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Online courses on essential topics for educators

Sharpen your skills and learn to accelerate innovation in your school or learning community when you take a course from ISTE U.

These flexible online courses put pedagogy first. They're built to help educators, librarians, technology coaches and education leaders develop digital competencies and advance their careers by exploring critical topics in education.

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online professional development for teachers

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Online Courses on Essential Topics for Educators | ISTE U

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Sharpen your skills and learn to accelerate innovation in your school or learning community when you take a course from ISTE U. These flexible online courses put pedagogy first. They're built to help educators, librarians, technology coaches and education leaders develop digital competencies and advance their careers by exploring critical topics in education.

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[Editor's Note: We understand many schools and students cannot rely on virtual learning during the closures because many in our communities do not have access to it for a variety of reasons. We will address issues of equity in subsequent articles.]
My inbox-probably yours, too-is flooded with suggestions, how-tos, and don't-dos, on teaching online as a strategy for dealing with COVID-19.
Online articles Resources, tips and more for remote and e-learning (teaching online) - from Educational Technology Guy Tools to prepare for school closures-suggested by Common Sense Advice for new Online Teachers-from EdSurge Navigating Uncertain Times: How Schools Can Cope With Corona virus-from EdSurge Understanding the Impact of Coronavirus on K-12 Education-from EdSurge Newsela COVID-19 resource center (and free access to their paid products this school year) A live-tracker of the spread of the disease from Johns Hopkins University. Snow Day? 7 Ways to Keep Teaching An Open Letter to Teachers About Online Classes Remote Learning: Tips for Thriving in This Ecosystem
As I received the onslaught of teach-online resources, I collected those that made the most sense. Below is a short curation of the most useful articles, links, resources, and webinars to help you through this challenging environment, followed by some tips and answers to common questions.

Online webinars

One of the best I've watched in the last few weeks (as I dig into this subject) is Rushton Hurley' s. Here are some great suggestions for teachers who have to start fast with little preparation:
Distance Learning Strategies for Education Leaders, Part 1 Distance Learning Strategies for Education Leaders, Part 2
Here are three webinars from the knowledgeable Richard Byrne: Three Free Webinars About Transitioning to Teaching Online

If the above webinars have already passed, you may still register to receive a link to the presentation.

A short curated list of resources for teaching online:

How-to

1. Distance Learning with Google Slides-from Alice Keeler

2. Resources for Teaching Online-from Edublog

3. Guidance For Switching to Online Learning from Rushton Hurley

Online chats

1. Adobe Connect-fully-featured with lots of options for meeting students online

2. Google Hangouts-max. of 10-15 people

3. Nepris-bring experts into your classes

4. Unhangouts-gather in the virtual lobby and then join a GHO

Online course sites

Virtual Classrooms/Meetings

1. Canvas-and it's Big Blue Button conference option

2. Draw Chat-virtual meeting with a whiteboard

3. Google Hangouts

4. Webroom.net - virtual conference or meeting room

***

If you're still with me, here are quick notes on questions I've gotten from fellow educators over the past week or so:

What can you as a parent do in advance?

Be positive, upbeat about these changes. They are good-you will grow to like them. Know the pros and cons-they are balanced, maybe even skewed in favor of online.

Assume the teacher will be flexible with students as they adapt to online learning.

Don't give up-try, try again, and come up with a solution that works even if it isn't perfect.

Let your child try to solve their problems but be there to help if they get stuck. Most online classes aren't a virtual meeting. They're a list of assignments, discussion boards, forums, and projects that are accomplished at the students own pace. While you're at work, you can help your child with your own virtual meeting (via free programs like Google Hangouts, Zoom, and Webroom.net) by screen-sharing their assignment page. You can even remote in without nearly as much trouble as that used to be. Your child is not in the same room as the teacher. Don't think you must be in the same room as your child to help.

Know how to get in touch with the teacher (since you can't walk in and visit their classroom). FB? Messaging? Email? What's the best way?

What are the biggest problems I face moving my teaching online:

Tech knowledge-don't give up; there are only so many problems. Once they're solved, most of the rest of the experience will go smoothly.

Problems-solve these together, you and the parents. Don't try to be perfect, just a problem-solver.

What should students and families know before their first online session:
#coronaviruseducation

Don't be afraid.

Get help if you're stuck.

Be a risk-taker-boldly go where few have gone before.

Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 30 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-12 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum. She is an adjunct professor in tech ed, Master Teacher, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice, CSTA presentation reviewer, freelance journalist on tech ed topics, contributor to NEA Today, and author of the tech thrillers, To Hunt a Sub and Twenty-four Days. You can find her resources at Structured Learning.
Schools and Coronavirus:
What You Should Know
Find general guidance on COVID-19 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and other health organizations, in addition to resources for navigating schools closures and online learning. NEA is committed to ensuring the health and safety of its members and the students they serve and will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available.

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Resources for Online Learning During School Closures

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Editor's Note: We understand many schools and students cannot rely on virtual learning during the closures because many in our communities do not have access to it for a variety of reasons. We will address issues of equity in subsequent articles.]

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We have created a series of webinars to help you make the transition from face-to-face to online teaching as effectively as possible. The sessions were recorded and are shared here for those who were unable to attend. To access a recorded webinar, use the links below that webinar's description.

To participate in a webinar, simply click the link next to the one you want to attend at the date and time listed to join via Zoom. Be sure to have your Duo Authentication device with you, as these webinars are hands-on opportunities and some of the teaching tools require authentication.

Strategies for Moving Online

We recommend this introduction as a starting point for how to move from face-to-face to online teaching. In this 60-minute webinar, we discuss how to effectively communicate with your students, the range of ways you can deliver content online, and how to assess in an online environment. There are many ways to teach online; let us help you make the best decisions for your specific course and teaching needs.

If you were unable to attend this webinar live, watch a recorded version of Strategies for Moving Online.

You can also watch individual sections of this recorded webinar:
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Getting Started in Canvas

This 60-minute webinar is for instructors with little to no Canvas experience who are looking to move their courses online. Explore the basics of Canvas functions, learn how to upload and organize course materials, and find out how to communicate and interact with students in Canvas. This workshop is intended to be an overview and introduction, with other workshops available that will explore various tools at a deeper level.

If you were unable to attend this webinar live, watch a recorded version of Getting Started in Canvas.

You can also watch individual sections of this recorded webinar:
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Using Zoom for Teaching Online

This 60-minute webinar is for instructors interested in how to hold live meetings with students. Learn how to use the ZOOM videoconference tool to deliver live lectures and record them for later use, facilitate live discussions among students and instructors, and hold office hours.

If you were unable to attend this webinar live, watch a recorded version of Using Zoom for Teaching Online (Recorded on March 26. Some recommended settings may have changed. See our Zoom guides page for the latest information).

You can also watch individual sections of this recorded webinar:
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Using Panopto for Creating & Sharing Video Online

This 60-minute webinar is for instructors who are interested in recording lectures for their students to watch in their Canvas course. Learn how to use the Panopto recorder to record lectures from your own computer and then place these recordings into a Canvas Module. Topics will include setting up Panopto for Canvas, downloading the recorder, recording a lecture, and making a recording available to students.

