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Here is a sign-up sheet for a series of lessons (less than 15 minutes each) delivered to your inbox weekly on Tuesday for 8 weeks. This series teaches you the basics of most of the Google for Education applications.

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Registration includes:

8-week email series

Delivered to your inbox every Tuesday

Video-based tutorials on Drive, Docs, Classroom, Forms, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, and Gmail

Less than 15 minutes to complete

Learn More

Getting Started with Google for Education is an 8-week training program that delivers bite-size training tutorials directly to your inbox.

Each lesson takes less than 15 minutes to complete and provides basic training videos to get you started with G Suite for Education.

This series is only available in English, but subtitles are available in 18+ languages within the lesson videos. Click the three dots in the bottom right of the video player to enable.

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Registration includes: 8-week email series Delivered to your inbox every Tuesday Video-based tutorials on Drive, Docs, Classroom, Forms, Sheets, Slides, Drawings, and Gmail Less than 15 minutes to complete Learn More Getting Started with Google for Education is an 8-week training program that delivers bite-size training tutorials directly to your inbox.

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This is a curriculum from Google is a collection of around a hundred different video courses that teach people how to use Google products to do common tasks like make a resume or create a spreadsheet. You can use this for yourself or you can assign it to your students. It pairs with Google Classroom.

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Free, flexible and ready-to-use

Adapt our free, video-based lessons for remote or in-classroom teaching

Project-based curriculum

Students leave with a useful project, like a presentation, a resume or a research plan

Skills for school, work and life

Teach the 4 C's: communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking

Connect with Google Classroom

Connect Applied Digital Skills with Google Classroom to import your roster and more

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Digital Teaching Tools - Applied Digital Skills

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Adapt our free, video-based lessons for remote or in-classroom teaching Students leave with a useful project, like a presentation, a resume or a research plan Teach the 4 C's: communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking Connect Applied Digital Skills with Google Classroom to import your roster and more

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Must-Have Google Slides Add-ons for Teachers

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Must-Have Google Slides Add-ons for Teachers

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Must-Have Google Slides Add-Ons for Teachers

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Must-Have Google Chrome Extensions for Teachers

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Must-Have Google Chrome Extensions for Teachers

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Nearpod: Foster a love of learning in every student

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Create active learning experiences students can’t wait to be a part of.

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Book Creator - Love Learning - Book Creator app

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Teachers love it. Students love it. Book Creator is the simplest, most inclusive way to create content in the classroom.

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Normally costs money, but it is free until the end of this school year. Great for nearly all subjects.

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It's time to improve literacy skills during social studies instruction and ensure that readers of all abilities have what they need to access grade-level social studies concepts.

Join us on Thursday, December 7 for a look at scaffolded materials that provide extra literacy support while building key social studies concepts and skills.

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Newsela | Content and assessment platform

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Content Aligned To National & State Standard, Flexible To Support Relevant Curriculum. Find the Perfect Piece Of Content For Lessons. Go beyond the book.

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Extensions let you customize your web-browsing experience by adding functionality with the click of a mouse. These are some of the best add-ons for Google's Chrome browser.

We review products independently, but we may earn affiliate commissions from buying links on this page. Terms of use.

When we first did a version of this story in January 2015, Chrome had about 22.65 percent of the browser market worldwide, according to Net Applications. Today it's at 68.6 percent, and rival browsers can't even crack 10 percent.

Chrome has gained, but it has lost some love-from us. After several years as PCMag's favorite browser, a resurgent Firefox took our Editors' Choice award. That said, there is no denying Chrome's popularity. Plus, like Firefox, it supports extensions that make it even better. Its library of extras, found at the Chrome Web Store, has rivaled Firefox's for years, and provides quick access to just about every web-based app imaginable.

Recognizing how popular Chrome is, Microsoft rebuilt its Edge browser as a Chromium version so it now supports all Chrome extensions natively while still supporting its own Edge extensions from the Microsoft Store. (For more, read Tips and Tricks Inside Microsoft's Edge Browser.)

Rather than have you stumble blindly through the Chrome Web Store to find the best extensions, we've compiled a list of several dozen you should consider. Some are unique to Google and its services (such as Gmail), but most extensions work across operating systems, so you can try them on any desktop platform (especially on Chromebooks); there may be some versions that work on the mobile Chrome, too.

All of these extensions are free, so there's no harm in giving them a try. You can easily disable or remove them by typing chrome://extensions/ into the Chrome address bar, or right-clicking an extension's icon in the toolbar to remove it. Every extension must have a toolbar icon; you can hide them without uninstalling the extension by right-clicking and selecting Hide in Chrome Menu. You can't get rid of the icons forever without uninstalling. Read on for our favorites, and let us know if we missed a great one.

Screen/Page Capture
Awesome Screenshot
Don't limit yourself to basic screenshots. Make them awesome by annotating them with shapes, arrows, and text comments. One click uploads an image to AwesomeScreenshot.com for storage on Google Drive and sharing quickly to social media.

Diigo Web CollectorDiigo is a nice mix of social bookmarking and a full info grabber like Evernote. This extension puts the service to work, letting you bookmark, archive, and annotate everything you see online. You get 500 bookmarks for free, but Diigo will charge you $40/year to ditch advertising and add unlimited image storage and webpage backup.
Evernote Web Clipper
This is a must-have for anyone embracing the Evernote life. Despite some limitations, Evernote is still the best way to clip and store everything worth keeping online. This extension makes it a breeze, even isolating what it sees as the main content of a page, and storing just that. It has built-in annotation features. When you save a screenshot, tag it-then you can search through it all later using Evernote.com or the offline software and apps ( at least two of them).
Lightshot
Lightshot is a lightweight screen-capture tool that works with a touch of the toolbar button to capture just what's in the browser (or download the full program for macOS or Windows to tap the print-screen key to grab anything appearing on the screen). It has an entire army of tools at its disposal, from upload-for-sharing to annotation. It will even instantly send what you capture to Google to do a search for similar graphics.
Loom
Sometimes a video depicting what you're doing online is the best explanation. Make one quickly with Loom, a video screen recorder that allows voiceovers and can add your webcam mug in a corner. Shoot the current tab alone, or the full screen. There's no limit to how much you can record, even for free.
Mercury Reader
If you hate pages full of ads and weird formatting, install Mercury Reader. With a click (or keyboard shortcut), it reduces the "noise" on a page so you see only the text you want to read, with a typeface you can manage, in a dark or light theme. Share what's left via social media, print it, email it, or send it to your Kindle to read later.
Nimbus Capture
Perhaps the most full-featured recorder you can get in Chrome, Nimbus does screen grabs (even a whole webpage), which you can annotate, and full video recordings of a browser tab, part of a screen, or a whole screen. You can even annotate the video with drawings. Once made, edit it, share it, save it, print it, or copy it to the clipboard. Nimbus is also available for Firefox, but what you capture is accessible on almost every platform.
OneNote Web Clipper
Microsoft's OneNote app/service does a lot of the same things as Evernote. Now with its own Clipper extension, it can do them in Chrome: save anything you see online.
Save to Pocket
Pocket (owned by Mozilla, the makers of Firefox) is all about letting you read content you find...later. Set up an account and start saving content with the Pocket extension, bookmark buttons, or apps. One click "Pockets" the content so you can access it anytime-even offline-on all your devices. There are Pocket apps and add-on for everything, and content isn't limited to text; you can store video, too.
Screencastify
Need to make a video out of what's in a tab? Screencastify will do it without needing any other external software. And it works beyond the confines of the browser tab, recording the whole screen if you want, including your webcam thumbnail. Animation tools like highlighting a mouse in a spotlight help with visibility. Videos are easily saved to YouTube or Google Drive. The free version allows videos up to 10 minutes long.
Send to Kindle for Google Chrome
Lots of people prefer to read on their Kindle devices or apps. If you find a webpage with a longform article on it, use Amazon's extension. It will reformat pages and send them directly to your Kindle device or app of choice for reading later. You can even get a preview before you send it. (If you have another ebook reader that uses ePub format, try dotEPUB.)

Google Services

Ever wanted to check your email but didn't feel like expending the extra energy to open a new tab? No judgments, we've been there, too. The best extension for users of multiple Gmail accounts-I've got three!-is Checker Plus. It gives you fast access via a drop-down menu in Chrome, desktop notifications, color coding, even voice input for writing messages. It also reads your mail to you-all without actually visiting Gmail. It's free, but a donation of any amount unlocks even more features. This is a must-have for any Gmail junkie.
Checker Plus for Google Calendar
Never open Google Calendar again. This extension gives you full access to everything you like about Google Calendar from your Chrome toolbar, plus multiple methods of adding calendar events, such as right-clicking on a webpage to add it like an appointment. The notifications (including voice) are perfectly done. It runs in the background when Chrome is closed, so you never miss an engagement.
Google Scholar Button
Google Scholar is a search engine from Google that is limited to scholarly articles and case law. This extension puts it into a drop-down menu on Chrome. It also makes it easy to transfer your web search into a scholar search. It works best if you're on your campus network, but can be configured to work anywhere, as long as your school library gives you credentials.
Google Dictionary
Load it up, double-click any word on any webpage, and you'll see a pop-up with the definition. Or search for words from the toolbar. Multiple languages are supported.
Google Translate
Ever visit a foreign website and wish you could read it? For certain languages, Chrome will automatically offer to translate the whole page to the language of your choice. With the extension, you can highlight a word or line of text and translate only that, rather than the whole page.

Interface/Utilities

AdBlocker UltimateYou've probably heard of Adblock Plus (a community-driven extension ported from Firefox) and the unrelated AdBlock. But the better pick is AdBlocker Ultimate, which doesn't play games (like allowing certain "allowed" ads to go through to appease sponsors). It's open source and also available on Edge, Safari, and Opera.
Bitmoji
If you love the customized avatar you can make with Bitmoji from Snap, Inc.-for my money, it's lightyears ahead of any avatars from Apple, Facebook, and the rest-you can build it right into Chrome to snag yourself saying something pithy to put on every message and post.
Chrome Remote Desktop
There are many times when it would be handy to be able to control someone else's computer from afar, or let others take control of yours for tech support. Many tools exist to make this happen, but none are as easy to implement as Chrome Remote Desktop, since it's all done via the browser extension. It works across platform; Windows, Mac, even Chromebooks. Or take control of the PCs from your mobile devices-Android, naturally, but also via iPhone.
FoxClocks
When you need to know the time in other timezones instantly, anywhere in the world, consider FoxClocks your friend. It sits in a status bar at the bottom of Chrome, constantly updating the zones you've designated for monitoring. Click the icon in the toolbar for a drop-down menu with the same info.

Hover Zoom+There are a lot of thumbnail images on sites like Google Images, Instagram, deviantART, and social networks. This extension shows you the full-size image when you hover your mouse over any tiny thumbnail, assuming there is a larger image available. This is an open-source version of the original HoverZoom (RIP).
Image Downloader
Bulk download images on a single webpage with this extension. It will display all the images, and you can specify which ones you want before the download starts.
NavigUp
This extension is simple, but you'll wonder how you ever lived without it. Click the up-arrow icon next to your Chrome address bar when visiting a complicated URL. It'll automatically send you to the parent address-back one level of the URL. Keep clicking to get to the original domain name. Master the hotkeys and you'll navigate up even faster.
Print Friendly & PDF
Sometimes you gotta print a web page. And then you're stuck wasting ink printing advertisements. This extension removes all the navigation and commercials from the page when you print, optimizing them for reading. And of course, it can save them direct to PDF if you prefer.
Stylish
This extension works with scripts you download from userstyles.org to transform the look of websites. There are thousands of theme scripts that can help you improve your browsing on Reddit, YouTube, Facebook, Tumblr, Google, Twitter, and elsewhere.
Speedtest by Ookla
Ookla has ported its internet speed tester to an extension that lives in the Google Chrome toolbar. Instantly check your download and upload speed as you visit new sites, to see how they impact performance, or use Web Speed to check page load time. ( Disclosure: Ookla is owned by PCMag's parent company Ziff Davis).
µBlock Origin
Looking for an alternative to Adblock or Adblock Plus that's a little less resource intensive? Try µBlock.

Productivity
Change Case
Microsoft Word has a function to change the case on words or an entire phrase or more, instantly to UPPERCASE, lowercase, Title Case, sentence case, and more. Now you can have it for any form or field in Chrome, too.
Distill Web Monitor
Stop refreshing web pages to look for changes. You can put in the site and conditions you're looking for, and Distill will alert you via push, SMS, or email when a change happens. You can monitor up to 25 pages/sites for free with updates every six hours.
Grammarly
You've probably seen plenty of ads for Grammarly, which wants very much to be the official spell- and grammar-checker for all your online writing. It's worth the install for the extra check on every word you write in the browser, from emails to social media and beyond. It even has a dictionary function, so when you double-click a word or phrase on a web page you get a definition, or a link to something related to the term. It even works with Gmail and Google Docs. (If you're a Microsoft person, try its competitor, Microsoft Editor. Business users may want to check out Qordoba, but that one isn't free.)
Lookup Companion for Wikipedia
Wikipedia may be second only to Google for searches throughout the day (at least on my computer). Lookup Companion gives you toolbar access to search the user-built encyclopedia of everything. Results appear in a drop-down menu and open in a new Chrome tab. (To search with a right-click, try Right-Click Search Wikipedia.)

Pushbullet
Notifications are all important for mobile and desktop users these days, but they're seldom in sync. Pushbullet changes that with this extension that matches up what you get on the Pushbullet apps and extensions. You'll see calls come in, even on your desktop, be able to forward files from PC to smartphone, and send SMS texts from your desktop (if you have an Android phone). There's also an extension for Firefox, and Pushbullet has an IFTTT channel, making it almost infinitely extensible.
Project Naptha
If you've ever wanted to work with the text you see in an image online, Naptha is the key. Using optical character recognition, it makes the text in images copyable and editable. It will even help translate text from other languages.
Panda
Multiple tabs is already a good way to multi-task. But what about multiple tabs all in one tab? Configure Panda 5 to handle it, acting as a newsreader to load all your news sites in one tab, or all your social media in one tab, etc. and you get an at-a-glance look at what's happening. See the web-app version in action.
RSS Feed Reader
Put an RSS feed right on the bookmarks toolbar of Chrome (also Firefox and Edge). Feeder instantly tells you when there are new posts on your favorite RSS/Atom feeds and makes it easy to subscribe. It also has different themes so you can change how it looks. The free version supports 100 feeds with an update every two hours.
StayFocusd
Enable your self-control by limiting the amount of time you allow yourself to spend on websites in Chrome. For example, give yourself one hour a day on Facebook, and StayFocusd won't let you back on the site. It can block specific pages, whole sites, even apps or games. Couple this one with RescueTime and you'll be much more productive.
Strict Workflow
If you like the Pomodoro thing but don't like the trees approach, Strict Workflow offers a similar timer with no extras-just click to start the timer and repeat as needed after each five-minute break.
Zotero Connector
We gave the Firefox version an Editors' Choice a few years ago, and Zotero, even on Chrome, is still a researcher's (and student's) dream. It's a free way to track, manage, and share citations. Learn a lot more about putting it to use at Zotero.org.

