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Student/Parent Tutorials for Remote Learning

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Student/Parent Tutorials for Remote Learning

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Student Engagement Toolkit Archives | The TpT Blog

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Elementary ELA teachers, are you looking for ways to keep your students accountable as they complete reading and writing assignments at home? Here are some ideas from teacher-experts on how you can do just that.

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Pandemics don't start every day. In fact, COVID-19 is the latest pandemic to arise in more than a decade. With health guidelines evolving and additional cases being announced daily, it can be challenging to know how to provide effective communication for stakeholders and continuity in learning for students.

We want you to know that our commitment is to support you with tips, best practices, suggestions, and resources to help you successfully navigate these unprecedented and somewhat unpredictable times. Thank you for the work you are doing to keep your communities safe, and your districts running.

Best practices, tips, and educational resources

[10 Communication Tips] Follow these ten communication best practices for sending notifications, directing stakeholders to your website, and leveraging all the teams at your disposal.

[6 Website Tips] Follow these six tips to effectively communicate COVID-19 updates on your website.

[Webinar Recording] Communicating COVID-19: A PR Panel Discussion for Messaging Best Practices *Sponsored by National School of Public Relations Association

[Communication Guides] Special NSPRA COVID-19 Communications Guides, Checklists, and Resources. Sponsored by National School of Public Relations Association.

[Blog Series] Communications insight featuring guidance from a variety of K-12 PR experts

[Infographic] View 10 tips for making the transition to the digital classroom. Then get further details by watching a webinar recording on the same topic.

[Convert Course Files Into Alternative Formats] Use our free File Transformer tool to convert your course files into alternative formats like audio, electronic braille, tagged PDFs, HTML, and more. This will help your content fit the needs, devices, and learning preferences of your students.

[Blackboard Community Site] Join our Blackboard Community Site to learn about and share resources on how organizations manage and prepare for continuity of education and effective communication when a crisis, such as COVID-19 arises.

[NSPRA Connect] NSPRA members can join the PR conversation in the NSPRA community forum.

[K-12 PR Chat] Follow the hashtag #k12prchat on Twitter to join the public conversation and get additional tips from school PR leaders.

[Images, Icon, Photos] Download free icons, photos, colors, and stock images related to hygiene, the virus, and pandemics that can help you add imagery to your communications about COVID-19.

Blackboard tools and resources

[Free Crisis Sites for Web Community Manager customers] All Web Community Manager customers can activate a free crisis subsite to share consolidated information about COVID-19 with their stakeholders.

[Crisis Subsite Tutorial] This 20 minute tutorial will show you how to setup your Crisis Subsite, along with examples of how other districts are organizing and displaying their COVID-19 resources.

[Crisis Website Video] Watch this five minute video to learn why you need a crisis website, see how to turn it on, and discover what kind of content to publish.

[Free Training Series] This 30-minute webinar series is designed to help teachers setup online virtual classrooms and remote lessons with Blackboard Learn and Blackboard Collaborate.

[Virtual Classroom Package] A special offer on our virtual classroom product, Blackboard Collaborate, is available including self-service, same-day setup. Free video tutorials available upon purchase.

[Blackboard Learn tutorial] Discover how to best use Blackboard Learn to engage your learners remotely.

[FREE Virtual Classroom Tool] CourseSites provides a free 'lite' version of Blackboard's Learn and Collaborate tools for teachers to provide a powerful online classroom environment

Client COVID-19 Communication Examples

Want to share your COVID-19 communication example? Click Here to submit your own example.

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Pandemics don't start every day. In fact, COVID-19 is the latest pandemic to arise in more than a decade. With health guidelines evolving and additional cases being announced daily, it can be challenging to know how to provide effective communication for stakeholders and continuity in learning for students.

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Updated on March 16 at 1:56 p.m. ET. This comic has been updated. Click here for the newest version.
Kids, this comic is for you.

It's based on a radio story that NPR education reporter Cory Turner did. He asked some experts what kids might want to know about the new coronavirus discovered in China.

To make this comic, we've used his interviews with Tara Powell at the University of Illinois School of Social Work, Joy Osofsky at the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans and Krystal Lewis at the National Institute of Mental Health.

Print and fold a zine version of this comic here. Here are directions on how to fold it. To read this comic in Chinese, click here.To read it in Spanish, click here.

Malaka Gharib is an NPR editor and the author and illustrator of I Was Their American Dream: A Graphic Memoir, about being first-generation Filipino Egyptian American.

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Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring The New Coronavirus

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You may have heard the word "coronavirus" online or on TV. You probably have a lot of questions. Check out our comic to get some answers - and print out a zine version at home.

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Low tech/ no tech ideas for ELL Students

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This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click and buy, I may receive a small commission (at zero cost to you). Please see my full disclosure policy for details.
Design and build balloon-powered LEGO cars that will blast off with the help of the air from the balloons! There are unlimited ways to build the cars and your kids will love racing them to see which one will go farther!
We just moved, so most of our items are all in boxes, including my kids' toys.

I had strategically put some toys aside so that my kids could have something to play with at the new house. One of them being LEGOs!

And I am so glad I did that. You can do so much with LEGOs, including designing a balloon-powered LEGO car and a LEGO zip line for the minifigures!

This balloon LEGO car activity is easy and simple, and it's a fun time for the entire family! Even though my daughter is only 3 so playing with LEGOs is not really her thing yet, she still had a great time watching the cars go and being the judge of which car went the farthest.

HERE ... WE ... GO!

How to Make LEGO Balloon-Powered Cars

Materials:

Instructions:

1. Have your child create and build his/her own LEGO car.

2. Show your child how you can build a hole to stick the balloon through.

3. Blow up the balloon and hold the end shut while you place the cars on the ground.

4. Let the LEGO cars go and see how far the car can travel!

5. Measure how far the car went and record the distance in the free balloon-powered LEGO cars worksheet under "Car 1".

6. Blow up the balloon and see how far the car can travel this time.

7. Record the result under "Distance 2" in the worksheet.

8. Make the necessary improvements and repeat steps #4-#7 with "Car 2".

9. Tweak your LEGO car one more time and repeat steps #4-#7 with "Car 3".

10. Determine which car has the best design and why and record your observation and reflection on the free balloon-powered LEGO cars worksheet.

My son actually didn't need much direction from me. He built his car really quickly and just needed me to show him how to make a hole for the balloon. Mommy was proud.

The LEGO car has a simple design, but there is no need for more. In fact, if you build too fancy of a car, the weight of the LEGO bricks might impede the car from going far.

We tested our designs before racing our cars. To my surprise, my son's LEGO car had no issues with the air from the balloon pushing it forward. My car, on the other hand, kept flipping over instead of staying upright on its wheels.

The reason that the balloon was able to propel my son's car without any issues is that my son's car was low, flat, and long. Meanwhile, my car was tall and short. Think of a race car versus an SUV. So when we apply force to the car with the air from the balloon, the air knocked my car over instead of pushing it forward.

Another design issue we noticed was that if the hole where the balloon went was too big, the balloon would fall out or change directions. To make the car go straight, we made the hole smaller. Here is a picture of what we ended up with:

I changed my design to imitate my son's LEGO car and we were ready to go.

RACE TIME!

The Science Behind Balloon-Powered LEGO Cars

While you can do this activity just for fun, there is an opportunity to teach your child the physics of force and motion!

Newton's first law states that "every object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless compelled to change its state by the action of an external force."

Show your child how the LEGO car by itself will not do anything. It's not until you release the air from the balloon and apply external force on the car that it starts to move.

Here are some experiments you can do with your child:

Blow up the balloon bigger. Does the car go faster? Farther?

Add some more LEGO bricks to the car. How does the extra weight impact how far the car can travel?

Try racing the cars on a different surface (i.e. carpet vs. wood floor).

Place the balloon higher up or lower down on the LEGO car. How does the placement of the balloon impact how the car moves?

Final Thoughts on the Balloon LEGO Car Activity

If your kid is not into LEGO yet, this is a great activity to get him/her interested. You can do this over and over again with different car designs. Let your kid's imagination run wild when building the cars and take lots of pictures to document his/her creativity. You can even try different types of balloons!

This balloon-powered LEGO car activity is also awesome for playdates. I bet the kids would have a blast racing their cars with their friends!

This balloon-powered LEGO car activity is part of the 30-day LEGO STEM challenge. Download the free LEGO challenge calendar for a month of LEGO STEM fun.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Free Printable 30-Day LEGO STEM Challenge Calendar
Want this activity in an easy-to-print file? I have compiled 5 super fun LEGO STEM activities for kids in a printable PDF.

Each activity includes a list of supplies, step-by-step directions, an explanation of the science behind the activity, and different extensions based on the science concepts.

The ebook includes:

Balloon-Powered LEGO Cars

LEGO Zip Line

Penny LEGO Boat Challenge

LEGO Volcano

LEGO Plinko Board

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How to Build Balloon-Powered LEGO Cars | Mombrite

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This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click and buy, I may receive a small commission (at zero cost to you). Please see my full disclosure policy for details. Design and build balloon-powered LEGO cars that will blast off with the help of the air from the balloons!

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HyperDocs are an incredible way to create student-facing digital lessons. They are the gold-standard for blended learning and make the perfect companion to online and distance learning.

Most are created using Google, but it is time the became they became all the rage for Microsoft users too! Students everywhere will be better for it.

What is a HyperDoc?

A HyperDoc is a student-facing digital lesson plan you create and package using Microsoft Word or OneNote. When curating resources for a HyperDoc, the emphasis is on pedagogy and meeting individual student needs. A Hyperdoc requires a teacher to do a full lesson design and embeds the 4 C's (collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and creativity as part of the lesson design. Hyperdocs allow students the agency to go through the learning at their own speed and in their own way.

These blended learning experiences are packaged in a way that is organized, attractive and supports the curious spirit of the learner.

Is a Hyperdoc just a doc with links?

A document with links is not a Hyperdoc, it is a Multimedia Text Set - and while it is super useful - this is not a full HyperDoc. A MMTS (multimedia text set) can be created to allow students to explore content and can be a meaningful learning resource.

A Collection of HyperDocs

Here are lists of both multimedia text sets and grade-specific Hyperdocs to get you started.
HyperDocs for Secondary HyperDocs for Elementary Multimedia Text Set Examples
To learn more about Hyperdocs - join their huge community on Facebook. Check out their extensive website or buy The HyperDoc Handbook on Amazon.

Learn more about Hyperdocs for Microsoft in The Microsoft Infused Classroom

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#HyperDocs are Going Microsoft! | The Infused Classroom

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HyperDocs are an incredible way to create student-facing digital lessons. They are the gold-standard for blended learning and make the perfect companion to online and distance learning. Most are created using Google, but it is time the became they became all the rage for Microsoft users too!

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ABOUT THE WONDER CHALLENGE How Does it Work? We want to celebrate wonder in the great state of North Carolina. Kicking off this summer 2019 and leading up to the 2020 National Tournament, we will showcase a different partner with a unique STEM challenge every month. Celebrate Wonder by participating in a fun and...

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We recognize that these unprecedented times pose a unique challenge to educators and parents. And while we can't provide in-person educational experiences right now, we hope that a few additional digital resources will remind you of your trips to our planetarium or inspire you to come visit us later.

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Find free science-related virtual events to attend from the comfort of your home.

Find engaging science activities and projects to complete indoors and outdoors, searchable by science topic or age/grade level.

The Statewide Star Party has switched gears to share fun ways you can engage with the skies from your own homes - or anywhere.

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2020 North Carolina Virtual Science Festival

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Find free science-related virtual events to attend from the comfort of your home. Find engaging science activities and projects to complete indoors and outdoors, searchable by science topic or age/grade level. The Statewide Star Party has switched gears to share fun ways you can engage with the skies from your own homes - or anywhere.

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The Statewide Star Party is going virtual!

The Statewide Star Party was originally slated to take place at 36 sites across the state on April 24-25, but we've switched gears to share some fun ways you can engage with the skies from your own homes (or anywhere).

Check back regularly for new opportunities!

Morehead At Home: Skywatching

Explore the sky from home using tips and tools from Morehead educators Nick Eakes and Amy Sayle. Every Tuesday and Thursday, join them via Zoom where they'll discuss upcoming celestial happenings and other astronomy-related topics like how to identify constellations, measuring distances between objects in the sky and more. Each skywatching session will be accessible via Zoom. Learn more.

Hands-On Activities

Why is it Upside Down? - Use a kitchen spoon to learn why the image in a telescope is flipped.

Oral History - Interview someone who remembers the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Sizing Up the Moon - Create a model of the relative sizes of Earth and the Moon and the distance between them.

Light Pollution - Explore how poorly designed lighting makes it harder to view the nighttime sky.

Morehead planetarium Blog posts

April 14: Skywatching at home: Use Stellarium to learn the sky

Virtual Planetarium Programs

The Robeson Planetarium will be offering virtual programs this Saturday, April 18th, at Noon EDT. People can get the planetarium experience, all from the comfort of their homes! This Saturday's program features the first flight in space of Yuri Gagarin, followed by a view of the evening and morning skies. Admission is free, and no reservations are necessary! Learn more.

Enjoy some tunes while you explore the sky

For more information, please contact:
Amy Sayle and Hope Thomson
Coordinators, NC Statewide Star Party
Email: starparty@unc.edu

The Statewide Star Party is made possible with the support of NC Space Grant and the NC Science Festival.
Click here for digital copies of Statewide Star Party kit materials
Illustration Credit: Tyler Nordgren

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2020 North Carolina Statewide Star Party

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The Statewide Star Party was originally slated to take place at 36 sites across the state on April 24-25, but we've switched gears to share some fun ways you can engage with the skies from your own homes (or anywhere). Check back regularly for new opportunities!

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Take a virtual tour of DC museums to keep the learning going.