If you were unable to attend this webinar live, watch a recorded version of Using Panopto for Creating & Sharing Video Online.
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Polling for Online Classes

Polling for your online classes using iClicker. This webinar is for instructors already using iClicker in their class who want to continue to use iClicker in live online sessions. Your iClicker questions can be presented in your live Zoom sessions. Students can respond using their smartphones, laptop computers, and tablets from their location anywhere in the world. This webinar will show you how to set up your iClicker program to enable the student app use if you are not already allowing this feature. Also, we will share a form with you to request free account information for any student who currently uses a clicker in your class so they can use the iClicker Reef Polling app at no charge.

If you were unable to attend this webinar live, watch a recorded version of Polling for Online Classes.

You can also watch individual sections of this recorded webinar:
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Designing Remote Assessment

This 60-minute webinar provides an overview of key considerations with regard to when and how to transition your planned face-to-face assessments to an online environment. This highly interactive session affords instructors an opportunity to share best practices, identify strategies, and consider how best to adapt their course assessment goals in an online environment for the remainder of the spring 2020 semester.

If you were unable to attend this webinar live, watch a recorded version of Designing Remote Assessment.

You can also watch individual sections of this recorded webinar:
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Inclusion, Accessibility, & Accommodations in Online Learning

When teaching remotely, what strategies can instructors implement to address inclusion, accessibility, and accommodations in online learning? In this highly interactive webinar, we explore strategies for how to address individual student's needs, foster a sense of community and belongingness for all, and offer guidance about tone and interaction. We share specific how-to resources, including captioning.

If you were unable to attend this webinar live, watch a recorded version of Inclusion, Accessibility, & Accommodations in Online Learning.

You can also watch individual sections of this webinar:
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Gradescope Webinars

Note: These webinars are run by Gradescope (and not by CTI instructional designers). As such, they do require registration. However, instructors may invite their TAs and graders. Recordings of these webinars will be made available to all registrants after the session.

Delivering Assessments Remotely (this webinar is for existing Gradescope users)

This webinar will go into details on fully online assignments, paper-based assignments, combining online and paper-based approaches, and programming assignments to meet your immediate needs for remote assessments.
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Get started with Gradescope for Remote Assessments (this webinar is for new Gradescope users)

This webinar will introduce Gradescope, help you set up a course, build an assignment, grade work and provide feedback, and share tips on how to conduct assessments remotely.
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We have created a series of webinars to help you make the transition from face-to-face to online teaching as effectively as possible. The sessions were recorded and are shared here for those who were unable to attend. To access a recorded webinar, use the links below that webinar's description.

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​ The mass onset of distance learning has heightened the awareness of the essential role of school librarians. Connecting learners to our virtual libraries and digital resources, leading within our school community in this time of change, and collaborating with our colleagues to ensure students succeed both personally and academically are only a few of the vital services librarians offer as we all experience an opportunity to work and learn from home.

Featuring

Amanda Jones is a teacher-librarian and 19-year educator at Live Oak Middle School in Watson, Louisiana. She is the current 2020 Louisiana School Librarian of the Year and 2nd VP of the Louisiana Association of School Librarians. She is her state ISTE affiliate's 2019 LACUE State Middle/Junior Teacher of the Year and the 2019 Social Media Superstar Program Pioneer for the American Association of School Librarians. In addition to being a member of the Louisiana Young Readers' Choice 6-8 Committee, she also enjoys presenting at district, state, regional, and national conferences, and has been a featured guest twice on both the School Librarians United and Librarian Influencers podcasts. Amanda is passionate about sharing strategies and networking with librarians across the country, and dedicated to library advocacy. You can visit her library's website at lomlibrary.org or on Twitter: @abmack33 and @LOMiddleLibrary

Melanie Mulcaster is the Coordinator for School Library Learning Commons and the Professional Library with the Peel District School Board in Ontario, and member of the Ontario School Library Association Council. A life long learner and maker, she is passionate about inspiring and empowering modern learners to discover, connect, innovate and explore. Follow her on Twitter @the_mulc

Tina Zita - Whether working with children or adult learners, Tina is passionate about engaging learners with current digital tools and seeing that spark from a meaningful learning moment. Tina is an avid user of social media, finding each platform can lead to new connections with educators both near and far. She pushes her own learning as she explores design and photography. Her newest experiment is sharing quick ideas to create on http://www.instagram.com/digiartbox Follow her on Twitter @tina_zita

​ISTE Lib Professional Development Team: Jennifer Casa-Todd, Lynn Kleinmeyer, and Allison Mackley

Webinar Description:As school librarians, we know the value of providing windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors (Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop) for our students. Many of us have followed and admired the work of Tricia Ebarvia, high school English teacher and one of the co-founders of #DisruptTexts, Cicely Lewis, school librarian and #ReadWoke founder, and other school librarians collaborating in this work like Brooke Hauer. During our March webinar, "Responsive Reads: Creating Inclusive & Work Collections," we will be joined by Tricia, Cicely, and Brooke, who will share how school librarians can apply their inspirational work with Read Woke, building inclusive libraries, and disrupting texts.ISTE Lib Professional Development Team Host:

Featuring: Tricia Ebarvia is a high school English teacher, a Pennsylvania Writing & Literature Project Co-Director, Heinemann Fellow, and #DisruptTexts Co-Founder-but above all, she is an advocate for literacy instruction rooted in equity and liberation. A consultant for The Educator Collaborative, Tricia presents on topics including reading/writing workshop, digital literacies, anti-bias pedagogy, and curriculum design.
Brooke Hauer is a high school librarian in Pennsylvania and an advocate for school librarian leadership. She believes in creating safe and welcoming school library spaces and cultivating a school culture of reading through collaboration, independent reading, and inclusive collection development.

Cicely Lewis
Named a 2019 Library Journal Mover and Shaker and the 2019 Georgia Library Media Specialist of the Year, Cicely Lewis is a school librarian with a passion for creating lovers of reading. In 2017, she started the Read Woke challenge in response to the shootings of young unarmed black boys, the repeal of DACA, and the lack of diversity in young adult literature. Her students were required to read books that challenge the social norm and give voice to the voiceless. Using this platform, she had inspired the nation to Read Woke with educators across the world joining in and sharing the movement with their students. A native of Mississippi, she currently resides in Georgia with her Anime loving husband, Michael and two rambunctious children, Tristan and Trinity. When she is not reading, you can find Cicely writing for her bi-monthly column in the School Library Journal where she shares her book recommendations. Her writing was also recently featured in the 20th Anniversary Edition of Walter Dean Myers 1 45th Street Short Stories . Follow her on Twitter @cicelythegreat or check out her blog CicelytheGreat Lynn Kleinmeyer

Podcasting allows students a vehicle to share not only what they think, but what they have learned and how they are applying it. In this webinar, we will look at the ways we as educators have used podcasting to help students find their voice. We will also explore the different ways to podcast, how to get started and possible directions to consider when choosing podcasting as a method of supporting student voice and learning.

Featuring:
Anita Foster is the Librarian Media Specialist at Awtrey Middle School in Kennesaw, Georgia. She has been in this position for 10 years. She has served on the Library Media Education Media Leadership Team for Cobb County, was named Cobb County's Library Media Specialist of the Year in 2016, Judy Serritella Exceptional Library Media Program for 2018 and achieved Library Learning Commons Certification in 2019. Anita has been an advocate for Librarian Media Specialists and Library Learning Commons programs for many years. You can follow her on Twitter @anitareads and her Collaborative Learning Center @AwtreyCLC.

