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Zen flow charts allow teachers to reach modification on the SAMR model, however could reach redefinition if partnered with another ICT resource such as blogger or google spaces.

It is a simple and easy to use mind map application, that allows users to produce simple, yet detailed mind maps.

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What is a Flowchart?

In simple terms, flowchart or flow chart, is a type of diagram that describe processes. These diagrams compose of blocks, often rectangular, connected by arrows. The blocks contain information of a step in a process. In such way, flow charts help keep the information of a process clear and concise.

Learn more about Flowchart's History, Tutorial, Symbols, Tools, Flow Chart Creator, Free Online Flowchart Maker, Flowchart Software, Flowchart Examples, Flowchart Templates and much more in our Comprehensive Flowchart Guide.

Hiring Process Flowchart

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History of Flowcharts

It is not clear who was the true inventor of flowcharts, but the first standardized documentation on flow chart was first introduced by Frank and Lillian Gilbreth. In 1921, the couple presented the graphic-based method in a presentation titled: "Process Charts: First Steps in Finding the One Best Way to do Work", to members of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

After that, in 1930s, Allan H. Mogensen, an industrial engineer trained some participants in his Work Simplification Conferences in New York. Participants from this conference such as Art Spinanger and Ben Grahamthen began to use flowchart in their respective fields, which helped propagate the usage of flowchart.

In the year 1949, flowchart began to be used for planning computer programs and quickly became one of the most popular tools in designing computer algorithms and programs. Nowadays, flow chart is an important productivity tool, serving employees in various industries and functions.

What a Flowchart is Used For?

Flowchart is a very versatile tool that can be used to:

Document a process

Present a solution

Brainstorm an idea

Design a system

Explain a decision making process

Store information

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Our Online Free Flowchart Maker

Zen Flowchart is the simplest online software to create flowcharts, flow chart, org charts, process charts, sitemaps, and more. With a minimal and intuitive user interface, creating professional flowcharts and diagrams with our online flowchart maker / flowchart generator is easy and delightful. Our simple free flowchart maker also has Export and Publish features, which allow users to easily share their work. Try our free flowchart creator now!

How to use Zen Flowchart?

At Zen Flowchart, we pride ourselves in having the most intuitive, easy-to-use flow chart maker / generator on the market. And as such, we hope you'll be able to create flow charts with our flowchart tool without much help. However, here's a quick guide on the main features to get you started. Let us know if you have any issues by emailing us at help@zenflowchart.com

Flowchart Templates & Exemples

Zen Flowchart offers ready-made free flowchart templates that let you create flow chart with just 1 click. To use any flowchart template, log in to your Zen Flowchart, click on Templates > Hover over the flowchart template you would like to use > Then click on "Use Template".

How to Make a Flowchart?

Step 1: Map out major steps in a flowchart maker

Start with a piece of paper, or a free flow chart creator like Zen Flowchart with ready-made flowchart templates. Next, draw several major blocks that represent the most important steps in your process. Don't worry about the details for now. Because flow charts are read left to right and top to bottom, start your first node at the top left corner of your workspace.

Step 2: Key in details of your flowchart

Fill in the remaining steps. We recommend working in the natural order of the process. An optional step here is to style your chart with different shapes and color to make it easier to follow.

Step 3: Test your chart

Work through all the steps in your chart to make sure they are clear and exhaustive, and that there is no open-ended node remained.

Step 4: Gather feedback & share with an online flow chart creator

Share a draft of the flowchart and get feedback from the intended users to improve upon it. Flowcharts should be made easily accessible to all parties involved. So make sure you publish your work in the right place. Our online interactive flowchart maker Zen Flowchart has a handy publishing feature, which allows you to publish and share your flowcharts. Any future updates you make to the document will automatically be updated.

Git System Flowchart

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Flowchart Symbols & Components

Flowchart is a very intuitive method to describe processes. As such, in most cases, you don't need to worry too much about the standards and rules of all the flow chart symbols. In fact, a simple flowchart, constructed with just rectangular blocks and flowlines, can already get most jobs done.

However, if you want to get technical and precise, there are preset rules and standards you can follow. Specifically, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) set standards for flowcharts and their symbols in the 1960s. Afterwards, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) adopted the ANSI symbols in 1970. In general, flowcharts flow from top to bottom and left to right. For a full list of flowchart symbols, read our Flowchart Symbols Guide.

1. Flowline: Shows the process' direction. Each flowline connects two blocks.
2. Terminal: Indicates the beginning or end of a flowchart
3. Process: Represent a step in a process. This is the most common flowchart symbol.
4. Decision: Shows a step that decides the next step in a process. This is commonly a yes/no or true/false question.
5. Input / Output: Indicates the process of inputting or outputting external data.
‍6. Annotation / Comment: Indicates additional information regarding a step in a process.
‍7. Predefined Process: Shows named process which is defined elsewhere.
‍8. On-page Connector: Pairs of on-page connecter are used to replace long lines on a flowchart page.
‍9. Off-page Connector: An off-page connector is used when the target is on another page.
‍10. Delay: Any delay period that is part of a process
‍11. Alternate Process: An alternate to the normal process step. Flow lines to an alternate process block is usually dashed.
‍12. Data: Data input or output
‍13. Document: A document
‍14. Multi-document: Multiple documents
‍15. Preparation: A preparation step
‍16. Display: A machine display
‍17. Manual Input: Data or information into a system
‍18. Manual Operation: A process step that isn't automated.

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The Simplest Flowchart Maker | Free & Online Creator

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Create flowcharts easily with our free online flowchart maker. Voted #1 on Product Hunt. Loved by +1.6M Users. Try our interactive flow chart creator now!

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This website has some great activity ideas that foster the skill of thought in students.

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﻿ ﻿ Children must be taught how to think, not what to think." - Margaret Mead ﻿ ﻿

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This blog discusses the utilisation of blogs within the classroom to transform learning rather than using them to replace paper composition books or journals.

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The step from using a static website or emails as a mean to share announcements or calendar items to sharing the same type of items on a blogging platform is not far nor a steep step. My ultimate goal for using a classroom blog or student blogfolios though, is that of creating transformative teaching and learning opportunities, not to have a platform that substitutes a composition book or paper journal. To make the difference visible and clearer, I am looking through the lens of the SAMR model.

First, a Classroom Blog seen through the lens of SAMR
What about Student Blogs?
Substitution - technology acts as a direct substitute for the task

A student uses the blog as a tool to substitute a handwritten/typed and printed assignment. The student copies and pastes a Google Doc or other file from a word processing program into a blog post. The comments on the blog are closed or not being utilized. Students might upload a scanned image of an analog test score, worksheet or other analog artifact. Students might answer a prompt or question posed by teacher to the entire class. There is no added value to the learning process versus the analog task.

Augmentation - technology acts as a direct tool substitution with functional improvement

Students use their blog as a platform to publish assignments (research papers, essays, responses) for their teacher to see. The blog is a place to push out information, possibly for Student Led Conferences or a showcase/process portfolio. They insert or embed images, videos, presentations or audio to support their written text. They possibly insert hyperlinks to additional resources. Students tag and categorize their posts with searchable labels. The blog platform becomes a digital organization of students' online learning records, which is centralized, archived and searchable. Teachers use the comment section to give feedback to their students about their performance. Classmates read each other's papers and leave comments.

Modification - technology allows for significant task redesign

Students use hyperlinked writing as part of digital writing process to show and connect their thinking to topics, influences, relationships and process between previously published content and external resources. Students communicate beyond the written word, in multimedia and transmedia ways. It is evident in their work that they are writing with a global audience in mind and their work encourages conversation, invites multiple perspectives to add and influence their work. Students receive constructive feedback from peers as part of the writing process. Comments inform students' writing and original task of "paper" extends and "spills over" into the comment section, altering form of writing piece as well notion of "completion" of paper.Students are demonstrating writing skills for digital spaces, by observing digital citizenship, hyperlinked, networked, peer- connected and non- linear writing.

Redefinition - technology allows for the creation of new tasks previously inconceivable

The student blog becomes an embedded part of the process and a natural extension of communication and learning cycle by documenting evidence of learning, reflecting, sharing and receiving feedback in order to consider revision. Teachers and students actively and strategically disseminate and connect the blogs to a learning network for feedback and resources. The blog archives artifacts, reflections and connects learning over time. The blog becomes a natural extension beyond assigned academic work and is being used as a hub to document students' learning, demonstrating self-directed and self-motivated lifelong learning habits as they are organizing, building and maintaining their own online learning records, a growing academic digital footprint and develop their personal brand as well as personal learning networks.

