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Step by step directions I created to log into Seesaw with pictures 

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Step by step directions I created to log into Seesaw with pictures 

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FB online collaboration - great for ideas now and during our normal lives

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FB online collaboration - great for ideas now and during our normal lives

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PYP Online Collaboration has 11,646 members. A multi-lingual site welcoming schools and teachers who are seeking global online collaborations and who are willing to contribute actively . Please...

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gynzy.com is a great website where they have lessons prepared for k-5. The slides can be modified and shared with students.

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gynzy.com is a great website where they have lessons prepared for k-5. The slides can be modified and shared with students.

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Assigning articles and videos to students

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Assigning articles and videos to students

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climate change for students, climate change in classrooms, climate news for kids, climate news for students, sustainability

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Education Companies Offering Free Subscriptions due to School Closings (Updated) : Amazing Educational Resources

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Education Companies Offering Free Subscriptions due to School Closings (Updated) : Amazing Educational Resources

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happynumbers.com is  a great website where students can learn according to CCSS and we can monitor their progress

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happynumbers.com is  a great website where students can learn according to CCSS and we can monitor their progress

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Replacing your lectures with self-made videos can boost students' engagement and free you up to work with them directly.

Imagine lecturing to a class in which some of your students are grade levels behind, some are grade levels ahead, some have special needs, and some are absent. It's pretty hard to do that effectively, isn't it?

As teachers in a Title I high school, we developed an instructional model built around self-made videos that empowered students at all levels to learn at their own pace and build mastery skill-by-skill. We used these screencast-style videos:

To replace traditional lecture-style direct instruction, freeing us up to work directly with individual students;

To give directions for projects and other complex tasks; and

To provide remediation on skills that students might need to practice.

Now, as founders of The Modern Classrooms Project, we train teachers to create blended learning classrooms of their own. The key is empowering educators to build their own high-quality instructional videos. Unlike externally created videos, these allow teachers to multiply themselves in the classroom without losing their authenticity-they can provide direct instruction via the videos while also circulating around the room, answering questions and guiding students to deeper learning.

Step 1: Chunk Instruction

Great teachers have a lot to say about their subjects. When it comes to video creation, however, time is of the essence. Research on instructional videos shows that learner engagement with videos begins to drop after the 6-minute mark-and it falls dramatically after 9. So it's essential to chunk instruction such that each video covers a single learning objective or task, and nothing more. Multiple short videos are better than one long video.

For example, this video on inference by middle school English teacher Toni Rose Deanon introduces an important concept, provides several examples, and gives the students a task-all in just over 4 minutes. Her colleague Emily Culp's video on four-box notes is equally concise, walking students through an example and teaching a note-taking strategy in 3:25. In a world of short attention spans, videos like these make their points clearly and quickly.

Step 2: Build Video-Ready Slides

Studies also show that the best instructional videos are highly focused, use visual cues to highlight key information, and minimize the use of on-screen text. The slides that a teacher would use in a lecture may not work in a video-it's critical to build a slide deck that is clear, simple, and visually compelling. (We have templates for math/science and English/history.)

In her video on the big bang theory, high school science teacher Moira Mazzi uses compelling visuals and clear annotations to explain a complex idea to her students. This keeps student attention on what Mazzi is saying and gives students an idea of the key terms and ideas they need to record in their notes.

Step 3: Record

There are many tools you can use to create a strong instructional video. Here are a few that can really simplify the process and enhance the quality of the video.

Recording device: Ideally, you have a touch-screen tablet or laptop with a high-quality stylus. This ensures that you can easily annotate visuals and show work. Handwriting also adds a nice personal touch. But if you have a non-touch-screen laptop, or a tablet but no stylus, you can still make your own videos.

Screencasting program: The best programs, like Explain Everything, allow educators to pause and re-record specific segments of their video easily, which removes the pressure of getting a perfect take. Look for a program that has a robust video editor and an embedded annotation tool.

Microphone: This is often forgotten, but it's really helpful to have a pair of headphones with an external mic-these headphones help you improve the sound quality and ensure that your videos don't contain background noise.

