Annc: Coming up on Inside California Education ♪♪ Music education goes remote... discover how a Kern County school put on a virtual concert to help raise spirits during the pandemic David Green: I take all those videos, take the audio out, mix the audio.

So it works.

Annc: We'’ll also meet inspiring young speakers in El Cajon, sharing their stories onstage with TedX for Kids Danica: Raise your hand if recess is or was one of your favorite parts of the day?

It'’s one of mine too!

Annc: A small, rural district outside Fresno was one of the first to go completely online in the early days of the pandemic.

Tom Rooney: On the very next day we had, um, hundreds of lessons that were delivered virtually.

Annc: And a closer look at teacher residency programs... and why these programs are more important than ever as California schools face a teacher shortage.

Elizabeth: You would be in every book, every newspaper and every magazine.

Annc: It'’s all next...on Inside California Education Funding for inside California Education is made possible by: At the California lottery.

We're focused on our mission to provide supplemental essential funds to public schools, kinder through college, helping to keep teachers on staff or pay for new school computers, band equipment, and other instructional materials and services.

Since 1985, we have raised more than $37 billion and more than 95% of our sales go back to the community.

Music, to all of our ears, California lottery, helping schools and communities across California.

The Stewart foundation, improving life outcomes for young people through education ScholarShare 529, California state sponsored tax advantage 529 college savings plan designed to help pay for the cost of higher education.

Additional funding for Inside California Education is made possible by these organizations supporting public education.

♪♪ ♪♪ Christina: Music has long had the power to unify.

Bring people together, and lift spirits.

Lifting spirits ....has become especially important during the Covid 19 pandemic.

Music teachers are finding creative ways to transform the way music is being taught... and celebrated.

And during this current pandemic, David: On behalf of all of us from the Independence High School Instrumental Music Program, welcome to our very first virtual concert.

Christina: David Green is the Instrumental Music Director at Independence High School in Bakersfield, California.

During a normal year, he teaches more than 200between 200 and 240 students.

But for the 2020 school year, he'’s been teaching completely online... from his home.

David: At Independence, the students are ninth through 12th and really have all ranging abilities.

We'’ve had students that came in, knowing nothing about how to play an instrument and just wanted to join something that looks fun.

Christina: Independence High offers a robust music education program.

There'’s a full symphony orchestra, string orchestra, marching band, jazz band, color guard and percussion.

When the pandemic hit, in early 2020, students and teachers were sent home... andm the music went silent.

David: Prior to COVID-19 the Independence High School music program, I think was really flourishing and making some real headway into being one of the top programs in the state.

We had just made an SCS VOA championship round with our marching band.

Our drum line had recently been a WGCA regional medalist and our wind symphony and orchestra had earned multiple, superior ratings at festivals.

Christina: Independence High learned from the state that it could not resume in person learning in the fall of 2020.

Students would need to be taught virtually.

While that meant marching band could not go on... the school was committed to finding ways to continue music.

Dean: It'’s a respite from the academic day for our students.

They look forward to their band or color guard, our music program classes.

Christina: To teach music virtually...

Independence High is using utilizing Zoom and Smart Music... an online teaching platforms that students were already familiar with, prior to the pandemic.

David: We'’ve been using a program called Smart Music for about six or seven years.

And it'’s an online assessment tool where students play their music into the computer.

Christina: Kayla, a senior, has been playing clarinet since fifth grade.

She and also has experience with the marimba, xylophone and steel drums.

Kayla: Learning music virtually is pretty different.

But honestly, we'’ve been able to make the best of it as you can see, we'’ve been doing a lot of virtual performances and I really love the fact that we'’re doing that.

Christina: The virtual performance was something Green came up with... in order to motivate provide students and help them set goals.

with motivation and something to work towards.

David: The students really miss performing with each other.

It'’s a very emotional activity and a lot of heart and soul gets put into it.

So the goal of the virtual concert is to give our students an end goal and a product to achieve for.

So we'’re not just aimlessly playing instruments randomly.

Christina: Producing a virtual concert is no easy task.

Students follow specific instructions to record themselves... playing specific pieces of music.

David: I take all those videos, take the audio out, mix the audio.

