structured and unstructured, to collaborate.

2025-10-23 21:07:43 UTC

Leaders can encourage teachers to design group projects or discussions that continue both online and in person. When in online learning, using breakout rooms can help students work in smaller groups, share ideas, and feel more comfotable speaking. This helps students see each other as real people, not just names on the screen.

Model TP

2025-10-23 21:08:33 UTC

Before conducting Professional Development, ensure relationships have been established so that teachers feel connected —not just passive participants but active members of the learning and problem-solving process. Be a constant and reliable presence.

2025-10-23 21:09:18 UTC

On a district level, curriculum designers and writers can work collaboratively (and frequently) to update curriculum with culturally relevant examples and current best practices.

Failing is ok

2025-10-23 21:10:04 UTC

When trying something new, such as Problem-Based Learning, allow failure as an acceptable option and make reflection a critical part of the evaluation and assessment.

Flexible social engagements

2025-10-23 21:10:56 UTC

Planning fun activities that allow teachers to engage with each other synchronously or asynchronously. In my building, teachers who had to leave school right after school ended or arrive just before school started missed out on the fun activities because they were not able to arrive early for morning yoga, etc. Teachers appreciated activities like bringing in treats for a co-worker that were flexible with time.

2025-10-23 21:11:20 UTC

Based on the article’s definition of "Teaching Presence (TP)"， educational leaders can enhance TP across programs through developing unified TP practice standards to clarify instructors’ core responsibilities and offering TP supportive resources to help instructors master sufficient TP methods.

2025-10-23 21:11:32 UTC

Leaders need to communicate a clear mission and vision for the school community. If teachers are on board and know the goals, they might feel more capable of contributing and belonging to the whole.

2025-10-23 21:12:37 UTC

An intentional effort to include inquiry-based learning or other learning designs that promote exploratory activities

Put the human experience first

moral162 — 2025-10-23 21:12:46 UTC

Each decision should be carefully crafted to consider its impact on teachers and students, to the extent that each process has to be intentional and evaluated.

schen52 — 2025-10-23 21:12:48 UTC

I think leader modeling can be an important part. Also, knowing teachers' and students' needs are essential. Instead of holding "awkward" in-person or online activities, trying new ways that can help know each other but also allow time and space for everyone to engage. And maybe try to build bridges between in-person and online, like having activities that people can do in both ways within a time range.

Providing opportunities to share what's working and what's challenging with the material - for students to talk to each other or for teachers to meet in groups and bounce ideas around.

2025-10-23 21:13:08 UTC

Leaders should be providing the mission and vision for the programs so that everyone understands what the goals/aims are.

2025-10-23 21:14:15 UTC

Be Purposeful

2025-10-23 21:15:32 UTC

Starting a meeting with an icebreaker that serves no point is often (in my experience) a waste of time; a better approach is an engaging hook that gets the audience working together. That time can be part of the community work. (Sidenote, all of the things we've done at the beginning of our classes in EPPL 653 have not felt like wastes of time. Want to make that clear. They have been the engaging hooks.)

2025-10-23 21:15:38 UTC

It important to regard critical thinking and knowledge construction abilities as the goal of cultivating cognitive presence, so it will be a good idea to integrate the goal into institutional teaching strategies by requiring all academic programs to include CP-related content in the curriculum design and evaluation system.

jzhao18_1 — 2025-10-23 21:16:06 UTC

Behavior such as setting clear structures, guiding meaningful discussions, and supporting collaboration can enhance teaching presence across programs. I actually thinks that these leadership practices are fundamental and transferable across both traditional and online learning environments.

2025-10-23 21:16:27 UTC

Schools should focus on building deeper learning, making learning more about thinking and discovery, not just memorizing answers. Schools might introduce project-based learning where students work on solving real-world problems, such as redesigning the layout of the town to make it more convenient for people.

2025-10-23 21:18:26 UTC

To develop social presence, leaders can train instructors’ SP facilitation abilities to help instructors master SP facilitation skills, such as responding to students’ emotional needs in a timely manner, guiding inclusive discussions) through special training.