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8 Examples of Transforming Lessons Through the SAMR Cycle | Emerging Education Technologies

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8 Examples of Transforming Lessons Through the SAMR Cycle | Emerging Education Technologies

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Examples of Applying the SAMR Model can Help Teachers Understand and Embrace it

The SAMR Model for integrating technology into teaching, developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura, has gained a good deal of exposure in recent years. "SAMR" is an acronym that stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. The SAMR model provides a technique for moving through degrees of technology adoption to find more meaningful uses of technology in teaching and move away from simply using edtech for tech's sake.

We recently discussed the SAMR model during an Academic Technology Work Group meeting at The College of Westchester. We examined the video, SAMR in 120 Seconds. One thing that really struck me is how much the example helped, so I made it a point to gather and/or create some more examples.

Following are 8 examples of the SAMR process, each taking an example of a typical classroom exercise that does not use technology and walking it through each phase of SAMR. For half of these, I searched and borrowed from examples that teachers had written about online (original sources are provided - in some cases I tweaked the example a bit). I also created examples of my own. In working through this, it became apparent to me that while Substitution and Augmentation can be relatively straightforward conceptually, there is even more room for interpretation when it comes to Modification and Redefinition.

The goal of this exercise was to help me (and readers) better understand the SAMR model, and to really see how lessons and assessments can be transformed while considering the benefits of evolving them through these stages. I find it particularly interesting to see the vast difference between the original lesson and the redefined lesson - there is often a much wider range of skills required in the latter stages, and lessons can become much more engaging and collaborative when modified or redefined.

Lesson: Writing a Short Paper
Taken from: http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/08/samr-model-explained-through-examples.html. A modification of an idea found at https://edofict.wikispaces.com/SAMR+Examples. Taken from: https://edofict.wikispaces.com/SAMR+Examples and modified. Idea taken from: https://sites.google.com/a/msad60.org/technology-is-learning/samr-model and slightly modified. In this example, we take a simple form of assessment and evolve it into a collaborative group project.
Original Assignment: A hand written paper.

Lesson: Geography & Travel

Original Assignment: An overview of a location consisting of hand written content supplemented with compiled cut-and-pasted magazine clippings.

Lesson: Understanding Shakespeare

Original Assignment: Read a Shakespeare play in traditional printed format.

An Assessment Exercise
Original Assignment: Show understanding of fractions on a worksheet by coloring in blocks.
Original Assignment: Take a quiz, answers handwritten in a printed form.

Following are some example lessons, evolved through the SAMR model, that I have tried my hand at creating.It's easy to get caught up in worrying about how effectively an approach constitutes "modification" or "redefinition", but that's not the point of the exercise. To my way of thinking, it's more about understanding the difference between a just replacing or augmenting a "paper" lesson with a "digital" one and actually evolving it in a beneficial way and exploring new possibilities.

Lesson: Art/Painting
Creative Commons license image source.
Original Assignment: Drawing a picture using traditional brush, paint, paper. Of course, there is a a big difference between doing this by hand in the traditional manner and doing it digitally. Digitally is by no means better, it is just different and opens up some interesting possibilities.

Substitution: Use a digital drawing/painting program (like MS Paint) to draw/paint a picture.

Augmentation: Use a tool that allows the creation of your masterpiece to be layed back (like Educreations, for example).

Modification: Pull a background image to use as a canvas. You could even scan something hand drawn and use that.

Redefinition: Create Artwork Collaboratively using a Collaborative Online Whiteboard (like Twiddla or one of these other tools).

Lesson: Email Etiquette

Original lesson: Review printed copies of Email Etiquette concepts and guidelines.

Lesson: Learning Fractions

Substitution: Use an Excel Worksheet to let students color in the blocks.

Augmentation: Use Google Sheets to let students color in the blocks, where the teacher can offer feedback directly on Google Sheets.

Modification: Use Google Sheets and direct students to online examples and supplementary learning materials for areas that they might struggle with.

Redefinition: Use a Fractions App instead (here are a handful of examples for iOS devices).

Lesson: Phys Ed - Learning To Hit a Baseball Well

Original Assignment: Learning how to hit a baseball by watching and listening to a Coach or Phys Ed instructor show you and then trying it yourself.

Hopefully these example of lessons modified through the SAMR cycle help to encourage you to think about how you leverage technology to make some of your lessons more interactive, collaborative, and engaging with some of the many great technology tools available today! Here is a set of tools that may be helpful when working to evolve your lessons: 10 of the Most Engaging Uses of Instructional Technology (with Dozens of Resources and Tools).

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8 Examples of Transforming Lessons Through the SAMR Cycle - Emerging Education Technologies

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Examples of Applying the SAMR Model can Help Teachers Understand and Embrace it The SAMR Model for integrating technology into teaching, developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura, has gained a good deal of exposure in recent years. "SAMR" is an acronym that stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition.

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Being a 21st-century educator is a tall order. In my 15 years in the classroom, my most important "helpers" are technology, movement, and networking. Here's why.

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Home - National School Library Standards

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Home - National School Library Standards

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Home - National School Library Standards

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The new National School Library Standards reflect an evolution of AASL learning standards and program guidelines, now referred to as "Standards" and framed within a single text.

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MACUL Guidelines for Helping Classroom Teachers Transition to Online Learning | MACUL

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MACUL Guidelines for Helping Classroom Teachers Transition to Online Learning | MACUL

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Teaching online is difficult and challenging work. Nobody can learn to teach and learn well online in a couple of days, weeks or even months. As the nation asks our face to face educators to transition to an online format, MACUL is providing some guidelines to consider so that these new online classes are equitable and continue to provide a free and fair education for all students. MACUL also recognizes that it is a stressful time for teachers, students and families and hopes to help alleviate some of the stress with these guidelines. The leaders at MACUL are experts in education technology and many aspects of online learning, they share their advice in the guidelines below.

Survey ALL Students

Make sure that you survey families/students about their access to digital devices and WiFi. This is an example survey that could be modified. This data gleaned from the survey can help you decide what devices and resources to use for online learning based on the access of your students. Make sure you get a 100% response rate.

Equity: Connectivity and Devices

Online learning can create even more educational gaps if we are not careful. It is important that every single one of your students can fully access and participate in the course activities. Even in an affluent district there are students and families who are not connected or underconnected . Thus, while and other service providers (see Everyoneon for listings in your area) are offering free WiFi for Free and Reduced Lunch families, it still needs to be set up and that will take time. Keep in mind that some rural areas in the U.S. do not have many providers (so the free comcast option is not an option for rural families) and you may need to use cell phones as hotspots (or just send text or email messages that can be easily accessed on the phone). Families also need devices that can run the WiFi as well. Thus, every single family needs to be checked in on to see if they are connected and how well they are connected and if they need to borrow district devices (districts should be lending out classroom devices to families). Also, the district should consider sending trainers (or having a hotline) to homes to check in on students and their families to make sure they know how to connect to resources and use them properly.

It is imperative to use digital tools that students and teachers are already comfortable using. While many edtech companies are generously offering free versions of their tools right now, this is not a time to ask both students and teachers to try to learn many new tools at one time. Avoid using tools that you have not tested with students or on their devices. By keeping the same tools that students have used in their face to face classrooms, the transition is much easier for them. For example, if your school already uses an LMS like Google Classroom with the Google Suite, use those. Or if your school already uses Seesaw, use that. Furthermore post assignments, information in those tools. Finally, ask/require all teachers in the same school to use the same tools so that the students are not overwhelmed by having to learn and/or download numerous new digital applications.

Asynchronous Or Synchronous?

Once again, equity is key when teaching online. ALL students need to be able to access the materials, resources and learning. This means that asynchronous makes more sense to meeting the "free and fair education for all" standard, than synchronous rooms for required online meet-ups or class sessions. Most synchronous live streaming webinar rooms require a lot of bandwidth, and apps to download to devices. This may not be an option for some of your students, so keep it simple by going asynchronous as much as possible. This also allows for self-pacing in getting assignments completed. Here is a link to some step by step suggestions for developing asynchronous and synchronous solutions. This does not mean you cannot use synchronous tools, but avoid them for required class sessions or assignments, use synchronous tools (such as Google Hangouts, Big Blue Button, Skype or Zoom) to check in with students for informal meet-ups or online office hours.

Consider Extending Deadlines and Modifying Assignments

Doing activities online usually takes twice as long as face to face. Thus, consider changing the deadlines and criteria for an assignment so that it is reasonable to complete for your students in these circumstances. Some curriculum may need to be changed in light of the students no longer being in the classroom. Allow yourself this flexibility to adjust to something that is more reasonable for students to complete at home. Also keep in mind your students on IEPs and 504s, they may need extra support. This resource from the University of Michigan can be helpful in understanding how to better support students with disabilities in virtual learning.

Feedback and Scaffolds

When you teach online, feedback and scaffolds are vital. Thus, teachers should consider creating smaller assignments with many check in points, rather than a large project where you do not check in until the end. A is a good example of providing basic scaffolds in a Google document or Google slide. Voice and choice can also be helpful online where students are working from different tools and with different means of access, such as creating choice boards that include both digital and non-digital options for completing assignments.

Encourage Real World Learning

This is an opportunity to base assignments and activities that relate to students' everyday lives. If they are at home, ask them to do things around the home (such as mathematical measurements, gathering biology from their lawns, making something with things they find at home...etc).

Clear is Kind

Set clear expectations for students, so they know exactly what is required, what is optional and how to access and achieve success. Let them know where to go for help. Also, assume that some parents will not be able to easily support their children, so do your best to create independent work that children can do on their own without much parental assistance.