So it works, combine that back with their videos, with a video editing program and try to get it all aligned.

So it looks like the students are all playing together.

James: There'’s definitely no way there'’d be a virtual ensemble without Mr. Green'’s help.

He totally set it up in a way that I think almost all of the students could understand.

And he'’s helped us all realize that we can put out a good product even with limitations.

Christina: And for students like Kayla and James... they say the stresses of the pandemic would have been even more difficult, if not for the ability to continue their music classes.

It'’s been the thing that has kept them connected to their friends... and given them hope.

Kayla: Music is basically me being able to express myself because through music, I am able to play using my emotions.

I sometimes have trouble saying how I feel and just playing music, to express my emotions is just so much easier.

James: Putting out a virtual concert for people to see is a lot of fun and it'’s nice to see people smile when they watch our videos.

♪♪ Annc: Music educators across the state are finding ways to adapt to remote learning, including Classics 4 Kids.

The nonprofit group in San Diego earned a leadership award from the California Music Educators Association for their innovative virtual programs.

They offer a free, 25 minute live "“Meet and Greet"” with a musician, and other online resources for students and teachers.

They estimate 5,000 San Diego students will participate in the music programs by the end of the 2021 school year.

♪♪ Pharaoh: You have to believe in yourself.

Even when people try to bring you down and think you'’re crazy.

I am here today to challenge you to think bigger.

Kristen: HE MAY BE SMALL IN SIZE, BUT PHARAOH IS PART OF A PROGRAM THAT'’S GENERATING BIG IDEAS, AND INTEREST, IN THE SAN DIEGO SUBURB OF EL CAJON.

IT'’S CALLED TED-X-KIDS, AND CAJON VALLEY UNION IS ONE OF ONLY A HANDFUL OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE NATION TO HAVE THIS INDEPENDENTLY ORGANIZED, TEDX YOUTH EVENT AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL.

Jennifer: Our first one was in 2015.

Um, and we had it in an auditorium at one of our middle schools.

A couple of, couple of hundred people came and it was just strictly talks and we've had it every year since then.

Kristen: TODAY, FORMER MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER, JENNIFER PETRAGLIA, IS THE PROGRAM ORGANIZER AND ALL 27 SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT HAVE A TEDx KIDS CLUB THAT TAKES STUDENTS THROUGH THE PROCESS OF PREPARING THEIR TED TALK, STARTING WITH DISCOVERING WHAT THEY'’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT.

FOR SOME, IT'’S A HOBBY OR A LOVE OF SCIENCE OR TECHNOLOGY.

FOR OTHERS ...

IT'’S MORE PERSONAL.

Apiou: When my dad was seven years old, two years younger than I am now, his village was attacked by the Sudanese government.

The girls were kidnapped.

The boys were forced to become part of the military and to come back and kill their own people.

Kristen: APIOU WAS A THIRD GRADER WHEN SHE PERFORMED HER TALK CALLED '‘THE LUCKY ONES'’, BASED ON HER DADS STORY OF ESCAPING WAR AS A CHILD.

SHE TALKS ABOUT THE GOOD FORTUNE KIDS IN AMERICA HAVE WHEN IT COMES TO LEARNING.

Apiou: I wanted to get his story out so people could know what he did as a kid, and they can reflect back on their lives and know that they are really lucky.

Kristen: MANY OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE FIRST-GENERATION AMERICANS.

PARENTS AS WELL AS TEACHERS SAY THE STUDENTS OFTEN GAIN CONFIDENCE FROM SIMPLY HAVING THEIR IDEAS HEARD.

Jennifer: It's not only allowing the kids to explain who they are and what they're interested in, but it's allowing, um, teachers and families, um, and the community to understand students a little bit better.

Daniel: Teaching or learning is just not about being in the school, but about hearing stories, what other people went through.

Kristen: THE TEDx KIDS PROGRAM INCLUDES A 13-LESSON CURRICULUM COVERING EVERYTHING FROM COMING UP WITH A MAIN IDEA, TO RESEARCHING, WRITING ...AND OF COURSE, A LOT OF PRACTICE.

Apiou: There are plans, pencils paper and everything you need.

