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This is the best way to stay up on what is new with GAFE

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Find out about Google's commitment to education through our products and initiatives.

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10 Ways Teacher Planning Should Adjust To The Google Generation

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10 Ways Teacher Planning Should Adjust To The Google Generation

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by Terry Heick

For the Google Generation, information isn't scarce, and knowing has the illusion of only being a search away.

I've written before about how Google impacts the way students think. This post is less about students, and more about how planning resources like standards and curriculum maps might respond accordingly.

Curriculum maps are helpful little documents that standardize learning. That is, they clarify the content to be learned, and offer a shared pathway and schedule to deliver that content to students. Curriculum maps function as a kind of overview of learning content, and can also provide a common ground for the reform of planned learning activities based on assessment data (O'Malley, 1982).

The problem is, now more than ever, critical knowledge is changing. The things a student needs to know are different now than they were a half-century ago (unless you want to get super macro about it all and underscore literacy, critical thinking, etc., as timeless and universal).

In the presence of Google, predictive search, digital communities, social media, Quora, adaptive apps, and other technology, information is less scarce than it has ever been in human history. The same with networks, digital channels, and possible learning pathways to discover new ideas.

There is a subreddit for transhumanism. That means there is a community of folks that gather to share ideas, resources, and conversation about the "use of science and technology to improve human mental and physical characteristics and capacities"-living, breathing, enthusiastic (and sometimes snarky) human beings that can contextualize ideas, clarify misunderstandings, and point you in the right direction for future learning.

That's pretty incredible.

There's also one for education, science, the future, the past, self-directed learning, teaching, books, technology, and almost any other topic you can think of. When Google + Quora + twitter + YouTube + reddit + everythingelseontheinternet exist, the kinds of things a student needs to know change.

The age of knowing is slowing giving way to an age of data navigation, and what students need help with should be adjusted accordingly-even if in ways other than the ideas below.
1. Make the work Google-proof 10 Ways Teacher Planning Should Adjust To The Google Generation & The Age Of Information
Put another way, design it so that Google is crucial to creating a response rather than finding one.

If students can Google answers-stumble on what you want them to remember in a few clicks-there's a problem with the instructional design. And asking them what they'll do when they WiFi goes out probably isn't compelling enough as an argument.

Instead, anchor learning experiences around new kinds of thinking that force the synthesis of disparate ideas, media, and communities. Scenario-based learning, challenge-based learning, project-based learning, learning simulations, and so on.
2. Force them to grapple with big questions without answers
It's all out there, ready to be integrated in your classroom.

Promote study and observation, not "content mastery." In a Google-centric world characterized by access to content, networks, and new ways of thinking about things, the focus should be on more classically human practices of observation, study, and perspective.

Via a reddit thread, I found this link to a TED talk -the concept is called "rewilding."

"Yellowstone National Park had become overrun with deer, which grazed away the vegetation dramatically. For years, biologists like Dave Foreman suggested a solution: bringing wolves back to the park, as the last ones were killed off in 1926. In 1995, wolves were finally reintroduced to Yellowstone, and the effects were dramatic. The wolves brought the deer population down to a sustainable population - but more importantly, they radically changed the behavior of the remaining deer. These deer started to move more often and avoid places in the park where they could easily be trapped, which in turn grew thick with vegetation. This allowed birds and beavers to move in, and the beavers' dams became habitats for otters, muskrats, ducks, fish, reptiles and amphibians. The wolves also killed coyotes, which allowed for more rabbits and mice, which in turn boosted the populations of weasels, hawks, foxes and badgers. Meanwhile, ravens, bald eagles and bears fed on the carrion that the wolves left. In fact, even the river patterns in the park changed: the regenerating vegetation stabilized the riverbanks, which yielded less to erosion and took on straighter water flow. "The wolves, small in number, transformed not just the ecosystem of Yellowstone National Park-this huge area of land-but also its physical geography."

Not sure how that kind of discovery could ever be packaged into a "standard" without neutering it completely. Curriculum maps should promote careful, self-directed study of relevant and meaningful ideas, rather than design micro-lessons to "efficiently deliver information."
3. Actually make social networks and media channels part of curriculum
And for the Google Generation, this kind of authentic content and perspective is infinitely available.
4. Focus on learning strategies
Their identification, navigation, analysis, and evaluation should be as much a part of study as branches of government or the writing process.
5. Create curriculum and lessons that absorb data seamlessly
See #2. Rather than emphasizing content, emphasize how to deal with an abundance of fluid and perishable content on a daily basis.

