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Why We Need Differentiation Now More than Ever

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Why We Need Differentiation Now More than Ever

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Lisa Westman

These are trying times for all of us. Pervasive school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic have left many teachers and administrators feeling fearful, anxious, and acutely missing their students and staff. As a professional development facilitator, I severely miss face-to-face time with my students: teachers and instructional coaches. Not to mention that it is very hard to juggle homeschooling my own children and designing professional learning for those I serve.

The strain of tending to intensified personal needs and serving our school communities makes differentiating instruction likely the last thing on anyone's mind. However, it may be the single most important instructional move right now.

You're likely working as hard as you can to teach in this unfamiliar, virtual environment and feel that you "can't possibly add one more thing." For many educators, differentiation can seem like "one more thing," when actually it just means focusing on our students' needs.

Learning and Belonging

High-quality differentiation focuses on learning rather than doing. COVID-19 forced educators to quickly assemble distance learning opportunities for students. Initially, the default was to give students something to do. For example, a week after schools closed, The Today Show shared a list of tools educators and parents can use under the umbrella of "websites to occupy kids". But in order to ensure the social-emotional and academic growth of our students, we must do much more than keep them busy. Now, more than ever, learning must be anchored in a sense of belonging.

A sense of belonging is a "fundamental human motive," says clinical psychologist Paul Rasmussen in The Quest to Feel Good (2010, p. 43). On a typical school day, students learn alongside peers, work with partners, and collaborate in small groups as they progress toward mastery of learning goals in multiple content areas. However, in a pandemic-altered learning landscape, academic objectives can feel cold and sterile, and inadvertently cause disconnection. At this time, every student at every level has a similar learning objective to belong to this learning community. How will we know if students feel connected or not? In short, we ask them.

Assess for Connection

My colleague and mentor Carol Ann Tomlinson calls formative assessment "the lifeblood of differentiation." Formative assessment is frequently thought of as a quiz or test. However, anything that gives teachers insight into where their students are emotionally and academically and enables teachers to plan instruction is formative assessment. Our go-to measure during remote learning is the question, "How do you feel?"

This simple question will elicit lots of one-word responses from students-good, bad, bored, fine-which give teachers an opportunity to probe further: Tell me why you feel good. What is different about learning from home that you like? What is something about school that you miss? The key here is not to try to fix anything but to ask follow-up questions that empathize with students and ensure they feel heard. This process promotes dialogue between students and teachers, forges connection, and gives teachers guidance on how to plan academic instruction.

Tip: Give students the option of responding with emojis, hand signals, or drawings instead of words. This is an especially good option for younger students and students who have difficulty expressing their emotions.

An Academic Map

After gaining insight into how our students are feeling, we can determine which academic objectives (derived from grade-level standards), activities, and groupings are most appropriate for students. For example, if two students share that they are "lonely" or "bored," you may plan ways for those students to have additional interactive time-pairing them to work on a text together or to collaborate on an activity.

Insights students provide during community-building activities will help teachers set learning goals that are compelling to students (e.g., "My goal is to is to bake banana bread. I need to double the ingredients to feed my whole family. Therefore, I will learn how to add or multiply fractions.")

As we roll out academic roadmaps, we must keep the big picture in perspective. This includes issues of inequitable access. Education Week noted on March 14 that 41 percent of school districts nationwide report they do not have the ability to provide elearning for students for even one day.

Additionally, not every student will have access to a parent or caregiver to support at-home learning, and parents are not teachers. Parents have massively different capacities to facilitate remote learning due to their own education level, native language, number of children at home, whether or not they are also trying to work remotely, and level of stress due to the other effects of COVID-19 (economic, caretaking of elderly family members, etc.).

Finally, we do not know how long schools will be closed. We must plan remote learning for students that is sustainable and engaging or we will lose our students and their parents.

With this in mind, there are some ways educators can use differentiation to guide learning opportunities that are equitable and accessible for students and their caregivers.

DIFFERENTIATION FOR REMOTE LEARNING

Student choice and interest

Task-related feedback helps students understand the concept or skill (right/wrong, yes/no, stop/go).

Process-related feedback identifies progress and errors, relationships between ideas, and next steps. ("What strategies did you use?" "What is/isn't working and why?")

Self-evaluation supports students who can self-direct learning by providing prompts that deepen reflection. ("How does this compare to ... ?" "How have your ideas changed?").

Remote Instructional Tools

Some of the tools and resources that can support you as you differentiate to meet students' needs remotely include

Video-conferring or live-stream apps like Zoom, Google Meet, and FaceTime.

Sharing platforms such as Otus, Google Classroom, SeeSaw, and Flipgrid.

Digital resources familiar to students (e.g., Kahn Academy, NewsELA) and anything accessible to students (books, articles, newsfeeds, their backyards, TV shows, their imagination, family members, etc.). Remember, too many choices result in indecision. Three or four digital resources is more than enough.

Aim for Growth, Not Perfection

People always ask me, "Am I doing differentiation right?" My response is always the same: There is only one way you can mess differentiation up, and that is knowing that your students need something but not trying anything to meet their needs.

We don't always succeed in our attempts to meet students' needs. In a remote learning environment, there are likely to be even more failed attempts. The goal is not perfection. The goal is to reflect on what is working and what isn't (for teachers and students), adjust, and keep going. As we do so, have compassion for your students and yourself. Everyone is doing the best that they can.

Lisa Westman (@lisa_westman) is an ASCD faculty member and the author of Student-Driven Differentiation (Corwin, 2018).

KEYWORDS

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Why We Need Differentiation Now More Than Ever

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Lisa Westman These are trying times for all of us. Pervasive school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic have left many teachers and administrators feeling fearful, anxious, and acutely missing their students and staff. As a professional development facilitator, I severely miss face-to-face time with my students: teachers and instructional coaches.

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Discovering Digital Differentiation

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This section provides principles and tips to help you teach, regardless of whether your class is fully in person, fully online, or a little bit of both.

Below you'll see general advice, a variety of course types, and tips on encouraging student engagement. To keep things simple, we're focusing on the most common and most effective online teaching practices. Reminders that are equally relevant to in-person instruction are marked with an *asterisk*. You can also find a comprehensive guide to Designing Your Course for Online Instruction: Principles and Tips, as well as resources on teaching with masks.

We've broken up the teaching tips according to the common teaching styles (lecture, case, small group discussion, and hands-on). Feel free to jump to the section most appropriate to your course.

Some General Advice

Teaching with Masks

We recommend:

Getting Started: Recommended Process

1. *Determine your content, pedagogy, and assessment.

2. Plan your asynchronous-synchronous mix, including video, non-video, and peer learning communities.

3. Decide - for both asynchronous and synchronous instruction - when and how you will:

Content, Pedagogy, and Assessment: Guiding Principles

Let's start with some fundamentals. See also Designing Your Course for Online Instruction: Principles and Tips.

*The basis of teaching is the same for every modality: strong emphases on content, pedagogy, and assessment. Careful planning on these three factors remains central to successful teaching - both residential and online.

The forms of teaching interaction may change: even as the online instruction often precludes certain forms of in-person contact, it creates opportunities for new ways to interact. Well-planned, intentional uses of online technologies can encourage and facilitate even more "lean forward" behaviors and more interaction with and among students. For example, as described below, you can increase learner engagement by:

Identifying learners' questions about the material

Using polls and other interactive technologies to get a sense of students' experience, comprehension, and reactions ("reading the room")

Inviting specific students' answers (cold calling)

Opening the floor to general discussion of particular questions

Having students engage in small "buzz group" conversations via breakout rooms

Creating opportunities for synchronous or asynchronous student collaboration via tools like Google Docs, Miro, etc.

Focus on your pedagogy, not the medium: the principles of pedagogy that are effective for online teaching - video, simulation, text, etc. - are similar to those that are effective in the residential classroom. They allow students to engage with material dynamically and across multiple learning styles. These principles apply not only to synchronous teaching but also, importantly, to asynchronous content creation.

Asynchronous-Synchronous Mix

Based on your own pedagogy and teaching style, you can be flexible in choosing the right mix of synchronous and asynchronous learning.

Online teaching can heighten interactivity. Take advantage of the opportunities for students to "lean forward" and to engage with you, your TFs, your guest speakers, and each other. Long lectures, on the other hand, do not work well in online teaching, either in synchronous sessions or asynchronous materials. Your school's Teaching and Learning Center can help you develop course content, lesson plans, and asynchronous approaches.

Norms and Expectations

Set classroom norms: if using Zoom to convene your course, circulate clear expectations for student participation. For example, consider including language like this in your syllabus.

Our class will meet through the Zoom online conference system. Our success as an online class will depend on the same commitment we all bring to the physical classroom. We will adopt the same rules and norms (take notes; participate by asking and answering questions; wear classroom-ready clothing). For everyone's benefit, join the course in a quiet place whenever possible. Turn on your video whenever possible. Mute your microphone unless you are speaking. Close browser tabs not required for participating in class.

Audio quality matters: use a good headset or a USB microphone. (See Configure Your Teaching Space for more information on optimizing your audio.)

So do time zones: remember that students may not be in the same time zone as you. Consider amping up your energy (especially in synchronous teaching) to engage students who are participating very early or late in their day. For students who don't or can't attend a live session live, create opportunities to engage in a peer discussion, write an individual response, or simply watch a recording of the class.

In technology, less is more: it's often better to use a few tools well than many tools ineffectively. Familiarizing yourself with a handful of important features of Zoom and Canvas can take you a long way.

Accessibility

Students have a range of abilities, and not everyone will disclose their challenges. Your course likely has students with learning or sensory disabilities. They are not required to tell you, and they may not feel comfortable telling anyone. Rather than asking them to identify themselves to you, employ practices (like those below) that reach a wide variety of learners.

*Text is universal: assistive technologies (such as screen readers, magnifiers, etc.) are nearly always designed to work with text. If you send images to your students, include textual descriptions so that students using these technologies can follow along. If you use video chat such as Zoom, assign someone (ideally a TF) to create a transcript or closed captioning throughout the session.

*Some students need additional processing time: don't expect everyone to understand everything after being told once. Share slides, transcripts, chat logs, videos, and images for students to download and examine afterward. This will especially help students with dyslexia and other reading impediments.

*Select accessible resources: some online resources have already had substantial work done to improve accessibility. Videos produced by HarvardX (available through DART via your HarvardKey) have captions, and images have alternative text descriptions included. YouTube allows viewers to suggest caption improvements on many videos. Virtual meetings can be accessible in Zoom due to the available keyboard shortcuts for navigating without a mouse and closed captioning created either by a third party service or a meeting member. Interactive simulations such as the PhET tools are usable by the blind. Check to see whether your resources indicate WCAG AA 2.0/2.1 compliance, or Section 508 compliance.

*Take care of your own hands and posture: pay attention to your tendons (and your shoulders). Take breaks, and encourage your students to stretch periodically. For more suggestions, visit Harvard's Environmental Health & Safety group, which has a self-assessment for computer ergonomics.

Course Types

Lecture-oriented Courses

If you are preparing to move your lecture-based course online or to rethink online or asynchronous elements of it, it is helpful to remember that long lectures do not work well in online teaching, either in synchronous sessions or asynchronous materials. (See Designing Your Course for Online: Principles and Tips.)

Creating and uploading your materials

*Break up text-heavy presentation slides: be aware that online, perhaps even more than in the classroom, students will read first and listen second. Consider PowerPoint's "Animation" feature (or equivalent) that allows you to show just a bullet or two at a time.

*Organize your course materials using Canvas modules.

*Integrate library resources and other digital materials.

Asynchronous: Prerecording

Although they take time to create, prerecorded lectures can be as engaging as the best live lectures: you can do multiple takes, edit the recordings, and integrate graphics or animations. They are also less vulnerable to unanticipated bandwidth issues that may arise with live sessions. You can even use them in future versions of your course, whether online or face-to-face. Here are a few simple tips to get you going.

Provide an explicit roadmap at the beginning, outlining the content you're going to be covering.

Break down the lecture into shorter segments (3-5 minutes). A long pre-recorded lecture can be deadly to watch.

Intersperse the lecture clips with reflection questions, polls, action prompts, and other interactive elements. Try to make the learning experience "inductive" rather than entirely didactic.

Insert yourself - a personal story, humor, or editorial commentary - into the lecture.

Prerecorded material and live content can complement each other powerfully. Consider prerecording certain segments of your lecture (some material you want the students to reflect on before class, or an explanation of key terms or concepts) and leave the rest for synchronous sessions. For detailed guidance, see Prepare Your Content in Advance.

Synchronous: Presenting your lecture

*Create a detailed agenda, including how much time you will ask students to spend on collaborative work, solo writing, or group discussions.

Practice (at least once) in advance: if you are lecturing online and have assistance from a TA/TF, rehearse using the Share Screen and switching among windows you intend to display. If you're teaching solo, practice clicking between Zoom's presentation mode, screen share mode, any slides or presentation materials, and any other technologies like whiteboarding tools, polls, or videos.

*Make your transitions explicit: be sure to provide clean, well-defined transitions between activities or discussion topics.

*Watch your pace and keep an eye on students' comprehension and engagement (see Engaging Students Remotely). Some instructors report that students absorb and process information at the same rate as in person; others have found they can only cover one-half to two-thirds as much material as they can in the physical classroom. Check in with your students more frequently than you might normally, to make sure that they follow the material and remain engaged.

Configure your Zoom settings and preferences to support your teaching: you can turn off the entrance/exit chime, allow or prevent students sharing their screens, pre-mute everyone, etc.

Close all the computer windows you won't be using (particularly personal email, messages, etc.) prior to the class.

Keep your students in front of you: Zoom's gallery view lets you see 25-49 students at a time (depending on your screen and computer's capabilities). You can also move from screen to screen to see even more.

Be visible: it helps your students remain engaged if they can see your face as you present your material. Set up your devices so that even when you're using Screen Share students can see your face at the same time as the materials being displayed. If you want to be able to see your students while you share your screen, you may need to log into Zoom via two devices at the same time. This allows you to share your screen on one device (e.g., a tablet for whiteboarding) while having the gallery view of students on the other.

Adapt your board work: if you usually use a blackboard or whiteboard as part of a class session, you have a number of options. Note that if you're accustomed to multiple simultaneous boards you may need to adapt to showing a single screen's worth at a time. See Boardwork from the Bok Center for suggestions.

Engaging students in lecture-oriented courses

It is difficult to listen to a lecture attentively on a small screen. Consider taking advantage of pedagogical tools in Zoom to keep them engaged, such as breakout rooms, questions and discussions via Chat, polling, annotations, or invited Q&A (using Raise Hand). See Engaging Students Remotely for more tips and opportunities.

Assessing participation in lecture-oriented courses

In classes where participation is a heavy component of the grade, be sure to let students know early and often what forms or participation you will be tracking and how often you expect them to participate.

Encourage students to use Chatto participate. Chat can draw in students who have great ideas to contribute yet may be somewhat quiet during discussions or debates. Reminding students that the quantity and the quality of their chat comments contribute to their participation grade can help limit frivolous chat and improve the sophistication and quality of the chat threads.

One-on-one or small-group meetings can be held using Zoom almost the same way as in-person. But it is important to maintain the same norms around minimizing distractions as in the classroom. Your level of engagement will determine the students' level.

Case-based Courses

Several features of small or large case-based courses transfer well to an online because Zoom and other technologies have various interactive features built in. Here are tips to consider when teaching a case-based course.

Calling Patterns and Practices

Keep your students in front of you: Zoom's gallery view lets you see thumbnails of 25-49 students at a time (depending on your screen and computer's capabilities). You can also move from screen to screen to see even more.

*Discussion transitions: be sure to state clean, well-defined transitions between discussion topics.

Use Chat to decide on calling patterns: tracking the Chat feature can be useful in deciding which students to call on next - for example, if a particular student notes through Chat that she/he disagrees with the student speaking, or has some additional data to provide. As one faculty member noted, the advantage of Chat is that it's like "reading students' thought bubbles" - an advantage over the physical classroom.

*Role plays/debates between students: you can request two students to "role play" a situation like you would in the physical classroom.

*Warm and cold calls: you can "cold call" a student just as you would in the traditional classroom, instead of waiting for them to raise their hand. For "warm calls," you can message them privately in Chat before you call on them.

Raising hands: this feature works like the physical classroom. Have students use the Raise Hand feature in Zoom to answer questions. When you open up a conversation to students, you can pause a beat to let a number of people raise their hand and then pick according to whatever calling pattern you want. Call on students by their names.

*Polls (private or public): with Zoom's polling features (or other tools like Mentimeter or PollEverywhere) you can get group results in real time, then reveal them later.

*Checking in/reading the room: unmuted students can inadvertently start talking at the same time; you will not be able to read body language easily; and those less inclined to speak may disappear more easily. To address these issues, be more diligent about pausing and asking if anyone else has more thoughts before jumping to the next topic.

Board Plans

if you usually do "board work" as part of a class session, you have a number of options. Note that if you're accustomed to multiple simultaneous boards you may need to adapt to showing a single screen's worth at a time. See Boardwork from the Bok Center for suggestions.

Closing the Case

Summary slides work as they do in the physical classroom. In addition, consider inviting students' reflections on the case too through Chat or a shared space like a Google Doc. Such written summations can be powerful complements to the discussion portion of the class, so consider archiving these reflections for each class.