DC has a plethora of museums, including 17 Smithsonians. If you're looking for creative ways to get of our your house and into a new environment without actually leaving your house, we've compiled a list of virtual museum tours in DC. You can take a voyage to space, see live animals, discover famous women in history or view the Hirshhorn's Sculpture Garden from a whole new perspective.

1 National Air and Space Museum

The Air and Space Museum takes visitors to the sky, showcasing the amazing technological achievements that have progressed aviation and space exploration throughout the last century. Explore more virtual exhibits at the online. Students and educators can access STEM resources.

A working theater, historical monument, world-class museum and learning center, Ford's Theatre is the premier destination for exploring and celebrating the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln in Washington, DC. You can view their many online exhibits, including one that focuses on Lincoln's assassination, or peruse online teaching resources.

5 Hirshhorn Sculpture Gardens

Quadell via Wikimedia Commons

The Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden displays some of the most unique artworks in modern and contemporary art, including painting, sculpture and photography. Explore the Sculpture Garden through the museum's virtual view 1 and virtual view 2.

9 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Fortunately, you don't have to venture to the Unites States Holocaust Memorial Museum to experience their latest exhibit, Americans and the Holocaust, which examines the motives, pressures and fears that shaped the American response to Nazism, war and genocide. Browse through a curated list of frequently searched themes.

10 George Washington's Mount Vernon

Take a time machine to colonial times when you step into Mount Vernon's virtual tour of its property. You can step into each building, learn what its use was to the Washington family and discover what day-to-day life was like. Little known fact: You can even see the key to the Bastille prison that the Marquis de Lafayette gave to Washington as a gift, which resides in the main entrance of the mansion! You will feel as if you're receiving a solo tour of one of the most majestic sites in the DMV area.

11 Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

You might recognize the necklace pictured above from a little movie that stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet called 'Titanic'. The Smithsonian National Musuem of Natural History has this necklace on virtual exhibit for you to see and learn more about.

The state-of-the-art museum has launched a video series and podcast while their doors are closed during the crisis. You can also take virtual tours of their galleries.

15 The Phillips Collection

While the fascinating Riffs and Relations exhibit is on hiatus, The Phillips Collection has published a YouTube series that allows users to engage with the exhibit and its galleries.

16 National Geographic Museum

Immerse yourself in the awe-inspiring Becoming Jane exhibit, which has been converted into a virtual tour by the National Geographic Museum. Learn the incredible story of Dr. Jane Goodall and enjoy 360-degree videos.

Even though you can't currently visit the Archives, you can still browse through numerous collections of historical records and access millions of documents through the National Archives' national network of online resources.

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DC has a plethora of museums, including 17 Smithsonians. If you're looking for creative ways to get of our your house and into a new environment without actually leaving your house, we've compiled a list of virtual museum tours in DC.

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Students don't always have to be front and center on the camera. Here are tips to help students be comfortable participating on Flipgrid!

1. Use the moderation setting (under Topic settings) to keep videos hidden from student view and only visible to the Educator. Learn more here.

2. Have students simply cover the camera to provide an audio-only response. Sticky notes are great for this and help students get comfortable with the record process.

3. Have students use props in their video such as stuffed animals, drawings, etc.

4. Record in groups to help make it fun and not all about one student.

5. Appsmash with other platforms like Chatterpix, Screencastify, or Adobe Spark. Students can upload custom videos to Flipgrid!

6. If on mobile devices, students can flip the camera and record something else as they talk rather than record themselves. This is great for science experiments!

7. While first name & last name are required fields, many students simply use initials (or any letters) instead of their actual name. As always, only educators see the full last name.

8. Finally, many educators create Flipgrid recording booths as a private, quiet space for students to record their videos in class.

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Students don't always have to be front and center on the camera. Here are tips to help students be comfortable participating on Flipgrid! Use the moderation setting (under Topic settings) to keep videos hidden from student view and only visible to the Educator. Learn more here.

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Because no one needs to see your piles of laundry.

Hey teacher friends! Are you working on Zoom or another online teaching platform? Then you need one of our free Zoom backgrounds for teachers! Just choose a design you like and then click on the orange button beneath it to save the background to your computer or phone.

HEADS UP! The background will be reversed, so the letters will look backwards. Don't worry, when you use it on Zoom or your preferred teaching platform, the letters will show the right way.

Don't know how to add a virtual background? Check out our Zoom 101 for Teachers guide for help.

Because our doors may be closed, but the most important parts are open

Yes, I Want It
Because you know it's true

Yes, I Want It

Because these are challenging times, but we've got this

Yes, I Want It

Because kindness rules

Yes, I Want It

Because students should get fun backgrounds, too!

Yes, I Want It

Because it's a group effort

Yes, I Want It

Because optimism is contagious

Yes, I Want It

Because kids deserve a warm welcome

Yes, I Want It

Because these our are new rules to live by

Yes, I Want It

Because you'll need to remind students of meeting norms

Yes, I Want It
What other Zoom backgrounds for teachers should we create? We're taking requests! Leave your suggestions in the comments.

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We Made Free Zoom Backgrounds for Teachers & You're Going to Want Them

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Because no one needs to see your piles of laundry. Hey teacher friends! Are you working on Zoom or another online teaching platform? Then you need one of our free Zoom backgrounds for teachers! Just choose a design you like and then click on the orange button beneath it to save the background to your computer or phone.

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Math K-5

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Math 6-8

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Math 3-5

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Standards-based tasks - short answer responses for middle school novels or short stories - student choice - rubric included

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Years ago I was a contributing author to What School Leaders Need to Know About Digital Technologies and Social Media. The section that I co-authored was all about mind mapping. Eight years later the concepts that we wrote about are still solid, but the tools have changed (mostly for the better).

Creating a mind map is an excellent way to generate and write down ideas connected to a central topic. I frequently use mind maps to generate ideas for blog posts and for workshop topics. Students can use them to generate ideas for creative writing, to plan presentations, and to record all of the factors contributing to a central event. Flowcharts help students see how a process works from start to finish.

Twelve Good Tools for Making Mind Maps & Flowcharts

Transno is a service that lets you write notes and outlines that can then be turned into mind maps and flowcharts with just one click. It reminds me a lot of the original Text2MindMap service that I used to use. Transno is better because it offers a variety of mind map and flowchart styles while Text2MindMap only offered one. Transno also supports collaboration by letting you invite others to edit and add to your notes. In this video I demonstrate how Transno works.

Canvas ( https://canvas.apps.chrome/) is a handy drawing tool from Google. Canvas is a great alternative to Google Drawings for iPad and Android tablet users. Canvas lets anyone create a drawing in his or her web browser by simply going to Canvas.apps.chrome. Once there you can start drawing on a blank canvas. There are four drawing tools that you can use to draw in a wide array of colors. Watch my video to see Canvas in action.

If your students have a computer in front of them, they probably have access to either Google Slides or PowerPoint or both. Google Slides and PowerPoint have built-in tools that students can use to create flowcharts. This video demonstrates how students can use Google Slides to create flowcharts. This video demonstrates how to use PowerPoint to create flowcharts. As you'll see in the videos, you can make the flowcharts interactive through the use of linking in PowerPoint and Google Slides.

Bubbl.us is a mind mapping and flowchart tool that I've been recommending for more than a decade. It has evolved overtime to keep up with the needs of students, teachers, and other users.Creating mind maps on Bubbl.us is an easy process of simply clicking on the center of your screen then entering the central topic of your mind map. The next step is to add "child" topics or bubbles that are connected to the central topic. Those are added by clicking the "+" that appears while holding your cursor over an existing bubble.

Padlet offers templates for creating flowcharts and know, want, learn charts. Unfortunately, you can only make three Padlet walls before you have to either delete one to make a new one or upgrade to a paid plan. The upside to using Padlet is that it's designed for collaboration. Here's my video on how to use Padlet to create flowcharts and mind maps.

Text2MindMap was a commercial project for a few years before going out of business then coming back as an open-source project supported by Tobias Løfgren. The way that it works is that you type a linear outline and Text2MindMap will automatically generate a corresponding mind map. To use it simply go to https://tobloef.com/text2mindmap/ then clear the existing text and replace it with your own text. Every line that you type in your outline becomes a node in the mind map. You can create a branch from a node by simply indenting a line in your outline.

The Post-it mobile apps for Android and iOS let you take a picture of physical sticky notes and then sort them on a digital canvas. This a great option for those who prefer to do their mind mapping and chart creation on paper but still need a way to digitize their work. Get the apps here.

MindMup is a free mind mapping tool that can be used online, with Google Drive, and on your desktop. MindMup works like most mind mapping tools in that you can create a central idea and add child and sibling nodes all over a blank canvas. MindMup nodes can contain text and links. When you're ready to save your MindMup mind map you can save it to Google Drive, save it to your desktop, or publish it online. If you publish it online, you can grab an embed code for it to post it in a blog post or webpage.

Coggle is a collaborative mind-mapping service that is very easy to use. To create a Coggle mind map just sign-in with your Google account and click the "+" icon to start your mind map. After entering the main idea of your mind map you can add branches by clicking the "+" icons that appear next to everything you type. To re-arrange elements just click on them and drag them around your screen. You can invite others to view and edit your mind maps.

Google Drawings and Google Jamboard be used to create mind maps and flowcharts. Drawings has more features than Jamboard. The upside of Jamboard is that it's probably a more intuitive tool for new users. Here's my video about using Google Drawings to create a mind map. Here's my video on using Jamboard.

Spider Scribe is an online mind map creation service. Spider Scribe can be used individually or be used collaboratively. What jumps out about Spider Scribe is that users can add images, maps, calendars, text notes, and uploaded text files to their mind maps. Users can connect the elements on their mind maps or let them each stand on their own. You can embed your interactive SpiderScribe mind map into your blog or website.

Sale!

Through Tuesday you can get eight of my Practical Ed Tech webinars in one bundle at more than 50% off. Or save 20% on any individual webinar.

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Great Tools for Making Mind Maps and Flowcharts

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Years ago I was a contributing author to What School Leaders Need to Know About Digital Technologies and Social Media. The section that I co-authored was all about mind mapping. Eight years later the concepts that we wrote about are still solid, but the tools have changed (mostly for the better).

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Spin and Spell Easter Egg * ages 4-6 ⋆ Raising Dragons

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Spin & Spell Easter Egg is a fun activity for preschool and kindergarten age kids to use plastic Easter eggs to practice spelling, rhyming & reading simple sight words. It's also excellent for building fine motor skills as sometimes the egg comes apart when spinning and has to be put back together.

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In our last blog post, we talked about how to create a helpful environment for virtual coaching meetings, but what happens when teachers get "Zoomed out," or overwhelmed and exhausted by yet another online video meeting?

In this post, we'll hear from Meagan Morgan, English teacher at Madison High School, as she grapples with the transition to digital learning, and we'll examine some alternatives to Zoom for teaching and coaching.

One teacher's story about how virtual learning impacted her in ways she wasn't expecting

Meagan says, "In these unprecedented times, we all have been pushed into new scenarios, molding ourselves to this
new version of virtual learning. As someone who took online graduate school courses, I just assumed this would feel like an easy transition. My classes were already all set up in an online classroom; we had implemented standard practices and expectations for using the virtual classroom throughout the semester; my students had all of the tools they needed to proceed into this terrain of learning. But...I didn't.

I realize now that much of my joy and energy in teaching comes from the interpersonal day-to-day interactions that occur in the classroom, in the hallways, in the cafeteria. Trying to fill this void with virtual communication platforms like Zoom felt like an obvious replacement for those interactions I was missing from being at school with my students and colleagues.

I now realize that while online learning platforms allow for 'face-to-face communication,' it feels much more energy draining. Maybe it's because they're new and different, something outside of my realm of practice as a teacher.

Maybe it's because I have to sit down in front of yet another screen and talk to people in front of their screens, which creates an inherent disconnect that I can't move beyond.

Maybe it's just that I miss my kids and my job and feeling their energy in the classroom, good or bad. Maybe it's my introverted-self coming out and having a hard time doing my job in thespace of my own bedroom. Regardless of the reason, I feel 'Zoomed out.'

It is understandable that we are all going to face feelings of weariness and a new version of strain during this time. I underestimated the value of the typical proximity I share with my students and colleagues and how that impacts theinner workings of our daily lives at school. With all of this being said, I look forward to the virtual meetings I will have with my students and colleagues each week; I just know now that I will have to practice grace with myself and give myself space to exert this new energy in this new space in this new time."

If you're feeling overwhelmed and exhausted with virtual teaching, you're certainly not alone

Meagan's thoughts about this transition are definitely not uncommon; educators all over the globe have shared their struggles with supporting student learning in such uncertain times. We go into this field because we love kids and enjoy supporting them as they grow, and it's frustrating to feel such a disconnect from them, especially when we're feeling so disconnected from the world in general right now. I feel similarly; I've been in virtual meetings all week, and I absolutely love seeing my colleagues across the state, but it's draining for me as well.

Some resources and ideas to help professional educators with the "have another video meeting" feeling

So, when you're drained from the virtual meetings, what can you do? Below, we've compiled a list of alternatives for both teachers and coaches.

Alternatives to video meetings for coaches

1. Co-planning in Google docs: There's nothing wrong with working together asynchronously to create lessons and units for students. Check out these coaching questions for co-planning virtual lessons

2. Modeling and/or co-teaching: If a teacher has been facilitating a class in Zoom, why not let the coach step in? The teacher can turn off the camera, and take notes on how the students are interacting and learning.

3. Sharing grading responsibilities: This is a great opportunity to examine assessment strategies. Make the coach a co-teacher in Google classroom or Canvas (or whatever platform you're using) and do some co-grading. Then swap a few assignments and see if you graded similarly; why or why not? You can also utilize the collaborative assessment protocol to ask and answer questions about student work.