In an age of information and analytics, data is abundant. Currently, maps and units and lessons are not designed to accept data, leaving it up to the teacher to extract it, and constantly make often significant adjustments to planning in light of it.
6. Anticipate student needs
In 2014, we can do better.

Student proficiency can be predicted by examining past performance, reading levels, and an assortment of other factors. This isn't tracking, nor is it consigning certain students to novice levels of performance, holding them to lower standards, etc. It's simply being pro-active-creating a map-or at least units within a map-that can facilitate the educated guesswork and instinct on the part of teachers.

Will they need extra time?

Mini-lessons on Digital Citizenship?

Unique literacy strategies?

A mix of digital and physical texts?

More choice or less?
7. Focus less on "understanding"
Currently this is all done at the unit or lesson level. What would it look like at the curriculum map level?

Of course students need to "understand"-but (hoping Grant's not reading this) prescribing exactly what students will understand, when they will understand it and at what depth, and where, and how they will prove it-regardless of background knowledge, natural interest, literacy levels, etc.-is a bit...ambitious.

And even if it's possible, at what incredible cost of teacher training, related resources, "classroom management and general gnashing of teeth and stifling of natural curiosity?
8. Use spiraling by design
Of course the idea of learning is understanding. And we absolutely need to measure what's working. But focusing entirely on mastery of pre-determined, catalogued, and non-student centered outcomes measured by unbearably unimaginative tests can't be the zenith of modern pedagogy, can it?

If you want to get better at something, you practice. So why not establish a handful of the most important ideas in content that act as anchors for other more discrete knowledge and facts, and practice them over and over again at a variety of cognitive levels (e.g., Bloom's).
9. Discourage use of traditional units
And if this happens, shouldn't the design of the map promote it naturally? Why should the map say one thing, and then what happens in classroom be different? Should the curriculum map not reflect this approach? Even make it better?
10. Illuminate the nuance of the world
Among other sins, units encourage illusions of "coverage" for the sake of content packaging. Why not instead emphasize that learning is a marathon, not a series of artificially-divided sprints.

Have you ever had anyone force you to listen to a song? And then stared at your face the whole time waiting for your reaction? Then asked you to write a cause-effect essay about it all? Horrible, right? That's the process traditional curriculum maps encourage.

Content is incredible if we can just let it be incredible, and for the Google Generation, it's right there at their fingertips. Curriculum documents should underscore the nuance of the world, not provide a chronologically-based checklist to cover it all.
Bonus
If students can't separate what's worth understanding and what's not for themselves-whether on the first page of Google search results, or links they find via twitter and facebook-our collective efforts are diminished.

11. Promote discovery and curiosity and self-direction over coverage and compliance
10 Ways Teacher Planning Should Adjust To The Google Generation; image attribution flickr user flickeringbrad

A curriculum map should be as much for the student as they are for the teacher. As such they should function as learning and discovery pathways, helping the learners see where they've been, where they're going, and what's possible. The Age of Information is characterized by discovery, curiosity, whimsy, and connectivity-all which necessitate self-monitoring and self-direction.

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10 Ways Teacher Planning Should Adjust To The Google Generation

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by Terry Heick For the Google Generation, information isn't scarce, and knowing has the illusion of only being a search away. I've written before about how Google impacts the way students think . This post is less about students, and more about how planning resources like standards and curriculum maps might respond accordingly.

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Google Classroom: Schedule That Assignment - New Feature! - Teacher Tech

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Google Classroom: Schedule That Assignment - New Feature! - Teacher Tech

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This is a feature I asked for...along with others...perfect for middle/high teachers or if planning for a sub!

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If there was any doubt as to if the Google Classroom team listens to teacher requests, today's new feature update proves that they do! Teachers have been clamoring for, and now can, scheduling Google Classroom assignments.

Create Post

Create an Assignment, Announcement or Question in Google Classroom. Click on the plus icon in the bottom left of Google Classroom to add your post.

Arrow

Create your post and locate the arrow next to the blue "Assign" button.

Google Classroom Schedule Assignment

Clicking on the arrow provides the choice to "Schedule" the post. Choose the middle option from the drop down menu.

Schedule

Change the date and time to reflect when you want your assignment to post to the Stream. The time is editable so you can schedule it for the exact minute you want it to post.

