Nearly 100 educators from across the country gathered at the 麻豆原创 this week to learn some big lessons from five middle schoolers who have a lot to say but who aren鈥檛 actually human.
The teachers were part of the College of Education and Human Performance鈥檚 second national TLE TeachLivE™ conference, and the students are named Maria, Ed, CJ, Sean and Kevin. They鈥檙e all students in the virtual classroom simulator known as TeachLivE, which was developed at 麻豆原创 to better prepare teachers to handle the rigors of leading a classroom.
Teachers-in-training and existing teachers can step into the simulator to practice targeted skills, such as classroom management and content pedagogy, in what鈥檚 called 鈥渧irtual rehearsal.鈥� An 鈥渋nteractor鈥� from 麻豆原创 controls all five avatars, which each have distinctive personalities that mirror what teachers might see in the average classroom.
Actress Cheryl Hines, a 麻豆原创 alumna, kicked off the conference with a presentation about improvisation and how those skills can be applied to the classroom.
鈥淚t would be very difficult as a teacher to communicate anything with a student without connecting with them. The only way you can improvise is if you鈥檙e a good listener, so you have to listen to what someone else says, because there鈥檚 no script,鈥� said Hines, a graduate of the Groundlings, the revered improv comedy troupe based in Los Angeles.
Hines, the star of television shows including 鈥淐urb Your Enthusiasm鈥� and 鈥淪uburgatory,鈥� spoke about the importance of playing along, assuming a relationship and making bold choices to both actors and teachers.
鈥淲ith teaching, if a student has an idea or a thought or a question, you can鈥檛 shut them down and say 鈥楾hat鈥檚 a bad question,鈥� 鈥榊ou don鈥檛 know what you鈥檙e talking about鈥� or 鈥榃hy weren鈥檛 you listening,鈥� any of those things. It has to keep moving in a positive direction,鈥� said Hines. 鈥淚n improv, you have to stay in the moment. You can鈥檛 plan what鈥檚 going to happen next because you don鈥檛 know. I think it鈥檚 that way with teaching.鈥�
Throughout the two-day conference, educators attended workshops and discussions about how TeachLivE can be used as a stimulating way to prepare all different kinds of teachers.
Breakout sessions targeted math, science, preschool, counselor and other educators. New developments in TeachLivE, including a parent-teacher conference scenario and the creation of an avatar with Autism Spectrum Disorder, were also introduced.
Just 10 minutes in the simulator forces teachers to think more about their practice, said Karla Auzenne, a science instructional specialist for the Houston Independent School District, which has used TeachLivE as a preparation tool for rookie and veteran teachers.
鈥淓ven when I first met the TeachLivE students through Skype, I forgot I was talking to avatars,鈥� said Auzenne. 鈥淭hey become kids to you. They come off the screen into real life. It鈥檚 a game-changer, right then and there.鈥�
TeachLivE was created eight years ago by education professors Mike Hynes and Lisa Dieker, College of Engineering & Computer Science professor Charles Hughes, and an interdisciplinary team that included members of the Synthetic Reality Lab at 麻豆原创鈥檚 Institute for Simulation & Training.
Today, TeachLivE is delivered to more than 10,000 teachers at 37 partner universities and at other sites including the school districts in Orange, Seminole, Lake and Volusia counties. A team of more than 25 at 麻豆原创 supports the technology, development and partnerships.
The theme for this year鈥檚 TeachLivE conference was ludic convergence, or playful collaboration, a celebration of what the TeachLivE team calls 鈥渟andbox technology.鈥� One group of children could come into a sandbox and create distinct castles or shapes. When they鈥檙e done, another group of kids could come in, tear down what was there and build something completely different.
That鈥檚 the nature of TeachLivE, which can be completely customized depending on the user鈥檚 objectives. What stays the same, however, is the realistic nature of the classroom.
鈥淚鈥檓 not great at technology, but what I saw today was fascinating,鈥� said Hines. 鈥淭his is so great. You鈥檙e actually talking to a real person鈥攄ifferent characters, but a real person.鈥