How the Head Start Coaching Companion Can Work for You

How the Head Start Coaching Companion Can Work for You

Joyce Escorcia: Welcome everybody to the January "Coaching Corner" webinar. This month, we're going to explore the many features of the Head Start coaching companion and how they can work to support your coaching work. My name is Joyce Escorcia, and I'm joined today by two of my colleagues, Ragan McLeod – and I'm also excited to introduce you to the newest member of our team, our Coaching Companion expert and lead, Virginia Tse, who you're going to hear from and see in just a few minutes. So, again, thank you for joining us today. So, today we want you just to walk away being able to talk about some of the features of the Head Start Coaching Companion and how you can use those features in the platform to really support your coaching work. And we also want you to know that we heard you; that what we've done is we have loaded up today's presentation with questions that we've gotten from you related to the Head Start Coaching Companion. And so, throughout our presentation, Virginia is going to be sharing information and answering commonly asked questions that we get from you, whether it's through the Help Desk or on MyPeers. So, thank you for those questions and keep them coming. Any other additional questions, please pop them into the Q&A widget, and we will keep an eye there, answer those. And then, also, at the end, when we have our live Q&A time, we will be addressing the questions that come up in our Q&A box, as well. So, just as a quick overview and just as a reminder that practice-based coaching is a cyclical process, and it's really meant to support education staff use of effective teaching in all visiting practices, that each component of the cycle is really designed to support the use of those effective practices, that it really starts and happens – everything happens within that collaborative coaching partnership, and that everything begins with that shared goals and action planning, that that's the roadmap to success with coaching. And then, once you have your goal between that coach and the coachee, you move into focused observation, and that's where you will observe and support the use of that specific teaching or home-visiting practice. And then, we move into reflection and feedback to talk about how things went, how it feels to use that practice. What do we need to do to accomplish our goal? And then, we just kind of keep going with that cycle. And also, just to mention, too, that we know, and as a reminder, that PBC can happen in a lot of different ways, that it can be done in person or virtually or both, that it can be expert coaching, one-on-one. It can be group coaching or even a TLC. So, those are just kind of some of the basics of PBC. If you want more information, we've included some of those things with the resources for the webinar. We invite you to take a look at that.

And for today, for our time together today, as we kind of demonstrate and highlight some of the features of the Head Start Coaching Companion, we're going to share case study. And so, here, we're going to use ABC Early Head Start as our case study. So, they've decided to focus their professional development efforts on supporting this positive adult-child relationship across their different program options. And so, to really determine and focus in on those specific practices that they want to support, their PBC implementation team reviewed the Social-Emotional Effective Practice Guide. Specifically, they looked at relationships with adults. And so, with that, they really use that to guide their professional development and their coaching work. And so, with that being said, today, we're going to follow Marla and Delaney along on their journey. So, Marla is the coach at ABC Early Head Start, and she's working with Delaney, a home visitor. So, Delaney and Marla – they work collaboratively together, develop a goal and an action plan related to supporting those relationships between parents and their children. And so, specifically, Delaney wants to support parents to calm and comfort their children since, you know, she knows that many families that she supports and many children are experiencing a lot of anxiety and stress. And so, Marla and Delaney – they identified the following goals. So, what they're going to work on is "I will support parents to calm and comfort his or her child when the child is upset.”  And so, that's the case study and kind of the journey we're going to follow along. And we also want to let you know that we have a copy of this case study included with the resources for this webinar, and we also have a copy of the action plan. So, you can also take a look at that. And so, Delaney and Marla – they worked together to identify the action-plan steps that they were going to work on to accomplish that goal. And so, here on this screen, you see four of those action-plan steps. And again, you have a hard copy of this within the resources. So, for example, number one says "I will ask guiding questions to determine what strategies the parent uses when the child is upset.”  So, that's just an example of one of the things they're going to work on. And so, we're going to follow their journey along. And again, you have a hard copy of this in your resources.

