Authority on Using Technology to Teach Available for Interviews
03/24/2020
Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu and Christine Gillette, 978-934-2209, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu
As the coronavirus crisis began to shift teaching and learning online, UMass Lowell Education Prof. Michelle Scribner-MacLean instantly knew teachers and parents needed content ready. She responded in a flash, creating a Facebook group called K-12 Resources for Teaching Online, a clearinghouse for curriculum for educators and parents hoping to keep homebound children engaged.
The group has more than 2,000 members and counting. Participants are pitching in, posting resources as they find them, including guides for teachers new to the online environment and how-to tips to reduce stress amid these changing times.
The challenges for K-12 learners and teachers are numerous. For the youngest students, learning to read in a remote setting may be more difficult. For teachers, setting time limits on lessons and not being able to demonstrate concepts in person are potential stumbling blocks. Help with all of it is available, according to Scribner-MacLean, an expert in educational technology with 20 years of experience teaching online.
“There’s just a ton of stuff out there. I wanted to put it all in one place so that teachers could find it. Parents are joining, too,” says Scribner-McLean, a clinical professor of mathematics and science education in UMass Lowell’s College of Education.
She is available to discuss the Facebook initiative she launched and how to make the transition to online learning as seamless as possible for all. To arrange interviews, contact Nancy Cicco at Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette at Christine_Gilette@uml.edu.