Mental Health Checks

Our students are stressed and anxious about all the changes, we need to build in time to do check-ins. Some students may be home alone or required to babysit siblings. Checking in to make sure they are well is important right now. These check-ins can occur through systems you already have in place to communicate with students and/or their families, such as email, text alert feeds, phone calls, or even a knock on the door (we recommend you go with another district employee and not alone, and let parents know you are coming). If you have ELLs, you may want to use Talking Points for text messages. Encourage your students to take breaks from their screens. Make an assignment to go outside and play or read a book or read a book with another person at home, all the assignments do not have to be digital. You can also record videos or share your own images to connect with your students and families, some ideas from .

Take Care of Yourself

Be kind to yourself. It takes years to do online teaching well, and you have been given days. Use tools and resources you are already comfortable with, be transparent with your students that this is new for you too, and ask for feedback from them (often). The most important thing you can do is be there for your students and if a few academic units struggle, do not stress about it, you are doing all that you can and that is enough. Take screen breaks, and take walks or read a book. It will help to refresh your brain and energy.

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MACUL Guidelines for Helping Classroom Teachers Transition to Online Learning

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Teaching online is difficult and challenging work. Nobody can learn to teach and learn well online in a couple of days, weeks or even months. As the nation asks our face to face educators to transition to an online format, MACUL is providing some guidelines to consider so that these new online classes are equitable and continue to provide a free and fair education for all students.

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The Chromebook Classroom - tips and resources for teachers

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The Chromebook Classroom - tips and resources for teachers

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The Chromebook Classroom - The Chromebook Classroom

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John Sowash shares tips, resources, and ideas for teaching with Chromebooks. Get free resources for your Chromebook classroom!

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Virtual Learning Workshops

As a technology coach and STEM teacher, I helped lead my district in blended and virtual options. As a university professor, I have worked as a Digital Fluency Initiative mentor, provided professional development on course design, and helped professors transform their face-to-face courses into distance learning courses.

Although I work full-time as a university professor, I also deliver keynotes and provide workshops on empowering students with voice and choice. My style is hands-on, engaging, practical, and fun. I infuse each learning experience with storytelling, humor, and movement. While I tailor each the learning to the needs of your staff, here is a sampling of what type of workshops I lead.

Better By Design: How to Empower Students in Virtual and Distance Learning Environments (Full Day)

Educator Expertise: Any level

Description: We didn't ask for this. We didn't anticipate this. But now many of us are teaching online and virtually. In this workshop, we explore how to boost engagement, improve collaboration, and increase student ownership in distance learning environments. We explore, step-by-step, how to improve virtual class meetings, how to use choice menus strategically, and how to get students engaged in creative projects at home. By the end, you'll have tools, strategies, and a clear plan for the future.

Boosting Student Engagement Online (Half Day)

Educator Expertise: Novice

Description: In this session, we cover seven specific strategies you can use to boost student engagement when doing virtual sessions. We dive into how to create meaningful small group interaction and how to incorporate movement and creativity into these sessions. We also explore how to design meaningful online instruction that takes students away from their screens.

Creative Collaboration from a Distance (Half Day)

Educator Expertise: Emerging

Description: Distance learning does not mean you have to abandon collaborative grouping. In this session, we explore how to build accountability and interdependency into student collaboration. We cover specific tools you can use for shared creative work and for both synchronous and asynchronous communication.

Taking Distance Learning to the Next Level (Half Day)

Educator Expertise: Expert

Description: In this workshop, we focus on how to take our distance learning to the next level with UX Design. We explore what it means to do in-depth choice menus, project-based learning units, and interdependent collaborative work. This is ideal for schools that have already been experimenting with virtual and distance learning platforms and want to take the learning to another level.

Empowering Students in Distance Learning (Self-Paced Course)

Educator Expertise: Any level

Description: What does it mean to empower our students in distance learning environments? How do we help them become self-directed when they are away from their classroom? We tackle these hard questions as we focus on what it means to have students self-select scaffolds, use choice menus, engage in creative projects and self-assess. Each day, you will watch a practical video with specific strategies and then create something meaningful that you will actually use in your distance learning classroom.

This course begins on April 20, 2020, with a new 60 minute lesson each day. It will last ten days over two weeks. However, the course is on-demand and all deadlines are flexible. Every video and resource will be available even after you have finished this course.

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As a technology coach and STEM teacher, I helped lead my district in blended and virtual options. As a university professor, I have worked as a Digital Fluency Initiative mentor, provided professional development on course design, and helped professors transform their face-to-face courses into distance learning courses.

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@kathyschrock

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Educational technology for K-16 educators

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Nicholas Provenzano, High School Teacher and Blogger  @thenerdyteacher

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Nicholas Provenzano, High School Teacher and Blogger  @thenerdyteacher

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Nicholas Provenzano @thenerdyteacher has a great blog full of ideas. Projects such as an Interactive Fiction Webinar - Python Coding in ELA #EngChat intrigued me, as well as various things he advocates for like Minecraft EDU, effective plans for remote learning, and just supporting educators in general. I think the blog is preferable to following his twitter account; there's so much to unpack there. Well worth a look! He's a Michigander.

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It was bound to happen. Conferences are back and teachers are ready to dive into professional development. I wanted to share some tips for anyone that is new to ISTE or any other conference.

1. Wear comfortable shoes. You will be putting miles on your feet over the next few days and you need to take care of your feet. While wearing nice shows while you present or go out after the conferences is nice, you need comfy shoes to walk the halls and the exhibit hall. If your feet are sore after a day, the next couple will be painfully difficult to get around.

2. Stay hydrated. This is particular important for ISTE this year. Drink water all the time, especially if you will be drinking non-water drinks at night. You will not be able to concentrate and you will feel like a hot mess if you are not properly hydrated.

3. Eat. This one seems silly, but it is so easy to get wrapped up in the day and not have a good lunch or breakfast. You need energy for the day and these meals will help you get through the hustle and bustle of a conference. Eat healthy and carve out time to do it. Enter it into your planner and follow it. Your tummy will thank you later.

4. Do not be scared to say hi to people you follow on Social Media. We are all educators and are dedicated to making education better for all. Just because someone has more followers than another person, does not make them more important than everyone else. Say hi. Ask a question. Connect. This is why we are at a conference, so don't be afraid to do it. Maybe avoid talking to them in the bathroom. :-)

5. Find time to unpack. I don't mean your suitcase, I mean what you learned that day. Find a quiet spot and just reflect on what you saw and how you might bring that to your school, district or classroom. Make some notes to yourself so that you can look back at them after the conference and remember what you were thinking when everything was fresh in your mind.

6. Check out the conference sessions and try to plan accordingly. I'd love it if you came to my sessions. I'm doing a session on MakerEd on Monday. Look at the schedule and add the sessions that interest you most. If there is more than one session you want to attend, see if there is a friend going and get their notes. There is never enough time to see everything, so it is important to plan ahead so you do not miss everything.

7. Visit the vendors. I always like to take time to visit the vendor hall and check out anything new and to just say thanks for the cool and innovative things they have brought to the classroom. I always end up with a couple of new gadgets I want to bring into the classroom or want to explore. They vendors help make conferences possible, so please stop by and check them out.

8. Vote with your feet. This staple of edcamp is important at conferences. Time is limited and you do not want to waste it in a session that is not what you hoped. Get up and go. You will not be offending anyone. You need to get the most out of your time at a conference and sitting in a session for an hour not learning anything is not a good use of your time. This is why it is good to have a backup session for each time slot in case you have a bad one. If you can't get into a back up session, go to one of the lounges and connect with others. Some of the best learning happens in the hallways.

9. Go out and have fun! After each day, there is fun to be had at many of the restaurants around the convention center. It is a great time to connect and talk about the things you have learned and make new friends. Some of my closest friends were made at a conference. Getting together and celebrating an end of a school year and the cool things you have learned is a must. Do that with other great educators at the end of each day and you will have a great conference.

If any other veteran conference attendees have other tips, please add them to the comment section. I hope all of you will take the time to stop and say Hi if you see me. I'd love to connect with all of you and learn something new.

Hugs and High Fives,

Nick

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It was bound to happen. Conferences are back and teachers are ready to dive into professional development. I wanted to share some tips for anyone that is new to ISTE or any other conference. 1. Wear comfortable shoes. You will be putting miles on your feet over the next few days and you need to take care of your feet.

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Heather Gauck @heathergauck, another Michigander, is behind this amazing program, The Innovation Classroom. It's a curated collection of effective educational technology resources for teachers to improve student achievement based on extensive research and experience. She wants to teach professionals how to integrate technology in the classroom; by sharing her expertise and creating a community of ideas. Mark Zuckerburg's foundation supported this.

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LEARNING FORWARD

LEARNING FORWARD is the only professional association devoted exclusively to those who work in educator professional development. They help leverage the power of professional learning to affect positive and lasting change and believe in transforming professional learning, increasing educator capacity, and improving student achievement. Learning Forward shows how to plan, implement, and measure high-quality professional learning to achieve student success.

We thank them for their support in making Innovation Classroom a reality. Without their sponsorship this platform would not have been made possible. Thank you LEARNING FORWARD.

For more information about LEARNING FORWARD and the great work they are doing every day, please visit them using the button below.

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LEARNING FORWARD is the only professional association devoted exclusively to those who work in educator professional development. They help leverage the power of professional learning to affect positive and lasting change and believe in transforming professional learning, increasing educator capacity, and improving student achievement.

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Bloomin' Apps - Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything

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Bloomin' Apps - Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything

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This page gathers all of the Bloomin' Apps projects in one place.I have

Each image has clickable hotspots and includes suggestions for iPad, Android, Google and online tools and applications to support each of the levels of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy.

created a page to allow you to share your favorite online tool, iOS, or Android app with others.

I began to think about the triangular shape of Bloom's Taxonomy and realized I thought of it a bit differently.

Since the cognitive processes are meant to be used when necessary, and any learner goes in and out of the each level as they acquire new content and turn it into knowledge, I created a different type of image that showcased my thoughts about Bloom's more meaningfully.

Here is my visual which showcases the interlocking nature of the cognitive processes or, simply, the "Cogs of the Cognitive Processes".