Security
Blur
Abine Blur is a favorite service of PCMag, and this Chrome extension puts all of Blur's great privacy options right in the browser. It creates and stores strong passwords, blocks trackers, masks emails, and more, most of it for free. (The full version will cost you $39 per year.)
Click&Clean
Enter a hot zone of privacy and security with this add-on. The drop-down menu from Click&Clean provides access to your browser cache, cookies, plug-ins, extensions, and history-and quick ways to erase them. You even get a full browser test to see how well Chrome is protecting you. It will help you scan for malware using Bitdefender, clear your private data, and a host of other security options you're neglecting. Customize all the options to get full coverage with Click&Clean.

There's one goal with this extension: block all third-party cookies from social media and advertisers that follow you as you browse. Disconnect claims this helps browsing speed and even saves on battery life for mobile devices. You can see the cookies you're blocking in case you want to let some through.
DuckDuckGo Privacy Essentials
DuckDuckGo is the search engine that doesn't track you. It extends that philosophy to this extension, which wants nothing more than to keep your privacy going all the time. It provides a guide of sites you can trust (look for the instant privacy grade in the toolbar), forces encryption when available, blocks trackers, and of course makes it easy to search-privately-because it makes DDG your default search engine.
Edit This Cookie
Yeah, you can use this to go directly in and change the text in a cookie. But it can also delete or add a cookie or create a new one from scratch. Take total cookie control.

There's a lot going on behind the scenes as you surf the web. Bugs, beacons, pixels, and more are used to track what you're doing. Ghostery is there to tell you what's happening in the background and give you control over these "extras." If you don't like a company or what it's doing, Ghostery can block scripts, objects, even whole images so you can retain your privacy. It's on almost every browser and also via apps on Android, iOS, and Amazon.
LastPass
LastPass remains a PCMag Editors' Choice for free password managers (the Premium version also gets a nod). It works across all operating systems, mobile devices, and, of course, web browsers, thanks to extensions like this one. It also imports stored passwords from other tools, and there's no limit to the number of passwords stored and synced, even on the free version.
History Eraser
A five-star rating in the Chrome Store from over 12,850 reviews makes this extension an obvious must-have. It saves your bacon if you've got something to hide by providing one-click removal of your browser history. Not just that, it clears the cache, downloads, saved passwords, and form data, and will do it for even a limited time period that you specify.
Mailvelope
Use the open-source OpenPGP standard for encryption/decryption to secure your web-based email messages. Mailvelope works with Gmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo Mail, and other mail services; it's also available for Firefox.
Privacy Badger
A product from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Privacy Badger does exactly that, it protects privacy. Specifically, it blocks invisible trackers and all those ads that seem to follow you around the web. It's also available for Firefox, Edge, and Opera.

The Web of Trust is an online community that rates websites based on one major criterion: can it be trusted? The WOT extension is the first line of defense against sites with a bad reputation, showing red, yellow, and green icons next to search results, providing you a heads-up notice before you click a link.

Shopping
Amazon Assistant for Chrome
Amazon has retired some of its other Chrome extensions in favor of letting Assistant do the work. You can use it to add things to your Amazon Wish List (from any site), do on-the-fly Amazon searches, allow price comparisons when you shop other sites, check shipments, and more. Of course it's also helping Amazon track where you're shopping, so you may only want to embrace it (like so many other extensions) if you really, really appreciate what it delivers.
The Camelizer
The Camelizer displays the full price history for an item on Amazon, with some comparison to third-party sales. It won't tell you when savings are on the way, but it can help you decide when the cost is most likely to drop.
Fakespot
Do you trust reviews for products online? You probably shouldn't since 39 percent of them are totally unreliable. Another option is to use Guardian by Fakespot to analyze the reviews on the product you're interested in.
InvisibleHand
InvisibleHand automatically scours the web for lower prices. A little bit of your own legwork is still recommended, but with a pool of over 600 retailers in multiple countries, it's a great tool that works not only with online stores, but also with airlines.
Saleboat for Amazon
Like to get warehouse deals and buy used/returned products to save money? You can do that on Amazon but it's a pain to find them. Or it was before Saleboat came along to display them right on the Amazon page along with the new products.
Pay by Privacy.com
Install Pay for all your online shopping to increase security, post haste. It creates virtual credit cards based on your actual card-so you can essentially have a unique card to use on all your shopping sites. The free version lets you create up to 12 "cards" per month. (If you've got a specific credit card, see if the provider has an extension like Eno from Capital One).

Social/Sharing
HabitLab
Got a few websites you want to spend less time visiting? Stanford.edu's HabitLab will try to retrain you into doing so, by using different kinds of interventions when you go to the site. For example, go to Facebook too much and it may hide your News Feed. Whatever works best to keep you away will be used the most, until you're barely visiting those sites at all.
Netflix Party
Ain't no party like a Netflix Party! Rather than chill, this extension lets you start a Netflix movie or show, then create an online party with any remote friends also running the extension, so you can all watch together from different locations.
Notifications for Instagram
Instagram addicts know how great the app is. This extension brings that same degree of photo-heavy Instagram-atical excellence to the desktop browser experience. You access Instagram right from the toolbar and never miss another like or comment.
Shareaholic for Google Chrome
Shareaholic is a must for those who need instant access to social networks. From the drop-down menu, post directly to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, Gmail, Evernote, and more than 250 other sites with this one extension. It has URL shorteners like Bit.ly built in, as well as Amazon Wish Lists for multiple countries.

Tabs
DashOne
Another new tab interface, DashOne fills the page with interactive widgets and bookmarks to get your new tab started.
Infinity New Tab
The best way to set up a home/start page in Chrome is to use Infinity and customize with launch buttons for all your sites and web-based apps, as well as quick access to search, weather, bookmarks, and history in the browser. Set the wallpaper to rotate so you never have the same page twice.
Tab Wrangler
One of many wranglers of tabs, this one helps you by deleting the tabs you haven't looked at in a while-but it makes them easy to get back. Favorite sites don't get closed. Chrome can sync the tabs between computers using the same Google account.
xTab
Lots of tabs can be a problem; xTab prevents you from opening up too many tabs by setting a tab limit, then killing off the oldest or least accessed tab that's already open-thus retraining your brain to be judicious when opening them.
Empty New Tab Page
The name says it all. With this extension installed, if you click to get a new tab you get one that's utterly empty.
Toby
Don't constantly re-open all the same tabs every day. Use Toby to organize them, so when you open a new tab, you have the option to open them all.
The Great Suspender
The dozens of Chrome tabs you keep open constantly eat a lot of memory. Installing the Great Suspender reclaims some of those system resources. Leave a tab alone long enough and the Great Suspender "unloads" the tab to give your computer a break. You can always go back to the tab and click to reload it, or make a permission list of the sites that need to always be available.
Momentum
Inspirational, productive, beautiful-they could all describe a new tab page made with Momentum, which uses incredible images for backgrounds on useful text you need (like what time it is).
Session Buddy
Still with 5 stars after 24,000+ reviews, those with an egregious number of tabs open agree that this manager might be the best way to see and organize them all in one place, save them for later, recover tabs after a crash, and export tabs for sharing.
Tabs Outliner
Tabs Outliner provides a look at all your tabs in a resizable, vertical window-tree-style, like you find in Windows Explorer. Closing a tab doesn't remove it from the tree, making it ultra-easy to return to that page, so there's no difference between an open or "saved" tab. You can even add notes from web pages. When you're sick of all the work, there's a button to close every tab and you're out.
TooManyTabs
Sometimes you just open too many tabs. Exceed 20 and the Chrome interface is nearly impossible to use. This extension manages the overflow, providing a bird's-eye view of open tabs. It can search the open tabs and sort them by domain, title, or creation time.
Tab Snooze
Sometimes there are tabs open in Chrome that you don't need at that moment, such as an article you're dying to read. If it can keep until after lunch, snooze that tab for later in the day, that evening, the next day, even the next week or next month. Pick a day. Or just mail it to yourself to read whenever.

Video
4thWall
This extension is about donations: use it to make sure money is donated to a charity whenever you're using your PC to stream video on services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu.
Invideo for YouTube
Forgot your place in a YouTube video from earlier, but can kind of remember what was happening? With Invideo, search for that spot-type in what was being said, and it searches the closed-captions to jump you to the right part.
Magic Actions for YouTube
YouTube videos get a beautiful, configurable makeover with Magic Actions. Use your mouse wheel to control volume, select HD or cinema mode (with darkened background), go into the HD mode of your choice automatically, and turn off the auto-play as desired, among other fantastic options. If you want, it even hides the ads in videos and, best of all, hides the comments, where trolls live.
Picture-in-Picture Extension
This one is from Google itself, and works especially well with YouTube, but also some other videos: click the icon and the video you're watching reduces to a thumbnail you can move around the screen as you do other "work" in the browser. Just keep the original video tab open so the video won't close.
Video DownloadHelper
There are lots of Chrome extensions that will download video-but not from YouTube. That would go against Google's rules. You can get around that by side-loading a Chrome extension like this one. It supports a huge number of sites, even a few of the more adult variety. (For more, read How to Download YouTube Videos.)
Zoom Scheduler
We're all relying a bit too much on Zoom Meetings to get through life, so make it easier than ever by putting Zoom in the browser toolbar for scheduling meetings, or instantly starting a meeting. The meeting URL gets shared instantly with participants via Google Calender.

Further Reading

Browser Reviews

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Extensions let you customize your web-browsing experience by adding functionality with the click of a mouse. These are some of the best add-ons for Google's Chrome browser. We review products independently, but we may earn affiliate commissions from buying links on this page. Terms of use.

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G Suite

It's easy to feel anxious, overwhelmed and frustrated if you're asked to create elearning activities and teach remotely because of a school closure.

You might be asking ...

What are my students going to do?

How can they continue learning at a high level?

Can I maintain that teacher/student connection through elearning?

How can I keep up with the demands of elearning?

Some ideas and examples to follow can help. Having some plug-and-play activities to assign students can help, too -- even if you need to adjust them to fit your students' needs.

We've got you covered.

In this post, you'll find 100 elearning activities, templates and tutorials. They'll help you create elearning activities that lend themselves to powerful learning when students are away from school.

Some ideas to keep in mind as you roll out your eLearning activities:

Keep communication with students and parents at the forefront. Be ready for questions. Make your communication more thorough than you anticipate.

Simplicity is key. Activities that are too complicated can be hard to follow through without the proper support.

Make space for students' emotional needs, too. Their routine is disrupted. They don't get to see their teacher or their fellow students. Help them to make those connections while they're away.

Don't be too hard on yourself. If you've never taught with eLearning activities, it'll be a learning process. Do your best. Learn and improve.

Lean on others for support. Use social media and colleagues in your school/district to brainstorm ideas.

Here are over 100 remote learning activities, templates and tutorials you can use tomorrow:

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2.5+ hours of video

Downloadable planning guides

Lifetime access

Forum for sharing ideas

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50 FREE Templates for Teachers, with templates you can copy and download to assign directly to students.

Do More with Google Classroom

Teach better. Save time. Make a difference.

The short how-to tutorials on Google Classroom are EVERYWHERE. But how do we teach well with it? In this book, you'll find practical ideas to do great teaching with Google Classroom and thrive.

Looking for more remote learning resources? Our distance learning page has TONS of resources for bringing learning directly to your students no matter where they are! 💻 100 remote learning activities templates and tutorials
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100 remote learning activities, templates and tutorials

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Remote learning activities can be fun AND promote quality learning. Here are lots of examples and templates to use!It's easy to feel anxious, overwhelmed

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7 Ways to Increase Online Student Engagement

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7 Ways to Increase Online Student Engagement

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According to Global Student Network, public schools are spending over 3 billion each year on digital content. Online learning is increasing at an astounding rate for K-12 students. There are, however, several unique challenges related to digital education. One area of concern is keeping students actively engaged throughout the course. The following are seven effective ways to increase online student engagement in the learning process.

1. Present Clear Objectives

Students need to understand exactly what is expected of them before starting a course. They need to know what materials or skills they are expected to master and what steps they'll take to reach these goals. Fuzzy objectives will make it difficult for even the most motivated students to become fully engaged.

The eLearning Industry states that it's necessary to understand the difference between learning objectives and learning goals. Learning goals are broad terms that state what learners will be taught to do after a course is complete. Learning objectives, however, should be measurable and specific.

2. Provide Interesting Introductory Activities

Getting off to a good start is crucial whether it's in a classroom or online. Initial activities should have short, clear instructions and be visually stimulating. While a starter activity should be engaging, it should also be relatively easy. If at all possible, students should experience success early in the course.

There are several fun, yet educational activities that can be beneficial at the beginning of almost any online course. The Illinois Online Network suggests a scavenger hunt that can be fun while boosting a student's online searching ability. Other good ideas include activities that help students in the class get to know each other and activities that involve gamification.

3. Increase Instructor Presence

An instructor needs to be intentional about promoting an online presence when teaching a digital course. There are several ways you can become more involved with your students.

Provide Introductory Videos: Create a short video introducing yourself, provide ways for students to contact you, and clearly state your expectations for the course.

Create Discussion Boards: A discussion board can be as casual or formal as you want to make it. It can be set up in a question-answer format or in a conversation style about specific topics.

Answer Emails Promptly: This may seem simplistic, but unfortunately not all instructors respond to their students in a timely manner. If possible, you should answer texts and emails within a day or two.

Maintain Your Presence: It's easy to start off well and then reduce the level of engagement through the course. Make sure to continue to post videos, upload photos, and stay current with discussions until the end of the course.

4. Promote Appropriate Social Media Engagement

Almost all online students are involved at some level in social media. Connecting learning with aspects of social media will increase engagement as well as broaden the scope of a student's learning experience.

Facebook: Use Facebook to present questionnaires, quizzes, and a variety of material related to the course.

LinkedIn: LinkedIn can be used both professionally and socially. Discussion groups can be formed on this platform on virtually any topic.

Twitter: Use Twitter to connect students when studying or accessing a specific event or topic. Students can post pictures, share ideas, and make comments.

YouTube: Post tutorials and videos for free on YouTube. Students can also leave comments and rate the videos they view.

5. Build the Learning Community

Involving social media is one aspect of building the learning community. There are, however, many other options that can be included. Online discussions are not only great tools to increase instructor presence but also help bring together the entire community of online learners. It's important to balance personalized learning with the right amount of student collaboration.

You'll need to choose the right platform for the course and each specific group of learners. It's also necessary to establish online rules for etiquette as early as possible. It's important that differences of opinion be respected without disparaging comments or attacks. Finally, you'll need to determine how much guidance the group needs. You may want to prepare specific questions or discussion topics. You may also decide to appoint student leaders to guide discussions.

6. Present Bite-Sized Instruction

Microlearning matches how most people obtain and process information. Students that repetitively receive short bits of information can improve their overall comprehension rates. Bite-sized instruction, however, needs to be specific and relevant to be effective. It also should be personalized.

You'll want to break down as much instruction as possible into five to fifteen minute segments. Each segment should focus on a single objective. A few specific ways to do this include engaging infographics that blend text, images, and graphics. Short games, quizzes, and slideshows are also effective ways to present specific snippets of material.

7. Provide Timely and Effective Feedback

Successful digital learning requires continual feedback and ongoing evaluation. This is especially important if you're incorporating microlearning. Feedback should also include self-assessment. This gives students the opportunity to take ownership of their learning.