Alternatives to video meetings for teachers

1. FlipGrid: Students make videos and post them then respond with videos to their peers. It's like a class discussion/discussion board, but through video clips. You can really delve into students' thoughts and see their direct feedback to others' ideas. Here's a quick tutorial.

2. NoRedInk: This site has opened up a lot of their sources for free. They have a guided writing practice that walks students through a lesson of specific writing tools. Then it allows teachers to grade their product according to a predetermined rubric, which the students can also see prior to finalizing their composition.

3. Google Voice: Students are able to text directly to their teacher's phone, but do not have access to their teacher's actual number. This also allows teachers to call parents if need be.

4. Quizlet Live: The favorite online game can now be played by individuals at home.

5. Backchannel Chat: Free for up to 30 students, moderate a backchannel discussion board so students can ask questions and collaborate.

Share your ideas and resources with us

These are just a few ideas to bring some variety to your new virtual teaching practices and to avoid becoming "Zoomed out." In education, we are a community that shares, so feel free to post your ideas in the comments section below.

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Zoomed Out: 8 Powerful Resources for Educators Exhausted by Online Video Meetings - Constructive Learning Design

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In our last blog post, we talked about how to create a helpful environment for virtual coaching meetings, but what happens when teachers get "Zoomed out," or overwhelmed and exhausted by yet another online video meeting? In this post, we'll hear from Meagan Morgan, English teacher at Madison High School, as she grapples with the ...

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Nikon has made its entire curriculum of online photography classes free until the end of May. The classes were originally made free throughout April, but Nikon has now extended access for another month.

All 10 classes available at the Nikon School can be streamed for free. The classes are normally priced anywhere between $15 and $50 each.

Each class is taught by a professional photographer and provides in-depth lessons to help you get better at taking photos. Some courses cover Nikon-specific products, but many of them teach the fundamentals of photography, such as a course that teaches you how to photograph your children or pets or the basics of making a music video. So even if you don't own a Nikon camera, many of these classes might still be worth a watch.

If you're interested in streaming the courses, you can do so by going to Nikon's official website. You will need to sign up by entering your name and email address before you can view the classes, but you can opt out of receiving marketing emails.
Update May 7th, 1:54PM ET: This story has been updated to mention Nikon extending its free online courses through the end of May.

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Nikon is extending its free online photography classes until the end of May

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Nikon has made its entire curriculum of online photography classes free until the end of May. The classes were originally made free throughout April, but Nikon has now extended access for another month. All 10 classes available at the Nikon School can be streamed for free.

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Turn PDF or Worksheet into Editable Document

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Turn your PDF or hard copy worksheet into an editable digital worksheet!

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Google Hangouts Meet is a great tool for teachers to connect with students in a video conference, for instruction, questions, presentations, and more.

However it is understandable that many schools would prefer not to have students in a school-provided video conference without the teacher present. That is, schools may not want students to be able to join a Meet before the teacher gets there, or be able to rejoin a Meet after the teacher has left. Thankfully Google has provided an option to manage this.

To help with this I have recorded a short 7-minute video explaining how to do manage this. However, be aware there are some settings that your tech administrators need to adjust before this will work. I have made a separate video just for the tech admins which can be found in my other blog post on " How to Keep Students from Starting or Recording a Meet".

Now assuming that your tech folks have adjusted the settings they need to change, see below for the video on how you as a teacher can keep students from joining a Meet before you, or after you have left the meeting.

NOTE:This is a new update from Google and is currently rolling out to G Suite for Education domains. It is possible that your school domain may not have this update yet. If so, you should be receiving the update in the next few days.

Tutorial Video (7 minutes)

Here is my quick 7-minute video on how to keep students from joining a Meet before you have joined, or from rejoining a Meet after you have left.

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

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

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How to Keep Students from Joining or Rejoining a Google Meet without You

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Google Hangouts Meet is a great tool for teachers to connect with students in a video conference, for instruction, questions, presentations, and more. However it is understandable that many schools would prefer not to have students in a school-provided video conference without the teacher present.

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Disney Support

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These Are the Three Best Things About Disney's Free New Site

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There's lots of buzz about Disney's recently launched quarantine resource, DisneyMagicMoments.com, which houses virtual park ride tours and performances, Disney stories read by celebs like Angela K...

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Virtual Lunch Bunch- ALL AGES

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School Leader Support (Texas)

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COVID-19 Resources for School Leaders - TEPSA

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The Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA), whose hallmark is educational leaders learning with and from each other, has served Texas PK-8 school leaders since 1917. Member owned and member governed, TEPSA has more than 5,900 members who direct the activities of 3 million PK-8 school children.

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School buildings may be closed, but school is still in session. Teachers have been tossed into a world of virtual teaching. It has been scary, frustrating and amazing. Now, can you imagine how the students feel? Probably the same.

I have been teaching for a decade and part of that time was with a virtual school. That's right, I started as a brick-and-mortar teacher, then moved to a virtual school and back to brick-and-mortar. I was pulled back into my natural habitat three years ago after missing the community that a classroom brings. I currently teach English 9 and 11 and publications with yearbook and newspaper.

Here are some tips on how to prepare, adjust and rock your online teaching.

1. Set Expectations: As soon as you can, make a list of expectations, just like you did in the beginning of the year for your classroom. Topics you should discuss: How should students find their work? How will students turn in work? How should the student or accountability partner (I don't call them parents, because often this person is a grandparent, older sibling or babysitter) contact you? This is also a good time to reassure them - this is a hard time, but we are all in this together. I recommend doing this via a video, hearing your voice and seeing your face helps everyone.

2. Weekly Plans: I urge you to make weekly plans that you send out at the beginning of the week. I send my weekly plan for all my classes via email and a Google Document on Sunday evenings. I include as many links as I can so students and accountability partners can see what is coming for that week. Please realize that even if your school has a learning management system (LMS), not all accountability partners know how to navigate it. The extra step of a weekly preview keeps everyone on the same page. Also, giving weekly plans avoids overwhelming everyone, yourself included.

3. Record Lessons: The days of walking around the classroom and working through a quick lesson with amazing visuals made with Google Slides or PowerPoints are gone. We need to still show up for our students though! I record lessons with my face visible, using my already solid content. I have used Screencastify and Zoom to do these videos on my computer. You can be seen and use visual aids.

4. 15 Minute Pre-recorded Lessons: As mentioned before, recording lessons is a must. Take a deep breath, because I am going to rock your teacher world - keep your lessons under 15 minutes. These students can't sit in front of a device for an hour and pay attention. Short lessons hold their attention and will also free up time for them to complete activities/assignments.

5. Objectives: Student learning objectives might be a trigger word for many of us educators, but when I say objectives, trust me, I mean something far simpler. These are statements like, "Students will be able recall information about Karl Marx," or, "Students will complete thesis statements for their upcoming essay over gothic literature." These statements are posted on the screen at the beginning of a lesson and help everyone have a common goal. I have my own goals as a teacher, like 80 percent of my students will show mastery of the historical context of Animal Farm by obtaining a 74 percent, or better, on the Animal Farm Quiz #3, but they don't need to know that. The student watching should know what is expected from them for the lesson at hand. Help be a guide, not a dictator.

6. Two-click Rule: How many times have you gone to a website to purchase something and after a few clicks of the mouse you can't figure out how to check out, so you give up and go to a new website. Too many clicks are how you lose customers and students. Post your lessons and activities in multiple places and view the student view of your LMS to make sure your materials are easy to find. Try to make it so there are only two clicks from logging in to student work for the day.

7. Entrance Activities and Exit Slips: One of the things my students loved in our traditional classroom was how I would often do brain teasers at the beginning of class. This was a great way to set the tone for class, gain participation from the students and help me take attendance. I would often use notecards as exit slips as checks for understanding. Both ideas are still applicable in our new virtual classrooms. I do brain teasers to open my live class. I share my screen. Open the same slides I used weeks ago and instruct students to write their answers in the chat. They love the competition. As for exit slips, I give a link at the end of my recorded lessons that take students to a Google Form with one question that checks for understanding. I even give some points for participation on these since they had to watch the lesson to get to that point!

8. One Graded Assignment a Week: This is a dreaded topic. If you assign it, do you have to grade it? No. Do you grade every single assignment, understanding check or worksheet that you pass out in your classroom? No. We know which assignments show individual growth and understanding. Grade those and only those. It is unlikely that you will have a due date where every student will turn it in on time. As a matter of fact, I still chase students down for work. Save yourself some time in chasing, grading and stress. Choose one assignment a week to grade. Fun fact, the students don't need to know which assignment that is!

9. Live Class Once a Week: It seems like everyone has moved to virtual meetings. These are great options and should be used, but not for every lesson. I host one live session a week, per class. I use the live session to check homework, help edit essays, answer questions about school and life and offer help on assigned work. Rarely will I ever give new information. We should be treating this as supplemental work since not everyone can be there. Yes, you can record and share the video, but we need to understand that not all students learn by watching others interact. Honestly, live material should be more about continuing community and checking in our students and less about shoving material at them.

10. Co-teach Lessons: This is a surprise bonus when teaching virtually. If you can have another teacher join your live class, do it! My friend Tara is a wealth of knowledge, and a person I often lean on when things get hard. I felt like having her join our history lesson before starting to read Animal Farm helped me learn and get the students excited. While teaching virtually, I often had a special education teacher join to help students who needed things read to them or just needed things explained in a new tone/voice. In classes where I have several IEP students, I send the week plans and invite our awesome special education department to my courses on our LMS. They can jump in if they want or watch the lessons to help guide students when meeting with them.

These are ten simple adjustments you can make today. It would be easy to assign a worksheet and instruct our students to turn it in, but is that what they need? We are a source of stability for students. Let's make these adjustments so we can continue to offer reliable support.

Lastly, give yourself some grace. You will make mistakes, just push through them. I have left a few links locked and made an error on a virtual quiz key. I fixed it and sent an apology, and the students forgave me! Students are eager to hear from you. Happy virtual teaching!

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10 tips to succeed with e-learning | Indiana State Teachers Association

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School buildings may be closed, but school is still in session. Teachers have been tossed into a world of virtual teaching. It has been scary, frustrating and amazing. Now, can you imagine how the students feel? Probably the same. I have been teaching for a decade and part of that time was with a virtual school.

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PE Egg Hunt

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Middle School Choice Board

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2020 Parents' Guide to Google Classroom.pdf

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How to Make Stress Balls | DIY Kids' Projects

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Screencast with Flipgrid

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How to Use Flipgrid to Make Screencast Videos

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As we all find new ways to teach and learn during this unprecedented time, I want to share how you approach home learning with

choice boards during school closures.

In this episode with classroom teacher, Laura Steinbrink, you will learn how she is using choice and flexibility to reach the needs of her students.

Laura is creating a week's worth of activities on one choice board with both online and offline options to make sure everything is equitable.

She is even sharing her activities and templates. You don't want to miss this episode!
Listen to this article:
. ..

But first...

Shoutout

Shoutout to all of the amazing educators in the Shake Up Learning Facebook group, helping each other, sharing ideas, and collaborating. Join us here. (It's FREE!)

Quick Tip of the Week:

This week, I want to hear from YOU! Let's all share what home learning looks like and jump on this Flipgrid to share your workspace, your struggles, your triumphs, and your lesson ideas.

(This interview was recorded on March 19, 2020.)

Today, I am chatting with my friend and colleague, Laura Steinbrink. Laura is a high school teacher with 24 years of experience and is currently teaching in Plato, Missouri, as well as the communications director and softball coach for her district. She wears many hats in her small, rural school district.

Laura has always integrated technology in her classroom. Her students have been using Google Classroom and many other digital tools during the regular school year. So they already understand how to use many different tools.

It's also worth noting that at the time of this interview, state testing was still on the table. But very soon after we wrapped up, Laura received the news that it had been waived.

Laura's school district is closed, like many across the world, due to the coronavirus. Teachers were given a very short amount of time to plan for home learning. Many students do not have devices or internet access, so they had to provide paper packets that were hand-delivered to their students with an entire week's worth of assignments.

The teachers were told they had to give both online and offline options for the activities they provide students during this time. Any students with IEPs must be supplied with paper modifications.

Teachers at Laura's school district were told, "Whatever you do CAN be done digitally, but MUST be offered on paper."

Laura also happens to be married to the Technology Director for her school district, Cayl Steinbrink, and he has been working with Computers for Learning, a federal government program, to get discounted equipment for their schools.

Cayl has also accepted some basic facts around this idea of home learning. He says, "We cannot hold students accountable for the work they are going to have to do at home." We cannot control that environment. We can have expectations, but we need to have some grace with that.

We have to remember that even students who have access may have limitations, connectivity issues, limited data, and limited devices.

Laura recommends that we don't overwhelm students (and parents) with everything you send home. This is a different learning environment, and we want to make sure it is still manageable and valuable.

Laura has been using the Shake Up Learning Tic-Tac-Toe Choice Board Template to drive her lessons for the week (see below for template). This will keep things simple for students and parents, and save some paper. (Learn more: Interactive Choice Boards with G Suite (FREE Templates).)

Each square is worth 20 points, in hopes they will complete five for a completion grade. We cannot grade things as we would under normal circumstances. (If you haven't read Grace is Greater Than Grades, it will help put things in perspective.)

FREE Tic-Tac-Toe Choice Board Template (Google Docs)

CLICK HERE to Make a Copy | CLICK HERE to Use the Template

Please DO NOT request access. You do not need it to be shared with you. You just need to make a copy or use the template link to add it to your Google Drive.

Laura is giving her students nine choices and not forcing the actual 3-choice tic-tac-toe completion. Instead, she is giving students 20 points for each square they complete. In each square, there is an online choice and offline choice.