So, the Head Start Coaching Companion was designed to align with practice-based coaching and the components in the cycle of practice-based coaching. But we know that programs are not only using the Head Start Coaching Companion just to support kind of traditional PBC coaching cycles, but programs are also using features of the Coaching Companion platform to support education staff in many different ways. So, the Coaching Companion can be used to support other coaching models and even other forms of professional development, like a community of practice. So, when we go live to the Head Start Coaching Companion site in just a few minutes with Virginia, we're also going to take a look at how the Head Start Coaching Companion can support a community of practice. So, we're going to follow ABC Early Head Start as they used the Coaching Companion to support a community of practice, as well. So, again, just looking at different ways to support the use of the specific teaching or home-visiting practices for our case study today. So, to get us started, again, we know that it all starts with a collaborative partnership, right? That really that collaborative partnership is about creating that safe space, creating that space where coachees feel comfortable in trying out new things, and we know that coaching isn't about evaluation, and it's not judgmental. And one question that comes up is, "How can we support collaborative partnerships while using the Head Start Coaching Companion?”  And the good news is  – is that you can do it in a lot of the same ways that you would do it in in-person coaching; that it's about celebrating those successes and thinking through the things that are challenging together. And we talk about that collaborative  partnership is about creating that safe space. Well, when thinking about creating a safe space virtually with staff, that could be, also, helping them to feel comfortable with using the Head Start Coaching Companion platform, using technology like, say, their iPad, their tablet, whatever device they're using to upload videos and kind of interact with the Head Start Coaching Companion platform. So, again, you know, the answer is that you interact with it, and to build that collaborative partnership is in many ways the same as you would do it in person. So, with that being said, I don't want to take too much time away from the good stuff, so we are now going to have Virginia take us live onto the Head Start Coaching Companion platform and show us some of the great features. And I guess I want to start with … Virginia, I'm just going to ask you a question right off the bat that we often get – is, "How do I get connected? How do I get into the Head Start Coaching Companion?” So, can you start us off with that?

Virginia Tse: Absolutely, Joyce. So, there are two ways to get to the Head Start Coaching Companion. The first is you can go to the ECLKC website, and in the search bar, you'll put in "Head Start Coaching Companion.” Alternatively, you can also put in "Head Start Coaching Companion" in your Google browser, your Chrome, Firefox, whichever you use, and then you will get to the landing page, the Head Start Coaching Companion landing page here, that's on the Head Start Coaching Companion platform. And here you see that there is a description of the Coaching Companion as well as an overview video. And you will also see, if you scroll down, that there is a link that says, “Request Information or Access.” And when you click that link, you will see that you will be brought to an application page. And usually, it takes about a week or less to process this application, and you will know that your application is ready to go when you receive an e-mail with details on how to access your account. And sometimes this e-mail does go to spam, so be sure to check there. Yeah.

Joyce: Well, Virginia, I'm so glad that you brought up the application, and you actually pulled it up for us. One question we get is, "What information is needed to actually access and get an account?” So, can you tell us a little bit about that?

Virginia: Sure. So, while this application or this questionnaire asks for various pieces of information, at minimum, we will need your name, your e-mail address, your job title or role, the name of your program, and also, the name of your organization administrator and their e-mail.

Joyce: Oh, great. I'm so glad you brought up the point about the org administrator – the organization administrator. That's another question that often comes up and sometimes can hold up a request. So, who can be an organization administrator for the Head Start Coaching Companion?

Virginia: So, the Head Start Coaching Companion organization administrator will organize and manage the Head Start Coaching Companion for your organization, and the org admin could be a coach, an education manager, an administrator, or another role. And there can also be more than one org admin identified for your –  an organization, and deciding on who should be the org admin should be determined by each program based on their specific needs. And if you have any questions about who is or should be the org admin, you can discuss this with your practice-based – PBC implementation team or your supervisor.

Joyce: Great. Thank you, Virginia. And another question, as far as about accessing the platform and requesting access, that we often get is about multiple users having the same account. So, is it OK for coaches and coachees to share an account?

Virginia: So, we do recommend that each coach and coachee have their own account, because this allows for coaches and coachees to track their past and their current coaching cycles. And once individual accounts are created, then coaching groups can be created within organizations.

