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DKG Practice/Program

Zoom into the Future: Rise to the Challenge

By Avis M. Masuda and Michele M. Ebersole

The pandemic changed our lives in the blink of an eye. Remote learning, distance
education, hybrid teaching models, virtual platforms, and so forth became part
of our educational jargon. Teachers were caught in a whirlpool of having to plan
and prepare their instruction online. Students and families had to learn at an
accelerated speed in an unfamiliar context. Zeta Chapter’s theme became “Zoom
into the Future, Rise to the Challenge.” Members learned to use Zoom for our
regular meetings, remaining in the safety of our homes while enjoying real-time
interaction and connection to each other. The use of Zoom helped us understand
how videoconferencing could enhance our learning and, in turn, opened up
possibilities for chapter projects.
DKG Zeta Chapter

In an effort to advance the personal
and professional growth of our members
and strengthen educational excellence
continually, Zeta Chapter leaders
sought a project that could provide
instructional support for teachers having
to cope with a myriad of challenges
teaching online. We pondered how we
could provide time-saving resources
that could be readily incorporated into
the curriculum and used in distance-
learning environments. In our local
context, a variety of distance learning
models existed. Some teachers used
blended and hybridized models where teachers met online with students and gave
them opportunities to complete work independently. Some classes used in-person
learning in combination with online models. We decided to implement a read-aloud
project in which members volunteered to create read-aloud videos for use in virtual
platforms such as Zoom; these videos could be used flexibly by our active Zeta
teachers during the pandemic.
Research emphasizes the importance of reading aloud to children and to
their future success in school (International Literacy Association [ILA], 2018).
Providing teacher-led read-alouds is a critical instructional practice that serves
as a cornerstone of effective literacy practices. Furthermore, as stated by the
International Literacy Association,
Effective read-alouds increase children’s vocabulary, listening
comprehension, story schema, background knowledge, word recognition
skills, and cognitive development. In addition to these important academic
benefits, read-alouds promote a love of literature, foster social interactions,
and ignite a passion for lifelong reading habits. (2018, p. 2)

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