Christy Kavulic, OSEPElaine Mulligan,

NICHCYAudrey Desjarlais,

WRRCD. Jay Gense, NCDB

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• OSEP’s framework and definitions of TA• Ways to deliver Universal TA in virtual

environments• Ways to deliver Targeted TA in virtual

environments• Ways to deliver Intensive TA in virtual

environments• Considerations for implementation• Discussion 2

What’s the main reason you would like to learn about virtual TA?

•Budget constraints limit travel for TA (Text 127132 to 22333)

•Need to reach more TA clients (Text 127133 to 22333)

•Pure curiosity (Text 127140 to 22333) 3

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• Expertise provided in response to a client's defined problem or need in order to increase their capacity. OSEP has specified three categories of technical assistance—Universal, General; Targeted, Specialized and Intensive, Sustained.

• Each category is important and should be employed strategically to achieve the desired outcomes of the project.

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Universal, General•Passive technical assistance (TA) and information provided to independent users through their own initiative resulting in minimal interaction with TA Center staff and includes one-time, invited or offered conference presentations by TA Center staff.

•This category of TA also includes information or products, such as newsletters, guidebooks, or research syntheses, downloaded from the TA Center's website by independent users. Brief communications by TA Center Staff with recipients, either by telephone or email are also considered Universal, General TA. 7

Targeted, Specialized

•Technical assistance (TA) service developed based on needs common to multiple recipients and not extensively individualized. A relationship is established between the TA recipient and one or more TA Center staff. •This category of TA can be one-time, labor-intensive events, such as facilitating strategic planning or hosting regional or national conferences. They can also be episodic, less labor-intensive events that extend over a period of time, such as facilitating a series of conference calls on single or multiple topics that are designed around the needs of the recipients. Facilitating communities of practice can also be considered Targeted, Specialized TA.

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Intensive, Sustained

•Technical assistance (TA) services, often provided on-site, that require a stable, on-going, negotiated relationship between the TA Center staff and the TA recipient. The TA relationship is defined as a purposeful, planned series of activities designed to reach an outcome that is valued by the individual recipient. •This category of TA should result in changes to policy, program, practice, or operations that support increased recipient capacity and/or improved outcomes at one or more systems levels. 9

• No matter what type of TA you provide, there are ways you can enhance your reach

• Moving from face-to-face to virtual TA requires thoughtful planning and a little bit of risk-taking

• Virtual TA does not replace in-person TA; it adds an additional dimension

• Ongoing discussion and collaboration are invaluable in achieving success with new approaches

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Questions &

Answers

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• Online tools & guides

• Web versions of publications

• Wikis

• Data bases

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• Best practice guides

• Fact Sheets

• Dialogue Guides

• Information Briefs

• Newsletters

• eBlasts

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• YouTube videos

• ScreenR or other screen share applications

• Recordings of webinars or live presentations 17

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• Blogs

• Facebook posts of resources

• Tweet links

• Pinterest boards

• Google Plus Hangouts

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Questions &

Answers

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• Virtual ISN’T Face-to-Face• Instructional

Design• Engagement

Strategies• Facilitation

Supports

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• Engagement of virtual participants

• AV equipment• Facilitation support• Balancing costs• Supporting

resources• Back-up plan• Employ audience

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• Real-time & Asynchronous• Desktop-sharing• Post and share• Develop agreed

upon protocols for using tools

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• Assess community needs & orientations• Explore technology

acquisition strategies• Appoint Tech

Steward

26Citation: Wenger, E., White, N., & Smith J.D. (2009)

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Questions &

Answers

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1. Distance Mentorship Program (DMP)

2. Web-based Strategies

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• Challenges being addressed• Implementation strategies• Anticipated outcomes

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Web redesign efforts• Moving from “static” to

“dynamic” • “Consumers” and “Producers”

participation• Individualization tools• Focused capacity building

Content-specific websites• Packaged resources• Tools for TA 31

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• Alignment to project purpose and other initiatives • Assess user orientation and

readiness: TA provider, clients• Identify implementation

infrastructure supports• Accessibility: security/firewalls,

internet speed, individuals with disabilities

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Captioning tool on My

TA&D

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Audio Description is a narration service that attempts to describe what the sighted person takes for granted -- those images that a person who is blind or visually impaired formerly could only experience through the whispered asides from a sighted companion.

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Questions &

Answers

• Which types of virtual TA would help my project reach more users?

• In what ways will we need to change our customary TA approaches to adapt to virtual TA methods?

• What supports or resources are available to help my project get started in using these new technologies?

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• Tweet your ideas or discoveries using the hashtag #VirtualTA and we’ll collect them all to share with the network!

• What the heck is a hashtag?https://support.twitter.com/articles/49309-what-are-hashtags-symbols

• Here’s an example of how tweets are collected to make a story: http://storify.com/usedgov/duncan-and-posny-join-cec-for-twitter-town-hall 38

Center for Disease Control. (n.d.). CDC Social Media Tools, Guidelines & Best Practices. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/SocialMedia/Tools/guidelines/index.html

National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. (2011). Writing for the Web. Retrieved from http://nichcy.org/dissemination/tools/webwriting

Wenger, E., White, N., & Smith J.D. (2009) Digital Habitats: Stewarding Technology for Communities. Cpsquare. Portland, OR.

Edelman, L. (March 2012) Resources for Using Technology to Enhance Professional Development, Technical Assistance, and Dissemination Activities. 39

Christy Kavulic: OSEPemail: Christy.Kavulic@ed.gov

Elaine Mulligan: National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (NICHCY)email: emulligan@fhi360.orgtwitter handle: @DissemCoP

Audrey Desjarlais: Western Regional Resource Center, Signetworkemail: adesjarl@uoregon.edu

twitter handle: @SPDG_Network

D. Jay Gense: National Consortium on Deaf-Blindness email: gensej@wou.edutwitter handle: @DJG_NCDB 40