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Happy August Folx! 

It is with great excitement, hope, and humility that I share with you that I have stepped into the role of President of the NEALS organization for the 2023-2024 year! My name is Chris Ouellette, and I have been involved with NEALS for nearly a decade, serving as regional and communications coordinator, vice-president of the board, and most importantly, a member.

I am about to begin my 22nd year working in the field of special education, working in public schools, and in therapeutic, alternative, and girl-centered boarding schools. I have worked in independent schools for the last 12 years and have served as a program director for the last six.

My current position is as the Inaugural Director of Learning Support and as a Learning Specialist at the girl-centered community of the Emma Willard School in Troy, NY.

My NEALS mentors are two wonderful humans who set phenomenal examples for me to learn from. Their hard work sets a high bar, and it would be impossible to detail all their accomplishments in this letter. As I watched Susan Cole Ross lead NEALS up to and through our 20th anniversary and watched Laura Foody lead us through a global pandemic and a shift to virtual programming, my admiration and respect grew. They are indeed education leaders to emulate.

The NEALS board will be holding our annual retreat in August, and we are looking forward to the following:

• Getting back to being in person together regularly. One of the best parts about NEALS for me is the connections we can foster with the other humans doing this work. While the virtual world allowed for connection in crisis, it was a meager substitute for the energy generated when we are together in person. Please look for more in person regional meetings to begin populating as the school year begins. These events can be found on the NEALS Events section of our website. 

• Continuing virtual NEALS’ Table Talks. We saw strong attendance at our virtual offerings this past year, so we are committed to continuing these. Particularly since we know some of our members still can’t connect in person for various reasons.

• We have started a relationship with Red Purse Marketing to deliver better communication and content to our membership. This President’s Letter is coming to you in the first newsletter curated by the wonderful team at Red Purse.

• Sharing the resources from our annual conference in April 2023, focused on: Harnessing the Power of Evolving Technology with Rachael ‘Shelley’ Haven. 

• NEALS’ 25th Anniversary! It is quite awesome that this organization has been around for so long bringing Learning Specialists and other special educators together. We are planning on being in person at this year’s annual conference. Please stay tuned for more information to come! 

This organization has been a strong place of knowledge, information, and camaraderie for me since I discovered it just under a decade ago. I look forward to continuing and strengthening those things that I believe we do very well.

Rick Ross tells us “How many people you bless is how you measure success”, so I look forward to supporting this group of educators as we grow both individually, and together as a community of learning specialists.

Cheers,
Chris

Dear NEALS Members and Supporters,

I am sitting at my desk writing my last President’s letter for NEALS.  My term is ending this month, and I wanted to thank all of you for helping NEALS stay strong these past three years.  It was a challenge to pivot over and over to continue to provide services and support to our members; I am proud to say that we continued to provide excellent programming and networking opportunities while the world processed the COVID pandemic.  Working with the NEALS Board helped me stay afloat during the pandemic and I urge all of you to consider taking on a more active role with this wonderful organization.

I am now looking forward to my professional growth and wanted to share some of my summer plans with you.

I am beginning my summer break with a quick sentence writing workshop by Think SRSD.  This evidence-based program breaks down the writing process into explicit steps.  I am looking forward to better explaining to students how to write high-quality sentences.

This summer, I am working with Horizons at Dedham Country Day School.  I will be providing reading support to students from Boston and Dedham Public and Charter Schools.  This is a great program.  I love to share my joy of learning with students who are not familiar with the independent school experience.  I urge you to investigate whether there is a Horizons program near you and find out how you can help support it. 

I am also taking an online course created by our own member, Caryl Frankenberger.  She has made a wonderful certificate program about how to better address the needs of our diverse learners at independent schools.  Here is a little blurb about it:

Understanding Diverse Learning Profiles is a six-modular online course that people can take at their leisure. We cover the most salient learning challenges (dyslexia, ADHD, executive functioning, processing speed/working memory, anxiety, pink flags of autism spectrum) because all schools have students who have some of these issues.

Our other modules address misconceptions we bring to our work about students who have learning challenges; how to read and interpret psychoeducational/neuropsychological evaluations; questions you can ask in the admissions process or in the classroom to get a clearer understanding of the students you interview/teach; classroom strategies for all learners; and then a case study.