Assessing Participation

In case-based classes, participation is a heavy component of the grade. Student comments can be more easily recorded since Zoom retains a video archive of the entire class.

In an online setting, consider using students' Chat comments and reflections as additional inputs to a student's participation grade, and a supplement to the spoken word. This can help draw in students who may be somewhat quiet in "speaking," and can also help limit frivolous chat. If you decide to use Chat in participation grading, you should be sure to let students know about this norm before you start teaching.

Small Group Discussions

One-on-one or small-group meetings: virtual one-on-one or small-group meetings can be held using Zoom almost the same way as in-person. But it is important to maintain the same norms around minimizing distractions as in the classroom; your level of engagement will determine students'. If you're using open office hours, the Waiting Room allows you to provide a single Zoom session ID and the ability to invite only selected individuals into the discussion.

*Code review: you can use Screen Sharing to meet with an individual or group of students to review code. Authorizing Remote Screen Control enables one to take control of the other's shared application and allows for navigation, text entry, etc. on the remote computer. When you cannot meet synchronously with a student to provide feedback, consider resources such as Pastebin and JSFiddle, where students can upload their code and you can create revisions with comments.

*Collaborative problem solving and brainstorming: digitally annotate using the Whiteboards feature. Allow others in the session to annotate on the same board to share ideas and problem-solving methods. A tablet (used as a second screen) is useful for handwriting.

*Ask questions: have students use the Raise Hand feature in Zoom to answer questions. Call on a student by name and "Allow to talk" (unmute).

Cold call: you can "cold call" a student just as you would in the traditional classroom, instead of waiting for them to raise their hand.

Keep your students in front of you: Zoom's gallery view lets you see thumbnails of 25-49 students at a time (depending on your screen).

Hands-on Courses

Lab courses: one of the biggest challenges of teaching online from anywhere is sustaining the lab components of classes. Since many labs require specific equipment, they are hard to reproduce outside of that physical space. Consider the following as you plan to address lab activities:

*Define what the lab should achieve: different lab activities serve different purposes. See Remote Labsfrom the Bok Center for scenarios.

Take part of the lab online: many lab activities require students to become familiar with certain procedures, and only physical practice of those processes will do. In such cases, consider whether there are other parts of the lab experience you could take online (for example, video demonstrations of techniques, online simulations, analysis of data, other pre- or post-lab work). Save the physical practice parts of the labs until access to campus is restored.

Investigate virtual labs: online resources and virtual tools might help replicate the experience of some labs (e.g., virtual dissection, night sky apps, video demonstrations of labs, simulations, YouTube videos). Those vary widely by discipline, but check with your textbook publisher, or sites such as Merlot for materials that might help replace parts of your lab during the closure.

*Provide raw data for analysis: in cases where the lab includes both collection of data and its analysis, consider showing how the data can be collected, and then provide some raw sets of data for students to analyze. This approach is not as comprehensive as having students collect and analyze their own data, but it can keep them engaged with parts of the lab experience during the closure.

*Increase interaction in other ways: sometimes labs are about providing time for direct student interaction. Consider other ways to replicate that type of interaction or create new online interaction opportunities, including using available collaboration tools like Breakout Rooms, Annotation Tools, and Whiteboards in Zoom, Slack, etc.

Chat: keeping a simultaneous chat stream can bolster the conversation and allow more students to get their questions answered - and voices heard.

Using Video

Effective video can be asynchronous, synchronous, and a complement to other forms of engaging with students. For overall guidance, see Designing Your Course for Online: Principles and Tips. For specific recommendations, see The Fundamentals of Video and Audio Production for Online Teaching.

Engaging Students Remotely

During Class: Engaging and Energizing

*Reading the room: unmuted students can inadvertently start talking at the same time, you will not be able to read body language easily, and those less inclined to speak may disappear more easily. To address these issues, be more diligent about pausing and asking if anyone else has more thoughts before jumping to the next topic.

*Amplify your course with guest speakers: online, experts are one click away. Inviting guests to join your course session can promote engagement, diversity, inclusion, and enthusiasm.

*Encourage community: the sense of presence will be enhanced when everyone shows their face via their webcam. Consider asking students to turn on video as a key part of participation, since it is easier to engage with the class if you can see them, and students are more likely to pay attention if they know they're on camera. The gallery view can be helpful here. However, recognize that some students may feel uncomfortable sharing their living/studying circumstances. Remind your students that virtual backgrounds can help protect cybersecurity, improve equity, and reduce visual distractions.

*Stretch times: consider encouraging students to "stretch" every 20-30 minutes for 30 seconds. It can be harder to focus attention on a screen than in a classroom, and you and they will benefit from a brief moment of physical activity.

*Breakout groups: if you want students to participate in smaller "buzz groups", you can consider using Slack or twitch as a chat platform that complements Zoom, and/or provide a prompt for group work via collaborative tools like Google Docs, Slides, or Sheets. Alternatively you can use Zoom's Breakout Rooms functionality for discussions or video-enabled group work.

During Class: Questions and Discussions

*Invite and respond to questions: if your class normally is a large-class lecture format with Q&A, consider inviting students to ask their questions in Chat. (See Additional Tips on Engaging Students.) If you have a TA/TF, they can pick a few questions for you to answer at the appropriate moments or, say, every 10-15 minutes. You can also consider asking students to use the Raise Hand feature in case they have an urgent question. (Zoom makes this easier than a standard lecture hall.)

*Use polling to get many responses quickly: poll tools like Poll Everywhere, Mentimeter, and Zoom's polling features let you ask students questions and use ScreenShare to show the distribution of responses. When used well, this can be a powerful complement to the lecture or discussion.

*Encourage students to reflect: for example, say "I'd like you to think about ....", take a short pause, and then if appropriate, provide an answer, or solicit answers from the students. Again, the Chat feature can be helpful in having students record their reflections.

*Post answers later: consider posting responses after class to particular Chat questions that you didn't have time to address during the session.

*Code review: you can use Screen Sharing to meet with an individual or group of students to review code. Authorizing Remote Screen Control enables one to take control of the other's shared application and allows for navigation, text entry, etc. on the remote computer. When you cannot meet synchronously with a student to provide feedback, consider resources such as Pastebin and JSFiddle, where students can upload their code and you can create revisions with comments.

*Collaborative problem solving and brainstorming: digitally annotate using the Whiteboards feature. Allow others in the session to annotate on the same board to share ideas and problem-solving methods. A tablet (used as a second screen) is useful for handwriting.

Ask questions: have students use the Raise Hand feature in Zoom to answer questions. Call on a student by name and "Allow to talk" (unmute).

*Cold call: you can "cold call" a student just as you would in the traditional classroom, instead of waiting for them to raise their hand.

*Office hours: if you're using open office hours, the Waiting Room allows you to provide a single Zoom session ID and the ability to invite only selected individuals into the discussion.

Outside of Class: Discussion Boards and Student Collaboration

Not all classroom discussions need to be synchronous. In these cases, you can use the Canvas discussion forum feature. Decide what kind of discussions will be most beneficial to your course: topic-driven or social-driven. Your discussion prompts and how you evaluate your students' responses should reflect that decision.

*Topic-driven: this type of discussion board works especially well for highlighting readings or helping your students focus on key parts of your course content. Provide specific conversation points and prompts that may relate to a reading or a lecture. Make sure to build in space for reflection or debate in your discussion prompts. Students should want to know what their classmates are thinking about!

*Social-driven: this type of discussion board works especially well if you want your students to connect the course with current events or their own projects or work. Your discussion board serves as a digital "water cooler" for your class. Your discussion prompts can be more general, such as asking them to post about the specific topic of the week.

You can also enable and encourage student-to-student collaboration through tools like Slack.

Assessment

Consider the following approaches. See also Designing Your Course for the Fall: Principles and Tips.

Additional Resources

Below are additional tools and materials that you may find useful depending on the kind of course and pedagogy you use.

*Overall guidance: Harvard's Office of Undergraduate Education (OUE) provides recommendations to help you teach your course, plan your class, and create a meaningful online experience.

Case-based courses: Harvard Business Publishing offers a portfolio of resources to help you move your class online.

*Reading-intensive courses: Perusall allows instructors to upload documents for learners to read and annotate. These annotations become discussions on the document as students comment on each other's ideas.

Lab courses: Remote Labs from the Bok Center

*Digital resources: Using digital resources to augment course materials

*Math and physics simulations: PhET, QuVis, Falstad

Flipping your course: the term "flipped classroom" describes the case when instead of using an in-class lecture format, instructors make their pre-recorded lectures available for students to view online, then use in-classroom time for discussions. The Harvard Kennedy School SLATE program has developed resources that may be useful as you consider this shift.

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Pedagogical Best Practices: Residential, Blended, and Online

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Below you'll see general advice, a variety of course types, and tips on encouraging student engagement. To keep things simple, we're focusing on the most common and most effective online teaching practices. Reminders that are equally relevant to in-person instruction are marked with an *asterisk*.

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Many schools have moved to distance learning because of the coronavirus. Schools are taking many different approaches. Some are providing synchronous (real-time) virtual learning via videoconference technology. Others are trying fully asynchronous (not real-time) learning through documents and worksheets designed to enhance at-home learning.

Whatever the approach, distance learning can be a challenge. Teachers and students will need time and practice to get used to it. It may feel daunting to include all students when your classroom is a videoconference.

Luckily, the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can help. When you plan with UDL in mind, you proactively reduce barriers to learning so all the students in your class can engage. Here are some best practices for distance learning with UDL.

1. Explicitly teach expectations and engagement.

Video and distance learning is a totally different medium of teaching and learning. Both you and your students may need time and support to learn how to learn and engage effectively in this space.

Assume that students have a wide range of skills when it comes to technology for virtual learning. That includes learning with digital materials and connecting for learning through virtual conferencing. And the technology students have access to for distance learning will vary.

Know, too, that there will be a learning curve for everyone. It may take some time and repeated support for all students to get the hang of how to interact and learn in this new environment.

2. Allow for asynchronous learning.

Some of your students may not be able to watch a livestream, whether it's due to timing, internet access, or the ability to focus on a lesson via a videoconference. And some students have trouble processing information when it's presented only in auditory form.

If you're delivering live instruction via video, record it for students to review or access later. You can upload the video to a space like Google Classroom or send it to your students via email.

You can also use apps like Otter.ai to generate transcripts from your audio. (Otter.ai offers 600 minutes of transcription free per month.) Other video streaming applications offer live captioning, which may be imperfect, but definitely useful.

It's harder for many students to "watch" instruction via video livestream than in a live classroom. It can be challenging to focus, feel connected, process information, and identify key ideas.

Older students (middle-schoolers and high-schoolers) can work together to help each other. Consider assigning students to take notes for the class using Google Classroom applications.

Along with transcripts and recordings, good notes are really important and helpful to all students. They're especially helpful to students who have trouble with focus, reading, writing, and other challenges that make it difficult to multitask.

4. Make materials accessible.

It's not just video that needs to be accessible. Think, too, about how to make images and digital documents available for all students to access. Here are some best practices to use when creating materials.

Create short text descriptions of images and videos you use during video and distance learning.

Avoid using inaccessible image-based PDFs for handouts and other digital materials. Use Word, Google Docs, or another accessible format instead. (Those formats have optical character recognition (OCR) for screen reader access.)

Check written materials for screen reader accessibility with tools like WebAIM.

If you're not already using these practices in your classroom, try to approach this situation as an opportunity to learn how to be accessible for all. Once you get used to doing it, it's easy to bring these practices into everyday, live learning settings.

5. Embrace your students as teachers.

You can provide them with a sketch and initial thoughts about how you think learning and teaching might work virtually, but create activities that let students provide feedback on your plans. Give them the chance to co-create what teaching and learning will look like now that you're all working remotely.

Communication is extra important when you're working at a distance. Ask your students regularly about their needs and be ready to be flexible and responsive to their concerns.

Remember that many students are digital natives. Ask about their preferences and innovative ideas on how to approach online learning. This supports learner agency, self-determination, and motivation to learn in this environment.

6. Actively build a supportive community.

When you're not in a classroom together, it's not as easy to check in with students about their emotional and physical well-being. Build time into your teaching and learning to reduce social isolation and support feelings of connectedness and belonging.

Integrate small group video discussions (in addition to the whole group) and use discussion boards for older students.

Some video applications, like Zoom, allow you to create separate "rooms" for breakout discussions. (Zoom is temporarily lifting the 40-minute time limit on free basic accounts for schools affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Learn more about how to get access for your school.)

If possible, try to set up weekly (or more frequent) individual virtual check-ins or short phone calls with each of your students. Most of all, encourage engagement to help your students feel like they have agency in this online space. After all, this is their learning community, too.

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UDL Best Practices for Distance Learning

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Many schools have moved to distance learning because of the coronavirus. Schools are taking many different approaches. Some are providing synchronous (real-time) virtual learning via videoconference technology. Others are trying fully asynchronous (not real-time) learning through documents and worksheets designed to enhance at-home learning. Whatever the approach, distance learning can be a challenge.

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Learn from Home: 20 Best Practices for Remote Learning K-12

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Learn from Home: 20 Best Practices for Remote Learning K-12

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As technology and internet access have become widespread in recent years, remote learning has soared tremendously in popularity. But despite how popular and ubiquitous it has become, there's still a learning curve for K-12 educators and students.

If you find yourself being thrust into academic cyberspace, don't worry, we're here to help. From online-class etiquette to the best technologies and even virtual office hours, there are specific conditions to remote learning that'll help you and your students succeed.

To help educators transition to remote learning, we're offering all K-12 schools RingCentral Office ® for free . Educators will have access to two essential remote learning tools, both on a single application:

Meetings: Host classes through our video conferencing tool that allows up to 100 participants per meeting. Students can also host meetings with fellow students (up to four participants) for group studies, assignments, and discussions.

Messaging: Teachers and students can also engage with each other using group messaging. With a group messaging tool, teachers can form teams/groups so students can interact with members of their own group for group assignments.

Here's a list of best practices for educators embarking on the remote-learning journey:

1. Be as present as possible through video.

Although remote learning seems like it's a solo endeavor, students still need to trust and listen to their teachers. That's why being as present as possible is essential-and the best way to do that is through frequent video connections.

Spend as much time on each online video lesson as you would in the classroom.

Keep lesson plans the same-dedicate time for instructions, assignments, readings, prep, and so on.

Upload a profile picture.

Aim for at least 480p 30FPS video quality, if not 720p 30FPS.

Instruct students to keep their videos on.

Hold virtual "office hours."

2. Continue engaging students.

When broadcasting lessons, make sure to dedicate time for students to ask questions. Pause periodically to invite participation. Remember to also ask probing questions to the entire class, groups, and individual students throughout each lesson.

3. Make active learning a priority in the virtual classroom.

We all know how hard it can be to stay focused in a long, boring lecture. With online learning, you can bet it's even harder. Take your normal classroom practices and incorporate them into your virtual classroom.

Make it a priority to:

Coordinate with other teachers to ensure there are adequate breaks between sessions.

Encourage discussions.

Assign homework.

Assign group work.

Use videos as part of the lesson plan.

Take breaks.

4. Communicate in writing which apps and tools your class will be using.

Send out an email with clear instructions on how students and parents can acquire the apps you'll be using. Consider customizing this email for your own needs:
Moving forward, our class will be conducted via the [insert video platform] online meeting system. Classes will still continue as they normally would, and students are expected to attend. Everyone should have their webcams turned on and microphones muted. If you have a question, you can raise your hand or type a question in the chat. Click here to download [insert video platform]. If you have any questions, feel free to send me an email, and I will help you get set up.
5. Choose a communications solution that combines both video meetings and messaging.

It's much simpler to have both video meeting and messaging capabilities on the same app than on two separate apps. Students and parents only have to download a single app, and communicating is also much easier.

For example, an entire class can be added to a single team in the app. When class begins, the teacher can select the right team and start a video call with just a click. When class is finished, students and teachers can keep the dialogue going by chatting through the team or messaging specific people directly, and even posting a recording of the class for those who missed it or want to revisit the content.

6. Teach with a wired headset.

Built-in microphones on laptops don't offer the best sound quality, and when you're teaching a class, you'll want the audio to be crisp. At the same time, wireless headsets can run out of juice before the end of your day, leaving you with your low-quality laptop microphone.

Consider investing in a wired USB microphone or headset. There are tons of affordable ones (less than $30) on Amazon that'll do the trick.

7. Use a wired internet connection.

Wi-Fi is handy and convenient, but we've all had disconnects at critical times before. To make sure your internet connection is as solid as possible, use a hardwired Ethernet connection from your PC to your modem/router.

8. Mute participants who get too noisy.

Just as teachers can silence their classrooms before a lesson, they can do the same in their virtual classrooms with just the click of a button. This can be useful if a student gets too loud or if they have unmanageable background noise. Of course, make sure you're the host of each of your video sessions so you have full control over your class.

9. Record lessons for videos on demand.

One of the strongest advantages of online education is that lessons can be accessed by students whenever they need it. Subject moved too quickly? They can simply go back and rewatch the video to learn it at their own pace.

If your school has a group messaging app, recorded sessions can be posted into each class's messaging group for easy access.

10. Have students drive their own research to share in class.

The flipped classroom approach goes hand-in-hand with online education, since much of the research is done online. Consider pointing students to the right resources (videos, websites, files) and allow them to be contributors to their own learning. This allows online class time to be more interactive and collaborative than instructional.