If students choose the online option, they also have the choice of tools. These are tools that Laura has used with them in school. They are not new to her students. Use the tools your students know!

Each of the choice boards is aligned to the standards and learning goals for that subject and grade level.

Students completing offline activities will turn those into the school.

Students completing the online activities are curating each activity they complete on a page, like Adobe Spark, Google Sites, etc. This way, as the teacher, she only has to collect ONE link online through the Google Classroom assignment.

Laura's Figurative Language Choice Board for Home Learning (High School, Google Docs)

CLICK HERE to Make a Copy | CLICK HERE to Use the Template

Laura's Mythology Heroes Choice Board (High School, Google Docs)

CLICK HERE to Make a Copy | CLICK HERE to Use the Template

Laura's Masque of the Red Death Choice Board (High School, Google Docs)

CLICK HERE to Make a Copy | CLICK HERE to Use the Template

Laura's Spanish Stem Changing Verbs Choice Board (High School, Google Docs)

CLICK HERE to Make a Copy | CLICK HERE to Use the Template

Blogging with Google Classroom

Laura also shared a great technique for using Google Classroom as a way to link and organize student blogs. Check out her post for details on how she makes this work!

Other Resources Shared in this Episode

About Laura Steinbrink

Twitter: @SteinbrinkLaura

Website: https://rockntheboat.com/

Laura Steinbrink, a teacher for 24 years, presents technology and instructional practices at workshops locally, around her state, and nationally. She is also the Technology Integration Coach, Communications Director, Webmaster, yearbook adviser, esports GM, and high school English/Spanish teacher for the Plato R-V School District. Laura is the author of www.rockntheboat.com, a Feedspot Top 200 blog in Education, and she has published articles for Ditch That Textbook, Instant Relevance, ISTE, ISTE TEN, Kahoot, Getting Smart, Classtime, and other educational related companies. Laura is also a contributing author in Focused Environments, Stories of Change Vol 3, published by Connected Learning, and In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking by Rachelle Dene Poth, published by Edumatch Publishing. Laura's work in the classroom was also featured in ISTE's Empowered Learner Magazine, What Works: Sketchnoting engages students while building comprehension.

© Shake Up Learning 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog's author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kasey Bell and Shake Up Learning with appropriate and specific direction to the original content on ShakeUpLearning.com. See: Copyright Policy.

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Home Learning with Choice Boards During School Closures - SULS056

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As we all find new ways to teach and learn during this unprecedented time, I want to share how you approach home learning with choice boards during school closures. In this episode with classroom teacher, Laura Steinbrink, you will learn how she is using choice and flexibility to reach the needs of her students.

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Online PD

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Trauma-Informed Resilient Schools teaches school professionals how to create trauma-informed schools and classrooms. The training focuses on resilience, exploring the core values and beliefs of educators and places an emphasis on understanding how trauma impacts children and their school experience. Lastly, proactive strategies such as fostering connections, prioritizing social and emotional skills, establishing safety, and promoting play are presented. This course provides detailed information and concrete actions that answer not just the "why" but also the "how" to create the best classroom and school supports for traumatized students and the school professionals who serve them.
Upon successful completion of the course, participants will be able to:

Identify at least five questions to ask to promote a trauma-informed and resilience-focused mindset when working with students in the school setting.

Identify the four main protective factors of resilient youth.

Discuss the four universal needs and provide examples to support each.

Name three differences between grief and trauma reactions.

Identify the three main functions of the deep brain.

Identify at least three functions of the outer brain.

Describe how trauma impacts the deep and outer brain functions specifically in the school setting.

Identify at least five ways trauma and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms may overlap.

Identify at least five proactive strategies for every classroom.

Name at least three of the top fears of school-age children.

Materials:

Course Guidebook

Course PowerPoint Handout

Please Note:

This course covers the first 6 steps of the 10 Steps to Create a Trauma-Informed School (if you have taken Trauma-Informed Schools prior) and includes portions from our former Courageous Classrooms/Courageous Connections courses

Trauma-Informed Resilient Schools is the first step toward achieving Certified Trauma Practioner (Educational Track) or Certified Trainer certification

If you are interested in scheduling an in-person training, please email info@starr.org

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Trauma-Informed Resilient Schools - Starr Commonwealth

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Trauma-Informed Resilient Schools teaches school professionals how to create trauma-informed schools and classrooms. The training focuses on resilience, exploring the core values and beliefs of educators and places an emphasis on understanding how trauma impacts children and their school experience. Lastly, proactive strategies such as fostering connections, prioritizing social and emotional skills, establishing safety, and promoting play are presented.

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K math
Jennifer Clark
Wilson County Schools, NC

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Math videos for K-5

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We'll stop supporting this browser soon. For the best experience please update your browser.

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52 Creative Ideas for 52 Weeks of Fun

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Remote learning with Wakelet

To support our educator community with remote learning, we’ve created an area that includes our most useful resources. We want to make it easy for you to support your students and their families whilst working from home.

Getting started with Wakelet

1

Create a collection

In your home area, just click the “create a new collection” button. Give your collection a name, and add a cover image and description.

2

Add some content!

You can now add any type of content to your new collection - just copy and paste links or use our integrations in the “+” bar. You can add videos, tweets, articles, notes, text, PDF’s, Flipgrid Videos, and much more!

3

Share your collection

You can share your collection in several ways. Once you’ve made your collection public or unlisted, click save, then click the share button. From here you can share via a link, QR Code, Microsoft Teams, Google Classrooms or Remind.

Collaborate with your students!

We've made it easier than ever for students to collaborate with you and each other on Wakelet collections. Here's how to use our collaboration feature!

1

Create your collection

This can be an assignment, a reflection board, or anything else you can think of!

2

Invite collaborators!

Get a shareable link or code by click the ‘Contributors’ button. Anyone can access and contribute to the collection, even without a Wakelet account! If you’re sharing the unique code, your students can head to wakelet.com, and click on the ‘Enter Code’ button to join the collection.

3

Collaborate together!

Students add content like articles, videos, notes and anything else. This is great for assignments, group projects, reflection boards, book reviews, work submission, backchannel chats and much more!

Using Wakelet for remote learning

Here a few examples of great ways you can use Wakelet for remote learning during school closures.

Interactive lesson plans

Backchannels & reflection boards

Student Assignments

Newsletters

Student choice boards

Resources for students

Resources for colleagues

Resources for parents

The Community Showcase!

If you want to see some awesome examples of Wakelet enhancing remote learning, just head to the Community Showcase page. We’ll be updating this with fresh content so that all your ideas are shared regularly!

Visit the Showcase

We also have an App and Browser Extension!

Wakelet Browser Extension

Save links, articles, videos, tweets and more with two clicks. Organize content without leaving your browser tab.

Wakelet Mobile Apps

Use Wakelet whenever you like, wherever you are with our mobile app. Discover personalized content from around the world.

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Save, organize and share content from across the web with Wakelet. Find out how Wakelet can transform the classroom for teachers and students

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NC Remote Learning Resources and Information

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The digital resources included on this site have been helpful to some educators across the state. However, due to the rapidly changing digital environment, NCDPI does not represent nor endorse that these resources are the exclusive digital resources for the purposes outlined on this site.

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A MiddleWeb Blog
Our thanks to international teacher Tan Huynh for sharing this post from his website Empowering ELLs as educators face new challenges related to school closures.
Due to the increase of schools and districts offering distance learning or virtual school in response to the COVID19 outbreak, I wanted to share how my school in Saigon is structuring online learning for students.

This is not an article directly related to working with language learners, but the suggestions can be applied to working with language learners.

There are numerous ways to structure online learning, and I would like to share how we have structured it within our international, independent school context. Readers of this article will find it helpful if they are also offering a one-to-one program. These structures work for us because all of our students have internet access at home.

Here in Vietnam, we have been offering virtual school since February 3rd, and we did not have time to prepare students or families on how to navigate virtual learning. We are entering our 7th week of virtual learning, and these structures have been the ones that have been the most successful for us.

Use the same foundational blocks

The key is to build a virtual school on the same blocks that form the foundation of your in-person school. The how of virtual school will look different than in-person school, but the why must remain the same. For us, that means:

* prioritizing curriculum planning
* investing in relationships with students, colleagues, and families
* intentionally integrating technology when appropriate

You will see these three foundational blocks in the five structures I share in this article.

Create a Week-at-a-Glance document

I suggest creating a document that houses all the work students are supposed to do for the entire week. We did not do this initially as we thought virtual schooling was going to be just a two-week experience.

As a result, students, teachers, and families were soon drowning in the flood of links and documents.

We then created a Week-at-a-Glance document to house all of the assignments for the week. Where applicable, we embedded links to videos, assignments, and other documents. Both students and families appreciated this document as it provided a big picture of the week. Students and families could design their day and week by anchoring to this document.
Host office hours
In my grade we have blocked off 9 AM to 11 AM as teacher office hours. We scheduled our online conferences with students with Google Meet. The teachers in my grade used this time to:

Model instruction

Teach content

Gauge student wellness

Host book clubs

Provide small group or individual tutoring

Because the teacher office hours are at a consistent time, students became used to this time and families appreciated that it structured the day for students. They could plan for activities with their children after 11 AM.

I encourage you to have small-group meetings of five to eight students for 20 to 30 minutes. Larger groups mean less engagement by students. Just like how they hide from participating during in-person school, a whole-class virtual meeting provides an enticing opportunity to disappear. The short duration keeps the meetings engaging.

Most of the time, these meetings are scheduled and assigned. At other times, we give students a time frame for individual conferncing, and they can self-select available appointment times.

The key to virtual learning is not losing the personal element of an in-person classroom. With frequent and weekly online conferences, students retain some semblance of a learning community that makes school so special.

Collaborate with colleagues

No other time in my teaching career has collaborating with colleagues been so essential to students, families, and our collective well-being. We have made it a point to block 1 PM to 2 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays to collaborate. We use this time to divide the work, share strategies, and support each other. One of the key deliverables from these meetings is a completed Week-at-a-Glance document for the following week.

At these meetings the language specialist can provide strategies that would work for language learners or team with another colleague to make virtual learning more accessible for language learners.

For the past six weeks our faculty has been coming to school and maintaining regular school working hours. As of March 17, we have been directed to facilitate the virtual learning system off-site. We will continue to collaborate but now virtually on Zoom. As we go to virtual teacher collaboration, the Week-at-a-Glance document will structure our online collaboration.

Leverage Technology

We could not offer instruction without technology as it has provided the means to teach content and facilitate student engagement. These are my most used programs to facilitate virtual learning:

Screencastify: Create a slide deck or a document used to teach a lesson. Record yourself narrating the slides or document. Send the video to students.

Edpuzzle: Embed comprehension questions or audio notes in a video recording. As students watch the video, the embedded question or audio note will appear and either play your message or ask them to answer a question. On the dashboard, you can check students' responses if you have embedded a question.

Google Suite: We are using many of the products such as Google Docs, Slides, and Google Drawing to demonstrate their understanding and for us to share content.
Non-Google Suite creation apps:
Book Creator - users can publish their writing electronically

Flipgrid - users can record video responses
Buncee - users can create a presentation and infographics

Adobe Spark - users can create animated videos, graphics, and web pages

Because I work in Vietnam, we cannot use Talking Points, but if I was in the U.S. or Canada and my school moved to distance learning, I would then use Talking Points to communicate with families. Talking Points allows teachers to

* Send free SMS messages to families in English.
* Families receive these messages in their home language.
* Families respond to the teacher by texting in their home language.
* The teacher receives the translated SMS message in English.

The program now allows you to communicate in 100+ languages! THAT'S AMAZING!

Send physical work home

Every two weeks, we send physical packets of work home. Families come to school and pick up the packets for their children. This might be an option for schools where teachers are still allowed to come to school to work. Additionally, this method might help families who do not have internet access at home. The contents of the packet can also align with the assignments on the Week-at-a-Glance document.

We are creating the plane as we're flying, but I hope the lessons we have gleaned from our seven weeks of virtual learning can be of service to you and your district. If you have questions, suggestions or ideas, please share them in the Comments or contact me on Twitter @TanELLClassroom.

May you, your personal family, and your school family stay safe and healthy in these demanding times. You're not alone! I'm right there with you!

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5 Structures to Make Virtual School Most Effective

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A MiddleWeb Blog Our thanks to international teacher Tan Huynh for sharing this post from his website Empowering ELLs as educators face new challenges related to school closures. Due to the increase of schools and districts offering distance learning or virtual school in response to the COVID19 outbreak, I wanted to share how my school in Saigon is structuring online learning for students.

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Free art lessons, design lessons, and art appreciation for all.

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Artyfactory offers Free Art Lessons, Design Lessons and Art Appreciation for art teachers, art students and artists of all ages.

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Webinar April 1

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free webinar: navigating college applications  during covid-19 [apr 1]

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free webinar: navigating college applications  during covid-19 [apr 1] tickets

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FREE WEBINAR: Navigating College Applications During COVID-19 [Apr 1]

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Eventbrite - WeAdmit presents FREE WEBINAR: Navigating College Applications During COVID-19 [Apr 1] - Wednesday, April 1, 2020 - Find event and ticket information.

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It's no small thing to find comfort and solace in a time of widespread panic. Most of us have never experienced a global pandemic of this scale in our lifetimes. As we responsibly limit our interactions with others by sheltering in place, it's easy to feel isolated, lonely and afraid.

Dolly Parton isn't giving up on us. The Tennessean who gave us "Jolene," who gave us "I Will Always Love You," who is one-third of the glorious feminist comedy 9 to 5, who sends books to 850,000 children per month - the heroic angel Dolly Parton will read us bedtime stories when we need them most.

The legend will kick off a 10-book video series at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 2, with The Little Engine That Could, and will continue weekly with other titles from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.