I am looking forward to sharing this program with my school colleagues so that we can learn more about how to accept and support all our students and hope you investigate it as well.

And finally, I am taking a summer course through the Harvard Graduate School of Education on Instructional Leadership.  This program is helping me learn how I can better mentor, coach, and support my classroom colleagues.  I have been very pleased with the coursework I’ve done with Harvard GSE and encourage you to investigate their programs.

Thank you all for being a part of NEALS.  I wish you a wonderful summer and I look forward to seeing you at our events during the 2023-24 school year.  

Regards,

Laura Foody

The Intentionality of Gathering Together

by Chris Ouellette, NEALS VP, Director of Learning Support at Emma Willard

Happy April Folx! 

Last night, the NEALS Board finished up our final meeting before the April virtual conference on 4/28. I greatly appreciate the connections that I have been able to form through my work with this small group. Priya Parker tells us in the first line of her book The Art of Gathering that “the way we gather matters” (2018). She goes on to define gathering as “the conscious bringing together of people for a reason” (2018). My thoughts have been focused on coming together and building community for quite some time now. When Covid shut the world down in March of 2020, my partner Jennifer and I hosted all of the members of the Darrow campus bubble regularly throughout the Spring and Summer for outdoor frivolities. We were able to keep morale and spirit up through the conscious effort of building that community bubble. The great privilege in having the ability to do that is not lost on me.

Recently over Spring Break, Jennifer and I spent time in Boulder, CO. working with the Leadership + Design folx as participants in their Badass Facilitator Training. The days spent building community and learning by doing with other school leaders feels like it is already lending itself towards positive momentum forward! One of the most simple phrases that was shared with us from the mouth of Greg Bamford was that “when facilitating, your main task is to show up and be helpful” (2023). This certainly does not mean that you merely fly by the seat of your pants as you go with the flow, “don’t be a chill host” Parker reminds us. It means that you are ready to read the room and shift as needed, leading the group on “their journey, not yours” (L+D, 2023).

I have begun to meet more regularly with some of our younger leaders. I had been having conversations in the fall where my colleagues were sharing similar frustrations to the ones I had been having, and by channeling the “go get your learning” L+D mantra combined with the idea that “leadership is lonely” (Center for Creative Leadership), I have been offering up articles, clips, books, and time so that we can begin to gain a shared understanding around pedagogy and approach, and begin to build our community within a community, just as Dr. Ruha Benjamin told us to do it when we were lucky enough to have her visit our campus back in the fall. 

The NEALS world has been mostly virtual for a couple of years now. This year we have decided to utilize a two-pronged approach for our annual conference: A virtual offering on Friday 4/28/23, followed by in-person regional gatherings that have already started to populate on the website. Friday we will have the opportunity to work with Rachael “Shelley” Haven, ATP, RET, BSME, as she leads us on a journey through the world of Generative AI and technology to support our own practices! As we move forward into the month of May, the following gatherings will be happening in person:

-NH/ME/VT will see a regional gathering on 5/10 at 4:30p at SawBelly Brewing in Exeter, NH. Register through the events page on the website.  

-CT/Eastern NY will see a regional gathering on 5/12 from 12:30-2:30p at the Kent School in Kent, CT. Register through the events page on the website.  

-Northern MA/NH will see a regional gathering on 5/16 from 2:00-4:00p at the Pike School in Andover, MA. Register through the events page on the website.

As we get ready to connect again, I will leave you with another quote from Priya Parker, “Every time people gather, they are being brought into the opportunity to help one another, to do what they couldn’t do, think up, or heal alone” (2018). 

I am truly looking forward to the opportunity to do something together!

Cheers,

Chris

*We are looking for passionate humans who will be able to help us expand our board. If you have any interest in joining the NEALS board for 2023-2024, please reach out to Chris Ouellette, couellette@emmawillard.org.

Spring Into Your Reading!

by Chris Ouellette, Director of Learning Support, Emma Willard, NEALS VP

Hello Folx!

Happy final day of March! I hope that the start of your spring season has gone as smoothly as you need. If not, I appreciate your resilience and power! 

