Practical Access Podcast

S4 E7: Increasing Teamwork Virtually

Season 4 Episode 7

Curious about how you can increase teamwork and empathy amongst your students virtually? Listen in to today's episode by Drs. Rebecca Hines and Lisa Dieker for some tips.

Have a question that you would like answered as well?  Call and leave us a question on our Google Phone (407) 900- 9305 or via social media on Facebook (Practical Access), Twitter (@AccessPractical), or Instagram (@Practical_Access).

Lisa Dieker:

Welcome to practical access. I'm Lisa Dieker.

Rebecca Hines:

And I'm Rebecca Hines. And Lisa, I'm so glad that we keep getting some great questions. So what are we? What are we going to discuss today?

Lisa Dieker:

Got it. So again, just to remind our listeners right up front 407-900-9305, if you want to give us a question, and here's a question from Magda let you hear it.

Unknown:

Hi, my name is Magda. I teach to third grade or work with the third grade. My content area is language arts. And my question is, how can I increase teamwork and empathy amongst my students? virtually?

Lisa Dieker:

The teamwork and empathy? I love that Whoo, virtually. So Becky, I'm gonna throw that one to you first.

Rebecca Hines:

It's a good question. That is a good question. Because you're right, the virtual part really does throw a little wrench into it. So I'm going to start with and this, I probably say all the time, but I would start with looking specifically at principles of service learning. And let me explain why. Service learning is it's not it's not just volunteering, it is identifying a problem sing with them throughout the day to help lift their spirits would that make them feel happier. And you know, it's a real service learning. And that type of approach gives you a real talk aloud and think aloud opportunity with kids. And you can definitely tie all of that into language arts, because verbal communication, critical thinking problem solving can be tied to lots of different

Lisa Dieker:

Yeah, and I'm gonna flip the script for in that same direction, but with a little bit of content, and not that you didn't have content but thinking about even Could they be reading to let's go another level, like assisted living homes where people are very socially isolated? Are there some retired teachers that they could not only do things for them, but vice versa? Could they be be working hard to bring your team score up because you're trying to learn. So again, that collaborative competitive competition, if you go back to cooperative learning, and some of Johnson and Johnson's work, you'll find a lot of that information.

Rebecca Hines:

And I just like to point out, I think that's I think that's a great suggestion, because that does specifically address this idea of teamwork, I would really hope that every single teacher, when they when they engage in some competition like that, that they make it a baseline approach, in that you determine the baseline for your group before. And so that that the award goes to they were doing. So I think that finding creative ways to tie in your content and to have it product in giving centered is a great way to accomplish both goals.

Lisa Dieker:

And I'm going to just kind of in my last thought would be aligned to one of your specific questions that our listener asked. And that was, you know, building that empathy. And remember, empathy is, you know, having sympathy or emotion that you've that you are putting yourself for the other person is You and I both love like neutering apps, and that app decks myapp of looking at

Rebecca Hines:

Agreed and and we have to model in think aloud a lot of those types of feelings because not every child is coming to your classroom understanding.

Lisa Dieker:

Well, thank you for the question. And thanks for joining us practical access. If you'd like to send us a message on Facebook or on our Twitter @accesspractical. We look forward to your questions and your comments.