The library's announcement contains this message from Dolly:

"I hope this gift will further inspire a love of books and shared storytime during this important time. ... From everyone on our team, thank you so much for inspiring a love of reading in your family. As I always say - We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails - and we're going to do just that, together."

You can watch Goodnight With Dolly on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We recommend putting on your pajamas, brushing your teeth and getting in bed for maximum pleasure. Watch her (adorable) announcement above.

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International Treasure Dolly Parton Will Now Read Us Bedtime Stories

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It's no small thing to find comfort and solace in a time of widespread panic. Most of us have never experienced a global pandemic of this scale in our lifetimes. As we responsibly limit our interactions with others by sheltering in place, it's easy to feel isolated, lonely and afraid.

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Y'all ready to boogie down? If you Disney music, and occasionally a Disney party, then this is the playlist for you! While you're your Main Street U.S.A. heart out, you might as well break a sweat and tone up! While you can find all sorts of Disney music to listen to (Check out our endorsement of DPark Radio), the best songs to get your Disney Zumba on are these tutorials and routines.

Start out with a full stretch, rev up into some crazy awesome moves, and then wind down to a pleasing Disney Medley that will chill you right out. Grab your roomie, your kids or your S.O. and clear the room. You're on your way to becoming part of the Main Street Trolley show with these workouts!! You can stream our entire Zumba Class Playlist from start to finish here on Youtube, or you can find the individual videos below. Lace-up your sneakers and remember, You Ain't Never Had A Friend Like... Us!

Disney Zumba Routines and Workout Videos

"How Far I'll Go" From Moana

Stretch it out early with Moana's ballad. Gently warm-up your arms and legs with this initial workout song and watch the water as you dance along. (You might even be singing, too!)

"You're Welcome" From Moana

Zumba With Andy brings our energy a little higher with a calm start to "You're Welcome!" Start with easy moves that pop into some shuffles and easy, repeatable moves in this Disney Zumba video. Ease into your workout, and for that, we say, YOU'RE WELCOME!

"Friend Like Me" From Aladdin

As far as go, BFit with BHood really does a great job! He's clear, precise and really as he guides us through Ne-Yo's cover of "Friend Like Me!" Our wish is granted with peppy steps and high- energy reminiscent of the animated film and Broadway production.

"Try Everything" From Zootopia

Wook's Story 욱 이야기 brings Shakira's antelope to the dance floor with an inspiring dance routine that will have you shaking it to the beat. This official Zumba video for "Try Everything" will bring you right into the middle of your danceathon.

"I Just Can't Wait To Be King" From The Lion King

This sped-up, jamming version of The Lion King will never let you hear the song the same way. Moves get repeated a lot, so you'll catch on pretty quickly, though this song is very fast-paced. SpiriFit will have you ready for an entire routine soon enough!

"Carrying The Banner" From Newsies

Are you a Newsies fan? Chances you are! If you haven't caught up on the original film starring Christian Bale, hit up Disney+ now and then come back to boogie down with this choreography with Shanna Davies.

"Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" From Mary Poppins

It's not a spelling bee, but your brain will be cranking as you study the footwork here. It's hard to catch those "heel-heel-toe at first, but a LOT OF to tap it out to Ann Marie's routine. Give your legs a during your routine.

"We Know The Way" From Moana

This musical clearly makes the top of the list when it comes to "danceability." This routine was taped on the island of Maui, so you can get that true island feel during your pre-cool down. Take your energy down a notch and start wrapping it up with Minie from Sydney.

"Let It Go" From Frozen

Literally chill out with Idina Menzel, the voice of Elsa, as you stretch your way to the end of your workout. Christi Bishof guides your muscles to a lengthening finish with this cooldown routine set to one of Disney's box office smashes.
It's almost impossible to not sing when "Let It Go" from Frozen comes on. Sing it loud and proud as you stretch or cool down to this routine.
Disney Medley Cool Down

A Lion King song begins this chill medley from a 2016 workout. Follow Dynamite Dancing as they take you through a cool-down routine that will lift your spirits higher than Rafiki took Simba.
Source: Elite Daily
Which of these videos really grabs you? We're ready for more Disney . Leave us a comment below about your !

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10 Disney Zumba Videos To Work Up A Magical Sweat | Inside the Magic

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Y'all ready to boogie down? If you Disney music, and occasionally a Disney party, then this is the playlist for you! While you're your Main Street U.S.A. heart out, you might as well break a sweat and tone up!

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More than ever before, the world is searching for 'how do teachers do it.' Whether in a classroom or at home, we are grateful to everyone helping to keep students learning.

To teachers everywhere, thank you for all that you do.

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Giving teachers and families the tools and tips they need to help keep students learning.

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Virtual Opportunities

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With so many schools across the world shutting down in light of recent events, former Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton is looking for family-friendly books to read in a live-stream version of his LeVar Burton Reads podcast. On Twitter, Burton recently noted he's been busting his brain for a week figuring out how to make the live-stream a reality. "I figured that during this difficult time I could contribute by reading aloud to folks who could use some diversion for themselves and their families," Burton notes on Twitter, revealing the planned project.

Despite his intentions, however, actor and reader LeVar Burton hit a snag when cycling through available options from the public domain. "In order to avoid legal complications, I've gone down the rabbit hole searching through volumes of short stories in the public domain for appropriate content for families and have come up empty," Burton adds in a follow-up message to his original tweet. Certainly, there would have to be some great titles out there among the many available options, but for just one man, finding them has proven to be a challenge. Cue the authors of the world to step in, as a few notable names have already responded to Burton on Twitter to throw all of their authored books into the hat.

Noticing Burton's frustrations, Neil Gaiman hopped on Twitter to offer his entire literary catalog to the professional reader. "You have my blanket permission for any of my stories LeVar," Gaiman plainly states in response to Burton's original tweet. "You good Sir, are my hero! Sending love to you and yours during these turbulent times," Burton says in response, creating one of the most wholesome Twitter exchanges you'll see all week. Gaiman also goes the extra mile by saying the offer is "for all of you" in response to a fan asking if his work could also be used for a program where people read stories for kids in videos posted online.

Famous children's book author Sandra Boynton, whose books include such classics as Barnyard Dance!, Pajama Time!, Snuggle Puppy, and Blue Hat, Green Hat, also offered her library of titles free to use with no legal complications for Burton. "I'd be amazed and honored to have you read any of my books," Boynton writes on Twitter, noting her publishers "would happily" send the books to Burton to use for his readings. Given the popularity of these books with small children, there's undoubtedly many kids out there who'd just love to see this happen.

Looking through the plethora of responses to Burton's tweet reveals seemingly countless other offers from various authors for Burton to read any of their stories he so desires. As word of Burton's quest to find appropriate titles to read spreads, it seems likely more and more authors will jump on board, so let's up this live-stream idea from the former Reading Rainbow host comes to fruition. For now, adult book lovers can listen to Burton reading various titles on the podcast version of Burton's show LeVar Burton Reads.

In order to avoid legal complications, I've gone down the rabbit hole searching through volumes of short stories in the public domain for appropriate content for families and have come up empty.
- LeVar Burton (@levarburton) March 24, 2020

You have my blanket permission for any of my stories Levar.
- Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) March 25, 2020

It's for all of you.
- Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) March 25, 2020

I appreciate it so much!
- Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) March 25, 2020

I'd be amazed and honored to have you read any of my books. And my publishers @SimonKIDS and @WorkmanPub would happily send them to you. Thrive. Stay safe.
- Sandra Boynton (@SandyBoynton) March 25, 2020

Pretty brains, lightning fingers. Find me at @HorrorGeekLife.

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'Reading Rainbow' Host LeVar Burton Wants to Read to Families for Free, Neil Gaiman Offers Entire Catalog

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With so many schools across the world shutting down in light of recent events, former Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton is looking for family-friendly books to read in a live-stream version of his LeVar Burton Reads podcast. On Twitter, Burton recently noted he's been busting his brain for a week figuring out how to make the live-stream a reality.

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Grades 5-9

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Create & Learn focuses on next generation computer science education for students K-9. In light of school closure that is happening all around the United States, we are hosting a series of FUN ONLINE Open Classes to provide valuable learning to a lot more students.

Your kids will learn about many different exciting aspects of technologies and how they are applied in the real world, e.g. in the movie industry, health care, consumer products, game creations, etc. What happens behind the scene when we play Minecraft or watch videos? How can we help scientists solve the puzzles and design cures for diseases? Start to explore all of these from home, and have fun!

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Create & Learn focuses on next generation computer science education for students K-9. In light of school closure that is happening all around the United States, we are hosting a series of FUN ONLINE Open Classes to provide valuable learning to a lot more students.

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The BSD Teaching & Learning Department compiled strategies and educational activities that families can use to keep students engaged in learning in the event of a school closure.

Remote learning activities are organized by grade level and contain a combination of low tech and technology-based options across multiple subject areas, including consideration for student physical and mental wellness. English Language Development (ELD) and Special Education options are also included.

Our goal is to provide a structure for at-home learning so families have some easy-to-implement activities to prevent regression and learning loss during an extended break.

Parent Letters

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Health officials are now suggesting that we prepare for potential school closures and make arrangements for continuing education through remote learning. Remote Learning means that the learner and instructor are separated and therefore can't meet in a traditional classroom setting. In the event that our school is closed for multiple days, the district has provided resources and guidance to continue learning at home.

These resources are available at this website: bit.ly/BSDremotelearning

We hope that parents can partner with children to complete these activities. Some will include learning with devices and technology, while others do not; similar to the student experience during a typical school day.

We recognize that these activities do not replace classroom instruction. No new content will be introduced and no assignments will be graded.

Although some of these resources are already regularly used in school, we hope that students have opportunities to try something new or show their learning in a new way.

Waalidiinta iyo Masuuliyiinta Qaaliga,

Saraakiisha caafimaadku waxay hadda soo jeedinayaan inaan u diyaar garoowno xiridda iskuullada suurtagalka ah oo aan u qabanqaabinno sii waditaanka waxbarashada iyada oo la isticmaalayo waxbarashada qadka ah. Barashada qadka waxaa loola jeedaa in ardayga iyo macalinka ay kala meel joogaan sidaa darteedna kuma kulmi karaan fasalka caadiga ah. Haddii ay dhacdo in iskuulkeenu la xiro maalmo badan, degmadu waxay diyaarisay waxyaalo iyo tilmaamo si ay ugu sii wataan barashada guriga.

Waxyaalahaa waxaa laga heli karaa bogaan: bit.ly/BSDremotelearning

Waxaan rajeynaynaa inay waalidiinta naga kaalmeeyaan carruurta si ay u dhammaystiraan howlahaas. Qaarkood waxaa ku jiri doona in lagu barto aalad iyo teknolojiyadda, halka kuwa kalena aaney ku jirin; waxey la mid ah sida ardayga inta badan maalin dugsiyeedkiisa caadi ah tahay.

Waxaan aqoonsan nahay in howlahani aysan bedeleyn waxbarida fasalka. Ma jiraan waxyaabo cusub oo la tusi doono layligana lama sixi doono.

In kasta oo qaar ka mid ah waxyaalahaan hore loogu isticmaalay iskuulka, waxaan rajeyneynaa inay ardaydu haystaan fursado ay ku tijaabiyaan wax cusub ama wax lagu tuso qaab cusub oo barasho ah.

District Tools & Resources

Remote Learning Activities

Remote Learning means that the learner and instructor are separated and therefore can't meet in a traditional classroom setting. In the event that our school is closed for multiple days, the district has provided resources and guidance to continue learning at home.

We hope that parents can partner with children to complete these activities. Some will include learning with devices and technology, while others do not; similar to the student experience during a typical school day. We recognize that these activities do not replace classroom instruction. No new content will be introduced and no assignments will be graded.

Although some of these resources are already regularly used in school, we hope that students have opportunities to try something new or show their learning in a new way.

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Remote Learning - Beaverton School District

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The BSD Teaching & Learning Department compiled strategies and educational activities that families can use to keep students engaged in learning in the event of a school closure. Remote learning activities are organized by grade level and contain a combination of low tech and technology-based options across multiple subject areas, including consideration for student physical and mental wellness.

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Now that educators must conduct classes online without the time to really talk to students about appropriate commenting and replies, we are faced with the realization that students might post things we hope they won't. One large school district has already warned teachers that students have posted inappropriate content during Zoom class meetings . This can be scary. But it doesn't have to be if we think about how students learn-by doing. So let's teach our students to take ownership of their digital interactions.

Helping Students Take Ownership

The best way to get students thinking about digital citizenship is to have them take ownership of the process and ideas. We can do this-even from home!

As an example, when school is in session, I start the year in an engaging way by having students work collaboratively to create our class Acceptable Use Policies ( AUP). This meaningful communal activity involves critical thinking, relationship building, communication, and collaboration. Because students come up with the guidelines together, they follow them with more fidelity, and when needed, they naturally police themselves. It really is a thing of beauty.

To Begin This Student Ownership Process - Start with Questions

Teachers should present an age-appropriate practice scenario and ask students to think about questions like :

What does it mean to be kind?

What does it mean to be kind online?

What can happen if someone is not kind online?

How can students be kind and add value to our digital conversations?

What are the best ways to respond to another student?

How can we add value in our responses?

Does it help you to practice or think about what you will say first?

When is a response too long, when is it too short -and when is it the perfect amount? How do we know? Can you find examples of each?

Teachers can pose these questions in an online chat via Teams or a Google Meet. If those are not your tool of choice, consider creating topics in a Digital Citizenship Grid or an Activity in .

We Can Build This Uplifting Atmosphere, Even Remotely

Students need to explore and think about their responsibility as good digital citizens. To do that, use an exploratory text set that allows them to explore content and think about it as they move across examples.

Here is a HyperDoc Exploratory Set you can take and make your own.

