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Free virtual manipulatives until June 30; create single username & password for students to access as well by click on "accounts" once logged into your account.

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The most popular manipulatives at your fingertips. Powerful yet easy-to-use.

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Image for each day w/guiding question for K - 5 to use after notice & wonder routine.

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Erikson Institute Big Ideas in Early Math

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Erikson Institute Big Ideas in Early Math

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Erikson Institute Early Math Collaborative

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Our set of Big Ideas map the key math concepts young children need to explore between the ages of 3 and 6. Big Ideas are foundational to lifelong mathematical thinking and can guide teaching and learning in the early childhood years. They are organized by topic here and in our book, Big Ideas of Early Mathematics: What Teachers of Young Children Need to Know. Learning early mathematics means opportunities to play around with and talk about big math ideas.

Big Ideas of Early Mathematics:

What Teachers of Young Children Need to Know

The Big Ideas that convey the core concepts of mathematics are at the heart of this book that gives early childhood educators the skills they need to organize for mathematics teaching and learning during the early years.
Order a copy

Online MS in Early Childhood Ed - STEM Focus

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Elevate your practice and strengthen your knowledge of teaching and learning in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), with an emphasis on children in preschool through third grade.
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Free videos.

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Here are the Big Ideas when teaching and learning mathematics in the early years. Topics such as number sense, measurement, sets and patterns.

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https://www.npr.org/2020/03/27/816575527/comic-how-to-turn-your-home-into-a-school-without-losing-your-sanity

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Lesley University's Center for Mathematics Achievement PreK-5 Math Resource List

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Lesley University's Center for Mathematics Achievement PreK-5 Math Resource List

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High-quality curation of math-related resources for at-home learning (songs, books, games, activities)

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Collections of digital math inquiries, most appropriate for grades 3 and up

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The British Library has an extensive selection of resources and activities on their 'Discovering Children's Books' page.

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Explore centuries of stories, poems and illustrations with Discovering Children's Books. For children, teachers and book-lovers of all ages. Over 100 treasures are waiting to be found, from one-of-a-kind manuscripts to original illustrations. For the writers and artists of the future, there's a gallery of activities to spark creativity and inspire your own stories, poems, illustrations and more!

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As a screen-free math activity, have your kids create some #sidewalkmath using chalk! They can upload a photo of their creation to Seesaw afterward.

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Sidewalk Math is made possible by the collaboration of educators and artists from Lesley University's Graduate School of Education and College of Art and Design. The Lunder Art Center, finished in 2015, illustrates Lesley's commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration. Sidewalk Math is a project by Lesley's Creativity Commons, a physical and virtual space for scholars and students from across the university to engage in creative exploration of innovation in teaching and learning.

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Sidewalk Math is made possible by the collaboration of educators and artists from Lesley University's Graduate School of Education and College of Art and Design. The Lunder Art Center, finished in 2015, illustrates Lesley's commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration.

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Problems to Ponder are individual problems or groups of problems that are grade-band specific, much like those that appeared in NCTM's legacy journals: the Math by the Month department in Teaching Children Mathematics, the Palette of Problems in Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, and the Calendar in Mathematics Teacher.

Growing Problem Solvers are rich tasks that can potentially span four points along the PK-12 learning trajectory (elementary, intermediate, junior high, and high school) and can elicit higher-order thinking. Each task is a low-floor/high-ceiling task with multiple entry points, allowing for a variety of solution strategies and reaching many different learners. A teacher page explores the math and potential instructional strategies.

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Problems to Ponder are individual problems or groups of problems that are grade-band specific, much like those that appeared in NCTM's legacy journals: the Math by the Month department in Teaching Children Mathematics, the Palette of Problems in Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, and the Calendar in Mathematics Teacher.

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World Book is offering FREE access to their subscriptions and resources.

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Learn More

Recorded Webinar

Watch this webinar for ideas on how to promote World Book Online.

© World Book, Inc. All rights reserved. WORLD BOOK and the GLOBE DEVICE are registered trademarks or trademarks of World Book, Inc.

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Learn More Watch this webinar for ideas on how to promote World Book Online. © World Book, Inc. All rights reserved. WORLD BOOK and the GLOBE DEVICE are registered trademarks or trademarks of World Book, Inc.