Multiple Classes

If your assignment is selected to post to multiple classes it will post to all of your classes at the same time. If you want to have the assignment post to each class at separate times you will need to "Reuse post." Remember to UNCHECK the "Create new copies of all attachments" checkbox. The beauty of using Google Docs is there is only one version and it is always current. Creating copies makes a mess of your Google Drive.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2016

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Google Classroom: Schedule That Assignment - Teacher Tech

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If there was any doubt as to if the Google Classroom team listens to teacher requests, today's new feature update proves that they do! Teachers have been clamoring for, and now can, scheduling Google Classroom assignments. Create an Assignment, Announcement or Question in Google Classroom.

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19 Big and Small Classroom Management Strategies | Edutopia

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19 Big and Small Classroom Management Strategies | Edutopia

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Great Reminders!

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Successful classroom management relies on a handful of fundamental strategies and a larger number of quick interventions.

The year I started teaching seventh- to 12th-grade English in Minneapolis, Prince launched his song about urban ruin, "Sign o' the Times." That song was an apt musical backdrop for the lives of my students, most of whom lived in poverty and challenged me daily.

That year also afforded me the opportunities to be assaulted with a stone, two chairs, a Rambo knife, a seventh-grade girl's weak jab, and dozens of creative swear words. Fortunately, classroom order improved when I learned that successful classroom management depends on conscientiously executing a few big strategies and a lot of little ones.

Big Strategies: Fundamental Principles of Classroom Management

1. Follow the first step of hypnosis: A hypnotist's first induction technique often involves directing subjects to focus on something they're already doing. "Feel your eyes getting tired" is a good opening, because everybody's eyes feel tired all the time, but we don't notice until someone points it out.

Teachers, like hypnotists, can string along a series of requests by asking students to do something most are already doing, then waiting for 100 percent compliance, and finally issuing another directive, etc. It's better for teachers to say, "Point your eyes toward me" and wait for compliance, instead of saying, "Stop talking, turn around, turn to page 237, take out a pencil, and head your paper with 'Geology Frame.'"

2. Keep your consequences as minimal as possible: When a rule is broken, assign the smallest consequence possible and see if that gets the job done. Don't use up big consequences too fast.

3. Appropriate curriculum is a classroom management strategy: For some students, being thrown out of the room for backtalk has a lower social cost than appearing dumb in front of peers. Assigning appropriately difficult work (which often means differentiating) eliminates that risk.

4. Rehearse transitions: Most disruptions occur before the bell rings and between activities. "Silent 30" was my signal for all students to clear their desks and sit silently within half a minute. A class reward occurred after 30 transitions were completed successfully. My kids loved how visitors witnessing the routine would drop their jaws in surprise.

5. Anticipate problems and be creative: At the beginning of one year, my middle-grade students would charge into class like Mel Gibson and a thousand Scottish warriors. To solve the problem, I asked my kids to line up for class outside my door with their left arm against the wall and a foot of space between them and the person in front of them.

To enter class, each child had to answer either a content-related question or a random dumb question like, "What type of weapon would you use to battle Aquaman?" The dumb questions kept the line entertained. After answering, students were directed to take a seat, quiet as moonlight, and follow instructions on the board. Students talking or violating any part of the protocol were sent to the back of the line.

6. Make positive phone calls home and send letters: I used to send a positive note home to every student's guardians, and I would include a magnet (100 cost about $9.00) to encourage its placement on the refrigerator. I also left complimentary voicemails. That way, parents and kids saw me as an ally.

Little Things: Quick Interventions That Support Classroom Management

1. Show students that it pays to behave: At the end of tough classes, I'd daily give out two raffle tickets-one for academic effort and one for good behavior. After writing their names on the tickets, kids dropped them in a jar. On Friday, I randomly drew two student names-both received candy bars.

2. Never punish an entire class: Even when you feel like the the entire class is misbehaving, there are always some kids following directions. Punishing the class as a group only incites further resistance.

3. Build content-related anticipation: At the beginning of class, say, "Later today, I'll tell you...

How to cure cholera." (Clean water makes all the difference.)

What most super-geniuses have in common." (They burn through acolytes.)

How the X-Wing fighters in Star Wars violate Newtonian physics." (Blasters and afterburners don't make sounds in space.)

The goal is to get students interested in your agenda in lieu of misbehaving.

4. Change the tone: To interrupt a class of aggressive complainers, I cued up Katrina and the Waves on my CD player. When the first grumbling complaint occurred, I raised my palm and played " I'm walking on sunshine, woooah / And don't it feel good! " Everybody laughed. Another kid started to whine until I pressed play again. Bigger laughs. After that, complaints rarely occurred.