Ingrid Hanson is the Library Media Specialist at Lindley Sixth Grade Academy in Mableton, Ga. This is her first year at LSGA, moving to this position from Campbell Middle School, where she served as the LMS for five years. Ingrid is a currently a member of the Cobb County School District's Library Media Leadership Team, is a graduate of the CCSD Teacher Leader Academy, has presented at Georgia Library Media Association Summer Institute and the Georgia Educational Technology Conference, received the Georgia Department of Education Audio, Video/Film Technology Grant and has been the recipient of the Smyrna Mayor's Education Award. She serves on the School Leadership Committee at LSGA, is the co-facilitator of the LSGA Project Lit book club, LSGA Literacy Committee, and the LSGA Literacy Enrichment program. Ingrid is an advocate for students and libraries and a strong supporter of literacy. You can follow her on Twitter at @ihanson12.

Carla Jefferson (@mrsjeff2u) is an Instructional Technology Coordinator for the Darlington County School District and co-host for the #dcsdtransforms podcast. A 22-year veteran educator, Carla has been a classroom teacher, curriculum facilitator, and school-level administrator. She is an Apple Distinguished Educator, Certified Apple Learning Specialist, Google Certified Educator/Trainer/Innovator, Code.org facilitator, Google CS First facilitator, Remind Connected Educator and a member of the Remind Advisory Board. Carla is a bona fide techie geek who loves to support educators and share innovative ways to integrate technology into the curriculum. She currently serves as a member of the South Carolina ASCD Board, is the chairperson for the SCASA Instructional Technology Roundtable, and is a member of the ISTE Digital Equity PLN.

Lori Quintana (@LintheLibrary ) is a school library media specialist at Griffin Middle School in Smyrna, Georgia for the Cobb County School District. She has a Masters in Education in School Library Media and will earn her Library Media Education Specialist Degree in May at the University of West Georgia and will begin her Educational Leadership certification in June 2020. She is the recipient of the Smyrna Mayor's Educator Award and a recent graduate of the Cobb County Teacher Leader Academy. She is a co-facilitator of the GMS Literacy Committee, serves on the Principal's Guiding Coalition, PBIS Committee, and leads the school-wide Family Literacy Night. Lori is a recipient of the AASL Inspire Special Events Grant, the YALSA Summer Reading Grant, and the GMS Foundation Grant. Lori has presented on podcasting at the Georgia Educational Technology Conference and will present in March at the Georgia Conference on Children's Literature as the co-creator of the GMS school-wide independent reading program, Griffin Reads/Writes 30. Lori is an avid supporter of literacy and student voice and sponsors the Griffin Podcats student podcasting club and Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl Club. She serves as the Griffin yearbook advisor and was the 2018 Teacher of the Year runner-up.

ISTE Lib Professional Development Team Host: Allison Mackley
January 9, 2020 Webinar - Register Here
In this webinar we will chat with Cornelius Minor about his book We Got This: Equity, Access, & the Quest to Be Who Our Students Need Us to Be, and how school librarians can apply this book to our professional practice. We will give an overview of the Book Study schedule and build excitement over the upcoming book study.

Featuring:
Cornelius Minor is a Brooklyn-based educator. He works with teachers, school leaders, and leaders of community-based organizations to support equitable literacy reform in cities (and sometimes villages) across the globe. His latest book, We Got This, explores how the work of creating more equitable school spaces is embedded in our everyday choices -- specifically in the choice to really listen to kids. He has been featured in Education Week, Brooklyn Magazine, and Teaching Tolerance Magazine. He has partnered with The Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, The New York City Department of Education, The International Literacy Association, Scholastic, and Lesley University's Center for Reading Recovery and Literacy Collaborative. Out of Print, a documentary featuring Cornelius made its way around the film festival circuit, and he has been a featured speaker at conferences all over the world. Most recently, along with his partner and wife, Kass Minor, he has established The Minor Collective, a community-based movement designed to foster sustainable change in schools. Whether working with educators and kids in Los Angeles, Seattle, or New York City, Cornelius uses his love for technology, hip-hop, and social media to bring communities together. As a teacher, Cornelius draws not only on his years teaching middle school in the Bronx and Brooklyn, but also on time spent skateboarding, shooting hoops, and working with young people. Find him online ​ kassandcorn.com/

​ISTE Professional Development Team Host:
Jennifer Casa-Todd

ISTELib Equity & Inclusion Team Hosts:
​Nancy Jo Lambert (she/ her/ hers) High School Teacher Librarian Frisco, Texas, USA
JoyAnn Boudreau (she/ her/ hers) Middle School Teacher Librarian Fishers, Indiana, USA

In this panel discussion, Teacher-Librarians Melanie Mulcaster, Diana Maliszewski, Larissa Aradj, and our very own ISTELib executive, Josh Stumpenhorst will share examples, strategies, and challenges for harnessing student creativity in our libraries. You won't want to miss this conversation. Be sure to bring your own questions and ideas as well. ​

Panelists:
Melanie Mulcaster, Teacher-Librarian, Peel School District Board, Ontario, Canada
Diana Maliszewski, Teacher-Librarian, Toronto District School Board, Ontario, Canada
Larissa Aradj, Teacher-Librarian, Toronto District School Board, Ontario, Canada
Josh Stumpenhorst, Learning Commons Director, Lincoln Junior High School, Naperville Community School District 203, Naperville, Illinois
LIVE on Thursday, December 5th at 7:00 PM CST/8:00 pm EST

Kristina A. Holzweiss #HackingSchoolLibraries @lieberrian

Through the technology of web tools and apps, our students have even more opportunities to be empowered to share the voices. Learn how to make the world see even smaller by creating global connections through Wakelet, Immersive Reader, Flipgrid, and Buncee.

Kristina A. Holzweiss is the 2015 School Library Journal Librarian of the Year, 2018 Library Journal Mover & Shaker, and 2016 National School Board "20 to Watch." She is also the author of Scholastic makerspace books for young children, and has co-authored Hacking School Libraries with Stony Evans. Kristina has presented about "Making A Difference" at ISTE and the World Maker Faire, and is the Founder of SLIME - Students of Long Island Maker Expo.
​
She is always a font of information--do not miss! LIVE on Monday, November 11th at 7:00 PM CST/8:00 pm EST
Feeling overwhelmed by the endless images and resources available to teachers and students? Participate in this webinar to learn from two teacher librarians about targeted tools for teaching creation and design as you also demonstrate copyright and digital citizenship skills. We'll discuss great resources for image curation, but we'll also walk participants through the creation process and demonstrate tools educators can use to create images and help students do the same. Presented by Nancy Jo Lambert and James Allen of the ISTE Librarians Network.
Bookmark here.

​ Associated with ISTE Commons

So excited to share your Webinar proposal! We'd love to get your input on what you'd like to see and/or feature you as part of our professional development webinar series in the 2019/2020 year. https://forms.gle/18pcLxREwtTsGapw8

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​ The mass onset of distance learning has heightened the awareness of the essential role of school librarians. Connecting learners to our virtual libraries and digital resources, leading within our school community in this time of change, and collaborating with our colleagues to ensure students succeed both personally and academically are only a few of the vital services librarians offer as we all experience an opportunity to work and learn from home.