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Includes all the Bloomin' versions in one place!

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Candace B. is an Elementary technology teacher, her website is packed full of practical and useful tech support, and her twitter feed @candytechideas is vibrant and full of energy. I was impressed with this shared document she created as a resource for families navigating all G-Suite that can be copied and reused.

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Grab my button:

To create students that are innovative and creative, who are able to work in a collaborative environment, and who can successfully research information fluently to solve problems and make decisions. Our hope is that our students leave us with all the necessary skills to be responsible digital citizens in an ever-changing technological world.
​-Mrs. Buchanan-

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To create students that are innovative and creative, who are able to work in a collaborative environment, and who can successfully research information fluently to solve problems and make decisions. Our hope is that our students leave us with all the necessary skills to be responsible digital citizens in an ever-changing technological world.

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John R. Sowash - Sowash Ventures, LLC (Tech consulting for schools)

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John R. Sowash - Sowash Ventures, LLC (Tech consulting for schools)

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John R. Sowash is the owner of Sowash Ventures, LLC which helps schools use technology inmeaningful ways. This is what I do.

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Remove the background of any video - 100% automatically, online & free! Goodbye Greenscreen. Hello Unscreen.

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Mote | fast, friendly voice notes & feedback

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Mote saves you time and builds relationships with fast, friendly voice notes & feedback. Start today at https://mote.com/signup

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Parlay Ideas | The Future of Classroom Discussions

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Parlay Ideas | The Future of Classroom Discussions

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Parlay is an AI-powered instructional platform that helps teachers facilitate meaningful, measurable, and inclusive class discussions. Join over a million teachers and students. Start using Parlay for free in your class today.

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Free Templates and How To’s for Google Slides and PowerPoint!

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Free Templates and How To’s for Google Slides and PowerPoint!

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Recent Templates

Looking for how to videos and tutorials?

Are you too a #SlidesManiac?

Shout out to SlidesMania for creating so many unique and fun templates! I especially love the virtual notebooks!

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SlidesMania | Free Google Slides themes and PowerPoint templates.

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The best 100% free Google Slides themes and pptx templates. Your PowerPoint and Google Slides will never be the same. No registration or download limits!

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Customize all district devices with wallpaper, sharing important information. Can be updated as needed.

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Customize all district devices with wallpaper, sharing important information. Can be updated as needed.

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The Google Admin console is filled with lots of features to help school districts manage their Chromebooks.

Some of these features are very technical while others are classroom focused.

Every once in a while, you'll discover something that makes you stop and think...wait...what? Why is that there?

The ability to manage the wallpaper on district-owned Chromebooks is one of the surprising features hidden inside of the Chrome management settings.
At first glance, you might think "I've got enough to worry about with apps and extensions and web filtering...the last thing I need to do is manage student wallpaper!"
But take another look, because wallpaper isn't just for aesthetics or to prevent students from using inappropriate images as their device background - you can it for communication.

Think of the desktop image on your Chromebook fleet like little billboards strategically placed throughout your classrooms, media centers, and offices. What do you want to say?

Chromebook Wallpaper Inspiration

Here are a few examples of how school districts are using desktop wallpaper to communicate with students.

Forest Park Middle School in Franklin, Wisconsin pushed out desktop wallpaper at the end of the school year to remind students of the Chromebook return procedure.

Wheatley Park School in Oxford, England builds school community by pushing out weekly wallpaper updates featuring the Word of the Week and one of the school's community values.

Batesburg-Leesville school district in South Carolina uses the desktop space to provide staff and students with Chromebook tech tips.

? Check out some of the other neat things Batesburg-Leesville schools are doing to build school culture in this episode of the Chromebook Classroom podcast!

Commerce Independent School District in Texas features student artwork as desktop wallpaper with a winning design for elementary, middle, and high school.

Designing Custom Chromebook Wallpaper

You will want to verify the resolution of your devices to determine the correct size for your image file. If you have multiple Chromebook models you may need to develop multiple version to ensure that it renders correctly.

To determine the resolution of your Chromebook, click on the "snowman" (three dots in the top right corner of the browser) and select settings.

From the settings page search for "displays." Inside of the displays section, you will see an option for "internal display" which will list the current resolution of your device.

There are lots of tools you can use to design your image file. Here are a couple of good options:

Google Slides - change the page size to match the size of your Chromebooks. You can create additional slides each time you want to change the wallpaper and can share the file with others to collaborate on creating new wallpaper designs.

Canva - use the desktop wallpaper project type which features dozen of professionally designed templates. If you want a design that stands out, use Canva!

Regardless of the tool you use, you will want to export your finished design as a .jpg file of 16 MB or less.

Pushing out your Wallpaper

You can deploy your wallpaper in two ways:

Device Configuration - Deploys wallpaper to a specific group of devices, regardless of the user. Wallpaper will be visible on the lock screen. Use this method for district branding and generic communication.

To push out wallpaper by device, log in to the admin console and visit Device Management > Chrome > Device Settings > Sign in Settings

For more information on this setting, you can read Google's help article here .

User Configuration - Use this method if you want to deploy different wallpapers based on user role (elementary student, high school student, teacher, etc).

Wallpaper can be deployed to any organizational unit within your G Suite domain. This is the best option for building-specific messaging.

To push out wallpaper by user, log in to the admin console and visit Device Management > Chrome > User Settings > General

Google's help article on user wallpaper is available here .

Can users change managed wallpaper?

Users will be unable to remove or replace district-managed wallpaper as long as the image file is still present in the admin console.

If you only want to take over the desktop image temporarily, there is a work-around you can use to give users the ability to replace the image you have pushed out.

1. Push out wallpaper using one of the above methods.

2. After a period of time, delete the image file from the admin console.

3. The district wallpaper will still be present, but users can change it as they like.

How would you use this feature in your district? Leave a comment to share your creative ideas!

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The Google Admin console is filled with lots of features to help school districts manage their Chromebooks. Some of these features are very technical while others are classroom focused. Every once in a while, you'll discover something that makes you stop and think...wait...what? Why is that there?

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Padlet mini allows you to bookmark the best of the web by adding items to a collaborative digital canvas.

WHAT IS A PADLET?

A padlet is a blank canvas.

We give you an empty page and you can put whatever you like on it. Drag in a video, record an interview, snap a selfie, write text posts or upload some documents, and voilà!

Padlet is different from other blogging tools and inspiration boards because it's flexible. Create a grocery list, a Venn diagram, a discussion board, a group greeting card, a portfolio, or a business plan, all in one app. Used by teachers, students, professionals, and individuals of all ages, all around the world, padlets can be selectively shared and edited among multiple contributors.

See an example padlet: http://padlet.com/about/us

WHY SHOULD I USE PADLET?

1. Padlets are shareable. So, instead of collecting links about your next vacation alone, you can collect it together with your better half. Hoard together!

2. You can keep everything in one place. Once you have collected your links, you can add text notes, upload files to the same padlet. An example: upload your train tickets to the same padlet that has an article about the city you'll be visiting. Oh, and maybe write a travel journal as you go.

3. Padlets are beautiful. Make a padlet yours by choosing custom backgrounds, themes, and building your profile.

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Collect and bookmark the best of web for yourself or with friends.

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Time to go shopping for HyperDocs! Look closely at design elements, different packaging options, engagement strategies, and more. Imagine the potential and possibility of digital lesson design with HyperDocs!

Click on the image below to access HyperDocs in each content area.

Did we miss a subject area or topic that you want? Is there a problem with any of the HyperDocs linked here? Leave a comment here and let us know!

Comments (29)

Please add a HyperDoc example for 45 minutes lesso

Please add a HyperDoc example for 45 minutes lesson (world language)

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Time to go shopping for HyperDocs! Look closely at design elements, different packaging options, engagement strategies, and more. Imagine the potential and possibility of digital lesson design with HyperDocs! Click on the image below to access HyperDocs in each content area. Did we miss a subject area or topic that you want?

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No wifi? Can you use a Chromebook without internet access?

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No wifi? Can you use a Chromebook without internet access?

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Has this ever happened to you?

You're in the middle of your 3rd period. Things are going well. The lesson you created for your students is working better than you planned.

Suddenly, you can sense the momentum begin to change.

Students who had been working diligently are beginning to stir and squirm.

They begin to whisper to one another:

"Hey, Is the internet working for you?"

"I can't get this page to load."

Your worst fear as a Chromebook loving teacher has arrived...the wifi is down!

Can you use a Chromebook without internet access?

Chromebook were born on the web. They are a web-first device. Using them without web access isn't ideal; but it can be done.

Can you use a Chromebook without internet access?

Yes!

But there are a few things you should know first...

Chromebooks can, if necessary, be set up to work without internet access. Configuring offline access is only recommended in situations where students are assigned to a single device. Offline access is not a realistic option in a shared device situation. Remember, Chromebooks are designed to run on the web. Using them offline disables some of the best features of the device.

Google Drive

To enable Drive offline, each individual user must log in to their Drive account, visit Drive settings (look for the gear icon in the top right corner of the screen), and check the box that says "Enable offline access." A copy of your entire Google Drive account will be downloaded locally on your Chromebook for use when you go offline. These files will be automatically synced when you reconnect to a network.

The offline capabilities of drive are limited. Here is a quick overview:

The list below will help you understand the offline capabilities of Google Drive:

My Drive Folders: View only. Cannot create new folders or organize existing files while offline

Shared with me: Not available offline. Shared files that were previously added to My Drive will be accessible.

Docs: Collaborative, research and other web-enabled features will not be available

Sheets: Collaborative, research and other web-enabled features will not be available

Presentation: Collaborative, research and other web-enabled features will not be available

Forms: Not available offline.

Drawing: View only. Can not edit or create drawings offline.

Non-Drive Files: Files that can be viewed in Drive will be viewable (.pdf, .jpg, .mov, etc). Other files (.psd, .indd, etc) cannot be viewed offline.