11. Post lesson materials online.

Some students might not absorb information as quickly as others, and if a presentation moves too quickly, they can get left behind. Materials posted online or in the related messaging group for download can give those students a chance to catch up at their own pace. It also removes the need for extensive note-taking during class so they can focus on the lesson instead.

12. Screen share PowerPoints, documents, videos, etc., during the lesson.

Just as in class, lessons should come with visual substance. Screen sharing is like having a projector in your virtual classroom, and every student tuned in can see the image, video, document, or website you're sharing from your PC.

13. Use larger fonts and sizes when screen sharing.

Students' abilities to see and hear you will depend entirely upon their own computers and internet connections. When you share screens with the class, make sure fonts and sizes are larger so they can be easily read no matter what latency issues they might have.

Remember to set your presentations to Present mode for the best viewing experience.

14. Make presentations more colorful than wordy.

As every educator knows, students get bored easily. Presentations should be as picturesque as possible, with the focus on students seeing images and diagrams while listening to you speak.

15. Break students into small, collaborative groups.

Even when students can't be present at school, working together is crucial to their relationship and collaboration skills. Consider breaking students up into groups of 3 or 4 for group projects or even study groups to review and comment on each other's work using your remote learning platform.

16. Post all assignments early, and be flexible with due dates.

Students learn at different paces, especially when they are going fully remote. Give students extra time to be prepared by posting assignments online early in the week.

Since learning from home can take some time to adjust to, give them some extra leeway for submitting assignments.

17. Encourage multimedia and creative assignments.

It can be convenient to simply assign students quizzes and essays, but students will be much more engaged when they have a chance to be creative. Consider incorporating multimedia, such as PowerPoints, videos, links, and presentations into assignments.

18. Assess students on a regular basis.

It's difficult to gauge how well students are keeping up without seeing them in person. Teachers can assess how much students understand a topic by having them answer online surveys. Google Forms is an excellent and free surveying resource.

Additionally, you can spend five to 10 minutes on a separate call with each student to ensure they're still engaged. You can create a Google doc or spreadsheet with each student's name and the last time you spoke with them, and follow up with an email or direct message.

19. Prepare for technical difficulties.

With so many students packed into a single virtual classroom, chances are that a few of them will encounter technical difficulties from time to time. It's recommended that you test your equipment beforehand and provide a checklist for students and parents to do the same.

If they have to disconnect from the class, make sure that all materials are posted online, and prepare to give them a rundown during office hours.

20. Dedicate some time off from lessons.

While the nature of online is that we're connected 24/7, teachers have lives, too. By dedicating specific times for lessons, prep, office hours, and grading, you can make time for yourself and ensure that your students are afforded the same.

Extra credit

1. Have students share something special from their homes.

It can be anything, such as family photos, their pets, or a favorite collection. This helps students build camaraderie and a sense of community while learning from home.

2. Start off the day with a brain teaser.

YouTube is a great resource for logic puzzles, riddles, and brain games for all ages. And don't worry, most of them come with answers.

3. Build a newsletter of accomplishments.

That way parents and faculty know how successful your class has been in adopting learning from home.

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Learn From Home: 20 Best Practices for Remote Learning in K-12 | RingCentral Blog

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As technology and internet access have become widespread in recent years, remote learning has soared tremendously in popularity. But despite how popular and ubiquitous it has become, there's still a learning curve for K-12 educators and students. If you find yourself being thrust into academic cyberspace, don't worry, we're here to help.

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May 18-22 KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist

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May 18-22 KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist

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May 18-22 KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist: Phase Two

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May 11-15 KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist

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May 11-15 KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist

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May 11-15 KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist: Phase Two

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Summative Assessment in Distance Learning

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Summative Assessment in Distance Learning

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Summative Assessment in Distance Learning

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Whether schools are using regular grades or not, teachers need to accurately assess learning while their students are at home. These are some helpful ideas to consider.

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Adding Audio/Video into Schoology Assignments

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Adding Audio/Video into Schoology Assignments

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

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SUPPORTING SPED STUDENTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

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SUPPORTING SPED STUDENTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

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Idaho Training Clearinghouse > Resources

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12 Virtual Meeting Games to Play with Students

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12 Virtual Meeting Games to Play with Students

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TGFZ-thank goodness for Zoom, am I right?! It's keeping grown-ups connected at work and children connected in school. Aside from using Zoom for work and school, it can (and should!) be used for play, too. In fact, there are awesome Zoom games for kids to keep them entertained.

With Zoom, you can keep in touch with family members and friends and since we're all lacking social interaction right now during coronavirus sheltering-in-place, it's more important than ever to make sure we're connecting whenever we can.

Though us adults may be going stir-crazy, we can trust that kids are probably feeling it 10 times more. That's why it's important to keep children engaged and most crucially, connected. Or else this COVID-19 isolation can feel pretty, well, isolating.

While working on a puzzle as a family or having a -what day is it, even?!). Luckily, almost any family board game night are meaningful ideas for staving off boredom, even those tricks of the trade might be getting old now that we're on week four or five of quarantine (ugh board game that you have laying around in the house can be played on Zoom with friends and family members that you typically can't see amidst quarantine.

And don't worry-even if you don't have these board games, most of them have virtual versions that allow you to play with a tablet, smartphone, or computer. Check out the list!

12 Zoom Games for Kids

5 Second Rule

Similar to Scattegories, 5 Second Rule and 5 Second Rule Junior require one person to call out a topic. The person whose turn it is has five seconds-hence the name-to call out at least three items that fit the topic.
Related: 100 Kid Crafts
Now, if you don't have the board game, that's totally fine. It's a really simple game so it can be easily adapted without the board. Just take turns, via Zoom, picking a category then go around, giving each player five seconds to name three things within the category.

Need help getting started? Here are a few category ideas that work well for kids: types of animals, colors, ice cream flavors, types of candy, Disney movies, etc...

Not enough ideas? You can play a similar version of the game by downloading Tuku Tuku - 5 Second Challenge on the app store. It gives you the prompts and you can share your screen on Zoom so everyone can see!
Related: 125 Activities to Do With Kids to Avoid COVID-19 Cabin Fever
Boggle

You can play Boggle two ways: with the board game version of it (if you have it at home) or virtually. To set up the physical board game, do it as your normally would and then set a timer. Everyone takes turn saying which words they have and if you have a similar word as someone else, that word gets crossedoff the list.

Now, if you want to try the virtual version, you can use Puzzle-Words.com/Boggle to screenshare the digital version of the board game. Just split your screen with Zoom, so you can see all of your opponents and then play the game online!

Charades

This one's an easy one. No board game or setup necessary. All you need to do is see each other via Zoom. Each person takes turns acting out a prompt. You can either let the person doing the acting make up the prompt or you can message the prompt to each other so only two people know what they're acting out. Alternatively, you can use this kid-friendly Charade Idea Generator. If the grown-ups still want to play once the kids are asleep, there's an adult version of the Charade Idea Generator, too.
Related: How to Use Zoom For Work-From-Home Newbies
Heads Up!

Heads Up! can be a little tricky to play virtually because we all have cameras and along with seeing other players, we can also see ourselves. Since this game requires that you don't see yourself-or the prompts you're given- HouseParty has created a way to play.

If you download HouseParty, there's a way to play Heads Up! on the app that is perfect for kids. Just make sure you can all see each other on Zoom. It's free and every player gets three decks to start. You can purchase additional decks, but if you want to keep things timely, you can use the #trending deck (which is totally free) because it gets updated weekly with the most relevant topics.

Although if you want to keep things kid-friendly, it depends on the ages you're working with, but animals is usually the best topic for little ones to get involved in.

Name, Place, Animal, Thing

Keep it simple on Zoom by playing a Scattegories-eque game without the help of an online tool. Pick a letter, then each player is challenged to choose a celebrity (name), place, animal, and thing that starts with that letter. The first player to type all four into the Zoom chat feature wins that round.

If you plan on playing a few rounds, you could just go in alphabetical order.

Alternatively, if you prefer the help of an app, you can download Name, Place, Animal, Thing in the app store.

Pictionary

Some pretty craft Zoomers figured out that the Whiteboard feature in Zoom could be used to play digital Pictionary. One player shares their screen and selects the Whiteboard feature. It's that player's turn, so they have to use the annotation tools on the Whiteboard toolbar to draw a picture with their mouse.

Need help choosing topics? This Pictionary Generator generates random words that players can attempt to draw. Everyone else on the Zoom call takes turns guessing what the picture is! Remember: In order to play this way, you have totake turns sharing the screen, as the person screen-sharing is the only one who can draw at a given time.

Quick Draw

Similar to Pictionary and Skribbl.io (more on that down below), Quick Draw challenges you to draw a prompt. However, Quick Draw is a little different because you get significantly less time-only 10 seconds, that is. As you go on through the levels, you get a bit more time. You know, like 20 seconds or so. It happens really fast, so it keeps kids engaged for a long time as it's a very quick-paced game.

Scattergories

If you and another player both have the Scattergories board game, then you can both play over Zoom that way. However, if you're lacking the physical board game, you can use Scattergories online.

With Scattergories online, you can play with randos, robots, or invite friends with a unique game link. The website will generate letters, categories, and give you a timer to go through as many of the categories-or Scattergories-as you can. It automatically takes a tally, too, of who wins the round.

Make sure to split your screen with Scattergories and Zoom so you can see and hear each of your opponents!

Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt is one of the simplest things you can do for kids. Have them call in on a Zoom meeting with some of their friends, then challenge them to an at-home scavenger hunt... virtually.

Use -holidays, pirates, super heroes, etc.-and the type of Treasure.run to generate the scavenger hunt requirements. Each kid will have the same prompts AKA things that need to find around their homes. Parents can customize the scavenger hunt, choosing the hiding places that are fair game. Parents can also customize by picking one of two age groups, a theme riddle the game generates-3×3 jigsaw puzzle, color-coding puzzle, falling words, etc.

Skribbl.io

No, that's not a typo. Skribbl.io is the name of a virtual version of Pictionary that players in a Zoom meeting can partake in together. To play, share your Zoom meeting ID with the rest of the players, then enter your name in a private room on Skribbl.io. You can share the private room link with all other players so you don't end up playing with strangers.
Related: Virtual Games for Adults to Play With Their Friends on Zoom
Up to 12 players can participate and once you're in a private room, you can take turns drawing the prompts. Split your screen between the Skribbl.io interface and the Zoom one, that way you can see peoples' reactions as they shout out the answers!

Taboo

Fantabulous is an online version of Taboo that can be played digitally, using Zoom. Log onto PlayTaboo.com and Zoom at the same time, splitting into two teams or more. Each round of Fantabulous, a team selects a clue-giver. This person has to help their team guess the main word using one word at a time or by picking two words total from the list.

You can say ANYTHING except the main words on the list.

Things

Things can be played with the physical board game version or online, using the The Game of Things game mode. Split your screen with Zoom and choose "Remote game" where everyone is in different locations and joining virtually.

Things is a lot like Scattergories or 5 Second Rule in that each player has to come up with items within a specific category. You'll get prompts like, "Things you can eat," "Things that are spicy," "Things you should never chase."

Need more ways to keep kids entertained? Here are 29 kid scavenger hunt ideas!

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Let's Get Ready to (Digitally) Rumble! Here Are 12 Super Fun Zoom Games to Play With Kids

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TGFZ-thank goodness for Zoom, am I right?! It's keeping grown-ups connected at work and children connected in school. Aside from using Zoom for work and school, it can (and should!) be used for play, too. In fact, there are awesome Zoom games for kids to keep them entertained.With Zoom, you can keep in touch with family members [...]

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Creating and Assigning Worksheets in Schoology - Google Docs and Google Assignments

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May 4-8 KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist

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May 4-8 KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist

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May 4-8 KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist: Phase Two

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

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What are some lessons you've learned during this time of crisis? STAFF SURVEY QUOTES

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Google Meet Nod Extension

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Helpful Google Extensions for Google Meets with Students!

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Helpful Google Extensions for Google Meets with Students!

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist 4/27 - 5/1

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KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist 4/27 - 5/1

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April 27-May 1 KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist: Phase One

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Looking for a versatile virtual classroom within Schoology? You have it with Schoology Conferences by BigBlueButton.

Schoology Conferences by BigBlueButton enables you to hold:

Virtual office hours

Group collaborations

Full online classes

To support these use cases, Schoology Conferences by BigBlueButton provides real-time sharing of audio, video, slides, chat, and screen. This enables schools and organizations to deliver a high-quality learning experience to remote students.

You can access Schoology Conferences by BigBlueButton via the built-in Conferences app. Using the Conferences app, course and group admins can create, plan, and hold live audio and video conferences with up to 100 participants (up to 25 participants for Free Tier users).

Note: The Conferences app from BigBlueButton is hosted by Blindside Networks. All organizations using Schoology Enterprise have access to the free version of BigBlueButton via the Conferences app. Organizations that have Premium licensing with Blindside Networks also have access to an additional set of features within the Conferences app.

You can use the links below to jump to a specific area of the guide:

Install the App to Your Courses and Groups

Instructors can install Conferences from the Schoology App Center directly to each course and group they administer. System Administrators can install the app for all courses and/or groups in their organization.

Only course and group admins can create and start a conference, but by default, all course members can participate. To prevent other members from participating in a conference, select Course/Group admins only when installing the app.

To install the Conferences app from the App Center as a System Administrator:

1. Click the App Center icon at the top of Schoology, then click App Center.

2. Locate the Conferences app and click the title.

3. Click Install App.

4. Click Add to Organization.

5. You will be taken to Organization Apps to continue the installation.

6. Click Install/Remove.

7. Select the box next to All Course and/or All Groups.

8. If desired, check Course admins only or Group admins only to prevent other members from participating in the conferencing.

9. Click Submit.

10. Click Configure to approve the app for your organization. If you have a Premium license for BigBlueButton, this is where you can enter your credentials provided by Blindside Networks.

Create a Conference

If you are the course or group admin, you can create a new conference after installing Conferences:

1. Click the Conferences app in the left menu in a course or group where it is installed.

2. Click + Create New Conference.

3. Name the conference and set its start time. You can also include an optional end time.

4. Use the gear to the right of a specific conference to edit the title, start, and end times or to delete the conference.

Create as many conferences as you like. Upcoming conferences will appear in the Active tab. A list of past conferences displays in the Completed tab. Recordings of completed conferences will remain available for 7 days after the end of the conference.

Note: Users in schools with Premium Tier BigBlueButton licenses do not have the 7-day limit and may access recorded sessions at any time after they are posted.

Conduct a Conference

As the admin for your course or group, you must click the Start Conference button within the app to begin the video conference. Even if the Start Time has passed, your conference will not begin until you start the session.

Upon launching or joining a conference, BigBlueButton opens in a new tab. Follow the prompts to test your audio and microphone.

During the conference you can:

Record a live video conference.

Upload documents and teach using an interactive whiteboard.

Make live annotations.

Chat instantly with all attendees or individuals.

Moderate the live discussion by muting participants and allowing them to raise their hands.

Share a YouTube video.

Collaborate with students in Shared Notes.

Create breakout rooms for team collaboration.

Students will also be able to:

Make live notations on a shared, multi-user whiteboard.

Collaborate in Shared Notes, and later download them.

Participate in breakout rooms.

Lock Viewers Settings

During a conference, Admins may lock some conference features to disable members from using them.

Conference features include:
To lock conference features for members:

Share webcam.

Share microphone.

Send Public Chat messages.

Send Private Chat messages.

Edit Shared Notes.

See other viewers in the Users list.

1. From the Users panel on the left, click the gear on the right.

2. Select Lock viewers.

3. Click the toggle bar next to each feature you wish to lock/unlock for members.

Note: Private chat messages and Shared Notes are locked by default.

Join a Conference

After you begin a conference, course and group members can join your session by:

1. Clicking Conferences in the left menu.

2. Clicking the title of the conference.

Notes:

Members can only join sessions with a status of In Progress, which indicates that the Admin has started the session.

Up to 100 course or group members can participate in a conference simultaneously (Premium Tier only). For Free Tier license, up to 25 course or group members can participate in a conference.

Members of courses with linked sections can join the same conference when accessing the Conferences app on the left-hand side of the course menu.

The number of participants who can share their webcam depends on the user's bandwidth.

Admins in schools with Premium BigBlueButton licenses may also invite guests into a session via an invite URL, or post a dial-in number to the voice conference bridge.

End a Conference

To end the conference, the course or group admin must select End Conference within Schoology. Participants can exit a conference by closing the browser.

Conferences saves recorded sessions for 7 days. To view a recorded session during this time, select the Completed tab within the app and click Play.

Notes:

Users in schools with Premium Tier BigBlueButton licenses do not have the 7-day limit and may access recorded sessions at any time after they are posted.

It may take several minutes after the conference has ended for recordings to appear in the Completed area.

To delete an Active or Completed conference, click the gear icon to the right of the conference and select Delete.

If you have questions regarding your video and audio configurations, or to view a full tutorial of the app, visit the BigBlueButton Help page.
How many concurrent users can access a single Conference session at a time? Also, is there a limit to the number of concurrent Conference sessions that can be conducted by my organization at the same time?
Frequently Asked Questions
Can members join conferences via phone?