5. Find things to appreciate: Instead of starting class braced for conflict, make yourself look for things to delight in: that Serena knows everything about Detroit hip-hop or that your thermos of Intelligentsia Coffee is three-quarters full.

6. Ramp up your enthusiasm: There's no downside to being 20 percent more enthusiastic.

7. Use your words: Students sometimes miss the obvious. Say, "This class makes me glad that I teach."

8. Don't pander: Never cueing students to meet your emotional needs is an important adult boundary. And one of life's paradoxes is that people who never obsess over being adored are often the recipients of adoration.

9. Forgive: When students get kicked out of Katie Riley's ninth-grade English classroom, she always tells them that everything is forgiven and that the next day will be a fresh start. When a student commits a felony, he sees Ms. Riley sitting in the courtroom gallery. That's all he needs to know.

10. Give students choices: "Do you want to do this assignment in class or as a take-home quiz?" "Should this project be group or independent work?" Choice increases students' buy-in.

11. Publicly announce classroom management goals: Say, "Yesterday, the noise was at an eight during work time. Let's shoot for a five today."

12. Establish routines: If you have a chaotic class, keep things predictable. Also: Post the day's schedule.

13. State the truth when things go wrong: If students are confused and lost, don't brush over it. And when you've sent a student out of the classroom, say, "That makes me sad and frustrated, but let's get our brains focused back on the third math problem."

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19 Big and Small Classroom Management Strategies

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Successful classroom management relies on a handful of fundamental strategies and a larger number of quick interventions. The year I started teaching seventh- to 12th-grade English in Minneapolis, Prince launched his song about urban ruin, "Sign o' the Times."

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Annotate PDF's...you can even sign in with your google+ account!

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Must read blog!

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We love sharing practical ideas that work, and we're generous with them to a fault. Find what you need through articles, books, videos, in-person presentations and more.

About Ditch That Textbook

We can do better than marching
chapter by chapter through a textbook.

In his own classes, Matt Miller found that textbooks were more an obstacle to learning than a help. He ditched them. For years, he's learned what works better than traditional "textbook" teaching and shared those ideas widely. His workshops and keynote speeches empower, entertain and inspire teachers to move forward confidently.

New Teaching Ideas Every Week

Get a weekly dose of tips, tricks, templates and more in your inbox -- practical ideas you can use in your class right away.

Weekly emails with LOTS of ideas Plus three FREE ebooks

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AND 50 Free Templates for teachers

Google ideas to make your classroom click

Create amazing, unforgettable learning experiences.

When your students use Docs, Slides, Sheets and more in G Suite, they can do so much more than write an essay or do an oral report.

But how?

Coming up with creative classroom activities with Google tools is our jam. Learn how your students can create ...

* stop-motion animation
* infographics
* digital interactive notebooks
* and more.
Check out our FREE resources, including downloadable templates!

What People Are Saying ...

The lessons are our way to change the world through our students! 🙌Thanks for all the resources @jmattmiller #Interface2019https://t.co/SxUXoWPfgr

Level Up Your Skills

Bring teaching into today's age with these practical ideas, mindset shifts and curriculum adjustments.

Make the Most of Your Class Technology

Want to make sure you're using your technology meaningfully? That you'll get results? This video series will give you some insight.

Take the Tech to Learn Online Course

Learn how to move the needle for learning with tech. With these six areas, you'll see results from your tech use.

©2023 Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller.

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Awesome teaching, one lesson at a timeWe love sharing practical ideas that work, and we're generous with them to a fault. Find what you need through

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Alice Keeler- 50 Things you can do with Google Classroom

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Alice Keeler- 50 Things you can do with Google Classroom

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Great website for any teacher using Google CR

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Student centered teaching with Google Classroom - resources including blog posts, ideas, tutorials, and more by EdTech integration expert Alice Keeler.

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Pearl Arredondo - Technology: Looking Beyond the Hardware

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Pearl Arredondo - Technology: Looking Beyond the Hardware

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Inspiring story of how teachers can change your life! #CUE2016

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Pearl Arredondo - Technology: Looking Beyond the Hardware, CUE 2016 National Conference

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Pearl Arredondo, national board certified 6th grade teacher and principal of the San Fernando Institute of Applied Media, gives a talk called Technology: Looking Beyond the Hardware. In this she talks about her history growing up in Los Angeles and how we can be using technology as a well-aimed tool for promoting student outcomes.