In this video on digital sound production (note: video is in Spanish), music teacher Zach Diamond uses highlighting, annotating, and a computer screencast to show students how to create their own songs using a program called Soundtrap. The clarity of Diamond's voice and the video helps students follow along, even with a complex task.

Step 4: Enhance Engagement

Simply sitting and watching videos can lead students to lose focus-the best instructional videos keep them actively engaged. Research shows that when students take notes or answer guided questions while watching, they retain material better than students who watch passively. Embedding questions in your instructional video using programs like Edpuzzle can improve student interaction and provide you with invaluable formative assessment data. Students should think of video-watching as a task they perform actively in order to learn.

In this video on the Pythagorean theorem, math teacher Michael Krell embeds frequent checks for understanding and provides feedback for students who get those checks wrong. Students are free to jump ahead to key points in the video to test their mastery of the material, if they so choose. Krell makes paper copies of the video slides for his students so that they can take notes as they watch.

Step 5: Be Yourself

Perhaps the most important element of a strong video is authenticity. The most effective blended instruction isn't pretty-it's personal. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, and make sure your authentic personality shines through. Research shows that videos in which the instructor speaks in a natural, conversational manner, with an enthusiastic tone, are the most engaging. In our experience, students really appreciate knowing that it's their actual teacher behind the video.

In this video on states of matter, for instance, middle school science teacher Demi Lager lets her personality shine through. No matter how interested students may be in solids, liquids, and gases, her warm tone and sense of humor are likely to keep them engaged.

Learning to create a high-quality instructional video doesn't happen overnight-it requires continual trial, error, and innovation. We've been recording videos for years, and we still often struggle to be compelling and concise. Yet we keep trying, because we believe that teacher-driven blended instruction is what's best for our students. So start planning, grab some recording software, be yourself, and have fun!

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A 5-Step Guide to Making Your Own Instructional Videos

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Replacing your lectures with self-made videos can boost students' engagement and free you up to work with them directly. Imagine lecturing to a class in which some of your students are grade levels behind, some are grade levels ahead, some have special needs, and some are absent.

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Multitude of resources for online learning

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Multitude of resources for online learning

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COVID-19 Educational Resources

During this unprecedented moment, millions of students are out of school, but that doesn't mean a child's education is on hold. We have the power to learn everywhere, to support one another, and help every kid receive a wonderful learning experience.

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During this unprecedented moment, millions of students are out of school, but that doesn't mean a child's education is on hold. We have the power to learn everywhere, to support one another, and help every kid receive a wonderful learning experience.

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Free audible resources with tons of stories!

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Free audible resources with tons of stories!

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Self- Care resource from Barb

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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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Awesome ideas to easily implement online.

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Ed Tech

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

You might be asking ...

What are my students going to do?

How can they continue learning at a high level?

Can I maintain that teacher/student connection through elearning?

How can I keep up with the demands of elearning?

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

We've got you covered.

In this post, you'll find 50 elearning activities, templates and tutorials. They'll help you create elearning activities that lend themselves to powerful learning when students are away from school.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are 50 elearning activities, templates and tutorials you can use tomorrow:

Quick Navigation: 70+ Elearning Activities, Templates and Tutorials

LOOKING FOR MORE PRACTICAL IDEAS LIKE THESE? GET 3 FREE EBOOKS FULL OF RESOURCES!

101 Practical Ways to Ditch That Textbook, Matt's insanely practical guide full of new teaching ideas (updated spring 2018!)

101 Ways to Ditch That Textbook with G Suite, tons of practical, creative ways to use Google tools in the classroom.

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

Looking for even MORE eLearning or distance learning resources?

Our eLearning page has TONS of resources for bringing learning directly to your students no matter where they are!

50+ eLearning activities, templates and tutorials

eLearning lesson planning resources and templates

Sample eLearning schedules

FREE ebooks for getting started with eLearning

More resources being added all the time!

Ready to take your tech skills -- and student learning -- to another level?

Sign up for Tech to Learn online course!

Check Out My Books

©2019 Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller.