There is no limitation on concurrent users or sessions in the Premium Tier BigBlueButton license, but for performance stability we recommend 100 students or less per Conference session.

Due to increased volume, BigBlueButton has implemented a soft limit of 10 concurrent sessions/25 students per session limit for some customers on the Free Tier license. If you intend to use the Conferences app beyond this limit, we recommend reaching out to your Schoology representative to discuss upgrading to the Premium version.

Does BigBlueButton charge per minute if you call into a conference?

Yes, members may join a conference using a phone. The dial-in number and code are provided to Admins only. This number is displayed in the Public Chat area:

Above, the dial option on the Free Tier license. Below, the dial option on the Premium Tier license.

Admins may distribute this number to members who wish to join a conference using a phone instead of the Conferences app in Schoology.

I set up a Conference and I can see my students but my students can't see each other!
Is this a bug?

There is no additional charge if you join a conference via computer or mobile browser.

If you join a conference by dialing in, normal charges from your telephone provider will apply.

The Conferences Premium tier offers the option to set up a toll free dial-in number. We recommend contacting BigBlueButton Support directly for more information on call charges.

I recorded a Conference but it's not showing up. Should I be worried?

Instructors can see all students' webcams in a conference, but students can not see each others' webcams.

Students can see their own webcam, share their webcam, and of course see the instructor's webcam.

Instructors may also create breakout rooms in a conference that allows students in those sessions to see each other.

How long are recorded conferences available for?

With the increase in concurrent usage of Conferences, recordings may take longer to process. They will show up, but with delay. You should expect that all recordings to appear within 24 hours.
Is the Conferences app supported on the Schoology iOS app?

Recordings of completed conferences remain available for 7 days after the end of the conference (Free Tier license).

Users with Premium Tier BigBlueButton licenses do not have the same 7-day limit and may access recorded sessions at any time after they are posted.

What should I do if I can't access recorded conferences from mobile?

No, if you need to access Conferences on a mobile device or tablet, you should use Schoology in a mobile browser.
Where should we go to find out more about purchasing the premium version of Conferences?

Recorded conferences are available for 7 days after the conference has ended. Users with Premium Tier BigBlueButton licenses do not have the same 7-day limit. Bear in mind also, Conferences is supported on desktop computer and mobile browser only.

If you're unable to access recorded conferences via the mobile browser, please reach out to BigBlueButton Support for further support.

Can I use Conferences app in my linked classes?

If you are interested in purchasing the premium version, please reach out to your Schoology representative.
Can I download my recorded session?

Yes, the Conferences app supports linked sections. Course members in linked sections can join the same conference when accessing the Conferences app on the left-hand side of the course menu.

Downloading a recorded session is a feature of the Premium Tier BigBlueButton only. If you intend to use the Conferences app to download conferences, we recommend reaching out to your Schoology representative to discuss upgrading to the Premium version.

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How to use the Conferences app (Enterprise only)

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Looking for a versatile virtual classroom within Schoology? You have it with Schoology Conferences by BigBlueButton. Schoology Conferences by BigBlueButton enables you to hold: Virtual office hours Group collaborations Full online classes To support these use cases, Schoology Conferences by BigBlueButton provides real-time sharing of audio, video, slides, chat, and screen.

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Official Google Docs Editors Help Center where you can find tips and tutorials on using Google Docs Editors and other answers to frequently asked questions.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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A Crisis is Not a Marathon --But it is a Call for Endurance

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A Crisis is Not a Marathon --But it is a Call for Endurance

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Throughout this coronavirus crisis, I've seen people refer to our current state of physical distancing and at-home isolation as a marathon, not a sprint.

As a leader facing disruptions to my own business, dreams, and goals, it feels right to first acknowledge the sense of utter despair that these difficulties bring. In fact, having run 10 marathons over the last six years, I've used distance running as an analogy often, both to describe my journey as a business owner and to describe the need for authors to have a long-term view of marketing their books.

While it's a useful analogy as it evokes the need to face difficulties with perseverance and sustained energy over time, after that it breaks down.

Here are the ways the coronavirus pandemic is not like a marathon.

This crisis is not predictable. A marathon is a predictable challenge, a distance premeasured and predetermined. When you start, you not only know where the finish line is, but you can also likely predict your time to get there. You know the path you'll take and some scenic milestones on your journey.

We did not train for this. Marathon runners train their bodies to be prepared for the challenge by increasing their mileage over time. Marathoners train their minds to navigate the distance, breaking it down into smaller distances and mentally checking each one off to measure progress.

We are isolated from our support crews. Most marathons include supportive crowds, enthusiastic cheerleaders, support stations that provide any needed comfort items and fuel, and a triumphant and emotion-filled finish.

We can't see the finish line. Not only that, we're not sure if there is one; and if there is, there are no warm hugs waiting there. Running a marathon is a bit like childbirth in that, as soon as you finish, the pain you've endured fades in light of the heady sense of accomplishment and completion. It's difficult to envision any sense of satisfaction or any fading of the pain of this crisis.

The only similarity between this crisis and a marathon is the need to dig deep, the need to keep going when we'd rather quit. Both this crisis and running marathons require extreme perseverance.

So how do we keep running?

By not allowing an analogy to dismiss and sugarcoat the realities of the times.

First, the macro realities: People are sick. People are dying. Millions of people are unemployed. Every day brings news of more layoffs and bankruptcies.

Then the micro realities: People we know are sick. People we know are dying. People we know are out of work.

Having acknowledged the realities, I can then move on to the only moment I need to face: this one.

This is the marathoner's most helpful meditation, drawn from American half-marathon record-holder Ryan Hall's recent book, "Run the Mile You're In."

At the start of a 26.2-mile race, the distance is overwhelming, but the only mile I have to run is the one I'm in. Worrying about the miles remaining could paralyze me in the current moment, could discourage me or drag me down. I know I can run a mile. I've run thousands of miles in my lifetime.

As a leader facing multiple business challenges, I am paralyzed when I worry too much about next quarter. Long-term planning is critical, but I'll find the strength to endure if I show up for what's needed in this moment.

During this coronavirus crisis, with so many changes to our lives and business realities, we can be easily overwhelmed if we spend too much time thinking about all the months of difficulty that might lie ahead of us.

The call to run the mile we're in is a call to stay present in this day, in this moment. When we do, we find strength and endurance, one moment at a time.

Becky Robinson is the founder and CEO of Weaving Influence, an online influence building company. She works with authors and thought leaders to help them show up online in the same powerful and compelling ways they show up in real life. If you enjoyed this article, sign up for SmartBrief's free e-mails on leadership, career growth and HR, among SmartBrief's more than 200 industry-focused newsletters.

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A crisis is not a marathon -- but it is a call for endurance

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Throughout this coronavirus crisis, I've seen people refer to our current state of physical distancing and at-home isolation as a marathon, not a sprint. As a leader facing disruptions to my own business, dreams, and goals, it feels right to first acknowledge the sense of utter despair that these difficulties bring.

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Using Grading Groups for DC/vs Non-DC Students in the Same Class

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Using Grading Groups for DC/vs Non-DC Students in the Same Class

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Using Grading Groups for DC/vs. Non-DC students

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KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist 4/20-25

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KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist 4/20-25

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April 20-24 KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist: Phase One

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The #1 source for online teacher professional development. Earn CEUs. Connect with peers. Learn something new...

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Leaving Comments on a Schoology Assignment Submission

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Leaving Comments on a Schoology Assignment Submission

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Leaving Comments on a Schoology Assignment Submission

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Using Schoology Embedded Audio/Video Recording Function

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Using Schoology Embedded Audio/Video Recording Function

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Using Schoology Embedded Audio/Video Recording Function

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Study Skills Schedule for Remote Learning

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Study Skills Schedule for Remote Learning

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Idaho Public Television Distance Learning

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Idaho Public Television Distance Learning

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The is available on mobile, tablet, and connected TV devices and offers on-demand educational videos, and a live stream of the PBS KIDS 24/7 channel.  No subscription required.

The has nearly PBS KIDS Games app 200 educational games like Cookie Monster's Challenge and Play and Learn Science, which can be downloaded for offline play anytime, anywhere. Learn more about these and PBS KIDS' other apps .

PBS KIDS for Parents  offers information, activities, and tips for parents, including this resource on "How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus."

Is your child's school closed due to coronavirus concerns? PBS KIDS' new weekday newsletter offers activities and tips you can use to help kids play and learn at home. Sign up for PBS KIDS Daily!

PBS KIDS.org offers children educational games and videos from Curious George, Wild Kratts and other PBS KIDS shows so children can learn while they play.

Your friends on are here to support you during the COVID-19 health crisis. We know that these are very stressful times; daily lives have been disrupted, and families everywhere are trying to create a new sense of normalcy.

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The is available on mobile, tablet, and connected TV devices and offers on-demand educational videos, and a live stream of the PBS KIDS 24/7 channel.  No subscription required. The has nearly PBS KIDS Games app 200 educational games like Cookie Monster's Challenge and Play and Learn Science, which can be downloaded for offline play anytime, anywhere.

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https://hippocampus.org/

What It Is: Find more than 7,000 videos in 13 subject areas to share with your students. Teachers can set up playlists for their students too.

What They’re Offering: HippoCampus is always free to use.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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

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KHS Department Choice Board 13-17 April 2020

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Looking for a versatile virtual classroom within Schoology? You have it with Schoology Conferences by BigBlueButton.

Schoology Conferences by BigBlueButton enables you to hold:

Virtual office hours

Group collaborations

Full online classes

To support these use cases, Schoology Conferences by BigBlueButton provides real-time sharing of audio, video, slides, chat, and screen. This enables schools and organizations to deliver a high-quality learning experience to remote students.

You can access Schoology Conferences by BigBlueButton via the built-in Conferences app. Using the Conferences app, course and group admins can create, plan, and hold live audio and video conferences with up to 100 participants (up to 25 participants for Free Tier users).

Note: The Conferences app from BigBlueButton is hosted by Blindside Networks. All organizations using Schoology Enterprise have access to the free version of BigBlueButton via the Conferences app. Organizations that have Premium licensing with Blindside Networks also have access to an additional set of features within the Conferences app.

You can use the links below to jump to a specific area of the guide:

Install the App to Your Courses and Groups

Instructors can install Conferences from the Schoology App Center directly to each course and group they administer. System Administrators can install the app for all courses and/or groups in their organization.

Only course and group admins can create and start a conference, but by default, all course members can participate. To prevent other members from participating in a conference, select Course/Group admins only when installing the app.

To install the Conferences app from the App Center as a System Administrator:

1. Click the App Center icon at the top of Schoology, then click App Center.

2. Locate the Conferences app and click the title.

3. Click Install App.

4. Click Add to Organization.

5. You will be taken to Organization Apps to continue the installation.

6. Click Install/Remove.

7. Select the box next to All Course and/or All Groups.

8. If desired, check Course admins only or Group admins only to prevent other members from participating in the conferencing.

9. Click Submit.

10. Click Configure to approve the app for your organization. If you have a Premium license for BigBlueButton, this is where you can enter your credentials provided by Blindside Networks.

Create a Conference

If you are the course or group admin, you can create a new conference after installing Conferences:

1. Click the Conferences app in the left menu in a course or group where it is installed.

2. Click + Create New Conference.

3. Name the conference and set its start time. You can also include an optional end time.

4. Use the gear to the right of a specific conference to edit the title, start, and end times or to delete the conference.

Create as many conferences as you like. Upcoming conferences will appear in the Active tab. A list of past conferences displays in the Completed tab. Recordings of completed conferences will remain available for 7 days after the end of the conference.

Note: Users in schools with Premium Tier BigBlueButton licenses do not have the 7-day limit and may access recorded sessions at any time after they are posted.

Conduct a Conference

As the admin for your course or group, you must click the Start Conference button within the app to begin the video conference. Even if the Start Time has passed, your conference will not begin until you start the session.

Upon launching or joining a conference, BigBlueButton opens in a new tab. Follow the prompts to test your audio and microphone.

During the conference you can:

Record a live video conference.

Upload documents and teach using an interactive whiteboard.

Make live annotations.

Chat instantly with all attendees or individuals.

Moderate the live discussion by muting participants and allowing them to raise their hands.

Share a YouTube video.

Collaborate with students in Shared Notes.

Create breakout rooms for team collaboration.

Students will also be able to:

Make live notations on a shared, multi-user whiteboard.

Collaborate in Shared Notes, and later download them.

Participate in breakout rooms.

Lock Viewers Settings

During a conference, Admins may lock some conference features to disable members from using them.

Conference features include:
To lock conference features for members:

Share webcam.

Share microphone.

Send Public Chat messages.

Send Private Chat messages.

Edit Shared Notes.

See other viewers in the Users list.

1. From the Users panel on the left, click the gear on the right.

2. Select Lock viewers.

3. Click the toggle bar next to each feature you wish to lock/unlock for members.

Note: Private chat messages and Shared Notes are locked by default.

Join a Conference

After you begin a conference, course and group members can join your session by:

1. Clicking Conferences in the left menu.

2. Clicking the title of the conference.

Notes:

Members can only join sessions with a status of In Progress, which indicates that the Admin has started the session.

Up to 100 course or group members can participate in a conference simultaneously (Premium Tier only). For Free Tier license, up to 25 course or group members can participate in a conference.

Members of courses with linked sections can join the same conference when accessing the Conferences app on the left-hand side of the course menu.

The number of participants who can share their webcam depends on the user's bandwidth.

Admins in schools with Premium BigBlueButton licenses may also invite guests into a session via an invite URL, or post a dial-in number to the voice conference bridge.

End a Conference

To end the conference, the course or group admin must select End Conference within Schoology. Participants can exit a conference by closing the browser.

Conferences saves recorded sessions for 7 days. To view a recorded session during this time, select the Completed tab within the app and click Play.

Notes:

Users in schools with Premium Tier BigBlueButton licenses do not have the 7-day limit and may access recorded sessions at any time after they are posted.

It may take several minutes after the conference has ended for recordings to appear in the Completed area.

To delete an Active or Completed conference, click the gear icon to the right of the conference and select Delete.

If you have questions regarding your video and audio configurations, or to view a full tutorial of the app, visit the BigBlueButton Help page.
How many concurrent users can access a single Conference session at a time? Also, is there a limit to the number of concurrent Conference sessions that can be conducted by my organization at the same time?
Frequently Asked Questions
Can members join conferences via phone?

There is no limitation on concurrent users or sessions in the Premium Tier BigBlueButton license, but for performance stability we recommend 100 students or less per Conference session.

Due to increased volume, BigBlueButton has implemented a soft limit of 10 concurrent sessions/25 students per session limit for some customers on the Free Tier license. If you intend to use the Conferences app beyond this limit, we recommend reaching out to your Schoology representative to discuss upgrading to the Premium version.

Does BigBlueButton charge per minute if you call into a conference?

Yes, members may join a conference using a phone. The dial-in number and code are provided to Admins only. This number is displayed in the Public Chat area:

Above, the dial option on the Free Tier license. Below, the dial option on the Premium Tier license.

Admins may distribute this number to members who wish to join a conference using a phone instead of the Conferences app in Schoology.

I set up a Conference and I can see my students but my students can't see each other!
Is this a bug?

There is no additional charge if you join a conference via computer or mobile browser.

If you join a conference by dialing in, normal charges from your telephone provider will apply.

The Conferences Premium tier offers the option to set up a toll free dial-in number. We recommend contacting BigBlueButton Support directly for more information on call charges.

I recorded a Conference but it's not showing up. Should I be worried?

Instructors can see all students' webcams in a conference, but students can not see each others' webcams.

Students can see their own webcam, share their webcam, and of course see the instructor's webcam.

Instructors may also create breakout rooms in a conference that allows students in those sessions to see each other.

How long are recorded conferences available for?

With the increase in concurrent usage of Conferences, recordings may take longer to process. They will show up, but with delay. You should expect that all recordings to appear within 24 hours.
Is the Conferences app supported on the Schoology iOS app?

Recordings of completed conferences remain available for 7 days after the end of the conference (Free Tier license).

Users with Premium Tier BigBlueButton licenses do not have the same 7-day limit and may access recorded sessions at any time after they are posted.

What should I do if I can't access recorded conferences from mobile?

No, if you need to access Conferences on a mobile device or tablet, you should use Schoology in a mobile browser.
Where should we go to find out more about purchasing the premium version of Conferences?

Recorded conferences are available for 7 days after the conference has ended. Users with Premium Tier BigBlueButton licenses do not have the same 7-day limit. Bear in mind also, Conferences is supported on desktop computer and mobile browser only.

If you're unable to access recorded conferences via the mobile browser, please reach out to BigBlueButton Support for further support.

Can I use Conferences app in my linked classes?

If you are interested in purchasing the premium version, please reach out to your Schoology representative.
Can I download my recorded session?

Yes, the Conferences app supports linked sections. Course members in linked sections can join the same conference when accessing the Conferences app on the left-hand side of the course menu.

Downloading a recorded session is a feature of the Premium Tier BigBlueButton only. If you intend to use the Conferences app to download conferences, we recommend reaching out to your Schoology representative to discuss upgrading to the Premium version.