You'll need to incorporate feedback into your learning management system. If your system doesn't provide a method for video or verbal feedback you may need to use a free online program. Some aspects of good feedback methods are the same whether you're in a traditional classroom or online. According to Florida Tech, successful feedback should be professional, focused on facts, and should offer solutions.

For students to be as engaged as possible, effective strategies need to be put in place at the very beginning of each course. Following each of these steps will help you create a digital course that promotes increased online student engagement and long-term learning success.

Do you have any tips to increase online student engagement? Tell us on Twitter @Schoology

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7 Ways to Increase Online Student Engagement

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According to Global Student Network, public schools are spending over 3 billion each year on digital content. Online learning is increasing at an astounding rate for K-12 students. There are, however, several unique challenges related to digital education. One area of concern is keeping students actively engaged throughout the course.

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Screencastify. Loom. Google Tools. Frequently assess student learning Formative assessments help you make sure students are continuing to progress while away from school. Check for understanding during group instruction by asking a poll question in the middle of a lesson and showing the results in real time. This can also help you "take attendance" in a virtual setting. Quizzes in Google Forms offer auto-grading features, allow you to embed videos, images, and as many answer choices as you want.

You can also assign graded discussions in Google Classroom, and students can demonstrate their knowledge through project-based learning assignments using Slide presentations, Docs or Sites. Continue to connect with Hangouts Meet When students' routines are disrupted, many realize how much they actually miss the structure of school, and learning with their teacher. If your students have Wi-Fi access, you can see them virtually on Hangouts Meet. Scheduling is another challenge that may arise. WeVideo. With schools, communities, and neighborhoods affected by COVID-19, the ability to work and learn remotely has become very important. As schools around the world temporarily close (or, prepare to close), students are being forced to stay home due to this health crisis. Administrators and teachers are tasked with finding creative ways to keep students on-track and engaged as they learn from home. To help ease the stress, WeVideo is ready to offer free WeVideo for School accounts to those closed due to COVID-19 concerns.

"We recognize that teaching during this crisis is very trying for educators," WeVideo CEO Krishna Menon said. "Staying connected and keeping students engaged while they're home isn't easy but we recognize a collaboration tool like WeVideo can help and we are ready to do what's possible during these times." WeVideo is proud to offer this resource as a way to enable successful distance learning. To sign-up, fill out the form below. To sign-up, fill out the form below. SMART Learning Suite Online. Art - Home Learning.

This was the last photo I took of my students in the art room before our long separation from one another due to COVID-19. It was the day before the Chinese New Year and all of the students wore festive attire to celebrate. As we said goodbye to the students before the week-long holiday break, no one had any idea how different the new year ahead was going to be. Reception 1 learners showing off their stained-glass windows inspired by Frank Llyod Wright. - our last lesson before the school suspension. Since February 3rd, 2020 I have been facilitating Home Learning for the Visual Arts for over 760 Lower Primary students between the ages of 4 and 8 years old. With the virus spreading and more school closures imminent, I want to share some of my experiences providing home learning as a primary year visual arts teacher and by doing so, I might be in some small way, doing my part, helping others navigate this difficult time.

Connect Everything! Curriculum Content vs. Engagement Rate Like this: Wakelet. Microsoft EDU. Kami - PDF and Document Annotation. Math Resources for Remote Learning. Khan Academy. Read this article in another language: български, čeština, Español, Français, ქართული, 한국어, Português, русский, Türkçe Hello teachers and parents, We know many schools and families are making plans to be prepared should there be a coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in their community.

We understand that many folks want to better understand their options for learning at home. We've created resources, and are hosting webinars, to help you get the most out of Khan Academy. Khan Academy is a free resource for students, teachers, and parents. Students can learn and practice skills with our personalized, mastery-based learning system. Instructional videos help students learn or review material, and our exercises, quizzes, and tests give students the opportunity to practice and master skills. Teachers get tools and reports designed specifically for them. School and teacher resources: How can you use Khan Academy? How to get started: More questions? Khan Academy Kids for Early Learners Sincerely, Google Applied Digital Skills. Education Perfect. BrainPOP.

Many schools in countries around the world have had to close temporarily due to the coronavirus outbreak. Recognizing the enormous impact this situation has on a school community, we are offering free, unlimited use of BrainPOP to any school, anywhere, that is closed due to the coronavirus during the period of their closure. Consider using BrainPOP's animated movies, assessment resources, and creative tools for: Distance learningSupport for projects and homeworkKeeping students on track with their studies Click the button below and complete the form.

Then, then keep an eye out for an email from BrainPOP with information on how to set up your account. We will maintain your free access for the duration of your school's closure. NOTE: This offer is for schools only and terms and conditions apply. PS: We are currently offering free access to our new Coronavirus Topic and accompanying lesson plan. Discovery Education. As a global company serving 4.5 million educators and 45 million students in 140 countries and territories around the world, Discovery Education has been monitoring the recent Coronavirus outbreak closely. Like educators everywhere, we are concerned about the Coronavirus' potential impact on student learning in the unfortunate event schools or school systems are closed for extended periods of time. So, to help schools and the communities they serve maintain continuity of learning in the event of prolonged school closures due to the Coronavirus, Discovery Education has created a three-pronged response.

The elements of our response are as follows: Discovery Education has created a special channel within Discovery Education Experience-the Viruses and Outbreak Channel-featuring digital content that helps educators discuss the Coronavirus outbreak with students. Sincerely, Scott Kinney Discovery Education President of K-12 Education. PBS LearningMedia. Desmos. BreakoutEDU. Tynker. Dear friends: At Tynker, we're concerned about the impact the COVID-19 coronavirus is having on students and educators. Therefore, as the global leader in computer coding education in schools, we'd like to do our part to help. If your school or district is planning a closure for preventative health-related reasons, please complete this form to get full access to the entire Tynker curriculum and platform at no cost.

This will give you and your students access to our self-paced, on-demand courses until May 2020, but we will happily extend this offer until your school reopens. In addition to our existing free online professional development, we will be running a series of webinars to train teachers on how to use Tynker in a remote learning environment. If you know of other schools or districts that may be affected, please feel free to forward this email to them. On behalf of the entire Tynker community, we thank you for what you do every day. Best regards, CEO Tynker. Adventure 2 Learning. Elementari. CK-12. MobyMax. March 6, 2020 - MobyMax, the most widely adopted differentiated learning solution in the US., has announced that it will provide its award-winning educational software free to all schools and school districts forced to close to protect against COVID-19.

The comprehensive software curriculum spans Math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies for students in grades K-8 and meets the needs of struggling students as well as those working on grade level and beyond. The announcement comes as some schools in New York have already closed and as Seattle schools and others also prepare for possible closure. "Most American school districts do not have plans in place to keep students learning if their physical structures need to be shuttered," said MobyMax co-founder Glynn Willett. "The solution is to make online learning easily available to any school/district that needs it. Willett recommends that schools and districts sign up now before they face closure.

About MobyMax. Book Creator. A number of schools around the world have temporarily closed (or will close) because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic, and will need to rely on remote technology to continue learning. Luckily, there are lots of edtech tools out there to help with that, and with Book Creator online you can bring creativity to your homes (not just your classrooms!). So, we're supporting you in two ways. Firstly, we'd like to offer everyone the ability to collaborate together on books in real-time. This is a premium feature that is usually only available with a paid subscription, but we're offering 90 days free use of this tool, to help keep students and teachers connected. Secondly, we've pulled together a list of ideas for using Book Creator for remote learning - ideas that you can put in place today to help keep kids engaged whilst unable to attend school.

Free collaboration upgrade To claim your free collaboration upgrade, you'll need to: Don't have a Book Creator account yet? Work collaboratively. Mangahigh. Age of Learning (ABCmouse, Adventure Academy, and ReadingIQ) INFOhio. Pear Deck. Google Hangouts. As more employees, educators, and students work remotely in response to the spread of COVID-19, we want to do our part to help them stay connected and productive with G Suite. For all G Suite customers, we will soon enable free access to our advanced video conferencing capabilities in Hangouts Meet, including: After July 1, Hangouts Meet functionality will revert to G Suite Basic, Business, or Education based on the customer's edition.

However, recorded meetings will stay in the respective owner's Drive. As these premium features are off by default, G Suite administrators need to turn them on for their domain. Why is Google for Education offering this? The spread of COVID-19 means that many educational institutions are facing closures. We know that many of you want to continue working and learning together, even if educators and students can't be together in person.

How long will the Hangouts Meet features be available? How do I turn on Hangouts Meet? Kami. Kami wants to help educators and schools impacted by the COVID-19 As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to spread globally, we want to help students continue learning remotely. If your school is temporarily closed due to the coronavirus, please get in touch with us to get an immediate deployment of Kami to your entire school staff and students. Our dedicated team is here to help and respond as soon as possible to accommodate your needs. Get access to Kami's free offer Email us at support@kamiapp.com This free offer is available to any educators and schools in affected areas. The Kami Premium license will give you access to all tools and features available in Kami, including integrations with Google Classroom, Schoology and Canvas.

How does Kami work? Tools to Utilize Across the Curriculum Open an existing file or create a new page. Seamless Integrations Create a Kami Assignment with your LMS and share it with your class. Accessible anytime, anywhere Students get work done Contact Us Need help? Flipgrid.

Edpuzzle. Slido. Today we are launching Slido for Education, a package of integrations and features tailored specifically to the needs of lecturers. The aim of Slido for Education is to help lecturers stay connected with their students by powering two-way interactions during their virtual or live classes. We planned to announce our new offering at SXSW EDU this week and we are very sorry that such a great event had to be canceled last minute due to COVID-19. Many schools are facing similar challenges now, being forced to cancel classes or move them online. We hope Slido for Education will help teachers maintain the connection with their students and deliver engaging lectures despite the challenging circumstances.

This is an important milestone for us, as our very own story began in academia. Coming full circle: From university back to university Eight years ago, we started Slido with a simple idea - to help lecturers improve their classes by collecting instant feedback from their students. Package Breakdown. Peergrade. Hapara. Hosted by: Beth Still, Professional Learning Coordinator, HāparaWebinar date: Monday, March 16, 2020Webinar time: 10AM PST Join us for a webinar on how to keep teaching and learning going even when schools are forced to close.

Beth will cover ways to create a flexible home learning environment, maintain teacher-student communication and different ways that you can use the Hāpara Instructional Suite for at-home learning. Buncee. Whether due to illness, injury, or other extenuating circumstances, students and teachers are sometimes unable to attend class for an extended period of time. In these cases, remote/online learning is a great option to keep learning engaging and to make communication between students, teachers, and parents seamless. Buncee makes remote student learning and communication easy. We spoke with educator and author Rachelle Dene Poth, and here's what she had to say regarding Buncee and remote learning: Using a platform like Buncee enables students to work from wherever they are and whenever it is convenient to them, where they are most comfortable, plus they have access to connecting with learners from around the world.

In order to assist schools experiencing closures due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we're offering free Buncee Classroom accounts during the period of their closure, so that students can continue communicating and learning wherever they may be. Create virtual lessons and assignments. Sutori. Parlay. Bulb. Pearltrees.

Gimkit. The ongoing global impact of COVID-19 is on everyone's minds, for good reason. Here in Washington, there's been a mix of reactions, ranging from confusion to panic to frustration, at the disruption of regular life. And we understand all of it. It's been interesting to observe things on a local level while also hearing from so many of you about how things are going around you.

Over the past several days we've received emails from all over the world asking about support for educators who have been impacted by COVID 19. We haven't had a good answer so we patched together free trials of Gimkit Pro and expanded Kit limits here and there. But, as more educators search for remote solutions, we felt like it was important to find a way to provide simpler, more convenient support. So, for educators on Gimkit Basic impacted by COVID-19, we're doubling our Kit limit so you can create more Kits as you get started with Gimkit or find yourself using it more in a remote environment.

No info needed. Quizlet. Quizizz. Legends of Learning. StudyStack. Formative. Kahoot! Edcite. Seterra. IXL. Edulastic.

to experience pearltrees activate javascript.

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Screencastify. Loom. Google Tools. Frequently assess student learning Formative assessments help you make sure students are continuing to progress while away from school. Check for understanding during group instruction by asking a poll question in the middle of a lesson and showing the results in real time.

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Schools all over the world are closing their doors due to health concerns. So many of them are turning to eLearning, distance learning, remote learning.Trying to make sense of it? Trying to just keep your head above water?We've got you covered. In our eLearning, remote learning and distance learning page, we have lots of resources.Get ...

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Great overview of teaching online strategies and tools.

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Great overview of teaching online strategies and tools.

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How would you feel if someone said you need to change your whole approach to teaching immediately? Imagine if, instead of interacting face to face with students in your classroom, you had to create and deliver a virtual program.

Perhaps you'd feel nervous? Overwhelmed? Excited? Unqualified? Inspired? Or perhaps plain lost.

During April 2020, remote learning became a reality for over 90% of students worldwide. Teachers, students, families, administrators, departments, and whole communities are being forced to respond and adapt quickly.

Referring to COVID-19 (coronavirus), UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay warned,

...the global scale and speed of the current educational disruption is unparalleled and, if prolonged, could threaten the right to education.

The rates of school closures have soared in the last month:

In mid-February, China was the only country mandating school closures.

Two weeks later, 22 countries were closing schools.

As of April 3, 188 countries have implemented nationwide school closures.

If your school is still open, it's never too soon to calmly plan and prepare. Things are changing rapidly and exponentially.

Want a live update on school closures across the globe? Check out UNESCO's tally.

What's In This Post?

Our guide will give you insights into how educators around the world are approaching school closures.

Thousands of teachers worldwide are currently sharing snippets of their experiences via social media or their blogs. We've compiled, curated, and built on some common themes and ideas to create this extensive guide.
Click on the links in the menu below to help you navigate the post.
This post also includes a range of useful graphics to help you that you're free to use and share. If you use the images in your own work, please attribute our article and link back.

Here's a sneak peek of some of the graphics:

Let's dive right in to the resources!

Daily Structure Options

The first question educators might be asking themselves is what does a "school day" look like when it's no longer happening in a school?

Let's talk about timetables, hours, and the overall structure you might implement.

In most cases, your school day will have to be based on technology although some departments, such as New York, are open to the option of mailing out work the old fashioned way. This is a good fallback if technology can't be used but you may not want to get into the habit of only handing out packets (worksheets) if you can avoid it.

📌Note: It's important to find out about students' technology/internet access at home and we have a Google Form survey you can adapt to survey your parents towards the end of the post.

The old fashioned approach can also work well to complement online learning and is important for younger students. Check out the fabulous "Learning Boxes" staff in Vietnam put together for their young learners.

We'll discuss many useful technology tools further on.

The issue of daily structure and timetables is a major consideration and some schools are constantly tweaking their approaches.

Do you stick to your regular school timetable? You could, but many schools are finding a modified approach is more realistic.

Lessons can take longer for students to complete at home for many reasons including:

Technology difficulties

No teacher guidance to keep students on track, engaged, and informed

A busy household (multiple family members and responsibilities)

Varying degrees of parent/caregiver involvement (there can be barriers like language, competence with technology and the curriculum, parenting younger children, or trying to keep up with work responsibilities)

Illness (let's not forget the reason for the school closures)

Some teachers are finding what they could get done in one period of class requires two periods when it's online.