Joyce: Great, thank you. That's really helpful. And I guess, you know, for those people – they've submitted a request and wanting access and maybe they felt like they haven't heard or they need additional information or assistance with requesting an account, where can they find that help? How can they get connected?

Virginia: Great question. So, on that main landing page of the Coaching Companion at the bottom where it's highlighted, you will see our contact information. So, it's coachingcompanion@eclkc.info.

Joyce: OK, thank you. And also, as an extra kind of support, I know that we're also going to put our e-mail addresses in the chat box for you, so you'll have access to those, as well. So, whether it's through the ECLKC, or you can just reach out to us and say, "Hey, I'm really wanting to get in," we will get you connected.

Virginia: Absolutely, yes. So, now let's take a look at how to log into the Head Start Coaching Companion. So, right next to the button where it said, “Request Access,” you can press the “Login” button, and you will be brought to a page that looks like this. Here, you will enter in your username and your password. Now, this is the same username and password that you use to access your ECLKC account. Then, afterwards, you're going to want to click that link that says, "Get your two-factor verification code.” So, that verification code will get sent to your e-mail. It's a six-digit code, and you can just enter it or copy and paste it into that box, and then, you're going to want to click the box that says “Login” right underneath. Then, you will land on the Coaching Companion dashboard here.

Joyce: Oh, Virginia, I'm so glad that we're here, because this is a place that we're getting more and more questions about. They say, "OK, I'm in, I have an account. Now, what do I do? What am I looking at?” Can you kind of give us a quick overview of the Coaching Companion dashboard?

Virginia: Sure thing. So, you'll see at the top-right corner, there's information about your account. So, in this case, I'm Marla. I am part of the Escorcia1 organization and the Test group. And then, you'll also see, if you click the My Account, you will get to this page where it shows you a little bit more information. It shows you which e-mail address you have associated with the account, as well as which role you are at the bottom. So, in this case, Marla is the coach, so that is the role that she's assigned. And at any time, if you want to go back to the home page of the Coaching Companion, you can always click on the icon at the top – the icon that says “Head Start Coaching Companion” at the top left. And the next thing I want to bring your attention to is at the very top, you'll see that there are a couple of tabs. So, the first thing we have is “PBC Cycle,” “Resource Library,” “My Account,” “My Library,” and “Help.”

Joyce: Great. I'm glad you pointed out those tabs at the top, because, again, another commonly asked question that we get is, "What's the difference between the Resource Library and the “My Library” tab?”

Virginia: That's a great question, Joyce. So, the Resource Library is a – contains resources to support coaches. These resources include 15-minute in-service suites, PBC training materials, and these are accessible to anybody that has a Head Start Coaching Companion account. And on the flip side, My Library are – contains materials that are specifically uploaded by users to share with others in their practice-based coaching cycles, and these resources in the My Library are user-account-specific, and they're secure. So, that means that nobody will be able to see the resources you have in here unless you decide to share them.

Joyce: Wow, great. And so, as a coach, I would have to share my own resource within a cycle for someone to see. So, they couldn't actually see into my library?

Virginia: Correct.

Joyce: Oh, OK, great. That's really good to know, and again, you know, security is always something that comes up, so that makes it feel a lot more secure and safe.

Virginia: Absolutely.

Joyce: OK.

Virginia: So, the last tab I want to point out … Oh, sorry. [Laughs] 

Joyce: No …

Virginia: The last tab I … [Laughter] 

Joyce: You might be going … I think we're both excited, right? No, I think you might be going to my next question. Something else that comes up is just looking for additional help. And so, if I'm here and I'm trying to figure out how to do things, do I have to e-mail someone or reach out to you or someone that's a part of the team, or is there somewhere in here – maybe in that Help tab or somewhere – that I can kind of have some self-help resources?

Virginia: Absolutely. So, you can always e-mail us, but there's also a Help tab. So, if you clicked on that tab, you will get to this wonderful list of resources. You have everything from general navigation to the site to frequently asked questions. And we also have some really great tutorial videos, if you click that at the top, and here you will find short two-to-three-minute videos on how to do various tasks on the Coaching Companion. And these range from adding users to your organization or your group and all the way to creating a practice-based coaching cycle and engaging in reflection and feedback.

