Description

This distance-learning experience gave students agency to decide which country they wanted to learn more about while I was visiting the Epcot Center in Florida. Press here for a full explanation of the World Showcase Epcot RIDES & ATTRACTIONS 2025 | Walt Disney World. They experienced “being there” through a teleconference and interviews with experts from selected countries. They demonstrated their competence through a digital report and artifacts that represented their “virtual” experience.  

Before the virtual meeting, students practiced answering their questions into a microphone while being recorded so that they could hear themselves and do a retake. These practice interviews before the event accommodated learner differences. Students collaborated with other students to prepare interview questions, which gave ELL students more confidence (4c). All the students had an authentic experience outside the classroom to deepen their understanding of the country they wanted to know more about. 

Implementation

  This project is from a course called Distance Education Issues and Trends EDEL 523, and it worked perfectly with a planned trip to Florida in October 2025.  After evaluating the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) standards and CA Content Standards, I aligned the standards that the Epcot Center could support.  I asked third-grade students at McKibben Elementary which country they would like to learn about. I assigned them to locate the continent on a world map, mark the capital city, create the flag, and write a question for an expert. 

The third-grade teacher and I collaborated on the sequence of events (4a). We asked students to practice with the microphone and ask their questions while being recorded. If they did not like the recording, we had them try again. Practicing benefited every student, and for some second-language students, it helped them feel confident asking questions and adjusting their vocabulary to meet their learning goals (4a,c). 

I brought an external microphone, Google Meet links, and a flexible schedule to the Epcot World Showcase. I provided my teaching partner in the third-grade classroom in California with a meeting link. We agreed on a meeting time that best suited the classroom and my schedule because I was three hours ahead (4a).  I asked docents from each country to answer a few questions from CA students on a conference call (4a). Once they agreed, I called the students in California from Florida on Google Meet, and they asked their questions on a live video conference (4a). Because of language barriers, some docents asked a partner for assistance. Most of the “experts” were very helpful, and the students asked more than they planned.

Impact

The greatest impact of this project was what I learned through the collaboration efforts with the third-grade teacher. She and I worked for many weeks to align the schedule and the technology. We tried to conduct the interviews through Zoom, but the school did not have enough wifi bandwidth to sustain it. Therefore, we switched to Google Meet. I was so glad that we did our preparation ahead of time to prevent a failed meeting (4a). 

Another great impact was student agency in public speaking (4a). They participated in digital learning environments that accommodated learner variability (4c). The third-grade English Language Learners (ELL) students stepped out of their comfort zones and asked a docent a question over a live video chat (4c). This was huge for ELLs who feel self-conscious about speaking English. The students had the cultural experience of meeting adults who also struggle with language barriers. The students practiced their questions several times before the meeting and knew exactly what to say. They knew exactly how to ask in English. The docents had to think of their responses, which made the interview authentic (4a). Several docents had thick accents, and we had to interpret their responses. 

 The final impact was that students had the opportunity to experience authentic learning about another country through a digital environment (4a,c). Many third-grade students have never traveled out of California. This distance-learning opportunity brought the world into the classroom through a teleconference with Epcot’s World Showcase. Not only did they travel to Florida via teleconference, but they experienced authentic buildings, culture, and personalities from all over the world that were represented (4a,c).

Implementation

Over the last 3 years, I have noticed a push to have younger students typing on Google Docs before they are developmentally ready. Either for the convenience of grading or the belief that eight-year-olds are capable, online charter schools require students as young as third grade to type essays in Google Docs for assessments. I confirmed with a third-grade teacher that I volunteer with that it is also the case in her district. Therefore, I prompted AI on how to use the Voice to Text function on Google Docs to show the parents. 

Now I have three modes of communication for my students to perform their tasks with. They can either use voice-to-text, type with a keyboard, or write answers by hand. I usually require one of each per week. This way, all of their technical writing skills will improve. According to Cast.org, accommodations are not just for students with disabilities: “A growing body of research reveals that UDL benefits learners of all ages and across learning contexts.” Everyone performs better when they can reduce the cognitive load and focus on what they want to say rather than the mechanics of getting the words on the platform, whether it be on a word processor or paper (4c). 

Impact

After coaching my colleagues using the same directions above, they assist their students by modeling and observing. Once their student has been successful through independent practice, they no longer have to type for them. This has impacted the students in several ways: 

1. Participants have to plan what they are going to say before pressing the microphone. This forces them to be organized.

2. Participants have to speak aloud in complete sentences.

3. Participants learn to edit without having to type long sentences. 

The experiment with the new application was a great learning experience. I made the mistake of not having my cursor in the correct position before I clicked the microphone to record. I shared with them that this was a good mistake to make, and it is data for us to learn from. Now they know to make sure their cursor is in the correct position on the page before they press the microphone. This is a perfect example of coaching with technical support for ISTE Standard 4c. 

Reflection

I gained competency in learning design through my virtual lesson at the Epcot Center in Florida.  I collaborated with a third-grade teacher to provide an authentic cultural experience (4a). Through collaboration with an experienced teacher, I learned to make sure the technology would work by conducting practice meetings (4a). The Google Meet interviews with docents from around the World Showcase were a virtual tour. We fostered student agency by having students practice their questions with the technology before the interviews so they could deepen their mastery of public speaking. They gained competency by having a chance to practice more than once (4c).

Because I teach online one-to-one, I have the advantage of conducting authentic assessments on a weekly basis with my students. This includes recording them while they are reading aloud, annotating the passage with their running errors during guided practice, and taking screenshots of their writing  (4b). These modes of assessment help me communicate with parents and plan our next steps. I coach the parents to use the assessments to drive the instruction. This supports personalized learning because they receive immediate feedback and can apply the data to their next lesson (4b). 

The Voice to Text function in Google Docs has been the most valuable new tool to my practice this year. Because I meet with the parents for short conferences almost weekly while they are logging their student onto Zoom, I can give them one-to-one coaching on the right tools. I received several texts over the last month reporting how excited the students were to have agency over their own writing by using the voice-to-type tool. They used to dictate what they wanted to write to their parents or myself during our lessons. This tool has saved valuable learning time. This accommodation also reduces the cognitive load of keeping a thought in their head while trying to find the right letters to press on the keyboard (4c).