As I close out this incredibly hectic month (multiple conferences and a hiring process), I thought it would be good to take a moment to pause and think about my own professional development. One of the ways I am able to stay current is through reading. I dive into articles regularly, though, oftentimes I find myself lacking the time to fully engage with books. In an effort to “go get my learning" (Leadership + Design), I find myself in the midst of reading several books that I believe will be useful going forward. Since NEALS has been delivering book talks through the Table Talk Discussions, I wanted to share the list of books I am reading or re-reading currently:

-Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman (2016)

-Equity-Centered Trauma-Informed Education by Alex Shevrin Venet (2021)

-Visual Thinking by Temple Grandin (2022)

-How to Walk by Thich Nhat Hanh (2015)

-A School Leader’s Guide to Standards-Based Grading by Tammy Heflebower, Jan K. Hoegh, & Philip B. Warrick (2014)

-The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker (2018)

-Design for Belonging by Susie Wise (Stanford d.school) (2022)

-Neuro Teach by Glenn Whitman and Ian Kelleher (2016)

-15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, & Kaley Warner Klemp (2015)

Good luck as you dive into April, hoping we see you on the 28th for our virtual conference!

Cheers,

Chris

How to Help Your Child with Homework

By Sarah Bramble, M.S. 

Grades 5 and 6 Learning Specialist

Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart

(Adapted from a letter to parents at Stone Ridge, an all-girls independent school in Bethesda, Maryland.)

Parents often ask how they can best support their children with homework. Should I step back completely? Should I let her be completely independent? Should I ask if she would like assistance? Should I just check in occasionally? As with most questions relating to our children, the answer is: it depends. 

From a brain-science perspective, the middle-school years are an opportune time for children to acquire and hone good study skills and homework habits. 

Homework is assigned as a natural extension of the educational program, as well as to promote self-discipline, responsibility, and decision-making. Homework is a formative assessment tool, designed to reinforce what has been taught in class, to prepare students for upcoming lessons, and to help students develop good study habits, time management, and organizational skills. It should be completed individually and without parental involvement or oversight, unless otherwise noted.

Ideally and aspirationally, students will have–or move toward–full autonomy in the realm of homework. However, for students who are new to a school or are still developing their time management or organizational skills, a bit of parental guidance may be needed temporarily to help scaffold the sort of executive function toolbox needed for effective homework completion. So, aside from completing homework for children, which sends the message that the child is incapable of doing the work, what might a parent do if he or she sees that their child is struggling either with a specific assignment or with homework completion in general? 

First, consider all the pieces our children are beginning to juggle as middle schoolers. Often students have a different teacher for each content area. Their days are full, and many have a full roster of activities after school. We ask our children to plan ahead for assignments, projects, and assessments, more of which are long-term assignments as they progress through the grade levels. They must master these new skills alongside navigating big social, emotional, and physical changes. No wonder it’s challenging! 

Also, remember that helping a Grade 5 student is very different from helping a Grade 8 student. Whereas a 10-year-old may enjoy organizing and be fairly conscientious about doing homework, she is still developing the necessary skills to be successful and may need guidance. A 13-year-old, on the other hand, may crave independence and want to decide which school supplies she prefers and where she likes to study. You’ll be in a good position if you spend some time standing on the sidelines and observing. Avoid rushing to help at the first (or second) sign of distress. Our kids are resilient, and most have the means to traverse road bumps on their own when given that space.

If you (and your child) feel that some help is needed, carefully limit your assistance to the organization of time, processes, materials, and space. 

• Start with modeling. Think out loud as you’re breaking down your own tasks. You might make a list and then think out loud about how you will divide them up and in what order you’ll do so. As your child hears your mental processes, she’ll likely begin applying them to her tasks. Additionally, walk through your approach to multistep tasks. This will demonstrate how to chunk tasks to make them more manageable.

• Establish routines. For example, imagine your child is expected to spend between one and two hours (depending on grade level) on homework each night, including weekends. One option is to dedicate a time frame to homework completion and stick to it as much as possible. That might mean she works from 4 to 5 pm, and again from 5:30 to 6:00, with a break in between. Many homework assignments are given over several days, so a set amount of time working toward homework will help a student manage her time. If your child has finished early, she might check to see if she can begin to prepare for upcoming tests or review the work done that day. The only way to develop habits is to practice them. In addition, having a set and quiet place equipped with school supplies and dedicated to homework is ideal. For one family, this place might mean sitting at the dining room table; for another this might mean working in the bedroom.