Joyce: OK, great. It sounds like there's some really great things in there, as well. And I guess the next question – and something that's been coming up quite a bit, whether it's, you know, we're doing some virtual trainings in support or, you know, through the Help Desk – is, "How do I set up a cycle?” So, say I'm in, and I'm ready to kind of get my hands dirty. What are the details on setting up a PBC cycle?

Virginia: That's a great question, Joyce. So, the remainder of this dashboard – that is exactly what it's for. So, the first thing I want to point out is you'll see that green bar at the very top. That green bar is what I like to call the “journey bar.” So, every cycle that you create, you will have a green journey bar, and it will begin to populate as you build out your cycle. So, to start building out a cycle, the first thing you're going to want to do is click the “Add Cycle” button that you see at the top. And you also noted that – you also can note that I actually have a new completed cycle, so, when you complete cycles, which I will show you later, you will get that tab, as well. So, here …  

Joyce: Does that mean – I'm sorry, you just mentioned the completed cycle. So, does that mean that I don't lose my cycles when they're completed, that I can always go back to previous cycles?

Virginia: Exactly. You can always see what you've entered here. Mm-hmm. Great, so, the first thing we're going to do is we're going to title our cycle. So, for our case study, we're going to name this “Marla Coach and Delaney Coachee.” You can choose a start date for the cycle, and you can choose a participant. So, in our case, this is Marla's account. So, the only person she needs to select is Delaney. And then, when you are done selecting your participant, you can press the button that says, “Create Cycle.” And once you do that, you will see that the cycle will be populated into your dashboard. It will be the first one. So, now that we have our cycle, the next thing we want to do is to enter in our action – our, excuse me, our goal – our shared goal. To do that, the first thing is to click on the title of your cycle that you are working on, and then, you will get to this page where it says, “Action Plan Goal.” And here, you will enter in your goal. So, for Marla and Delaney, they have established that their goal was to support parents to calm and comfort his or her child when they are upset, and … Whoops. Wrong copy and paste. One second. And they also discussed how they would know when this goal has been achieved, and they decided that Delaney will know when this is achieved when she consistently acknowledges and provides positive feedback when parents use comforting and calming strategies. So, after those both fields are filled out, you can press the button that says “Create.” And you will see, at the top of the screen from the orange bar, that our journey bar has begun to be populated with what we have entered in so far. So, we see under “Selected Cycles” that we have Delaney as the participant and Marla as the originator. We have when this cycle started and then our goal listed as well as how we know this will be achieved. So, the next step is to enter in our action-plan steps, and remember that Marla and Delaney had four action-plan steps that they wanted to enter. So, we're going to enter them one by one. So, under “Action Plan Steps,” you're going to enter in your action-plan step. So, guiding questions to determine – asking guiding questions to determine what strategies the parent uses when the child is upset. You will select a start date for this action step, and the “Steps Assigned To” field will be automatically populated based on who you have decided to be a participant in this cycle.

Joyce: And Virginia, this brings up a question that maybe I should have asked you before. So, within a cycle, Marla – can she have multiple coachees within a cycle? So, could she kind of do group coaching, say, with Delaney and a few others, as well?

Virginia: She most certainly can, and you can see that at any moment, when you're editing a cycle, you can add multiple participants. One thing to note, though, is that if you added another person – for example, Joyce – they will be added to the overall cycle, meaning that if you added Joyce, she would be able to see everything you have inputted before.

Joyce: OK, thank you.