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The step from using a static website or emails as a mean to share announcements or calendar items to sharing the same type of items on a blogging platform is not far nor a steep step.

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This is a great online application that allows the production of images, video and presentations. This would enable students to create new ways to communicate ideas through a visual graphic or video presentation.

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Canva is a free-to-use online graphic design tool. Use it to create social media posts, presentations, posters, videos, logos and more.

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Free online blogging tool that is integrated with a google account. Would be a great tool to enable and support collaborative learning within the classroom.

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Blogger.com - Create a unique and beautiful blog easily.

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Publish your passions your way. Whether you’d like to share your knowledge, experiences or the latest news, create a unique and beautiful blog.

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Excellent visual mind mapping tool that integrates with images and video as well as links to online resources. Allows students to collate and connect various digital resources.

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Important — Popplet.com service is ending July 1, 2026. Please read the official announcement here,and visit our new site Superstructures.io.

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Some great ideas on how to incorporate ICT into learning and links to useful resources.

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A Cavalcade of Inspiring Ideas for Kicking up Learning and Enhancing Engagement in Your Classroom!

There are enough ideas, resources, and (mostly) free tools here to keep you exploring and learning all year long. Have at it!

1. Get Your Students Creating

There is just no limit to the way that students can use the endless free resources available on the Web to create! You probably also have other creative applications on the computers or devices in your classroom, library, or computer lab. For lots of creative of ideas, check out this list of " 60 Things Students Can Create To Demonstrate What They Know " from our friends at TeachThought.com.

2. Get Real Time Feedback

If there are devices at your student's disposal, using them to let students provide real time feedback has never been easier. In fact, your students don't even need devices (have you heard about Plickers?)! Check out these " Top 5 Student Response Systems that Work on Multiple Platforms" to learn more about the excellent free tools that teachers are using every day to gather feedback or give brief quizzes, etc. If your students don't have devices at their disposal, check out how you can use free Plickers instead!

3. Collaborate

Collaboration is a vital 21st century skill, and collaborating via the web with your students can be free and easy! Here's a nice set of tools and ideas for using them, to help get you started: " 8 EdTech Hacks: A Cheat Sheet for Interactive Classroom Collaboration.

4. Augment Reality

2015 was an awesome year for Augmented Reality tools for the classroom. Here are " 9 Amazing Augmented Reality Apps for Teaching and Learning. This article offers videos showing how some teachers and students are using these types of apps. Then find even more AR apps for the classroom here!

5. Gamify It

We've all heard the buzz about "gamification". How can you take advantage of this concept with your students? One fun way is to create a PowerPoint Jeopardy game relevant to the content you teach. Here is a template for this. Another popular game that is taking the classroom by storm is Minecraft - they even have an education-dedicated site and resources over at MinecraftEDU.com.

6. Meet Your Maker

The Maker Movement and Maker Spaces got a lot of attention over the last year, and deservedly so ... when students create, they learn! Here's a fun way to give maker education a try in your classroom, from Jackie Gerstein. Learn more in her article, " Reflecting on the Making Process.

7. Make it in 3D!

If you have a 3D printer in your school, or maybe one in a nearby library, you can consider printing something in 3D - your students will probably be amazed (mine were)! What can you print that can help fit into what you are teaching? This list of 21 Cool Things Teachers and Students Have Built With 3D Printers will probably give you some ideas. Just keep in mind that if you are not already familiar with 3D printing, you're going to need some help from someone who is.

8. Create Collaboratively

One of the funnest ways to use collaborative tools in the classroom is to create with them! Google Drive is a hugely popular free solution that allows you and your students to collaborate on the creation of documents, worksheets, presentations, and more. Or try a collaborative interactive whiteboard like Twiddla or one of the many other IWBs in this article (be sure to check the comments for lots of additional suggestions from readers). These are just a few of the possibilities for creative collaboration in the classroom!

9. Let Them Choose

Giving students choices can be a significant motivator (check out Larry Ferlazzo's, " The Power of Choice, to learn more about this vital aspect of student engagement). When you are selecting tools and ways to utilize them, but sure to offer choices. Offer a selection of topics, approaches, apps, and techniques when creating assignments and projects, and students are sure to feel more involved and take more ownership of their learning.

10. Enhance Their Writing Skills

The Web is full of tools, resources, and ideas that can give your students opportunities to develop their writing skills. One of my favorite techniques is Crystal Kirch's WSQ technique, which is a great way to help ensure that students engage with learning content, and it also gets them writing. Here are some additional student writing tools, apps, and techniques for further exploration.

11. Video It

Creating video can be so much fun for students, it incorporates an array of skills, and it has never been easier! I love the Student Showcase we do each fall at the Teaching and Learning with the iPad Conference in Raleigh, NC, where young students are always demonstrating the awesome movies they've made with iMovie. I vividly recall the first time I saw some of these back in 2013, from Fuquay Varina Elementary School school students. Here is one of these movies, from students Sekou, Camren, and Colin. I also watched professional quality newscasts, and short movies, created by Franklin Academy high school students. Several of these well-spoken students demonstrated some of the equipment and tools that they used to create this content in this presentation.

12. Go Global

We can now bring the world into our classroom with such ease! Try a virtual field trip, like theseÂ from the Nature Conservatory, or explore the world with EarthCam. Bring remote guests into your classroom with Skype, or participate in a Google Hangout with Connected Classrooms. The possibilities are limitless!

13. Go Mobile

Students can now learn via mobile devices in ways never before possible. They can also use those mobile devices to do so many fun educational things in and out of the classroom! Consider trying a geocaching assignment, for example. The article, " R U Engaging Your Students? Strategies and Tools for the Texting Generation, offers a broad set of additional ideas for putting those mobile devices to use.

14. Animate it

Applications like GoAnimate, Voki, and Tellagami can be used by teachers and by students to create fun animated presentations. Students can have a blast using tools like these for assignments and projects without even realizing that they are developing writing skills and digital literacy. These platforms can also enable students to "present" without having to stand up on in front of a group, which can help younger students in particular gain skills and confidence without being overwhelmed by public speaking.

15. Get Your Groups On

Group activities help to build the vital 21st century collaboration, communication, and teamwork skills increasingly sought in today's schools and work places. Create group projects that let students use different talents and assume different rules. Split up responsibility for researching, designing, creating, documenting, and presenting. Partner students to create and critique each others' work. Try some of these " 7 Tools Students Can Use to Manage Group Projects " to teach students how to coordinate group efforts. Group work can take many forms, and tech tools can play a role in many of those activities.

16. Flip It

The Flipped Classroom is a powerful teaching and learning construct that has been made possible largely by digital technologies. Create a digital lesson, or use some of the amazing content that is already available online, and give the flip a try (just be sure to plan for how you will use the class time that you free up, which is what it is ultimately all about)! Check out this three part series of articles to get a good overview of the flipped classroom from published experts.

17. Improve Student Reading Comprehension

Tools like Newsela are brilliant examples of the powerful role education technology can play in facilitating reading comprehension (which is more of a challenge than ever, given today's students' love for video). Check out this article, " Literacy in the Digital Age: Five Sites With High-Quality Informational Text, to learn about a handful of tools similar to Newsela.

18. Make it a ProjectÂ

Project Based Learning does not have to incorporate technology, but tech can readily play a role in PBL. Of course, it is also important to understand the difference between projects, per se, and true PBL. This quote from the TeachThought article, " The Difference Between Projects And Project-Based Learning, says it well: "While project-based learning (PBL) also features projects, in PBL the focus is more on the process of learning and learner-peer-content interaction that the end-product itself."

19. Present it

Developing and delivering presentations is a common element in many of today's Higher Education classrooms, and they are finding their way into high schools and even lower grades, as K-12 schools further embrace 21st century skills. While Powerpoint remains widely popular, there are a growing number of alternative tools finding a place in both academia and the business world. One of those is PowToon (I'm a fan!), and they have shared 9 other alternatives in their article, " 10 Best Powerpoint Alternatives (if you get a pop up encouraging you to try a free account, just look for the "x" to click on to return to the article).

20. Try a Webquest!

Have you tried a Webquest yet? Webquest.org explains, "A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web." Zunal.com is a site that has a bunch of WebQuests, perfect for exploring and learning more! I have to admit, this is pretty new to me. When I write an article like this, I am always looking to learn new things too, and while most of these ideas are off the top of my head based on things I am already aware of, this was a new one! Can't wait to give it a shot.