Consider a "Percentage" Approach

Most teachers who have some experience with online schooling realize that the pace is slower and expectations need to be reduced.

Some teachers provide and expect a certain percentage of the normal student workload. For example, an elementary student might have a 50% workload, although a senior high school student may be given a 90% workload.

Suggesting a percentage might give teachers and families a ballpark if they're wondering what to expect.

Synchronous or Asynchronous Learning?

A question that may come up a lot as you plan and tweak your approach to online learning is whether your program will be synchronous or asynchronous. That is, whether it will be conducted in real-time or whether students will complete tasks according to their own schedules.

Here's a quick comparison:

You might find a mix of both is a useful strategy. Your own unique situation, including your students' age, might have a big impact on this decision too.

For some families, asynchronous learning can be more convenient: if parents are working, they may have more time to support/supervise student learning outside of business hours.

Other schools are finding synchronous learning is a powerful way to keep the class connected.

If your teaching and learning program involves video then you'll once again face the question of synchronous (e.g. live conferencing) or asynchronous (pre-recorded videos or screencasts).

We'll dive in to the video options further on, however, let's take a quick look at how some teachers are weaving conferences and recorded videos into their weekly schedules:

Examples of how Video Conferences are Being Used:

A 10 minute video conference to begin the day.

A whole class video conference at regular times during the week (e.g. 30 minutes every Monday and Friday afternoon).

A whole class video conference to introduce important lessons or projects.

A video conference to check in with each individual student each week.

On-demand video conferencing - students can sign up during a teacher's "office hours" if they want to book a session.

Small group video conferences for students with similar needs.

Optional "live recess" to allow students to connect and hang out.

Examples of how Screencasts or Recorded Videos are Being Used:

A video introduction or screencast for key lessons (might not be possible for all lessons).

A short welcome video each morning and/or reflection video each afternoon.

A screencast to offer feedback on student work and progress.

Student created screencasts to demonstrate learning.

Let's look at some specific options for daily timetables.

More Flexible Option: Distribute a Daily "To Do List"

When schools decide on expectations, they often need to consider whether they should give lesson guidelines that can be completed at any time, or stick to a traditional structure.

For example, if you were offering a flexible program, you could build on a checklist like this:
Today you need to complete:
It's optional whether you give an actual time requirement (e.g. 30 minutes) or just a task, however, a time suggestion can be helpful so students don't spend either all day working, or not enough time on task.

More Structured Option: Distribute a Timetable

Alternatively, students might be issued with a structured timetable that all students will complete at the same time, e.g.

Factoring in time for catching up seems to be proving extremely useful for many schools. You might schedule learning activities in the morning and leave the afternoons free for catching up and offline pursuits. Alternatively, you could schedule one day a week for completing unfinished work or even have a weekly "screen-free" day.

Here's an example of a weekly screen-free day from Shekou International School in China.

#Grade4SIS has implemented a device free day each week during #onlinelearning... & I had so much fun creating this week's choice board for our learners! #choice #learnerprofile #SISrocks #ISSedu #flipclass #disted #mlearning #elearning @SISGeckos @ISSCommunity pic.twitter.com/tNoKEIzjjn

- Mr. Peter Damroth (@PDamroth) March 25, 2020

Rather than a daily approach, some schools are taking the whole week into account and giving projects or assignments that need to be completed or worked on over 5 days. Based on progress, a new plan might then be made for the following week.

Example: Kindergarten

Ashley in the middle east is not doing any live teaching via video conference due to cultural and religious reasons.

Ashley's team sends a weekly plan to the parents of their kindergarten students along with a suggested timetable. There are no expectations that the timetable is followed exactly due to parents working and a variety of family situations.

The planners are given out two weeks in advance to help families plan ahead. The links to learning tasks go to YouTube videos and Ashley's Office 365 cloud account of activities or readings. Ashley's kindergarten class also uses Flipgrid.

Example: 5th Grade

Laura Faulk at ASIJ (American School in Japan) is a 5th grade teacher who has recently started teaching online.

Her team created a daily planner using Google Docs. They share it each morning on a website that was created for their new distance learning program.

They are currently surveying families to find out whether they'd like to have the planner in advance.

The Google Doc planner has links to all the students' classroom and specialist work. The students are given a guide as to how long to spend on each activity.

The ASIJ team adapted their ideas from the work of Hong Kong International School (HKIS have a fantastic home learning website that is worth checking out too!).

You can follow Laura and her team on Twitter (@asij_g5).

Example: Google Slides

Some teachers put their planners on a Google Doc, or Sheet. Google Slides can be another awesome way to send out a daily plan and work (but even better if these Slides presentations are added to a blog, LMS, or website so they don't get lost).

You can include text, links, and videos of yourself teaching to a Slides presentation amongst other things.

One major benefit is you can copy and edit your planner so you don't have to start from scratch each day.

Check out this post by Alice Keeler for more advice on using Slides in remote learning.

We also have a beginner's guide to Google Slides on The Edublogger for a broader overview.

Here's an example from US kindergarten teacher Megan Peschke @MeganPeschke). Don't be put off by the age group. This idea could be adapted for any age!

Click here to view the Google Slides presentation in a new tab.

Instructions for Editing and Using Megan's Google Slides

1. Click on this link:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Bl534rtloR0AjD2wgfLPVrJs2Q6BDS9DEz2G2m9Fzgs/copy
2. You will be prompted to make a copy (screenshot below).

3. The Slides will be saved in your Google Drive.

4. You can edit the Google Slides to suit.

SlidesMania have also published a fantastic free weekly planner template that can be used in Google Slides or PowerPoint. Find it here.

Help Students Plan Their Day

Some teachers, especially those who are giving out ongoing assignments or projects, encourage their students to plan out their own days. You could give them ideas or a template.

Here is an example which you're welcome to copy and adapt,

People seemed to like the student planners a non-twitter teacher created for our #continuouslearning students, so here is blank version. Feel free to make a copy and make your own! https://t.co/3ZzKKpUA2F

- Rebekah Madrid (@ndbekah) March 5, 2020

Instructions for use:

1. Click here to open the Google Doc

2. Go to File > Make a copy

3. Type a name and choose where to save it

4. Click Ok

5. You'll then find an editable copy of the Google Doc in your Google Drive

How do you Plan an Online Lesson?

Once you have ideas on how your school day will be structured, you might start zooming in to the planning of actual lessons.

What do lessons look like when they're online rather than face to face?

Despite being physically distant from your students, you still want to be as present as possible virtually. Online teaching and learning isn't a "set and forget" situation.

Like all lessons, you may want to start with learning outcomes, and possibly success criteria (your school might already have a framework for this). The delivery of the lesson will be the part that might just look a bit different.

Remember, there's nothing wrong with keeping your lessons quite simple, and in many cases they'll be similar to what you'd do in the classroom, perhaps with more autonomy and technology.

For example, your normal lesson structure might involve a warm up, revision, an explanation, student activity that aligns to outcomes, then reflection. The same sort of structure is possible with virtual lessons.

Easily Adapting to Virtual Lesson Planning

Timothy Malan (@timothy_malan) is a middle school science teacher at an international school in Spain. He has created a detailed video to explain how a regular classroom lesson can be transformed into a virtual lesson. He reassures teachers that it doesn't have to be overly complicated!

The first 12 minutes of the video goes through the framework, and then Timothy dives in to an example lesson.

5E Model for Creating Online Lessons

Have you heard of the 5Es framework? It's an instructional model that's been around for 20+ years. Using the model, teaching and learning progresses through five phases: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate.

Author and educator, Catlin Tucker has published a post called, Tips for Designing an Online Lesson Using the 5 Es Instructional Model.

In her post, Catlin provides a simple framework that shows how the 5Es can be used to create online lessons. Catlin has also recorded a video for each "E" that explains the model further.

While the 5Es approach is far from the only way you can go about designing online lessons, it may be a useful framework for those who don't know where to start.

💡 Catlin also shares a good tip about using Google Docs to share lessons with students. Google Docs are easy to copy and edit. That means teachers can create different versions of the same lesson with minimal work. Any suggested videos, readings, or activities can be differentiated to meet the individual needs of learners.

Useful Online Tools

For some teachers, the technology part of virtual learning will be the scariest obstacle. Before we dive in to useful options, take a deep breath and remember:

Less can be more: you don't need to be using a huge range of different tools.

Start with tools students and teachers are already familiar with: there are probably some technology tools, apps, or platforms you've used in class that can be useful.

Remember, despite technology being a crucial tool for most closed schools, teaching and learning isn't about the technology. Try to focus on the core business of schools: relationships and learning.

Virtual Home Base or Online Platform: 3 Step Approach

There are some awesome tools out there for learning and creativity but first consider what you'll be using as your home base. When your classroom and school assembly halls aren't in use, your virtual hubs are more important than ever.

What will communication look like and where will learning take place? Here are three common steps you might see:

1. Communication will probably begin with information from the school district or state education department.

2. Then a school website might provide an overview of your plan for the whole community. (Need a better school website? CampusPress can help with that!).

3. From there, you could have individual class blogs or other approaches like a learning management system (e.g. Moodle, Canvas, or Google Classroom), a Facebook group (for older learners), Slack, or Seesaw.

Read on for more information and examples of this three-step approach.

1) District/State Education Department

Let's zoom out for a moment. When a school is to be closed and learning is transitioning to online, the first step is often clear communication from the top level - your district or state education department (if your school falls under one of these authorities).

Here's an example from Northshore District School in Washington state. They published a blog post on their district website to inform everyone in the school community of school closures.

It's an honest and dynamic announcement as they're still figuring out arrangements. The beauty of blog posts is you can keep publishing as more information is made available.

Of course, a blog post or website update may be followed up with a direct notification to families to ensure the news is received (e.g. SMS or email).

2) School Website or School Blog

A school website (or temporary site) can be an important next piece in the puzzle. It can provide an overview of your plan for the whole community to ensure everyone is on the same page, knows what to do, and knows where to seek help.

Website Example: YIS Continuous Learning Plan

Yokohama International School (YIS) in Japan has been closed since early March. They're becoming leaders in the community of global educators scrambling to find out how to approach school closures.

YIS has created a website to communicate a clear approach to their changed schooling format,

Although campus is temporarily closed, "school" continues as we engage students with experiences that continue the planned learning program and help them to stay connected with teachers and classmates. These learning experiences offer authentic opportunities to focus on key concepts, knowledge, and skills. They emphasize interaction and creativity, and involve a balance of on-screen and off-screen tasks that help connect to previous learning and the current curriculum.

Vice principal, Rebekah Madrid, explains the choice of the term "continuous learning",

For the first day, people weren't sure what we meant by "continuous learning". But now it makes sense for us. We didn't want online (because not always online) and we didn't want distant (because that's not the vibe we wanted). So continuous worked for us.

- Rebekah Madrid (@ndbekah) March 3, 2020

3) Classroom Hub: Blog, LMS, or Other Online Community

The third step is an online hub where you can distribute student learning tasks, share resources, gather feedback, and keep everyone in the loop.

While you could just email out assignments to students, there may be better options (emails can be better for one on one communication; they can get lost and can be hard to refer back to.).

You might already be using a learning management system or other platform (e.g. Seesaw, Sensei LMS for WordPress, Google Classroom) at school that you can continue to use after your school closes. If so, there is probably no need to reinvent the wheel! Go with what you and your students know.

But maybe you don't have a place set up already where you can post learning tasks and resources that students can use on a daily basis.

Google Classroom is a popular choice. If you want to learn more, check out this demo from Alice Keeler and Vicki Davis. This cheat sheet from Ben Cogswell also goes over the basics.

Consider a Blog For Your Classroom Hub

A blog is a free, basic, and flexible tool that acts as a classroom hub and more.

Here are some reasons why you might consider a blog as your online classroom while your school is closed:

A blog is a space you can own (you don't have control over some online spaces like social media).

It's a place where all the bits and pieces you create and explore in the online and offline world can be housed.

Blogs aren't just text and images, you can include videos, slideshows, infographics, podcasts, posters, polls, charts and more. Here are just six tools that allow you to create interactive learning content for your blog (online worksheets, games, and so on).

Blog content can be organized in a systematic way and searched for as needed.

Comments and forums allow two-way interaction.

Blogs can be public or private (learn more about the pros, cons, and options in this article).

💡 We have a post that compiles some examples of class blogs from a range of age groups and locations. You'll notice that there is a lot of flexibility in the way blogs are used.

Team 2 Eagles Blog Example

Becky Versteeg is a wonderful grade two teacher in Canada.

She is using her class blog to share daily ideas. Her posts include videos, printables,photos from students and fun ideas to try at home.

Class Blog And/Or Student Blogs?

You might be only interested in having a class blog to share learning resources and so on. Alternatively, you might want all students to use their own blog to complete learning tasks, publish online, reflect on their experience privately, or even connect with the world.

My Class is a free management tool from Edublogs that brings a class blog and all your student blogs/accounts together. It makes it easier for teachers to set up and monitor their classroom blogging program.

Learn more about My Class in this post.

Example: Art Blog

Here is an example of a fantastic blog with lessons for home art activities by Chris Gadbury.

One of the great things about the blogging community is you cannot only make your own blog but benefit from other educators' blogs as well!

Want To Start Blogging But Not Sure How?

Check out our Blogging 101 page. It includes a 15-minute tutorial video and all the help guides you'll need to get going!

Educators and students can set up as many blogs as they need using Edublogs for free (no ads or time limits). Compare all the features here.

Videos And Online Learning

You can come up with fantastic tasks for students to work on at home but your program will run so much better if students can still feel your presence as a teacher. Videos are such an important part of online learning and a great way to maintain relationships.

Your familiar face will grab students' attention while building engagement and understanding.

Nervous about being on camera? Don't worry! Just start small. It will be worth it. Many teachers are nervous to start and want to re-do their video over and over (some students are like this too!). It won't take long for you to realize your videos don't have to be perfect and students will appreciate your efforts.

Let's take a look at some options.

👉🏽 Note: If you want to look at using video more deeply, check out our new Educator's Guide to Using Video in Teaching and Learning.

Synchronous or Asynchronous Videos

There are two main options for sharing videos with your learners:

Synchronously: That means real-time streaming. It could be a live stream (like on YouTube) or an interactive video conference (like on Zoom).

Some synchronous videos can be recorded so they can be viewed again at a later date. This is useful if students can't attend the live stream, they have technology issues, or need to revise the content.

Asynchronously: That means you record videos that can be viewed (and reviewed) when it suits the student. Your videos could be a simple "piece to camera" or a screencast.

Screencasting is where you narrate a video recording of your computer screen. Sometimes it's just audio and sometimes you can see your face in the video as well.

The benefit of asynchronous videos is there are no time pressures, however, the connections that can be formed in synchronous video conferences can't be underestimated.

Popular Tools for Synchronous (Live) Video Conferences

There are many tools out there that allow you to connect with students via video. This can really help to unite the class.

Four of the most popular video-conferencing options for teachers and schools include:

Zoom - Robust software designed exclusively for video conferencing.

Google Hangouts Meet - The evolved version of classic Hangouts that's part of G Suite.

Microsoft Teams - Communication and collaboration platform that's part of Office 365.