In this Hyperdoc, students watch videos, look at other student-created examples. They explore the concept of kindness, mutual respect and appropriate commenting and replies. They end by creating their own graphic that they will share with the class. You can customize this experience for your grade level. Make sure you make age-appropriate video choices. Older kids can-and should-hear stronger messages.

The end product asks students to create their own version of an AUP via a graphic. If they have access, they can work in a group with other students via video calls, commenting on slides, or Powerpoint. They could even create their own Sway project on digital kindness.

The learning goal is to understand how kindness plays out online.. To illustrate their thinking and understanding by creating their own graphic to support appropriate digital interactions. These can be posted in Google Classroom, Teams, or on .

Get Students Thinking

The important part is to have students critically think about their online interactions and explain their thinking, so you know if you might need to help them along the kindness spectrum.

When you involve students, they will surprise you with their ability to understand the choices behind their digital interactions. Stronger, more active student voice equals greater student buy-in, and a more respectful and community-oriented learning atmosphere.

If you do modify this HyperDoc please share by posting in the Infused Classroom FB group . And add any additional information you think would help. I would love to see your versions because we are #bettertogether.

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Digital Citizenship for #DistanceLearning - The Infused Classroom

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Now that educators must conduct classes online without the time to really talk to students about appropriate commenting and replies, we are faced with the realization that students might post things we hope they won't. One large school district has already warned teachers that students have posted inappropriate content during Zoom class meetings .

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It's been hot here lately! And by hot, I mean too hot to turn on the oven and bake! But, the kids and I wanted to make something fun. So, we put our creative minds to work and made some Kool Aid Candy Dots that are PERFECT for sunny days! They are easier than easy to make and they only require 3 ingredients (so they are extremely cheap). Get your kids involved because these are incredibly kid-friendly! Pin and keep this recipe in mind the next time you want to make a neat snack!
Kool Aid Candy Dots

I cut strips of plain white paper into strips 2 inches wide. Then, I cut wax paper into matching 2 inch wide strips. I connected to two together using clear double sided tape.

For these easy to make Kool-Aid Candy Dots, you need a few easy to find ingredients (which we happen to already have in the pantry!)

Kool Aid Candy Button Ingredients

1.5 cups of powdered sugar

1 egg white (use pasteurized eggs) or purchase egg white substitutes (it is pasteurized)

More Kool Aid Recipes by Smart School House
What can you do with the kids when the temperatures outside reach 100 degrees? Cool off inside and make these fun Kool-Aid Dots Candy. This is a no bake recipe that only requires 3 ingredients. It will keep you and the kids entertained for several hours.

Fill Zip-Loc bags with colored candy mixture, snip off a small amount of the tip of the bag. Start making fun candy dot patterns on your wax paper strips.

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It's been hot here lately! And by hot, I mean too hot to turn on the oven and bake! But, the kids and I wanted to make something fun. So, we put our creative minds to work and made some Kool Aid Candy Dots that are PERFECT for sunny days!

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Input things you have at home and the Design Stuff Spinner gives you an idea of what to build!

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Stuff Spinner Activity Finder . DESIGN SQUAD GLOBAL | PBS KIDS

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Find engineering activities using the Stuff Spinner. Choose your building materials and themes, and get activities that match the criteria.

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Build an Instrument at Home

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This hands-on activity introduces kids at home or school to engineering concepts and the design process.

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Classroom Connection will feature PBS KIDS favorites alongside North Carolina educators. This short-form learning series will deliver engaging math and literacy lessons developed by and featuring North Carolina teachers, aimed at Pre-K through third grade students to support their at-home learning. The Classroom Connection programming block will be available over the air on PBS North Carolina's main channel and livestreamed online here.

Classroom Connection airs literacy lessons Tuesdays and Fridays, 8-10 AM on PBS NC, and math lessons on Mondays and Thursdays, 8-10 AM on PBS NC. The Classroom Connection programming block is available over the air on PBS North Carolina's main channel and livestreamed online here.

Explore this week's schedule, find your local over-the-air channel with our Channel Guide, and discover past episodes online.

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At-Home Learning | PBS North Carolina (formerly UNC-TV)

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Classroom Connection will feature PBS KIDS favorites alongside North Carolina educators. This short-form learning series will deliver engaging math and literacy lessons developed by and featuring North Carolina teachers, aimed at Pre-K through third grade students to support their at-home learning.

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You Can Stream Shakespeare Plays Recorded At The Globe Theatre, Online
The South Bank's Globe Theatre has closed its doors for now, but it also has an online catalogue of filmed performances to feast on.
Globe Player has paid-for recordings of many of the theatre's Shakespeare adaptations spanning more than 10 years, including Mark Rylance and Stephen Fry in Twelfth Night; Jonathan Pryce as the Merchant of Venice; Emma Rice's naughty telling of A Midsummer Night's Dream; Adetomiwa Edun and Ellie Kendrick in the 2009 production of Romeo and Juliet; and Lucy Bailey's bloodthirsty Titus Andronicus.

Watching one of these for your sofa is probably more comfortable than being a groundling at the theatre itself, although you'll pay roughly the same to rent, as you usually would for the cheapest tickets in the house.

If you're particularly barmy about the Bard, bundles of nine different seasons at the Globe are also available to buy.

Free content on Globe Player is admittedly limited, although there's some interesting behind-the-scenes content to check out.
Keep up to date on all the latest London coronavirus news here.

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You Can Stream Shakespeare Plays Recorded At The Globe Theatre, Online

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You Can Stream Shakespeare Plays Recorded At The Globe Theatre, Online The South Bank's Globe Theatre has closed its doors for now, but it also has an online catalogue of filmed performances to feast on.

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Literacy PD

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Writing  prompt ideas
Jayme Daniels
ELA middle school teacher from Wilson County Schools, NC

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Create interactive sheets in Google Slides

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State-Wide Professional Learning

The digital resources included on this site have been helpful to some educators across the state. However, due to the rapidly changing digital environment, NCDPI does not represent nor endorse that these resources are the exclusive digital resources for the purposes outlined on this site.

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State-Wide Professional Learning The digital resources included on this site have been helpful to some educators across the state. However, due to the rapidly changing digital environment, NCDPI does not represent nor endorse that these resources are the exclusive digital resources for the purposes outlined on this site.

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Arts Education - Arts Ed Remote Learning Resources

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This website has been developed by NCDPI's Digital Teaching and Learning team. This has become the agency repository for culling resources and also for us to share PD, virtual trainings, DPI resources, webinars, etc.

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With the COVID-19 situation, many schools around the world are out of session, with students learning from home and educators teaching remotely. There are so many wonderful resources being shared for schools to use during this time.

As much as possible it would be wonderful to maintain as much continuity as we can with our students and their learning. One great way to do this is for teachers to record themselves teaching and share those videos with their students.

There are many excellent tools for making instructional videos, but one good example is Screencastify. This is a free Chrome web extension that records your screen, microphone, and/or webcam, saves the video to your Google Drive, and makes it easy to share the recording with others. I have shared about this tool many times on this blog, but thought it would be helpful to make a video specifically for the COVID-19 situation. Since we are all so overwhelmed at the moment, I made the video as short as I could, just about 12 minutes long, so educators can learn everything they need as quickly as possible.

See below for the video, as well as some additional resources and information about Screencastify. And as always, please feel free to share with others who may benefit!

Resources

Podcast Version: (Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast tool.)

Video Version: (subscribe on YouTube)

NOTE: Some videos are taking longer than normal to process on Google Drive. Screencastify has a blog post covering the details and explaining some workarounds here: " My Video is not Processing on Google Drive"

Helpful Links:

Post by Eric Curts. Bring me to your school, organization, or conference with over 50 PD sessions to choose from. Connect with me on Twitter at twitter.com/ericcurts

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With the COVID-19 situation, many schools around the world are out of session, with students learning from home and educators teaching remotely. There are so many wonderful resources being shared for schools to use during this time. As much as possible it would be wonderful to maintain as much continuity as we can with our students and their learning.

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Spanish Children's Stories & Free Spanish Lessons: The Spanish Experiment

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Tools for learning Spanish online. Children's stories translated into Spanish, free Spanish lessons, and course reviews. Great for beginner to intermediate learners.

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Do your kids love LEGO? Then they will love these LEGO challenge cards!

LEGO Challenge Cards

Building things from LEGO is a popular past-time for curious kids, but even the most creative kids sometimes need ideas to jumpstart their building sessions. Introducing these LEGO Challenge cards!

With just over 250 cards to choose from, your child can almost do 5 challenges a week to be creative and inspired in their LEGO designs.

The cards with the blue squares are all the main challenges - applicable to anyone, with a wide variety of ideas. The cards with other colours of squares are specifically related to holidays, celebrations, events, or faith. I did this so anyone who doesn't celebrate something can just keep those cards out. Just cut out the cards and add them to a small box. Let your child pick out a challenge and get to work! It might even be fun if you join in too!

Some examples of what challenges are included in this card set:

Make a constellation.

Use only yellow bricks.

Make a dinosaur fossil.

Make a model plant cell.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Design something while blindfolded.

Recreate a World War trench.

Make a model of your bedroom.

Go fishing.

Need more LEGO Fun?

For your LEGO fan, visit the archives of the LEGOQuestII challenge. For over 2 years, we held a monthly building challenge and this is where you can get some more ideas.

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Do your kids love LEGO? Then they will love these LEGO challenge cards! Building things from LEGO is a popular past-time for curious kids, but even the most creative kids sometimes need ideas to jumpstart their building sessions. Introducing these LEGO Challenge cards!

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The coronavirus creates a unique challenge for students with special needs-educators share recommendations for apps to support learning at home.

Special education is facing severe challenges as remote becomes the new norm for K-12 learning during the coronavirus pandemic. Delivering differentiated content in a well-equipped classroom can be difficult on a good day, but now that most schools are closed or closing, educators who work with children with special needs must, in many ways, completely reinvent their approach to teaching.

One of the main concerns for both teachers and parents is keeping students on track to reach their individualized education program (IEP) goals and objectives as they are tailored for each student. Teachers must also work much more closely now with parents/caregivers to support this learning at home. In some cases, students are accustomed to having aides, in addition to teachers, in the classroom. It is a lot of responsibility for caregivers to bear, but luckily some of the digital tools now available can really help.

I reached out to my special education colleagues via the Facebook Group called Education App Talk (E.A.T.), asking for their favorite digital tools; what follows includes some of their recommendations, but it is just the tip of the iceberg of what is available. Remember, as with any tool, what may work wonders for some students will only frustrate others. Customization is key with any app, so adults and educators should be prepared to put in some time learning the apps themselves or how to make modifications in the settings. Many apps come with great teacher-made materials; look for video tutorials, lesson plans, and extension activities.

Free Apps or Apps With a Free Trial

My PlayHome is a free app that gives kids a digital doll family of up to 15 people in various skin tones with whom they can explore, play, and share stories with other people. These shared stories help to increase student verbalizations, provide a place for social and emotional learning, and teach necessary early language skills.

SoundingBoard is a free mobile augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) app designed for children who are unable to speak (or who have limited speech) to help them communicate. In order to meet the needs of this particular population, the app comes with preloaded boards using symbols with recorded messages. Students select and press images on the board to prompt a verbal message.

LetterSchool promotes early literacy and numeracy skills by guiding children to tap, touch, and trace colorful animations. Children learn letter formation, letter sounds and names, spelling, counting, and other preschool and primary skills. This app, which offers a free trial, also does an excellent job of developing fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination.

Tales2Go, an audiobook service that offers a free one-month trial, helps students who struggle to read while boosting their listening skills. This app has an extensive collection of stories and books for all ages, with scores of splendid narrators who bring stories from every genre to life.

Epic! is an e-library that is great for supporting reluctant or struggling readers. It provides access to more than 20,000 high-quality children's books and educational videos and includes an assortment of both fiction and nonfiction books from prominent publishers. Epic is offering free access to schools during this time.

Paid Apps

Busy Shapes, by Edoki Academy, is based on Piaget's research on cognitive development, and it begins with cause-and-effect play that evolves into an exercise in problem-solving and tool use. The game also helps children improve their fine motor skills through a series of puzzles in an exploratory and evolving playground.

Edoki Academy also offers a series of math apps using a step-by-step approach whereby students learn Montessori math by manipulating various objects that appear on the screen. It also helps boost motor skill development.

Math Drills is a skill-based math drills app that students tend to love, as they can compete against themselves to increase their speed and accuracy. It includes basic math operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, and also features advanced options in the settings so that teachers and students can create personalized environments, and track scores and test history.

Phonics Genius provides a simple way for children to learn how to recognize, read, and speak words through letter sounds. The app contains more than 6,000 words, compiled by phonetic groups, in addition to the fun games for practicing skills.

SentenceBuilder is a conversation simulator designed to help elementary-aged children learn how to have conversations with their peers in a variety of social settings, which can be a particular challenge for special needs students. ConversationBuilderTeen, for older students, is geared to help kids learn when it is appropriate to introduce themselves, ask questions, and change the subject of the conversation. This app also covers sarcasm and addresses how kids should respond to bullying.

Word Wizard has a talking alphabet that allows kids to experiment with phonemic awareness and word building. The verbal feedback helps teach children in a nonthreatening way, as the voice reads any words the child creates-allowing for self-correction. The app also supports letter recognition, phonological awareness, and spelling, and comes with 184 built-in word lists such as the 1,000 most frequently used sight words. It even keeps tabs on children's progress with detailed monitoring and has an extensive teacher activity guide.

The Anti-Coloring Book App series is my personal favorite resource of all time and is now available in app form. This suite of online books uses the space at the bottom of the page for a question and the child draws the answer. These are open-ended questions-with no right or wrong answers-that promote a child's critical thinking skills, foster creativity, and encourage risk-taking and problem-solving.

