"Welcome to EdTechAfterDark! Our community was born out of discussions for a rich EdChat type gathering for those of us who are thinking about the digital edu-landscape long after the sun has gone down. For us night owls, when the clock strikes 10PM EST, you’ll find us on Twitter over at #edtechafterdark. All are welcome! Our discussions range from our philosophies about EdTech, digital best practices, and simply sharing our stories." --www.edtechafterdark.com
Welcome to #EdTechAfterDark I'm your host tonight, and I'm excited to dive into a topic that may cause some discomfort and be outright controversial...Let's talk about Empathy!
Hey there! Caitlin here. 4th gr teacher at a #NewTechNetwork school. I admit, I had “the time of my life” watching the Super Bowl last night! #edtechafterdark
I’ve never done this before & might fall asleep at any moment. Miss Colby George, ELA teacher @ LHS, aaaaand... I didn’t watch the Super Bowl...so... #edtechafterdark
Our district engages in weekly social emotional learning lessons. We have had a renewed focus in addressing the emotional needs of our students. I do not know of specific standards. Would love to hear what other districts are doing #edtechafterdark
A1 I teach empathy in my classroom by branching out and curating content that is related to my standards, but is relevant to life outside the four walls of a classroom. We discuss culture and how it relates to the topics that we discuss. #edtechafterdark
A1: in ELA, standards tend to concern themselves with skills and experiences that should produce empathy (diversity of texts, etc.) However, the byproduct isn’t traditionally measurable and therefore isn’t worth investing in... (sarcasm alert 🚨) #edtechafterdark
I’m not convinced many other districts are doing anything, more of a grassroots movement. We have started meditation time daily for 5 mins @AcademyEs#edtechafterdark
Doug from Martin County, tech integrator and administrator, 3 kids, amateur table maker and husband- favorite commercial was Eli and Odell rockin it! #edtechafterdark@Giants@OBJ_3
A1: though my subject TEKS don’t address it, as a #PBL school we should be teaching SEL to our scholars. I would love to see my district implement a sold curriculum geared toward this. #edtechafterdark
I’ve never done this before & might fall asleep at any moment. Miss Colby George, ELA teacher @ LHS, aaaaand... I didn’t watch the Super Bowl...so... #edtechafterdark
This seems to be the most common means of teaching empathy, create a culture of connectedness Ss see peers as real people, many Ss struggle with that #edtechafterdark
A1. Not that I'm aware of... But, then again, we follow Diocesan standards which are different. Empathy is taught through the example of service to others in Catholic school. #edtechafterdark
It's difficult because most social interactions between teens happens virtually so they never learn many of the social norms, like empathy. #edtechafterdark
A1: Not a specific one but as a history teacher I regularly seek to help students empathize with times vastly different than the ones we live in today! #edtechafterdark
A1 we can sneak experiential Lessons on empathy in through ELA. my favorite was using flowers for Algernon to examine bias and bullying with my 8th graders. We analyzed what it means to be alone. Ss really impressed me. They get it. #EdTechAfterDark
I actually remember a specific lesson as an elementary aged kid... The teacher taught us about empathy: Being able to put yourself in somebody's shoe's and understand their perspective. Must have been powerful because it i still very clear! #edtechafterdark
A1: It sounds strange, but empathy grows when students confront their fears. We all fear the unknown; when we are made to experience it and see the humanity we share with it, we begin to have empathy for it. Empathy isn’t a soft skill... it’s hard. #edtechafterdark
A2 This might be unprofessional speak, but dost thou have a(n appropriate) fan club of students fighting (peacefully) to get in your classes? #groupies#edtechafterdark
My Empathy page https://t.co/hGRpBB3mrx#edtechafterdark "Empathy is about standing in someone else's shoes, feeling with his or her heart, seeing with his or her eyes. Not only is empathy hard to outsource and automate, but it makes the world a better place." @DanielPink
This is exactly why I bring this topic up, teaching empathy is much more complicated than it was 20 years ago. We can’t read a story about a lost puppy and say that’s enough instruction #edtechafterdark
It's difficult because most social interactions between teens happens virtually so they never learn many of the social norms, like empathy. #edtechafterdark
A2: I’m considered “proficient” according to TTESS measurement, and part of that includes communication and relationship building with scholars, colleagues, and parents. Now how hey measure all that in a 45 minute observation... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ #edtechafterdark
A2: DC has an extremely progressive evaluation model know as IMPACT. A portion of the evaluation is a student survey where students are asked a series of questions that address how empathetic teachers are. I find it to be a useful tool #edtechafterdark
A2: Teaching soft skills is not directly taken into account during my evaluations but, from my expereince, the fact that I teach soft skills tends to help students learn more and do better on state tests #edtechafterdark
A2 my rating is based on school-wide data - so rated Effective last year (.75 from HE) ... attempting to model & create systems that promote kindness & positive interactions #EdTechAfterDark
A2. I'm not sure I'm understanding the entire prompt, but I think as teacher, we are expected to model love and empathy through patience and mercy. This is especially tough with Middle Schoolers! #edtechafterdark
A2: DC has an extremely progressive evaluation model know as IMPACT. A portion of the evaluation is a student survey where students are asked a series of questions that address how empathetic teachers are. I find it to be a useful tool #edtechafterdark
A2. I'm not sure I'm understanding the entire prompt, but I think as teacher, we are expected to model love and empathy through patience and mercy. This is especially tough with Middle Schoolers! #edtechafterdark
A2: boxes not found on teacher evaluations: ✅provides safe spaces for children to feel valued ✅promotes empathy ✅models failure and perseverance #EdTechAfterDark