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How to use the Conferences app (Enterprise only)

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Looking for a versatile virtual classroom within Schoology? You have it with Schoology Conferences by BigBlueButton. Schoology Conferences by BigBlueButton enables you to hold: Virtual office hours Group collaborations Full online classes To support these use cases, Schoology Conferences by BigBlueButton provides real-time sharing of audio, video, slides, chat, and screen.

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist 4/13-17

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KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist 4/13-17

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April 13-17 KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist: Phase One

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KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist 4/6-10

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KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist 4/6-10

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April 6-10 KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist: Phase One

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KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist 3/31 - 4/3

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KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist 3/31 - 4/3

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KHS Staff Distance Learning Checklist: Phase One

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Protocols for Entering your School Building

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Protocols for Entering your School Building

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

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Email: Staff Expectations in Phase One (David Reinhart)

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Email: Staff Expectations in Phase One (David Reinhart)

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Email: Staff Expectations in Phase One (David Reinhart)

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Teacher Who Survived Katrina Has This Advise for Class of 2020

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Teacher Who Survived Katrina Has This Advise for Class of 2020

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High School
by Grown and Flown | March 16, 2020

Chris Dier, 2020 Louisiana Teacher of the Year & National Teacher of the Year Finalist, knows what it's like to have his senior year of high school wrecked by a major crisis - Hurricane Katrina. Here are his thoughts for you, Class of 2020.

Letter from teacher who survived Katrina his senior year

Dear High School Senior,

On Friday afternoon a few seniors came into my classroom after the last bell rang. They were concerned about prom and their senior trip. It broke my teacher heart to listen. As you're reading this, you most likely have similar concerns.

This is supposed to be your year. The year for your senior prom, sporting events, cheer competitions, senior trips, clubs, and the rest of what senior year has to offer. You were supposed to be the captain of that team, the officer of that club, or that student who wanted to be with their friends one last year before venturing into the unknown. This was THE year that your entire schooling was building up to. But it was robbed from you because of this global pandemic.

Let's be abundantly clear - you were robbed, and it's unfair. If you're upset, then you should embrace those feelings. Commiserate with one another. Some folks will downplay the situation because they won't know what it feels like to have their senior year stripped at the last moment.

I, for one, will not downplay it as it happened to me. Hurricane Katrina devastated my community when I was a high school senior. I remember leaving my school on a Friday afternoon with my buddies only to never return to that school. I was supposed to be the captain of my soccer team, go to prom with my longtime crush, and finish the year with my lifelong friends. But it was all canceled.

Instead, I stayed in a shelter and finished my high school in a different state. It was tough, and I had to find solace in places I never envisioned. It was hard, but we made it through. And I'm reliving that pain as I think of your disruption to your senior year.

Most do not need to experience Katrina to know that this is tough on you. Those of us who work in schools do so because we care above all else. That caring does not stop once you leave those school walls. In situations like these, we worry more about you. There is a lot of uncertainty, but rest assured, districts across the nation are working in creative ways, from potentially abbreviated school years to organizing social events when this subsides, to make this situation the best they possibly can for you. Some educators are working endlessly to transfer to virtual learning and accompany those without the internet.

Administrators are working to get those meals together for those who need them. We are all in crisis mode but know that we are all doing everything we can to help during this tumultuous time. You are not forgotten. We are thinking about you. We are here for you. We care.

There's nothing I, or anyone, can say to make up for that time you are losing in what is supposed to be one of the best years of your life.

But I can offer some encouragement. Right now, you have the power to make the most out of this unfortunate situation. If a decade of teaching has taught me anything, it's that people your age are resilient and innovative.

Your generation can navigate multiple worlds and bounce between virtual and digital spaces with ease. You are part of the most racially and ethnically diverse generation, and you embrace those differences in ways adults seem to struggle. You courageously put yourselves out there for the world to see and criticize. You push boundaries and challenge norms.

You find ingenious ways to compensate for any gaps you may have accrued without the help of educators, whether it's through Khan Academy or a sibling. It's a small wonder why " post-Millennials are on track to become the most well-educated generation yet."

I can also offer some advice. Help one another and your family. They need you. Do your grandparents or your elderly neighbors need groceries? Offer support. Some teachers may even need your help as many try to transition to online learning. We need you. Utilize your tech savvy ways to bring yourselves closer together. Practice "social distancing," or physical distancing, but stay as social as ever. FaceTime. Text. Tweet. Snapchat. Make Tik Tok videos (I don't know if that's still a thing so don't laugh if I'm already out of date). Use these platforms to connect and uplift.

Binge Netflix and Disney+. Make memes. Exercise. Read books - maybe even those boring ones your English teachers were stoked for you to read. Or just read manga. Read something! Reach out to those friends you know don't have internet access. Call and check up on 'em. Listen to podcasts. Make a podcast. Start a hobby. Journal for posterity. You're living through history. Your bold reaction to this is going to make history.

Lastly, I can offer some support. You may not know me, but I feel your pain; it stings. We as educators mourn with you. Again, you are not forgotten. We see your hard work. We value your unique perspectives. We hear your audacious voices. We cherish all of it, and we will continue to do so even from afar.

I am sad for you; truly, I am. I feel deeply for you; truly, I do. It makes my heart hurt as I write. But if there is any group that can plow through this in creative ways, it is your group. There is no pandemic strong enough to silence you or dent the passion of your generation. Keep your head up and keep fighting. Our country needs you because you provide hope for our future. This year may not be what you envisioned, but I'm eager to see what you do with it.

After all, it is still very much your year.

Stay healthy,

Chris Dier, a high school teacher

Chris Dier is Louisiana's 2020 Teacher of the Year. He teaches social studies in St. Bernard Parish in Louisiana. This post first appeared on Mercedes Schneider's blog, deutsch29.

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Teacher Who Survived Katrina Has This Advice for Class of 2020

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High School by Grown and Flown | March 16, 2020 Chris Dier, 2020 Louisiana Teacher of the Year & National Teacher of the Year Finalist, knows what it's like to have his senior year of high school wrecked by a major crisis - Hurricane Katrina. Here are his thoughts for you, Class of 2020.

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We're here to help.

We want to make the transition to online learning easier for educators and parents. We've published blog posts, guides, webinars and podcasts to help you navigate the uncharted waters of extended COVID-19 closures. Check out the links below for news, tips and advice from global online learning experts.

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International Society for Technology in Education

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Free strategies for teaching K-12 online | Learning Keeps Going

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We want to make the transition to online learning easier for educators and parents. We've published blog posts, guides, webinars and podcasts to help you navigate the uncharted waters of extended COVID-19 closures. Check out the links below for news, tips and advice from global online learning experts.

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On this page

Meet quick start guides

Quickly learn how to start a video meeting, move to Meet from another meeting solution, and more.

Get started with Meet Switch to Meet
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Print these visual reminders to keep handy as you get up to speed using Meet.
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Meet troubleshooting & more resources

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Google, Google Workspace, and related marks and logos are trademarks of Google LLC. All other company and product names are trademarks of the companies with which they are associated.

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Want to use Google apps at work or school?

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Google Hangouts Meet is a great video conference tool for connecting people... but what about when there are a lot of people in the meeting?

Normally when you are in a Google Meet video conference, you can only show at most 4 people at a time. You do this by clicking the three dots button in the bottom right corner and choosing " Change Layout", and then selecting the " Tiled" view. But what if you want to see everyone in the Meet?

Thankfully there is a free Chrome extension called " Google Meet Grid View" that allows you to see everyone in the meeting, no matter how many people there are. See below for details on how to install and use this helpful extension, including a short 6-minute video with step-by-step directions.

Tutorial Video (6 minutes)

Note: See all of my Google Meet help videos here:

A Few Quick Notes...

First because this is a Chrome extension, you would need to be using the Google Chrome web browser, and you need to be using a PC, Mac, or Chromebook. Extensions do not work on mobile devices, so this Grid View tool would not work on an iPad or iPhone or Android tablet or phone (although see a trick further down).

Also, if you are using a school account, it is possible that your tech folks may have automatically pushed this extension out to you, so that it is already installed for you.

However, if you are using a school account, it is also possible that your school may have blocked the extension or may not allow you to install extensions. As always please contact your school tech team for questions specific to your school account.

Installation

To install the " Google Meet Grid View" extension do the following:

Go to the extension's page in the Chrome Web Store - "Google Meet Grid View"

Click the "Add to Chrome" button to install the extension.

Give it permission to install.

And then that is it! The extension will now show up in the top right corner of your web browser.

Using Grid View

Now that the Grid View extension is installed, anytime you are in a Google Meet you will now see a new button in the top right corner of the Meet window (next to the " People" and " Chat" button).

Simply click on this button to turn Grid View on or off. Once you turn it on you will now see all of the participants in the meeting.

There are a few options you can adjust in the drop-down menu below the button.

"Only show participants with video" - If you check this box then Grid View will not show anyone who has turned off their webcam or who doesn't have a camera to begin with.

"Highlight speakers" - If you check this box then anytime someone is speaking, a yellow box will appear around their them in the grid. This can help make it easier to see who is talking.

"Include yourself in the grid" - You can check or uncheck this if you want to see yourself as well or not.

Note: Keep in mind, this extension is only changing the view for you, and not for the other people in the meeting. Each person controls their own view. For other people in the meeting to see the grid, they also need to install the extension one time, and then they can turn the Grid View on or off for themselves.

Grid View for Mobile Devices

As mentioned earlier, Chrome extensions do not run on mobile devices, so you can't install Grid View on a phone or tablet. Having said that, there is one trick you could do as the presenter to let other people see the grid, even if they are on a phone or tablet. What you could do is turn on grid view for yourself, then share your screen with the other participants.

To do this...

Click the "Present Now" button in the bottom right corner.

Choose "Window"from the pop-up menu.

Select the window that has your Google Meet screen.

Finally click the "Share" button.

Now the other participants will see your shared screen, which has the grid view turned on, so they will be seeing the grid! This would work no matter what device they are using including phones and tablets.
Don't forget to stop sharing your screen when done by clicking the presentation button again and choosing " Stop presenting".

Google Meet Grid View is a great extension to help everyone in a meeting or classroom feel like they are more connected with the group.

Post by Eric Curts. Connect with me on Twitter at twitter.com/ericcurts

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See Everyone with the Google Meet Grid View Extension

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Google Hangouts Meet is a great video conference tool for connecting people... but what about when there are a lot of people in the meeting? Normally when you are in a Google Meet video conference, you can only show at most 4 people at a time.

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3 Ways to Hold Virtual Office Hours in Schoology

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3 Ways to Hold Virtual Office Hours in Schoology

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3 Ways to Hold Virtual Office Hours in Schoology

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New! Building Educator Capacity to Support Digital Learning

Are you looking for quality professional learning opportunities for your administrators and instructors to help them make the move to online and blended learning? Check out our powerful professional learning offerings that are aligned to the ISTE Standards!

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Are you looking for quality professional learning opportunities for your administrators and instructors to help them make the move to online and blended learning? Check out our powerful professional learning offerings that are aligned to the ISTE Standards!

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No matter how long you've used the Schoology platform, there are always new tips and tricks to add to your repertoire. Well hold on to your hats, Schoology beginners and aficionados, because these four simple tips might just blow you away.

#1 Create Standards-Aligned Assessments in No Time

Question Banks are collections of questions that live in your Resources. They can be incredibly useful, especially when creating standards-based tests and quizzes. Here's the trick: you can filter the questions by learning objective.

Follow these steps to create a standards-aligned assessment in no time:

1. Create a test/quiz in a course .

2. When adding questions, choose the Use Question Banks option.

3. Select Learning Objective in the pop-up and choose the alignments you'd like.

4. Add any or all of the questions that are aligned to your chosen objective(s).

You also have the option to randomly select any number of questions from your bank using the Auto Select button.

#2 Weaving Vocabulary into Lessons with Tooltips

Vocabulary lessons are traditionally separate from the main lessons that they pertain to, but they don't have to be. Using Schoology's Tooltips , you can insert "hidden" vocabulary definitions right into your pages and material descriptions!

So when your students are reading and get stumped on one of the new vocabulary words, all they have to do is hover over it to see its definition in a realistic context. You can even make the words big, bold, or a brilliant color if you want them to stand out more than they do with the blue dotted underline.

Follow these steps to use Tooltips:

1. Create or edit a course material or resource using the Rich Text Editor.

2. Highlight a word with your mouse and then select the Insert Content button.

3. Choose Tooltip and add any information you want.

Tooltips can also be attached to images! This makes each image a more effective learning tool, especially when teaching a foreign language course.

#3 Shared Cross-Disciplinary Discussions

Some of the most intriguing classes, in my opinion, are cross-disciplinary classes. The lessons can seem to take on a whole new life when they're applied to a different field of study.

Using Schoology's Shared Discussions, it's easy to combine your biology class with a colleague's chemistry class, for example, to take a deeper look at photosynthesis and cell respiration.

To share a discussion, follow these steps:

1. Create a new discussion and select the Shared Discussion icon in the Advanced Options.

2. Choose any of your own courses to share it with and set a password (if you want).

3. Once you view the discussion, you'll see the Share ID and Password you can share with your colleagues.

To join a Shared Discussion:

1. View all of your discussions using your Materials Index at the bottom of your Materials Page.

2. Select Join Shared and enter the discussion's credentials.

Shared Discussions must be newly created and cannot be graded.

#4 Create and Organize New Course Content On the Fly

What do you do when you need to add a new assignment in the middle of a unit and you're in a rush? If your immediate answer isn't by clicking the Green Plus Sign that appears in between your course materials, then have I got a tip for you!

If you organize your materials in folders (something you should definitely consider if you don't) then you can create and organize content really quickly by simply hovering in between any two materials and clicking the green plus sign (or the green dotted line). This makes adding new course content a breeze!

That's it from my end. I hope these tips will help you out, especially as the school year gets busier near the end.

Do you have any tips or tricks to share?

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No matter how long you've used the Schoology platform, there are always new tips and tricks to add to your repertoire. Well hold on to your hats, Schoology beginners and aficionados, because these four simple tips might just blow you away.

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In these unprecedented times, more and more schools are making the transition to distance learning - whether that's online or low tech approaches. Educator communities are buzzing with great ideas about how to make this work for millions of students across our country. Yet, as we all start to make this switch, our number one question should not be "What tech platform should we use?" but rather, "How will I continue to support my students' well-being and create a sense of community - particularly for my most vulnerable and struggling students?"

Below are 5 steps to support social-emotional learning and create community from a distance:

Teaching is all about fostering strong relationships with our students. A few weeks ago, this often looked like checking in with students as they entered the classroom, after class, or throughout the school day. These moments make students feel valued and cared for, and thus they are all the more needed in these uncertain times.

How can we foster these moments when we're not in the same physical space?

Create a free Google Voice account: This will give you a number (that is not your personal cell phone number) that you can use to connect with students via calls and texts. Reach out to students one by one to see how they are doing, ensure they have critical resources, and be a presence in their lives.

While many teachers are eager to finish up their current unit or give the next test that was planned, it is critical that teachers build in time to re-establish routines and relationships with students and families. Most districts are not ready to flip on a dime to online learning, so it makes sense to take time to align on expectations and answer questions from students and families.

What could this look like?

Create resources to re-establish routines and expectations: These could be documents, videos, or recordings, easily accessible to students and parents. Check out the strategy Developing Norms and Expectations for Digital Tool Use for more ideas.

Create space for students to ask questions about new expectations: Try Padlet, Zoom, Poll Everywhere, or Google Forms (a resource within Google Drive) for this.

Consider sharing wellness resources: This might include meditation and breathing, yoga, and exercise resources, online or on paper. Try incorporating these into your classroom routines.

There is no doubt that most of our students have stayed in touch with each other through texting, Snapchat, Tik Tok, etc. Yet deliberately creating inclusive spaces for all students on your online platform of choice helps ensure no students are forgotten.

How can you do this?

Create breakout rooms: Platforms like Zoom, Verso, or FlipGrid have tools to facilitate small group discussions. The purpose of these discussions is to give students a space to check in, reflect on what's going on in the world, and ask questions. Remember to not overload your students with too many tech platforms but rather find one that works and stick to it.

Encourage students to free-write: Use journaling as a tool to help students process their emotions. Students can share their writing on Google Classroom, read their writing aloud on Zoom, or share their digital portfolios with peers.

Of course, districts are trying to make students and families aware of the available resources for food, childcare, and medical attention in their communities. However, connecting with each student individually to ensure that they know of these resources and have a clear plan cannot be underestimated.

How can you make this efficient and effective?

Try a translator app: Try using Google Translator to send individual messages to students and families whose native language is not English.

Set up reminders: Consider creating a system to ensure that all students receive calls or texts on a regular basis to make sure families have what they need. Remind is a great tool to send messages to families.

Identify existing local resources: In many communities, local organizations and nonprofits are doing a lot to support students. Make an Instagram account that students can follow where you can share these resources.

More than anything, make sure that your students know that you are there for them. As hard as this is for us as adults, we can only imagine how trying this time is for our students. As the weeks progress, make sure students know that you are still a presence in their lives.

What are the best ways to be present?

Show your face: Screencastify and Loom make it easy to create daily videos of yourself to upload to your Google Classroom.

Host office hours: Through Zoom, you can schedule a daily or weekly time that you will host a Zoom call for anyone who wants to show up. Or, let students know what times during the day you are available for a phone call.