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*Must login w/Google account first

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Flipgrid is where social and emotional learning happens! The leading video discussion platform for millions of PreK to PhD educators, students, and families.

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NWEA - Digital Tools to Support Formative Assessment.

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NWEA - Digital Tools to Support Formative Assessment.

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https://www.nwea.org/blog/2019/75-digital-tools-apps-teachers-use-to-support-classroom-formative-assessment/

75 Digital Tools and Apps Teachers Can Use to Support Formative Assessment in the Classroom

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Video PDs on number sense, math in context, and games.

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Build Math Minds Elementary Math Trainings

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Free trainings for teaching mathematics, whether at home or at school.

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Rich tasks & games, can filter by grade

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Explore Math classroom activities to inspire and engage your students

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In addition to the general Greg Tang site, here is a PDF with a game board for each grade level K - 6 with 10 appropriate activities from Greg Tang's site for them to do (one per day). https://gregtangmath.com/images/spring/gameboards/SpringChallengeGameboardsAll.pdf

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Need standards-based word problems for your students? Use our generator to create fully customizable problems. Complete with hints, part-whole models, tape diagrams, error checking and more! And you can print them out too!

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Need standards-based word problems for your students? Use our generator to create fully customizable problems. Complete with hints, part-whole models, tape diagrams, error checking and more! And you can print them out too!

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Additional problem solving & games from Jo Boaler's YouCubed.

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A resource for additional problem solving opportunities, can sort by grade band (PK-2, 3-5, 6-8).

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Problems of the Week - National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

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Hands-On Math Goes Digital In and Beyond the Classroom!

Explore Our Collection of FREE Virtual Manipulatives

From Number Lines to Base Ten, Pattern Blocks to Place Value, Disks our collection of free Virtual Manipulatives gives educators and families access to visual and hands-on digital resources that lead to understanding. Students can use these resources in class and at home to practice math concepts, reinforce their growing math understanding, technology they love in the process.

Free Resources & Instructions for Teachers and Families

We've developed these resources for easy access and easy use:

How-To Videos

There's a short video for each of the Virtual Manipulatives in our collection so teachers can use these digital materials easily and confidently with students.
Watch Now

Activities

Activities from the Didax books that teachers use most for easy download. Engaging challenges address core math operations, concepts and skills, from early numeracy all the way to introductory geometry and algebra.
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FAQ

Download this document of FAQ's to answer your Virtual Manipulative questions.
Download Now

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Demonstrate key math concepts in your classroom using our new virtual manipulatives!

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Digital Math Manipulative Apps and Websites

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Digital Math Manipulative Apps and Websites

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Sharing in an app allows educators to pose problems and investigations for students by using an 8-character code or link. Students can share their thinking with their teachers and classmates. Share codes remain available for continued use for 18 months from the date they are last accessed.
Watch the video to learn how sharing works.

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Sharing in an app allows educators to pose problems and investigations for students by using an 8-character code or link. Students can share their thinking with their teachers and classmates. Share codes remain available for continued use for 18 months from the date they are last accessed.

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Resources For Teaching Online Due To School Closures

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Resources For Teaching Online Due To School Closures

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How would you feel if someone said you need to change your whole approach to teaching immediately? Imagine if, instead of interacting face to face with students in your classroom, you had to create and deliver a virtual program.

Perhaps you'd feel nervous? Overwhelmed? Excited? Unqualified? Inspired? Or perhaps plain lost.

During April 2020, remote learning became a reality for over 90% of students worldwide. Teachers, students, families, administrators, departments, and whole communities are being forced to respond and adapt quickly.

Referring to COVID-19 (coronavirus), UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay warned,

...the global scale and speed of the current educational disruption is unparalleled and, if prolonged, could threaten the right to education.

The rates of school closures have soared in the last month:

In mid-February, China was the only country mandating school closures.

Two weeks later, 22 countries were closing schools.

As of April 3, 188 countries have implemented nationwide school closures.

If your school is still open, it's never too soon to calmly plan and prepare. Things are changing rapidly and exponentially.

Want a live update on school closures across the globe? Check out UNESCO's tally.

What's In This Post?

Our guide will give you insights into how educators around the world are approaching school closures.