WebEx - Cisco tool for video conferencing, online meetings, screen share, and webinars.

These tools all allow video conferences with screen sharing capabilities.

The teacher can start the conference and share the access link with the students.

Students can access the conference at the specified time using any device (e.g. laptop or tablet).

Some users like to use external microphones, headphones, or webcams, however, the camera and microphone attached to your device are probably fine for getting started.

Here is a quick comparison of the free/free education plans for Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts Meet, and WebEx Meetings:

Notes on Live Video Tools:

Safety comes first! Your school or district probably has advice about which video conferencing tool you should use and which settings should be employed. As an example, Zoom has released some best practices in this PDF.

Zoom, Meet, and Webex temporarily upgraded their free plans for educators but these offers have now ended for Meet and Webex. If your school Zoom account hasn't already been upgraded, you can apply here to remove the 40 min time limit.

Some teachers are also experimenting with live streaming on YouTube. For teenagers, it's a platform they're often already familiar with and they can comment in real-time.

Mix it up: Principal at International School of Dongguan, Todd Brink, suggested that, "One-on-one, small group, or whole group sessions are a must. Just like the classroom!" Video conferencing software allows these sorts of options.

Example Video Conferences From Teachers

Teachers at American International School of Guangzhou are doing a fantastic job of setting up engaging video conferences using Zoom.

Here are two examples that were recently shared on Twitter,

Using #zoom_us to create a collaborative story this morning ... once we had our order, can we work together to build a story one word a time? A myth about an earthquake that goes with our #unitofinquiry #howtheworldworks ? Even better! #AISGZ #onlinelearning #virtuallearning pic.twitter.com/W4EvYnGK2B

- Katie Robbins (@krobbins84) March 5, 2020

Another #zoom meeting with second graders. I think they only come to see a mess I make doing my science experiments. Today there were beans spilled all over my coffee table and the smell of vinegar is overpowering. Science #onlinelearning is still fun. #aisgz #pypchat #sciencefun pic.twitter.com/XSjc19ltCQ

- Inga Bela (@inga_bela) March 5, 2020

Jennifer Wathall is a teacher from Hong Kong who began teaching online earlier than most of the world. She shares her tips for teaching online, most of which apply to synchronous video conferences.

John Sowash shared these tips for running a virtual lesson on Google Meet (they can apply to other video conferencing tools as well).

Popular Tools for Recording Asynchronous Videos and Screencasts

There are a number of tools available to record screencasts. Like many online tools there are free plans and paid plans.

Let's compare four of the most popular screencasting tools teachers are using for recording lessons.

This chart compares the features of the free plans (paid plans have more features).

Note: As of March 12, Loom Pro is now free for teachers and students forever. The chart below has been updated.

Notes On Screencasting Tools

I've written a blog post specifically about Loom if you want to learn more. There are no age restrictions so students can use Loom if you want them to make screencasts.

You'll remember that Zoom is a popular tool for video conferencing. To record a screencast using Zoom, you start a meeting with yourself as the only participant and record the conference. You can't record if you're using the Zoom iOS app.

Record a Piece to Camera

Your videos don't have to be part of a video conference call or a screencast. You can record a simple piece to camera using your phone or webcam.

That is, a video of your happy self teaching and talking!

In our Educator's Guide to Video on The Edublogger, we outlined ten tips for recording a piece to camera. Read the full post (you'll find a PDF copy to download) or check out the summary below.

Video Editing

Made a video and want to edit it? Maybe it needs trimming, captions, or other effects?

For quick video editing on my phone, I love two free apps from GoPro called QuikStories and Splice. QuikStories puts everything together for you with music, transitions, and other cool effects. Splice is handy if you want to make more manual edits and don't necessarily want too many effects.

Try not to get carried away though, it can be a lot of fun creating videos but a raw edit is fine!

We have more advice about editing and other video tools in our Educator's Guide to Video in Teaching and Learning.

Example Videos from Teachers

This year 1 teacher from Tokyo International School demonstrates a wonderful reading lesson,

@Ms_SarahVaughan nurturing 'reading as thinking' remotely. #distancelearning keeping @tcrwp as alive as possible during this #peskycoronavirus @holleytcrwp @clemenkat pic.twitter.com/cWeCWnUBIX

- TokyoIS (@TISlearns) March 5, 2020

For older students, here is an example from two creative art teachers.

E-learning commenced today @TISLearns worried that Middle School Art & Design teachers Sara and @mandurubell Andrew might 'make it' as the next celebrity YouTube stars! If they earn their fortune and leave us what would happen to our Arts department and staff room giggles?! pic.twitter.com/ZQYpvpTLvR

- Christopher Frost (@FrostChrissy) March 4, 2020

For more tips on using live or recorded video in your online teaching program, check out this article from Richard Byrne. He has some great suggestions such as keeping your webcam on, using check-in questions, and using a $20 whiteboard.

Other Online Tools to Consider

So you have your home base set up, you've considered recording some videos to share with students, now what other online tools can you use to engage students and fuel their learning?

Here are some suggestions with a very brief summary of each. This list is far from exhaustive Leave your own ideas in a comment!

Create fun learning games for your students called Kahoots. Classes can play live against each other or students can complete the quiz at their own pace.

*Premium features are currently free for schools facing closures. Learn more.

A free tool that allows students to study information via learning tools and games (flashcards, quizzes etc). A new individual mode has just been replaced so students can play together while they are physically apart. The free account has advertising.

*Learn how to use Quizlet for remote learning here.

These short educational videos are fantastic for online learning. There's also BrainPOP Jnr. for K-3 and BrainPOP ELL for English language learners.

*Currently free for educators affected by coronavirus school closures. Learn more.

Online tool that allows you to make all sorts of graphic designs (perfect for communicating with students and families). Learn more about Canva in our guide on The Edublogger.

*Educators can get a premium account for free (not just during school closures).

A popular tool to create interactive YouTube videos to check students' understanding. Basic plans are free for teachers and students.

Design lessons with interactive question s, polls, quizzes, and formative assessments. Works with Google Slides.

*Pear Deck Premium is free for 90 days for schools affected by closures. Learn more.

Anchor.fm is a popular free service for recording, hosting, and distributing podcasts. Check out our guide on The Edublogger to learn more about using podcasting with students.

Create grids to facilitate asynchronous video discussions that are very engaging for students. This tool is totally free.

Padlet is an online bulletin board where you can display text, images, video, and more. Padlets can be embedded in blog posts. It used to be free but now there is a limit of three Padlets before you need to upgrade.

Students at the International School of Buscan recently used Padlet for a virtual art show!

Today's Grade 3 Virtual Art Exhibition on @Padlet is brilliant! #ISBlearning pic.twitter.com/rqJqwiN5Nt

- Simon McCloskey (@SimonJMcCloskey) March 5, 2020

Simple tool for younger students to create books or learning journals that combine text, images, audio and video.

*Schools that are closed for COVID-19 can get 90 days free of the premium plan. Learn more.

Cloud based video editing tool that allows students and teachers to get creative. Students could have fun responding to some of learning tasks as a video and can collaborate with peers on projects. WeVideo have also recently introduced screencasting.

*WeVideo For Schools free for schools affected by COVID-19. Learn more.

Real world texts at different reading levels with built-in activities.

*Free for schools affected by COVID-19 closures until the end of the 2020 school year. Apply here.

A curation tool that allows you to save, organize, tell stories, and share content from around the web. See the example Wakelet embedded below.

Read all about how to use Wakelet in this post.

More Ideas for Online Tools

To stay up to date with more useful online tools that teachers are using as they switch to online learning, follow this Wakelet by Erin Flanagan (@erintegration).

There's also a huge list of education companies offering free subscriptions due to school closings by Amazing Educational Resources that is updated regularly. You can check it out here.

A Note on Students and Books

What's a classroom without books! If you're going to be teaching virtually you might be wondering where to find reading material for your students. Some students might be lucky enough to have a lot of reading material at home. No doubt, many will not.

Here are a few ideas for sourcing digital reading material:

📚 Modern books/interface

Local libraries often offer free access to eBooks and audiobooks (e.g. OverDrive, Tumblebooks, Libby, BorrowBox etc.). Find out what your local library offers and tell families how to become members if they're not already.

Newsela - Real world texts presented so that children can access the same text at different reading levels (currently free for schools).

Rivet - Free app that families can download with thousands of modern leveled readers.

Epic - Digital library of modern books aimed at children under 12. Always free for teachers and librarians (and students can access it during school hours).

ReadingIQ - Similar to Epic. There are thousands of modern digital books for readers under 12. Access is free for closed schools - learn more here.

Oxford Owl - 100 free eBook readers for young children. Free but you need an account.

Story Shares - American not-for-profit group who shares stories online, that are aimed at older students who read below grade level.

📚Less Modern books/interfaces

Don't be put off by the "old school" designs of these websites. Many allow access to older works with expired copyright that can be ideal for classroom use.

International Children's Digital Library -- A collection of international books for children aged 3-13 presented in 59 languages.

Project Gutenberg - 60,000+ eBooks that can be downloaded for all ages (most are older works with expired copyright).

Faded Page - 5000 plus eBooks that are completely free to download. Not designed for children but there are many classics for older students (like Project Gutenberg they are mostly older works with expired copyright).

Open Library - Catalogue where you can borrow books for free (lots of options for older students).

Lit2Go - A free online collection of stories and poems in MP3 (audiobook) format with accompanying text. Includes many classics with expired copyright.

Sue Waters has written a post that shows exactly how to find and read eBooks. This is a helpful guide for both educators and students.

Can I Read Aloud to my Students?

This question is being asked over and over by the online education community in recent weeks.

Many teachers are keen to read aloud to their students using video, however, remember there may be copyright issues.

If you're in the USA, you should be covered by "fair use" as outlined by EdSurge.

Some publishers are now allowing teachers to read books to their students during school closure. Kate Messner explains here.

Pernille Ripp and Kate Messner have both written about other places to find online read alouds.

My favourite site for free read alouds (by professional actors) is Storyline Online.

Some authors are hosting their own online storytimes during the pandemic. Find the details in this post.

10 Tips for Virtual Teaching and Learning

Transitioning to online schooling is a learning journey for everyone. While everyone's circumstances are different, these tips might offer you some food for thought. Chime in with your own tips in a comment!

Here's a summary and read on for lots of ideas and examples:

1) Encourage Fun, Play, and Activity

In the traditional classroom setting, many teachers plan physical activity breaks for good health and productive learning.

Many PE teachers are leading the way, sharing their creative approaches to get students moving. If you follow the hashtag #HPEatHome on Twitter, you'll find a plethora of movement activities. Many are being added to a Google Drive of resources that you're free to access.

These PE teachers in Vietnam are sharing daily "Get Up and Go" videos with students. No doubt students love seeing their teachers on screen.

A PE teacher in China is using Flipgrid to teach dancing. Great to see parents getting involved too!

This made me smile. Mother and daughter working together on @flipgrid to learn the dance. It is great to see her mum supporting her during this unique e-learning time. note: this video has been posted with permission from both dancers #aisgzhpe #physed #elearning #movementmatters pic.twitter.com/KGqjx8Hky3

- Adam Tomassen (@AdamHPE) February 28, 2020

Well known Australian P.E. teacher Andy Hair has made up an easy game that his students can play while in lockdown at home.

If you haven't yet tried GoNoodle or Cosmic Kids Yoga (free on YouTube) I highly recommend them for elementary-aged students.

The only problem is, they still involve technology so you probably want to consider some options that give students a break from devices.

Minimizing screen time is becoming a big concern for parents and teachers.

Perhaps you could publish a daily challenge to keep students active and off screens? Take it a step further by asking students to send in a photo of their experience.

Here are some ideas. You're welcome to use this resource however you see fit.

📌 Download a PDF copy of the poster

Many teachers are also trying to set learning tasks that are offline (such as "hands-on" math for younger students - baking, measuring objects, shape hunts and so on).

British International School in Hanoi ran a LEGO Challenge and asked students to send in photos of their creations. What fun!

This teacher asked her students for their own ideas of how they like to spend their time offline.

Grade 4 came up with ideas to stay balanced and get offline sometimes during these days of #virtuallearning. They connected their tips to the #pyp #learnerprofile. They were thoughtful, funny, realistic and relevant. Thanks for the idea @ALMcCloskey #isblearning pic.twitter.com/fe2g4K56kE

- Laura-Claire Corson (@LauraClaire_C) March 3, 2020

2) Communicate Clearly and Frequently

When the school community is scattered, clear and ongoing communication is essential!

Ensure everyone knows how messages will be communicated and what channels they should be checking in on (e.g. email, LMS, blog, school website).

Make sure students and parents know how they can contact teachers for learning support and how they can get tech support. Some teachers are holding "office hours" (e.g. I am available for email support from 10am to 2pm daily; or "I am available for Google Hangouts Meet sessions from 12.30-1.30pm each day").

You might err on the side of overcommunicating to ensure everyone feels connected, supported, and confident.

Make instructions as clear and concise as you can. Effective communication will really pay off.

3) Seek Feedback Regularly

On the flipside of communicating, it's important to also seek feedback from students and families.

The team at Google recently made a suggestion that many closed schools are already trying out,

Using Google Forms, create mood check-ins for students to share their emotional state on a daily basis. Within the Form, students can request a conference with the teacher if they need extra support.

Jennifer Findley has created some great Google Form check ins that you're free to copy and use. There are forms for the start and end of the day.

This situation is new for most schools and families. Engage in a cycle of continuous improvement and refinement based on feedback from families, teachers, and students.

Check out our Google Form later in the post that can be sent to parents if planning for a school closure to find out about their devices, confidence, resources etc.

4) Give Choices

There's never been a better time to empower learners and offer choice. Online learning can offer a lot of flexibility so it's a great idea to take advantage of that.

By giving students some choice in the demonstration of their learning, you can also naturally differentiate and cater to a variety of learning styles and needs.

You've probably heard of a choice board? It's a graphic organizer that allows students to choose different learning activities. They're set up in a grid, perhaps with a choice of 9 activities. Some teachers like to include one mandatory activity.

💡 Kim from Seoul Foreign School created this photosynthesis choice board for her 8th grade students.

💡 US teacher Pernille Ripp created a " Choose Your Own Adventure " two-week exploration.

This, hopefully, continues the honoring of their individual needs and desires, while still helping them with their growth. There are different levels of independence for them to choose from, as well as choices for recording or writing their responses. There are different levels of teaching involved that will unfold once they select their choice.

Check out Pernille's post for more details.

💡 In his post on online learning, John Spencer presented an amplified version of choice boards.

John's variation goes beyond choosing topics or activities and allows for some student ownership of the learning targets and resources.

Something else to think about as you move forward and become more confident with online learning.

5) Set Up Guidelines

School guidelines are an important part of the transition process to online learning. These guidelines can be established even before your school has closed.

Not sure where to start? Check out this advice and examples from International Schools Services. You'll find online learning policies, parent guidelines and more.

Guidelines for students are also important but for a lot of students, a simple PDF with slabs of text won't be an effective way to communicate.

Yosef Tewolde in China shares a clear overview in a student friendly format.