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70 elearning activities, templates and tutorials - Ditch That Textbook

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Ed Tech It's easy to feel anxious, overwhelmed and frustrated if you're asked to create elearning activities and teach remotely because of a school closure. You might be asking ... What are my students going to do? How can they continue learning at a high level? Can I maintain that teacher/student connection through elearning?

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Cool idea for student choice and independent learning

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With the VERY sudden need for eLearning resources teachers and parents can become easily overwhelmed. As a technology teacher on special assignment and a parent of a second-grader (who is now at home for the next month), I can definitely relate.

I know we all want to create meaningful online lessons and activities for our students, however, just like in the classroom we need some ready to use materials to fill in the gaps as we create.

Choice boards are an excellent option for teachers during those first days of eLearning when we are getting our bearings or for parents who want extra options at home. There are lots of ways to use choice boards and tons that have already been created. Scroll to the bottom of the post to see more resources.

For this post I am going to focus on the simplest way to create a choice board that will give your students opportunities to learn at home without spending a ton of time creating them.

If you are looking for ideas for creating digital lessons for your students check out HyperDocs + Google Forms: A guide to simple digital lesson design or visit my HyperDocs resources page for a template and links to already created lessons.

A step by step guide to creating eLearning choice boards

Step 1: Find apps that integrate with your LMS.

We use Google Classroom (I know it's not technically an LMS but we use it like one) and there are lots of apps that allow me to import my classes directly. This means that my students can just log in with their Google accounts and I can see their progress. This is very helpful when you are trying to figure out how to check-in and see what your students are doing at home. You probably already have some online learning options available to you through your school too. Check them out and add them is as options.

If you use Google Classroom check out 70+ Awesome Apps that Integrate with Google Classroom from Kasey Bell.

Step 2: Import your classes and set up your teacher dashboards

Most of these apps allow you to decide where you want your students to begin learning or they may even give them a placement test. Once you have imported your students then you're set. Your students log in with their accounts and go.

Step 3: Find some games and non-screen options for your students to do at home

There are tons of resources floating around like this fantastic menu of options from Pobble. Remember eLearning is just as new to most of our kids as it is to us. Both parents and kids need to be reminded that fun games and non-screen learning time are really important too!

Here is a list of edtech companies that are offering their apps for free for the rest of the school year due to COVID-19 school closures.

Step 4: Create your choice board

Here are is a Google folder of example choice boards that I created for grades K-5. They aren't fancy and they won't be winning any Pinterest Perfect awards (not really a thing but still, you know what I'm talking about). However, they serve their purpose and best of all they can be copied and modified to fit your class.

I also included a simple template with a table of resources curated by subject for you to use to create your own. Please go to "file" then "make a copy" on each document rather than requesting access.

Using choice boards at home.

What would it look like for a student at home using these choice boards? A schedule is helpful to make these choice boards fit into our students' lives at home in a manageable way.

Many sample schedules have been shared online but this one from Khan Academy caught my eye because of its simplicity and useability. I adapted their schedule and integrated the choice boards as learning options. Please feel free to use and adapt these schedules to fit your class' needs. Be sure to scroll down to find additional schedules and delete those that you don't need. Once again please go to "file" then "make a copy" for an editable version.

A few thoughts...

I made these choice boards with the intention that they could be used as part of a "day of eLearning". Are the times I have listed perfect for any grade? Nope. Will it need to be modified as we go? Yep. However, I hope it provides you with something to share with your colleagues and students as a starting place.

As you create your choice boards you can find apps and activities that work for you and your students. Or sign up and import your classes to the apps I have listed on this choice board and use it as is. Either way, make it work for you.

Just remember to give your students and yourself a BIG break when moving to eLearning. This is new to all of us. Some students, families, and teachers have access to loads of tools and resources and some are just trying to figure out how to make it from day to day. Let's all give ourselves permission to figure things out as we go =)

More choice boards and resources.

There are TONS of resources out there for creating choice boards. Here are just a few I have found and I will continue to add more as I find them.

If you create a choice board or two of your own please share them with the hashtag #tsgivets and tag me on Twitter @KarlyMoura. I would love to see what you create!

