PPMM Education Program Manager Monica M. oversees the smooth operation of our virtual delivery of sex education – and the new service, providing virtual classes for more than 14,000 students and community members, has become essential since school-site closures during the COVID pandemic.
Monica focuses on providing the best onscreen experience for our health educators and students, which means thinking of education and learning in a new way.
“It starts with the basics, like realizing that not every school district or community organization we’re working with has an IT department, so what might they need in terms of Zoom licenses or access to Google Meets?” Monica said.
“I’m also very conscious of our audience for different kinds of lessons, including what their access is to the platform in terms of WiFi and other technology. Even subtle things like tailoring how much information is printed on each slide can make a big difference, depending on the audience.”
She explained that onscreen sex ed classes actually make some students more comfortable about participating in discussions because they can have their cameras turned off or ask a question privately with the Anonymous Questions form.
“Teachers I hear from are really thankful for the expertise we are providing and offering so many options—including lessons entirely in Spanish and a new version for special education classrooms,” Monica said. “For me, this experience has been revitalizing.
Tags: sexual health, sex-ed, virtual