21. Comics and Cartooning

I came away from the 2014 Teaching and Learning with the iPad conference with two huge takeways ... the power of Digital Storytelling (thank you Kathy Schrock ... more on this below), and an appreciation and awareness of the existence of good free comics and cartoon apps (thank you Emily Wierszewski!). Check out " Dozens of Ways to Use Comics and Cartoons in the Classroom" and " 20 Free Tools for Making Comics and Cartoons for Teaching and Learning" for everything you ever needed to know about the topic but were afraid to ask! (After you look those over, check out the video for my original song, Lotto Dust, to see how I had a blast creating a video using Pixton and some other tools!).

22. Code it

Yes, we're fans of coding as a learning tool. Unfortunately, many teachers may be functioning under a few misconceptions about what coding entails. The fact is, coding constructs can be fun and probably a lot simpler than you might have imagined. One of the most popular uses of coding in the classroom these days is coding small robotic devices, and it is very popular in young grades because it is not very hard and it's fun! This article from Vicki Davis's Cool Cat Teacher site, " Top Tips for Teaching With Robots (Using Spero), provides a good introduction to using one of these products in the classroom.

23. Set up a 'Back Channel'

Ever had a student who was totally reluctant to participate in classroom conversations? Of course you have (you've probably had dozens or even hundreds of them). One fun way to leverage tech in the classroom is to create a "back channel" where all of your students, even those reluctant to speak up in class, can participate in the dialogue around a subject. Twitter is a very popular tool for doing this. "MaggieV" explains how in this post on her "School 2.0 in South Africa" blog.

24. Tell a Story

Kathy Schrock is an original. She was one of the first edtech bloggers to rise to popularity, and it's no surprise since she really knows her stuff! I thoroughly enjoyed her Keynote presentation at TLIPAD 2014, and wrote this article about it: " The Power of Digital Storytelling, With Kathy Schrock (plus a Zillion Resources!). I often reach back to these resources for inspiration for lesson content, and as a reference when I am writing articles for the site here. There are a wealth of insights in that article, and Kathy's Digital Storytelling web page provides many tools and resources that both students and teachers can use to incorporate digital story telling into classroom work.

25. Reinforce it with an Exit Ticket Activity

The "Exit Ticket" is a great opportunity to help students begin to reinforce learning. There are many tech tools that are great for creating Exit Ticket activities. TeachThought offers these " 10 Smart Tools For Digital Exit Slips ".

26. Sharing is Caring

As long as you have their permission, sharing student work can be very exciting for students, parents, and teachers! Just think of the artwork hanging in the halls of K-12 schools all over the world. The digital equivalent of this can be accomplished through school web sites, teacher web pages, and other online means. One related toolÂ that is gaining increased exposure in both K-12 and higher ed is the Digital Portfolio. In 2015, K-12 eportofilio app SeeSaw earned a lot of notice. To my way of thinking, in higher education it should be a requirement for students to share their best work and use it to bolster their employment opportunities.

27. App Smash it!

Have you App Smashed yet? You probably have and may not even have realized it! For example, if you create content in one app and then modify or distribute it in another, this is a form of App Smashing. And you know it sounds like fun - you can just envision student's eyes lighting up when you say the phrase right?! "App Smashing!". Here are " 6 Amazing Apps Smash Examples to Inspire Creativity, from ThingLink.

Well, there you have it - 27 powerful ideas for integrating technology into lessons, assignments, projects, etc., in fun, meaningful ways. And if these tools and ideas aren't enough to keep you busy exploring and having fun with your students throughout the year, be sure to stop back regularly for more great ideas, tools, and resources!

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27 Meaningful (and Fun) Ways to Use Technology for Teaching and Learning - Emerging Education Technologies

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A Cavalcade of Inspiring Ideas for Kicking up Learning and Enhancing Engagement in Your Classroom! There are enough ideas, resources, and (mostly) free tools here to keep you exploring and learning all year long. Have at it! 1. Get Your Students Creating There is just no limit to the way that students can use the [...]

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This is a good article around the possibilities that ICT offers the modern classroom that support cultural sensitivity and support personal growth and learning.

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One evening last December, Kay Lee gathered her class of third graders in front of a webcam in Georgia, Vermont, to “meet” a class more than 6,000 miles away in Sejong City, South Korea, for the first time.

Though the students had spent months sharing lessons and conversing online, they had never seen each other on live video before.

After the cameras turned on, both sets of students sat for a few moments in stunned silence staring at one another. The quiet quickly erupted into giggles as the Korean students took turns introducing themselves.

“That’s my friend!” students from Lee’s classroom whispered excitedly, referring to the one-on-one relationships they’d built through the Intercultural Virtual Exchange of Classroom Activities (IVECA), a nonprofit organization that helps classrooms connect digitally to other classrooms all over the world.

The program, which Lee said has “opened the eyes” of her students living in rural Vermont, is one of a growing number of others like it that use technology to foster global learning among U.S. students and their international peers. Thanks to today’s technological capabilities, students from Somalia to Alabama no longer wait weeks to receive a mailed letter from a pen pal halfway around the globe: They can see and hear from one another in real time.

I kind of went into it thinking it was going to be like pen pals, but it’s so much more than that.

IVECA uses Lee’s standard social studies curriculum as the basis of a cultural exchange between her class and a classroom abroad. Throughout the semester, Lee’s students spend weeks preparing presentations on a particular topic to share with their assigned peer class—last year, they focused on Vermont’s alternative energy initiatives, and the Sejong City students shared details about their city’s shift to solar and wind power.

In between presentations, students communicate regularly through emails, photos, and audio recorded messages.

© Monica Donovan

Kendra Myers and her fourth graders at Bellows Free Academy in Vermont listen to presentations by a class of Tunisian students.

Lee said the project-based curriculum provides a unique, hands-on learning opportunity for her students, who are often most excited to learn the similarities and differences between themselves and students overseas. For students in rural Georgia, Vermont, with a population of less than 5,000, finding similarities with students living in Sejong City, an administrative capital home to more than 230,000 people, often comes as a big surprise.

“My kids’ eyes are huge when they get these emails back from Korea. ‘Oh, they have the same food we have? And they read the same books we read? How can that be?’” said Lee, a 42-year veteran teacher who has participated in the exchange for the past four years. “I kind of went into it thinking it was going to be [like] pen pals, but it’s so much more than that.”

Building Cultural Understanding

A number of education and technology organizations, such as the Asia Society and Digital Promise, are now diving in to help teachers like Lee connect their students to students around the world. It’s their hope that online exchanges about favorite foods or pastimes will lead to greater cultural awareness, tolerance, and collaboration across borders over time.

The International Education and Resource Network (iEARN), for example, offers more than 150 teacher-designed projects for classrooms in different countries to work on together, while the Global Nomads Group has roots in connecting mostly rural North American students with students in Muslim-majority countries, such as Jordan. The group’s new virtual reality (VR) component is now exposing students to challenging experiences overseas, such as the crisis in Syria, through 3-D simulations.

Bloomberg Philanthropy’s Global Scholars program even helps students from different countries collaborate on solving international problems, like water shortages or food security. The theme for the 2015–2016 school year, “Building Better Cities,” asked students how cities could become more sustainable in light of global warming and population growth.

© Monica Donovan

Rural Vermont is idyllic, but students here don’t often meet people from different backgrounds. A virtual exchange program with international students is now giving them that opportunity.

Superintendent Ned Kirsch shared some of these programs' same intentions when he decided to implement a global education program throughout the three rural Vermont districts he oversees, one of which includes Kay Lee’s school, Georgia Elementary and Middle.

The combined 1,650-student Franklin West Supervisory Union (FWSU), which Kirsch called “99 percent white, typical Vermont, not a lot of diversity,” began using the IVECA program five years ago to show students a world outside of their small communities.

What started in three classrooms has now grown to 12. In addition, FWSU hosts an annual China Camp, in which Chinese high school students spend two weeks in Vermont, practicing their English and soaking up American culture. An exchange program with a school in Puerto Rico may also develop in the future.

Kirsch said the global education program has been a win-win for teachers, parents, and students. Because it blends two classrooms’ existing curricula, teachers don’t have to plan extra lessons. Parents recognize the program’s importance for the future, as many of them commute to nearby Burlington for jobs with international clients.

And for Vermont students like 10-year-old Colby Phelps, who participated in the exchange last year, the cultural connections are opening their eyes, literally, to what life is like for students halfway around the world.

