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ABOUT TALE ACADEMY

The photograph shows people writing in notebooks.

THINK BEYOND ONLINE EDUCATION - THINK TEACHING ACROSS LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

The TALE Academy is a series of asynchronous learning experiences available to all New York State educators offering a rich array of resources on topics related to teaching across learning environments (TALE).* The TALE Academy is built upon the work New York State educators carried out during emergency remote teaching (ERT) throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and extends it towards the future. TALE invites educators to think beyond online education to a broader perspective on teaching and learning that encompasses teaching across multiple environments (in-person, remote, and hybrid). 

 

Whereas ERT was exclusively remote, TALE includes multiple learning environments and formats. Whereas ERT required rapid adaptation of in-person instruction to remote formats, TALE is based on intentional learning design that builds upon the opportunities that different learning environments and formats can provide. Whereas during ERT, teachers responded to an emergency, in TALE, teachers are empowered to plan and design learning experiences with intention, choice and voice.

The Teaching in Remote/Hybrid Learning Environments (TRLE) Project

The TALE Academy is a part of a broader New York State Department of Education (NYSED) initiative known as Teaching in Remote/Hybrid Learning Environments (TRLE). In July 2020, NYSED was awarded funding through the United States Department of Education’s Education Stabilization Fund-Rethink K-12 Education Models Grant to implement TRLE – a three-year project to build the capacity of teachers and educational leaders to effectively implement remote/hybrid learning for all students. Launched in the depths of the pandemic, the first phase of the TRLE project focused on getting resources to the field through partnerships with Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) and school districts across the state. The second phase, which started in February 2022, focused on aggregating lessons learned and emerging teaching and learning strategies to address a broader field of practice: teaching across learning environments.

What topics are covered in the TALE Academy?

The TALE Academy includes 7 modules:​
 

  1. Shifting to Teaching Across Learning Environments (TALE)

  2. Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Across Learning Environments

  3. Meeting the Needs of Students with Disabilities Across Learning Environments

  4. Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners Across Learning Environments

  5. Family and Community Engagement Across Learning Environments

  6. Social Emotional Learning Across Learning Environments

  7. Leading to Support Educators Across Learning Environments

*The TALE Academy will be made available to all NYS Educators at the conclusion of the VITAL Educator Program in the fall of 2024.

The TALE Academy is designed to model best practices in online learning.

SELF-PACED

Learners will be able to choose when and for how long they engage with the learning experiences. The 7 modules are comprised of sessions that take 60-90 minutes to complete. Each session is chunked into discrete activities. 

ENGAGING ACTIVITIES

Learners will receive a variety of activities to support reflection and application through written prompts, guided activities, and opportunities to create videos, cartoons, mind maps, and more.

LEARNER CHOICE 

Choice is fostered through providing multiple modalities to engage with direct instruction (e.g., reading or viewing a video) and links for deeper learning that also use multiple modalities (online videos, research papers, blog posts, podcasts, etc.).

APPLIED LEARNING

Learners will complete reflective activities that help them bring what they have learned back to their classrooms and schools in relation to their own teaching contexts (e.g., subject area, grade level, etc.).

MODELING

Throughout the modules, short videos of New York State educators sharing their own experiences related to teaching across learning environments (TALE) provide inspiration for the learners.

DEEPER LEARNING

Learners are provided opportunities to pursue deeper learning with choices — both in terms of content and format — to engage more intensively with the topics.

LEARN MORE BY WATCHING THE
TALE ACADEMY ORIENTATION VIDEO

The TALE Academy Orientation is a 8-minute video that provides an

overview of the Academy and answers frequently asked questions.

New York State Education Department Logo

The content of the TALE Academy was produced in whole or in part with funds from Contract C014452 and does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the New York State Education Department (NYSED), nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by NYSED. In addition, NYSED, its employees, officers, and agencies make no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, currency, or suitability of the content herein and disclaim any express or implied warranty as to the same.

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All original TALE Academy materials may be used by educators under the “fair use” rule of copyright law. Fair use is permitted for all original TALE Academy materials without a request of permission. However, full credit must be given to any materials adopted, adapted or used. All TALE Academy website materials provide a full list of citations for this purpose at the conclusion of the “READ” documents.

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