We must support students' social-emotional learning through these unprecedented times. Connecting with students, making sure they are okay, making space for them to talk with each other, and making sure their families have what they need is nothing new for us as educators. This is what we do each and every day and what we must continue to do for our students in these difficult times.

Caitlin is a literacy specialist in Winooski, Vermont, where she works largely with refugee students. Previously, she worked in Boston and Juneau Public Schools as an ESOL, Special Education, and history teacher. Caitlin strives to be an anti-racist educator and has a passion for supporting all students to develop as engaged and active global citizens.

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In these unprecedented times, more and more schools are making the transition to distance learning - whether that's online or low tech approaches. Educator communities are buzzing with great ideas about how to make this work for millions of students across our country.

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Teachers Are Anxious and Overwhelmed.  They need SEL Now More Than Ever.

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Teachers Are Anxious and Overwhelmed.  They need SEL Now More Than Ever.

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At the end of March, our team at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, along with our colleagues at the Collaborative for Social Emotional and Academic Learning, known as CASEL, launched a survey to unpack the emotional lives of teachers during the COVID-19 crisis.

In the span of just three days, over 5,000 U.S. teachers responded to the survey. We asked them to describe, in their own words, the three most frequent emotions they felt each day.

The five most-mentioned feelings among all teachers were: anxious, fearful, worried, overwhelmed and sad. Anxiety, by far, was the most frequently mentioned emotion.

The reasons educators gave for these stress-related feelings could be divided into two buckets. The first is mostly personal, including a general fear that they or someone in their family would contract COVID-19, the new coronavirus. The second pertains to their stress around managing their own and their families' needs while simultaneously working full-time from home and adapting to new technologies for teaching.

Once distance learning had gone into effect, we heard from one educator who shared:

Given the unexpected new demands our educators are facing, we might assume that how teachers are feeling now is entirely different from the emotions they were experiencing before the pandemic. But is it?

In 2017, our center conducted a similar survey on teachers' emotions. A national sample of over 5,000 educators answered the same questions about how they were feeling.

Back then, the top five emotions were: frustrated, overwhelmed, stressed, tired and happy. The primary source of their frustration and stress pertained to not feeling supported by their administration around challenges related to meeting all of their students' learning needs, high-stakes testing, an ever-changing curriculum and work/life balance.

Our research findings are echoed across a growing body of research on teachers' stress and burnout.

In one study, 85 percent of teachers reported that work-life imbalance was affecting their ability to teach. Other research has shown that at least 30 percent of teachers leave the profession within their first five years of teaching. Like our research, these studies found that the general causes of teacher stress and burnout are related to a lack of strong leadership and a negative climate, as well as increased job demands, especially around testing, addressing challenging student behaviors, a lack of autonomy and decision-making power, and limited-to-no training in social and emotional learning (SEL) to support educators' and students' emotional needs.

So, before the pandemic, America's teachers were already burning out. Add in new expectations of becoming distance learning experts to support uninterrupted learning for all their students and caring for the ever-evolving demands of their families, and it's no surprise that 95 percent of the feelings they reported recently are rooted in anxiety.

We can't control what is happening to us and around us, but we can control how we respond to it.

Emotions Matter

An anonymous teacher who filled out our most recent survey described the balancing act like this:

At the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, we study how emotions drive effective teaching and learning, the decisions educators make, classroom and school climate, and educator well-being. We assert that educators' emotions matter for five primary reasons:

Emotions matter for attention, memory and learning. Positive emotions like joy and curiosity harness attention and promote greater engagement. Emotions like anxiety and fear, especially when prolonged, disrupt concentration and interfere with thinking. Chronic stress, especially when poorly managed, can result in the persistent activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the release of stress hormones like cortisol. Prolonged release of this and other neurochemicals impacts brain structures associated with executive functioning and memory, diminishing our ability to be effective educators and undermining student learning.

Emotions matter for decision-making. When we're overwhelmed and feeling scared and stressed, the areas of our brains responsible for wise decision-making also can become "hijacked." In contrast, the experience of more positive states like joy and interest tend to help people evaluate individuals, places and events more favorably compared to people experiencing more unpleasant emotions. Pleasant emotions also have been shown to enhance mental flexibility and creativity, which are key to navigating the novel and evolving demands of living through a pandemic.

Emotions matter for relationships. How we feel and how we interpret the feelings of others sends signals for other people to either approach or avoid us. Teachers who express anxiety or frustration (e.g. in their facial expressions, body language, vocal tone or behavior) are likely to alienate students, which can impact students' sense of safety in the classroom-and likely at home in a virtual learning environment-thereby having a negative influence on learning. Further, dysregulated emotions can undermine healthy relationships between teachers and parents. For most students, a successful distance learning experience will require a solid partnership between teachers and families.

Emotions matter for health and well-being. How we feel influences our bodies, including physical and mental health. Stress is associated with increased levels of cortisol, which has been shown to lead to both physical and mental health challenges, including depression and weight gain. Both the ability to regulate unpleasant emotions and the experience of more pleasant emotions have been shown to have health benefits, including fostering greater resilience during and after traumatic events.

Emotions matter for performance. Chronic stress among teachers is linked to decreases in teacher motivation and engagement, both of which lead to burnout. Teachers who are burnt out have poorer relationships with students and are also less likely to be positive role models for healthy self-regulation-for their students and their families. It's no surprise that teachers who are burnt out are more likely to leave the profession, which impacts student learning and puts a huge drain on schools.

You get the picture: When educators answer the question about how they feel at school-or, in our most recent study, as an at-home educator-we learn they spend a big part of their workday in a pretty dark place.

Research we and others have conducted has shown two possible protective factors for teachers' emotional well-being. First, teachers with more developed emotion skills tend to report less burnout and greater job satisfaction. These skills include the ability to recognize emotions accurately, understand their causes and consequences, label them precisely, express them comfortably and regulate them effectively. But the challenge is that most teachers have not received a formal education in emotion skills.

Second, teachers who work in a school with an administrator with more developed emotion skills tend to experience fewer negative emotions and more positive emotions. These teachers also are likely to have better-quality relationships with their students. When students have stronger connections with their teachers, they, in turn, are more engaged and committed to learning; they're also more willing to take risks and persist in the face of difficulty.

We need a greater focus on teachers' health and well-being now, so they can thrive through this pandemic and be psychologically ready to return to school after this has passed.

Supporting Educators' Well-Being

We know how anxious teachers (and, really, everyone else) are feeling right now. But have we thought about how we want to feel?

Previously, we asked teachers how they want to feel at school, and they've answered loud and clear. A few of the top hoped-for emotions were: happy, inspired, valued, supported, effective and respected.

The more sensitive we can be to our educators' emotional needs today, the better we'll be able to support them now and when schools reopen. The space between how we feel and how we want to feel presents an opportunity to work together to improve the emotional climate of our homes and schools. The emotional climate is the feelings and emotions a learning space evokes; that space includes both the physical one and the learning climate that is evoked through the interactions between and among educators and students. This can be applied to traditional school settings and to a virtual one.

We need to understand how our teachers want to feel, again, and then support them with what they'll need to experience these feelings.

In the same survey we conducted at the end of March, we asked teachers to share some reflections about what they need to have greater emotional balance. Responses included time to adjust to the new normal of online learning and ways to make virtual learning fun and engaging. Teachers also expressed a strong need for honesty, respect, kindness, flexibility and patience from their school administrators. Further, they requested more realistic expectations, including boundaries around working around the clock. Among the top requests were strategies to support their own and their students' wellness and resilience.

Building a Charter

Putting our emotional needs in writing has a way of making them real for everyone. It acts as a reminder for those times when we might feel anxious or frustrated or any other uncomfortable feeling. It also serves as a contract between ourselves and our colleagues (and even students and families) to help during moments when we are anything but calm and considerate.

As part of RULER, our center's approach to SEL, thousands of schools across the nation have gone through the process of creating an "Emotional Intelligence Charter" with their faculty and staff with positive results.

The process of building a charter or agreement requires us to be vulnerable, and that can be hard, especially in times like these. And some educators are somewhat self-conscious and apprehensive about the process of asking colleagues how they want to feel. It can be scary. Often, how we want to feel is an indicator of what hasn't been working at our schools. But we've found that when schools have the courage to ask, the benefits outweigh the risks.

Specifically, a charter reflects the agreed-upon feelings and behaviors of the members of a learning community. Here, we describe the process of building a faculty and staff charter. The same process can be applied to the classroom or home environment.

It starts with a deceptively simple question: How do we want to feel as a faculty/staff? A principal or group of teachers can pose the question to the faculty and staff at their school. Once everyone shares their top three or four hoped-for feelings, the goal is to narrow them all down to a "top five" list reflective of the entire faculty.

The second question is: What do we need to do for everyone to feel this way? Here, faculty and staff share specific ideas that would support them in experiencing each of the feelings. The goal is to come up with two or three observable behaviors that are realistic and attainable for each feeling. For example, in order for teachers to feel supported around distance learning, what exactly will everyone agree to do differently so everyone feels supported? If teachers want to feel more valued, what are the specific things schools can do? Perhaps everyone can agree to respond to virtual inquiries in a timely manner.

Once the five feelings and related behaviors are compiled, the charter can be created and distributed to each member of the faculty and staff. In this virtual world of education, be creative about ways to disseminate it to everyone. If your school or district uses a learning management system, perhaps the charter can be "public" there.

Importantly, the charter should be a living document-it will evolve as your learning community does throughout the pandemic. Consider weekly reflections and opportunities for teachers to share ideas based on their hoped-for feelings. For example, if teachers want to feel more engaged, perhaps create opportunities for them to share their best virtual lesson of the week and why it worked so well. Even weekly quotations that remind everyone about the desired feelings can help to sustain a positive climate. And when we are all finally able to return to our schools, it will be important to revisit the charter. How we want to feel and what we need to support our health and well-being is fluid.

We are living through a pandemic that most of us could never have imagined. And, as we've shared, our educators are not in the best emotional shape. Today's teachers, counselors and school leaders are experiencing greater anxiety, stress and burnout than ever before. If we just hope for the best, more and more educators will fall by the wayside. Fortunately, an increasing number of schools are seeing the benefits of SEL, not just for students, but for educators' own skill development.

The time has come for all schools to address the missing link in what will help educators' thrive-a greater focus on all adults' health and well-being. If we want our educators to be successful-both personally and professionally-schools must be places that bring out the best in them.
Marc Brackett, Ph.D., (@marcbrackett) is the Director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and a professor in the Child Study Center at Yale University. He's also on the board of directors for CASEL and the author of the new book,"Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive." Christina Cipriano, Ph.D., Ed.M., (@drchriscip) is the Director of Research at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and a research scientist at the Child Study Center at Yale University.

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Teachers Are Anxious and Overwhelmed. They Need SEL Now More Than Ever. - EdSurge News

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At the end of March, our team at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, along with our colleagues at the Collaborative for Social Emotional and ...

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SEL and Self-Care Resources for Educators, Schools, and Parents During the Pandemic

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A compilation of social-emotional learning (SEL) and self-care resources for educators, parents, and school communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Free Online Resources for Schools Shifting Online During Coronavirus Pandemic

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Free Online Resources for Schools Shifting Online During Coronavirus Pandemic

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The Indianapolis Public LIbrary

The Indianapolis Public Library offers over 100 video read alouds from old classics like Where the Wild Things Are to new favorites like Little Jumbo. There are four lists of free video read-alouds: 100+ Free Video Read Alouds, 100 MORE Free Video Read Alouds, 50+ Diverse Video Read Alouds, and Video Read Alouds for Kids in American Sign Language (ASL). Free Services Offered: Free video read alouds of hundreds of books!

HipHughes History

HipHughes History is a series of upbeat, personable and educational lectures designed for students and lifelong learners. The videos primarily focus on US History and Politics but span across World History and general interest, spanning topics such as US History, Test Review, the U.S. Constitution, Political Science, Supreme Court Cases, Elections, World History, Religion, and Student Skills. The video series also includes "Teacher Talk", which are videos aimed to help you utilize this resource as well as general classroom engagement/management. Free Services Offered: Free videos on YouTube on a variety of topics.

Big River Journey Online

Big River Journey is an amazing science and riverboat adventure field trip, geared for grades 4-5,that has been around for more than 20 years! Now it is available to teachers and students in an online format that can be accessed anytime for free! This highly interactive website was designed in conjunction with Hamline University's Center for Global Environmental Education and provides students an exciting way to explore the many topics associated with the actual field trip. Highly adaptable to an educator's curriculum, this site contains all you need for learning more about the science and heritage of the Mississippi River. If you have questions, contact Ranger Lyndon Torstenson ([email protected]). Free Services Offered: Free online science and riverboat adventure field trip.

Living River Online

Living River is a riverboat field trip program, geared for grades 3-4, that is now available as an interactive online site! Recognized by the National Park Foundation as an easily navigable website for river learners, this site provides students with an understanding of how floodplain forests help support two very important species: mighty mussels and powerful pike! Features of the site include topic video introductions by park rangers, slide deck lessons, interactive games, vocabulary puzzles, activities to encourage outside learning, and a literacy poetry challenge. Teachers can easily adapt the materials to create fun and engaging lessons, and a teacher guide will also be added to this online learning experience in November. For questions, contact Ranger Jim Ford ([email protected]). Free Services Offered: Free, virtual riverboat field trip.

KwikSurveys

KwikSurveys is an online assessment tool that allows you to create and easily distribute customized quizzes. The platform offers features such as a quiz timer, custom messaging to students based on scores, and tracking for completion. You can also utilize A/B split testing if you would like. Students can respond on any device they have access to. The quizzes are automatically scored, and the data is compiled as charts and graphs in a professional digital report. Free Services Offered: The Pro plan is free for schools and teachers for 3 months.

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The Indianapolis Public Library offers over 100 video read alouds from old classics like Where the Wild Things Are to new favorites like Little Jumbo. There are four lists of free video read-alouds: 100+ Free Video Read Alouds, 100 MORE Free Video Read Alouds, 50+ Diverse Video Read Alouds, and Video Read Alouds for Kids in American Sign Language (ASL).

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Participate in video meetings, virtual training classes, & remote interviews.

Get Meet: Web (meet.google.com), Android, or iPhone & iPad

Start or join a video meeting on a mobile device

In the Gmail or Meet app :

Note: If you don't see Meet in Gmail, select Settings See all settings Chat and Meet Show the Meet section in the main menu Save Changes.

In the Google Calendar app :

Open an event.

Tap Join with Google Meet .

To start or join a meeting from a computer, see Start a video meeting or Join a video meeting.

Schedule a video meeting

In the Meet app or on a computer (mobile app shown):

In the Calendar app :

Add or view participants or present your screen
Meeting organizers with Google Workspace for Education can prevent participants from sharing their screen.
In the Meet app , during a meeting:

In Meet on your computer, during a meeting:

Raise your hand, take a poll, and more

In the Meet app :

In Meet on your computer:

To ask a question, click Raise hand .

To change your background and other options, click More .

To create a whiteboard and other options, click Activities .

Split into breakout rooms, take a poll, start a Q&A session, record a meeting, or create a whiteboard.

Google, Google Workspace, and related marks and logos are trademarks of Google LLC. All other company and product names are trademarks of the companies with which they are associated.

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Google Meet cheat sheet - Google Workspace Learning Center

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Participate in video meetings, virtual training classes, & remote interviews.                

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Computer and Network Services: Acceptable Internet Use Policy

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Computer and Network Services: Acceptable Internet Use Policy

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Top Tech Tools for Formative Assessment | Common Sense Education

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Find the right formative assessment tools for your classroom. These digital tools range from discussion (e.g., Piazza, TodaysMeet) to quizzing, polling, and student responses (e.g., Kahoot, Formative) to interactive lessons and videos (e.g., Nearpod, Flipgrid).

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Resources for virtual learning & online instruction

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Resources for virtual learning & online instruction

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Online learning and instruction offer their own particular benefits and challenges at any time-here we suggest some resources and activities that may help those suddenly faced with teaching online.
Download the PDF version.
Click on each item to jump directly to the resource described or scroll to browse.
Writing Together: Ten Weeks Teaching and Studenting in an Online Writing Course
This book narrates the experience of an asynchronous online writing course (OWC) through the dual perspective of the teacher, Scott, and a student, Diana Gasiewski, who participated in that OWC. Both teacher and student describe their strategies, activities, approaches, thoughts, and responses as they move week by week through the experience of teaching and taking an OWC.

You've probably heard that audiobooks serve as a useful resource for struggling readers. Classroom teachers sometimes use audiobooks to help students gain access to material that's too difficult for them to read independently. Audiobooks help novice readers build vocabulary, boost pronunciation skills, and develop fluency. What you might not have considered is what audiobooks offer proficient readers.

Book-to-film adaptations provide great ways for children to explore their favorite books in new ways.

Read on to see how you can use comics and cartoons with children and students.

Children and students need to feel that they own their space and the learning that takes place in it.

Encourage family relationship building by participating in family activities during breaks from school.

The following resources from NCTE and ReadWriteThink.org provide more ideas for fostering family literacy.

Nothing tests your knowledge like a crossword puzzle! But did you know the format of a crossword puzzle can be an effective learning tool, too?

If you are spending time with friends and family, in person or virtually, work together on these activities!

Since a majority of our students are engaging with social media outside the classroom, it makes good sense to integrate it into learning.