“They were dressed in uniforms, blue shirts with collars, and these thick, dark blue sweaters. It was cool to see them talk in [a] different language,” said Phelps of the video meeting with South Korean students, noting that he didn’t know anyone who spoke any language other than English.

His mother, Michelle Phelps, added, “It was amazing for our kids to have that experience. We don’t have a lot of diversity here, so it’s nice for them to see how other kids live . . . I think they got a lot out of it.”

Growing Interest

Though no official numbers are available for how many schools are internationally connected, experts report the numbers are rising, driven by a world where technology is rapidly removing borders and changing the way all of us communicate and interact.

When students are doing meaningful work together, they understand that people from other countries aren’t that different from them. Students may look different, but they’re really dealing with the same issues; they have the same feelings. They’re more alike than different.

In 2015-2016, the Global Scholars program had 6,700 students participating in 48 cities from Los Angeles to Zomba, Malawi. The Global Nomads Group expanded from individual classrooms to entire districts in 2015 and doubled the number of participating students. This year, the organization plans to reach 4,000 students in nine countries, including the U.S. And the popular Global Education Conference, a free, weeklong online event and international network that helps facilitate global classroom connections, currently claims 24,000 members from more than 170 countries.

The network helped fifth-grade teacher Will Piper from Milwaukee meet fellow fifth-grade teacher Pedro Aparicio from Mexico City four years ago. Their online friendship quickly blossomed into a series of classroom-to-classroom projects that the two teachers designed themselves. Their students have collaborated on lessons over Skype and by email, and even created websites together, including one about El Día de los Muertos.

The Global Education Conference also provided professional development for Piper, who says he is passionate about “co-teaching across borders.” Using free tools like Google Docs, Piper and Aparicio regularly share photos, videos, and lessons, and have even made a game of trying to outdo themselves each school year, he said.

© Monica Donovan

Cassie Underwood’s fifth graders watch themselves on screen at Fletcher Elementary School in Vermont as they prepare for a live presentation to a class of Korean students overseas.

As classrooms grow more diverse and issues like global warming and immigration dominate news headlines, educators are becoming more interested in globalizing their curricula, according to Heather Singmaster, an associate director at the Asia Society. The international nonprofit has spent the last 60 years focused on strengthening relationships between the U.S. and Asia.

Because of increasing demand for global learning resources, the Asia Society recently launched the Center for Global Education, a website for educators, schools, and parents that offers global education lessons, blog posts, and professional development training that can be purchased for a school or district.

Singmaster expects that the interest in global learning will only increase in the future, as more educators realize that students from very different cultures can learn to respect and understand each other when they work together in pursuit of a common goal.

“When students are doing meaningful work together, they understand that people from other countries aren’t that different from them,” Singmaster said. “Students may look different, but they’re really dealing with the same issues; they have the same feelings. They’re more alike than different.”

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Pen Pals 2.0: Can Technology Foster Global Tolerance?

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Schools all over the world are using digital tools to help students collaborate and build cultural understanding with distant peers.

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This resource defines the SAMR model and provides supportive examples.

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What is the SAMR model?

The SAMR model is a framework that orders strategies for classroom technology implementation into four stages:

In each stage of the SAMR model, the use of educational technology (EdTech) becomes increasingly sophisticated.

Substitution and augmentation strategies use EdTech to enhance learning and add value, whereas modification and redefinition stages harness EdTech to transform learning and make new things possible.
The effectiveness of any of these four strategies depends on when and how it is used.
Here's how you can harness each stage for more powerful classroom learning:

Substitution

This is the simplest stage, where EdTech is used as a direct substitute for traditional practices.

Substitution strategies can save you time and space by cutting back on laborious pen and paper tasks. Instead of printing out twenty-plus paper resources that clog the cupboard, you can use technology to manage resources with just a few clicks.

Substitution also provides a much more accessible introduction to technological soft skills than modification and redefinition. It's the perfect opportunity for students to get comfortable with new technology before you start to transform their learning.

Examples of substitution

having students type their work instead of handwriting it

using online quizzes and programs instead of pen and paper

uploading a worksheet in PDF for student access, as opposed to photocopying

using a digital interactive whiteboard as opposed to a traditional whiteboard and saving the results as a document.

Remember: Substitution strategies do not change the learning process or outcome. Ask yourself what you and your students will gain from the technology before implementing it. If it adds nothing but hassle, stick to pen and paper.

Augmentation

At the augmentation stage, technology adds something to the learning process beyond just convenience. It might give your students a clearer understanding of a complex topic or making it engaging in a way that traditional methods can't.

It also allows for the introduction of more independent and student-centric learning. By using technology as a source of information, students can start actively learning without requiring constant teacher-led instruction.

Examples of augmentation

Students give more informative and engaging oral presentations accompanied by a PowerPoint or Prezi containing multimedia elements.

Students use the internet to independently research a topic, as opposed to relying on teacher input.

Students use an EdTech program that gamifies curriculum content for student engagement and allows students to track progress in an accessible way.

Teacher instruction is supplemented with a video that clarifies a particularly hard to explain concept.

Modification

At the modification stage, technology is used to design interactive and dynamic tasks that go beyond the limitations of a traditional classroom.

For example, students can collaborate on shared documents, or work in large groups, allowing for seamless collaboration and knowledge sharing. This peer-to-peer work nurtures a more cooperative and dynamic class culture.

Technologically modified tasks also allow students to generate inspired and innovative work that isn't confined to paper. Some students will jump at the opportunity to get in front of a camera, while others will do anything to make it onto the global Mathletics leaderboard.

Examples of modification

Students produce podcasts summarising a topic, which can then be accessed by other students as a revision resource.

Students create an informative video presentation in place of a standard oral presentation. They can use their voice alongside a broader variety of creative multimodal components.

Students use a technological tool that makes an abstract concept visible in a hands-on, responsive way (e.g. voyaging on Google Earth to better understand measurement and geography).

Redefinition

The most sophisticated stage of SAMR, redefinition sees you using technology to make entirely new learning opportunities possible.

Redefining learning has the potential to connect learning with the real world and produce authentic outcomes. It also gives students strong technological soft skills such as digital collaboration, communication, technological literacy, and the ability to adapt to new systems and processes.

Most importantly, using technology to redefine learning in your classroom translates to vibrant and engaged students who embrace a growth mindset.

Examples of redefinition

connecting your students with other people around the world as part of the learning journey

having students publish their work online where it can be viewed by peers and the broader community

recording students as they deliver a presentation or practice a physical skill, then using this recording to prompt student reflection

experimenting with tasks that use extensive multimodal elements (e.g. producing documentaries or short films, webpages, print documents with creative layouts).

Remember, redefinition isn't the same as 'high tech'. A learning experience is redefined when it integrates technology seamlessly and meaningfully to open new doors for student learning - regardless of how sophisticated that technology might be.

In an English classroom, this might involve learning how to critically assess online media during web-based research. In mathematics, students might look at data represented through amazing visuals and get inspired to create their own.

Find your purpose

Starting with a purpose avoids the 'technology for technology's sake' that sometimes infiltrates the classroom.

Ask yourself:

What am I hoping to achieve by using this technology?

How will it make a difference to my students' learning?

Why is it preferable to not using technology?

How equipped are my students and I to use this technology?

How much time do I have to invest in making it work?

These simple questions can make it simpler to determine which stage of the SAMR model suits your needs. Remember that you don't always have to redefine your students' learning. A few simple technological additions to an already effective teaching strategy might be all you need to make a difference.

Using technology in the classroom sends a clear message to students. It shows them that you're connecting learning to the rapidly changing world outside the classroom walls, and you aren't afraid to adapt to a new challenge. Get creative with technology and you'll inspire as well as teach.

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The SAMR Model Explained (With 15 Practical Examples)

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What is the SAMR model and how does it apply to learning? Here's how you can harness each stage for more powerful classroom learning.

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Great tool for students that enables creativity and planning. Students can draw scenes to communicate a story or event and then share as an exported video with peers for review and feedback.

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Storyboarder - The best and easiest way to storyboard.

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Storyboarder makes it easy to visualize a story as fast you can draw stick figures. Quickly draw to test if a story idea works. Create and show animatics to others. Express your story idea without mak

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SAMR: A poweful model for understanding good tech integration (Edutopia)

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SAMR: A poweful model for understanding good tech integration (Edutopia)

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This resource describes each level of SAMR and provides guidance on how to achieve each level within the classroom. It is important not just to use technology for technologies sake. Remember , it's not all about the tool... "Technology before pedagogy" (Cowling , M. 2019)

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Good technology integration isn't about using the fanciest tool, it's about being aware of the range of options and picking the right strategy-or strategies-for the lesson at hand.

