E08 - Online & Hybrid Learning with Gerardo Saldana

On this episode of Blending In, I’m chatting with Gerardo Saldana, a Science and STEAM teacher at the Academy of Innovation in the Hemet Unified School District, where he was recently chosen as Teacher of the Year!  Gerardo found his calling in teaching while he was volunteering at a community center 8 years ago as an ESL Adult Learning teacher, and has since devoted his time to teaching students in different academic disciplines and developing STEAM curriculum for different programs at HUSD.  Listen in on our chat today as he shares how he “blends in” STEAM, eSports, and intentional use of SEL strategies and technology to engage and motivate students in online and hybrid learning models. 

In our chat today, Gerardo shares a little bit of his educational journey as an English Language Learner and how he was inspired to become an educator.  We chatted a little bit about how we met each other in our roles at Diamond Valley Middle School, and he explained how he transitioned to his current position at the Academy of Innovation.  He gave a little insight into the online and hybrid models that are in place at AOI and how he helps to coordinate the middle school STEAM elective program with the team of teachers at his school site.  He mentioned some of the activities that the team has facilitated with the students, one of which involved building gingerbread houses and finding surface area.  The day he did this activity, I was there to observe and capture some moments; so here is the TikTok video I made of the Gingerbread Surface Area activity that day!  The photos below are of some of the steam activities that he and the amazing team of educators at AOI have facilitated.  

Gerardo went on to discuss some of the technology tools that teachers are using at AOI to facilitate their online and hybrid learning models, including Google Workspace products like Google Meet and Google Classroom.  Because of AOI’s unconventional learning models, Gerardo explained that the teachers are very intentional about the content that they are teaching, as well as the SEL strategies they’re utilizing to connect with and build relationships with their students. An advantage of AOI’s model is also their small class sizes, which Gerardo testifies, are more manageable than the typical 35+ class size that we see in traditional school models. 

To allow the kids to interact and socialize safely online, Gerardo mentioned allowing students to interact on platforms like Padlet, posting discussion questions on Google Classroom, and creating collaborative activities that students can do together inside of a slide presentation.  I mentioned the Slides activity seems similar to the Eduprotocol Thin Slides!  The eSports club, which Gerardo sponsors, is another way that AOI provides an opportunity for kids to socialize in a fun and safe environment.