Oxford is using the TORSH Talent online professional learning and coaching platform to: 

• To support students’ self-reflection on their classroom practice
• To conduct four formal evaluations during the clinical year
• To facilitate ongoing coaching with students

In this short video Kimberly Eckert, Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Oxford Teachers College, shares how she’s using TORSH Talent and how it has revolutionized the coaching process for her and her students. 

Interested in learning more about how TORSH Talent can streamline, simplify, and strengthen coaching for your organization? Get in touch!

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What’s most exciting about our work with CEC-RAP is that they serve a specific segment of the population, namely children from zero to three years of age with special needs, for whom early intervention can have a life-altering impact.

CEC-RAP focuses on, “the continued expansion of research, personnel preparation, and service delivery through collaboration with interrelated projects.” They serve kids with disabilities, communication disorders and/or multiple risks. CEC-RAP is not our typical client, as they aren’t in the business of training teachers. Rather, they help coach and train service providers such as speech, occupational and physical therapists, and social workers who are not pursuing degrees with Florida State but are already at work in the field. These service providers work with a child’s caregivers to coach them on strategies that will help them support the healthy development of their children. TORSH Talent, our customizable video-based coaching and professional learning platform, is how CEC-RAP is providing targeted coaching and training to providers thereby increasing the quality of the early intervention children and families receive.

Departments of Education and Health as well as individual programs from multiple states across the U.S. contract with CEC-RAP to receive this type of ongoing professional development for their service providers. We are very proud to be affiliated with a program that is doing so much for the youngest members of society. We feel confident that our work with CEC-RAP is changing the lives of these kids with special needs and helping prepare them to become lifelong learners.

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Problem-solving in a pinch using only that which is available to you has many different names. But no matter how you refer to it, when the outcome exceeds expectations, it becomes something else: a solution worth sharing.

The following is precisely that. 

Sonia M. Rosen, Ph.D., Director of Inquiry and Reflective Practice for the Independent School Teaching Residency Program (ISTR) at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, brought a unique request to us during the early days of the COVID-19 crisis. As a veteran TORSH Talent user, she was looking for a way to extend the platform’s usefulness to improve an annual in-person event that was going virtual in the wake of the pandemic. 

A bit of backstory.

Each year, the department produces a Spring Gathering. During this highly anticipated event, ISTR participants present the one dimension of their practice on which they have done systematic research, collected data, and ultimately identified ways to systematically learn more about their students. This project is a full year in the making, with each teaching fellow presenting their findings to peers, administrators, and others in the program, all with the intention of facilitating peer conversations. Without this year’s in-person event, Dr. Rosen sought the Torsh team’s help to make this year’s event as interactive as possible.

Erin Murphy, Senior Customer Success Manager for Torsh, worked with Rosen through this unique set of circumstances. Her account of the process, from problem to pay off, is outlined below.

Problem: The University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education had to conduct their Spring Gathering presentations virtually due to COVID-19. 

Goal of Spring Gathering: The culmination of the year-long inquiry project for second-year ISTR teaching fellows to present their systematic research. While the presentations are not graded, the goal is to elicit thoughtful conversation and feedback from peers, mentors, and leaders.

Solution: Torsh worked with Dr. Rosen to develop a plan on how ISTR could utilize TORSH Talent to best conduct the Spring Gathering presentations and elicit thoughtful conversation virtually.

We strategized how Groups and Collections features could be used to structure the presentations. 

After a brainstorming session, Torsh provided step-by-step instructions on how the environment was to be set up by an administrator and steps for the presenters to follow to share content. Licenses were easily added using the automated purchasing tool within TORSH Talent to accommodate the additional participants and onlookers. 

The virtual adaptation of ISTR’s Spring Gathering was heralded as a success, with meaningful outcomes such as those cited below:

• The TORSH Talent video-commenting feature allowed participants to provide thoughtful conversation and feedback with one group logging over 1,500 comments of mostly substantive discussion.
  
• According to administrators, TORSH Talent was an easy-to-use solution because of the user-friendly interface. People unfamiliar with the platform were able to get up and running on their own.
  
• Teaching fellows benefited from great feedback, reflection, and the ability to develop content for their portfolios. 