• Know your child. Some students like to have a little snack break right after school before starting their homework. Some students like to start with the easier homework and check it off the list before tackling the more complex homework; others like to start with the more challenging assignments while they’re fresh and save the easier ones for last. Talk to your child about her preferences, and let her know you’re on her team. If her strategy isn’t working, let her know it’s OK (and beneficial) to change it!

• Take the first step with your child. If you notice your child chronically procrastinating or avoiding homework, it could be a sign that she doesn't know where to begin. Start with the planner. Take a look at what assignments are due and when, and ask if there are any upcoming tests or projects. Help your child prioritize. Will some tasks take longer than others? Would it be useful to estimate how long each assignment will take? Would it be helpful to make a list of materials needed for each task? You can then look together and decide what to do first and what materials are required in order to begin. If your child seems to be struggling with homework concepts or directives, have her contact her teacher. If she has an exceptionally hectic evening or finds herself not feeling well, find out if she can request a homework extension. 

• Remember the goal. Ultimately, we want our kids to take the reins in managing their out-of-school work. Some kids acquire these skills quickly, and others require a bit of support. Helping kids hone their learning habits–assuming the child is receptive– is very different from doing the work for a child. As your child learns to organize her time, space, processes, and materials for herself, gradually strip away the scaffolding as she becomes more independent and let her fly on her own. There may be a bit of floundering, and that is OK. Resist the urge to help with content, fix mistakes or edit homework for your daughter; teachers’ ability to see where kids are struggling will inform their instructional decisions.

• Keep in touch: If you find that your child is resistant to homework routines or is consistently struggling to finish in a timely manner, reach out to her advisor, teacher, or learning specialist. Work together to figure out the stumbling blocks and to create a productive way to move forward.

Working in partnership we can help our children (as stated in Criterion 1 of Goal V at Stone Ridge): “grow in courage and confidence, discover new abilities, cultivate strengths, learn from making mistakes . . . and exercise resilience in meeting challenges.”  Supporting our Middle School students requires us to balance providing guidance with allowing them growth and independence.

Upcoming NEALS Table Talk Discussion: Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman 3/7/23 7:00-8:15p 

Led by Chris Ouellette, Vice President of NEALS and Director of Student Support at Emma Willard School

"Many schools are currently/have made changes after reading and engaging with the book Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman. Whether your school has made a major change to grading policies, or it is offering up Professional Learning Groups (like the group I am leading at Emma Willard), or if you are just genuinely curious about all of the hype, this NEALS Table Talk Discussion is for you! Even though the majority of us do not assign grades, as Learning Specialists we regularly see the direct impact that grading policies can have on our students. It will be important for us to use our lenses to help support any of our institutions who are thinking about diving into and adopting policies presented by Feldman". 

***This session will be recorded

Teaching at SEGA in Tanzania

by: Susan Cole Ross (former President NEALS)

Five days in, teaching is the easy part. I have three 13-year-old girls with extremely limited language in English. Their Swahili is beautiful and so is their handwriting. Two of them are excellent artists, drawing intricate calligraphy, swirls, blossoms, and paisleys. We use an ESL curriculum that layers vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, and social-emotional adjustment to their new school.  Away from home for the first time, the girls introduce themselves to each other in English, tell about their family members, learn  to sing and play “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” and “If You’re Happy and You Know It” while learning body parts, theirs and butterflies’.

More girls giggle through yoga, my afternoon activity, and several are particularly drawn to it, perhaps experienced. They’re excited to learn, hungry for books, and devoted to classroom time. Their devotion is quickly directed toward their teachers, and I am touched and honored.  It’s daunting knowing I will have to say goodbye next Friday. It may take them by surprise. We have no shared vocabulary to explain the passage of time, the extreme distance. It’s not easy to get here, but I know I will want to return.

I meet with the new English teacher: young, kind, and unwittingly debonair. He seems new to teaching but eager to learn as he shadows me in many of my classes. I pull out the Lindamood Bell materials I have brought halfway across the world for him, and he is expressively grateful as it’s hard to come by such resources. I show him pertinent pages in “Solving Language Difficulties” and encourage him to use it with the students who pronounce the silent e, mistake l for r, or don’t understand the syllables that make up English words. 