Digital Modifications

Aside from apps, digital modifications are critical for online home learning for special needs students. Text to speech (TTS) is a type of assistive technology that reads digital text aloud and works with almost all digital devices-phone, iPad, computer. Many types of text files and most web pages can be converted into audio with TTS software.

Speech recognition (dictation) is another necessary tool, found on most digital devices, that enables students to express themselves by simply talking without having to worry about typing, spelling, and grammar. Dictation software is available on most devices in the settings menu, and it helps students expand their writing skills and achieve new levels of success. Note: Apple has a more advanced speech recognition system than Windows.

During the coronavirus pandemic, out-of-school learning is a great challenge, but it is particularly so for special needs students, who already face hurdles in their schooling. Be mindful-and patient-with special needs students as they try to adapt to this new dynamic. Change alone can be very disruptive for many children, and they will need time to adjust to their new routine. Don't be surprised by regression in social and emotional behaviors. Small strategies like breathing exercises, creating structure, and helping students methodically work through problems are essential at this time.

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Apps for Students With Special Needs-As School Buildings Shutter

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The coronavirus creates a unique challenge for students with special needs-educators share recommendations for apps to support learning at home. Special education is facing severe challenges as remote becomes the new norm for K-12 learning during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Quick, easy activities to help kids re-energize, refocus and give their brains a boost.

With kids at home, it's important to build time into schedules for focused brain breaks. Maybe they need a movement break to get the wiggles out? Or a quiet moment to just stay still? Research shows that giving kids frequent brain breaks to reset their energy level improves their ability to focus, retain more, and stay on task.

Here are 50 of our favorite brain breaks for kids that increase productivity at home or in the classroom.

1. Take just 3 minutes.

Check out this 3 minute video from Sanford fit that shows brain breaks for kids in action. You'll be inspired by the wiggles and giggles of the students as they crank up the energy and get ready to tackle the next challenge.

2. Practice "focus ball" breathing.

Walk your kids through the following exercise: Stand or sit with legs and feet together. Bring your palms together in front of your chest. Keep your fingertips together as you pull your palms apart, forming a ball with your fingers. Press your fingertips together until you feel the muscles in your hands and arms activating. See if you feel your core tighten too. Now close your eyes and as you breathe in, inflate your ball and as you breathe out, flatten the ball by pushing your palms together. (Then repeat these instructions for 60 seconds).

3. Try the old Ear-Nose Switcheroo.

This is a quick and easy challenge to reset the brain. Instruct kids to touch their left ear with their right hand and at the same time touch their nose with their left hand. Then have them switch their hands and touch their right ear with their left hand and their nose with their right hand. Switch back and forth a few times. Then have them close their eyes, take a deep breath, and blow it all out.

4. Stretch it out.

It's never a good idea to spend too much time sitting in one position. Allow kids to take a break and bring some flexibility back into their spines. Have them stand with their feet shoulder-distance apart. Put their left hand on their hip and raise their right hand overhead. Lean to the left and stretch their arm as far as they can to the left. Repeat on the right side. Then stand tall and slowly roll down one vertebrae at a time until their hands reach the floor (or at least their shins). Have them take a deep breath then slowly roll back up. Repeat as necessary.

5. Take a cue from the stadium.

Here's one for a group of kids-start the wave! Beginning at one end of the room, kids stand up and throw their arms overhead, bringing them back down as they return to their seat. Each row follows until you reach the other end of the room. Amp it up by encouraging your kids to tap their feet or tap their hands on their legs so that they are in constant motion!

6. Just jump!

Sometimes kids just need to bounce their energy out. Have them pretend they are bouncing on a mini-trampoline (this will keep their movement on a vertical plane instead of all over the room) and give them a couple of minutes to let loose!

7. Have an arsenal of activities at the ready.

There are so many great brain breaks for kids out there. Which is why we love this amazing free resource from Sanford fit that has easy-to-print cards with dozens of action-packed brain breaks designed to get your kids warmed up, moving, and cooled down.

8. Stir the pot.

Have kids visualize they are standing in front of an enormous cauldron. Inside the cauldron is an ooey-gooey pot of caramel. Take hold of a large stirrer and plunge it to the bottom of the pot. Slowly begin to stir in a clockwise direction. Have them use their whole body to help get a full range of motion in their wrists and shoulders. Instruct them to throw their hips into the action. After a minute or two, reverse the direction.

9. Make it rain.

Conjure up a rainstorm! Sitting or standing at a desk or table, have kids tap 1 finger on the desk, then 2, then 3, then 4, then their whole hand until you all feel like you're in the middle of a deluge. Work your way backward from 5 down to 1 as the storm ebbs away.

10. Enjoy a golden moment.

Have kids sit quietly with their eyes closed. Ring a chime or gong. Have them listen carefully to the chime, feeling the vibration in their body as the sound reverberates and then slowly fades. Tell them to breathe slowly and deeply as they focus on the sound.

11. Chill out with this cross-body exercise.

Have kids stand tall and cross one leg in front of the other while pressing the outsides of their feet together. Now have them cross their arms over one another at the wrists. Clasp their hands and curl their arms into their chest. Take a few breaths, uncross and cross the opposite way for a few more breaths.

12. Or energize with these.

First, instruct kids to touch their left elbow to their right knee, then touch their right elbow to their left knee. Switch back and forth going slowly at first, building speed until they are going at a vigorous pace. Next, do some windmills by standing tall with their feet shoulder-width apart and their arms stretched out. Bend at the waist and touch their right hand to their left toes, then their left hand to their right toes. Switch back and forth.

13. Change up your lesson plans.

Incorporate movement into classroom activities to keep the learning fresh.

14. Make Xs and Os.

Walk kids through the following exercise: Sitting in a chair with your feet on the ground and legs together, curl your body into your lap, folding yourself into a tiny O shape. Next, open your arms and legs wide, forming an X shape with your body. Pull back into an O shape, then back out to an X shape. Repeat three times.

15. Energize in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Get hearts pumping with a quick sequence of exercises. Call out 5 actions for your students to do as quickly as they can. For instance, 5 jumping jacks, 4 pushups, 3 situps, 2 squat jumps, and 1 tree pose.

16. Practice another language.

Teach your kids the alphabet in Sign Language. Use brain breaks to practice by singing the ABCs while signing the letters. Then practice vocabulary words by spelling them out loud while signing the letters.

17. Take a cruise on an imaginary skateboard.

Have your kids line up next to a wall and place one hand on the wall. Tell them to plant the foot closest to the wall and swing the other leg, as if pushing off the ground on a skateboard. Start slowly, with tiny swings, moving up to power pushes. Repeat on the other side.

18. Do the partner shuffle.

Have kids pair up and face their partners. Instruct them to clap their right hands together while at the same time touching their left toes together. Switch to clapping left hands together and touching right toes together. Have them continue going until they can smoothly switch back and forth. Try doing it as quickly as they can and then as slowly as they can.

19. Incorporate yoga into your routine.

Teaching kids mindfulness activities like yoga, will provide benefits that span a lifetime. This awesome free resource from Sanford fit makes incorporating yoga breaks easy with 22 printable cards, each with pictures and descriptions of 4 yoga poses. And don't worry-it's not a huge time commitment. The sequence on each card is designed to take only 3-5 minutes. To see it in action, watch a demo here.

20. Work on concentration.

This is a great activity for small groups! Line kids up in a single file line. Starting at the beginning of the line, have the first kid and second kid face one another with their arms bent at the elbows and palms facing in. Keeping their eyes locked, kids will try to clap simultaneously, making a single sound. After their attempt, the second kid will turn, lock eyes with the third kid and try to clap simultaneously. And so on down the line. It sounds simple, but it actually takes a great deal of concentration!

21. Break out the hot hands.

This is a good break when you sense a weariness in the air. Have kids rub their hands together vigorously until they warm up. Tell them to close their eyes and place their hands over their eyes. Instruct them to breathe deeply as they clear their mind and refocus.

22. Take a break to groove.

Music is a great way to reset the mood in a room and raise the energy level. Put on a fun song and have a 30-second freestyle dance party.

23. Or take it to the next level.

Teach your kids the steps to popular dances such as the Cha-Cha Slide, the Macarena, or the Kidz Bop Shuffle.

24. Try some facial gymnastics.

Have kids get their silly on for 30 seconds. Tell them to wiggle their eyebrows up and down as fast as they can. Then try to raise one eyebrow at a time. Then switch back and forth between a smile and frown. Throw a sneer or two in for good measure.

25. Open your heart.

We spend so much of our day hunched forward. Have kids take a break to open their chest and breathe deeply.

26. Take a doodle break.

According to researcher Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, downtime is essential for brain health. Kids need time for their growing brains to integrate and process the vast amount of information they receive each day. In other words, it is actually beneficial to give our kids time to allow their minds to wander. Try this: Set a timer for 3-5 minutes and let kids silently doodle with pencil and paper or a dry erase board and marker while soft, calming music plays in the background.

27. Do nothing for two minutes.

Never underestimate the power of stillness. When the energy gets a little ramped up and it's time for the entire class to take a pause, have them drop everything and glue their eyes to the screen as you show this countdown. The gentle lulling of the waves and the sight of the sun sparkling off the water will reset their nervous system in a jiffy.

28. Call for a little call and response.

Pep things up with a little call and response clapping. It's simple to do and is often used in the classroom to get students' attention. Simply clap out a pattern that your kids will repeat back to you. Switch out the pattern a few times until everyone is focused and engaged. Alternatively, try a vocal call and response. Sing out a few riffs and have kids echo the tune back to you.

29. Take a comedy break.

Laughter is a great release when the atmosphere is feeling a little intense. Show a funny video clip or have kids volunteer to tell a joke or pose a few silly riddles.

30. Color yourself mellow.

Even grown-ups have picked up on the coloring craze as an excellent way to calm down and zone out. Put on some nice mellow background music, set a timer and pass out some of these free mandala coloring pages for kids to color.

31. Make a brain break spinner.

One way to make sure brain breaks for kids are effective is to change up activities. Check out this step-by-step video from Sanford fit that shows you how to make your own Wheel of Fortune-type game to help you your variety of brain breaks!

32. Set aside a little chat time.

Give kids time to do what they really want to do: Chat! Set a timer and let them mingle and chat-video chat is a great option too! This time is a nice release after a sustained period of focus and as a bonus, it's a great way for kids to work on their social skills.

33. Ramp up with a round of cherry pickers.

This easy activity will get your students' hearts pumping and give their brains a boost. Have them jump up off the ground, then down to the floor into a pushup position. From there, instruct them to hop their feet up into a frog position, then pop up to a standing position.

34. Clap on, clap off.

When you say "clap on", kids clap their hands vigorously together. When you say "clap off", they stop as quickly as they can and freeze. Or follow along with this fun video.

35. Skip it out.

When the energy is fading and kids need to get their blood flowing, put on a peppy song and pull out the imaginary jump ropes. Have kids skip or jump rope in place until the song ends.

36. Spread your wings (in slow motion).

Walk your kids through this winged movement: Sit cross-legged on the floor. Stretch your arms down by your sides with your palms facing inward toward your body. Slowly raise both arms while rotating hands forward. When your arms reach shoulder level your hands should be facing forward. Continue raising arms, slowly rotating palms so that by the time hands are overhead, palms are facing each other. Slowly lower arms repeating the rotation (palms facing each other, palms facing forward, palms facing sides) until they are once again resting at your sides. As you raise and lower your arms, stretch them as long as you can, as if you are scraping the sides of the room and the ceiling. Repeat slowly three times, breathing deeply.

37. Vote with your body.

This fun activity is an active community builder. Kids raise their heart rates while getting to know one another a little better!

38. Make like a blender.

Tell kids it's time to make fruit smoothies. Ask them to pretend they are in a blender and they are strawberries (or blueberries or bananas, etc.). Dramatically pour orange juice or yogurt into the air in front of you. Tell kids when you flip the switch that they need to wiggle and jiggle (separately, not together) until they are each individually blended up. Start with a slow speed, moving up to medium speed, fast speed and finally turbo speed.

39. Toss a hot potato.

This is another of our favorite brain breaks for kids, and great for small groups of 4-6 kids. Have an inflatable beach ball, a large bean bag, or Nerf ball available for each group. Kids can stand next to their desks or in a circle, but they must keep one foot planted at all times. Have each group start passing their object around. Set a time limit that incorporates a learning concept such as counting by twos to 100 or singing the alphabet song from A to Z. Play a few rounds with different tasks.

40. Celebrate with a silent cheer.

This activity is perfect for the end of an activity or a sustained amount of work time. Let kids stand up and silently cheer and gesture in celebration.

41. Take a two-minute rock, paper, scissors break.

Tap into an old classic and let kids pair up for a few rounds of roshambo. The interaction is a nice break and gives kids a chance to work socially with their peers.

42. Play House, Tree, Rock.

This one is best played in the classroom, but could be adapted for a larger family. Have kids slowly mingle around. When you ring a chime, students need to form groups of 3. Each group needs to have a house, a tree, and a rock. The student who is the house raises their hands overhead in a triangular shape with fingertips touching. The tree stands tall with arms stretched upward like the branches of a tree. The rock squats down with their arms tucked around their knees. Play a few rounds until different groups of students have had a chance to be together.

43. Build a sensory pathway.

Wellness Way
These color-coded posters will take kids through a different set of tasks, to help them move, recharge and set their mood! Get the free set of posters here ---> https://fit.sanfordhealth.org/resources/wellness-way-printable

Posted by fit4Schools-USA on Saturday, December 8, 2018

These color-coded posters will take your kids through a different set of tasks, to help them move, recharge and set their mood! Get the free set of posters from Sanford fit here.