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Whether you are a teacher, a parent or a student who is at least 13 years old, this on-demand webinar will help you get started in using The Learning Network's free resources for remote learning. We offer more than a dozen new writing prompts and activities each week, all based on Times articles, photographs, illustrations, videos and graphs. All of these prompts and activities are completely free for everyone.

In this webinar, we will show you what The Learning Network is all about, teach you how to use our popular writing prompts and interactive photo exercise, " What's Going on in This Picture? " and walk you through account creation and commenting.

Finally, if you'd like a bit more help, we've created this guide to show teachers, parents and students how to get started on their own.

Resource List: In this PDF you can find links to all the resources we discuss in this webinar.

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On-Demand Webinar: How to Use The Learning Network for Remote Learning

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Whether you are a teacher, a parent or a student who is at least 13 years old, this on-demand webinar will help you get started in using The Learning Network's free resources for remote learning. We offer more than a dozen new writing prompts and activities each week, all based on Times articles, photographs, illustrations, videos and graphs.

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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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We offer a wide array of affordably priced teaching and classroom management materials in our store. We also offer FREE teacher resource materials such as lists of Focus Correction Areas and formatted Collins Writing paper for grades K-12. Be sure to check back from time-to-time, as our list of free resources continues to grow.

If you have Collins Writing Program resources that you'd like to share with your colleagues, please contact us. We will promptly review your submission for possible inclusion.

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All of our authors have extensive teaching experience and spend hundreds of hours in classrooms each year. As a result, our products help meet the demands of today's classrooms. Our products are designed to:

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Bulletin Board New with Introductory Pricing The Retrieval Routine is an easy-to-implement instructional routine that incorporates best practices to establish academic habits, build classroom stamina, and improve learning. Preview The Retrieval Routine Purchase The Retrieval Routine Easy to Use Writing Assessment Tool Writing Roadmap provides everything K-12 writing teachers need to diagnose writing strengths and needs and [...]

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These are anxious times. I hope you are well, taking care of yourselves, and finding a way to connect with people you love.

If you are a health care worker, social worker, counselor, first responder, store employee, food delivery person, or anyone out there on the front lines: Thank you. You are our heroes. We owe you so much. If you are someone who loves a front-line person: Thank you. We also owe you so much.

On Friday, we launched the first episode of our podcast, Unlocking Us. It's all about FFTs (effing first times) and how hard it is to be new at things-from small things to global pandemics. When we have no relevant experience or expertise, the vulnerability, uncertainty, and fear of these firsts can be overwhelming. Yet showing up and pushing ourselves past the awkward learner stage is how we get braver.

One of the biggest responses we've received about our first episode is from teachers who are all saying some version of: FFT! OMG. YES. Teaching online! Distance learning!

I thought I'd reach out to all of our brave, incredible teachers to share my thanks and a few of my tough key learnings.

First, I get it. I started teaching online about two decades ago. I was the first in my college to try it, and it was a total FFT. But I also fell in love with it, and I still teach online. There are people with way more experience than I have and way more formal education on the process-but here's what I know.

The bad news: It will be a total FFT for you, your team, your school, and your district. The wheels will fall off. It will NOT go as planned. And for those of you asking students to get dressed and sit in front of the computer for 8 to 10 hours, as if they're in class, I hate to have to tell you-that is NEVER going to happen. Neurologically, it's screen time. Have you ever been in the same room with someone who has played Minecraft for 4 or 5 or 6 hours? Non-human.

Here's the good news: If you're someone who is driven to show up for your students and connect, if you're willing to be a learner, if you're willing to stay curious, if you're willing to change course (478 times in one semester or one week), YOU WILL TOTALLY CRUSH IT!

After 20 years, every online class I teach is still a partial FFT for me. You can take all the classes on distance learning and get a Ph.D. in distributed pedagogy, but here's what I know: Sometimes it works and sometimes it does not. And it mostly works if you can be nimble and change course.

My three big key insights for distance learning are:

1. Use the first few days to build a container. NO content teaching. Just set up the ground rules together in a way that lets students experience some of the functionality of the classroom. Practice raising hands, keeping yourself on mute, changing how you see each other. "Let's work together to create a space that feels brave, safe, and connected. This is new and awkward for all of us-including me. We can start with a list of what's OK in here and what's not." Maybe you can even start with a check-in: Give us one word that describes how you're feeling about school being online? Great practice of speaking and muting and following along.

Anxiety shows up in weird ways when you're teaching online. And people don't understand the norms. Set the norms so no one takes their computer to the bathroom. (It happened. Twice.) We want everyone to be seen and belong, and that means setting norms and expectations that are co-created with the class. THIS LEARNING ALSO APPLIES TO TEAMS WHO ARE WORKING TOGETHER ONLINE FOR THE FIRST TIME!

2. Do not assume every student has the same attention span, the same level of Wi-Fi, access to private space, and the same number of supportive people in their homes. I teach grad students who have to use their phones as hot spots and log in between jobs or in closets. We have to check our expectations and privilege. We want everyone to be seen and belong.

3. Small chunks. No more than 30 minutes online. You can meet up several times a day, but the best teachers in the world can't hold attention longer than that. Think about the research that went into TED setting an 18-minute limit for their talks. That's all we can take sometimes. You can break kids into small groups for a lengthy assignment, but for the big classroom they will start to drift after 20 minutes. After 30, they're gone. Heck, I'm gone.

TEACHERS-we love you! In person. Online. Thank you.

And a note to parents.

I get how hard this is. In the podcast, I talk about hiding from my family in a tuba. It's overwhelming. Some of us are very ready for virtual school to start up and some of us are scared. However weird the experience may be, we need to partner with teachers to try to make this work. LOTS and lots of grace.

There's a growing movement of "We're opting out of homeschooling or participating in the online stuff." That's your call. But here's one thing I would say: Watch screen time. Limitless screen time during an emergency that's going to last for weeks is not reducing anxiety. It's throwing gasoline on it. Let them read or do nothing.

Whether we're onboard for online or we're opting out, we should all do our kids a huge favor right now and let them experience boredom.

But we must be ready. Boredom will be an FFT for a lot of our children who have TikTok, memes, and games at the ready, 24 hours a day.

Just as we can come out of our skin during hard first times, they will too. It will take hours of complaining about feeling as though they're dying before they settle into that strange place that's rarely visited by today's children-their imagination. We don't need to entertain them. We need to model vulnerability for them and support them in this FFT.

Boredom is sacred. We shouldn't deny our children this holy experience.

As we all try to put one foot in front of the other, my team and I are committed to getting relevant content to you via the podcast, social posts, and the blog. Sometimes serious, sometimes not serious at all. We need it all right now!

Once we're on the other side of this pandemic, we'll release podcast episodes every Wednesday. Right now, we're dropping bonus episodes, some COVID-19-related and some not. Please join us!

Sunday, March 22
We're going to have another 15-minute church again at 6PM CST on Instagram Live. If you missed it last time, it's just a small opportunity to pray and sing together. I'm @brenebrown on Instagram. Just be on Instagram at 6pm CST and you'll get a message when it starts.

Monday, March 23
I have a new podcast episode with Tarana Burke dropping. Tarana is the founder of the #metoo movement and one of my favorite people.

Tuesday, March 24
We're releasing a new episode with Glennon Doyle on her New York Times #1 book, Untamed.

Wednesday, March 25
A new podcast episode on comparative suffering drops. It's just me, and I'll talk to you about why it's important to embrace all of the hard feelings right now.