STUDENTS CAN APPLY TO BE SELECTED AS A SPEAKER AT THE END OF THE SESSION...

GIVING THEIR TALK ON STAGE ... TED-X STYLE.

Danica: Raise your hand if recess is or was one of your favorite parts of the day?

It'’s one of mine too!

Kristen: PARTICIPANTS IN THE 20-20 TEDx KIDS CLUB FACED AN UNEXPECTED CHALLENGE WHEN THEIR EVENT WAS CANCELLED DUE TO THE PANDEMIC AFTER MONTHS OF HARD WORK AND PLANNING.

BUT , THEY ADAPTED, PERSERVERED... AND KEPT PRACTICING.

Jennifer: Their voices still needed to be heard, and some of these talks were very appropriate at the time.

Um, and so we decided let's try it.

Let's try a virtual event.

Kristen: SO TEDx KIDS EL CAJON HELD THEIR 2020 TALK ONLINE ... AND IT ENDED UP DRAWING THE BIGGEST AUDIENCE OF ALL.

MORE THAN 12-THOUSAND VIEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD FROM PEOPLE WHO SAY THEY NEEDED TO FEEL INSPIRED.

Pharaoh: My goal is to be a scientist so I can help create and invent things that change the world.

Jennie: This just gives them an outlet, to get everything out and to see that, you know, once you have your thoughts, you can basically do anything you want to do.

And you could accomplish it's like who would have thought that my 7-year-old would be doing a Ted talk?

Amy: The growth that kids have within this program is incredible um kids come in thinking this is not the club for them.

They are shy maybe they don'’t know how to write a "“talk"” and by the end of it, it'’s incredible to see what they can do.

Danica: Kids with more recess have better test scores than ones that don'’t have as much.

Recess also gives kids time to practice their social skills.

Kristen: AFTER THE SUCCESS OF THE 2020 VIRTUAL TED TALK, CAJON VALLEY UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE PROGRAM ENTIRELY ONLINE, WITH ABOUT HALF OF THEIR SCHOOLS STILL ABLE TO TAKE PART.

Amy: Biggest challenge this year is probably the obvious which is that we cannot see our kids in person.

Luckily, we have a great foundation in place technology-wise and we just jumped right in and tried it on zoom.

Jennifer: I really hope these kids are empowered.

Um, that they are no longer, um, feel like they don't have a voice that their voice matters that they're able to speak up for themselves, that they're able to share their ideas, um, and just be confident about who they are.

Pharaoh: I'’m not sure if I'’ll create the inventions I spoke about in my talk, but I am confident that I'’ll spend my life determined to do the impossible, tackle the un-tackle-able and dream the un-dream-able.

Annc: Still ahead on Inside California Education....we'’ll visit a school in Ripon, where teacher residents work side by side with experienced teachers.

But first, how did the small town of Lindsay pivot to online learning so quickly in the early days of the pandemic?

♪♪ Marla: So the very best answer would be Number 1 Christina: The classrooms at Lindsay Unified School District may be empty.... but the learning here never stopped during the pandemic.

Marla: Any questions about grapes?

Christina: While other school districts in California took weeks in the spring of 2020 to figure out distance learning, Lindsay Unified was one of the few districts that was ready to go.

Marla: It took us about just a little over 24 hours to have everything switched over.

And the only reason we weren'’t live that same day is because we were purchasing Zoom licenses.

Tom: On March 17th, we closed our facilities.

And on March 18th, we reopened for learning.

And that's essentially how it happened.

Christina: You might not expect this small, rural district to be at the forefront of technology.

Lindsay is a town of about 10,000 people in the Central Valley, about an hour between Fresno and Bakersfield.

But more than a decade ago, Lindsay Unified decided to embrace '‘blended learning'’ - learning that happens both online and in-person.

The district installed community-wide WiFi so every student has free WiFi at home.

All students receive laptops or tablets, commonly called '‘one-to-one'’ technology.

And everyone, from the teachers to the students, is well-versed on several online platforms.

Alexis: I have been exposed to technology since, as early I could say, would be the second grade.

For our own personal laptops, or devices was fifth grade, my fifth grade year.

So when the pandemic hit, nothing really changed besides not being physically in class.