Thousands of teachers worldwide are currently sharing snippets of their experiences via social media or their blogs. We've compiled, curated, and built on some common themes and ideas to create this extensive guide.
Click on the links in the menu below to help you navigate the post.
This post also includes a range of useful graphics to help you that you're free to use and share. If you use the images in your own work, please attribute our article and link back.

Here's a sneak peek of some of the graphics:

Let's dive right in to the resources!

Daily Structure Options

The first question educators might be asking themselves is what does a "school day" look like when it's no longer happening in a school?

Let's talk about timetables, hours, and the overall structure you might implement.

In most cases, your school day will have to be based on technology although some departments, such as New York, are open to the option of mailing out work the old fashioned way. This is a good fallback if technology can't be used but you may not want to get into the habit of only handing out packets (worksheets) if you can avoid it.

📌Note: It's important to find out about students' technology/internet access at home and we have a Google Form survey you can adapt to survey your parents towards the end of the post.

The old fashioned approach can also work well to complement online learning and is important for younger students. Check out the fabulous "Learning Boxes" staff in Vietnam put together for their young learners.

We'll discuss many useful technology tools further on.

The issue of daily structure and timetables is a major consideration and some schools are constantly tweaking their approaches.

Do you stick to your regular school timetable? You could, but many schools are finding a modified approach is more realistic.

Lessons can take longer for students to complete at home for many reasons including:

Technology difficulties

No teacher guidance to keep students on track, engaged, and informed

A busy household (multiple family members and responsibilities)

Varying degrees of parent/caregiver involvement (there can be barriers like language, competence with technology and the curriculum, parenting younger children, or trying to keep up with work responsibilities)

Illness (let's not forget the reason for the school closures)

Some teachers are finding what they could get done in one period of class requires two periods when it's online.

Consider a "Percentage" Approach

Most teachers who have some experience with online schooling realize that the pace is slower and expectations need to be reduced.

Some teachers provide and expect a certain percentage of the normal student workload. For example, an elementary student might have a 50% workload, although a senior high school student may be given a 90% workload.

Suggesting a percentage might give teachers and families a ballpark if they're wondering what to expect.

Synchronous or Asynchronous Learning?

A question that may come up a lot as you plan and tweak your approach to online learning is whether your program will be synchronous or asynchronous. That is, whether it will be conducted in real-time or whether students will complete tasks according to their own schedules.

Here's a quick comparison:

You might find a mix of both is a useful strategy. Your own unique situation, including your students' age, might have a big impact on this decision too.

For some families, asynchronous learning can be more convenient: if parents are working, they may have more time to support/supervise student learning outside of business hours.

Other schools are finding synchronous learning is a powerful way to keep the class connected.

If your teaching and learning program involves video then you'll once again face the question of synchronous (e.g. live conferencing) or asynchronous (pre-recorded videos or screencasts).

We'll dive in to the video options further on, however, let's take a quick look at how some teachers are weaving conferences and recorded videos into their weekly schedules:

Examples of how Video Conferences are Being Used:

A 10 minute video conference to begin the day.

A whole class video conference at regular times during the week (e.g. 30 minutes every Monday and Friday afternoon).

A whole class video conference to introduce important lessons or projects.

A video conference to check in with each individual student each week.

On-demand video conferencing - students can sign up during a teacher's "office hours" if they want to book a session.

Small group video conferences for students with similar needs.

Optional "live recess" to allow students to connect and hang out.

Examples of how Screencasts or Recorded Videos are Being Used:

A video introduction or screencast for key lessons (might not be possible for all lessons).

A short welcome video each morning and/or reflection video each afternoon.

A screencast to offer feedback on student work and progress.

Student created screencasts to demonstrate learning.

Let's look at some specific options for daily timetables.

More Flexible Option: Distribute a Daily "To Do List"

When schools decide on expectations, they often need to consider whether they should give lesson guidelines that can be completed at any time, or stick to a traditional structure.

For example, if you were offering a flexible program, you could build on a checklist like this:
Today you need to complete:
It's optional whether you give an actual time requirement (e.g. 30 minutes) or just a task, however, a time suggestion can be helpful so students don't spend either all day working, or not enough time on task.

More Structured Option: Distribute a Timetable

Alternatively, students might be issued with a structured timetable that all students will complete at the same time, e.g.