Again, to all of the people on the front lines-the real heroes of this pandemic-thank you. To teachers, you are always on my list of heroes-thank you. To parents-good luck.

This pandemic experience is a massive experiment in collective vulnerability. We can be our worst selves when we're afraid, or our very best, bravest selves. In the context of fear and vulnerability, there is often very little in between because when we are uncertain and afraid our default is self-protection. We don't have to be scary when we're scared. Let's choose awkward, brave, and kind. And let's choose each other.

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Collective Vulnerability, the FFTs of Online Learning, and the Sacredness of Bored Kids

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To all of the people on the frontlines-the real heroes of this pandemic-thank you. To teachers, you are always on my list of heroes-thank you. To parents-good luck.

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Education Week - Ask a Psychologist: Helping Students Thrive Now

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How do I make sure students are getting schoolwork done during distance learning?
A good teacher worries about her students. The question is, what specifically should we be worrying about?

When schools first shut down, many educators worried about getting students access to basic needs, like meals, and technology resources, like laptops.

Assuming those needs are met, what should we worry about now?

A lot of teachers are now concerned that students aren't getting enough work done. That's understandable, but a recent conversation with Ron Berger makes me think that this concern is slightly off-target. Ron is the chief academic officer of the nonprofit EL Education . When I asked him this question, he suggested we redirect our concern toward what students are learning.

Wait, isn't "work done" the same as "learning"?

Not exactly. The aim of education is for students to learn things they didn't know before. Worksheets, online assignments, and other forms of schoolwork are designed to facilitate learning-but they are the means , not the end , of education.

Instead, Ron recommends setting clear and specific learning goals, then giving students more autonomy in charting and tracking their progress toward those goals:

We can be clear with students about what we hope they will learn, and ask them to keep track of their learning, collect evidence of it, and share it with others. We can structure ways for students to share their learning with classmates, teachers, or (if possible) with family, through presenting it verbally or posting work online or in their home and reflecting on it.

In other words, the name of the game is learning, not compliance .

If, for example, your learning goal is to understand the scientific method, your first thought might be to make a worksheet and check its completion. Or instead, you can simply name that goal, give students for how they might accomplish that goal, and schedule a "virtual science fair" where each student presents what they've learned, and how they decided to learn it, to their classmates and, if appropriate, family members, too.

One reason I love this shift in priorities is that it helps students practice both self-control and creativity . Another is that this approach sends the message to students that they are leaders, not followers, in their own learning. A good teacher worries about his students; a great teacher makes sure those worries are well-placed.
Angela Duckworth, the founder and CEO of the education nonprofit Character Lab, is a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. You can follow Character Lab on Twitter @TheCharacterLab.

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What Teachers Should Worry About Right Now

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How do I make sure students are getting schoolwork done during distance learning? A good teacher worries about her students. The question is, what specifically should we be worrying about? When schools first shut down, many educators worried about getting students access to basic needs, like meals, and technology resources, like laptops.

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Sponsored by World101 and ViewSonic

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Early in March, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a domino effect of school closures. Overnight, educators were forced to rethink their instruction as they moved online. Thankfully, most aren't comfortable simply replacing themselves with cookie-cutter, ready-made content built without the unique needs of their students in mind. They miss their students, and their students miss them, so they are willing to put in the hard work to ensure that their authentic teaching styles remain intact. This should not be a surprise to anyone who understands the art of teaching; technology simply cannot replace teachers.

One of the most effective ways to move instruction online is to build screencast videos. Screencast videos are unique because they are actual recordings of your computer screen or tablet as opposed to a video of an in-person lecture. They are a powerful way to deliver instruction, but they do require a fair amount of time and planning, which I have learned through a lot of trial and error. Building effective screencasts continues to be the barrier that stops educators from making a smooth transition to distance learning, so I have put together the following tips to help guide you through the process.

My Own Screencast Journey

As an educator myself, I spent several years developing screencasts and making mistakes along the way. I was fed up with lecturing and was determined to find a better way to tailor my instruction to students' needs. I knew technology could be a powerful tool to amplify my impact, but I wasn't willing to replace my lectures with a disembodied voice on a screen who didn't know my students. So five years ago, I made the commitment to eliminate lectures from my classroom and replace them with instructional videos I created myself. This allowed me to facilitate a blended, self-paced, mastery-based classroom built on the backbone of high quality feedback and differentiated instruction:

Years later, I left the classroom to launch The Modern Classrooms Project, a nonprofit that equips and empowers educators to create blended, self-paced, mastery-based classrooms of their own. Through our in-person trainings and our Modern Classroom Essentials* course, we have supported teachers as they learn how to:

Plan and record their own instructional videos

Build student-friendly websites for instructional content

Design effective self-paced learning experiences for students at all levels

The following tips align with what we teach participants about creating their own instructional videos.

Start with the Research

When launching distance learning and meeting students' needs, it can be tempting to dive head first into instructional video creation without actually understanding what works. But before you start investing countless hours of time and energy constructing videos, it's important to understand what the research says about cultivating engagement.

Video Length

The research on how long instructional videos should be is incredibly clear and tells a simple narrative: Keep it short. The ideal length should be under 6 minutes. Between 6 and 9 minutes, engagement drops slightly.

Image from Brame, 2015.

After 9 minutes, engagement drops considerably, and if your video is over 12 minutes, you have a real problem on your hands. It is important to note that the majority of these studies have been conducted on young adults, so for younger students try to keep it 6 minutes or under (Brame, 2015).

These time recommendations can make educators anxious. It can be hard to imagine how to synthesize concepts or skills in such a short span of time. One of the beauties of instructional video creation is it forces you to think about delivering content in a lean way. What is essential? What is not? And where can students discover the content for themselves without you walking them through the process?

A simple way to make videos short is by chunking more frequently. Educators are used to thinking about lessons in 45-, 60-, or 90-minute blocks of time. When you use instructional videos, those constraints disappear. A 10-minute lecture that is designed as part of a 60-minute lesson can be chunked into two 5-minute videos, each of which then becomes part of a 30-minute lesson (Ibrahim et al., 2012).

It also helps to speak quickly and enthusiastically. Teachers are used to speaking slowly and enunciating very clearly, but that is not necessary in a screencast; in fact, it can be quite boring. Instead, speak fast and use conversational language to bring your authentic self into the picture (Guo et al., 2014). Don't worry that students won't be able to follow if you speak too quickly; they can always rewind the video and watch sections again. And don't be afraid to make mistakes-a few of these will make your video sound more genuine.

Video Design

Next let's talk about design principles. First off, minimize text (Guo et al., 2014). Nothing is less engaging than an instructional video with a whole bunch of typed up text. It is especially redundant when you simply read the text during the recording. You might as well just send them a document and have them read it over instead. When possible, always accompany what you say with visuals (Brame, 2015).

Second, instructional videos do not need to be pretty; they need to be personal. Your students want to hear from you; otherwise you could just send them existing videos from YouTube. Research has shown that engagement increases when students know their own teacher is behind the screen delivering the instruction (Li et al., 2016).

Lastly, interactivity is engaging. Embedding pop-up questions into your videos provides great checks for understanding. Moreover, accompanying videos with guided notes helps kids stay focused and ensures that the information travels with them to their next task or assignment (Lawson et al., 2006; Vural, 2013; Zhang et al., 2006).