The biggest obstacle to teaching online probably isn't the technology. Teachers seek out educational technology, in fact, because it "can have considerable positive impacts on student performance," according to a 2016 study -improving test scores and allowing teachers to assess student achievement more efficiently. The big problem is how to integrate it: Beyond the sheer number of tech tools available, the same researchers identified "inadequate professional development and training" as the primary obstacle to using technology productively in classrooms.

Understandably, the emergence of the coronavirus has dramatically accelerated the process of integrating edtech, as educators around the country race to get online as fast as they can. But as many of our teachers have noted, the current state of K-12 online learning is more like triage-a form of crisis management-and not at all like skillfully managed distance education.

What's missing from the conversation right now, which makes sense given the immediacy of the need, is a focus on the bigger question of what the highest quality technology integration actually looks like. That's an important conversation to have, because in a post-coronavirus world there's likely to be a greater emphasis on digital learning, even as we return to physical schools and take advantage of face-to-face opportunities.

A Hierarchy of Tech Uses

A powerful conceptual tool to think about technology integration-and edtech's best uses-is the SAMR model, developed in 2010 by education researcher Ruben Puentedura, who was the 1991 recipient of a Phi Beta Kappa teaching award.

The SAMR model lays out four tiers of online learning, presented roughly in order of their sophistication and transformative power: substitution, augmentation, modification, and r edefinition. When switching to an online format, teachers often focus on the first two levels, which involve replacing traditional materials with digital ones: converting lessons and worksheets into PDFs and posting them online, or recording lectures on video and making them available for asynchronous learning, for example.
Creative Commons
Those are important steps, especially when teaching online for the first time, but in classrooms where tech integration has moved to the mastery level, the last two levels of the SAMR model-modification and redefinition-should also be in the mix. Students in classes where this kind of mastery is embedded find more novel and immersive uses for technology. They are creators and publishers of their own work across multiple forms of media, for example, or they are inviting professionals to provide feedback on their work products, or participating in digital forums with other peers around the world.

It's tempting to think of SAMR as a mountain to be summited. But good technology integration isn't about living at the top of the SAMR model; it's about being aware of the range of options and picking the right strategy-or strategies-for the lesson at hand.

Here's a closer look at good classroom practices at each level in the model:

Substitution

"Substitution" means replacing traditional activities and materials-like in-class lectures or paper worksheets-with digital versions. There is no substantial change to the content, just the way that it is delivered.

The goal here is to keep things simple: there's no need to reinvent the wheel. Scan your lessons and worksheets, convert them into PDFs, and post them online using Microsoft OneDrive, Google Drive, or a similar file-sharing service. Think about the information you have on your walls, such as the classroom norms, the daily schedule, or vocabulary lists, and convert them into digital formats that students can easily reference.

It may also help to provide synchronous as well as asynchronous versions of your lectures. If you're holding class meetings over a videoconferencing service like Zoom or Skype, provide a recording for students who can't attend. You can also create your own instructional videos for students to view at their own pace.

Augmentation

This level involves incorporating interactive digital enhancements and elements like comments, hyperlinks, or multimedia. The content remains unchanged, but students can now take advantage of digital features to enhance the lesson.

For example, students can create digital portfolios to create multimedia presentations, giving them more options to demonstrate their understanding of a topic. And instead of handing out paper quizzes, you can gamify your quizzes with tools like Socrative and Kahoot.

Teachers can also create virtual bulletin boards-using an app like Padlet -where students can post questions, links, and pictures.

Modification

At this level, teachers can think about using a learning management system like Google Classroom, Moodle, Schoology, or Canvas to handle the logistical aspects of running a classroom, like tracking grades, messaging students, creating a calendar, and posting assignments.

Teaching online opens up new channels of communication, many of which can help students who have traditionally been marginalized. Research shows that girls may be less likely to speak up in class, for example, so they may benefit from backchannels -alternative conversations that can run alongside instruction-that encourage participation.

Zoom's text chat feature, meanwhile, gives students an opportunity to write their questions out, which can feel less intrusive if there are dozens of students participating in the call. Also, students who prefer to collect their thoughts may benefit from slower-paced, asynchronous discussions in an online forum or email threads.

Redefinition

Learning is fundamentally transformed at the "redefinition" level, enabling activities that were previously impossible in the classroom.

For example, virtual pen pals can connect students to other parts of the world, whether it's with other students or experts in a field. Virtual field trips enable students to visit locations like the Amazon rainforest, the Louvre, or the Egyptian pyramids. After reading a book in class, you can invite the author to chat about their work and answer questions.

Technology also provides an opportunity to bring authentic audiences into your virtual classroom, and can make publishers out of your students. Kids can write their own wikis or blogs for public consumption and feedback-and platforms like Quadblogging can connect distant classrooms together so students both write and respond. Students can tackle local problems-like investigating the water quality of a nearby river-and invite members of the community to assess their digital proposals.

Going Beyond SAMR

Finally, consider how technology can be used not just as a way to deliver content, but also to strengthen relationships with your students. For elementary school teacher John Thomas, Seesaw and Flipgrid allow him to share a daily greeting, which his students then respond to-or to each other-with a typed or voiced comment. It's a good way to provide some stability while they're isolated.

How can my lesson be improved using technology?

How can I engage and empower students through technology?

How can online learning more closely resemble authentic, real-world learning?

Remember, again, that SAMR is sometimes thought of as a mountain to summit, but it's really more like a toolbox. The goal isn't to use the most sophisticated tool, but to find the right one for the job. More importantly, however, it's a way to reflect on your technology integration by thinking about a few key questions:

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A Powerful Model for Understanding Good Tech Integration

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Good technology integration isn't about using the fanciest tool, it's about being aware of the range of options and picking the right strategy-or strategies-for the lesson at hand.

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A review on the impacts that digital PenPals can have on cultural understanding of students. Arguments for the inclusion of international communication through technology.

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One evening last December, Kay Lee gathered her class of third graders in front of a webcam in Georgia, Vermont, to “meet” a class more than 6,000 miles away in Sejong City, South Korea, for the first time.

Though the students had spent months sharing lessons and conversing online, they had never seen each other on live video before.

After the cameras turned on, both sets of students sat for a few moments in stunned silence staring at one another. The quiet quickly erupted into giggles as the Korean students took turns introducing themselves.

“That’s my friend!” students from Lee’s classroom whispered excitedly, referring to the one-on-one relationships they’d built through the Intercultural Virtual Exchange of Classroom Activities (IVECA), a nonprofit organization that helps classrooms connect digitally to other classrooms all over the world.

The program, which Lee said has “opened the eyes” of her students living in rural Vermont, is one of a growing number of others like it that use technology to foster global learning among U.S. students and their international peers. Thanks to today’s technological capabilities, students from Somalia to Alabama no longer wait weeks to receive a mailed letter from a pen pal halfway around the globe: They can see and hear from one another in real time.

I kind of went into it thinking it was going to be like pen pals, but it’s so much more than that.

IVECA uses Lee’s standard social studies curriculum as the basis of a cultural exchange between her class and a classroom abroad. Throughout the semester, Lee’s students spend weeks preparing presentations on a particular topic to share with their assigned peer class—last year, they focused on Vermont’s alternative energy initiatives, and the Sejong City students shared details about their city’s shift to solar and wind power.

In between presentations, students communicate regularly through emails, photos, and audio recorded messages.

© Monica Donovan

Kendra Myers and her fourth graders at Bellows Free Academy in Vermont listen to presentations by a class of Tunisian students.

Lee said the project-based curriculum provides a unique, hands-on learning opportunity for her students, who are often most excited to learn the similarities and differences between themselves and students overseas. For students in rural Georgia, Vermont, with a population of less than 5,000, finding similarities with students living in Sejong City, an administrative capital home to more than 230,000 people, often comes as a big surprise.

“My kids’ eyes are huge when they get these emails back from Korea. ‘Oh, they have the same food we have? And they read the same books we read? How can that be?’” said Lee, a 42-year veteran teacher who has participated in the exchange for the past four years. “I kind of went into it thinking it was going to be [like] pen pals, but it’s so much more than that.”

Building Cultural Understanding

A number of education and technology organizations, such as the Asia Society and Digital Promise, are now diving in to help teachers like Lee connect their students to students around the world. It’s their hope that online exchanges about favorite foods or pastimes will lead to greater cultural awareness, tolerance, and collaboration across borders over time.