All the work was still on our Empower.

Everything was still there.

We all had a full access to our work.

Pretty much the only difference was that we weren'’t coming to school.

Lorena: I'’m a diehard Lindsay person.

I love the one-on-one.

I love that we come from a small rural town, but the district has really given, um, all learners exposure to technology, to programs.

Christina: It'’s not all easy, of course.

Lorena says there are challenges having four people in her home who are all trying to connect to work and school....while also carving out personal space.

But on the bright side - Alexis is on track to finish both her senior year of high school, and earn an associate of arts degree from a local community college.

Alexis: I was able to definitely move at my own pace.

I was able to, you know, finish my courses, um, faster than most individuals are able to.

Tom: In Lindsey, it'’s not so much about how old you are or what grade you'’re in.

In Lindsey, it'’s about where you are in the learning journey.

And what is it that you need for us as a system, as adults, as a community to provide for you so that you can be successful in your learning journey.

Christina: Another thing unique about Lindsay....students aren'’t called students, they'’re called "“learners.

"” And teachers are called "“learning facilitators.

"” It'’s a deliberate word choice that Lindsay officials say reflects the goal of this district.

Marla: The word '‘student'’ happens to be very passive.

When you think of a student, you think of someone sitting in a chair, and there's this person of authority giving them information.

They're not actually doing anything.

So we thought about what would make the kids that we are with every day have a more active role in their education.

And so we changed our verbiage.

Joel: We, we emphasize the, the importance of education and that they're able to take control of their own learning.

Christina: Joel Martinez says this approach also helps him connect with his class on a more personal level.

He sets aside time before and after his Zoom classes to check-in with students, sometimes just chatting about the latest video games.

Tom: The distance learning opportunities have been very, very positive for many learners in many families, but it's also been a major struggle.

A debilitating struggle, um, for many of our families and I want to honor those families.

Christina: Despite the many challenges of distance learning, a surprising number of students and families in Lindsay responded to a survey saying they wanted to finish the 2021 school year online.

Marla Earnest says that'’s an acknowledgement that their model is working...built upon years of training and technology.

A model....she says other districts can emulate.

Marla: I think if districts are not out there exploring all of the technology tools that are out there for education, they're really missing out on some opportunities, even when you're face-to-face.

It's one of the things that made transitioning so easy for us.

I was able to just go from this room to my dining room with no problem.

Tom: When every Lindsay learner leaves our system, we want them to be able to say to us, you gave me what I needed when I needed it.

And so my advice for every other district out there is, '‘Are you giving your learners what they need and when they need it?

No matter what, without any excuses.

'’ Annc: Lindsay Unified'’s personalized learning model was recently cited in a report about '‘Restarting and Reinventing School"” during Covid 19 and beyond.

The report notes that the school district has had a 97 percent attendance rate over the past 5 years.

And a 94 percent graduation rate - well above the state average.

♪♪ Teacher: What are those numbers called at the bottom again?

Students: Partial products.

Teacher: Good, don't forget to add those partial products.

Christina: When students returned to class at Colony Oak Elementary School in the fall of 2020, things looked different....

Masks were required for older students....

Sanitation was heightened.... And the '‘big kid'’ playsets... which were once the highlight of the day for so many children... .were closed down.

Stephanie: I mean, it's a year of change.

We've changed a few times this year with different ways we're going.

There's pros and cons to everything.

And we just look at the pros and when you see those smiling faces, it makes it all worth it.

Christina: Another change?

These classrooms will have two teachers all year, instead of just one.

Stephanie: I just gave you something called verbs.

Everyone say verbs.

Christina: Ripon Unified School District signed up to have several teacher residents.

Residents are students who are earning a teaching credential, while studying under a "“master"” teacher.

It'’s part of a program offered by the Teachers College at San Joaquin County Office of Education.

Karin: Teacher residency programs are often modeled after, um, doctor residency or medical residency programs.

So teachers go in and they get to work with master teachers and see, um, every part of their practice.

Residents get to see an entire year, um, at a school site.

They get to see the beginning of a school site or the beginning of the school year, all the way until the end of the school year.

Ziggy: They really get to learn the students, the environment, the curriculum, um, each one of those aspects, which are so key to teaching.