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eLearning Choice Boards: A step-by-step guide to creating resources you can use tomorrow!

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With the VERY sudden need for eLearning resources teachers and parents can become easily overwhelmed. As a technology teacher on special assignment and a parent of a second-grader (who is now at home for the next month), I can definitely relate.

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https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html

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studio.code.org/s/express-2019

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Easy and yummy, especially on a cold wintry day like today.

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Teachers can create a class on Epic and parents can join. I just assigned a non-fiction book to read. Great reading resource.

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Teachers can create a class on Epic and parents can join. I just assigned a non-fiction book to read. Great reading resource.

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A lot are upper elementary but so many cool sites for students to explore!

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Students with parents who must still work or who are unavailable to support learning at home

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Students with parents who must still work or who are unavailable to support learning at home

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I am wondering about siblings- if there is one device and there are live classes happening online how does that work?

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I am wondering about siblings- if there is one device and there are live classes happening online how does that work?

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I think this is why it's ideal to video tape lessons that can students watched at a later time. We are not able to guarantee a one-to-one device situation, so we can't require students to attend a live class.

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Students with zero or limited resources for online learning (wifi, device)

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Students with zero or limited resources for online learning (wifi, device)

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We're able to get students devices, and we will provide information on the resources being offered for free wifi.

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We are living through anxiety-ridden times. Even before the COVID-19 crisis, students reported record high anxiety and depression rates which continue to rise. Obviously, COVID-19 will exacerbate this. It is our responsibility as educators to ensure that all students are supported through this event. It will take proactive, decisive planning and decision-making by teachers to make this happen.

With that being said, our recent conversation with Jesse Stommel, as well as through the advice of virtual learning experts, has led me to the belief that the primary goal for this virtual shift should be simplification. As opposed to adopting new pedagogies, ensuring "accountability", or continuing "business as usual" - our goal is to create simplistic learning structures that maintain some semblance of schooling while recognizing the unprecedented event before us. And given multiple accounts that schools may be closed through the entire school year, as well as the potential threat of the intense reemergence of COVID-19 in the Fall, we must take a hard look at what teaching practice could look like in a time of crisis.

Our educational decisions should maintain some structure - as students are living through uncertain times - while recognizing that uncertain times means we must be as flexible as possible.

Packets

The use of packets is the "go to" for many districts without easy access to virtual learning. Although this is more equitable in terms of connectivity, it does place an emphasis on busy work when there's much more pressing matters available. In my view, there is no valuable learning opportunity in completing a packet, and the purpose of assigning a packet is purely for state documentation (the same reason why many assign packets for sub plans - it gives students something to do.)

Therefore, I would recommend to not assign packets to students. There's no academic reason to do so. We can design open assignments that still meet a state requirement, if need be. Dr. Ken Robinson speaks about his formula for daily homework - students and parents should:

1. Spend time with their families: the single strongest predictor of academic success and fewer behavioral problems for a child, 3-12 years old, is eating as a family.

2. Make planned time during the day to catch up with your child, talk to them about what they're learning, and encourage them to achieve.

3. Play outside or create something, preferably without a screen. Let them dive into their passions. Explore free online resources to discover new skills and interests.

4. Read by themselves or with their family: one of the best ways to learn about the world is developing a lifelong love of reading. Children who prioritize reading are more motivated to learn and see drastically improved academic outcomes.

5. Sleep well: elementary students should sleep at least 10 hours each night and adolescents, 9 hours. Being awake and ready to tackle each day keeps us energized and healthy.

Creating a daily or weekly reflection - something that does not take a lot of time and is not too taxing - allows students to still prompt learning while not forcing busy work. As we know, learning happens all the time, and now we're offered the unique learning opportunity to let students really explore the world around them, albeit through purely virtual and fairly individualistic outdoor environments. (The above advise mirrors what we believe a model for homework for all grade levels should look like, in normal circumstances.)

Further, some districts have opted to create "hour by hour" schedules to follow during the school day. These measures are ill-conceived and will not lead to whatever well-intentioned outcomes they were meant to obtain. Although - optional schedules would be a great way to help provide tangible structure in uncertain times, there are far too many variables to attempt to enforce or institute this.