The fruitful discussions, thanks to the TORSH commenting tool, are sure to play a significant role as the Summer and Fall curriculum is expected to be online, which will expand the number of users to include mentors, program directors, fellows, and Penn faculty. Lectures and content will be available for fellows to watch on the front end of any asynchronous teaching and also on the back end for enrichment. And as administrators look to next year’s Spring Gathering, the valuable lessons learned from going virtual have already been added to the event.  

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The authors of the paper, Dan Goldhaber (National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER) and Center for Education Data and Research (CEDR) at the University of Washington) and Matthew Ronfeldt (University of Michigan) provide insights and strategies to support professional development through the use of virtual training and mentoring, along with other tactics to minimize the teacher shortage that was already an issue prior to the pandemic. 

As a former educator in public and charter schools, with experience on the policy side of education, and now in my role at Torsh working with Higher Ed Teacher Prep programs, I found this brief to be especially relevant in current times. After discussing with colleagues our thoughts on the topic, I wanted to share some highlights from those conversations and from my own experiences.

Goldhaber and Ronfeldt break down the issue into two segments:

• Student teaching placements influence teacher effectiveness. If student teaching experiences are constrained by the pandemic, teacher candidates may lose valuable experiences and schools may lose the opportunity to shape and evaluate prospective hires.
• Teacher preparation programs and student teaching experiences play a major role in determining where candidates take job placements, in ways that can influence both job markets and staffing shortages.

Prior to the pandemic, there was already a teacher shortage in the United States, which is on its way to becoming a full-blown crisis. In a list of facts about the teaching profession compiled by the U.S. Department of Education, 50% of new teachers leave the profession within five years., Many teachers have made the decision to opt-out of teaching this year (for a variety of reasons, but health concern is a repeat topic). We cannot afford to interrupt the pipeline of new teachers nor can we afford to put under-prepared teachers in classrooms if we are going to ensure that future generations have the access to the high-quality education that they deserve. Student-teachers need field experience and educator preparation programs need to feel confident in the quality of the coaching and mentoring that their students in the field will continue to receive, without having concern around sending observers into classrooms. This is where technology comes into play.

Technology for Teachers in Training

One of the main strategies the brief recommends for tackling the current issue is online practice. According to the research, “teachers and teachers-in-training who participate in online practice teaching see significant improvements in teaching skills.” From seasoned veterans to bright-eyed graduates, all teachers are being asked to fundamentally change the way that they manage their classroom and deliver content, and there is strength in seeking help and practicing new skills to ensure teachers are prepared for their students. 

With the abundance of available technology, from TORSH Talent to Nearpod and beyond, teachers can practice executing remote lessons and then share those lessons with their peers for feedback. Even if a school does not have a traditional coaching structure, it is vital to use the available tools to facilitate cooperation and collaboration as everyone tries to tackle new problems.

Coaching Remains Critical

The authors also emphasize that school systems can strategize by “[providing] in-service supports for new teachers whose student teaching experiences were interrupted or incomplete.” As mentioned in the brief, effective mentoring will be determined by the quantity and duration of the mentoring, and the qualifications of the mentor teachers. Again, this is where technology plays an essential role. Tools that facilitate full coaching structures can allow programs to provide aligned feedback to teachers and work to norm and develop mentors and coaches for both in-person and remote environments in a way that does not cause disruption, regardless of geographical constraints. 

Two more insights that Annenberg points out around strategies to consider are that “stronger partnerships between teacher preparation providers and remote districts have the potential to bring significant benefits…for districts facing staffing shortages” and “student teachers present an important pool of additional talent for schools, [so] creative deployment of student teachers could provide a major boost as the COVID-19 crisis continues”

When I participated in Johns Hopkins’ online Masters of Education, I saw firsthand how universities are expanding their reach to attract students beyond the traditional confines of geography. Remote tools like those used by Johns Hopkins’ online learning program reaches and serves students in all 50 states. Partnerships between teacher preparation providers and remote districts are not only beneficial for potential increased staffing but also for learning best-practices; K-12 schools can leverage their connections with universities to learn from professors who have experience delivering remote instruction. 

Adapting for Success

It is important to note that we must avoid certain strategies as well when tackling these issues. All programs must be adapting right now to support teachers in this new environment. If you are not adapting, then you, your teachers, and your students are falling behind. Now, more than ever, we cannot waste time and resources on strategies that do not work. This brief highlights the following insights on strategies to avoid:

• Low-quality teacher mentoring programs, as well as those that are not sustained across multiple years, are likely to be ineffective.
• Teacher effectiveness might show up differently in an online setting – so relying on past measures of teacher quality will likely be insufficient.