Breaks from school offer wonderful opportunities for families, caregivers, and out-of-school educators to help improve reading and writing. ReadWriteThink.org's Parent & Afterschool Resources and NCTE provide many resources, activities, and tools.

Reading and writing texts online are basic skills that students need to be literate citizens in today's world. Teaching with blogs provides the opportunity to engage students in both of these literacy activities, and the strategy has the additional benefit of enabling students to publish their writing easily and to share their writing with an authentic audience.

Take a few minutes and send someone a handwritten letter. Then, invite your students to write letters using these resources from ReadWriteThink.org.

Zines are small-circulation, self-published works of original or appropriated texts and images. Here are some resources from NCTE and ReadWriteThink.org to get you started.
Voices from the Middle
Lesson plans with specific digital tools mentioned to complete projects/tasks.
English Journal
The authors examine photovoice projects created by students and teacher candidates who explored issues of gender in response to a young adult novel and co-researched that process.
English Journal
This article describes blogging implementation in ninth-grade pre-advanced placement language arts classes to support strong writing practices. The author found that blogging empowered high school authors to craft worlds of digital expression where they pushed each other to become stronger writers.
Voices from the Middle
Recommendations of digital classroom tools from The Nerdy Book Club.
Voices from the Middle
This article describes how a middle school teacher uses technology, within an otherwise traditional writing workshop, to facilitate differentiated mini-lessons, confer with writers, and offer writers opportunity for peer response. In the end, she balances ways of streamlining workflow digitally, while maintaining the integrity of writing workshop and offering greater differentiation to meet the needs of writers in her middle school classroom.
English Leadership Quarterly
In this interview, Chris Bronke, teacher and CEL member, discusses useful digital tools for conferring.
Voices from the Middle
This article offers a model for organizing collaborative learning outside of classroom time. It describes affordances and constraints of the digital space and the process used. It also offers insight to how teaching in online spaces looks different from face-to-face instruction and how to support students. Includes screenshots that show very specific ways to set up a class module along with discussions of what to consider as you construct this.
English Journal
The authors worked with preservice teachers and youth in a juvenile detention center to pilot a curriculum focused on critical engagement with online text. Discussion of a specific lesson plan that involves analyzing Instagram posts.
English Journal
The setting and characters of To Kill a Mockingbird came to life in new ways when eighth graders in Georgia explored virtual reality apps as they studied the novel.
Voices from the Middle
While this specific lesson was classroom-focused, it could easily be adapted to digital work, especially related to current events.
English Journal
As an alternative to the traditional research paper for an English class, a digital narrative assignment positioned students as multimedia storytellers.
English Leadership Quarterly
Discussion of a specific lesson plan and digital tools for sharing peer responses to writing.
Language Arts
This Perspectives on Practice column focuses on using student audio recordings to help them craft their writing. Students use audio recorders of their own choice (like a smartphone or other kind of device) to record their own thoughts as they draft projects.
ReadWriteThink.org RESOURCES

ReadWriteThink's mission is to provide educators, parents, and after-school professionals with access to the highest quality practices in reading and language arts instruction by offering the very best in free materials.

Parent & Afterschool Resources

So just how are you supposed to read aloud? Or help kids write? Get quick and useful suggestions from the experts.

Not your everyday calendar, here you can find important events in literary history, authors' birthdays, and a variety of holidays, all with related activities and resources that make them more relevant to students. View by day, by week, or by month.

Want to help kids and teens with their reading and writing skills, but not sure where to begin? We've got engaging, step-by-step activities-just pick one and get started!

Kids and teens should read and write even when they are out of school. Why is this so important? Check out this flyer.

ReadWriteThink.org ACTIVITIES K-12

Act out a story after reading it. Work together to create a script and make costumes and props. Then invite others to watch and hear your story!

Choose favorite rhyming songs or nursery rhymes then replace the rhyming words with seasonal themes.

Help children use favorite photos to write a homemade memory book.

Boost vocabulary by taking an imaginary trip into space. After a lunar "landing," children return to Earth with a galaxy of new words.

After reading If You Give a Moose a Muffin, have a "Muffin Party"! Children will write invitations, follow a recipe, and enjoy sharing their homemade muffins.

Share a fun book about staying safe and then talk about real-life safety issues before writing a letter to someone in your community who can help.

Children will learn their address and phone number to help keep them safe.

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and you're surrounded by brilliant shades of green! Observe and collect sensory images from nature and use the sights, sounds, smells, and textures to create original nature poetry.

In this activity, children go on a hunt for places where they can read and enjoy books: on a family road trip, at the pool, at the doctor's office.

Work together, create a bingo board that can be played while walking around town, going to the zoo or a museum, or traveling on a vacation.

In this activity, children write short everyday notes to remind, plan, request, or compliment others.

Find three fun online games that are designed to help children learn to recognize letters and how they sound.

These activities will have children reading signs, logos, brand names, and other words all over their homes and communities.

Children love books that rhyme and to create their own rhymes. It's a fun way to learn how words sound similar to one another!

With a piece of paper and a pen, kids can learn anywhere! This activity gets kids writing, looking closely at letters, and learning some new words in any room of the house.

Encourage children to connect words and pictures by having them write their own captions for family or magazine photos.

When you plant a garden, involve children in the process by writing down questions and observations on the garden's growth in a garden journal.

From dishes to doors, find shapes all around you while strengthening important reading and math skills.

Make learning how to spell words a little "wild and crazy" by ditching the pen and paper and using unique materials that will make your kids really smile while they're having fun.

Children incorporate materials from outdoors with paints or crayons to create pieces of art to display on their clotheslines, fences, or porches for a neighborhood art show.

Want to visit a museum without leaving your computer? Virtually dig for famous historical artifacts from around the world found in the British Museum.

Get children excited about writing and descriptive language by creating yummy descriptions of their favorite candy.

Use recipes to help children practice reading and writing step-by-step instructions. Have them sample the results to see how they did.

Use shape and theme poems-poems that look like the things they describe-as a fun way to introduce children to poetry.

Children learn how to make a convincing argument-an important skill in school and in life.

Have children make cards describing their favorite characters from the books they have read.

Using published comics and cartoons as examples, children can create their own while playing with images and language.

Children can interview family members and make an illustrated timeline of the most important family events and memories.

In this activity, children look closely at living things in their natural environments and then make books about what they see.

Children will draw on their knowledge of story structure and fairy tales to write their own.

Can't make it to a zoo? After reading a book about apes, observe animal habits and habitats using one of the many webcams broadcasting from zoos and aquariums around the United States and the world.

Playing board games or card games can be a fun activity, so why not make your own?

Sort through your junk mail and talk about what you find for a fun literacy activity before recycling it!

Children watch the nighttime sky come alive as they read a book about fascinating elements in the night and write a poem/story about the things they learn!

Let children explore an interesting subject-themselves. An online tool will teach them to summarize and organize information as they write.

While enjoying a book that features a journey, children write postcards from the perspective of the main character for each stop along the trip.

Shake up children's reading by introducing them to new and fun formats for storytelling.

After reading about historical figures and other important people that have changed the world, children choose someone that they consider to be "amazing"-either someone they've heard about or someone they know-and create a book page that highlights this person.

Create a treasure hunt out of word-puzzle clues hidden around the home or yard.

Everyone loves getting a greeting card, especially if it's handmade. Make a funny or thoughtful greeting card or invitation with pictures and a poem, a joke, or a riddle.

Kids will love Hink Pinks-word puzzles that use two-word clues to lead to a rhyming solution. Try one and get hooked yourself: Obese feline? Fat cat!

Brainstorm popular expressions with friends and family, then explore their meanings through game play and writing/drawing/cut-and-paste activities.

Explore fairy tales told in both old and new ways and use an online tool to help children create their own "fractured" version of a fairy tale.

Have children explore the different parts of mystery writing by making a puzzle about a favorite book. They can then invent and write their own mysteries using the online Mystery Cube tool.

Let children practice using different types of words in a fill-in-the-blank-story game before making their own word list for a magnetic poetry set.

Encourage children to spend a little time thinking and writing about just what makes a hero and who their personal heroes might be.

Visit a museum or art gallery (either online or in person) with children and teens, helping them find inspiration for a story based on a piece of art that they particularly enjoy or relate to.

After reading a book or magazine, children and teens can choose a section and transform it into a "found poem."

Before seeing a film based on a book, classic or contemporary, children can learn about filmmaking and create their own scenes based on their favorite moments from the book.

Invite young adults to write letters to classmates, postcards from travels, and emails to family and friends.

Writing stories that imitate a certain genre or type of fiction allows children to explore a book they love by imagining new twists for their favorite characters and plot lines.

This activity invites children and teens to explore various careers and then write about what they might want to be when they grow up in a blog.

Kids learn about weather sayings throughout history while writing and illustrating a book for younger children.

Explore how music can have an emotional impact on a scene in a movie, then help teens write and film a scene of their own.

Invite teens to explore issues that are important to them and then write a script and film a video public service announcement.

Work with teens to learn about family members' significant personal experiences by interviewing them and sharing their stories with the rest of the family.

Engage teens in this activity in which they use photographs to examine and write about courage on a blog.

This activity can help teens create picture books that a teen caregiver can then share with children.

This activity will help pairs or groups of teens explore a hands-on approach that lets them become both comic book writers and comic book artists.

In this activity teens are encouraged to explore their reading history as they remember books they liked reading as children and then revisit these old favorites.

Work with a teen to create a wiki with everything people should know about the teen's top ten favorite songs-and your favorite songs as well! Then invite friends to add their favorite songs too.

Teens can take part in the process of building family histories by recording the stories, or memoirs, of family members.

In this project, teens create autobiographies, adding music selections to their life stories.

This activity gives teens an opportunity to write reviews on the movies, television shows, music, restaurants, and books they love-and hate!

Using a variety of artifacts, mementos, and technologies, teens can create an electronic scrapbook of their most important moments in high school.

In this activity, you can discuss with teens how they can tell the "good" characters from the "bad" ones by watching for clues that the movie makers have left.

This activity will help teens create a professional résumé that effectively presents their skills and talents to future employers.

FROM OTHER EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS

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Resources for Virtual Instruction and Online Learning

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Online learning and instruction offer their own particular benefits and challenges at any time-here we suggest some resources and activities that may help those suddenly faced with teaching online. Download the PDF version. Click on each item to jump directly to the resource described or scroll to browse.

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Here are some helpful resources to support online teaching and learning for the high school grades.

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Virtual online whiteboard with team collaboration

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Ziteboard | Online Whiteboard with Realtime Collaboration

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Virtual online whiteboard with team collaboration
Ziteboard is a lightweight whiteboard website which works on any device: laptops, tablets, mobile devices - optimized for both iPad's Safari and Google Chrome on laptops.
START DRAWING NOW
Our service is designed for successful realtime tutoring. We understand the importance of a clean and easy to use interface to best serve both teachers and students of all ages. By design, this lightweight yet powerful visual platform aims to provide a simple tool for distance education. Using such a platform you have infinite space to work on with your student or class in realtime.

Live Teamwork on Online Whiteboard

Collaborate in real time, wherever you are around the world, bring your team together on the same whiteboard whatever device you use.

Design any workflow, wireframe or prototype, Ziteboard offers an infinite workplace for seeing the big picture.

Boost any meeting, brainstorm, presentation, tutoring or training session.

Ziteboard is a visual collaboration platform improving the work for most remote teams, developers, designers and making meetings, project planning and customer communication better.

Insert images and PDF files
Drag-and-drop an image from another browser tab or use the file uploader from the Menu. For PDF documents provide the page number or the range of the pages to be imported.

Integrated board chat with audio and video capabilities
You can start a video and audio chat from the bottom left corner of the board when you're in a teaching session.

For more details check How does the voice and video chat work?

Export your whiteboard as high-resolution image or PDF
Export as a PNG file if you quickly need an image of what you see on the screen.

Export the whole board as a zoomable SVG file to feed Adobe Illustrator or any image editor application.

If you want to export the lesson as a PDF document after you finished a lecture, then it's worth to switch on the Display A4 pages option from the Settings before you start the lesson.

Shared Whiteboard
Ziteboard as a visual communication platform is a touch-friendly online whiteboarding software for any browser and is also available for Ipad and Android devices. It's a zoomable canvas that can be shared in realtime. The intuitive online whiteboard app enables you to easily sketch or collaborate with others on a shared whiteboard. With live audio chat (Skype for example) whiteboard sharing, image sharing and document sharing is ideal for online tutoring, design communication or having productive meetings.

Online Collaboration
This interactive, realtime, online collaboration tool lets you work better regardless wherever you are in the World. Ziteboard is a clean collaboration software for businesses online and a simple, free brainstorming, tutoring tool for education. It enables you and your friends colleagues to easily collaborate and share blueprints, strategic plans, system drawings in realtime with others. Work together remotely, using a free online collaboration tool. Simply put: it is an online team collaboration tool for remote teams.

Wireframing Tool
Use the free whiteboard online for sketching up a new website, a smartphone app, a movie poster or any other media. With freehand drawing and line smoothing all your scribbles will look perfect. Need a perfect circle? Ziteboard will automatically recognize your intention and will display pretty shapes so others are amazed by your drawing skills. Our shape recognition algorithm currently supports lines, rectangles and circles. Invite your peers and start working visually together.

Extend your online whiteboard experience

Install our WordPress Plugin:

Add the free Chrome Extension:

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Ziteboard | Online Whiteboard with Realtime Collaboration

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Ziteboard is a zoomable online whiteboard with realtime collaboration for tutoring. Explain, sketch, teach anything.

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There's something valuable about physically writing something down-or drawing it on a whiteboard. In fact, a study from Indiana University indicates that writing things down can help our brains function better in a whole host of ways, including "idea composition and expression."

It's one reason why you might find you think best when you're writing something out, why writing seems to improve memory, and why the best collaboration often happens around a whiteboard.

As more of our daily tasks move from physical to digital spaces, everything you'd normally do on a whiteboard has taken the digital leap, so you can pair the benefits of visual thinking and collaboration with the convenience of technology.

We tested dozens of online whiteboards, and here we'll present the 11 best for a variety of use cases, so you can pick the one that's right for you.

Some of our picks integrate with Zapier, so you can connect them to thousands of other apps. Check out Miro and Stormboard to see how you can automate your online whiteboard workflows.

The 11 best online whiteboards

Miro (Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android) for formal presentation of your whiteboard

Stormboard (Web) for creating multiple whiteboards in a single brainstorming session

IPEVO Annotator (macOS, iOS, Windows, Android) for annotating live presentations

Limnu (Web, Android, iOS) for a realistic whiteboard experience

InVision Freehand (Web, Android, iOS) for annotating design files with a team

AWW (Web) for embedding a live whiteboard on a web page

Sketchboard (Web) for saving and organizing multiple, unrelated whiteboards

Conceptboard (Web) for large, complex whiteboards

Explain Everything (Web, iOS, Android, ChromeOS) for creating whiteboard videos

Whiteboard Fox (Web) for quick, informal whiteboard sessions

MURAL (Web) for remote, multi-member team meetings

What makes a great online whiteboard?

While any sketch or doodle app could technically be turned into a digital whiteboard, there are a few features that we consider integral to giving you the best digital whiteboarding experience:

Unlimited canvas. While physical whiteboards certainly have size restrictions, going digital should mean that you're no longer limited in how big or complex your visualizations are.

Collaboration features. Cloud apps should allow easy collaboration (real-time preferred) and comments by users. Desktop apps should allow adequate cloud file sharing/syncing across devices.

Ability to attach files: You should be able to attach links, images, and other files to your whiteboard for easy reference.

Presentation options. Because whiteboards are so often at the core of a collaborative process, you should be able to share your digital whiteboard online or export it.

Best online whiteboard for formal presentation of your board
Miro (Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android)
Miro is available on any device-and on the web. When you get started, you can choose from any number of templates (e.g., UX design, customer mapping, and retrospective), or just start with a standard blank whiteboard. And you're not limited to one template: You can add as many as you want to a board, using zoom and scroll to navigate through the various templates on the board. Then add shapes, text, and sticky notes (drag-and-drop) as needed.

If you find yourself looking for more features, go to the Miro marketplace, which houses a list of apps you can integrate, from Google Drive for uploading files, to a voting plugin that lets each user vote on designated objects.

Miro isn't just for brainstorming: It's also designed to give a quality presentation of everything you've worked on so far to teammates and stakeholders. Invite collaborators via email or Slack, decide whether you want them to have editing or view-only access, and then indicate which section of the whiteboard they should see when they first log in.

With everyone logged in, you can carry on a chat conversation, select and drag a portion of the board to create "frames" so you can pan through the board in a more organized manner during presentations, or just turn on the screen sharing mode so that all participants can see your screen and hear your voice over the audio system.

Miro pricing: Free for three editable boards; paid plans from $10/month for the Team plan that includes unlimited team members and unlimited boards

You can do even more with Miro by using Miro's Zapier integrations. Automatically create a card on a board in Miro whenever you have a new task, entry in a spreadsheet, or form submission.

Best online whiteboard for creating multiple boards in a single brainstorming session
Stormboard (Web)
At first glance, Stormboard is a sticky-note-style ideation tool. But each digital sticky note can house its own whiteboard, opening up a world of opportunity for big picture brainstorming and collaboration. As soon as you create a new Storm (brainstorming board), you can start adding your ideas. Any sticky note can then turn into a collaborative whiteboard that all collaborators can view and edit in real time.