Virginia: Yeah, you're welcome. So, after you have decided who's the participant – or decided, excuse me, your action-plan steps, you can enter in any optional notes, and then, click “Create.” So, in the interest of time, we have actually entered all four of Marla and Delaney's action-plan steps. Now, we have completed that blue portion of shared goal and action planning. Oh, actually, one more thing before that, I forgot. So, you'll notice that for each action-plan step here – and we have four of them – that there is a link that says, “Resources and Comments” as well as “Go to Focused Observation.” So, the Coaching Companion was created to be incredibly flexible and allows you to add resources and comments and/or focused observations to each action-plan step. However, you do not have to add a resource and comment and/or a focused observation to each one, but you will need to add at least one focused observation to one of the action-plan steps in order to finish out your cycle. So, now we are going to show you how to enter in a resource. So, say Marla wants to share a resource with Delaney. She would click on the button – or the link that says, “Resources and Comments.” Then she's going – you'll see three buttons – “Add Resource from Resource Library,” “Add Resource from My Library,” and “Add New Media.” So, here, Marla is going to choose a resource from the Resource Library. So, she will click “Add Resource from Resource Library,” and you will get to the same Resource Library that we took a look at earlier when we were walking through the dashboard. So, let's say that she is going to choose this document that says, "Building a Solid Foundation for Early Learning.” You can click the plus button and then select the action-plan step you would like to add this to. And once you add this document to your action-plan step, you will see that that action-plan step or – excuse me – that action-plan resource will actually become embedded inside your action-plan step. So, we can see here that the resource is actually live, and you can view it directly in here. And we can also see that Marla actually made a comment for Delaney. So, she says that this would be a great resource that would be really helpful. So, that is a great way to add resources and comments to your  resources – or to your action-plan steps. Excuse me. So, now it is time to add a – go to – a focused observation. Excuse me. And to do that, remember, there's an option to add a focused observation for each action-plan step, but you don't have to add one. But to add a focused observation, you're going to want to click the button that says, “Go to Focused Observation.” After you click the button, you will get to a screen that looks like this. And here, you are going to want to enter in the title of your focused observation. The observers will be populated automatically along with the observed participants. You are also going to want to enter in a focus for this focused observation as well as a date for when this will start and any optional notes. And then, you can click the button that says “Create,” and you will be taken back to a screen that looks kind of similar to the action-plan steps but is actually the focused observation. So, we see now that we have our title, which is "Supporting Positive Adult Relationships," as well as our focus and when this starts. So, to add a video, we are going to also click “Resources and Comments,” just like we did earlier, and we will see that when we click this button – or this link, excuse me, we have the same three choices that we had earlier. We had Add Resource from Resource Library, Add Resource from My Library, and Add New Media. And most likely, you are going to be adding media from your own library because the focused observation is likely an example of what your staff member or home visitor has done. So, you're going to click the button that says, “Choose File.” You're going to choose the file that you want to upload and then say OK. You can change the title of your focused observation, if you'd like, and you also want to be sure to check that box that says, "I affirm that I have the necessary rights, licenses, and permissions to upload and share this file.”  So, after you've checked that, you click the “Upload” button, and it just takes a little bit of time for the video to upload. And when you see a green bar, that means that the video is all done loading, and you might also see a bar that looks like this that tells you the video's encoding, and it just takes a few minutes. And if you don't see the video embedded, you can always hit the refresh. And finally, we see that the video is now uploaded within our focused observation up at the top here. And then, the last feature is our reflection and feedback. And the Coaching Companion has this wonderful timestamp feature. So, say Delaney has uploaded this video, and now, Marla is going to watch and provide feedback. So, Marla will press play, and at any moment in the video, Marla can press pause and make a comment. So, here, we see that Marla made a comment at 54 seconds. This timestamp allows Delaney to come back, click on that timestamp, and it will bring Delaney right to the point where Marla made that comment. And you can continue to engage in conversation and reflection and feedback with this “Add Comments” button.

Joyce: So, Virginia – So, here with this feature – because this is one of kind of our jewels and our gems within the Head Start Coaching Companion, is the ability to upload the video and to actually make comments kind of in real time with the video. So, there, can you make multiple comments and it'll timestamp at different locations within the video clip?

Virginia: Absolutely. So, if you are the main commenter, if you're playing the video, it will timestamp your video. But say Delaney is going to respond to Marla's comment here, she can simply hit “Reply,” and that will not have a timestamp because she's replying to Marla's comment.

Joyce: Oh, great. And so, you mentioned this is all a part of that reflection and feedback, which aligns with that PBC cycle. So, do you see this kind of really lining up and, say, being able to use this virtual piece to pull that and even mix it with in-person coaching, where you go back and look at those timestamps and, say, you're having a conversation in person or even via Zoom – if you're doing everything virtually now – being able to have kind of that live conversation about this interaction that you had on the Coaching Companion? Kind of use both?