Click here to learn more about using Drive offline.

Note that changes made to a collaborative document that is edited by others while you are offline will result in sync issues which will need to be addressed individually.

Can you use a Chromebook without internet access? Absolutely, but you will need to make sure that Google Drive is configured for offline access.

The new version of Gmail has greater support for offline use. Offline access can be enabled by visiting the Gmail settings (look for the gear icon in the top right corner of the screen) and visiting the offline tab.

You can configure how many emails are saved offline (mine is set to 30 day worth of mail). Messages you compose while offline will be queued for delivery when you re-connect.

The Google Keep Chrome app is handy for taking quick notes, reminders, and creating a to-do list. Google Keep automatically syncs an offline copy of your notes; no configuration required!

The Keep app is a great resource when the wifi goes out. I find Keep to be more user-friendly than Google Drive when I am offline. For quick notes or rough form writing it is my go-to option.

When I'm back online I can easily convert my Keep note into a Google Docs or Presentation using the Keep notepad integration within Drive.

Watching Video Offline Video

Making video available for offline watching is difficult.

Currently, subscribing to YouTube Premium ($9.99/month) is the only way to make YouTube Videos available offline.

Videos saved to Google Drive are not supported offline either.

To make videos available for offline viewing, users must manually download them as files in the Chromebook's local storage, where they will be available for play.

Teachers who use the flipped classroom method of instruction will want to make videos available for their students via Drive and remind them to download those videos to the local storage when an internet connection is available. This method works most effectively for students who don't have internet access at home and are able to plan in advance.

Chrome Apps that work Offline

Some apps in the Chrome Web Store also feature offline capabilities.

Look for the lightning bolt on the app description, which indicates offline compatibility. You can also browse all of the offline-capable apps here . Here are a few helpful titles to install (search by name in the Chrome Web Store):

Note: Some of these apps require that they be opened and configured at least once prior to being run in offline mode.

Can you use a Chromebook without internet access? Absolutely! But you will need to make sure that you have some offline-capable apps installed before you lose your connection.

5 ideas for no-wifi class periods

Not having wifi access when you have prepared a technology-infused lesson is frustrating. The honest truth is that without wifi, you should probably enact plan B.

Technology is a tool, not an end. There is little value in complicating a lesson by trying to limp along without wifi..

Embrace this opportunity to turn of the tech for the day. Here are a few ideas for "plan b"

Have a class debate

Divide students into small groups and have mini discussions.

Ask students to draw a diagram or concept map

Have a class read-aloud

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You're in the middle of your 3rd period. Things are going well. The lesson you created for your students is working better than you planned. Suddenly, you can sense the momentum begin to change. Students who had been working diligently are beginning to stir and squirm.

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Repeat after me: Academic Databases are the Netflix for Nerds!

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Repeat after me: Academic Databases are the Netflix for Nerds!

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As a high school librarian, I know how important it is for my students to navigate and utilize academic databases. Ninety five percent of our students graduate with plans to continue their education, and will be expected to conduct research through their college or university library subscriptions.

Teaching students to navigate the databases is not the hardest part of my job, though. The most difficult part is convincing students that they are worth exploring. Every time I am asked to introduce research strategies and resources to a class, I wrestle with the same questions:

1. How can I compete with the "I'll just Google it" mentality that many teens (and adults!) have when approaching a research project?

2. How can I convince learners that academic databases are a treasure trove of fantastic resources?

3. How can I help students see how academic databases are DIFFERENT from Google searches?

4. What will convince students that there are actually MORE results available through the databases than Google could ever bring them?

Like most brilliant "aha moments" I have NO IDEA where this one came from. One day I was preparing to introduce a class of freshman to our academic databases and it dawned on me that I needed a clear metaphor to help students connect the concept of a database to a concept they already knew about. Hence, the "Netflix for Nerds" lesson hook was born.

Now I begin research lessons by asking students to repeat after me, "academic databases are the Netflix for nerds*!" There is usually a bit of chuckling mixed in with confusion and blank stares. So we say it aloud again after I reassure them that I am, in fact, a very proud nerd. By the second or third time we say it as a group, I have their attention and ask them to trust me as I help them see a connection between Netflix and academic databases.

In small groups, I have students brainstorm everything they know about subscription services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime. As students chat, I circulate and listen for great ideas I can tease out of the class when we come together as a whole group.

Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash

After several minutes, the brain storming stops and the whole group instruction begins. I ask volunteers to tell me something they know about Netflix and then promise to show them how it relates to our databases. During the next fifteen minutes, students give me their ideas while I make connections to the databases and model what I am talking about on the big screen.

It usually play out like this:
Student: "You have to pay for Netflix!"
Me: "Well....someone in your house has to pay for it, but how many of you actually pay the bill?" **crickets**

"That's what I thought, and that's okay! Our academic databases work the SAME way. Just like your parents pay for Netflix and you get to watch it, the library pays for databases and YOU get to use them."
Student: "It's organized in categories and you can search it."
Me: "Our databases are the SAME! Just like Netflix, you can search for a particular title OR you can browse by categories if you aren't sure exactly what you are looking for."
Student: "There's stuff you can find only on Netflix and stuff you can find other places."
Me: "Our databases are the SAME! The companies that manage the database get content from lots of places - newspapers, magazines, book publishers, historians, and more. They also develop some of their own content to help researchers understand big ideas around particular topics. These are like the 'Netflix originals' "
Student: "You can find different shows on Netflix than you can on Hulu."
Me: "Our databases are the SAME! Each one that we subscribe to has different content which is why we subscribe to so many."
Student: "You need a Netflix password."
Me: "Our databases are the SAME! Because we pay for our databases, we want to make sure that our students are the only ones using them. You will need special passwords to access our databases when you are not at school."
Student: "Netflix has a lot of variety."
Me: "Our databases are the SAME! They are not just full of articles. You can find images, video clips, and audio files here too!"
Student: "Netflix lets you make a list to save things you want to watch."
Me: "Our databases are the SAME! You can connect our databases with your Google account so you can easily save all the cool content you find in order to come back to it later."
Student: "Netflix has things you cannot find anywhere else."
Me: "Our databases are the SAME! Just like I cannot do a Google search and watch 'Stranger Things' for free on the internet, I cannot read a full book online for free either. But, when the library pays a fee to the database company, we can gain access to that full book - the same way paying your Netflix bills gets you access to 'Stranger Things'

That last point is the most important to help me drive home my message. I reinforce to students that using a database does not restrict the content that's available to them...it gives them access to so much more.

I love using the "Netflix for Nerds" analogy with my students. It's an easy way to help them understand the concept of a database, and when I teach follow up lessons, the class ALWAYS remember how to complete the sentence, "Academic databases are the ......"

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

*Now, I know what you are thinking. The term "nerd" isn't exactly flattering, but I love the alliteration and it certainly helps students remember the analogy!

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Repeat after me: Academic Databases are the Netflix for Nerds!

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As a high school librarian, I know how important it is for my students to navigate and utilize academic databases. Ninety five percent of our students graduate with plans to continue their education, and will be expected to conduct research through their college or university library subscriptions. Teaching students to

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Ready to create interactive learning opportunities for students? Take advantage of choice boards. In this blog entry, we'll explore a few reasons why they are powerful and provide examples you can adapt. First, let's answer a simple question.

What are Choice Boards?

"Teachers will plan in a whole new way," says Kathi Kerznowski (). Wondering what choice boards are? Some define them as graphic organizers that provide students choices about how they learn. "Choice boards are awesome," tweets Stacey Noonan (@snoonan44)

"Choice boards are set up in a grid, generally with 9 squares," says Cassidy Reinken. She says, "You can require that students complete items from the choice board in a specific way." This can involve expecting students to choose choices in a row, one activity from every colored section or choose at random. You can vary level of difficulty. Cassidy makes four suggestions about choice boards:

1. Focus on a single concept or learning expectation.

2. Each activity square should relate to a different multiple intelligence.

3. Encourage students to complete three activities in a row.

4. Each square, with the exception of the interpersonal square, are individual activities.

Watch this short video how to teach with choice boards(updated video):

Why Choice Boards?

Here are ten reasons why choice boards engage learners. Choice boards:

1. Facilitate differentiated learning opportunities.

2. Can be used in any subject.

3. Provide different contexts for students and engage a variety of their senses. These approaches are supported by research (Source).

4. Offer learners of all ages choices in how they learn about a new topic or understand a familiar one.

5. Provide tiered levels of learning opportunities.

6. Serve as a contract between student and teacher.

7. Can be adapted for special education or individualized education plans (IEPs).

8. Increase student ownership.

9. Focus students on essential knowledge, skills, and strategies aligned to curricular goals.

10. Make it easy to manage "a single lesson, a week-long lesson, or even a month-long period of study" (Source).

Want to see some examples of choice boards or learning menus?

Where Can I Find Choice Board Examples?

Looking to get started with designing choice boards? Some choice board sources include:

Wondering how to design your own digital choice board? Read Caitlin Tucker's instructions.

Create Interactive Learning with Choice Boards

Begin with digital choice boards. Use tech tools like Google Docs, Microsoft Word Online, or Microsoft OneNote. Adapt these tools to create choice boards. All of them support tables, image insertion, and sharing with students. Make a digital choice board to facilitate access to activities, and be sure to include multimedia.

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Create Interactive Learning with a Choice Board

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Innovative teachers empower students through the use of the choice board, either in paper or digital format. Learn how and see examples in this blog.

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The fastest way to record and instantly share a video from your mobile device.

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Online Chart and Graph Maker - Chartle.com

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Online Chart and Graph Maker - Chartle.com

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Free Online Chart and Graph Maker

Chartle.com is a free online tool where you can create and make your own charts and graphs. We support line charts, bar graphs, bubble charts, pie and donut charts as well as scatter, radar and polar graphs and charts. Select a chart type and enter data for your chart and the chart will be created instantly. You can set all kinds of properties like colors, labels, grid, legend and title. You can also annotate your chart with text and shapes. The result can be saved for later editing or can be saved as image or shared online.