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What will the jobs field look like for the kids who graduate in 2030? #CUE2016 Keynote speaker

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Hadi Partovi - Friday Keynote, CUE 2016 National Conference

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Hadi Partovi, co-founder of code.org, speaks to the CUE National Conference about the importance of computer science in America's schools. Hadi stresses how the American Dream can now be achieved through speaking the language of computers. Recorded in Palm Springs, CA on 3/18/2016 at the Palm Springs Convention Center.

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Inspiration for all teachers! #CUE2016 Keynote speaker

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Brad Montague - Opening Keynote, CUE 2016 National Conference

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Brad Montague, co-creator of Kid President and Socktober, opened the CUE 2016 National Conference with a message of creativity, enthusiasm, and being awesome. With an introduction from the Kid President himself, talking to, "a bunch of weirdos who believe in kids," Brad sparked the room's imagination with his passion and humor.

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Can't take your classes to art galleries? Bring the gallery to your classroom though Google Cultural Institute. Great for Art, Social Studies, Literacy, etc. Limitless possibilities.

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Explore collections and stories from around the world with Google Arts & Culture.

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Checkitout- Allows you to use a google for to check in and out anything.

Choice Eliminator 2- Can mark out multiple choice answers. Great practice for ACT aspire.

Form Limiter- Only want to accept a form from a limited amount of participants? Use this add on (great for club sign ups)

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Google Classroom- Can add video and photos quickly to Google CR.

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SAS Writing Reviser- Must have for all ENGLISH teachers...great for students to use before turning essays into the teachers as well!

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Sortd- Helps organize your emails into list view.

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Crafty Text- Allows you to enlarge text when on a website...great for group settings.

Special Characters- Great for Spanish class

Beeline Reader- Helps students, especially ones with dyslexia, to read quicker due to sentence color.

Extensity- Too many extensions? Use this Ext to manage other ones.

Draftback- Better than revision history for teachers. Can see a video of student Doc. Can also get activity reports. Check it out!

Tab Scissors- Make several tabs so you can work in two windows side by side.

Tab Glue-  Glue the tabs back together in one window.

Snagit- Great way to record videos for flip classroom or just "how to videos" to share.

Moveit- Kids need to move during class. Use this ext to pop up a move to do based on how often you want a brain break.

Padlet Mini- Add a webpage fast...just click the extension and it adds to the padlet pages you choose.

Speakit- Have highlighted text read to you!

Google Dictionary- Look up words quickly.

Stay Focused- Only lets you stay on one tab for a timed period.

Grammarly- Perfect for students to help with Grammar outside of docs.

Save to Google Drive-  Save a website straight to your drive.

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Google Classroom: Create Question | Nowa Techie

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Google Classroom: Create Question | Nowa Techie

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In Google Classroom, I like to 'Create a Question' for quick checks or exit tickets. They are easy to create and manage. Students can read each other's posts, comment, and have quality discussions with 'Questions'. This is an underused tool by many who use Google Classroom. It truly is a hidden gem in this tool.

In order to create a Question, choose the + located in the bottom right corner of the 'Stream' section of your classroom.

Now I can create my question. I can insert a file, something from my Google Drive, a YouTube video, and/or a link to a website. I can insert as many items as needed. Since I teach 2 classes of Social Studies, I can assign the question to both classes, with files and links, at the same time. I can even set a due date. When I have my preferences set, I choose the blue 'ASK' button.

Next a pop-out window appears where I can allow students to view each other's responses, or not. I can also allow students to edit their own responses. I like to allow students to comment on each other's. This allows for discussion and opportunity for students to defend their positions. When I'm ready, I click the blue 'ASK' button.

My question now appears at the top of the stream.

Here's an example we did early this year. Once the students respond, I can then grade their answers if I choose to. On this particular example, I gave the students some material to review before answering. In order to encourage open dialog, I also asked them to comment on each other's responses.

When I'm ready to view, I can click on 'Done' in the Question. This takes me to the Student Response page. All of their responses are listed along with the option to grade, comment, and return work.

When I click on an individual student, I can see his/her answer and the classmates' responses.

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In Google Classroom, I like to 'Create a Question' for quick checks or exit tickets. They are easy to create and manage. Students can read each other's posts, comment, and have quality discussions with 'Questions'. This is an underused tool by many who use Google Classroom.

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There are so many images, links, phrases, etc that we need access to often...using clipboard history is a great way to have them available all the time.

Clipboard History 2- Extention

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Better than Copy/Paste - keeps multiple "copies" in your clipboard for up to 30 days. You can "copy" (save to web clipboard) from Google Drawings, Slides, Docs, and Charts in Slides.