Don't Forget to Plan First

As with any lesson, good advance planning is essential. Don't just find a software, fire it up and start screencasting. This usually leads to long, dry videos that generally disregard the research. When we train educators to build instructional videos, we tell them that the large bulk of the work will be equal parts planning and recording. The rest of the time is devoted to enhancing your videos and sharing them out with your students.

In most cases, planning your video means putting together the visuals. We find the easiest tools for this are PowerPoint or Google Slides: You'd design the slideshow, then present that as the visual component of your screencast while narrating with your voice. Depending on the content area, these slide decks can look quite different from one another, but the best ones are highly visual and include a nice balance of new information and examples, with as little text as possible.

Other educators will use guided notes instead of slides. If you have already built a nice series of guided notes that would accompany your in-person lectures, those can work really well as the background of your instructional video. Whether you use a slideshow or guided notes, about 40 percent of the time you spend building your screencast should be spent preparing this part.

Finding the Right Recording Tool

If you haven't noticed already, there seems to be an endless stream of edtech products that all allow you to accomplish very similar tasks. This is especially the case for screencasting, so to keep things simple, I'll just recommend a few tools I know are good. Once you've learned those, it's pretty easy to transfer those skills to other tools you might want to try.

The big distinction in screencasting tools depends on whether you have a touchscreen device. While not required, touchscreen devices with styluses (tablets and 2-in-1 laptops) unleash a whole new frontier of functionality. Here is how you should think about the two options:

Interactive Whiteboards

(for touchscreen devices only)

If you have a touchscreen device, we encourage educators to use screencasting tools that serve as interactive whiteboards. Our favorite is Explain Everything. The beauty of a tool like Explain Everything is it acts like a highly interactive digital whiteboard with a built-in recorder and editing tool. More importantly, you get to control the background of your whiteboard. Instead of writing on a blank canvas, you're able to upload visuals-slide decks or guided notes-to become the background of your interactive whiteboard.

Here is an example of one of my Explain Everything videos: Independent vs. Dependent Variables.

For educators looking to learn how to use Explain Everything and all of its tools, you can access our comprehensive tutorial on our online course* or by clicking directly here: Explain Everything Tutorial. If you do go this route, make sure you have a stylus to annotate. We recommend the Meko Universal Stylus because it is affordable but allows for really clean and clear annotations with a high level of precision.

Traditional Screencasters

If you do not have a touchscreen device (most people don't) then do not worry! Traditional screencasters will still get the job done. With the right planning in place, you can create really high-quality, engaging videos. When picking an effective screencaster, you want to look for one that gives you a high level of flexibility, strong editing tools, annotation capabilities, and a webcam function. The most important editing function is the capacity to "truncate." This allows you to scroll to a specific point in a video and re-record when you make an inexcusable mistake without having to redo the whole thing.

Our favorite screencaster is Screencast-O-Matic. It is really easy to use and has all the functionality you need. The free version is ok, but the paid version is worth the upgrade for the added features. Here is our full Screencast-O-Matic Tutorial which can also be found on our online course*. There are many other screencasters out there with similar functionality. The product does not really matter much if it covers all the key components; in the end, it will come down to how you use it.

Since it is difficult to annotate or write using a traditional screencaster, you have to make up for that lack of functionality with animations; these allow you to show lines of text or bullet points one at a time, as you're speaking, rather than all at once. This minimizes the stress that students feel to write down everything immediately, and keeps them focused on each point of your video as you discuss it. Slide decks that are animated to slow-release information lead to far more engaging videos for students. But make sure the animations are simple and have a purpose. Avoid flashy animations and unnecessary sound effects; they prove to be more distracting than beneficial.

Recording: The Most Relaxing Part

Once you have selected your screencasting program and completed the planning process, it's time to start recording. For some educators, this is anxiety producing. Do your best to relax; the more authentic you are, the better.

Before you start, make sure you are in a quiet room and try to get headphones with a mic. For years I have used simple apple headphones with a mic. If you are looking for a more advanced option, consider a headset with an adjustable mic. When you are recording, you should have one goal in mind: Never speak without doing something on the screen.

Interactive Whiteboard (only if you have a touchscreen device): When using an interactive whiteboard, this is a relatively easy task. When possible, write on the screen. If you are reading text or images, constantly annotate.

Traditional Screencasters: When using a traditional screencaster, this can be a little more challenging. As you read text or discuss images on the screen, consider using your on-screen pen or cursor-just as you might use a finger in person-to follow along with the text. When possible, underline and circle key information. This is when animations will make your life a lot easier (Ibrahim et al., 2012).

Remember not to get bogged down in little mistakes. When they do happen, use the truncate function as opposed to re-recording. If you're feeling nervous, consider writing out a script for yourself. Speak quickly and genuinely and before you know it, you will have a solid and engaging video.

Making it Interactive

Once you are done recording your video, consider how you can make it interactive. You can build a fantastic video that follows all the right research, but without tools designed to ensure students are following along, there is a good chance they will inevitably check out.

Research shows that two simple strategies can increase student engagement with instructional videos:

Embedded Questions

One of the most important features of in-person lectures or discussions is the check for understanding. It is both an opportunity for teachers to get a temperature check on student learning and a chance for students to identify their own misconceptions. The problem with most checks for understanding is that they only engage a small percentage of students. That is not the case with instructional videos. When you upload your videos to a platform like Edpuzzle, you can embed questions and comments at key points in the video that EVERY student has to engage with. We recommend that you use closed-response (multiple-choice) questions so that students get immediate feedback on their responses. If you want to track responses, you can build classes on Edpuzzle to track the data. Here's our tutorial on how to use Edpuzzle.

Guided Notes

An easy way to ensure kids are paying attention during an instructional video is to require the completion of guided notes. The challenge is making sure that your notes support learning as opposed to being an unnecessary and tedious barrier. (For an overview of how to put guided notes together, click here.) As your students watch your videos, they should take notes on key content. If you require students to take freehand notes, you will find that some will flourish, but the large bulk will struggle. It will also extend the video watching experience and in turn take away from the rest of the lesson which is likely more engaging. Instead, consider simply providing students with copies of your slides-on paper or digitally-and allowing them to annotate these slides with you as they follow along. If you are not comfortable with that, provide an explicit note-taking model for students, such as Cornell notes, to provide them with a clear structure.

The enhancing phase of building instructional videos is easy to overlook. But it should only take 10-20 minutes per video and can have a major impact on engagement.

Next Steps on Your Screencasting Journey

Like any new skill worth learning, screencasts require planning and practice. But with time they can become an essential teaching tool - whether you're physically in the classroom or not. Research on our Modern Classroom Fellows has shown that when you use screencasts to allow for self-paced learning and mastery-based grading, it substantially improves your capacity to effectively differentiate instruction.

If you are looking for more resources and support through this process, we can help. For educators who are looking to dig deeper into our resources, see exemplar units, or learn how to incorporate videos into a fully self-paced, mastery-based classroom, our free online course can be accessed here, which includes unlimited access to our content and tutorials.