A dozen guard dogs and Maasai warriors keep watch over us and the girls by night. We are safe from snakes and thieves in the middle of this beautiful but barren countryside. When the rains come, I am told, life will return to the gardens. I plan a lesson on composting, a critical skill the girls can take home to their villages. 

Each day we rise by seven for a delicious breakfast: always including avocado toast with honey and scrambled eggs with onions, peppers, and carrots. We collect our girls at a central location and take them, in our case, to the Banda, an outdoor meeting place. They read and write English flashing bright eyes and warm smiles, but they’re reluctant to speak much English. After classes, they rattle Swahili to one another with lyrical fluency.

Our curriculum is based on the Total Physical Response Approach to English language learning. We start with introducing oneself, first reading in unison, and then conversing in pairs with only keywords as reminders. Daily lessons progress to cover family members, clothing, colors, numbers, plurals, nouns and verbs, body parts, and activities using the present progressive.  We enjoy a book about African animals following our safari to the Mikumi National Park in the Tanzanian savanna.  Many of the girls have never seen Tanzania’s famous zebra, lions, and elephants. During breaks they sing “Make New Friends,” dance the Macarena and the Hokey Pokey for body parts, play “Madame Suz Says,” and “Pick, Pick, Pick Bananas” (for verbs).

We end with studying and making coffee filter butterflies which the girls use to adorn their hair, shirts, and wrists. They create a musical performance for the rest of the girls based on friendship because they have named themselves, aptly, The Friends.

And now I reread their favorite book as I eagerly await the letters their teachers tell me they have sent 7466 miles to my home.

SEGA Reflections

by: Susan Cole Ross (former President NEALS)

Three of us head out from Logan after checking 300 pounds of donations to the girls at SEGA Girls’ Secondary School**, including 42 scientific calculators sent by my friends. We meet two others in Amsterdam for lattes and chocolate croissants, which I expect will be our last for the coming 3 weeks. 

 

During our 10 1/2 hour flight from Europe to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, I review the basic level ELL curriculum I will use to teach SEGA’s incoming students.  Their English fluency is limited, an obstacle to higher learning. The curriculum seems a good jumping off spot, but I most look forward to taking the girls out into the sustainable gardens and obsessing, as I do, about plants, compost, and food while pointing, pointing, pointing. Or that is my hope…

Hope. Enroute I read Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams’ Book of Hope: A survival guide for trying times. Goodall’s gentle but stalwart commitment to the people, the places, and the animals of Tanzania inspire me. When she speaks of hope in her original, increasingly desperate search for chimpanzees, she says, “of course there was a nagging worry - did I have time? I suppose it’s a bit like climate change. We know we can slow it down -  we’re just concerned as to whether we have sufficient time to effectively turn things around.” I share her hope and her concern. I hope that I can make a difference, and I query, “will I have time in just 9 teaching days?” 

Waking from a five hour bus jostle from Dar es Salaam, SEGA finally looms ahead on the dusty road. For the girls’ protection, we do not share the address.  The girls come from villages where early pregnancy and marriage are common, and young women work relentlessly to access water and food, to create meals and clean homes, and to care for children at an age when, by US standards, they are children themselves.  There is little time for school, often a one to three hour walk away, where the inconsistent attendance of teachers sometimes makes the walk futile. The futility of education is reflected in girls 33% attendance in secondary school in the country, lower still out in the bush. 

After a day of training we strive to embrace cultural humility and recognize that these girls know things we will never know, and most already speak at least two languages other than English: their native language and Swahili.  Surely they are learners and likely they will be our teachers as well.  We wonder how. 

A bit of a curveball, we learn that due to changes in the national testing protocols, the new girls will be just arriving, directly from their villages, to work with us starting Sunday.  Sega’s teachers will have no time to meet with them, to assess their English skills, to evaluate their emotional needs, etc.  Young women often bring stories and burdens to set aside when they come to school.  So our English Fluency Program leader hops into action creating a game for us to share with the girls, an opportunity to practice the language and to get to know one another.  She creates a spreadsheet for us to use during the activity, to measure our new students’ English fluency levels as we go along.  Anticipating an exercise of our students’ resilience, I find this is an exercise in our resilience as teachers, as well. 