The International Education and Resource Network (iEARN), for example, offers more than 150 teacher-designed projects for classrooms in different countries to work on together, while the Global Nomads Group has roots in connecting mostly rural North American students with students in Muslim-majority countries, such as Jordan. The group’s new virtual reality (VR) component is now exposing students to challenging experiences overseas, such as the crisis in Syria, through 3-D simulations.

Bloomberg Philanthropy’s Global Scholars program even helps students from different countries collaborate on solving international problems, like water shortages or food security. The theme for the 2015–2016 school year, “Building Better Cities,” asked students how cities could become more sustainable in light of global warming and population growth.

© Monica Donovan

Rural Vermont is idyllic, but students here don’t often meet people from different backgrounds. A virtual exchange program with international students is now giving them that opportunity.

Superintendent Ned Kirsch shared some of these programs' same intentions when he decided to implement a global education program throughout the three rural Vermont districts he oversees, one of which includes Kay Lee’s school, Georgia Elementary and Middle.

The combined 1,650-student Franklin West Supervisory Union (FWSU), which Kirsch called “99 percent white, typical Vermont, not a lot of diversity,” began using the IVECA program five years ago to show students a world outside of their small communities.

What started in three classrooms has now grown to 12. In addition, FWSU hosts an annual China Camp, in which Chinese high school students spend two weeks in Vermont, practicing their English and soaking up American culture. An exchange program with a school in Puerto Rico may also develop in the future.

Kirsch said the global education program has been a win-win for teachers, parents, and students. Because it blends two classrooms’ existing curricula, teachers don’t have to plan extra lessons. Parents recognize the program’s importance for the future, as many of them commute to nearby Burlington for jobs with international clients.

And for Vermont students like 10-year-old Colby Phelps, who participated in the exchange last year, the cultural connections are opening their eyes, literally, to what life is like for students halfway around the world.

“They were dressed in uniforms, blue shirts with collars, and these thick, dark blue sweaters. It was cool to see them talk in [a] different language,” said Phelps of the video meeting with South Korean students, noting that he didn’t know anyone who spoke any language other than English.

His mother, Michelle Phelps, added, “It was amazing for our kids to have that experience. We don’t have a lot of diversity here, so it’s nice for them to see how other kids live . . . I think they got a lot out of it.”

Growing Interest

Though no official numbers are available for how many schools are internationally connected, experts report the numbers are rising, driven by a world where technology is rapidly removing borders and changing the way all of us communicate and interact.

When students are doing meaningful work together, they understand that people from other countries aren’t that different from them. Students may look different, but they’re really dealing with the same issues; they have the same feelings. They’re more alike than different.

In 2015-2016, the Global Scholars program had 6,700 students participating in 48 cities from Los Angeles to Zomba, Malawi. The Global Nomads Group expanded from individual classrooms to entire districts in 2015 and doubled the number of participating students. This year, the organization plans to reach 4,000 students in nine countries, including the U.S. And the popular Global Education Conference, a free, weeklong online event and international network that helps facilitate global classroom connections, currently claims 24,000 members from more than 170 countries.

The network helped fifth-grade teacher Will Piper from Milwaukee meet fellow fifth-grade teacher Pedro Aparicio from Mexico City four years ago. Their online friendship quickly blossomed into a series of classroom-to-classroom projects that the two teachers designed themselves. Their students have collaborated on lessons over Skype and by email, and even created websites together, including one about El Día de los Muertos.

The Global Education Conference also provided professional development for Piper, who says he is passionate about “co-teaching across borders.” Using free tools like Google Docs, Piper and Aparicio regularly share photos, videos, and lessons, and have even made a game of trying to outdo themselves each school year, he said.

© Monica Donovan

Cassie Underwood’s fifth graders watch themselves on screen at Fletcher Elementary School in Vermont as they prepare for a live presentation to a class of Korean students overseas.

As classrooms grow more diverse and issues like global warming and immigration dominate news headlines, educators are becoming more interested in globalizing their curricula, according to Heather Singmaster, an associate director at the Asia Society. The international nonprofit has spent the last 60 years focused on strengthening relationships between the U.S. and Asia.

Because of increasing demand for global learning resources, the Asia Society recently launched the Center for Global Education, a website for educators, schools, and parents that offers global education lessons, blog posts, and professional development training that can be purchased for a school or district.

Singmaster expects that the interest in global learning will only increase in the future, as more educators realize that students from very different cultures can learn to respect and understand each other when they work together in pursuit of a common goal.

“When students are doing meaningful work together, they understand that people from other countries aren’t that different from them,” Singmaster said. “Students may look different, but they’re really dealing with the same issues; they have the same feelings. They’re more alike than different.”

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Pen Pals 2.0: Can Technology Foster Global Tolerance?

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Schools all over the world are using digital tools to help students collaborate and build cultural understanding with distant peers.

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Digital Technologies Hub - Classroom Resources

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Digital Technologies Hub - Classroom Resources

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This website provided some ideas and resources on how to integrate digital technologies within the classroom for all year levels.

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These resources enable teachers to integrate the core concepts of Digital Technologies into their teaching and learning programs. Refer to our lesson ideas, provide students the opportunity to undertake self-paced learning or set them a challenge task.

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These resources enable teachers to integrate the core concepts of Digital Technologies into their teaching and learning programs. Refer to our lesson ideas, provide students the opportunity to undertake self-paced learning or set them a challenge task.

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This could be a great way for students to present information on a research task they have completed.

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Virtual Museum Templates

Below are links to several sample virtual museum rooms I developed based on an example I was provided by the generous educators at Keith Valley Middle School. The first sample is a full template to use in the development of a virtual museum. Use and share it freely. The room samples, with the exception of "Class Slides," were all developed by Keith Valley personnel and I modified them for use in new museums. Note that the "rooms," as opposed to the template, do not include active links.

Full Virtual Museum Templates

Warneka Design-4 rooms, 13 artifacts

Blue-Yellow Design-4 rooms, 16 artifacts

Grand Entry Design-5 rooms, 23 artifacts [Note: With the exception of the text and wall hangings, the graphic elements in the museum entrance are grouped. To make changes to this template, ungroup the project.]

Virtual Museum Rooms

During ISTE 2010, I had the privilege of learning about a new method of using non-linear PowerPoint. Michelle Lynn of Fox Creek Elementary in Highlands Ranch, Colorado along with Jessie Bertman, Kim Eikenberg, Lindsey Moore, Katie Patterson, Angel Wolf, and their students presented a poster titled "Interactive Primary Lesson or Non-linear Moon Phase PowerPoint." Their students combined a graphic of moon phases with the non-linear technique to create a project that demonstrated their understanding of their science content. You can see some examples of their student work at http://drop.io/nonlinearppt.

After viewing their presentation, I realized their were many other ways to use the platform to teach or reinforce cross-curricular content. Of course, many have seen the techniques used to make game boards in the past, but here are some other ideas I hadn't seen before.

Alternative Techniques [Note that the HTML versions linked below provide visual representations of the slideshows, but, in many cases, the internal links are inactive. You must download the PPT file to engage interactively.]

Booklist (PPT version/HTML version): Using a bookshelf concept, students place pictures of their recently read books on their home slide and provide synopses or personal recommendations about the books on the linked slides.

Book Report (PPT version/HTML version): Using simulated book tabs, students declare their knowledge of concepts such as plot, setting, characters, genre, and vocabulary as it relates to their selected books. See an example of aNevada Report using this technique (PPT version/HTML version).

Timelines (PPT version/HTML version): Using pre-existing timelines or based on self-created timelines, students create links to information about each node on their timeline.

Maps (PPT version/HTML version): Using an exiting map, students create and place buttons over different locations on the map.* These buttons, then, link to pages referencing each of those locations.

*If you wish to place an unseen button over another graphic, one option is to create a shape and place it directly over the graphic. This is particularly helpful when working with maps. To make it so you can use the button as well as see the graphic behind the button, make the fill color of the object transparent. Buttons will not work if you select "No Fill."

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Educational Virtual Museums Developed Using PowerPoint

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Below are links to several sample virtual museum rooms I developed based on an example I was provided by the generous educators at Keith Valley Middle School. The first sample is a full template to use in the development of a virtual museum. Use and share it freely.

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This resource could be use to create lessons that are differentiated for all students by allowing them to work individually and at their own pace through a planned and produced lesson that includes scaffolded supports.

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Nearpod: Foster a love of learning in every student

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Create active learning experiences students can’t wait to be a part of.