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Chartle.com is a free online tool where you can create and make your own charts and graphs. We support line charts, bar graphs, bubble charts, pie and donut charts as well as scatter, radar and polar graphs and charts. Select a chart type and enter data for your chart and the chart will be created instantly.

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TalkingPoints - Improving student outcomes through meaningful school-family partnerships.

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TalkingPoints - Improving student outcomes through meaningful school-family partnerships.

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Stop Motion Studio - Let's Make a Movie.

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Stop Motion Studio - Let's Make a Movie.

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Stop Motion Studio - Let's Make a Movie.

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Want to create movies like Wallace and Gromit or those groovy Lego shorts on YouTube? Stop Motion Studio helps you to create terrific stop action movies with a whole host of unique features. Like the frame-by-frame editor, the never get lost timeline and the sound editor.

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Masters of Tradition: A Cultural Journey Across America | Smithsonian Folklife

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Masters of Tradition: A Cultural Journey Across America | Smithsonian Folklife

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Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

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Explore the Masters of Tradition Story Map. Discover the rich diversity of cultures and artistic traditions that enliven our nation. Meet extraordinary artists from across the country who have received the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship, the nation's highest honor for excellence in the folk and traditional arts. Together they represent a remarkable portrait of America's diverse cultural heritage.

This story map is an expanding resource as we continue to add more NEA Heritage Fellows. In December 2022, it was updated to include a total of 150 fellows.

America's artistic and cultural diversity is a powerful testament to the vibrant interplay of creativity, tradition, and innovation alive in our communities. It speaks to the treasured principles of cultural democracy that characterize this nation and the shared humanity that links us all.

Every year since 1982, the National Endowment for the Arts has awarded National Heritage Fellowships to a broad array of extraordinary artists in recognition of their artistic excellence and their valuable contributions to America's diverse cultural heritage. To date, more than 400 individuals and groups from every region of the country have received the nation's highest honor for excellence in the folk and traditional arts: Navajo basket makers, Irish American fiddlers, African American quilters, Mexican American accordionists, Appalachian storytellers, Cambodian American dancers, an Iraqi American oud player, and many more.

These artists are not only great masters of their tradition. They are teachers, mentors, innovators, and advocates who have worked tirelessly to sustain and share the cherished cultures of their communities, fostering pride, recognition, and respect; building cultural bridges; bringing people together.

Take a cultural journey across the United States. Discover inspiring stories of the American experience and the beautiful diversity of communities and artistic expressions that enrich our nation.

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Masters of Tradition: A Cultural Journey Across America

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Explore the Masters of Tradition Story Map. Discover the rich diversity of cultures and artistic traditions that enliven our nation. Meet extraordinary artists from across the country who have received the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship, the nation's highest honor for excellence in the folk and traditional arts.

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TeachingBooks | Author & Book Resources to Support Reading Education

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TeachingBooks | Author & Book Resources to Support Reading Education

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TeachingBooks | Author & Book Resources to Support Reading Education

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TeachingBooks strives to enrich everyone's experience reading children's and young adult books with our original and curated literary resources.

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World101 from the Council on Foreign Relations

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World101 is a growing library of multimedia explainers that provide an immersive learning experience in a variety of settings by teaching complex international affairs concepts and foreign policymaking processes through entertaining, interactive, multimedia storytelling techniques.

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Due to the current state of events and the challenging circumstances we are facing as a global community, we've decided to temporarily suspend our subscription service and give full access to our app for free, as a way to support families staying at home. See our statement here.

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Due to the current state of events and the challenging circumstances we are facing as a global community, we've decided to temporarily suspend our subscription service and give full access to our app for free, as a way to support families staying at home. See our statement here.

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Tweets by AppleEDU

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teacher educator "google classroom" "distance learning" "remote instruction" "teaching tutorials" edtech "google suite for education" "online learning" teach...

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Hi! My name is Gin Peterson and I am a high school computer science teacher in a Title I school right outside NYC. I am a firm believer that access to computer science education at the K-12 level is a civil rights issue and every student should have access to it!

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Ready to tap into the full power of Wakelet? Don't depend on your imagination alone. Explore these templates for innovative ways to wakelet your teaching, learning and leading. Use Wakelet Templates to make...

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bunhead duct tape hacking school libraries

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Kathy Schrock on Twitter: "Am I the last one to learn this tip for making a transcription? Open a Google Doc - Tools - Voice Typing. Start any video or audio file on your computer and the Voice Typing creates a serviceable transcription! https://t.co/LNdoLfFlUL" / Twitter

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Kathy Schrock on Twitter: "Am I the last one to learn this tip for making a transcription? Open a Google Doc - Tools - Voice Typing. Start any video or audio file on your computer and the Voice Typing creates a serviceable transcription! https://t.co/LNdoLfFlUL" / Twitter

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Am I the last one to learn this tip for making a transcription? Open a Google Doc - Tools - Voice Typing. Start any video or audio file on your computer and the Voice Typing creates a serviceable transcription!

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Am I the last one to learn this tip for making a transcription? Open a Google Doc - Tools - Voice Typing. Start any video or audio file on your computer and the Voice Typing creates a serviceable transcription! https://t.co/LNdoLfFlUL

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Am I the last one to learn this tip for making a transcription? Open a Google Doc - Tools - Voice Typing. Start any video or audio file on your computer and the Voice Typing creates a serviceable transcription! pic.twitter.com/LNdoLfFlUL
— Kathy Schrock (@kathyschrock) July 12, 2020

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Am I the last one to learn this tip for making a transcription? Open a Google Doc - Tools - Voice Typing. Start any video or audio file on your computer and the Voice Typing creates a serviceable transcription! https://t.co/LNdoLfFlUL

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Am I the last one to learn this tip for making a transcription? Open a Google Doc - Tools - Voice Typing. Start any video or audio file on your computer and the Voice Typing creates a serviceable transcription! https://t.co/LNdoLfFlUL

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Am I the last one to learn this tip for making a transcription? Open a Google Doc - Tools - Voice Typing. Start any video or audio file on your computer and the Voice Typing creates a serviceable transcription!

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Best Digital Tools for Teaching & Learning

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Best Digital Tools for Teaching & Learning

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You searched for best - National School Library Standards

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Free Parent-Teacher Communication That Works, For Everyone - ClassTag

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Free Parent-Teacher Communication That Works, For Everyone - ClassTag

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"ClassTag is transformational. I have never seen this level of parent engagement. A must have tool for every teacher!"

Rebecca Karow Kindergarten Teacher, Success Academy, New York City

"What I love about ClassTag is that if I have something in my calendar, or that parents need to respond to, ClassTag sends them automatic reminders, so I don't need to do any of that work."

Danielle Fugazzi 1st Grade Teacher, Now Assistant Principal, New York City

"We had the idea to have parents choose their own times for parent-teacher conferences...We implemented that with ClassTag, it was super cool. Teachers bought into it... it was fabulous!"

Susan Oehlertz Technology Integrationist

"ClassTag has opened up the gates for teacher-parent communication! There's no more waiting for responses or risking lost papers getting sent to and from school. It is a super way to send reminders to parents!"

Leslie Aden 5th Grade Teacher, Pocahontas Area Elementary, Iowa

Everyone's Invited

Parents don't have to download an app to join the party. ClassTag's smart messages reach all parents based on their preferred channel (SMS, email, app, web or paper) automatically translated into 100+ languages.

Easy to Get Involved

Parents can participate with one easy click

* Events

* Sign-ups

* Volunteer Opportunities

* Donations and Supplies

* Parent-Teacher Conference

One Simple Source of Info

Share classroom moments through messages, videos, file libraries and virtual backpacks - all in one place

I'm a Teacher

Connect with Parents
Sign up

I'm a School Leader

Better communication
Sign up

I'm a Parent

Connect with Teachers

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Free Parent-Teacher Communication That Works, For Everyone

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ClassTag transforms how you connect with parents, saves time on communication, and brings in free supplies for your class. Plus, it's free!

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Alice Keeler Teacher Tech blog provides tips and resources on teaching with Educational Technology EdTech.

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Ramsey Musallam: 3 rules to spark learning | TED Talk

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Ramsey Musallam: 3 rules to spark learning | TED Talk

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Get a daily email featuring the latest talk, plus a quick mix of trending content.

By subscribing, you understand and agree that we will store, process and manage your personal information according to our Privacy Policy

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Ramsey Musallam: 3 rules to spark learning

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It took a life-threatening condition to jolt chemistry teacher Ramsey Musallam out of ten years of "pseudo-teaching" to understand the true role of the educator: to cultivate curiosity. In a fun and personal talk, Musallam gives 3 rules to spark imagination and learning, and get students excited about how the world works.

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With Flocabulary, every lesson is an opportunity to bring the curriculum to life and reinforce core knowledge and skills.

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Cite This For Me: Web Citer - Chrome Web Store

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Cite This For Me: Web Citer - Chrome Web Store

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Automatically create website citations in the APA, MLA, Chicago, or Harvard referencing styles at the click of a button.

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Read&Write for Google Chrome™ - Chrome Web Store

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Read&Write for Google Chrome™ - Chrome Web Store

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Boost reading and writing confidence across all types of content and devices, in class, at work, and at home.

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Gimkit is a game show for the classroom that requires knowledge, collaboration, and strategy to win. Get started for free!

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How Can We Make the Most of Synchronous and Asynchronous Time in Distance Learning? – KATIE MARTIN

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How Can We Make the Most of Synchronous and Asynchronous Time in Distance Learning? – KATIE MARTIN

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Katie Martin | Informed by Research, Inspired by Practice

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How Can We Make the Most of Synchronous and Asynchronous Time in Distance Learning?

