Think of it as upping the ante for presenting.<\/p>\n
Now the challenge is: how can we continue to provide authentic audience during the pandemic?<\/h3>\n
Here are 10 ways to provide socially distanced authentic audiences for student learning.<\/p>\n
1. The virtual conference<\/h4>\n
Yep: Zoom rooms.<\/p>\n
At the Middle Grades Institute this summer, educators selected from a schedule of workshop events and attended those workshops in a dedicated breakout room. This takes some organization and logistical planning, but the feedback from attendees indicated it was a huge success.<\/p>\n
Platforms such as Facebook Live and YouTube allow users to livestream an event. In some cases, participants can ask questions or provide comments in a live feed. Presenters can choose to answer these as they come in, or let attendees know whether there will be follow-up after the event. These events can also be recorded, and included in a student’s PLP.<\/p>\n This past summer, two students in Essex VT, set up Facebook livestream concert<\/a> to showcase their classical music performances. The two had been performing in person at libraries around Vermont. When the pandemic hit, they learned how to host and publicize those same performances in a way that brought them to the same public, authentic audience.<\/p>\n At Williston Central School, in Williston VT, teachers used Flipgrid in order to host a “virtual open house” Flipgrid is a platform where users can record videos to share<\/a> with a select audience (videos are password-protected). The audience can then respond with their own videos. Through this platform, students were able to connect and engage with parents and other community members for feedback.<\/p>\n A useful strategy for social distancing is getting and staying outside — away from other people. As such, we’re seeing a huge rise in the popularity of Story Walks. A Story Walk is a trail along which an organization installs plaques on sticks, like you have in state and national parks.<\/p>\n Students at Lamoille Union Middle School, in Hyde Park VT, constructed a story walk along the Lamoille River trail<\/a>. Each plaque showcased a student group’s historical research, along with a QR code linked to a short student-produced video.<\/p>\n Right now, many libraries are constructing Story Walks, and would love to feature student work to share with the community. Get out, stretch your legs and learn!<\/p>\n Middlebury opera educator Sarah Cullins runs the Youth Opera Workshop, in Middlebury VT. The Youth Opera Workshop provides opportunities for students to learn and perform opera for appreciative Vermonters — who are usually an older demographic.<\/p>\n Once the pandemic hit, heading out to nursing homes would have been a disaster. So instead, Cullins worked with elder care homes and public utilities to bring the appreciative audience out onto large green spaces<\/a>. They were able to remain socially distanced while students presented their performance pieces in public exhibitions.<\/p>\n![\"pandemic](\"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/mgi_workshop.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n2. The Livestream<\/h4>\n
3. Embrace Flipgrid!<\/h4>\n
![\"public](\"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/flipgrid.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n4. Get outside and stretch<\/h4>\n
5. Get your audience outside!<\/h4>\n
![\"Youth](\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/Pu1w0GatpSk\/maxresdefault.jpg\")