Virginia: Yeah, absolutely. I think this is a great resource, and again, the Head Start Coaching Companion was designed to be incredibly flexible. It does follow practice-based coaching, but you can see that different elements can be used in different ways, and you can use it to best support your program's individual needs.

Joyce: Wow, great. And then, the other thing that I find really helpful and another question that's come up is just knowing kind of some of – I guess not the limitations, but kind of the specs as far as what can be uploaded. Is there, like, a time limit on the length of a video?

Virginia: The limit – That's a great question, Joyce. And the limit is about 15 minutes, and you also want to check the resolution on your phone. So, the larger your file or the higher the quality, it will take longer to load. So, for example, if your iPhone is recording in 4K, that's going to take a lot more time than if you switched your resolution down to a 720p resolution.

Joyce: OK. And is that kind of 15-minute kind of guesstimate related to the file size? Because I know usually it's nothing above 4 gigs. And so, again, to your point of the resolution, depending on the resolution, it's going to take more to record less. Is that right? Am I understanding that right?

Virginia: Correct, yeah. There is actually a couple of factors. There's video size, there's internet speed, there's device. So, there's a whole host of factors that could affect the video time, but it should be pretty similar across the board.

Joyce: OK, thank you.

Virginia: Yeah. So, the last feature I wanted to point out is that now that we have gone through our whole steps of setting up a cycle, we can actually kind of do a check box and say that we've completed it. So, for our first action step of asking guiding questions, we've added resources, Delaney has uploaded a focused observation, and Marla has commented, and they've engaged in back-and-forth comments. So, what they can do now is they can actually click this button that says “Complete,” and you'll get a congratulatory message that says "Yay" with some confetti. And then, you will see that you actually get a new bar at the top of your action-plan steps, and this is where your completed cycles will live. So, now that we see that that is a completed cycle, Marla and Delaney can continue to work through their other action-plan steps.

Joyce: And Virginia, say, if they're working through their actions – they're working through their cycles and they realize they need to add an action-plan step, can they do that? So, once you've started, and you've put in your initial action-plan steps, can you still add to it just like you would if you were doing a hard copy?

Virginia: Absolutely. You can always revisit the “View Completed Steps” to add to your action-plan steps. You can also decide to un-complete it if you feel like you want to work on that a little more or build it out. That is definitely an option and completely up to you.

Joyce: Great. And then we can add additional action-plan steps, as well, along the way?

Virginia: Yes, you can absolutely add additional action-plan steps along the way.

Joyce: OK, thanks.

Virginia: Yeah. So, now let's look at another way that we could support education staff using the Head Start Coaching Companion.

Joyce: Yes, and I think you're coming to our next …

Virginia: So, let's say ...

[Voices overlapping] 

Joyce: Sorry, our technology is kind of – there's, I think, a little bit of a lag. So, it's kind of messing up with our voices just a little bit. But I think we're fixing to get into the next piece of our webinar today, which is looking at the community-of-practice feature of how you could use the Head Start Coaching Companion. And so, here, you know, we're talking about our case study, ABC Head Start. Can you show us how ABC Head Start use the Head Start Coaching Companion to support a community of practice?

Virginia: Definitely. So, the Head Start Coaching Companion – again, if you want to use it for a community of practice, it's very similar, and we use the same structure. So, here we see that ABC Early Head Start has already started a community of practice, and they titled this  "Effective Practice Guides: Relationships with Adults COP.” So, when you click on the name of the cycle, you will see that they also have the participants listed, and here, we do see that there are more than one. So, this is how you can use this cycle feature for a group coaching or a COP. We also see that they have the same goal as Marla and Delaney. So, what's really nice about this platform is that this is up to you in how you can use it. So, we see that although they have the same goal, their first action-plan step for this COP is to review the Effective Practice Guides and then, mark “Done” when they have completed it. So, this use of the action-plan step is kind of like a checklist or a to-do list and with resources. So, we can see here that they have added a resource and that Jaqueta and Melissa have actually engaged in looking at it, and then, they have marked “Done.”