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Creating Your District's Digital Hub | Edutopia

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Creating Your District's Digital Hub | Edutopia

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In a previous blog post, I briefly touched upon one way in which administrators can tackle this issue: by creating a user-friendly digital hub that contains worthwhile materials from all professional development sessions (think, one-stop shop).

Now let's look at how such a hub could be established.

The End in Mind

Begin with the end in mind, not with the technology in mind.

Here are a few guiding questions to consider while establishing your endgame:

1. Do we want separate hubs for elementary, middle, and high school levels?

2. How will the content be organized? By grade level? Subject? Teacher?

3. Will the hub be open to the public, or will it be accessible only in-district?

4. Other than district educators, who else is part of the hub's targeted audience?

There are advantages to open access. By targeting students, parents, and your community, you can promote transparency with the work that your district is doing. According to Dr. Tony Sinanis, the 2014 New York State Elementary Principal of the Year, "Transparency about our PD equates to transparency about our preferred instructional approaches, priorities, beliefs, and vision for the future. This is directly connected to culture."

Document Uploading

Dealing with several different kinds of documents could be intimidating, as all of these variations can easily turn your hub into a hot mess. The result could be countless files that do not appear as they are supposed to. Here's a look at options for handling some of the more challenging formats.

Slide Decks

PowerPoint (Microsoft) and Keynote (Apple) typically do not play nice with one another. For example, I prefer to create all of my slide decks in Keynote, and there are almost always issues when colleagues try to open them on their own computers. Consider converting these documents to PDFs prior to upload. Another option is to start a district channel on something like SlideShare.

Videos

From what I've experienced, the majority of videos shown during professional development are pulled from somewhere on the internet. Why not simply link to them from your digital hub? The workflow for custom videos (like those created in iMovie) is a bit more complicated. In this case, you can upload all of your content to the cloud (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) and then link to it from your hub. Also consider starting a channel on YouTube or Vimeo.

Cloud-Based

Google Apps for Education can function on its own as your district's digital hub through a carefully organized hierarchy of folders. However, in my opinion, all of these folders can get a bit cumbersome, and sifting through folders is not the most user-friendly way to manage and find content. Nonetheless, all materials can be stored in Google Drive and then accessed from a website or learning management system (LMS).

Social Media

It would be impossible to discuss a district's digital hub without bringing social media into the equation -- there's no reason why the two cannot work hand in hand. Furthermore, it's now a non-negotiable that all schools and districts consistently communicate with stakeholders via social media. As stated by Brad Currie, middle school assistant principal and author of All Hands on Deck, "If school districts do not utilize social media to tell their story in the virtual world, somebody else will, and it could be wrong."

As previously mentioned, school districts can leverage social media through such tools as SlideShare, YouTube, and Vimeo. By using these services, not only do stakeholders gain access to content, but everything becomes simpler to share via Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., and much more easily discovered by those outside of your district.

Platforms

Just like with classroom instruction, we need to start with the why, not with the tools. Nonetheless, we need to choose a platform sooner or later, so here are a few ideas.

For websites, three of the more popular options are WordPress, Weebly, and Google Sites. With WordPress, you can have the company host your site for you, or you can host it yourself. While the former is easier to set up, the latter offers an unlimited level of customization -- which can be both good and bad. I think it's important to choose a platform and establish workflows that will foster contributions from as many stakeholders as possible.

Another option to consider is an LMS. Currently, the more popular possibilities are Schoology, Canvas, Edmodo, and Google Classroom. One of the primary benefits of leveraging an LMS as a digital hub is that they usually come embedded with options and opportunities for collaboration through discussion forums, blogs, wikis, easy ways to upload teacher and student content, etc.

In the End

There is no step-by-step "how to" guide for creating a digital hub. When drilling down to the specifics, school districts will take different actions depending upon particular histories, cultures, and contexts. Nevertheless, the majority of school districts should most likely consider these questions, thoughts, ideas, and resources when establishing a hub.

What are your experiences with digital hubs? How does your school or district share out content? Are there any major points to consider that I may have missed?

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Creating Your District's Digital Hub | Edutopia

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In a previous blog post, I briefly touched upon one way in which administrators can tackle this issue: by creating a user-friendly digital hub that contains worthwhile materials from all professional development sessions (think, one-stop shop). Now let's look at how such a hub could be established.

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Canva- Great sight to create custom banners for Google Forms, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, etc.

Hour of Code- Great way to incorporate computer science into any classroom! Great down time activity.