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As we look forward to the fall in which many schools will continue in a distance learning model to begin the year, we know that the Herculean effort that has be

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On these pages you will find resources to help you and your family while you are educating your children at home during the Covid-19 pandemic. There are interviews with families, educators, school leaders, parenting experts and others; curated lists of activities and programs; articles offering insight from around the world; and a submission form where we hope you will share your experience of what learning from home looks like for you and your family.

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On these pages you will find resources to help you and your family while you are educating your children at home during the Covid-19 pandemic. There are interviews with families, educators, school leaders, parenting experts and others; curated lists of activities and programs; articles offering insight from around the world; and a submission form where we hope you will share your experience of what learning from home looks like for you and your family.

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Welcome - Home - Michigan eLibrary at Michigan eLibrary, Library of Michigan

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Welcome - Home - Michigan eLibrary at Michigan eLibrary, Library of Michigan

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70+ Awesome Apps that Integrate with Google Classroom - SULS053 | Shake Up Learning

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70+ Awesome Apps that Integrate with Google Classroom - SULS053 | Shake Up Learning

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85+ Awesome Apps that Integrate with Google Classroom

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Check out this list of over 85 Apps that Integrate with Google Classroom! Did you know that Google Classroom plays well with others? Yep! Google is known for making their applications open to working with third-party applications, and Google Classroom is no exception.

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IN CASE YOU MISS ME ASKING 4 BILLION TIMES, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE TO JOIN US LEARN ABOUT GOOGLE, TEACHING, AND EDUCATION! ONE OF THE MAIN RESOURCES I USED TO FIND WHAT TO MAKE VIDEOS ON WAS CREATED BY THE PHENOMENAL ALSO, I CAN COME TO YOUR SCHOOL OR CONFERENCE AND HELP YOUR TEACHERS NOT BE CONFUSED BY GOOGLE, HMU ERIC CURTS CLICK FOR MY YOUTUBE

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IN CASE YOU MISS ME ASKING 4 BILLION TIMES, PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE TO JOIN US LEARN ABOUT GOOGLE, TEACHING, AND EDUCATION!

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Newest Google Classroom Cheat Sheet - Published - Google Slides

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Newest Google Classroom Cheat Sheet - Published - Google Slides

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Google Classroom Scavenger Hunt - Google Slides

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Google Classroom Scavenger Hunt - Google Slides

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Save time and provide better Google docs annotations with quality canned responses.

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Pick a video, add your magical touch and track your students' understanding

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Join the Peartember celebration for giveaways, exclusive templates, and more! Learn more >

EFFORTLESSLY BUILD ENGAGING INSTRUCTIONAL CONTENT, RIGHT FROM GOOGLE SLIDES

The fastest way to transform presentations into classroom conversations

Imagine if you could engage every student in your class, every day. What if you could instantly see who's confused and who's ready for more? That's the power of Pear Deck. And now, with the Pear Deck for Google Slides Add-on, you can add the magic of formative assessments and interactive questions to your presentations right from Google Slides.

Design brilliant slides & engage your class

Open up Google Slides & the Pear Deck sidebar

Design a new presentation or open an existing one in Slides. Just getting started with Google Slides? Upload your PowerPoint or Keynote lessons to Google Slides and get going!

DROP IN FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS

Our team of educators created a library of templates to support learning objectives typically found at the beginning, middle, and end of a class. Think: bell ringers, checks for understanding, exit tickets, and more. Simply drop in one of these templates for instant engagement and watch your class transform.

Create custom questions

You can always create your own custom activity or question from scratch. Use Text, Number Response, Multiple Choice, and Web Slide questions to engage students. Or upgrade to Pear Deck Premium to add Drawing and Draggable™ response types.

ADD AUDIO TO ANY SLIDE TYPE

With the Pear Deck Add-on, you can leave audio instructions, descriptions, or examples for your students to hear while they read the prompts and respond to Interactive Questions in your Pear Deck Slides presentations. Make a new recording instantly or upload one from your computer. The recordings you insert will play in the Student View of your live presentation Sessions, so it's perfect for any remote learning lesson!

Present with Pear Deck

Start your presentation and students will join your Session from any device with a web browser. As you advance your slides, students will be prompted to answer your questions! Students' answers can be displayed anonymously on the classroom projector, so instead of worrying about getting the right answer and feeling silly in front of peers, your students are putting ideas out there in a safe, anonymous way, discussing, and learning from each other.

GO DEEPER WITH THE tEACHER dASHBOARD

As an instructor, you can quickly see what each individual thinks on the Teacher Dashboard. Noticing a lot of wrong answers? Adapt! Take a pause, back up, re-explain. But don't forget to help the learners help each other: Why did some people choose this while others chose that? How can we find out the right answer? What else do we need to know?

INVITE TEACHERS TO YOUR SHARED tEACHER DASHBOARD

This feature enables teachers using Pear Deck Premium to share Session controls and valuable student insight with other designated educators, including student teachers, special educators, co-teachers, or even substitutes. With a real-time view of individual student work and the ability to guide and provide direct feedback, educators teaching together can better support the diverse needs of learners everywhere!

Using Videos, Animations and GIFs in your Pear Deck? Get ready to Power-up!

Want to show a video about the Mars Rover in your Pear Deck presentation? Need to carefully layer in information on a slide to reduce information overload? Found a perfect GIF of a plant emerging from its seed? If you want your videos, animations, and GIFs to play at full resolution when you present with Pear Deck, install the Power-Up Google Chrome extension.

The Power-Up is a free Google Chrome extension. Installing it ensures that videos, animation, and GIFs embedded in your Pear Deck slides play at full-resolution on the projector and student devices - exactly the way they should!

Install the Power-Up from the Chrome Web Store on the device you use in class. Now when you present with Pear Deck, the Power-Up magically enables the display of your videos, animations, and GIFs.

Get the Power-Up

Learn Pear Deck for Google Slides

Watch a video for self-guided Google training:

Or, dive into a self-paced Pear Deck for Google Slides practice deck:

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Pear Deck for Google Slides is the #1 Slides Add-on, making it effortless for educators to add interactive questions and formative assessments to their presentations.

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Screencastify | The #1 Screen Recorder for Chrome

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Screencastify | The #1 Screen Recorder for Chrome

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millions use Screencastify to create amazing videos

/* Sets tab pane to display block instead of default display:none */ /* Allows CSS opacity transitions */ .w-tab-pane, .w--current { display: block; } /* Any .w-tab-pane that does not have webflow .w--curent sets opacity 0 */ .w-tab-pane:not(.w--curent) { opacity: 0; } /* Any element with .w-tab-pane that has .w--tab-active sets the opacity 100% */ .w-tab-pane.w--tab-active { opacity: 1; } /* Set the opacity transition to 1 second ease-in */ .w-tab-pane { transition: opacity 1s ease-in; }

Educator, student, marketer, engineer, gamer. Whatever part you play, you'll have simple, yet powerful screen recording and editing tools.
Learn more

Easily share your creations in multiple channels. Let more viewers watch, pause and rewind on their schedule while maximizing time by eliminating unnecessary meetings.
Learn more

Collect video assignments to ensure any team or student is heard. Track viewing activity and add interactive questions and more to ensure your message is understood.
Learn more

Educator, student, marketer, engineer, gamer. Whatever part you play, you'll have simple, yet powerful screen recording and editing tools.
Learn more

Easily share your creations in multiple channels. Let more viewers watch, pause and rewind on their schedule while maximizing time by eliminating unnecessary meetings.
Learn more

Collect video assignments to ensure any team or student is heard. Track viewing activity and add interactive questions and more to ensure your message is understood.
Learn more

loved by everyday video creators

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Screencastify | Screen Recording and Video Editing

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Screencastify is the leading screen recorder for Chrome. Install the extension to record, edit, and share videos in seconds. Create video class assignments, training and tutorials, and make business communication faster.

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Google Jamboard: Collaborative Digital Whiteboard | G Suite for Education | Google for Education

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Google Jamboard: Collaborative Digital Whiteboard | G Suite for Education | Google for Education

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Sketch ideas and lessons whiteboard-style on the incredibly responsive and accurate stunning 55-inch, 4k display. Drop images, add notes, and grab assets directly from the web, or pull in work from Docs, Sheets, and Slides - all while collaborating with students or classmates from anywhere.

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Google Jamboard: Collaborative Digital Whiteboard | Google Workspace for Education - Google for Education

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A collaborative, digital whiteboard makes it easy to create without boundaries and share ideas in real time. Jamboard moves the whiteboard to the cloud.

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https://twitter.com/MrsCesari/status/1286421405328973824

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Insert instructional content into any web page

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Tab Resize - split screen layouts - Chrome Web Store

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Tab Resize - split screen layouts - Chrome Web Store

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Split Screen made easy. Resize the CURRENT tab and tabs to the RIGHT into layouts on separate windows. w/ Multi Monitor Support.

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Talk and Comment - Voice notes anywhere - Chrome Web Store

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Talk and Comment - Voice notes anywhere - Chrome Web Store

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Collaborate with your voice, anywhere on the web.

Talk&Comment lets you create voice notes inside any service on the web, including Google Docs, Google Classroom, Twitter, Facebook comments, Gmail, YouTube, Reddit, Slack, and more!

Simply record your voice from the widget inside your browser, and paste the generated voice link anywhere you want.

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Make voice notes and comments on any site!

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Google Meet Attendance - Chrome Web Store

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Google Meet Attendance - Chrome Web Store

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Save the time joined and left of all attendees with one click!

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With a single click on the lamp button, the page will fade to dark. And automatically focus on the video. By clicking on it again, the page will return to normal.

Turn Off the Lights is a lightweight and useful add-in designed for a more comfortable watching experience.