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Online savings calculator that helps students work out how much money they can save and includes % earned in interest. This could be useful in a business and economics lesson to teach students about budgeting.

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Savings goals calculator - Moneysmart.gov.au

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Our saving goal calculator will help you plan and reach your savings goals.

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Great online resource that provides lesson plans for Economics and Business lessons aligned with ACARA that are grouped by year.

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You have to set up a free account to access the worksheet, but it would be useful to utilise in a year 7 Business and Economics Classroom.

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A great resource of information for students about starting and running a business. There are step by step instructions and template to support new entrepreneurs.

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Conducting market and customer research gives you insight and data on local and global market trends that will help you make decisions when starting or growing a business.

Market research is a broad term covering:

past and current market conditions

customer demographics

demand for products and services.

Customer research will help you develop profiles of specific target customer groups and forms part of your market research.

When you should do market or customer research

When developing and changing aspects of your business, including offerings to customers, it's important to do thorough research to have confidence in the actions you're taking, including research into:

pricing

branding

product names

new retail outlets

advertising campaigns

new products or services.

There are several methods you can use to do research, including:

conducting your own research using customer surveys, feedback and interviews

conducting analysis of your own business using your past performance in sales, goods returned and repeat business

researching industry and market trend information

reviewing reports, industry journals and government information.

Understanding market research and customer research

Market research is a methodology used to gain reliable data about specific markets and target customers. Market research organisations and industry associations provide data and statistical reports on markets and future trends.

Data and statistics can also be taken from the Australian Census and by using search engines and social media to explore trends in the market and discover what customers are searching for.

A subset of market research is customer research. Customer research tools help you target and understand your buyer's behaviour and demographics.

The differences between market research and customer research are:

market research involves data and statistics for

overall industry

market attributes

economic and population fluctuations

technology innovations

internet and mobile phone usage

competitor activities

customer research involves data and insights into

what, when and how often customers want to buy (quantitative data)

why they make their decisions (qualitative insights).

By exploring customer profiles and motivations, you can gain insight into demographics such as geographical populations, buying habits, preferences and the projected growth or decline of targeted groups.

Using a combination of market and customer research helps you to keep up to date with market trends and build reliable customer profiles to target. It is important to build more than 1 customer profile to prevent marketing too broadly.

The value of market research

Market research is valuable at the start-up stage of your business, and you should conduct research regularly to ensure you adapt your business to changes in the market.

Planning and conducting your market research involves using methods and tools to ensure your marketing activities will be:

profitable and cost effective

linked to the needs and trends of the market

in line or ahead of competitors.

Market research tools

Read about the tools to use when planning your market research and their benefits below.

Research can be undertaken yourself or outsourced to professional market research organisations.

Professional market research organisations

The value of customer research

Customer research gives you insight into why customers are currently buying or not buying from you, and what they may want to purchase from you in the future.

You can also research current customers by identifying what they are purchasing from you and investigating why-for example, you could ask your customers how often they shop online versus purchasing from a physical store, then ask why they choose their methods of purchase.

Customer research is beneficial to your business for:

understanding why sales are dropping

finding out what customers need

finding out what customers want from their relationship with you

identifying value you can add to your current products and services

building 2 or more distinctive customer segments and profiles that you will target-for example

business to consumer (B2C)

business to business (B2B)

business to government (B2G)

customers in certain age ranges or locations

customers with certain hobbies or interests.

As your business grows, regularly researching your current customers will help you refine your knowledge of them and expand to more customer types.

Set your objectives, collect data and analyse

Research should be conducted over multiple periods and segmented into focus areas for improving and growing your business (e.g. increasing your sales, adding new products and services, or improving customer service).

To conduct effective research, you need to complete each of the following steps.

1. Decide on the specific improvement or growth area and set your research objectives-for example:

test the reaction to a new brand, product, service or advertising campaign

understand competitors in the market and how you can add value

understand demographics to identify how many potential customers there are in a specific geographical location

identify product and service trends to plan for growth of your offerings.

2. Understand what customers think about your business and your competitors.

Find out if your product or service could be needed by another market segment (e.g. if you are currently marketing to consumers, you may also be able to market to businesses).

Find out how much customers are willing to pay for the product or service.

3. Decide if you'll do the research yourself or use a specialist company.

4. Identify the data you need and plan the research methods you will use and over what period.

5. Collect the data you need, checking it is:

valid-well-founded, logical, rigorous, sound and unbiased

accurate-free from error and includes the required detail

reliable-it can be reproduced by other people researching in the same way

timely-current and gathered within an appropriate period

complete-it includes all the information you need to support your business decisions.

6. Add your data to a spreadsheet or software that allows you to manage many criteria (e.g. age, location, income, interests).

7. Analyse and interpret the information-what does it tell you about the specific areas you are focussing on?

8. Identify and implement the changes you need to make to your operations or the products and services you have identified that will grow the business.

Understand your buying benefit

Use our customer research tool to consider your customers' reasons for buying a product or service (the buying benefit) from your business and categorise the customer types these benefits target.

Planning research methods and activities

Customer research can involve different elements to cover key aspects of your business or marketing planning, such as:

researching your industry and market factors or trends to understand influences on the market

researching your competitors to build profiles and compare them with your business

researching your customers to build your ideal target customer profiles.

Use our market research kit for help with planning your research.

Types of market and customer research

Market and customer research methods you can use for your own business fall into 2 main categories.

Primary research is focused on your business, gathering information from your own customers or potential customers (e.g. surveying or interviewing them).

Secondary research is about finding and analysing other existing information sources (e.g. looking at industry reports and online research results).

The type of information gathered is also categorised into 2 types of research.

Quantitative research involves gathering data that can be measured, such as number of sales or visitors to an expo. It is about understanding the 'what' (e.g. how many, how often, how much, what colour, price or preference).

Qualitative research helps you understand the 'why' (e.g. why do the customers feel a certain way about you, your products, prices or competitors?). For example, your qualitative research could be using focus groups to answer questions and give feedback about your products and services, or when you visit a competitor to see how they do business.

Common customer research methods and activities

You should use various research methods to get accurate and reliable data. The following is a list of methods and activities you could try, the research type and the benefits.

Primary research

Consider using the following primary research methods to understand your customers and your business's place in the market.

Focus-group testing a new product (qualitative)

Secondary research

Consider using the following secondary research methods to review information sources to supplement your own business data.

Reading industry reports and trade journals (quantitative)

Government department and agency data (quantitative)

Tips for conducting surveys, focus groups and interviews

Follow these tips to learn how to design questions for customers and how to make the most of their responses.

Analysing and reaching conclusions

As you conduct your primary and secondary research, you should prepare a document or spreadsheet to capture your data. This document can keep all findings in 1 place and allow you to see data correlations.

Your research on the objectives should be used as part of your business plan.

Research and analysis example

This is an example of using both primary and secondary research.

You have secondary research in a local government area profile report that identifies the number of new houses and increasing numbers of parents with children.

Your primary research survey (undertaken at a local shopping centre) finds that this demographic group of new parents cannot get the children's play facilities they need and want in the new housing area.

You see this correlation in your spreadsheet and conclude there may be a market opportunity for your children's play centre business in this area.

You then do more research around the location, competition and household incomes to identify the best types of play centre activities for these customers.

You prepare interview questions and invite parents to focus groups where you ask:

about the specific type of play centre activities their children would prefer (e.g. painting and craft workshops, indoor rock climbing, Lego club)

how often they would use the service

how much they would be willing to pay.

Research resources for business

Visit the following resources and learn about how they might be useful for your research.

Industry-specific research resources

Industry associations

Most industries in Australia are represented by industry associations, which are typically not-for-profit organisations that provide member services and lobby on their behalf.

Industry associations can help with your research by:

giving you information about your industry (e.g. how changes to legislation will affect your business)

providing information and programs to help you meet industry standards

delivering training and education programs

managing mentoring programs.

They may offer some information and services for free, but it's possible you will need to become a member and pay a fee to access their full range of information, resources and services.

Search online to find industry associations relevant to your business.

Learn more about industry associations from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

Also consider...

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market-research; customer-research; market research guides; research market; research customers; carry out research; consumer research; business research; plan market research; plan customer research; run customer research

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Planning and conducting market and customer research

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Find out how to plan and conduct market and customer research to understand your customers' needs and tailor your marketing activities.

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This is an online quiz that is similar to Kahoot. It creates an engaging environment for students to acquire knowledge through the incorporation of peer competition.

