There are approximately seven hours in a typical school day – 420 minutes, 25,000 seconds – and that doesn’t count the time “outside the bell” where our educators are connecting with parents, helping struggling students, or working to prepare lessons. There are countless opportunities within those moments for transformational interactions with students, families and colleagues. In normal circumstances, some of those interactions are public, visible and easy to acknowledge and celebrate.
In our new reality, our educators are displaying unprecedented levels of flexibility, passion and ingenuity around the clock – but behind screens that render much of their hard work invisible. We know that no one goes into teaching for the accolades, but we believe that the work our teachers are undertaking at this moment is incredible and well worthy of praise and celebration.
We know from our on-going conversations with teachers, parents and students that yet again, our Monticello teachers – like teachers everywhere – have this crazy super power to step towards the flames and continue to do whatever it takes to keep our students learning and thriving.
As we move forward in this new reality, we will be featuring some of the ongoing work that our teachers are engaged in, as they (in the words of one of our teacher highlights) “are teaching like our faces are on fire, because that’s exactly how it feels.”
Monticello's Tech Team
Maria Cruz, Lisa Jamin, Laura McAndrew, John Larson, Tim Mangiaracina, David Schwartz, David Linton, Peter Jockel, Dennis Depasquale, Peter Polarski, Ron Devine
Whether it's providing technical support to a parent who is trying to help their student navigate a new laptop for the first time, configuring and distributing devices to students, leading professional development sessions or any of the other myriad tasks associated with transitioning from a traditional classroom-based education model to remote learning, it is the men and women of the Monticello Tech Team who have laid the foundation for learning to continue during the COVID-19 closure.
The group is a very team-oriented one, often requiring multiple staff members to combine their individual skills and talents and work together to tackle challenges and find solutions, whether its helping a student access their password, remotely viewing a staff member's computer to troubleshoot an issue or seeking out fun and innovative ways to keep students engaged during this unprecedented time.
They're using the knowledge they've gained through this experience to continuously improve and plan for the future, should the need for distance learning to continue.
Here, in their own words, is what the experience has been like:
"This closure caught us all by surprise. It was an instant "Think on Your Feet" experience for us. John, Tim and I went into action learning quickly even more about Teams, Seesaw, Schoology, Email, iRead and everything else for the Distance Learning experience to be successful. Then as a team, those resources where complied into a Sway for the staff to have constant access to. With the digital world constantly changing, we also started sending out Tech Tips once a week.
Maria is an important part of the team as well because the questions we couldn't answer, she could. From teachers to parents. She got them all. Tim, John and I were able to be one line of defense, but Maria is Calvary. David is also a huge part of helping on the backend as well. Together, we troubleshoot many issues, made many videos together and emailed, a lot to get things done. I feel the mission got accomplished the best we could and remember -- the Sway is the way," - Lisa Jamin
"Besides getting several hundred laptops ready for students and staff to use to continue school curriculum at home, we have been also working on restructuring the school network.
This restructuring will allow our school district to more seamlessly transition from in classroom learning to home based learning should the need arise again in the future.
We have also been assisting staff, students and parents while they are navigating this new way of learning.
As part of the Monticello Tech Team, I am here to help you with any questions or concerns that you may have," - David Schwartz
"In the two months or so since we’ve been distance learning, our jobs have changed a lot as technology integration specialists. We used to be all about bringing the fun projects into the classroom and now we’ve turned into an on-demand professional development service, help desk and technicians. Working with administrators and teachers and parents and students day in and day out. It has truly been a challenge. The absolute best thing that has come out of it is the collaboration that we have all fallen into. I can only hope this will follow us back when we’re all in district together," - Tim Mangiaracina
"Since the shutdown one of my main responsibilities has been to provide tech support to staff, students and parents. This has been things as simple as just providing a password to remoting in to their home ipads/computer and helping them access their online instruction and resources. It’s not always just me though - this tech dept is very team-oriented so many of the things we do involves a group of us. For example, there were many times where a support call required me, the staff developers and/or David Schwartz to work together to provide the user with the help they needed.
I also got a new LMS up and running and the staff developers got the teachers trained on it. My normal duties – of managing the software systems, iPads, accounts management, etc. Lately, I’ve been part of the team planning for next year with David, Ron and Sandy," - Maria Cruz
"During this time as a team we have been working very hard to ensure the staff and students are comfortable with using the various learning platforms we offer. We work with Teams, Schoology, Seesaw and all the other programs that fit into that puzzle. One thing I am particularly proud of at Chase is setting up of virtual field trips, and other activities to supplement our students learning. We have tried very hard to make learning fun for our students and I produced the moving up ceremony video for our 5th grade as well as the support sign video on our YouTube page," John Larson
We are so grateful to the tech team for navigating us through the unchartered waters of distance learning!
Graduation Committee/Staff Members
Graduation from high school is a significant achievement, and the graduation ceremony one of our district's most time-honored traditions. With the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent social distancing requirements rendering a traditional graduation ceremony impossible, the district's graduation committee worked long and hard over the past few months to brainstorm how to create a meaningful graduation experience for our senior students, while remaining in compliance with government orders.
The committee felt strongly that the graduates should have that experience of walking across a stage, diploma in hand, being cheered on by their closest family and friends. As a result, the group planned for in-person ceremonies over a four-day period. During these ceremonies, graduates walked down the aisle to pomp and circumstance, crossed the stage, turned their tassel, had an official "cap and gown" portrait taken, signed their senior mural and tossed their cap in the air with up to six guests present.
It took a tremendous amount of planning and hard work from the graduation committee and all of the staff members who helped prepare for the ceremonies, including the health, safety, custodial and maintenance teams, to bring the graduation ceremonies together and we are so grateful for all of their efforts.
On June 28 at 1 p.m., (the time that was originally scheduled for the district's graduation ceremony) a graduation video will premiere on the district's YouTube channel that incorporates footage from these ceremonies along with senior speakers, speeches from administrators and the official certification of the diplomas. Watch a trailer for the graduation below:
Credits:
Created with an image by Benjamin DeYoung - "untitled image"