VS basic ⁦@ncpa_china⁩ . Sending out tips for students each day in our VS daily bulletin. #onlinelearning #issedu #pulaoproud pic.twitter.com/R8bkTeZOHo

- Yosef Tewolde (@YosefTewolde) February 12, 2020

American International School of Guangzhou shared this appealing resource on Twitter about videos.

Here's another great example from teachers at Seoul Foreign British School,

#virtuallearning guidelines for primary students collab with @emcslack and Becca Cook. https://t.co/XCoRPuWNq7 #onlinelearning #sfs1912 @SFBritishSchool pic.twitter.com/zVH2jvtV1W

- Jill Zappia (@JillZappia) March 5, 2020

6) Ensure Teacher Wellbeing

This meme inspired by teacher Nancy Breau sums up online teaching pretty well,

It's crucial to consider teacher wellbeing. Teaching is hard enough in the traditional sense but moving online with minimal preparation or planning can be very stressful. In addition, some teachers are also trying to teach their own children whose schools have closed.

Effective leadership and communication are key. As a teacher, try to take care of yourself. Go offline at the end of the day, take breaks, keep moving, eat well, drink water, get fresh air... you know the drill!

Perhaps you could set up a little routine for yourself at the end of the day, This checklist for health care workers in the UK might give you some ideas.

Will Arnold is a teacher in Guangzhou, China, who wisely told me via Twitter,

My perspective from week 6 is that "how will teachers/staff be supported" should move to the top of the list. It's like putting your own oxygen mask on before you help others.

Touche, Will, touche.

7) Consider Student and Family Wellbeing

Switching to an online schooling program presents many challenges to students and families. Listening to families and sharing tips to ensure their wellbeing is very important.

There are many ways to go about this. You might be able to get the help of school counselors or welfare officers. Or, you might invite students and families to share their own tips on what they're doing to stay happy and healthy during this challenging time.

The International School of Busan shared a short video on their Twitter account with basic tips for families.

Staying healthy in a virtual learning environment. #ISBlearning pic.twitter.com/HdcwWWlxol

- International School of Busan (@ISBLearning) February 29, 2020

It's also important to remember that it can be hard to predict which students might struggle with the virtual school program. For example, students who generally thrive in the classroom may find the adjustment very difficult. Keep the lines of communication open and don't make assumptions!

Rebecca Barrett-Fox wrote an article called " Please do a bad job of putting your courses online " (hat tip: Raymond Rose in the comment section below). Rebecca does a great job of stressing that students and teachers are currently facing enormous and diverse pressures. The article is designed for higher ed but can definitely be extended to K-12. Show as much empathy as possible and keep things as simple as possible.

📌 Tips For Parents With Young Children

In terms of helping families switch to teaching their children at home, check out my post with 10 tips for teaching younger children - many of these apply to older students as well.

This is a guide that you can share with families for practical help and ideas.

You'll also find a sample home schedule (there is a blank version that can be downloaded as well).

8) Embrace the Online Community

School closures are fast becoming a global issue. You might have a million questions racing around your head but you're not alone. There has never been a better time to connect with the online communities of teachers who are keen to offer tips, support, and examples.

Facebook

There is a Facebook Group set up by Kirsten Durward that is very supportive and helpful. It's called Educator Temporary School Closure for Online Learning.

Click here to find the Facebook group and remember to answer the questions that pop up when you request access.

Also, use the search function or click here to find a breakout Facebook group. Due to the huge growth of the group, there are now many breakout groups that are regional, subject specific, year/grade specific.

No idea how Facebook groups work? We have a guide that will help!

Twitter

You'll also find some fantastic posts from community minded teachers on Twitter. Many teachers are using the hashtags #schoolclosures #virtuallearning and #onlinelearning. At this stage it looks like #schoolclosures is the leading hashtag?

New to Twitter? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Twitter to get started. It'll be worth it!

9) Keep Your Class Connected

Keeping your class connected can be a challenge when students are scattered around the community (and around the world in some areas).

As we've mentioned, video conferences are a good way to overcome this. While most video conferences would be lessons, consider adding in some fun conferences that are either structured (e.g. play a game together) or unstructured (e.g. live recess where students can just hang out).

If you're not using conferences, consider a tool like Flipgrid where students can respond to each other with short recorded videos.

You might be able to come up with ways for students to work on group projects together. This can add a layer of stress for students who might be struggling so of course, you'd gauge whether group work is a positive option.

Librarian ‎Jen Caressimo (@Zenkenjen) runs Virtual Spirit Weeks to bring the school community together. She invites you to check out her Google Drive of examples.

Camps and field trips are a great way to bring your class together. Did you know your class can also take virtual school trips. Check out this list of ideas from Freedom Homeschooling or this one from Mrs. Fahrney.

Maybe you can hold virtual assemblies for your whole school or year level, just like these folks in South Korea,

Today's virtual learning highlight - The PYP Assembly! Puppet shows, dance-offs, jokes and shoutouts. The PYP team broadcasting live to the Elementary School. What a fabulous way to end the week! I'm lucky to work with so many wonderful educators. #ISBlearning pic.twitter.com/JHFu0SA0zX

- Simon McCloskey (@SimonJMcCloskey) March 6, 2020

10) Keep it Simple 💓

The message you'll hear over and over from school leaders and teachers who have been at this for a while now is clear: keep it simple!

Don't overthink things and create complicated lessons.

Don't invest in expensive technology or reinvent the wheel.

Don't expect that you will be able to cover as much as you would in the classroom.

Just do your best. That is enough!

Obstacles and Issues Created by School Closures

The rapid school closures we're seeing across the world raise concerns for teachers, parents, students, and the wider community.

Some issues that are currently being navigated include:

Students/Families

Do all students have access to devices and the internet?

Who will look after students who are home from school? Are some students being left home alone?

How can parents manage their own careers? Do their employers allow them to work from home or have time off?

What about students who rely on getting free or subsidized meals at school? How can they be supported? What are the ramifications for farmers and food suppliers if orders are suspended?

Are there concerns with excess screen time and lack of physical activity?

How can students stay connected to peers?

How can students with disabilities or additional learning needs be catered for?

Teachers

How can educators juggle teaching if they have their own children home from school?

How can teachers maintain work-life balance?

Can teachers work from home or do they need to be on campus? Are teachers trusted and supported to work remotely?

Do teachers need PD? Can the transition to online learning happen immediately or does there need to be a bridge (for example, students are provided with work/a packet for a week while teachers set up the online learning program)?

What role will non-teaching staff take on?

Who will take classes if teachers become ill?

Will teachers continue to get full pay during ongoing school closures?

Schoolwide issues

Will testing and report cards need to be delayed? What other assessment and reporting concerns are there?

How is attendance monitored? For some, attendance or class numbers are linked to school funding.

Should teachers/administrators chase up students who aren't participating?

What will non-teaching staff do during school closures?

How should the school day be balanced with synchronous and asynchronous learning that's both online and offline?

How can individual students be catered for and work be differentiated?

How can you prevent all the student work from becoming a scattered mess? Are they going to publish items on a digital portfolio (e.g. blog) or something similar?

Will you face copyright issues if you try to use learning materials online (e.g. replicating textbooks or reading picture books aloud?)

For private schools with longer closures, will parents continue to be charged full fees?

What will the transition back to online schooling look like?

What sort of "gaps" may need to be filled if students miss out on essential learning or assessment?

Are their implications for senior students graduating and moving on to tertiary education?

Schools, teachers, and families may also face different issues depending on whether they are part of an international school, private school, or public school. Each situation is unique and throws up so many different variables.

As you can see, these issues are broad and complex. Perhaps at this stage there are more questions than answers.

Planning for a School Closure: Parent Survey

No matter where you live in the world, it's highly unlikely that you can now rule out the possibility of your school closing in the future.

Now is the time to plan. If you don't need that plan, great! However, many schools around the world are closing suddenly with minimal preparation. Teachers and staff end up scrambling to get their virtual learning programs together.

The first step in planning for a possible school closure may be to survey your parents and families. It's important to find out what technology, child care, and other resources they have available.

We created an example survey in Google Forms. You're welcome to use it or adapt it for your own school. You'll find instructions on how to make a copy under the Form below.

Instructions for Editing and Using the Google Form Survey

1. Click on this link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1viFs7kqOmJOBs-vzVX6pCbhd8rgSda0K-00LAjqruLM/copy
2. You will be prompted to make a copy (screenshot below)

3. You can edit the Google Form to suit your own school

💡 Google Forms Tips:

Planning for a School Closure: Taking Home Resources

If your school hasn't closed yet and you're planning for an upcoming closure, you might be thinking about what you should take home with you.

Every situation is different but in some schools, no one is allowed on the campus once the school is closed. In other schools, teachers are actually required to work from the school (while students are at home).

If you'll be working remotely, you might think about taking home some of the resources listed on the graphic below.

Checklist for Administrators and Educators Facing a School Closure

This post has covered a lot of information and offered a lot of ideas and options.

The following checklist might be a useful starting point if your school is beginning to discuss an upcoming or possible school closure.

Of course, this is just a very simplified checklist for schools that are beginning to think about transitioning.

📌 Click here to download a PDF copy of the checklist

Over to You

We'd love to keep this post updated with practical information. Please leave a comment if you have any tips, questions, or examples. We want to hear from you!

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Resources For Teaching Online Due To School Closures

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This extensive guide will give you insights into how educators around the world are approaching school closures due to COVID-19 (coronavirus). Learn about options for structuring the school day, using video, and using online tools. You'll also find a checklist for schools facing a closure and tips for virtual teaching.

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Communication Resources for Teachers and Students

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Go ahead and make it official and get certified. Many of GSIS teachers got certified a few years ago in a school-wide tech PD event led by Jason Kaiser. You can do it yourself here:

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Take the next step with the Educator Level 2 Certification

Validate your expertise and advanced technology integration skills with the Educator Level 2 Certification. Completing the certification earns you a badge that helps you stand out on your resume, portfolio, website, and more.

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Product expertise | Teacher Center | Google for Education

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Validate your expertise and advanced technology integration skills with the Educator Level 2 Certification. Completing the certification earns you a badge that helps you stand out on your resume, portfolio, website, and more.

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Teacher-shared HyperDocs by Subject Area

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Teacher-shared HyperDocs by Subject Area

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HyperDoc Lessons by Subject - Google Drive

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Google’s new Teach from Anywhere Compendium of tools and tutorials.

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Don't have a G Suite for Education account? Check out the schools tab to learn how your administrator can sign up for our free suite of tools.

How do I teach remotely with video calls?

Set up your home for video calling

Find a location with a strong WiFi signal, plenty of natural light and a clear background.

How do I manage a virtual classroom?

How do I make lessons accessible to all?

How do I keep my students engaged?

How do I keep in touch with other teachers?

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Don't have a G Suite for Education account? Check out the schools tab to learn how your administrator can sign up for our free suite of tools. Set up your home for video calling Find a location with a strong WiFi signal, plenty of natural light and a clear background.

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Resources organized by Agnieszka (Aggie) Salter - thank you to all the educators for their contribution! Please email aggiesalter@gmail.com if you would like to share your Hyper-doc! Together we are better!

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1: Easy Connection

As long as a student attendee is on a desktop, they can click a URL link and instantly be transported into a conversation with me. It completely eliminates cumbersome downloads, irritating extra programs and lots of blah blah blah. Yes, sometimes people need to update their browser or flash to join me, but it rarely becomes a problem that lasts longer than 2 minutes. For first-time meetings and one-off consultations, it's perfect.

2: Small Group Discussions

In group classes, I can create "breakout rooms." In Tech Land, a breakout room is the equivalent of putting learners with a partner (or partners) in the classroom. So you, as the teacher, can facilitate small group discussions, and then bring everyone back together.

3: Video Recording

In my lessons, Zoom gives my students (or teacher trainees) control over recording and saving their sessions to their hard drive. That's right ladies and gents, we the teachers do not have to waste any time recording the session. Circa 2012, I was recording lessons, rendering them, uploading them and managing all those hideous files for my students. I've been there. I've done it. It is not cool.

With Zoom, if a student wants to record specific segments of a lesson, the recording software can be turned on and off as many times as the student wishes, and each one will be saved individually.

(Precise control over recording is useful if you want your student to record just a grammar presentation, or only the final last 5-minute review session as a way to lead into homework. What parts of your lessons do you wish students could have access to again in the future?)

4: Reliability

Zoom works when Skype is having a bad day or the internet is cranky. I hate to say bad things about Skype because Skype was there for me in the beginning. We're old friends but... Zoom's connection quality is more reliable.

5: Your Digital Body

You know how when you're teaching, you feel the urge to highlight or write specific notes to focus a student's attention? Zoom lets me easily share my desktop and then "annotate" or write directly on top of whatever is showing. When I'm back in Skype only, I really feel myself hunting for the annotation tools because I want to highlight something. Annotation tools really do increase my confidence that my learner is focused on "the right thing."

6: Audio Files

Especially in a language classroom, listening files and audio recordings are essential activities. Good news! Zoom lets you play audio files on your computer just as easily as it lets any student play an audio file off their computer. If this kind of functionality exists with Skype, I was never able to figure this out. So you'll feel just like you're standing next to a CD player in the classroom again.

7: Webinars You Control

I (or you!) can upgrade for a month to Zoom Webinar, so when I cluster a bunch of presentation-style activities together, I really get a lot of value for spending a bit more for a single month. Zoom truly is the simplest and cheapest platform that allows you to start a presentation where you have full control over the viewers' experience - and then later switch to two-way communication, where you give attendees the option to speak with you (no, not type chatting-speaking). It's amazing. The only major competition for this feature is GoToWebinar but is nearly twice the price.

8: Responsiveness

The company Zoom actually listens. A few months ago, they updated something on the dashboard. The "update" made it harder for me to use it. How many times have I been irritated by a company changing their website? Countless times! You don't get what you want unless you speak up, so I do usually give feedback to companies of all sizes, hoping that something will change. So I did my usual thing and called up and gave my feedback. I didn't expect anything to change because no company ever responded. But sure enough, a few weeks later, I logged in and there was my beloved feature, back again.

9: Tech Support

They are so awesome. Every time I call, someone answers within a few minutes. They have solutions to my problems. And... See #8.

10: Hello! Goodbye! Email me later!

I've been teaching online since 2010. As a result, my Skype contact list was expanding into unwieldy, chaotic mess. With the way I use Zoom, just with the dashboard through their website (and without the desktop software program), then I avoid Contact List Chaos.

Because they cannot just send me a random chat message through Skype, this also forces students to communicate with me via email. Skype pings, however, fall through the cracks and are difficult to "un-read".

You can search but for the foreseeable future, Zoom will reign supreme.

What plan do I have?
I have the Pro Plan and sometimes I temporarily upgrade to the "Additional Plan" for Webinar.

Do you want to try it out?
If you're going to sign up, here's what I recommend: Start an account with Zoom. I personally use a Pro Plan for 1 host. However, you can also sign up for free and call a friend to check it out!

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1: Easy Connection As long as a student attendee is on a desktop, they can click a URL link and instantly be transported into a conversation with me. It completely eliminates cumbersome downloads, irritating extra programs and lots of blah blah blah.