Factoring in time for catching up seems to be proving extremely useful for many schools. You might schedule learning activities in the morning and leave the afternoons free for catching up and offline pursuits. Alternatively, you could schedule one day a week for completing unfinished work or even have a weekly "screen-free" day.

Here's an example of a weekly screen-free day from Shekou International School in China.

#Grade4SIS has implemented a device free day each week during #onlinelearning... & I had so much fun creating this week's choice board for our learners! #choice #learnerprofile #SISrocks #ISSedu #flipclass #disted #mlearning #elearning @SISGeckos @ISSCommunity pic.twitter.com/tNoKEIzjjn

- Mr. Peter Damroth (@PDamroth) March 25, 2020

Rather than a daily approach, some schools are taking the whole week into account and giving projects or assignments that need to be completed or worked on over 5 days. Based on progress, a new plan might then be made for the following week.

Example: Kindergarten

Ashley in the middle east is not doing any live teaching via video conference due to cultural and religious reasons.

Ashley's team sends a weekly plan to the parents of their kindergarten students along with a suggested timetable. There are no expectations that the timetable is followed exactly due to parents working and a variety of family situations.

The planners are given out two weeks in advance to help families plan ahead. The links to learning tasks go to YouTube videos and Ashley's Office 365 cloud account of activities or readings. Ashley's kindergarten class also uses Flipgrid.

Example: 5th Grade

Laura Faulk at ASIJ (American School in Japan) is a 5th grade teacher who has recently started teaching online.

Her team created a daily planner using Google Docs. They share it each morning on a website that was created for their new distance learning program.

They are currently surveying families to find out whether they'd like to have the planner in advance.

The Google Doc planner has links to all the students' classroom and specialist work. The students are given a guide as to how long to spend on each activity.

The ASIJ team adapted their ideas from the work of Hong Kong International School (HKIS have a fantastic home learning website that is worth checking out too!).

You can follow Laura and her team on Twitter (@asij_g5).

Example: Google Slides

Some teachers put their planners on a Google Doc, or Sheet. Google Slides can be another awesome way to send out a daily plan and work (but even better if these Slides presentations are added to a blog, LMS, or website so they don't get lost).

You can include text, links, and videos of yourself teaching to a Slides presentation amongst other things.

One major benefit is you can copy and edit your planner so you don't have to start from scratch each day.

Check out this post by Alice Keeler for more advice on using Slides in remote learning.

We also have a beginner's guide to Google Slides on The Edublogger for a broader overview.

Here's an example from US kindergarten teacher Megan Peschke @MeganPeschke). Don't be put off by the age group. This idea could be adapted for any age!

Click here to view the Google Slides presentation in a new tab.

Instructions for Editing and Using Megan's Google Slides

1. Click on this link:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Bl534rtloR0AjD2wgfLPVrJs2Q6BDS9DEz2G2m9Fzgs/copy
2. You will be prompted to make a copy (screenshot below).

3. The Slides will be saved in your Google Drive.

4. You can edit the Google Slides to suit.

SlidesMania have also published a fantastic free weekly planner template that can be used in Google Slides or PowerPoint. Find it here.

Help Students Plan Their Day

Some teachers, especially those who are giving out ongoing assignments or projects, encourage their students to plan out their own days. You could give them ideas or a template.

Here is an example which you're welcome to copy and adapt,

People seemed to like the student planners a non-twitter teacher created for our #continuouslearning students, so here is blank version. Feel free to make a copy and make your own! https://t.co/3ZzKKpUA2F

- Rebekah Madrid (@ndbekah) March 5, 2020

Instructions for use:

1. Click here to open the Google Doc

2. Go to File > Make a copy

3. Type a name and choose where to save it

4. Click Ok

5. You'll then find an editable copy of the Google Doc in your Google Drive

How do you Plan an Online Lesson?

Once you have ideas on how your school day will be structured, you might start zooming in to the planning of actual lessons.

What do lessons look like when they're online rather than face to face?

Despite being physically distant from your students, you still want to be as present as possible virtually. Online teaching and learning isn't a "set and forget" situation.

Like all lessons, you may want to start with learning outcomes, and possibly success criteria (your school might already have a framework for this). The delivery of the lesson will be the part that might just look a bit different.

