Subject: ISEEN Community Support in the time of COVID-19 (weekly updates)
Send date: April 16, 2020
Dear Friends,
Most of us are approaching, or have surpassed, a month of “stay at home” with all the associated changes in family, work, community etc. - and we commend you all for the continued support you are providing to your students, colleagues and families. It is our sincere hope that the time we’ve spent together with the ISEEN community have in some way helped - at the very least you can be certain that we at ISEEN are thinking about you. We get giddy as each upcoming Zoom session approaches, because we get to (at least briefly) breathe the fresh air that each of you brings to our conversations. Just today we were asking ourselves why we hadn’t used Zoom before as a monthly continuation of the professional affinity groups we enjoy during the Winter Institute - well, going forward we may just do that (silver linings). Are there any practices that you’ve found enhance your life during this challenging time?
Next week’s regional Zoom sessions are designed to strengthen bonds and collaboration among educators regionally (East, Central and West), and continue to share resources & solutions together.
In closing, we hope that you are all taking the time for necessary self-care and finding joy and hope among the uncertainty. Over 20 years ago I (Taras) was given a copy of “Winds From the Wilderness” (Canadian Outward Bound School circa 1982) by a mentor, it is full of wonderful quotes that have come in handy many times over the years. Here’s one for you:
“Sometimes the rare, the beautiful can only emerge or survive in isolation. In a similar manner, so a degree of withdrawal serves to nurture [people’s] creative powers. The artist and scientist bring out the dark void, like the mysterious universe itself, the unique, the strange, the unexpected.” - Loren Eisley
Experientially yours,
A friendly reminder:
ISEEN is first and foremost a community of people dedicated to meaningful education and we are all in service of a better future. As part of this network, let’s each one of us be generous and share resources and ideas. Toward that end we have added several discussion topics (risk management/insurance, DEI, Ex Ed online) to the Member Center as a place for folks to seek feedback and share resources. The more actively people engage in the forums, the more useful they will become. Additionally, we have been adding articles to the ISEEN Bibliohive (new additions are always welcome), and reaching out to various ISEEN partners to collaborate.
If you are interested in a distance professional learning opportunity with ISEEN's experienced facilitators, complete this no-commitment survey and we will get back in touch with you when registration opens. Cost $879.
The ISEEN Summer Teacher Institutes fuse rigorous academic work with deep thinking about the cognitive learning process through the experiential learning cycle.
The three-week, June 15-July 3, 10 hours a week, online course will focus on:
Curriculum Development and Coaching: Through discipline-specific, small group cohorts, participants will be given the time to develop and receive feedback on curriculum and assessments that can be put to immediate use in their classrooms. Led by experts in their field, facilitators help participants rethink assessment, learn new tools from colleagues, and broaden perspectives through immersive, experiential and practical workshops.
Experiential educators empower active student learning through inquiry, reflection, authentic experiences, and connection to future learning opportunities.
Regional Zoom sessions week of April 20th (registration required)
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Tuesday, April 21
- Midwest Region - hosted by Drea Gallaga, North Shore Country Day School, Chicago, IL
- When: 3:00 PM Central Time
- Click here to join - No registration required.
Wednesday, April 22
- Eastern Region - hosted by Kelly Mandy, Marist School, Atlanta, GA
- When: 4:00 PM Eastern Time
- Register here.
- Western Region - hosted by Sarah Mclean, St. Georges School, Vancouver, BC
- When: 3:00 PM Pacific Time
- Register here.
Partner Events/Resources
Envoys Campfire for students
NAIS webinars
AEE- Covid 19 Community Resource Library
NAIS Sharing Solutions
There are certainly many more things happening - we are trying to filter a bit for you, however if you hear of anything valuable happening please let us know so we can share with our members.
Sneak peek...
Week of April 27
- Zoom Session about Social Justice & Diversity, Equity and Inclusion during the pandemic- Tuesday, April 28, 1pm PT/4pm ET