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Great Tutorial for Getting Started with Flipgrid

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Great Tutorial for Getting Started with Flipgrid

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In high school Language Arts, students learn to analyze texts and world literature, summarize central ideas and themes, evaluate arguments and claims, and present information with strategic use of digital media. Flipgrid provides a fun, social way to engage your students on any of your Language Arts lessons! Here are a few ways that Flipgrid can be integrated to ignite engagement and capture your students' learning process:

⭐️Analyze and discuss various texts to determine theme, distinguish the impact of point of view, and explain inferences.
⭐️ Evaluate and share how author's choices contribute to the structure and meaning of a text.
⭐️ Demonstrate the understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuance.
⭐️ Share arguments to support claims and convey complex ideas from informative text.
⭐️ Explain the evidence drawn from text to support analysis, reflection, and research.
⭐️ Use digital media in presentations to enhance understanding, reasoning, and findings.
⭐️ Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives and justify points of view.

Once you're ready to create your first discussion Topic, you can dive right in from your Educator Admin or head to the Discovery Library for inspiration. Here is a sampling of High School Language Arts Topics currently available in the Disco Library, all created by your peers and ready to be used with your learners!

🚀 Discovery Library: World Reading and Literature

Book Speed Dating by Brooksie Kramer: A Topic for book reflections and recommendations

Adversity in Literature by Laura Ebersole: A Topic for analyzing literature in the coming of age genre

Shakespearean Insults by Nicole LaFave: A Topic for having fun with Shakespeare and language

I am Malala - Chapter Reflections by Ceci Gomez-Galvez: A Topic for focusing on metacognitive readings strategies

3 Emojis Booktalk by Jennifer Sherbak: A Topic for sharing reading reflections with textual evidence

🚀 Discovery Library: Reading Informational Text

Brain Dump by Christine Godard: A Topic for helping students reflect on learning with verbal-visual coding and developing retrieval skills

5 W & H Strategy Informational Text by Sheila Chabera: A Topic for exploring text features

🚀 Discovery Library: Writing and Research

Social Justice by Monifa Nealy: A Topic for reflecting on social justice movements

Perspective: Right or Wrong by Claudio Zavala: A Topic for sharing ideas and reasoning

Pitch Perfect Practice by Michael Lamb: A Topic for practicing persuasion techniques

Warriors Don't Cry Fliphunt by Laela Bunn: A Topic for demonstrating comprehension and defending an opinion statement

Debate - It's OK to Disagree by Jornea Ewrin: A Topic for debate and research pros and cons.

🚀 Discovery Library: Speaking and Listening

Rhetoric by Brandi Waruch: A Topic for exploring rhetoric and persuasive communication

Pathos, Ethos, Logos: Parents by David Theriault: A Topic for questioning strategies

Socratic Smackdown by Lisa Scumpieru: A Topic for developing listening and speaking skills

TKAM Quote Analysis by Kayla Anderson: A Topic for analyzing quotes by determining meaning, context, and significance.

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Integration Doc: Flipgrid in High School Language Arts (Ages 14-18) 📖📝 - Flipgrid

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What is Flipgrid? 💭 Flipgrid is a free video discussion platform from Microsoft that helps educators see and hear from every student in class and foster fun and supportive social learning. In Flipgrid, educators post discussion prompts and students respond with short videos, whether they are l

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How To Solve Math Problems with Flipgrid (Whiteboard Mode)

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Resources & Community | Pear Deck Learning

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Looking for inspiration, support, tips and tricks, and more? Look no further.

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How to Make Interactive Google Slides with Pear Deck

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How to Make Interactive Google Slides with Pear Deck

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How to Make Interactive Google Slides with Pear Deck

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Getting Started with Pear Deck to Make Your Google Slides Presentations Interactive

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Create a new document and edit with others at the same time -- from your computer, phone or tablet. Get stuff done with or without an internet connection. Use Docs to edit Word files. Free from Google.

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Great for creating beautiful posters, brochures, info-graphs, and more.

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Great list and explanation of video creator resources for students included if you scroll to the end of the doc.

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Copy of Digital Storytelling Hyperdoc: Narrative

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UnSplash for Finding Free-to-Use Photos for Projects

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UnSplash for Finding Free-to-Use Photos for Projects

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Beautiful Free Images & Pictures | Unsplash

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Beautiful, free images and photos that you can download and use for any project. Better than any royalty free or stock photos.

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Creative Communicator - Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals. (ISTE Standards for Students)

Over the years I have become a huge fan of engaging students in visuals. I love to have students create and explore visuals. I believe we learn best when creating is part of the learning process. We need to design activities to get students creating before, during, and after engaging in a learning experience. I do my best to engage students in a variety of
visual design creation tools, but Google Drawings has become one of my favorites this year. Google Drawings is an incredible resource that sometimes just doesn't get enough love. I am writing this post to share some of the activities and resources I've used or seen other teachers use connected to Google Drawings. I hope there is something here that everyone can use, regardless of subject or grade level. Up first is a Google Drawings Meme Generator Template. My students and I frequently use memes to reflect on our learning experiences.

You can give each student their own copy using Google Classroom or you can use one of the URL Shortcuts to distribute a copy or template to students if you don't use Google Classroom.

Sample Classroom Meme Activity Instructions
Sample Drag and Drop Google Drawings Interactives
Additional Resources and Activities Connected to Google Drawings

Additional Resources Connected to Meme Creation

Special thanks to Julie Many (@ManyEdventures) the rest of my Awesome PLN for inspiring me to do more with Google Drawings.
Do you have a favorite Google Drawings activity or resource? Please share in the comments below.

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Google Drawings Meme Generator and More Google Drawing Activities

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Creative Communicator - Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals. (ISTE Standards for Students) Over the years I have become a huge fan of engaging students in visuals.

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ifaketext.com | The first iPhone text message screenshot generator.

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ifaketext is a place where you can generate fake iphone text message screenshots and send and share them with your friends!

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How to Teach Remotely with a Google Slides Hyperdoc

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HyperDocs have been all the rage over the last year. Educators have discovered that there are more ways to use Google Docs than just using the fabulous collaborative tools such as the Comments and Suggestions tools. HyperDocs help teachers transform their learning into blended learning environments. They are engaging, collaborative and inquiry-based. They are MORE than digital worksheets.

Example Template

Here is a template I created using Google Docs. Feel free to Make-a-Copy by clicking the image. My 5 main categories are:

1. Activate prior knowledge: I really think it's important to activate prior knowledge before beginning any activity and Vocaroo is a wonderful and quick way for students to record their thinking.

2. Engage: Consider creating your own tutorial using EdPuzzle. Upload a video or teacher-created screencast and add questions to engage the audience while they watch. Or, find a nice video and add a link to YouTube, Khan Academy, BrainPOP or whatever resource you find engaging.

3. Apply/Create: Here is where students would create something. Productivity and creativity is the key to HyperDoc engagement. Google Slides, Powtoon, Scratch, screencasting, Google Drawing, WeVideo are all fabulous creation tools.

4. Share: The great thing about HyperDocs is you still have the collaborative Google Doc tools such as Comments, Sharing and Suggestions available. I think it would be fabulous for students to share their work and offer feed-back to their peers. Then, you could add your own comments as well.

5. Self-assess: It is important for students to self-assess their learning once they finish an assignment. Google Forms would be my favorite tools as you could archive the student data in a spreadsheet. Or, post a link to your favorite rubric!

More Great Resources

Can you use HyperDocs during your "coaching" lessons?

Here is an example HyperDoc that I use with teachers. The idea is for teachers to access the HyperDoc before we meet to preview the material and after to reflect and ask questions. I used Google Slides as I like how the videos will play within the document. Click to Make a Copy.

Ways to Get Started

1. Remix a pre-made HyperDoc: ( Checkout this Hyperdoc Extravaganza Padlet ) Don't reinvent the wheel. View other Hyperdocs and put your own spin on them. Just "Make a Copy" and edit!

2. Start by using a template posted above. Add your own links and activities to personalize your HyperDoc. Use a Template: Example Templates

3. Assess the effectiveness of your HyperDoc: Check out this HyperDoc Checklist

Remember, y ou are not just creating a digital worksheet. HyperDocs should promote creativity too while reflecting on the needs of the students. HyperDocs should LOOK engaging because they ARE engaging! Students should enjoy the activities as they are learning while creating, collaborating, reflecting, and publishing.

Give One- Take One at Teachers Give Teachers . And check out the great website from HyperDocs.co LLC. They have done an amazing job curating resources, many of which are linked to on this page.
Want to Remix this Info? HyperDoc 101: Google Doc of this Page to Share
What are your favorite HyperDoc resources?

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HyperDocs 101: Transforming Your Google Docs

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What is a HyperDoc? HyperDocs have been all the rage over the last year. Educators have discovered that there are more ways to use Google Docs than just using the fabulous collaborative tools such as the Comments and Suggestions tools. HyperDocs help teachers transform their learning into blended learning environments.

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Most HyperDocs utilize this organizational structure.

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Pre-made resources!

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81 HyperDoc Digital Lesson Plans ~ #HyperDocs ideas | digital lesson plans, digital lessons, lesson plans

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Aug 11, 2019 - This board is to share digital lesson plans created with HyperDocs. #HyperDocs
@TsGiveTs. See more ideas about digital lesson plans, digital lessons, lesson plans.

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Tips for Designing an Online Learning Experience Using the 5Es Instructional Model - Dr. Catlin Tucker

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Covid 19 has educators and educational institutions worried about and preparing for possible school closures. What happens if students have to stay home for days or even weeks? How can we keep them learning remotely? What strategies and technology tools can teachers use to take traditional classes online?

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[Resource] Designing an Online Lesson Using the 5Es Instructional Model

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Live AND ONLINE discussions. FREE until May!

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Screencastify for Teachers | The Leading K-12 Video Software

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Learn how Screencastify gives K-12 educators the superpowers needed to improve learning outcomes for their students through video.

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How to Make Video Tutorials Using Screencastify

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How to Make Video Tutorials Using Screencastify

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How to Make Video Tutorials with Screencastify

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Teaching Resources - Google for Education

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Find apps and resources from Google you can use in your classroom today.

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We asked teacher blogger Adam Hill, whose school has been closed due to the coronavirus, to explain what the current situation is like at his international school in Hong Kong and how he uses Edpuzzle to connect with his students via remote learning. If you're in a similar situation, you'll love his advice!
Until April 20th, 2020 (at the earliest), schools remain closed in Hong Kong, China and other parts of Asia as governments take precautions to limit the outbreak of COVID-19 (better known as the coronavirus).

We haven't been to school since the Chinese New Year holiday started on January 22nd. We were expected to return to work on February 5th, but the closures were confirmed and extensions continue to be regularly announced. Since February 5th, we've been working hard to continually support our students and offer remote learning engagements that continue to challenge and engage.

Flipped Learning vs. Remote Learning

I hesitate to call it flipped learning because, despite common misconceptions, flipped learning is not about homework, videos or other online tasks. Rather, it is about using those activities to best utilize the critical face-to-face time that we have with students in the classroom.

Flipped learning recognizes the importance of classroom time and, most importantly, time that students have with a supportive, encouraging teacher. In a flipped learning model, input is offered before the lesson so that the limited classroom time can be fully leveraged for creativity, critical thinking, application and other tasks that require higher level thinking and teacher support.

During this period of school closures, we do not have the luxury of classroom time. We must do our best to offer high quality learning experiences remotely. Nevertheless, the practices that are discussed here certainly apply to flipped learning as well.

Remote Learning at Victoria Shanghai Academy

Remote learning looks slightly different in every school, and so it should. What works for us won't necessarily work in all contexts. Nevertheless, I will share our approach in the primary section of Victoria Shanghai Academy, Hong Kong.

The class teachers have been sharing home learning grids daily with learning engagements that are designed to keep the curriculum moving forward. To avoid putting pressure on the parents, we design activities that can be completed as independently as possible. As class teachers, we are online and available throughout the school day to offer support, encouragement and feedback.

We also offer two time slots every day for group video calls using Zoom. We use these to answer questions, clarify our expectations and generally just check in with the children. The Zoom calls have been very well received.

Specialist teachers (art, music, drama, etc.) used to post their lessons separately on whichever day they would normally see the class. However, feedback from parents suggested that the workload from class teachers was a little too much, and that the students were struggling to make time for the specialist activities. This was also a shame for the specialist teachers because they were working equally hard but getting significantly fewer responses.

To address both issues, we've allocated one day per week for specialist learning. On this day (different for each grade), the students get a specialist grid only, without additional work from the class teachers. This also allows the class teachers to take a breather! Again, this was well received by all.

It's been important to seek feedback, gather different perspectives and tweak our practices, but we now feel that we've found a routine that works.

Using Edpuzzle to Enhance Remote Learning

The silver lining of this challenging situation is that all teachers have adopted technology, and therefore, it has been a period of significant upskilling for many.

Edpuzzle has been a core application in my technology toolbelt for many years and I'm thrilled to see more educators discovering it. Especially with the generous upgrade that Edpuzzle is offering to affected schools, many teachers are enjoying it for the first time.

When schools finally reopen, technology tools like Edpuzzle can continue to be utilized to facilitate learning. It is clear that educators who are making the best of a bad situation are embracing this fantastic opportunity to learn, grow and upskill.

We have had a lot of important discussions and even debates about what best practice looks like with regard to remote learning. I would like to highlight a few of these key principles, ones that Edpuzzle strongly support. These also apply to flipped learning and other learning models that utilise technology.
- Students Respond Best to Their Own Teachers
There are many existing educational videos that are fantastic, but students respond best to their own teachers.

With Edpuzzle, we can utilize the existing content without reinventing the wheel and, importantly, personalize it for our own students. Audio notes allow teachers to pause the video at multiple points to add their own verbal comments. Even better, with the voiceover tool, we can use the existing visuals while offering our own explanations.

This has been particularly useful for our Chinese teachers who can explain the content in their usual language of instruction. As it states on the Edpuzzle site, voiceover allows you to "explain a concept the way you would in class - in your own style or maybe in another language".
- Students Should Actively Engage
With online content, it is easy to passively consume. But we need to maintain students' attention, encourage them to think about the content and offer opportunities for them to respond.

Using Edpuzzle, we can promote active learning by adding questions, notes and comments to videos. We can insert these at various points throughout and prompt responses from students before the video can continue. Especially if students need to answer questions about the content, they will need to listen actively.
- Feedback and Support Are Essential
Feedback plays a critical role during this time, as it always does, but not just to support learning. It also shows that we are present, available and active. Even when the students are learning remotely, we are always available to help. As always, feedback is most effective when it is timely.

In fact, supporting students while they work is most powerful, and still possible remotely using online tools such as Google apps. I want to focus my time and attention on in-depth feedback that nudges students forward. I'd rather not spend my time on "tick and flick" marking.

With tools like Edpuzzle, I don't have to. Teachers can simply pre-select the correct answers and the marking will be done automatically. This is good news for students because they get instant feedback. By automating the marking in this way, it allows me more time to offer in-depth feedback and support.

I can find the assessment data in Edpuzzle's instrumental Gradebook, along with progress bars for each student. With these features, I can easily identify which students had difficulties with specific sections of the assignments. I can then interject with support when necessary.

During this period of remote learning, we have utilized a range of technology tools. However, there are a few core tools that we depend on more than most. These have been invaluable across the school, with a range of different ages and by teachers with varying levels of confidence when using technology. One of these, undoubtedly, has been Edpuzzle. I look forward to more educators unlocking its potential and utilizing it long after schools reopen.