Absences

If schools are not to be making up these days, it is realistic that states will require some means of attendance-tracking - especially for virtual classes. Requiring all students to maintain a regular schedule online is unrealistic. Many students will be taking care of siblings, dealing with ailments of family members and friends, and may just be facing overwhelming stress. It's a scary time and we must acknowledge the impact that will have on our youth, let alone ourselves.

If we must take attendance, we need synchronous and asynchronous options. Whether it be attending an online conference discussion or submitting a short reflection by that evening, we must be flexible. Further, making up those days if one is missed should be painless. Our goal should be to increase communication tenfold to keep track of how all of our students are doing. Relationships and our connectedness as human beings are more important than any attendance policy or academic success.

State Testing

It seems highly likely that most schools will be closed for nearly - or all - the rest of the school year. Therefore, I see very little chance that state testing will occur. This unlocks some fantastic opportunities for learning beyond our curriculum - and in my view, that allows for an emphasis on learning about COVID-19. In order to lessen tensions, as educators we have a unique opportunity to guide students through these times.

Further, the lack of state testing lends itself to question what "accountability" measures will honestly be held on attendance, homework, curriculum, and the like. Given the sheer volume of students each state will have to track, it would be highly improbable that much oversight will occur. This is not to say that schools should do nothing for their students - but to lessen fears of educators/districts that they need to "document" all of their traditional standards.

Staff Attendance

The CDC has stated that Americans should avoid all "non-essential" meetings. Without students at school, there is nothing an educator does at school that can't be done online. Shifting to virtual conferencing tools for staff meetings (e.g. Zoom) is needed. Most virtual conference softwares can be used with a cell phone. Not to mention, educators have families too - and they need to be at home to support them.

There is something to be said about districts requiring teachers to place themselves at risk - especially when the solution of online conferencing is relatively simple. As David Perry writes,

If we're telling students and faculty members to work remotely - while demanding that staff members come in and share office space with one another - the message is clear about whose health matters to the institution.

Complex EdTech Tools and LMS Adoption

Educators want to still make their online courses fun - so they're switching to really interesting virtual games and software. However, if students aren't familiar with these tools - it can be more burden than engagement. Although it's a good idea to potentially utilize an EdTech tool slowly overtime, we should not attempt to radicalize our classroom with a bunch of new things. Right now we're at the stabilization period - keep everything basic and easy to understand.

In the same vein, some educators are trying to learn a whole new LMS. It's not wise for an educator to reinvent the wheel while they're already reinventing the wheel - instead focus on what you know. In our recent podcast, Jesse Stommel recommended simply using email if need be.

Grading and Assessment

Being a tough grader has never been a worse trait than now. Students need clear directives on how to do well in their courses, and we should offer incredibly simple methodology. Plenty of institutions and schools are taking steps to eliminate finals and reduce the stress of grades. Allowing students to easily obtain A's (or at least P's) is a no-brainer right now. Ultimately, these troubled times will hopefully bring to light the unnecessary use of grades to begin with.

A Shift to Progressive Education

In a strange way, our shift to virtual classrooms may organically lead to progressive education. Looking at the silver lining, in order to effectively teach right now, we'll need to develop close relationships with our students, work one-on-one, and be incredibly flexible. We'll need to create classrooms that focus on empathy first.

Further, we'll be forced to reckon with questions about the system at large:

If losing instructional time for 1+ month is so imperative for the success of our students, why do we spend ~1 month preparing and taking standardized tests?

If losing instructional time for this long is imperative for success, and these students go on to still be successful in college and career...what does that mean for what we're teaching and how we're teaching it?

If students are able to learn at home in a variety of ways, and still continue to learn outside the curriculum, why are we attending school so much and continuing a traditional curriculum?

If our content is not connecting to current events, and teachers feel stressed to not speak about current events due to pressure from their content, is our content meaningful or practical at all?

Seeing as how so many parents will struggle to take care of their children with schools closed, why are there not social structures in place to support families? Further, is the primary purpose of current schooling to "house" students while parents work?