Using Stormboard solves one of the major problems in any brainstorming or collaborative meeting: how to save each iteration so that it's easy to review and revise moving forward. To organize, drag each whiteboard note around the board with your mouse. Board collaborators can then vote on each board, carry on a text chat conversation, and even assign tasks.

Because Stormboard integrates with Zapier, you can even automate your whiteboarding, creating new Storms or ideas based on activity in other apps. Or you can automatically send your ideas, comments, and tasks from Stormboard to other apps.

Stormboard pricing: Free for the Personal account that includes five open Storms and five collaborators per Storm; paid plans start from $10/month for the Business plan that includes unlimited open Storms

You can do even more with Stormboard by using Stormboard's Zapier integrations. Automatically create an idea in Stormboard whenever you receive an email or have a new task in your project management tool.

Best online whiteboard for annotating live presentations
IPEVO Annotator (macOS, Windows, iOS, Android)
Developed by the same company that creates interactive whiteboards for classroom settings, IPEVO Annotator turns your entire desktop, laptop, or mobile device into a whiteboard. Once the app is installed and opened, a moveable toolbar appears on your screen, giving you access to your writing tools. From here, you can start drawing to mark up files that are open on your existing desktop, or click on the whiteboard button to turn your entire screen into a blank whiteboard. To document or save your notes, you can take a screenshot or create a recording.

IPEVO Annotator is particularly useful when you're presenting documents from your screen and want to highlight or mark up objects on your slides. Since the drawings aren't tied to your files, you can simply wipe the board clean when you're done to be ready for the next slide.

The biggest downside is that there's no option to add text, which can be mildly frustrating if you're on a desktop and have to use a mouse to write out any words. Granted, the strength of IPEVO lies in marking up existing documentation or creating sketches on the go, rather than as an initial brainstorming ideation tool where you would want more text.

IPEVO Annotator pricing: Free.

Best online whiteboard for a realistic whiteboard experience
Limnu (Web, Android, iOS)
If you're used to having a physical whiteboard for your presentations and brainstorming sessions and are reluctant to go all-in on digital, you might lean toward Limnu. It feels so much like a real whiteboard that you can almost smell the markers.

But Limnu does a lot more than give realistic marker drawings: It also includes collaboration features that will convince you that the jump to a digital whiteboard was worthwhile. To invite others to view your board, click on the share icon and copy/paste the link. You can even limit their permissions, if you want, so that they can view the board without editing the content. Once they've joined, you can collaborate via the chat box.

Limnu pricing: Free plan available; from $5/month for the Pro plan; $8/user/month for the Team plan that includes team boards

Best online whiteboard for annotating design files with a team
InVision Freehand (Web, Android, iOS)
InVision Freehand gives designers the opportunity to sync their Sketch and Photoshop files and get real-time feedback from the team. Each logged in user appears as an icon on the top right corner of the whiteboard, with a dot indicating the color of the "ink" for their markups. Adding text and uploading files is as simple as a click of the mouse on the top toolbar. And if you want to add shapes, just hold down Shift while drawing, and it will recognize the shapes as you draw them.

When the Present option is selected, all collaborators on the board can sit back and watch as the focus stays on your own cursor. The downside: Freehand doesn't include any group chat tools, though you can communicate through comments. You'll have to have another app lined up for visual, audio, or text communication outside of the board drawing.

InVision Freehand pricing: Free plan available; paid plans from $15/month for the Starter plan

Best online whiteboard for embedding live on a web page
AWW (Web)
AWW removes all hurdles to getting started, since you don't have to log in before creating your first whiteboard (although you won't be able to save the board without eventually logging in).

The rich feature set is quickly accessible through the three toolbars located on the whiteboard. The left sidebar houses writing tools, text, shapes, uploads, and everything else you need to add content to the whiteboard itself. On the right is a collaboration toolbar for text chat, voice calls, and board navigation. And the toolbar on the top gives you access to board info, allowing you to navigate to other boards saved to your account. While the three separate toolbars make navigation supremely simple, it reduces the amount of drawing space.

With AWW, you can embed a whiteboard onto any web page by copy/pasting an iframe code, similar to how YouTube video embeds work. Anyone who accesses the page can then take advantage of this fully functional whiteboard.

AWW pricing: Free for basic tools and sharing; from $10/month for the Personal account that includes unlimited participants and unlimited premium boards

Best online whiteboard for saving and organizing multiple, unrelated boards
Sketchboard (Web)
Sketchboard advertises itself as a diagramming whiteboard, and the claim is confirmed the moment you sign up. The board comes with a wide variety of pre-designed icons for use in things like software diagrams and roadmaps. Drag and drop to add the icons to the board, then use the toolbar to change size and color or add text.

Once your whiteboards are created and saved to your account, Sketchboard provides a wealth of organization methods, auto-filing each board based on its permissions (public, private, team, or password shared), and letting you add unique tags to a board so that you can quickly search for and locate a single project board easily.

The biggest drawback is that Sketchboard holds back quite a few features unless you're signed up for a paid account, including crucial features like adding images. But if you're a Slack user, it's worth the price because of the nifty integration that lets you create visual messages from inside Slack.

Sketchboard pricing: Free for three boards and up to five users; paid plans from $8/month for the Solo plan that includes unlimited private boards and Slack integration

Best online whiteboard for large, complex whiteboards
Conceptboard (Web)
Conceptboard is a great choice if you're looking for a whiteboard to use with a team when creating large, complex drawings like storyboards or a multi-page design revision. In addition to adding drawings, text, and shapes, you can embed video and audio content. Whiteboard collaborators can converse via chat, leave comments on the board itself, and even assign tasks to each other inside the app. Even with the complexity it allows, the interface is quite easy to navigate, with navigation and toolbars located on the top and left-hand side.

Conceptboard lets you create any number of sections on the whiteboard. Clicking on a given section in the sidebar automatically moves you to that part of the board, so you can jump through a large or complex drawing with ease. Sections can also be exported individually as images or as a group in PDF format, so you can save or share it outside of the app.

Concept Board pricing: Free for unlimited boards with up to 50 objects; paid plans from $7.50/month for the Premium plan that includes unlimited reviews, unlimited objects on boards, audio and visual calls, and 20 GB storage

Best online whiteboard for creating whiteboard videos
Explain Everything (Web, iOS, Android, ChromeOS)
If you want to create a video of your whiteboarding session, you could always record your screen and have it running in the background when you move into creation mode. Or you could simplify the process and use Explain Everything for your whiteboard and video recorder/editor.

As a whiteboard, Explain Everything lets you draw, add text, upload files, and create basic shapes. All fairly standard. But because it offers video recording capabilities, it allows you to record your whiteboard-and voice-as you draw, then edit or split elements to refine the finished video. Once you're satisfied, you can save the video to be shared online as a link or downloaded as an MP4. That way, people who weren't able to attend the whiteboarding session can still get a sense of the process behind it.

Collaboration tools are also built in, so you can invite team members to view or edit the board and converse with them with audio while you're working together.

Explain Everything price: Free for up to three projects with a maximum video length of one minute; paid plans from $6.99/month for the Individuals plan with unlimited projects, slides, and email support

Best online whiteboard for quick, informal whiteboarding sessions
Whiteboard Fox (Web)
If you find yourself only needing a digital whiteboard for one-off use cases here and there, you might gravitate toward Whiteboard Fox, a straightforward whiteboard app that doesn't require a login.

Compared to the other apps on this list, Whiteboard Fox might be considered stripped down in features, but it still has all the essentials for a great whiteboard app: freehand drawing, straight lines, the ability to embed photos and add text, and even a replay feature which opens your whiteboard in a new browser tab and provides an instant replay video of your work from start to finish.

And while there's no login required, you can still share the board with others and control their access, allowing them to view or edit. Of course, since there's no option to log in, there's also no way to save your whiteboards online, so you'll have to export them as images if you want to save them. Does the trick for a one-time project.

Whiteboard Fox pricing: Free

Best online whiteboard for remote, multi-member team meetings
MURAL (Web)
The MURAL canvas can house multiple whiteboard areas, similar to Photoshop artboards, that you can rearrange and resize as needed. On each whiteboard, you can go with the standard blank white background, or choose from a variety of templates to add pre-built grids and content boxes for some additional structure.

MURAL is particularly strong as a team tool, letting you create multiple "rooms" for your whiteboards, each with different permissions to limit access. You might have one room for your design team, one for your marketing team, and so on, or you might create rooms by project.

Remote teams who use MURAL for meetings (like Zapier), will love the digital version of some office staples, from timers (which you can use for focused ideation sprints) to chat boxes. It can be tough to share candid feedback in remote team meetings. That's why we love MURAL's timed voting session, where you can allot a number of votes to each collaborator. To vote, click on an object on your whiteboard. Every vote is anonymous and tallied automatically.

MURAL pricing: From $16/month for the Starter plan.

If your team wants to move entirely to digital whiteboard solutions, other strong contenders include Microsoft Whiteboard for Office users and Google's Jamboard, a physical whiteboard with a digital display.

Which app should I use?

Which online whiteboard you choose depends on how central whiteboarding is to your process, how many collaboration features you need, and whether you'll be presenting your whiteboards more formally. You'll also need to be sure you pick an app that works on all the platforms you need.

Of course, it's possible that you'll end up using more than one online whiteboard: one for your design team, one for multi-department team meetings, and one for formal presentations. The important thing is to pick a tool that lets you stay focused on keeping clear communication and collaboration at the heart of your work.
Prices for all apps updated in March, 2020.

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There's something valuable about physically writing something down-or drawing it on a whiteboard. In fact, a study from Indiana University indicates that writing things down can help our brains function better in a whole host of ways, including "idea composition and expression."

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How to use the Loom Google Chrome extension

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Loom - Free Screen Recorder & Screen Capture

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Record your screen and camera with one click. Share that content in an instant with a link.

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Screencastify is Chrome's simplest free screen recorder and video-creation platform, empowering anyone to become a better communicator by recording, editing, sharing, and assessing videos in seconds.

With Screencastify, use simple yet powerful screen recording tools to:

Record your desktop, browser tab, and/or webcam
Edit video from your browser
Share your video in multiple ways
Assess effectiveness with Interactive Questions and analytics
Request video submissions with Submit

Educators, professionals, and personal creators across the world use Screencastify screen recorder as a simple way to communicate more effectively through video.

🎬 Join a massive community of video creators
✔ Millions of weekly users
✔ Hundreds of millions of videos recorded
✔ Incredibly easy to learn and use

🎥 Create engaging videos with our easy-to-use screen recorder
▸ Record your browser tab, desktop, and/or your webcam
▸ Narrate with your microphone's audio
▸ Embed your webcam into the recording
▸ Annotate in real time to highlight key points

✂️ Simple video editing
▸ Trim the start and end of your videos
▸ Draw on your tab with the pen tool
▸ Merge, crop, and add text to videos

🚀 Share with your audience, wherever they are
▸ View and share videos on Google Drive
▸ Share to Google Classroom
▸ Export as MP4, animated GIF, or MP3
▸ See who has viewed your videos
▸ Add Interactive Questions to check viewer comprehension


👀Available free
▸ Create and store up to 10 videos free or upgrade for unlimited video creation
▸ Record and store videos up to 30 minutes for free

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How do people use Screencastify to communicate more effectively?

🎓 Education:
▸ Create instructional videos to engage your students whether they're university students or kindergarteners
▸ Create feedback videos to save time and increase your impact
▸ Embrace flipped classrooms or blended learning with video lessons
▸ Have your students practice foreign languages or public speaking
▸ Easily check for student comprehension with Interactive Questions

🏛️ At Work:
▸ Eliminate emails in favor of more effective, personalized communication
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The leading screen recorder for Chrome. Capture, edit and share videos in seconds.

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How to Use Google Meet - Detailed Tutorial

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

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

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Best Practices for Securing Your Virtual Classroom

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Best Practices for Securing Your Virtual Classroom

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Zoom has helped schools and teachers around the world quickly shift to remote virtual learning, and we want all of them to have the same productive - and secure - learning environment as their traditional classroom settings.

Zoom comes pre-stocked with numerous security features designed to control online classrooms, prevent disruption, and help educators effectively teach remotely. Here are some best practices for securing your virtual classroom using Zoom.

Lock your virtual classroom

Did you know you can lock a Zoom session that's already started, so that no one else can join? It's kind of like closing the classroom door after the bell. Give students a few minutes to file in and then click the Security icon at the bottom of your Zoom window. In the pop-up, click the button that says Lock Meeting.
How to lock your classroom
Control screen sharing

However, if students need to share their work with the group, you can allow screen sharing in the host controls. Click the arrow next to Share Screen and then Advanced Sharing Options. Under "Who can share?" choose "All participants" and close the window. You can also toggle sharing privileges under the Security icon in your window or change the default sharing option to All Participants in your Zoom .
How to manage screen sharing
Enable the Waiting Room

This feature is on by default for K-12/primary and secondary education users. When enabled, you have two options for who hits the Waiting Room before entering a class:

1. All Participants will send everyone to the virtual waiting area, where you can admit them individually or all at once.

2. Guest Participants Only allows known students to skip the Waiting Room and join but sends anyone not signed in/part of your school into the virtual waiting area.

The virtual Waiting Room can be enabled for every class or for individual classes at the scheduling level. If you forget to turn it on, you can quickly enable the Waiting Room from the Security icon . You also can send people already in the meeting to the Waiting Room. Next to an individual name in the Participants panel, just select More to the right of their name and Send to Waiting Room and they'll be removed from the live meeting and placed into the virtual waiting area.
How to enable the Waiting Room
Lock down the chat

Teachers can restrict the in-class chat so students cannot privately message other students. We recommend controlling chat access from the Security icon (rather than disabling chat all together in your ) so students can still interact with the teacher as needed.
How to control chat access
Remove a participant

If someone who's not meant to be there somehow manages to join your virtual classroom, you can easily kick someone out from the Security icon or from the Participants panel. Mouse over a participant's name in the Participants panel, and several options will appear, including "Remove." Click to remove them from your virtual classroom, and they won't be allowed back in.
How to remove a participant
Report a user

Suspend participant activities
How to suspend a meeting
Renaming participants

You can disable the ability for any Zoom participant to rename themselves at the account, group, and user level in your settings. Or if class is already in session, you can toggle this capability in-meeting under the Security icon.
How to restrict renaming
All of the above features can be found with the Security icon on your meeting toolbar. Here's a video overview of those options:

Security options when scheduling a class

Passcode-protect the classroom: Create a passcode and share with your students via school email so only those intended to join can access a virtual classroom.

Require registration: This shows you every email address of everyone who signed up to join your class and can help you evaluate who's attending.

Restrict annotation: This feature prevents students from annotating on shared content. It also will show the names of individuals annotating if it's allowed.

Use a random meeting ID: It's best practice to generate a random meeting ID for your class, so it can't be shared multiple times. This is the better alternative to using your Personal Meeting ID , which is not advised because it's basically an ongoing meeting that's always running.

Allow only authenticated users to join: Checking this box means only members of your school who are signed into their Zoom account with an approved email address can access this particular class.

Disable join before host: Students cannot join the class before the teacher joins and will see a pop-up that says, "The meeting is waiting for the host to join. "

Note: For schools scheduling classes through an LMS, some of these settings might appear a little differently.
Additionally, teachers have a couple of other in-meeting options to control their virtual classrooms:

Disable video: Turn off a student's video to block distracting content or inappropriate gestures while class is in session.

Mute students: Mute individual students or all of them at once. Mute Upon Entry (in your ) is also available to keep the clamor at bay when everyone files in.

Attendee on-hold: An alternative to removing a user, you can momentarily disable their audio/video connections. Click on the attendee's video thumbnail and select Start Attendee On-Hold to activate.

Hide profile pictures: Under the Security icon, teachers can hide profile pictures of any participants that don't have their video on. Only their names will be displayed. You can also set this option as a default in the In Meeting (Basic) section of your Zoom .

Important reminders for teachers

A quick reminder to never share your Zoom classroom details (meeting ID and passcode) on any public forum, such as social media or even your school's public website. Meeting disruptors search the internet for publicly posted meeting IDs. If you learn that a student or someone else has posted your meeting information online, please change the meeting ID before the next class.

We also encourage you to NOT post pictures of your virtual class on social media or elsewhere online. While it's fun to share in the excitement of connecting over Zoom, we are particularly committed to protecting the and discourage publicly posting images of students, especially minors, in a privacy of K-12/primary and secondary school users Zoom virtual classroom.

Get Zooming securely

We've compiled several great resources to help teachers and administrators - even the most technology-challenged ones - get quickly trained on Zoom and pick up some best practices for educating over Zoom . You can also get additional tips on protecting your Zoom Meetings on our security webpage .

https://youtu.be/p1IMmOujc9c

And we invite you to learn about the additional benefits Zoom's Education plans can provide for virtual learning and remote education.
Editor's note: This post was updated from the original March 27 version to include the most up-to-date information on securing your online classrooms.

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Best Practices for Securing Your Virtual Classroom

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Zoom has helped schools and teachers around the world quickly shift to remote virtual learning, and we want all of them to have the same productive - and secure - learning environment as their traditional classroom settings. Zoom comes pre-stocked with numerous security features designed to control online classrooms, prevent disruption, and help educators effectively teach remotely.