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Edpuzzle: a Core Tool During the Coronavirus Closures

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We asked teacher blogger Adam Hill, whose school has been closed due to the coronavirus, to explain what the current situation is like at his international school in Hong Kong and how he uses Edpuzzle to connect with his students via remote learning. If you're in a similar situation, you'll love his advice!

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The CommonLit assessment questions are aligned to our ELA standards, which is extremely helpful when prepping for the state exam.

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CommonLit | Free Online Reading Passages and Literacy Resources

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CommonLit is a comprehensive literacy program with thousands of reading lessons, full-year ELA curriculum, benchmark assessments, and standards-based data for teachers.

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Really cool new Prezi feature for turning lessons into videos!

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Living here in Seattle, many schools and universities have started to shift to online education. My son's school, for instance, decided to go online-only until April 20. While this shift is understandable, it also poses a challenge to teachers, many of whom have not been trained in digitizing their content despite many being digital natives. Their focus has been on maintaining face-to-face learning and engagement with students who are physically present. While teachers definitely are increasing the use of technology in the classroom and regularly use their district LMS, a wholesale digitization of their content and instruction is something that is new and unexpected. The modern web conferencing tools so common in business are not the norm in K-12 education, nor is the creation of video for learning purposes.

One of our primary goals at Prezi is to help facilitate better visual communication in the classroom (and beyond). With Prezi Video - a free video tool for educators and students - you can efficiently create engaging and creative content for students during this transition into online learning environments.

What is Prezi Video?

Prezi Video is a video maker that puts your content right alongside you on the screen, creating a broadcast-like experience for your students. This is key for online learning, as you can maintain a human connection with your class without losing important context and visual aids.

In the example below, you'll see that the teacher begins her presentation with content next to her on the screen. Then, she toggles to a full screen of a map to zoom in on the details, and finally returns to showing herself on camera with her visuals. See the full video of her lesson on Shakespeare's Globe here.

Turning your lessons into videos

We've created a number of video templates to make it as easy as possible to create video lessons. Use these free templates as a jumping off point and customize them with your own content. Then present it to your students live, or record your video and share directly with them (or link to it from within your LMS).
Use what you already have
If you have existing PowerPoint slides for your lessons, you can convert what you already have into a video. Add narration and appear on camera to create a much more engaging lesson to share with your students. Here's how to get started.
Host online lessons
In a remote learning environment, it can be difficult to assess the level of engagement in your class as you present. Try using Prezi Video with online conferencing platforms like Zoom, Webex, Google Hangouts, and Microsoft Teams to get valuable face time with your students while sharing information. Please note that you'll need to install the Prezi Video Desktop app (found inside your Prezi Dashboard) to present live.

How teachers are using Prezi Video

Other teachers are already using Prezi Video for face-to-face, blended, and online learning applications. Here are a few excellent examples:

Mini-lesson/flipped classroom - Usually around five minutes in length, teachers introduce or round out information through direct instruction. Prezi Video can either help facilitate a flipped classroom or supplement instruction for when there is a substitute or if students are at home due to illness or school closure.

Here is a middle school US History teacher introducing content on the Enlightenment:

In this example, a middle school geography teacher introduces students to what maps are and why they're useful:

Test prep - Since students often need a boost before a test, teachers can use Prezi Video to review key content for tests or to discuss prompts for writing assignments and projects. In addition to core content, teachers might also create videos on how to best study for a test and review successful test-taking strategies.

Here is one example of a video study guide:

Home-to-school connection - A personal touch is often needed when delivering a message home either to students or parents and guardians. Prezi Video works well for announcements about field trips, homework assignments, ongoing reading, and even private conferences with parents.

See how a biology teacher introduces her class for parents:

Explaining an assignment - Check out this example of a teacher clearly outlining project directions and assignment expectations for her students:

How your students can use Prezi Video

Prezi Video is an excellent tool for students to:

Display, expand, and transform their knowledge

Practice their linguistic expression, while helping them organize their thoughts and make strong visual connections to the content they're presenting

Reflect on what they learn, or how they learned to highlight metacognitive skills

Express themselves beyond the traditional page or report

Students all learn differently and using Prezi Video allows you, the teacher, to have insight into how each student learns and how they are able to relay that learning to you. Provide students assessments of their work through a video, or a series of videos. For example, students can create videos in lieu of a final or written project.

Getting started with Prezi Video

Prezi Video is free for educators and students, so you can get started almost immediately. For step-by-step instructions on setting up Prezi Video, check out this guide. You can also get inspired by watching our favorite videos on Prezi, many of which feature teachers taking online learning in their own hands.

We hope you find Prezi Video and the various tools we've pointed to a welcome resource as you transition to online lessons.
Paul Teske, Teacher in Residence @ Prezi

Paul has worked in education for over 25 years as a teacher and in education technology companies. He is the founder of Education Impact Exchange. He taught English Language Arts, and ran after-school technology programs for K-8 students. Paul holds a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Washington.

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How teachers and students can make a quick transition to online learning | Prezi Blog

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Living here in Seattle, many schools and universities have started to shift to online education. My son's school, for instance, decided to go online-only until April 20. While this shift is understandable, it also poses a challenge to teachers, many of whom have not been trained in digitizing their content despite many being digital natives.

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How to Make Digital Books in the Classroom

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An English Teacher's HyperDoc Collection

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An English Teacher's HyperDoc Collection

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9 Ways Online Teaching Should Be Different from Face-to-Face

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9 Ways Online Teaching Should Be Different from Face-to-Face

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Sponsored by PowerSchool and ISTE U

It's a pretty safe bet that most teachers will be doing some form of online teaching in the coming year. Maybe you'll do it full-time, maybe it will be some kind of hybrid model, but one thing is for sure: This time around you won't be dropped into it without warning.

So with this chance to take a breath and do more thoughtful, intentional planning, the next question is What do we do differently? What shifts do we need to make in our face-to-face teaching practices to make the most of online learning?

To find out, I sought the help of Melanie Kitchen, a Coordinator of Instructional Technology and Staff Development serving 19 school districts in Western New York state. Melanie has years of experience working with teachers on developing blended learning and has now shifted to helping teachers develop best practices for remote learning.

Melanie Kitchen

I asked Melanie to share some ways online teaching should be different from face-to-face teaching. She came up with nine: three that are specific to community building and communication, and six that focus on instructional design. Along with these differences, she also shared a few things that should stay exactly the same.

Community Building & Communication

1. The first weeks of school should be devoted to community building and digital competency.

Resist the temptation to dive right into curriculum at the start of the school year. Things will go more smoothly if you devote the early weeks to building community so students feel connected. Social emotional skills can be woven in during this time. On top of that, students need practice with whatever digital tools you'll be using. So focus your lessons on those things, intertwining the two when possible.

"If you are explicitly teaching persistence," Kitchen says, "maybe I'm going to give you a challenge that's not content-related, but something that you might have to kind of grapple with. But when I assign that, if I'm using Google Classroom, then I'm going to assign that through Google Classroom and teach you how you're going to open an assignment, how you're going to submit it, how you'll be receiving feedback. So you are teaching these skills all at once, and it's not something separate or extra. It's just all done together."

Other good resources that can guide and inform the conversations you have in these early weeks are:

2. Communication with parents needs to be more thorough, streamlined, and predictable.

Parents are also adjusting to this new way of doing school. Because they are sometimes expected to play an even more prominent role in supporting student learning, they need more support from you. "We really need parents to be our partners in this learning community," Kitchen says.

Here are some guidelines:

Establish a consistent location and predictable schedule for sharing information. When parents know where and when to look for information from you, they'll do a better job of keeping up with it and following through on their end. Weekly updates are a good way to keep everyone informed about what's going on in your class. And rather than toggling around between emails, text alerts, blog posts, website announcements, and newsletters, choose one platform for outgoing information and stick to it; if your whole school can do the same you'll see even better results.

Set clear expectations and boundaries for communication. When can students and parents expect to hear from you? How and when can they get in touch with you when needed? If you don't set boundaries you'll end up feeling like you have to be available 24/7, which will quickly lead to burnout. Establish regular office hours and advertise them in an easy-to-find place so parents know when you'll be most accessible.

Create a backup plan for off-hours and tech support. If parents or students need help outside of your regular office hours or they need help with technology, who can they contact? Make this information clearly available.

Make communication multimodal. Although it's important to consistently post through one platform, it's also helpful to provide the information in more than one mode. For example, you might offer written announcements and record the same announcements in a short video each week so students and parents can choose the format that works best for them.

Provide parent tech training. Parents will be better able to support students if they understand how to use the technology, so provide them with tutorials on the tech you use, including whatever platform you use to disseminate information.

3. Community and connection need to be a priority for teachers, too.

"Teachers need to connect with each other now more than ever," Kitchen says. Your school leadership should be building in regular opportunities for you to stay connected to your colleagues during this time. If they are not, create those opportunities for yourself.

Staff meetings should still be held regularly-even if it's through a videoconferencing platform-to keep staff connected.

During these meetings, some time and attention should be given to teacher well-being and emotional health.

Smaller groups like teaching teams or content-area PLCs can offer even more support.

If you're not getting the support you need, seek it out through platforms like Twitter.

This article offers a more in-depth look at teacher well-being: How to Support Teachers' Emotional Needs Right Now.

Instructional Design

4. Teacher collaboration is even more important.

Meeting the challenges of online learning gets easier when we work together. "As we're all trying to get to know these students better," Kitchen says, "we need to be working together to do that." That means working more closely with specialists to make sure our lessons and materials meet the needs of all students, partnering with others in our content area to plan instruction, working together on cross-curricular projects, and dividing up the things all students need (like technology instruction) among teachers on a team or grade level so students aren't doing the same lessons over and over and our work isn't duplicated.

Fortunately, collaborating online can be even easier than trying to do it when we all teach in the same physical building. "This virtual environment has provided us the opportunity to break down those walls, to break down those silos," Kitchen says. "Our schedules and time constraints that we may have had before will come down. We may have more opportunity to partner with people that we didn't have the time or the space to be able to do that before."

5. "Face-to-face" time should be used for active learning.

Online instruction is made up largely of asynchronous instruction, which students can access at any time. This is ideal, because requiring attendance for synchronous instruction puts some students at an immediate disadvantage if they don't have the same access to technology, reliable internet, or a flexible home schedule.

But you're likely to offer "face-to-face" or synchronous opportunities at some point, and one way to make them happen more easily is to have students meet in small groups. While it's nearly impossible to arrange for 30 students to attend a meeting at once, assigning four students to meet is much more manageable. Kitchen likes "campfire groups," which are permanent groups of about four that stay together for long periods of time. This arrangement allows students to get to know each other better and establish more trust. Students might be rearranged for other activities to provide some variety, but the campfire groups would provide a stable base throughout the school term.

So what kind of instructional activities should be used for these different formats?

What works best, Kitchen says, is to keep direct instruction-things like brief video lectures and readings-in asynchronous form, using checks for understanding like embedded questions or exit slips.

You can then use synchronous meetings for more interactive, engaging work. "If we want students showing up, if we want them to know that this is worth their time," Kitchen explains, "it really needs to be something active and engaging for them. Any time they can work with the material, categorize it, organize it, share further thoughts on it, have a discussion, all of those are great things to do in small groups."

Small group strategies she strongly recommends:

6. Content needs to be simplified and slowed down.

Online instruction is not conducive to covering large amounts of content, so you have to choose wisely, teaching the most important things at a slower pace. To make those choices, Kitchen recommends asking some key questions:

What really holds leverage for the students? What has endurance? What knowledge is essential?

What knowledge and skills do students need to have before they move to the next grade level or the next class?

What practices can be emphasized that transfer across many content areas? Skills like analyzing, constructing arguments, building a strong knowledge base through texts, and speaking can all be taught through many different subjects.

What tools can serve multiple purposes? Teaching students to use something like Padlet gives them opportunities to use audio, drawing, writing, and video. Non-digital tools can also work: Students can use things they find around the house, like toilet paper rolls, to fulfill other assignments, and then submit their work with a photo.

7. Instructions should be easy to find, explicit, and multimodal.

Because you are not in the same room with students, your instructions have to work a lot harder than they do in a brick-and-mortar setting.

Provide instructions in a consistent location and at a consistent time. This advice was already given for parents, but it's worth repeating here through the lens of instructional design: Set up lessons so that students know where to find instructions every time.

Make instructions explicit. Read and re-read to make sure these are as clear as possible. Make dogfooding your lessons a regular practice to root out problem areas.

Offer multimodal instructions. If possible, provide both written and video instructions for assignments, so students can choose the format that works best for them. You might also offer a synchronous weekly or daily meeting; what's great about doing these online is that even if you teach several sections of the same class per day, students are no longer restricted to class times and can attend whatever meeting works best for them.

8. Traditional grading practices should take a backseat to feedback.

"We saw a transition during emergency remote teaching where each of us had different requirements about grades or no grades, pass and fail," Kitchen says. "This whole environment really needs to be supported by communication and connection. If I'm to receive an A or a 95 or a 65, that doesn't necessarily tell me as much as verbal feedback or print feedback to what I'm doing right, what I can improve on."

So when teaching remotely, put the emphasis on formative feedback as students work through assignments and tasks, rather than simply grading them at the end.

Most learning management platforms, like Google Classroom, have built-in features for giving feedback. Use these as your primary method.

Tools like Floop offer other ways to provide on-the-spot feedback and can be especially good for math.

Feedback should be frequent and specific. Consider some of the methods shared by Matthew Johnson in Flash Feedback.

Provide a pathway for students and parents to give YOU feedback on assignments as well.

9. Summative assessment should focus on creation.

In online learning, Kitchen says, "There are so many ways that students can cheat, so if we're giving them just the traditional quiz or test, it's really easy for them to be able to just look up that information."

A great solution to this problem is to have students create things. These can be videos, podcasts, digital or physical art, writing pieces, comics, and so on. "It's a lot more difficult to cheat when you have to make something or do something. And it also integrates all of the areas and it builds up, all of that learning builds up into this creation that they will do."

For assessment, use a detailed rubric that highlights the learning goals the end product will demonstrate. A single-point rubric works well for this.

To help students discover tools to work with, this list of tools is organized by the type of product each one creates. Another great source of ideas is the Teacher's Guide to Tech.

When developing the assignment, rather than focusing on the end product, start by getting clear on what you want students to DO with that product. This list from Bill Ferriter explores the difference:

Image Credit: Bill Ferriter (CC BY-NC-ND)

What Stays the Same

Not everything in online teaching is different. Some aspects of good teaching should definitely stay the same.

Clear and consistent communication

Creating explicit and consistent rituals and routines

Using research-based instructional strategies

Determining whether to use digital or non-digital tools for an assignment

A focus on authentic learning, where authentic products are created and students have voice and choice in assignments

The teaching environment may not be the same as we're used to, but it's important to remember that good teaching is still good teaching. "All of those things that we know are really good practices can still be done virtually," Kitchen says. "It just might look a little bit different."

You can find Melanie on her website, creativecuriosity.org, or on Twitter at @MelKitchenEDU.

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9 Ways Online Teaching Should be Different from Face-to-Face

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What shifts do we need to make in our face-to-face teaching practices to make the most of online learning? What can stay exactly the same?

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