Of course, this is in addition to all of the social norms being questioned in general - such as the sizable number of jobs that could be done at home, regardless of COVID-19, or a lack of free health care, or any safety net for our workers...

At the end of the day, our job is to ensure our children are safe. As educators, making sure that that happens will involve connectedness and understanding with our students. Learning will happen naturally without force or punishment. We just need to provide ongoing support and to simplify this process, as best as we can.

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Simplification: School Policies and Practices to End During COVID-19

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We are living through anxiety-ridden times. Even before the COVID-19 crisis, students reported record high anxiety and depression rates which continue to rise. Obviously, COVID-19 will exacerbate this. It is our responsibility as educators to ensure that all students are supported through this event.

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IB Blog - response to COVID-19

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SAS has had to distribute teachers' time across different time zones, creating shorter meeting times, more one-to-one conversations with students and more spontaneous teaching moments as students worked on their assignments. SAS leadership has been impressed by how well the teachers have responded despite the stresses of teaching in a different way as well as in a new medium. "The teachers got five years' worth of professional learning in two weeks," adds Preis.

WAB faced similar challenges, determining when and how the school could coordinate teachers, students, parents and legal guardians to ensure learning and teaching continued effectively. One area that needed special attention was how to teach younger learners online in accordance with Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP) frameworks.

The school is using video and interactive learning to create the feel of a, "real school", in a way that helps parents cope. They are thinking about, "how to reduce the great secretarial burden on parents", while providing a learning experience that keeps children and parents engaged, according to Stephen Taylor, MYP coordinator and incoming director of innovation in learning and teaching at WAB.

The teachers and leadership team also had to examine the evidence, then consider how collecting different kinds of data and information could make the process of documentation easier. This influenced wider discussions across all age groups as to what effective assessment might look like.

Similar to SAS, WAB teachers have commented that the closure has stimulated some of the most intense, "just in time", professional learning they have experienced. Tech integrators and many teachers are offering and participating in WAB Lab online shared-learning workshops and tutorials to support each other.

Strengths of online learning

Both schools discovered online learning and teaching provide certain affordances that differ from face-to-face instruction.

Students and teachers demonstrate more agency. In the online context, teachers have more agency over classroom interaction and have more time one-on-one with students to examine their ideas. Students can submit their ideas and talk together in various ways, encouraging not only their independence but also their skills in multimodal communication and presentation.

Collaboration has not suffered: "We are doing a ton of work with and between students online using our platforms," explains Preis. While Taylor emphasizes, "At WAB, colleagues are finding a new appreciation for each other. We are inspired by the communities of practice that are strengthening through online collaborative planning."

Teachers have engaged in deep conversations on what is essential to teach and assess and how to translate academic integrity into the very modern modes in which their students regularly communicate. "The COVID-19 outbreak has opened up conversations about, "what is assessment? What makes acceptable evidence of understanding?'," says Taylor. "What we are trying to get to is that formative assessment is an ongoing process that helps to validate other aspects of the programme. Now we're into this extended phase where we have to get into summative assessment. We don't want it to be inauthentic."

Learning and teaching continue and change

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Schools respond to COVID-19 outbreak by going virtual

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SAS has had to distribute teachers' time across different time zones, creating shorter meeting times, more one-to-one conversations with students and more spontaneous teaching moments as students worked on their assignments. SAS leadership has been impressed by how well the teachers have responded despite the stresses of teaching in a different way as well as in a new medium.

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Tabitha and Craig's idea to create bedtime videos on Swigert FB page

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Tabitha and Craig's idea to create bedtime videos on Swigert FB page

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FAQ on COVID-19 Response

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As we shift to remote learning, DPS strongly believes it is important to maintain relationships and a sense of connectedness with students during a time period that can lead to isolation, identify students who are unable to access learning materials and allocate additional support where needed, help maintain structure and a sense of normalcy for our students, and allow DPS to identify trends and patterns with regards to which student groups may be at a disadvantage given the shift to remote learning.

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Istation Literacy Lessons Online- every student has an account:

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Istation Literacy Lessons Online- every student has an account:

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Username: student ID number (lunch number)
Password: student birth date