But all that will wait until tomorrow.  First, on Saturday, we attend SEGA‘s graduation day. It is a grand celebration of SEGA’s 14th year and 10th graduation, of the girls’ dedication to their studies and to each other, of each of their villages, of heritage, of nationalism, and of joy.  Families, in traditional dress, collect around their young graduates. The Maasai, in particular, stand so tall, proud, and intimidating, but I overcome my reluctance, step right up, and greet them, “Jambo!” Men in their warrior garb, holding their long sticks, turn and smile, “kwiheri!”

(To be continued.)

** "Nurturing Minds (NM) is a US-based 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to support quality education, life skills, and entrepreneurship to help girls in Tanzania become leaders in their communities. Nurturing Minds achieves its mission through its partnership with SEGA (Secondary Education for Girls’ Advancement) for the development and operation of a quality secondary boarding school, a continuing education scholarship program, and a community outreach program that brings elements of SEGA’s Life Skills program to girls in rural communities throughout Tanzania. For more information: www.nurturingmindsinafrica.org."

By Chris Ouellette

NEALS VP, Director of Learning Support, Emma Willard

Hello Folx! The year is rocking and rolling already! Joining a new community has really been a refreshing experience in terms of my own energy and output! I wanted to take some time to share about an experience I have already had this year where I was able to stretch my reach beyond typical expectations.

As the year began, I was approached by the Head of School in order to tap into my knowledge base of learning strategies in support of a specific administrative team. The team had just rolled out a new protocol to use in some meetings when one of the team members expressed concern about the protocol supporting their own learning needs. This is when I was asked to review the protocol, share my thoughts, and offer up some alternatives to think about. I brought my input to a meeting at the beginning of the week. Here are my thoughts on the overall experience:

1. This was the first time that I have been asked to support adults outside of delivering professional development (whether group or 1-1). Not only was this an honor, it was a great example of the reach that Learning Specialists can have if they are valued within their school communities. 

2. As I began to review the protocol, and started to find some legitimate frustration points, I was worried about the impact of coming into the meeting and sharing with the Head of School that their protocol should probably shift to something different. I channeled my inner Brené Brown, focused on the mantra “clear is kind”, and mustered up my courage to deliver the message. What a well-received conversation this was! 

3. We work within such an imperfect science that things often feel a bit messy! The level of vulnerability needed to engage in this intricate world is palpable. The nature of our work, no matter how gently we deliver it to our colleagues, can often sound like “YOU’RE BAD AT TEACHING”. This naturally brings out insecurities in teachers (even if that isn’t even close to the delivered message). This moment was a chance for me to be vulnerable and courageous, and was an opportunity to model to my colleagues the ways in which I believe we should all interact.

My challenge to you: find the spot where you need to have a courageous conversation, channel your inner “clear is kind”, and deliver that message both vulnerably and with pride! Even if it is less than successful, it is great practice going forward! Nas tells us that “if you’re afraid to take chances, you’ll never have the answers”, and I tend to agree! 

Cheers,

Chris

By Melissa Rubin

NEALS Board Secretary, Principal at The Student First

The summer, traditionally, has been a time to take a deep breath after an intense school year. I can imagine you all can relate. This summer was no different for me - I needed this time to rejuvenate. At the same time, knowing that I did not have as many commitments to students, I saw this as an opportunity to seek out some professional development. I found an on-line, 10 week course offered by UC-Santa Cruz that piqued my interest, Assistive Technology (AT) for Learning Differences. I have to tell you all, taking this course was the best decision I could have possibly made. Shelly Haven, the professor of the course, was not only knowledgeable, but organized, responsive and insightful. The mind-blown emoji ( ) would be an understatement in the best possible way. Shelley not only introduced me to countless new apps, but more importantly, she shifted my mindset and offered a protocol I plan to follow from now on when considering AT options for my students.  

I thought I’d share some of my takeaways here, if nothing more than to whet your appetite for what April Pendergast (learning specialist @ Kent, and fellow student in the course) and I will be sharing in October at NEALS’ Table Talk Discussion:   

• A picture is still worth a 1000 words. The image used to explain the difference between equality and equity can be applied to how to view AT for students with learning differences. AT can help the learning process be more equitable. (https://interactioninstitute.org/illustrating-equality-vs-equity/)

• I have been asking the wrong question! Or at least skipping over some really important questions before asking about the “best app” for given students. First, I should be focusing on parceling out the student’s specific need and then how it should be addressed before even thinking about what app to use. Let the student’s needs dictate the most appropriate tech for the situation.