A1: It sounds strange, but empathy grows when students confront their fears. We all fear the unknown; when we are made to experience it and see the humanity we share with it, we begin to have empathy for it. Empathy isn’t a soft skill... it’s hard. #edtechafterdark
A2: I would also add that the rubric in DC requires classrooms to be highly student centered. I find that this correlates well with empathetic classrooms #edtechafterdark
Too often, fellow teachers begin to downplay the magic you’re creating in the classroom when students want to be in your class—let the haters hate. Learning and a desire to be in class are NOT mutually exclusive... in fact, they may be each other’s prerequisite. #edtechafterdark
A2 This might be unprofessional speak, but dost thou have a(n appropriate) fan club of students fighting (peacefully) to get in your classes? #groupies#edtechafterdark
So I’m trying to get to the fact that we are expected to teach soft skills, but there are no standards and it’s not taken into account for our evaluations, so how do we know 1) how to do it, and 2) if we’re doing it right? #edtechafterdark
I’ll never forget seeing my amazing HS ELA teacher tear up & leave the room reading “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d”- she revealed that she’d recently lost a friend - Whitman’s words affected her & taught us all a lesson on empathy. #edtechafterdark
I think it’s also important to first teach what exactly empathy is as well. 4 ex, here’s a video we’ve watched in class before to generate conversation about the difference between sympathy & empathy, which is a convo worth having https://t.co/CzJ1Y3w7pI#EdTechAfterDark#empathy
I’ll never forget seeing my amazing HS ELA teacher tear up & leave the room reading “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d”- she revealed that she’d recently lost a friend - Whitman’s words affected her & taught us all a lesson on empathy. #edtechafterdark
To be honest, I don't think this is measured in my school. I would love to see an increase of SEL instruction through virtues instruction...
Ss are practicing the soft skills in my class, but I'm so sure about "empathy" specifically. Great cause 4 reflection #edtechafterdark
My 6th gr music teacher played moonlight sonata as he told the story of Beethoven being abused by his dad for not being good enough...he wept, and I realized for the first time why music is written. #edtechafterdark
A3 is this why we have bystanders when bullying occurs... people don’t know how to report it? We have to provide students/people supports to help them #EdTechAfterDark
A3: Agree, which is why modeling is so essential. We teach young minds who need too see positive ways of overcoming bad things and negativity. We can help show students how to transform a negative into a positive. #edtechafterdark
A3: scholars feel so many things that often live on like a tornado within them without a name to give it. Until they can express those feelings, that tornado will tear them up and often the world around them. #edtechafterdark
A3: children have way more exposure to acts of injustice and negativity than they did previously. It’s like emotional whack a mole for them. Where do they direct their mental faculties? Is this being modeled for them appropriately, or is it glossed over? 🤔#EdTechAfterDark
A3: Who are we kidding?! I struggle to know what to do with the pain I see in others and I claim to be a grown man. The beauty of it is that my openly sharing my struggles to make sense of it all in and of itself models the tough work of empathy. #edtechafterdark
A3. Another deep one! I find that MS Ss are often insecure in their emotions that they're unsure of the appropriate response to any event, so they look to their peers. We need to model love and compassion in all circumstances to model what is appropriate/expected #edtechafterdark
A3: Absolutely agree, which is why I think de-escalation and anger management are critical skills to teach our kids. Often times when they are overwhelmed with emotion it manifests in anger. #edtechafterdark
A3 Completely legit. Don’t forget analysis paralysis as an EQ side bar. “Want to” is one thing, action is another. Honestly that makes me question some grading methods...and metaphors... #edtechafterdark
It's being glossed over more than we would probably care to admit. In turn, I think these kids are being desensitized to some crazy things going on in the world. #edtechafterdark
I feel like we’ve lumped our entire investment in “soft skills” in our yearly initiative to snuff out bullying. You know that initiative. We’ve all got it. (Not saying bullying isn’t a problem; but feelings don’t begin and end w the topic) #edtechafterdark
A3: children have way more exposure to acts of injustice and negativity than they did previously. It’s like emotional whack a mole for them. Where do they direct their mental faculties? Is this being modeled for them appropriately, or is it glossed over? 🤔#EdTechAfterDark
Preach. So much of a behavior moment requires a little break, a breath, and a “are we cool?” And a student is ready to come back. Just removing students from class does nothing positive #edtechafterdark
A3: Absolutely agree, which is why I think de-escalation and anger management are critical skills to teach our kids. Often times when they are overwhelmed with emotion it manifests in anger. #edtechafterdark
To tie together tweets, this story and the one by Miss G both involve an educator modeling empathy, and not only for the sake of an example. By being emotional you force others to wake up to the reality of the words or situation. Just ask Mr. Keeting! #edtechafterdark
We were blessed to receive a workshop @LecantoHigh on this very topic last week. The brain science behind trauma, de-escalation, and anger is fascinatingly powerful. #edtechafterdark
A3: Absolutely agree, which is why I think de-escalation and anger management are critical skills to teach our kids. Often times when they are overwhelmed with emotion it manifests in anger. #edtechafterdark
I want to take a quick break to show you guys what we did today at school. Manatee research and came across a newly born calf with her mother. Things don’t look good for these 2 manatees we will monitor them through FWC and DEP #edtechafterdark
A4 paraphrasing Atticus ... “you don’t know a person until you walk around in his skin” ... it should involve listening skills and clarifying questions/behaviors ... #EdTechAfterDark
This is why we must teach empathy. Because it doesn’t start with a holocaust. It start with a symbol or a slur on a paper that separates you from the rest, and we look the other way because it’s harmless...