Finally, for any teachers who want help creating videos and running a self-paced, mastery-based class, we offer our Modern Classrooms Mentorship Program*. Every participant in this program is matched with an expert mentor from our Modern Classrooms team, who provides:

1. Feedback on every assignment you submit, from instructional videos to progress trackers to mastery checks

2. On-demand, 1-1 personalized virtual coaching

3. Three Continuing Education Units (CEUs) from George Mason University upon completion

Our mentors have experience creating instructional videos for students across a wide range of grade levels and subject areas, and they stand ready to share their expertise. If you're interested in enrolling, you can save $50 at any time with the coupon code CULTOFPEDAGOGY.

Whether you take our free course, pay for additional support, or simply read this article, we hope you'll join us in using instructional videos to create better learning experiences for all students.

* Cult of Pedagogy has an affiliate relationship with the Building Modern Classrooms Project. Although the Modern Classroom Essentials course is free, if you purchase one of their paid offerings through the links on this post, Cult of Pedagogy will receive a percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.
References:
Brame, C. (2015). Effective educational videos. Retrieved April 19, 2020, from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/effective-educational-videos/

Guo, P. J., Kim, J., & Rubin, R. (2014, March). How video production affects student engagement: An empirical study of MOOC videos. In Proceedings of the first ACM conference on Learning@ scale conference (pp. 41-50). Retrieved from https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2556325.2566239

Ibrahim, M., Antonenko, P. D., Greenwood, C. M., & Wheeler, D. (2012). Effects of segmenting, signalling, and weeding on learning from educational video. Learning, Media and Technology, 37(3), 220-235. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ980817

Li, J., Kizilcec, R., Bailenson, J., & Ju, W. (2016). Social robots and virtual agents as lecturers for video instruction. Computers in Human Behavior, 55, 1222-1230. Retrieved from https://rene.kizilcec.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/li2015social.pdf

Lawson, T. J., Bodle, J. H., Houlette, M. A., & Haubner, R. R. (2006). Guiding questions enhance student learning from educational videos. Teaching of Psychology, 33(1), 31-33. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1207/s15328023top3301_7

Vural, O. F. (2013). The Impact of a Question-Embedded Video-based Learning Tool on E-learning. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 13(2), 1315-1323. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1017292

Zhang, D., Zhou, L., Briggs, R. O., & Nunamaker Jr, J. F. (2006). Instructional video in e-learning: Assessing the impact of interactive video on learning effectiveness. Information & management, 43(1), 15-27. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378720605000170

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Everything You Need to Know About Building a Great Screencast Video

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Moving some of your instruction to video? Learn how to plan, record, and enhance screencast videos students will actually watch.

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Schoology Video Tutorials & Curriculum Resources

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Products continue to work well with all our devices and our network, keep up the great work and adding more content."

Connie Deutsch
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"I love TeenBookCloud. It is such an amazing site that offers unlimited access to several classic readings like "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "Romeo & Juliet." The enhanced eBooks are one of the best features. To have the text highlighted as read is a necessity for our struggling readers. We are 1:1 with Chromebooks and TeenBookCloud works great on them. It is a great value for the price."
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"One of my favorite things is that you have included some of the classics like Pride and Prejudice, Romeo and Juliet, The Scarlet Letter and many others! With TumbleBooks we no longer have to purchase class sets of novels which get worn and then tossed!! Great way to get kids interested in reading again!!"
Tina P. Bullington
Stokes County Schools

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"We are using and loving Tumblebooks and TeenBookCloud more than ever. We are 1:1 in grades 6-12, and have many, many devices at the elementary level. Students are using it for their free reading, class novels and we really love the audiobooks, especially for our students who need some assistive help with reading.

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Reflections on teaching, literacy, coaching, and practice.

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May 2020 | Volume 77 | Number 8
Learning and the Brain Pages 90-91

David Griffith

School closures connected to COVID-19 help us remember how central schools are to our common life.

It was perhaps the most dramatic moment in an already chilling public health briefing. For the first two months of 2020, the daily news about the relentless spread of a novel coronavirus in China's city of Wuhan had seemed like a grim yet remote and self-contained public health emergency. But at a late February briefing in Atlanta about the response to the first cases of the newly named COVID-19 virus identified in the United States, the nation's leading doctors and infectious disease experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that the appearance of the disease in countries besides China meant that border containment was likely to fail and that "it's not so much a question of if this will happen anymore, but rather ... exactly when this will happen and how many people in this country will have severe illness."

CDC officials ran down the list of important ways to contain and mitigate the virus, with now familiar recommendations such as urging everyone to wash their hands, avoid touching their face, clean touched surfaces, and reconsider large gatherings-and suggested voluntary home quarantines for people who suspect they've been exposed to the virus. But the most notable recommendation came from Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. She suggested schools take practical measures to avoid community exposure by instructing "students in smaller groups or, in a severe pandemic, closing schools and using internet-based teleschooling to continue education."

It was a national, "What you talkin' bout, Willis?" moment. For many people, parents, and even some educators, the possibility of closing schools for an extended period of time gave them the first inkling of the potential scope and severity of a COVID-19 pandemic.

It's telling that it was the status of schools that captured the attention of the public like no other recommendation. This speaks to the centrality of the K-12 school to family life and to the daily life of society at large in the United States. Schools hold a place like no other institution.

Why Closing Schools Creates Angst

Ask any superintendent and they'll tell you that one of the hardest decisions they make in the job is whether to close schools for the day when it snows. It's rarely an easy call, doubly hard because it has to be made in the early morning half-light and with weather forecasts as unreliable as they are. Whatever call is made typically angers a sizeable percentage of the district's families who think that it is either overly cautious or blithely careless. And that's just for one day! Considering whether to close schools for weeks or months at a time-as is now happening in most states and districts during this COVID-19 outbreak-is like a snow day times 1,000.

To be clear-I'm not suggesting schools shouldn't be closed temporarily if that's what local leaders determine is in the best interests of the community. What I am saying is, this situation gives us a chance to think about why school closures create such angst. It's likely because the fallout from closing schools is usually not mainly about education concerns, but about related issues, such as equity, realities connected to socio-economic status, technological access, nutrition, and health-concerns we've seen raised in the last months as districts close for a time.

The real hardship a closure creates for poorer families is a huge blind spot for the upper middle-class public. When children stay home from school, particularly younger children, a parent often has to stay home with them. Many parents don't have paid leave or jobs that allow them to work from home, leading to a financial squeeze. This squeeze is doubly hard for single-parent households. (In addition, one of public health's concerns is that school closings will stymie the treatment of COVID-19 because health care workers would have to stay home to watch their children.)

While some instruction can be done online, and it's helpful to use technology as much as is feasible to mitigate the effects of school closings, to suggest "teleschooling" as a practical overall solution akin to "teleworking" ignores how schools are actually set up and function. More to the point, even if schools were able to offer most instruction online, many families-both low-income ones and those in rural areas-don't have the broadband access (or even basic internet) to make this option workable, much less the necessary computers and software.

What We're Not Talking About Enough

What's not been appreciated enough, until perhaps now, are the important things besides instruction that schools provide students for healthy development, and that many children don't get when their school is closed. Aside from missing daily instruction-which can be made up with extra school days at the end of the year-the biggest loss associated with school closings is the 22 million free and reduced-price breakfasts and lunches served by schools every day. For too many students, these are the main nutritious meals they get on a daily basis-a reality teleschooling doesn't address.

It's not just learning and nutrition that students miss either. For many students, school is the primary place (sometimes the only place) where they interact daily with caring adults in a supportive relationship, adults who recognize their talents and potential as individuals.