• Just giving a student access to AT doesn’t mean that the problem is solved. Careful consideration needs to be given to ensuring that the student understands how to use the tech and assessing the effectiveness of the tech. Furthermore, just because the AT helps for a given task now doesn’t mean it will be the best tool to use in the future - frequent re-evaluation (maybe every term, for instance) is crucial.     

• Finally, taking this course was a great reminder of what it feels like to be a student. I have to admit it was stressful, not because of the amount or level of difficulty of the work assigned but simply because I knew I was going to be evaluated on my performance in a numerical way (i.e., a grade) for the first time in 25 years. It didn’t matter that the grade would have no bearing on any of my work - I put pressure on myself to get that ‘A’. This experience reminded me of what my students must feel on the daily, and even more so as they are juggling a number of courses at a time. Therefore, as I enter the school year, I come with more empathy for my students.     

Ultimately, I came away from the course achieving my initial goal of having more tools to help my students be more effective and efficient. More importantly though, Shelley Haven has truly revolutionized the way I consider the AT selection, implementation, and evaluation process, including the way I use my own computer. All this being said, I look forward to sharing more specifics on Wednesday, October 5th. 

By: Chris Ouellette

NEALS VP, Director of Learning Support, Emma Willard 

Hello folx! Happy August to you all! As I dive into learning profiles to begin my third week here at Emma Willard, I find myself reflecting on what I can control in order to support my shift to a new school for the 2022-2023 academic year. I have found list formats to be helpful, so here are four things to do when starting at a new school:

1. Know your team

As you begin your time, it is in your best interest to introduce yourself early to the team of people you will be working with. This team should include more than your direct supervisor and/or direct reports. What departments will you be connecting with regularly? What departments will you be connecting with on a less than regular basis? If it isn’t clear, ask. If you were wondering, my list is currently at: Academic Office, Dean’s Office, Business Office, College Counseling Office, Academic Tech Office, English Department, Math Department…

2. Know your students

We know that getting to know your students is the best way to positively impact the strength and outcomes of our sessions. While you read evaluations, previous academic comments, and input from various constituents, it is important to remember that this is only a piece of the picture. Taking the time to develop a relationship with your students is how we help make the best informed decisions with regard to support (I know we all do this, and it is also a good reminder even if we aren’t at a new institution). 

3. Know what you know, and don’t be afraid to ask

Be confident in the knowledge you are bringing to your new community. You were hired for a reason, know that what you bring is desired there. That being said, each school has a different set of routines, habits, language, etc. You should bring your entire bag of tools, and it will help to spend some time thinking about how those tools fit into your new community. If you are curious about why something is done, ask! While we are getting to know our new communities, they are getting to know us. We come with the advantage of having fresh eyes on the systems that the schools have in place, so I encourage you to question the ‘why’. 

4. Use your previous experience, don’t get stuck in it

It doesn’t matter if your previous job was the best experience or the worst, you definitely learned something. Give yourself time to reflect on what you learned, make a list if you have to. What was that new tool you learned about that was super helpful to your students? Did you find a new way to build relationships that strengthened your student sessions? Did you have specific interactions with colleagues that led you to do something differently as you enter your new community? Did your supervisor act in a way that left you wondering? The things you learned shape who you bring to your new community, and even if all you learned was how not to lead in the future, that’s still a pretty powerful learning outcome.

This list is a solid starting line, and there is so much more you will need to do to acclimate to your new community. The group Atmosphere tells us that “inspiration stems from love and stress compounding," and that seems to be a great way to describe the way I am feeling as I look to inspire a new community! 

Upcoming Events:

-Wednesday 9/7/22 Book Discussion- “Think Again” by Adam Grant 

led by Chris Ouellette. 

Blurb:  “Intelligence is usually seen as the ability to think and learn, but in a rapidly changing world, there's another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn. In our daily lives, too many of us favor the comfort of conviction over the discomfort of doubt.” -Adam Grant

Best of luck as you begin your 2022-2023 academic years!

Cheers, 

Chris