#edtechafterdark
A4: The ability to allow yourself to feel outside of yourself. To take on the culture and context of another person and then begging the question that is utterly impossible to answer, “What’s life like from their place in the world?” #edtechafterdark
The imagery behind the phrase “emotional whack-a-mole” is frightening. Feeling something negative? Squash it w something to distract u from the reality of it. Not sure this idea of tech-as-soma is exclusive to kids tho. See also: Beatty’s monologue F451 #edtechafterdark#ELAnerd
Speaking with a T today - she said we should not sugar coat history ... it can be ugly, it will probably be controversial ... but only by looking at it honestly can we learn how to not repeat it #EdTechAfterDark
A4: the ability (and willingness) to open your heart and mind to the feelings of others.
Too often I think empathy becomes a game of “one upping” to determine who’s had it worse. #edtechafterdark
A5 “relationships are more important principles or philosophy “ ... if we are reflective and learning from our experiences as well as those close to us, then we model empathy #EdTechAfterDark
That’s the biggest roadblock to empathy. Our egos. Whenever I discuss the concept of white privilege, I’m instantly met with anger from a white guy/gal who “had it just as bad”. Acknowledging someone else’s hurt doesn’t discredit your own #edtechafterdark
A4: the ability (and willingness) to open your heart and mind to the feelings of others.
Too often I think empathy becomes a game of “one upping” to determine who’s had it worse. #edtechafterdark
A5: we are lights, shining out at the world, but we are also prisms, breaking up each other’s light and sending it back in unrecognizable hues. The key is to take the time to truly see the colors being sent your way by others. How can we reflect on that vision? #edtechafterdark
A5 I may be way off base here, so I want to ask this as a question. Is this saying that the point or value in being empathic is ultimately self-serving, fulfilling the desire to better understand one’s true self? 🤔 #edtechafterdark
Actions speak louder than words. The best way to empathize with students is to improve their learning conditions. Delete high-stakes standardized testing. It’s a disproven gimmick, and it keeps students in constant fear. #edtechafterdark
Perhaps it is more that we cannot be our truly best selves without our ties to each other. Like a Rope, we are stronger and more whole with our strands intertwined. #edtechafterdark
A5: My only objection to this philosophy is treating the two sides as mutually exclusive. I think loving yourself honestly w/ all of your ugliness and imperfections intact is great practice to extending that same love outward #edtechafterdark
This quote summaries the upside of social media and globalization. We have never been this interconnected with world. However we cannot lost sight of the “individual” in the process. Then we just become desensitized #edtechafterdark
A6: always my scholars...with all the noise of testing and data and standards, it can often be hard to tune out the static so I can hear a whispered “here I am, see me.” #edtechafterdark
Well said Alex. My earlier question was asked only to force us to delve a little deeper. I appreciate the whole #edtechafterdark crew because you all don’t mind challenging ideas and (when appropriate of course) being a little antagonistic 😎👍
A6: I struggle to listen to those that I see as “in the way” of progress. Ultimately, these people are not lost causes and offer important counter-positions that should be taken into consideration if for nothing more than to know what I’m up against. #edtechafterdark
A6: I’ve been tasking myself to see things from perspectives that don’t always align with my own. The only way we can truly come to understand someone else’s’ reality is to listen. Get out of your filter bubble. #edtechafterdark
PS - perfect timing. Just came across this message in my Insta DMs. More of this. If students & colleagues are truly living in a tech-driven world, more using social media as a tool to express love, encouragement, support, and empathy. #edtechafterdark