How schools at all levels, from early education through K-12, and up to universities, support educators during this contentious time will have long-term effects on their ability to hire and retain educators, and on student success. Considering strategies that can support teacher training during this time, and maximizing benefits using technology, can help sway these long-term effects in the right direction.

Andy Webber serves as the Business Development Manager focusing on our Higher Education clients at Torsh. Andy, a former teacher, holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Texas and an M.S. of Education from Johns Hopkins University (where he first used TORSH as an educator). Andy is excited to combine his experience as an educator and as a TORSH user to deliver individually tailored packages that meet the needs of Higher Education clients’ to improve educational outcomes for all students.

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The Johns Hopkins School of Education is now leading the way when it comes to providing families, educators, and administrators with educational resources through the launch of their COVID-19 Education Resources site.

The COVID-19 Education Resources site launched its commitment to providing updated resources to all involved in education during this pandemic with the following statement:

American education will be transformed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the lockdown, and eventually, the recovery. As a leader in evidence-based educational policy and practice, the Johns Hopkins School of Education is on the front lines shaping how our profession responds to the challenges. This site is a trove of timely and relevant research, expertise, guidance, and resources to help families, teachers, and district leaders emerge from the crisis stronger than ever. Updated regularly. Please share.

Johns Hopkins School of Education (SOE) is no stranger to the Torsh family. In 2016, SOE was featured in a client spotlight article highlighting their early experience with TORSH Talent, ultimately leading to the expansion of the program’s use for a range of degree and certificate programs at the University. The university’s experience is also featured on our Higher Education solutions page.

Click Here to view other COVID-19 resources

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This conference brings together stakeholders in teacher preparation that use or are planning to implement edTPA. Last year, Torsh TALENT, our online professional development platform, became an official integrated edTPA platform provider, which is something that makes us very proud. That’s why Courtney is not just attending the conference, he’s also a featured speaker. 

Courtney’s presentation will highlight how schools can integrate TALENT with their certification programs, making the process easier and more streamlined. Courtney will use New York University as a case study and demonstrate how they use the edTPA tools in Torsh TALENT for their teacher residency program. To receive certification, teachers assemble a portfolio of materials such as lesson plans, student work, other artifacts, and videos of their classroom instruction. Teachers can create and store their portfolios right on Torsh TALENT, share their work with professors, colleagues, and mentors to receive feedback, then submit the final version directly to Pearson, the organization that scores their work. This organizes the process and allows students to receive valuable feedback on the work they are submitting. 

Courtney very much looks forward to sharing how TALENT works with edTPA; he will also certainly enjoy connecting with faculty and staff involved in teacher preparation programs. We hope that access to tools such as TALENT will make it easier to adopt edTPA and will contribute to a more universal certification that elevates the teaching profession.

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NYU partners with school districts nationwide to select candidates for a new program called EMAT which stands for Embedded Master of Arts in Teaching for secondary education. It’s a 13-month residency program whereby resident interns complete online coursework and get real-world in-classroom teaching experience. The goal is to advance career preparedness on Day 1, but they don’t go at it alone. NYU and their partner, HotChalk, an education technology company that puts degree programs online, set out to find a video partner that would connect remote resident interns to the expert faculty guidance of NYU’s staff. 

After reviewing several potential solutions, Ilana Levinson, Manager of Academic Technology Services at NYU Steinhardt, said she found the ‘Porsche’ of video-based observation tools in Torsh TALENT and a strategic partnership was formed. Not only does Torsh TALENT integrate seamlessly with their in-house system, Ember, but the breadth of offerings including tracking coaching data goes far beyond basic video capture. Resident interns can record classroom time, upload to TALENT and leave self-reflection notes that tie back directly to specific moments in the video. Along the same lines, NYU instructors and mentors participate in ongoing two-way feedback working with students one-on-one and in small groups as they sharpen their skills throughout the program.

Our partnership with NYU for its EMAT program started in Summer of 2016. Due to its early success, other departments quickly became interested. Within a few months, NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development signed up to use the system for its own on-campus programs.

We are thrilled to welcome NYU to the Torsh TALENT family. We look forward to growing our partnership and building upon our mutual commitment to improve higher education. 