Joyce: Wow, that's a great – I mean, it's a great use or another way to use the Head Start Coaching Companion that I think could be useful to many, especially now, when so many programs are doing just virtual coaching. Some are doing both. So, great way to kind of use the platform in different ways.

Virginia: Absolutely, yes. So, now that we have shown you some of the great features of the Head Start Coaching Companion, we want to let you know of a new space for the Coaching Companion within the Practice-Based Coaching Community. So, within the Practice-Based Coaching Community and the Welcome tab, there is now a tab at the top that says “Coaching Companion,” and this tab has resources from the overview video, the shortcut to the application, frequently asked questions, a Help link, as well as all the tutorial videos that are on the Help page. But you can play them right from here without going to the Coaching Companion. So, it's quick and easy.

Joyce: Wow, that's great. Again, another place to kind of make connections, and, you know, we are always within the MyPeers community kind of listening for what our communities need, their questions and things. And Virginia, I think we didn't share in the beginning, but you are also the newest facilitator to the MyPeers PBC community, as well. So, our community will kind of get to see you and meet you and interact with you even more there in MyPeers, as well.

Virginia: Absolutely, and I look forward to that.

Joyce: Yes, and just a couple of other questions that kind of come up along the way. One is, "Is there a cost to the Head Start Coaching Companion?”

Virginia: There is not a cost to the Head Start Coaching Companion. In order to use the Head Start Coaching Companion, you do have to have an ECLKC account.

Joyce: OK, great. And I know whenever a request is processed, we kind of give some simple directions on how to set up an ECLKC account. And so, once I set up an ECLKC account, because I know that that takes a username and password, is that username and password the same username and password that I would use to access my Head Start Coaching Companion account, or am I going to have to remember a few different username and passwords?

Virginia: Nope, the username and password to access the Head Start Coaching Companion account is the exact same as your ECLKC username and password.

Joyce: OK, great. Well, then that's one less new thing that I have to remember or write down. So, that's always good. And I guess another question that often comes up would be do the PBC cycles that I've been working on – do they ever expire or are they ever deleted from my account? Because, you know, I haven't – it's not an active cycle.

Virginia: No, all the cycles and action-plan steps and focused observations you enter into the Coaching Companion will stay there. And actually, you reminded me of a really good point, Joyce. So, sometimes we get questions about security of the videos in the focused observation that you're loading, and the answer to that is that these videos are encoded in a way that they cannot be downloadable, and they cannot be taken out of this site. So, they are completely secure.

Joyce: Oh, good, I'm so glad you mentioned that. I was actually just on a call with someone, day before yesterday, and they had some concerns with security and, you know, who was going to see their video and things like that. And I know with – in one of the trainings that we've done recently, we were even talking about some strategies – again, talking about that safe place. What do you think about, just to kind of try out the platform, that a coach would even upload a video of themselves kind of doing a practice or something just to show the coachee like, "Hey, I put my own video up there and kind of shared it with you," even if it's deleted after. Do you think that that could be helpful in kind of building trust and creating that safe place virtually?

Virginia: Absolutely, yes. I've used it to upload videos of myself teaching, and it's been incredibly helpful, and even coaches could use it with other coaches. So, for example, I'm working with a client or a coachee or a home visitor, and I would like to get some tips for myself. I could create a coaching cycle with another coach or use it as a community of practice to share resources.

Joyce: Wow. So, what I hear you saying is that not only can it be used, say, between like a coach and their coachees, it can also be used to set up a community of practice. But also, say, as a coach, you could also set up a coaching cycle, say, with your own coach or, say, your ed manager or whoever, that you guys can have a parallel process to help kind of strengthen your coaching practices.

Virginia: Absolutely, that is exactly right, Joyce. It's incredibly flexible, and you can use it in a way that works best for your programs, and the possibilities are endless.

Joyce: Wow. Well, on that note, our time is coming to an end today. Virginia, thank you so much for taking time today to show us around the Head Start Coaching Companion platform. And I know you're going to be a part of the live Q&A. So, thank you so much.