They attend faculty meetings.

They attend open houses, back to school night.

Everything a regular teacher would do.

So there are no surprises about what it's going to be to be a teacher when they're done.

Christina: At least a dozen districts around California participate in teacher residencies.

Experts see residencies as a way to boost the number of teachers in in classrooms, amid a major teacher shortage.

Ziggy: In the state of California, we know that 80% of the school districts are having a difficult time, either attracting qualified teachers, finding qualified teachers and having open positions.

Um, fortunately we have not had that experience yet.

But we know that in the next decade, um, a study has shown that we're going to need at least a hundred thousand teachers.

So we're all going to be looking to get the brightest and the best for every single school district.

And so this is a way that we can already have a pipeline to hire teachers in our school district.

Elizabeth: You would be in every book, every newspaper and every magazine.

Christina: Elizabeth Aguiniga is a teaching resident, who hopes to get hired by Ripon Unified when her residency year is up.

She says she wants to become a teacher to make a difference in kids'’ lives.

Elizabeth has been getting a first-row seat to the profession, even though the school year started out remotely.

Elizabeth: So at the beginning, it's more observation.

Taking notes of how my teacher is guiding the class and because we were on Zoom, it was a little different.

And now it's progressing more where I'm co-teaching with her, we're interacting, we're bouncing off on each other's ideas.

We're planning together.

We're doing lesson planning as well.

And as the year progresses, it's going to be solo teaching and just, she's going to apply a gradual release.

Stephanie: At the rate she's progressing, she'll be able to take over the class and make it her own for those, you know, last few weeks, maybe even the last month of school.

Christina: The master teachers say they also appreciate having a second person in the room to help with Covid precautions....making sure the students stay safe during the pandemic.

Covid precautions are in place outside the classroom too...with the school custodian... busier than ever.

Ziggy: Every piece of playground equipment that a student touches has to be disinfected in between uses.

So every recess area.

The lunch, lunch, and recess seem to be the larger areas of concern.

Students are walking in - hand sanitizing every single time they enter in, you know, come out of the classroom.

There's hand sanitizer, plenty of hand sanitizer for them.

Samara: I think, you know, they had to relearn, what does recess time look like?

What does, um, you know, free time look like as far as like at school?

The kids in masks - I mean, I think at first we were all really anxious, but they came back and they're all wearing them.

They're all, you know, complying with the rules and keeping their distance.

I think they're really happy to be back with each other as am I. I'm impressed with the way they've handled themselves, most definitely.

Christina: Ripon Unified ended up going to in-person instruction after about a month of remote learning.

Many of the other teacher residents in the program remain online at other districts.

But the organizers of the program - and the would-be teachers - never considered skipping the year because of Covid.

In fact...they say it may be more important now than ever.

Karin: Everything is just kind of shifting.

Where you just have the sense that things are going to start to be maybe changing in the future.

And, um, I feel like having, uh, a resident work with a master teacher ,where they're figuring this all out and what this all looks like -- it's really just training this next generation of teachers to be flexible and accommodating.

It's going to take them like wherever, whatever direction education goes in.

Ziggy: Honestly, my mantra has been to try to keep things as normal as we possibly can through, through COVID.

So we have to continue this pipeline for teachers.

If we're going to have such a shortage in the future.

So we have to continue to keep things moving forward.

And for us, we look forward to hiring some of these, these well-prepared teachers for our program.

♪♪ Annc: That'’s it for this edition of Inside Caliornia Education.

If you'’d like more information about the program, log on to our website insidecaled.org.

We have videos from all of our shows, and you can connect with us on social media.

Thanks for joining us.

We'’ll see you next time on Inside California Education.

♪♪ ♪♪ Funding for inside California Education is made possible by: At the California lottery.

We're focused on our mission to provide supplemental essential funds to public schools, kinder through college, helping to keep teachers on staff or pay for new school computers, band equipment, and other instructional materials and services.

Since 1985, we have raised more than $37 billion and more than 95% of our sales go back to the community.

Music, to all of our ears, California lottery, helping schools and communities across California.

The Stewart foundation, improving life outcomes for young people through education.

♪♪