Nearly 100 educators from across the country gathered at the University of Central Florida this week to learn some big lessons from five middle schoolers who have a lot to say but who aren 麻豆精品 S檛 actually human.
The teachers were part of the College of Education and Human Performance 麻豆精品 S檚 second national TLE TeachLivE™ conference, and the students are named Maria, Ed, CJ, Sean and Kevin. They 麻豆精品 S檙e all students in the virtual classroom simulator known as TeachLivE, which was developed at UCF 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 麻豆精品 S檚 called 麻豆精品 S渧irtual rehearsal. 麻豆精品 S� An 麻豆精品 S渋nteractor 麻豆精品 S� from UCF controls all five avatars, which each have distinctive personalities that mirror what teachers might see in the average classroom.
Actress Cheryl Hines, a UCF alumna, kicked off the conference with a presentation about improvisation and how those skills can be applied to the classroom.
麻豆精品 S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 麻豆精品 S檙e a good listener, so you have to listen to what someone else says, because there 麻豆精品 S檚 no script, 麻豆精品 S� said Hines, a graduate of the Groundlings, the revered improv comedy troupe based in Los Angeles.
Hines, the star of television shows including 麻豆精品 S淐urb Your Enthusiasm 麻豆精品 S� and 麻豆精品 S淪uburgatory, 麻豆精品 S� spoke about the importance of playing along, assuming a relationship and making bold choices to both actors and teachers.
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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.
麻豆精品 S淓ven when I first met the TeachLivE students through Skype, I forgot I was talking to avatars, 麻豆精品 S� said Auzenne. 麻豆精品 S淭hey become kids to you. They come off the screen into real life. It 麻豆精品 S檚 a game-changer, right then and there. 麻豆精品 S�
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 UCF 麻豆精品 S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 UCF supports the technology, development and partnerships.
The theme for this year 麻豆精品 S檚 TeachLivE conference was ludic convergence, or playful collaboration, a celebration of what the TeachLivE team calls 麻豆精品 S渟andbox technology. 麻豆精品 S� One group of children could come into a sandbox and create distinct castles or shapes. When they 麻豆精品 S檙e done, another group of kids could come in, tear down what was there and build something completely different.
That 麻豆精品 S檚 the nature of TeachLivE, which can be completely customized depending on the user 麻豆精品 S檚 objectives. What stays the same, however, is the realistic nature of the classroom.
麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 not great at technology, but what I saw today was fascinating, 麻豆精品 S� said Hines. 麻豆精品 S淭his is so great. You 麻豆精品 S檙e actually talking to a real person 麻豆精品 S攄ifferent characters, but a real person. 麻豆精品 S