Mia Young-Adeyeba, left, an English teacher at Hamilton Senior High School in Los Angeles and a Region 17 member, and fellow teacher Michelle Touceda, right, launched a Facebook group called Distance Learning Educators, which now has 23,000 members.
Facebook group has resources for remote learning
Online group now has 23,000 members from around the world
February 8, 2021
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced many schools in California into distance learning, Mia Young-Adeyeba found herself in need of ideas to prepare for the new virtual environment. So, in what she called a “split-second decision” in July 2020, she turned to the internet.
Young-Adeyeba, an English teacher at Hamilton Senior High School in Los Angeles and a Region 17 student member, and fellow teacher Michelle Touceda launched a Facebook group called Distance Learning Educators. Now, the group consists of more than 23,000 educators all over the world.
“It’s a simple community for educators to share resources and support each other,” said Young-Adeyeba, who is attending Concordia University to earn her administrator credential. “This gave people all over a place where we could share resources, get a response in seconds and really support each other in this time.”
She said she felt that, before the pandemic, educators she knew were hesitant to share lesson plans and presentations with each other. Now, as many have had to make the transition to distance learning, they’re more open to helping each other out.
“I’ve always been a sharer,” Young-Adeyeba said. “I’ve always encouraged other people to share. Why not? I think there was a desperate need for support, especially when you’re not physically with your colleagues.”
Touceda, who is an English and language arts teacher at South Gate High School, said the group gave her a “treasure trove” of new resources and collaboration.
“A perfect example of this is the pooled resources everyone was sharing (two weeks ago) on the Amanda Gorman poem, ‘The Hill We Climb,’” Touceda said. “I heard the poem during the inauguration, and by the end of the day, I had multiple lessons ready to go for my different classes based on the poem, including guided video notes, writing prompts and Flipgrid assignments.”
Among the group’s 19 sub-groups is one specifically for school administrators. Young-Adeyeba said the sub-group consists mostly of principals. Blanca Cruz, principal of Edward R. Roybal Learning Center, leads that sub-group.
“I see my teachers are on there,” Cruz said of Distance Learning Educators. “We know there is a need for relevant professional development given the times, so the group is exactly what we needed.”
Young-Adeyeba added that she believes the Facebook group is a place where teachers and administrators can commiserate and interact in a safe space.
“I like our group because there’s no talking about politics, no venting — just share a resource, something helpful, and support somebody,” she said.
Young-Adeyeba said many of her fellow educators are currently discussing how to provide more opportunities for student engagement in their virtual classes. Other topics include grading and reflecting on celebrating the holidays in a distance learning environment.
“There’s so much I personally don’t know, and there’s so many ways that, through this group, I can connect with teachers who have ideas I never would have thought of,” she said. “It’s just a great opportunity to get the specific PD that you have craved your whole career.”
Find their group at facebook.com/groups/distancelearningeducators.