44. Hit the wall.

Pushing against a solid object is a good way to displace extra energy from your body. Have kids stand facing a wall with their arms stretched out in front of them, palms on the surface of the wall. Push the wall away with all their strength for a count of ten. Relax for five seconds then push again. Other activities they can do at the wall include calf stretches and wall push-ups.

45. Try a cat/cow pose.

Have kids start on all fours and then give them the following instructions to complete the cat/cow yoga pose: Place your shoulders over your wrists and hips over your knees. Arch your back to the sky and tuck in the tailbone. Let your head fall between your arms. From there, sink the belly towards the ground, and lift the chest and chin. Gently alternate between the two poses while breathing deeply.

46. Teach your kids clapping games.

Many of us grew up playing clapping games like Miss Mary Mac and Say, Say My Playmate. Pass on the tradition to your kids with these fun and easy to follow videos. They're super fun and a welcome break after a period of hard work.

47. For advanced clappers, try Boom Snap Clap.

This super fun clapping game is like a tongue twister for your brain! Check it out here.

48. 3, 2, 1 blastoff!

Instruct kids to stand and then squat down with their hands on the ground in front of them. All together, count down 3, 2, 1. When you get to zero, they should push up like a rocket, jumping as high as they can-letting all of their energy burst from their center.

49. Float with jellyfish.

When you really need to take the energy in your room down a notch, turn off the lights, set a timer, and put on this amazing video. Kids will find themselves under the brilliant blue sea in the middle of a swarm of jellyfish. They'll be mesmerized by the slow, fluid motions and lulled into calmness by the soothing music.

50. Quick as a snap, wink.

This is a quick, easy refocusing activity. Tell kids to snap their left fingers while they wink their right eye. Switch to snapping their right fingers while winking their left eye. This activity is particularly effective for younger learners who may find both activities challenging.

What brain breaks for kids do you love? Follow one of our favorites, Sanford fit Kids on Instagram-they post weekly brain break ideas that you can use in your classroom or at home.

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Quick, easy activities to help kids re-energize, refocus and give their brains a boost. With kids at home, it's important to build time into schedules for focused brain breaks. Maybe they need a movement break to get the wiggles out? Or a quiet moment to just stay still?

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Free, fun educational app for young kids | Khan Academy Kids

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Inspire a lifetime of learning with our educational app for kids ages 2-8. Kids can learn reading, writing, math, counting, ABCs, addition, subtraction, social-emotional skills, & more. 100% free on iPhone, iPad, Android, and Amazon

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Speech and Language Student Support https://tinyurl.com/sw3ukwd

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Here is a list of resources for students who normally receive speech and language therapy when schools are in session

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There are online resources for students who would normally receive speech and language help at school.

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Webinars to support ELL Students

Eight webinars for you this week (all free, all will be recorded, all can earn CTLE), to support you from NYS TESOL.  THANK you to all the generous and knowledgeable NYS TESOLers who are donating their time to share expertise with us all!

All Eastern Time (NY Time)

MONDAY 3/23/2020 @ 1:00 PM

Kendra Howard

K-5 Online Literacy Resources to support your ELLs during Remote Learning

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/422385232

TUESDAY 3/24/2020 @ 3:30 PM

Yanira Stoker & Adriana Discipio

Discussion Forum: Moving to Online Instruction for K-12 ELLs

https://zoom.us/j/688652961

TUESDAY 3/24/2020 @ 4:30 PM

Leo Schmitt

Using Zoom and Adjusting to Online Teaching in the Time of COVID19

https://NewSchool.zoom.us/j/807844376

WEDNESDAY 3/25/2020 @ 4:00 PM

Christine Rosalia & Sheila Damato

Weekly Tech Tips: Incorporating Oral Assessment in Virtual Learning: Using BookCreator and FlipGrid

https://zoom.us/j/148317322

WEDNESDAY 3/25/2020 @ 5:30 PM

Elke Stappert

Introduction to Google Slides: Collaborative Student Writing

https://zoom.us/j/703408069

THURSDAY 3/26/2020 @ 11:00 AM

Shawnna Sweet

Building Community & Maintaining Instructor Presence in an Online Course

https://E2CCB-GST.zoom.us/j/6234189947

THURSDAY 3/26/2020 @ 12:00 PM

Jasmin Cowin

Resources for Supporting English Learners and their Parents

https://zoom.us/j/754914340

THURSDAY 3/26/2020 @ 3:30 PM

Sarah Creider & Teresa Bruno

Homeschooling Recommendations to Support Parents of ELLs

https://zoom.us/j/8397181689

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One of the things that I've been reminded of a few times in the last month is to revisit the basics even if you're working with people who have had access to G Suite for a long time. On that note, here are five Google Slides features that all users should know how to use.

How to Import PowerPoint Slides Into Google Slides

How to Insert Audio Into Google Slides

How to Print Google Slides

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5 Google Slides Features New Users Should Know - Updated

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One of the things that I've been reminded of a few times in the last month is to revisit the basics even if you're working with people who have had access to G Suite for a long time. On that note, here are five Google Slides features that all users should know how to use.

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Voice of Witness: Bring the Power of Oral History to Your Classroom | Cult of Pedagogy

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The need for these books goes beyond curriculum: Reading these stories will make our students better humans.

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Listen to this post as a podcast:
You've reached the end of a unit or year, and you want students to demonstrate their learning in a way that requires them to synthesize information, apply it in new ways, and reflect on how they have grown. To achieve any of these goals, an end-of-unit exam doesn't quite cut it. You could have students do presentations...that's always an option. But here's one more: Have students create their own PDF e-books, packaging up some aspect of their learning into a finished digital product they can enjoy and share for years.

What Kind of E-Book Are We Talking About?

When you hear the term "e-book," you might be thinking about the kind of thing you can read on a Kindle or Nook, and yes, those are e-books. But a broader definition includes PDF files, which don't require any kind of special device to read. They also don't require any high-tech software to create; I'll show you how that works in a minute.

To get these templates, see the link at the end of this post.

Because this kind of e-book is ridiculously easy to create, having students make them is an excellent option for all kinds of final projects. And because lots of businesses now use e-books like these in their own work, assigning them to students gives them an extra skill they can take into their adult lives.

The Power of Visual Packaging

For some students, having an opportunity to put their words together with images and arrange it all into one tidy package creates a different kind of work ethic than you'd find if you just assigned a paper. Because the finished looks and feels a lot more like a "real" product of some kind, and has the potential to be a visually appealing one at that, you may find that students put a bit more effort into it.

Paintings in these images were created by Gwenn Seemel. Licensed under CC BY 2.0.

So Many Possibilities

Once your students have learned how to create e-books (and there's a video below that shows them how), you can use this medium to have them create a massive array of projects. E-books could be assigned to a whole class or as a way to offer additional challenge to advanced students. Here's just a beginning list of ideas for student-created e-books:

Mini-Textbooks that teach a single concept or group of ideas from your course material.

Book Reports or analyses that take the reader through the most significant moments of a book, compare several books to one another, introduce a selection of works from one author, or look at a central theme (e.g., "Images of Fatherhood") as it is depicted in a collection of books.

Portfolios of a student's art, photography, writing, or poetry.

To get these templates, see the link at the end of this post.

Year-in-Review Books that explore concepts from the school year like lessons learned, best moments, special people, turning points, or important challenges throughout the year.

Children's Books that explore a concept learned in class or simply tell a good story.

Guidebooks offering advice and instructions for next year's students.

How-To Books that teach the reader something about which a student has some level of expertise (think informational writing!)

Collections where students curate their favorite books, movies, quotes, video games, apps, memories, or even photos of meaningful places, objects, or people.

Reflective Journals students keep and build throughout the year to document their growth or thinking on a particular topic.

Memoir-Style Books that document a student's journey through a Genius Hour or 20% Time project.

Club or Activity Books that chronicle the accomplishments of members of a sports team or club.

Professional Portfolios that could eventually be used as part of a job search. Teachers could also build their own professional portfolios in this same way.

How to Make an E-Book

If you have PowerPoint, which many, many people do, you already have all the tools you need to create an e-book. This video shows you how it works:

Get the Templates

The designs used to create the e-books in this post are available as individual PowerPoint templates or all together in a bundle. Each template also includes a link to the same template set up in Google Slides!! Click the image below to learn more:

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Student-Made E-Books: A Beautiful Way to Demonstrate Learning

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Need a fresh idea for the end of a unit? Instead of writing a paper or doing presentations, have students create PDF e-books they can enjoy and share for years.

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Learn handwriting and penmanship with our cursive writing worksheets

Our free, printable handwriting worksheets provide instructions and practice on writing cursive letters, words and sentences.

Cursive writing: more than just good penmanship

Handwriting is at a crossroads, with many schools dropping it from their core curriculum at the same time that various new research is showing how handwriting trains the brain. Benefits of good handwriting practice include:

increased brain activation;

improved performance across all academic subjects, especially in language activities such as spelling;

providing a strong foundation for higher order skills.

Practice handwriting one letter at a time with our printable cursive alphabet worksheets.

Practice joining two or three letter with our printable cursive letter join worksheets.

Practice handwriting whole words, organized by letter, with our printable cursive words worksheets.

Practice handwriting whole sentences with our printable cursive sentences worksheets.

Practice handwriting whole passages with our printable cursive passages worksheets.

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Our free, printable handwriting worksheets provide instructions and practice on writing cursive letters, words and sentences. Handwriting is at a crossroads, with many schools dropping it from their core curriculum at the same time that various new research is showing how handwriting trains the brain.

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Free Middle School Science Lessons

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Matt Crayton, MaEd is a former PE teacher, coach and current Assistant Principal.

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Reef Relief Science Lessons

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Key Points of Lesson:
-Biomes/habitats

-What is an ecosystem

-Types of ecosystems in the world

-Types of ecosystems in the ocean

-Abiotic factors

-Biotic factors

-Other qualities of an ecosystem

- Apex predator, consumers, decomposers, producers

-What happens when you remove an organism from ecosystem?
Activities: Biotic vs. Abiotic elements Coral Reef Biomagnification activity Food web worksheet Follow Up: Ecosystem Journal Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrSWYE37MJs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKJoXdrOT70&t=12s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJEToQ49Yjc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p15IrEuhYmo&t=152s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNF8b7KKJ2I&t=77s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZhE2p46vJk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuO4WB4SwCg
Other good resources:
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/ecology/intro-to-ecosystems/a/what-is-an-ecosystem

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Key Points of Lesson: -Biomes/habitats -What is an ecosystem -Types of ecosystems in the world -Types of ecosystems in the ocean -Abiotic factors -Biotic factors -Other qualities of an ecosystem - Apex predator, consumers, decomposers, producers -What happens when you remove an organism from ecosystem? Activities: Biotic vs.

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Great remote learning idea esp for k-5

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Digital Books Online

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Join in with Fancy Dress Fridays as well!

This is great news for parents and kids who are dealing with school closures due to the Coronavirus. Joe Wicks, famous as The Body Coach, has become 'the nation's P.E. teacher' by giving daily online P.E. classes for kids!

Joe is holding kids' workout classes on his You Tube channel, and he will be doing them every weekday at 9am during the school closures. If you miss them live you can catch up on previous workouts on his You Tube channel too.

The workouts are designed to be kid friendly, last half an hour, and don't need much space so they can be done indoors if you're self-isolating.

P.E. With Joe Fancy Dress Friday

Friday workouts are a little different with Joe (and sometimes his family too!) doing the workout in costume, like today's family Fancy Dress Friday with Joe as Harry Potter and a little Baby Shark joining him!

So far we've seen Joe dressed up as Spider-Man, Scooby Doo*, and a rather big googly-eyed frog! Make sure you join in with bargain fancy dress costumes* and the best ones he will feature on his social media. And I can't express how much fun it is to watch a mini Mario* doing a workout in your living room!

P.E. With Joe Charity T-Shirts

If you need to get some more comfy clothing for the kids to do their PE lessons, Asda are still doing a offer online including some joggers, shorts, t-shirts and hoodies. They also have kids' plimsolls from £2.50 and trainers from £8*, just in case your kids are starting to grow out of theirs.

We think P.E. with Joe is an amazing idea, and it should help keep the kids active as well as bringing some structure and routine to the day while we're all 'home schooling'.

I'm going to do this every day with the kids, and maybe it will make me a bit healthier too! Thank you Joe x
Need some help home schooling? Here's all the free online learning resources available for parents during the Coronavirus outbreak. Images: The Body Coach / You Tube / Teemill
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Joe Wicks Is The Nation's P.E. Teacher With Free Daily Kids Workouts On You Tube

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Join in with Fancy Dress Fridays as well! This is great news for parents and kids who are dealing with school closures due to the Coronavirus. Joe Wicks, famous as The Body Coach, has become 'the nation's P.E. teacher' by giving daily online P.E. classes for kids!

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Zoom for Kids: How to Set Up the Zoom App for Students and Parents

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Webinar March 26

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Zoom would like to update your account settings. When joining a meeting or webinar by entering a meeting ID, participants will be required to enter a password. Participants joining using a meeting invite link will not be required to enter a password. Learn More

This change will be effective on . If approved or declined, the change will take effect immediately.

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Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Distance learning 101 with Kahoot! + Microsoft Teams. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

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Zoom would like to update your account settings. When joining a meeting or webinar by entering a meeting ID, participants will be required to enter a password. Participants joining using a meeting invite link will not be required to enter a password. Learn More This change will be effective on .

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How should I decide which lessons my child should use?

When your student logs in to their account, all lessons for their grade band (elementary, middle or high) will automatically be added to their student dashboard. Everything that is typically available to your student's school is what they will see on their accounts at home.

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Parents: Free Digital Lessons for Remote Learning | EVERFI

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How should I decide which lessons my child should use? When your student logs in to their account, all lessons for their grade band (elementary, middle or high) will automatically be added to their student dashboard. Everything that is typically available to your student's school is what they will see on their accounts at home.