America's public schools are central to the vibrancy of the communities in which they reside. It should be no surprise that these same schools will play an oversized role in any community efforts to curtail the COVID-19 virus-and that closings have been and will still be necessary. ASCD members and educators around the country are at the ready to do all they can to help.

But it's important for the public and our elected leaders to learn from this crisis that schools are more than the places where students get an education that prepares them for college, career, and citizenship; they are also places where students are nurtured, nourished, and cared for. So, the next time a politician laments that schools aren't doing more, remind them of this time, and remind them of all the things schools and educators do-and do well-for students.

David Griffith is ASCD's senior director of advocacy and government relations.

KEYWORDS

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There's No Place Like School - Educational Leadership

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May 2020 | Volume 77 | Number 8 Learning and the Brain Pages 90-91 David Griffith School closures connected to COVID-19 help us remember how central schools are to our common life. It was perhaps the most dramatic moment in an already chilling public health briefing.

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How do I teach remotely with video calls?

Set up your home for video calling

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

How do I manage a virtual classroom?

How do I make lessons accessible to all?

How do I keep my students engaged?

How do I keep in touch with other teachers?

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

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Notice: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all in-person events have been cancelled until further notice.

To browse past events & webinar recordings, open the filter below and select Show Past Events/Webinars.

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Notice: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all in-person events have been cancelled until further notice. To browse past events & webinar recordings, open the filter below and select Show Past Events/Webinars.

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Do you have more questions that we didn't answer through these resources?

Check out these 3 tips for continuing to learn about using Schoology for Online Learning with your students:

1) Visit the Schoology Help Center by going to help.schoology.com or click on the blue "S" in the lower right-hand corner when you are logged into Schoology.

2) Check the resources in our Distance Readiness Kit at schoology.com/prepare on a periodic basis. Our team of educational experts will be adding more resources daily to help you during this time.

3) Visit our " Connecting with the Schoology Community " page to get more ideas for sharing and collaborating with educators using Schoology for online learning.

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Getting Started with Schoology | Distance Learning Resources

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Check out these 3 tips for continuing to learn about using Schoology for Online Learning with your students: 1) Visit the Schoology Help Center by going to help.schoology.com or click on the blue "S" in the lower right-hand corner when you are logged into Schoology.

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A community-driven blog-supporting educators, building lifelong learners, and furthering the conversation on learning. Join our conversation.

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During this challenging time we are extending all expiring licenses and access to Ed: Your Friend in Learning, ThinkCentral and Holt McDougal Online until June 30, 2020 to support continued access for distance learning by teachers and students.

If you know your platform*, log in using the links below.

* Some of these platforms and programs are not available to customers outside of the U.S.; please see International Support for your related platforms.

If your district uses a single sign-on for platform access, please go to your district site to access your program.
Don't see your program listed on this page? See all HMH Programs and Platforms, then log in using the links above.

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HMH Login Pages | Browse By Program | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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During this challenging time we are extending all expiring licenses and access to Ed: Your Friend in Learning, ThinkCentral and Holt McDougal Online until June 30, 2020 to support continued access for distance learning by teachers and students. If you know your platform*, log in using the links below.

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NeuroLogic Newsletter: Student Engagement (Week 5 of 8)

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Get distance learning tips | Join free webinars

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Switching to distance learning? We've started a series of free webinars - "Make distance learning awesome" - where our team, together with EdTech experts, will share tips and best practices to support you through this transition. Reserve your place today.

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Students work with authors and editors to develop writing skills. Favorite authors give tips and tricks for biography, descriptive writing, folktales, mystery, myths, journalism, poetry, speech writing, and book reviews. After going through the step by step process, kids can then publish their work online.

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If you're seeing this message, it means we're having trouble loading external resources on our website.

If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked.

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Khan Academy | Free Online Courses, Lessons & Practice

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You can learn anything. Expert-created content and resources for every course and level. Always free.

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Collaboration is a powerful thing!

On Thursday, March 12th, authors and educators Jennifer Serravallo, Kristin Ziemke, and Katie Muhtaris teamed up to talk about considerations for distance learning in these uncertain times for schools. They went live on Facebook to discuss not only ways to structure home learning with digital tools, but also to share considerations for schools to ensure safety, equity, and access.

The recording is embedded here with the hopes that the information helps you and your schools make sound decisions in the name of kids both now and in the coming weeks. Below the video, you'll see an infographic created by Amplify and Read the World coauthors Kristin Ziemke and Katie Muhtaris.

Free Online Resources by Kristin Ziemke and Katie Muhtaris
Padlet: Taking Care of Students Padlet: Sites and Apps That Are Supporting School Closures
Jennifer Serravallo is the author of New York Times' bestseller The Reading Strategies Bookas well as other popular Heinemann professional books,The Writing Strategies Book;Teaching Reading in Small Groups; andThe Literacy Teacher's Playbook, Grades K-2andGrades 3-6. Her newest books areUnderstanding Texts & Readers andA Teacher's Guide to Reading Conferences as well as the Spanish-language counterparts to her strategies books, El libro de estrategias de lectura and El libro de estrategias de escritura.

In Spring 2019, Jen's newComplete Comprehension: FictionandComplete Comprehension: Nonfictionwas released. This assessment and teaching resource expands upon the comprehension skill progressions fromUnderstanding Texts & Readers and offers hundreds more strategies like those inThe Reading Strategies Book.

Kristin Ziemke is an urban school educator and the co-author ofRead the World: Rethinking Literacy for Empathy and Action in a Digital Age, Amplify: Digital Teaching and Learning in the K-6 Classroom andConnecting Comprehension and Technology. Recognized as an international expert in literacy, inquiry, and technology, Kristin works with schools around the world to develop learning experiences that are student-centered, personalized, and authentic. She dedicates her research and writing to developing engaged and empowered students that empathize, understand, and care about the world. Currently serving as a resident teacher and innovation specialist for the Big Shoulders Fund, Kristin is an Apple Distinguished Educator, National Board Certified Teacher, and Chicago Council on Global Affairs Emerging Leader. This is her third book with Heinemann and her work has been featured by Apple, ISTE, EdWeek, Mindshift, and Scholastic.

You can connect with her online at KristinZiemke.comor on Twitter@KristinZiemke.

has enjoyed teaching and learning with her students in the Chicago Public School system for the many years. She is co-author of Katie Muhtaris Read the World: Rethinking Literacy for Empathy and Action in a Digital Age, Amplify: Digital Teaching and Learning in the K-6 Classroom. Katie is Nationally Board Certified as a Middle Childhood Generalist and holds a Master's Degree in Teacher Leadership. In addition to her devotion to her students, Katie also leads staff development in person around the country and digitally around the globe on Inquiry-based learning, technology integration, and reading comprehension strategies. Katie is the author of the blog Inquiry Live in the Classroom where she writes about her day-to-day teaching practices and seeks to connect with educators around the world.

You can connect with her on Twitter @KatieMuhtaris

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What Considerations Should We Keep in Mind for Distance Learning?

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Collaboration is a powerful thing! On Thursday, March 12th, authors and educators Jennifer Serravallo, Kristin Ziemke, and Katie Muhtaris teamed up to talk about considerations for distance learning in these uncertain times for schools. They went live on Facebook to discuss not only ways to structure home learning with digital tools, but also to share considerations for schools to ensure safety, equity, and access.