A few great features in this browser extension:
+ Turn the lights back on, by clicking on it
+ Support multiple video sites: YouTube, Dailymotion, Vimeo,... and more
+ Customize your YouTube:
     Auto HD: Set videos to play in HD automatically. Users can select from highres > 8K > 5K > 4K > 1080p > 720p > 480p > 360p > 240p > 144p > default
     Auto Wide: Automatically plays the video on the widest mode
     ,... and more
+ Easter Eggs:
     Shortcut key: T -> Do you like a real movie theater feeling?
+ Option to make the screen dark when the user clicks on the play button
+ Option to turn on/off the fade in and fade out effects
+ Custom colors
+ Option to Flash Detection
+ Option to Show Dimness Level Bar
+ Option Eye Protection for when it's night. And with a whitelist/blacklist filter
+ Option atmosphere lighting that shows a glow around the video player
+ Option to show the dark layer on the top of the window
+ Options to shortcut keys:
     Ctrl + Shift + L to toggle the lights
     Alt + F8 to restore the default opacity value
     Alt + F9 to save the current opacity value
     Alt + F10 to enable/disable the Eye Protection feature
     Alt + (arrow up) to increase the opacity
     Alt + (arrow down) to decrease the opacity
     Alt + * to toggle the lights on all open tabs
+ Option Camera Motion
+ Option Speech Recognition
+ Option for Mouse Wheel Volume Control for each video player
+ Option to add a filter to the current video player (grayscale, sepia, invert, contrast, saturate, hue rotation, and brightness)
+ Option to show the Audio Visualization effect on top of the current video (Blocks, Frequency, and Music Tunnel)
+ Option to fill the video player in your whole current tab
+ Option to loop the current video player
+ Option to place the Night Mode switch to toggle YouTube in black or white theme. And with a whitelist/blacklist filter
     Timestamp: Activate the Night Mode within the chosen time
     Blackout: Dims the web page and activates the Night Mode
+ Option to stop YouTube and HTML5 videos from automatically playing.
+ Option Video Screen capture for YouTube and all the HTML5 video players
One frame snapshot to customize the screenshot with filters such as Invert, Blur, Saturation, Grayscale, Hue rotate, etc. And finally save the screenshot in PNG, JPEG, BMP, or WEBP image format
+ Option to Zoom in the video player
+ Option to video playback rate
+ and more...

Do not forget to Like & Follow Us:
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/turnoffthelight
Twitter
https://www.twitter.com/TurnOfftheLight
Pinterest
https://www.pinterest.com/turnoffthelight
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/turnoffthelights
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/c/turnoffthelights

Required Permissions:
"contextMenus":
This is to add the "Darken this page" menu item in the web browser context menu.

"tabs":
This is needed for the following features: to show you the welcome and guide page, detect the current playing video, take a screenshot of the video, and open the Options page.

"storage":
This is to save the settings on your local computer and sync it to your web browser account.

"<all_urls>":
This is to control the lamp button on all websites that include http, https, file, and ftp.

Feel free to contact us if there is any problem or suggestion.
Compatible with Adblock, AdBlock Pus, uBlock Origin Chrome extension.
Note: YouTube is a trademark of Google Inc. Use of this trademark is subject to Google Permissions. Turn Off the Lights™ is not created by, affiliated with, or supported by Google Inc.

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The entire page will be fading to dark, so you can watch the videos as if you were in the cinema. Works for YouTube™ and beyond.

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Just Read is a feature-packed and customizable reader view.

With one click (or less!), you can remove distractions like:
- The page's styling
- Ads
- Popups
- Comments

And read the article in a customizable, simplified format - like a read mode but better!

Users can:
- Summarize the article using AI.
- Use the default white and dark themes.
- Modify your theme using a graphical editor or CSS.
- Use a theme someone else has made (found at https://goo.gl/Z59SM4 ).
- Use their very own custom styling.
- Auto-run Just Read format on specific sites.
- Use a keyboard shortcut to run Just Read.
- Print the custom-styled version of the article.
- Use the selection mode to choose exactly which text they want to select for reading.
- Use the deletion mode to remove any unwanted content after selection.
- Edit incorrect meta information generated.
- Control which options Just Read uses.
- Go straight to the next chapter from the Just Read view.

Just Read Premium has even more features!
- Permanently save the Just Read version of pages
- Share the Just Read version of pages with others
- Link directly to a section of the page
- Highlight and annotate pages
- Use a custom scrollbar
- Auto-scroll the article
- Use text gradients to improve readability
- Apply domain-specific selectors

Just Read collects zero data from users by default. If you sign up for an account with Just Read, only your email address is stored. Just Read sends analytics to no one else. Any data that Just Read stores is safely secured and private.

Just Read is completely open source and can be found on GitHub here https://github.com/ZachSaucier/Just-Read

Please read the README in the GitHub link above for more details about Just Read!

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A feature-packed, customizable reader extension.

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Quality Online Content for Remote Learning - High School Edition! - Wakelet

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Quality Online Content for Remote Learning - High School Edition! - Wakelet

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Quality Online Content for Remote Learning - High School Edition! - Wakelet

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Don't just grab the first instructional resource Google brings you. Check out these FREE high-quality materials. You should also check with your school librarian for access to awesome subscription databases as well.

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25 Strategies to Engage Students on Your Next Zoom Meeting | Hooked On Innovation

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25 Strategies to Engage Students on Your Next Zoom Meeting | Hooked On Innovation

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Now that we have all been thrust into the world of online learning, we have to figure out ways as educators to engage our students when they are online. Some of the first things schools did when shifting to remote learning was to hold regular video meetings with their students. These can vary based on the ages of the students and the frequency of when a teacher interacts with their students, but most teachers realized quickly that they can't use the same behavioral strategies (like proximity) that they use in a physical classroom. This can lead to a lack of student engagement and involvement in what is trying to be taught regardless of age.

These 25 strategies listed here are not meant to take the place of deeper learning. That kind of learning is generally better when done with a mix of asynchronous learning. That said, in order to get our students to that deeper state of learning with greater depth of knowledge (DOK) levels, we need to make sure they are engaged when we have synchronous conversations and discussions. Some of these strategies take little set-up while others might take more time and energy to make them really successful. The purpose of these tools is to draw students into the lesson/activity and make them engaged and looking forward to your next virtual class meeting.

While there are a lot of video meeting solutions out there, I'm going to focus many of the tools around the Zoom platform as it has some of the best interactive features and seems to be the most widely accepted in K-12 schools across the country. However, as many of these strategies can be used with any video platform or device, I only focused on Zoom-centric ideas on the first 5 strategies, the rest you can use on any platform. Also, kids (especially teenagers) can say and do that darnedest things, especially when being remotely hidden behind a screen. As you would with the physical classroom, I would strongly encourage teachers discuss norms when it comes to interacting over video chat with their students prior to any of these strategies.

Here are 25 strategies to engage students on your next Zoom meeting:

I'm going to start out with one of the basics. While you may be doing many of your chats with just video, don't forget that you have the ability to share part or all of your screen with your students. This can be something as simple as sharing a question of the day to an entire slide show. If you have a slideshow that you've already created for use in your classroom, don't recreate the wheel, just launch it on your share screen and use built in Zoom tools like 'raise hand' or the chat room to have a floating backchannel as you go through your slides. One bit of advice, check what items you have on your desktop and in your "favorites" bar of an internet browser before you share that with your students. There's nothing more embarrassing than you students seeing your latest beach pic or maybe your bookmark for you favorite drink recipe.

2. Use the Whiteboard feature

Of course, if you don't want to share your screen you can always use the built-in whiteboard feature that comes with Zoom. This feature can take some getting used to, especially if you are using a mouse or trackpad. To use it, simply go to share your screen and choose "whiteboard". A little tip - if you have tablet like an iPad, install the Zoom app and then join the meeting with your iPad as well. This works better for drawing especially if you have a nice stylus or Apple Pencil. (just be careful you have one of the devices muted to avoid echoes) Of course, as you get more comfortable with Zoom and student expectations, let your students also use the whiteboard feature to share their understanding. If you are not using Zoom, a tool like Classroomscreen.com has a bevy of tools including a whiteboard if you share your screen with your students.

3. Enable the Annotation Features

Another feature that you could use when sharing slides, photos, or websites is the annotation tools. You'll want to check your account settings to make sure these features are enabled by default. Having these tools enabled, you'll be able write over any image, highlight certain features of a website, and make the viewing experience for your students much more interactive.

My favorite of all the Zoom features for learning is the ability to create breakout rooms for your students. Unlike whiteboard and annotation features, the ability to create breakout rooms are not enabled by default. You'll want to go into your account settings to enable this ability before using it with your students. Once enabled, you can have Zoom either automatically or manually assign students into rooms. Even if it's automatically assigning, you can swap students out depending on group dynamics (note: it helps to have your students put their name on their Zoom login). You can even rename the rooms depending on group names or topics before assigning certain students to each room. The great thing about these rooms is that it can create a more collaborative setting than the large whole-group zoom experience. As the moderator you can float around and join rooms to check in on the discussion, post an announcement to all rooms, or even place a time limit on them. Once you ask students to rejoin the whole group and end the breakouts, they'll have 60-seconds to wrap-up their discussion and rejoin. A powerful way to enable collaboration remotely! Check out the video below for a quick how-to:

If you've been in any Zoom meeting the past couple of months, you've probably seen all sorts of crazy and fun virtual backgrounds. These can be hilarious but also distracting so some educators have disabled this feature for their group meetings. However, there could be some productive uses of these virtual backgrounds. Some examples of using virtual backgrounds might be re-enacting moments in history with the appropriate backdrop, selecting a geographic landmark they might be studying or "visiting" virtually, or just having students select either a solid green or red background to quickly show if they agree or disagree with a topic (hint: use Grid view for this). No matter the reason, virtual backgrounds can be much more than everyone acting like they are a character from The Office.