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Online quiz, this works well for classes with individual devices as it provides instant feedback and ads a competitive element that engages most students.

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Join a game of kahoot here. Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn - any subject, in any language, on any device, for all ages!

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YouTube allows students to experience events and cultures they would otherwise be unable to. It also provides them with a free and unlimited online learning resource. As well is being a viewer of videos, students can create and share their own produced content on this platform and receive feedback from global users.

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Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

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This is a great resource for maths teachers to create curriculum relevant activities for their classes. I have found they are great for settling the class after lunch and engaging them with some simple mathematics practice.

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Microsoft teams allows users to communicate, collaborate and share files easily. This would be a great tool for teachers to share lesson content for their students, and for students to complete tasks collaboratively.

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Video Conferencing, Meetings, Calling | Microsoft Teams

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Working together is easier with Microsoft Teams. Tools and files are always available in one place that's designed to help you connect naturally, stay organized and bring ideas to life.*

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Not only a great read but access to three impactful videos that explain the creative common license. Download the fact sheets to upload into your OneNote/Teams etc for easy access for your students.

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Creative Commons Australia | Creative Commons works to increase sharing, collaboration and innovation worldwide.

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Creative Commons: Education | Creative Commons Australia

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Assisting students and teachers to share creative and educational resources freely with others.

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Lesson plans, resources (videos and worksheets) that focus on media literacy and digital citizenship - finding appropriate sources, fake news, media ethics and social media.

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Think a show you saw on ABC TV Education could help your lesson?

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Use this poster to embed into your class materials. This organiser lays out the key idea of the SWOT tool and provides some prompts for students to focus their ideas. Simple and effective!

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Visit the CommBank website to access loan, debt and stamp duty calculators. Whilst many bank's present similar options, the CommBank program is visually simple and easy to follow. Great example of considering financing for businesses or personal decisions (buying a car).

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Estimate how much you can borrow for your home loan using our borrowing power calculator. View your borrowing capacity and estimated home loan repayments

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Access the online calculator to assist in calculating personal tax implications, superannuation and government entitlements. It is really flexible for weekly, monthly and annual income! Great introduction to gross vs net impact also.

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Simple calculator for Australian income tax

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Social collaboration tool using video. This is an easy to use and fun video tool that can be seamlessly added to any classroom.

Examples of Flipgrid being used in the classroom are:

A class discussion topic is posted and students individually respond to the stimulus.

In a math class students are asked to explain how they solved a mathematical problem. Students are the asked to provide feedback on one or two of their peers videos.

Students could record a reflective video blog on a regular basis.

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We express ourselves in different ways. On Flip, you can use our simple and fun built-in camera to record your thoughts, add effects and share within your Flip group as video, audio only or text in your web browser or mobile app.

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Flip is a video discussion and sharing app, free from Microsoft.

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Flip (formerly Flipgrid) is a video discussion and video sharing app, free from Microsoft, built for classrooms and beyond. Learn more.

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This resource supports teachers understand the need and importance of cyber resilience and safety for their students, as well how children and young people are using the internet.

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Kialo is a resource that provides an opportunity for higher order pedagogy. As a debating platform, it encourages collaboration amongst students and cultivates an environment for analysis and evaluation of different ideas and beliefs. In addition, Kialo can also be implemented for assessment and learning activities.

Thanks for the resource Nicholas!
https://padlet.com/nicholasflynn2/01

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Kialo Edu is a custom version of Kialo ( kialo.com), the world's largest argument mapping and debate site, specifically designed for classroom use. Its clear, visually compelling format makes it easy to follow the logical structure of a discussion and facilitates thoughtful collaboration. Kialo's mission is to promote well-reasoned discussion online, and to that end, Kialo is free for educators to use.

To put their knowledge into action To sharpen their critical reasoning skills To demonstrate their understanding To engage constructively with each other
Take your classroom discussions online, break down complex subjects for students, and shake it up with new types of assignments.

Try Kialo in Your Classroom

What can you use Kialo for?

Create discussions for your students, where they can put their knowledge into practice, develop their own views on classroom content, and consolidate what they've learned. In a Kialo discussion, every student has a voice - there's no talking over each other, and students have the space to explore arguments at their own pace. Kialo's collaborative platform encourages students to work together to find the best way to express each idea.

Assign students to write a Kialo discussion instead of an essay - or use Kialo discussions to outline larger writing projects. Kialo's argument-tree structure leads students to consider counter-arguments, develop a logical outline of their argument, and visualize how their ideas fit together.

Write a discussion for your students to explore, and set out content in a clear and easy format. Link to additional sources and reading, challenge students to add arguments or question concepts.

How does Kialo work?

With Kialo, discussions and debates are clearly visualized as an interactive tree of pro and con arguments. At the top of every discussion is the thesis, which is supported or challenged by pro and con claims. Each one of these claims can in turn branch into subsequent claims that support or challenge them.

All discussions are private and can only be seen by those you choose to share them with. To start a discussion with your students, simply write a brief description and a thesis (or theses). Share the discussion with your whole class, or divide students into smaller groups.

Each claim has a comment section underneath that allows you to give students feedback, suggest improvements, and ask questions without cluttering the surface of the discussion. Similarly, students can easily collaborate with each other to improve their arguments, examples, and phrasing.

You can set up teams for each of your classes to easily share and organize the content you want your students to see. All content on Kialo-Edu.com is private, accessible only to the people you share it with.

These features are just a small fraction of what you can do with Kialo.
Find the application that works best with your teaching style.

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Kialo Edu - The tool to teach critical thinking and rational debate

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Kialo is a free tool used by educators world-wide to teach critical thinking, facilitate rational classroom debate and explain controversial issues.

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This is a good article about a proactive approach to inclusion in classroom activities that require group work.

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PE Blog - Read & Discuss Current PE Topics

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Classroom Management's Best Kept Secret -Empowering Students to be Proactive Problem Solvers

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Don't let classroom management barriers become reasons to avoid facilitating team or group activities. The skills that contribute to being a good teammate

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Mathigon courses offer a free, visual, interactive and engaging way of learning content.  Teacher accounts are free and there are safe ways to set up student accounts.  Courses can be selected to suit content and shared via class link with students, allowing them to digitally engage in content at their own pace.

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Mathigon's innovative courses cover everything from fractions and trigonometry to graph theory, cryptography, prime numbers and fractals.

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This multiplayer site is for developing fluency in arithmetic and can be used from a smart phone.  Teachers can assign students tasks via a class code and students can compete for scores, with statistics results uploaded to the teachers dashboard.

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The easiest most fun way to practice math facts in a classroom! Instantly engaging and perfect for all-class activities. No students' accounts required.

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Mathematical Mindset Teaching Guide, Teaching Video and Additional Resources - YouCubed

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Mathematical mindsets focuses on a growth mindset in math, having high expectations to make math challenging, and  tackling issues of math anxiety and fear to take risks.  This site has resources to help implement this mathematical mindset mentality in class.  It is recommended elements of these concepts are implemented to tackle math anxiety and low self concept in math.

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Mathematical Mindset Teaching Guide, Teaching Video and Additional Resources - YouCubed

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We have designed a Mathematical Mindset Guide to help teachers create or strengthen a growth mindset culture. This guide contains five Mathematical Mindset Practices along with links to teaching videos. […]

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ClassKick is an amazing collaborative learning site.  Teachers can upload PDFs and insert automatic answer keys, start collaborative online number-talks, and students can communicate with anonymity, reducing anxiety and creating a safe space where everyone feels safe to contribute.  What I especially love is the option for the teacher to allow peer tutoring when a student puts their virtual hand up.  It’s free and all you need is a class code. I hope you love it as much as I do!

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Helping Teachers Be Awesome See all your students working and give high-quality feedback–from anywhere. Sign Up (Free!)

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This is a great tool to support learning with graphics calculators within the classroom, and will assist students that don't have access to one.

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Explore math with our beautiful, free online graphing calculator. Graph functions, plot points, visualize algebraic equations, add sliders, animate graphs, and more.

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Castle Photogrammetry using Polycam, iPhone 12 Pro and iMovie

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Polycam is an easy to use app for IPhone 12 Pro incorporating LiDAR 3D surveying that students can measure directly from scans, comparing to own manual measurements, import into Tinkercad and other engineering drawing applications for building 3D printable models, or explore modern day surveying application of mathematical content as they learn about surface area, volume and composite area. The video above demonstrates my own experimentation.  More details can be found here: https://poly.cam/

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Castle Photogrammetry using Polycam, iPhone 12 Pro and iMovie