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To understand the evolution of Torsh’s affiliation with SOE, it’s helpful to learn more about the university’s long-standing relationship with Teach for America (TFA). TFA takes recent college graduates and places them as teachers in low-income schools across the nation. Last fall, SOE teamed up with TFA to form a special Master of Science in Education program available only to current or former TFA corps members. Nine of the thirty-nine required credits are waived in light of participation in the TFA Summer Institute, which prepares new members for their classroom assignments.  All individuals in the program, specifically TFA alumni, must be actively teaching to stay enrolled. 

The success of JHU’s SOE/TFA Masters program, which was first available only to teachers in the Baltimore area, led the university to roll it out nationwide. It’s now available online to all TFA corps members and alumni, regardless of their geographic location. 

Teacher observation is a crucial component of the degree curriculum. But, since many of the participating TFA corps members are not located in the Baltimore area, how can professors evaluate each teacher’s performance in the classroom? 

It’s this conundrum that led SOE to Torsh about a year ago. Our teacher professional development tool, known as Torsh TALENT, is first and foremost a highly-effective way for teachers to reflect on their own practice. It also enables a teacher to record him or herself at work in the classroom, upload the video, and share it with colleagues, professors, mentors and supervisors. No specialized equipment is required. Any teacher with a smartphone or tablet can record their classroom instruction and upload it to the TALENT platform. 

This year, Torsh TALENT was used by over 800 graduate students in Johns Hopkins SOE/TFA Master’s degree program. This gave the university a chance to experience TALENT, and see how effective a tool it is in the training and professional development of teachers. 

Needless to say, university decision makers were impressed. Therefore starting July 1, 2016, Torsh TALENT will be used throughout the entire School of Education at JHU, not just in their TFA Master’s degree program. 

There is nothing more affirming than when you can take a client, especially one with the pedigree of this university, and grow the relationship. We are delighted to be part of Johns Hopkin’s continued commitment to excellence in teacher training. We can’t wait to see how this year unfolds, knowing how many dedicated students will be using Torsh TALENT as they work towards their undergraduate and advanced degrees.  

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Moving up to first place this year is Torsh client Stanford University. Tying with Harvard University for second place is another one of our marquee clients, Johns Hopkins University. 

Other Torsh partners appearing on this year’s list are New York University (#15), University of Colorado Boulder (#28), University of Florida (#30), Purdue University (#42), Tufts University (#59), UMass Boston (#71) and Howard University (#107). 

Torsh TALENT, our video observation platform, is used in these graduate schools in a variety of ways, all with the goal of providing the best-in-class teacher training. TALENT allows higher education institutions to fully integrate video in their teacher professional development curriculums. Through the use of our innovative video technology, the faculty, coaches, and supervisors in these programs are able to remotely observe teachers in the classroom and provide feedback with our suite of video-based observation, feedback and coaching tools. Additionally, for faculty involved in ongoing research, Torsh TALENT is a safe and secure video repository that allows research participants to authorize and share videos with researchers in ways that satisfy a range of privacy laws.

Having some of the best Graduate Schools of Education in the country using Torsh TALENT in their pursuit of teacher training excellence is a huge feather in our cap. We are excited that so many institutes of higher education have embraced video, and are choosing Torsh TALENT as their platform of choice. Congratulations to this year’s top-ranked schools. And to those who aren’t yet working with us, we hope to have you on board soon!  

For more information on Torsh TALENT and the ways it is being used in higher education, click here. 

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Torsh’s presentation will touch on this year’s theme by demonstrating how its prominent higher education clients use Torsh’s video platform to improve teacher training and in turn, improve student outcomes. Case studies will include Stanford University’s Hollyhock Fellowship Program, Johns Hopkins University’s Teach for America National Program and Tuft University’s’ Urban Math and Science Teacher Collaborative. 

Torsh’s main product is TALENT, an easy to use video-based classroom observation tool and data management platform. With Torsh TALENT, educators are given the opportunity to reflect on practice, collaborate among peers and coaches, measure the effectiveness of their classroom instruction, and receive high quality coaching. 

“We are excited to highlight how colleges and universities are using video to train teachers, and transform instruction,” stated James Jackson, Manager of Business Development at Torsh. “We are presenting at ICCTL because we want to share this knowledge with other leaders in the field. Video is relatively new to higher education. We will demonstrate how it can be implemented successfully.” 

For more information on the 27th Annual International Conference on College Teaching and Learning, click here. 

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