If you really want your students to focus on everyone in the classroom, play a game of "I Spy" backgrounds. You can do this either with or without virtual backgrounds, but in essence you are describing things that you notice in the background of someone's zoom call. Students then quickly have to search all the attendees and see which student's background is being described. A fun, 5-minute way to get students hooked into their next Zoom meeting.

Probably one of the most popular games to play with students is a virtual scavenger hunt. The premise is simple, you have a list of items and then ask students to run through their house or apartment attempting to find the items and show them on the screen. A quick word of advice on this is to be sure you are not picking exact objects for them to find like "a toy cell phone". Rather, create a category that could involve all sorts of different objects that qualify like "an object with numbers on it." This will reveal a lot of different interpretations of the clue as well as not limiting what students can find around them. You could also use software like Eventzee or Goosechase to do a virtual scavenger hunt throughout the day or week where students capture items you've identified with their camera.

Last week, I got to host a virtual trivia night via Zoom. We had over 150 people during the event that drew lots of positive feedback for keeping them engaged while also doing something fun during this stressful time. I used a pro-level software called Crowdpurr to run my event, but I could just as easily do something similar using a tool like Kahoot! or Quizziz. These quizzes or trivia can either be done live or student-paced. Having the scores decrease as time dwindles down on each question also prevents students from "googling" the answers as it will affect their score. Check out the latest " Challenge " feature within Kahoot to create more of a self-paced challenge for your students that might have limited access to technology or can't participate synchronously.

In the classroom, we use the classic "raise your hand" to gather feedback from students. In Zoom, it's no different as there is a "Raise hand" button available to students, but some savvy teachers have also figured out that the chat room can act as an impromptu survey as long as it involves brief responses. For better tracking, you could always use a tools like Nearpod, Polleverywhere, or Peardeck to gather feedback via a second screen or browser tab. Playing a game like "would you rather" would work well to test this out before using it more in-depth in later lessons.

Gathering feedback in polls is one way to interact with students, but you could also use a shared collaborative space like a Padlet or Ziteboard to have students discuss and brainstorm ideas on shared spaces. You could also combine this with the breakout rooms (#4 from above) to have each group brainstorm a topic while you navigate from board to board. A tip here is to create the "walls" or spaces for the students to collaborate on so that you have a live link to what they are working on. Once you've split them into groups, share your link to each group to work on.

Yes, you can share your screen and even your slides with your students via a tool like Google Slides, Keynote or Powerpoint. But since you have them live, why not use a tool like Nearpod to actually guide them through the learning with you. Ideally, this would work best with two screens, but since everything these days is web-based you could guide them through the presentation on one screen while they follow along to your voice on the other. Doing this on an iPad? Share the join code with your students and then have them switch to the Nearpod app while leaving the Zoom app open in the background so they can hear your voice while following along. Of course, one of the best parts of using a tool like Nearpod is all the extra features like Virtual field trips, 3D models, Microsoft Sway, collaborative boards and more. One thing I've tried that worked well was embedding a PollEverywhere poll within my Nearpod. That way students didn't have to jump out of the app ever.

Silence can be awkward in the classroom. It's even more awkward when you are looking at more than two dozen teenagers on the screen. That said, it's important to let students pause and reflect throughout the lesson. Using a countdown timer either on a slide, video or on a tool like ClassroomScreen.com helps students know when they should break from their pause or reflection. As I will mention on my next point, students need breaks from lengthy instruction throughout their day whether they be on a screen or not. If you are hosting a 50-minute lesson online, build in a 5 minute break for students to stretch or get a glass of water to keep their brain active.

Taking breaks throughout a lengthy lesson are important whether it be for a reflective pause or just an opportunity to stretch. Using tools like GoNoodle, teachers can lead a virtual dance party in their remote classroom to get the kids up and moving. One word of advice here, if you are playing a video through your system speakers, make sure you don't have headphones on or adjust the audio source in Zoom by clicking on the up-carrot symbol next to "Mute" to change your selection of audio output. (see image on the right)

With everything being digital, it's also nice to take a break from digital as you already have a Zoom meeting occupying the students' screens. There are a wide variety of analog strategies you could use with your students by using paper and pencil. One might be sharing a math problem on your screen while students work out the results. Then, countdown and have them reveal their answers to their cameras at the same time. I've also seen teachers have success doing a "directed drawing" by pointing their webcam or phone camera down to a sheet a paper while they give instruction and then have students share their creations at the end.

A big struggle with online learning via video is keeping students focus and attention, especially to the finer details. The game "Box of Lies" was made popular by Jimmy Fallon (video below) and would be a creative way to see if students are paying attention. The premise would be that the teacher or student has an object out of camera view and then has to describe the object. You could do this with all sorts of other ideas from historical figures to using descriptive words in another language.

Taking that directed drawing from #14 to the next level by doing a Monster drawing. In this activity, a teacher or student read aloud descriptions of their drawing but don't let other students see it. They have listen for information like "my monster has a rectangle body" or "my monster has 5 eyes, one of them is big and in the middle" to figure out the drawing. This helps kids both with descriptive words but also with listening and translating. In the end, have students show their creations on the screen to see who got closest to the description. This activity could be used in other areas as well such as re-creating a story character or describing a graph in math.

Distance learning doesn't just have to be about kids filling out digital worksheets or playing online learning games. Students can still do long-term projects either individually or in groups even though they final results may be different than what was done traditionally in the classroom. Using online project management and productivity tools like Trello, MeisterTask or ClickUp can help students struggling with organization and timelines. Coupling those tools with video meeting check-ins can help kids learn how to collaborate and complete a project online over a length of time.

BreakoutEDU has always been one of my favorite ways to engage students of all ages by creating a series of clues and challenges that the students have to uncover. For the last couple of years they've been offering Digital BreakOutEDU as an online version of their platform. Teachers could leverage the "breakout" room feature of Zoom with a Digital BreakOutEDU and have teams solve the challenges within a certain timeframe. The great thing about their platform is they have already done most of the heavy lifting in creating the BreakOuts for you based on subject and age level. You can also check out this " Build Your Own " resource if you don't have the funds to purchase a subscription.

A fun non-tech game to play is "Who's who?". In this game, students privately message the teacher some facts about themselves and then the teacher reveals the clues. Students then write down their guesses as to who the person is based on the clues. This could also be turned into "Two truths and a lie" fairly easily. Other adaptations could be students sending clues about historical figures, book characters, etc. that the class has to figure out.

Who doesn't love a good game of BINGO? While this isn't the classic game with numbers, balls, and clever calls, it is using the set-up of Bingo as a way to review facts, geographical locations, scientific terms, or even mathematical applications. Using the Flippity.net BINGO tool, you create what goes in the squares and then you read out the clues while students fill out their own digital square or by printing a game card. Flippity actually lets you send out the cards via link or QR code as kids can fill in their cards digitally. Then when it's over, have them share their screen and review their answers to see who wins!

Amongst some of the other Flippity.net tools is the classic Jeopardy-like game show. A great way to review information for a unit or novel study, you can fill in the back-end answers using a Google spreadsheet and then share your screen with the game board. Students can play individually, or you could pre-assign teams and then send them to breakout rooms to discuss what they think the answer might be.

You remember the "telephone game" or maybe the game "one-word stories"? This is a similar concept where you start the story and have random students add the next line. A story could start with "Once upon a time...." and then you could select the student by unmuting their mic. By doing it randomly rather than in a specific order, you cause all students to be thinking of a response rather than just waiting until their turn. Mix it up with story recaps or historical fiction to see what they come up with.

For those of us that are not budding artists or struggle with drawing with a mouse, I've long been a fan of Autodraw.com. This web-based application has you draw out a shape as close as you can while the AI guesses what it might be. When you see an object that is close to what you are drawing, you select it to place into your drawing. One fun thing I've tried with this is having students draw their favorite movie scene and then putting the picture on a Padlet wall for everyone to guess the movie.

Flashcards can be pretty boring, especially if you are just using them yourself to practice terms, definitions or maybe even a foreign language. Now that we are remote, it becomes even more challenging to find a partner or group to practice with. Using tools like Fishbowl and Quizlet Live can be leveraged to create fun and energizing ways to have kids practice their terms either as a group or in breakout rooms.

One of the hidden nuggets I always love showing teachers is the Polygraph feature contained within the free, web-based math app called Desmos. This tool acts creates a "Guess who? " like game where 2 students are randomly paired up via a join code you share with them on the screen. You create the cards and student A choses one of the items to be their "mystery item". As you can upload any image, the mystery item could be a person, place, thing, word, math problem, etc. Then student B has to ask yes or no questions and decide which items they can eliminate. Polygraph creates a private loop between the students and the teacher can see the questions and guesses that each student is making to better check for understanding.

Additional Resources:

Want more of these kinds of resources? Check out my new course The Remote Learning Coach! Most of these are mentioned in my module centered around student engagement. The course also includes modules around assessment, collaboration, and more!

While most of these activities I either have done with students or teachers (both live and online), there are hundreds of other resources and games out there available to use freely with your students as you teach remotely. Here are two that I'll give shout-outs to as I found them while writing this post:

TCEA Tech Notes - Zoom Games - This post came out while I was writing this post and contains many other games like the scavenger hunt and Pictionary that teachers could benefit from using.

Quarantine Games - This google doc compiled by @ihartnia has pages of board games, card games, and other things that you can play online.

I hope you enjoy my list and please feel free to share any other games or ideas you have in the comments below and give my new course a look. Here's an infographic with all 25 of the strategies (ironically) on a Zoom call. 🙂

Stay safe and stay sane!

Educator, global speaker and consultant, event organizer, educational strategist and CEO of HookerTech LLC, Future Ready Schools Faculty member, author of the 6-book series "Mobile Learning Mindset", "Ready Set FAIL!" and his latest book "Learning Evolution: The New Era of AI in the Classroom." He also is the host of the ISTE Learning Unleashed podcast and the UnDisruptED podcast by Future Ready schools. He is most importantly, a husband and father of 3.

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