Remember, there's nothing wrong with keeping your lessons quite simple, and in many cases they'll be similar to what you'd do in the classroom, perhaps with more autonomy and technology.

For example, your normal lesson structure might involve a warm up, revision, an explanation, student activity that aligns to outcomes, then reflection. The same sort of structure is possible with virtual lessons.

Easily Adapting to Virtual Lesson Planning

Timothy Malan (@timothy_malan) is a middle school science teacher at an international school in Spain. He has created a detailed video to explain how a regular classroom lesson can be transformed into a virtual lesson. He reassures teachers that it doesn't have to be overly complicated!

The first 12 minutes of the video goes through the framework, and then Timothy dives in to an example lesson.

5E Model for Creating Online Lessons

Have you heard of the 5Es framework? It's an instructional model that's been around for 20+ years. Using the model, teaching and learning progresses through five phases: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate.

Author and educator, Catlin Tucker has published a post called, Tips for Designing an Online Lesson Using the 5 Es Instructional Model.

In her post, Catlin provides a simple framework that shows how the 5Es can be used to create online lessons. Catlin has also recorded a video for each "E" that explains the model further.

While the 5Es approach is far from the only way you can go about designing online lessons, it may be a useful framework for those who don't know where to start.

💡 Catlin also shares a good tip about using Google Docs to share lessons with students. Google Docs are easy to copy and edit. That means teachers can create different versions of the same lesson with minimal work. Any suggested videos, readings, or activities can be differentiated to meet the individual needs of learners.

Useful Online Tools

For some teachers, the technology part of virtual learning will be the scariest obstacle. Before we dive in to useful options, take a deep breath and remember:

Less can be more: you don't need to be using a huge range of different tools.

Start with tools students and teachers are already familiar with: there are probably some technology tools, apps, or platforms you've used in class that can be useful.

Remember, despite technology being a crucial tool for most closed schools, teaching and learning isn't about the technology. Try to focus on the core business of schools: relationships and learning.

Virtual Home Base or Online Platform: 3 Step Approach

There are some awesome tools out there for learning and creativity but first consider what you'll be using as your home base. When your classroom and school assembly halls aren't in use, your virtual hubs are more important than ever.

What will communication look like and where will learning take place? Here are three common steps you might see:

1. Communication will probably begin with information from the school district or state education department.

2. Then a school website might provide an overview of your plan for the whole community. (Need a better school website? CampusPress can help with that!).

3. From there, you could have individual class blogs or other approaches like a learning management system (e.g. Moodle, Canvas, or Google Classroom), a Facebook group (for older learners), Slack, or Seesaw.

Read on for more information and examples of this three-step approach.

1) District/State Education Department

Let's zoom out for a moment. When a school is to be closed and learning is transitioning to online, the first step is often clear communication from the top level - your district or state education department (if your school falls under one of these authorities).

Here's an example from Northshore District School in Washington state. They published a blog post on their district website to inform everyone in the school community of school closures.

It's an honest and dynamic announcement as they're still figuring out arrangements. The beauty of blog posts is you can keep publishing as more information is made available.

Of course, a blog post or website update may be followed up with a direct notification to families to ensure the news is received (e.g. SMS or email).

2) School Website or School Blog

A school website (or temporary site) can be an important next piece in the puzzle. It can provide an overview of your plan for the whole community to ensure everyone is on the same page, knows what to do, and knows where to seek help.

Website Example: YIS Continuous Learning Plan

Yokohama International School (YIS) in Japan has been closed since early March. They're becoming leaders in the community of global educators scrambling to find out how to approach school closures.

YIS has created a website to communicate a clear approach to their changed schooling format,

Although campus is temporarily closed, "school" continues as we engage students with experiences that continue the planned learning program and help them to stay connected with teachers and classmates. These learning experiences offer authentic opportunities to focus on key concepts, knowledge, and skills. They emphasize interaction and creativity, and involve a balance of on-screen and off-screen tasks that help connect to previous learning and the current curriculum.

Vice principal, Rebekah Madrid, explains the choice of the term "continuous learning",

For the first day, people weren't sure what we meant by "continuous learning". But now it makes sense for us. We didn't want online (because not always online) and we didn't want distant (because that's not the vibe we wanted). So continuous worked for us.

- Rebekah Madrid (@ndbekah) March 3, 2020

3) Classroom Hub: Blog, LMS, or Other Online Community

The third step is an online hub where you can distribute student learning tasks, share resources, gather feedback, and keep everyone in the loop.

While you could just email out assignments to students, there may be better options (emails can be better for one on one communication; they can get lost and can be hard to refer back to.).

You might already be using a learning management system or other platform (e.g. Seesaw, Sensei LMS for WordPress, Google Classroom) at school that you can continue to use after your school closes. If so, there is probably no need to reinvent the wheel! Go with what you and your students know.

But maybe you don't have a place set up already where you can post learning tasks and resources that students can use on a daily basis.

Google Classroom is a popular choice. If you want to learn more, check out this demo from Alice Keeler and Vicki Davis. This cheat sheet from Ben Cogswell also goes over the basics.

Consider a Blog For Your Classroom Hub

A blog is a free, basic, and flexible tool that acts as a classroom hub and more.

Here are some reasons why you might consider a blog as your online classroom while your school is closed:

A blog is a space you can own (you don't have control over some online spaces like social media).

It's a place where all the bits and pieces you create and explore in the online and offline world can be housed.

Blogs aren't just text and images, you can include videos, slideshows, infographics, podcasts, posters, polls, charts and more. Here are just six tools that allow you to create interactive learning content for your blog (online worksheets, games, and so on).

Blog content can be organized in a systematic way and searched for as needed.

Comments and forums allow two-way interaction.

Blogs can be public or private (learn more about the pros, cons, and options in this article).

💡 We have a post that compiles some examples of class blogs from a range of age groups and locations. You'll notice that there is a lot of flexibility in the way blogs are used.

Team 2 Eagles Blog Example

Becky Versteeg is a wonderful grade two teacher in Canada.

She is using her class blog to share daily ideas. Her posts include videos, printables,photos from students and fun ideas to try at home.

Class Blog And/Or Student Blogs?

You might be only interested in having a class blog to share learning resources and so on. Alternatively, you might want all students to use their own blog to complete learning tasks, publish online, reflect on their experience privately, or even connect with the world.

My Class is a free management tool from Edublogs that brings a class blog and all your student blogs/accounts together. It makes it easier for teachers to set up and monitor their classroom blogging program.

Learn more about My Class in this post.

Example: Art Blog

Here is an example of a fantastic blog with lessons for home art activities by Chris Gadbury.

One of the great things about the blogging community is you cannot only make your own blog but benefit from other educators' blogs as well!

Want To Start Blogging But Not Sure How?

Check out our Blogging 101 page. It includes a 15-minute tutorial video and all the help guides you'll need to get going!

Educators and students can set up as many blogs as they need using Edublogs for free (no ads or time limits). Compare all the features here.

Videos And Online Learning

You can come up with fantastic tasks for students to work on at home but your program will run so much better if students can still feel your presence as a teacher. Videos are such an important part of online learning and a great way to maintain relationships.

Your familiar face will grab students' attention while building engagement and understanding.

Nervous about being on camera? Don't worry! Just start small. It will be worth it. Many teachers are nervous to start and want to re-do their video over and over (some students are like this too!). It won't take long for you to realize your videos don't have to be perfect and students will appreciate your efforts.

Let's take a look at some options.

👉🏽 Note: If you want to look at using video more deeply, check out our new Educator's Guide to Using Video in Teaching and Learning.

Synchronous or Asynchronous Videos

There are two main options for sharing videos with your learners:

Synchronously: That means real-time streaming. It could be a live stream (like on YouTube) or an interactive video conference (like on Zoom).

Some synchronous videos can be recorded so they can be viewed again at a later date. This is useful if students can't attend the live stream, they have technology issues, or need to revise the content.

Asynchronously: That means you record videos that can be viewed (and reviewed) when it suits the student. Your videos could be a simple "piece to camera" or a screencast.

Screencasting is where you narrate a video recording of your computer screen. Sometimes it's just audio and sometimes you can see your face in the video as well.

The benefit of asynchronous videos is there are no time pressures, however, the connections that can be formed in synchronous video conferences can't be underestimated.

Popular Tools for Synchronous (Live) Video Conferences

There are many tools out there that allow you to connect with students via video. This can really help to unite the class.

Four of the most popular video-conferencing options for teachers and schools include:

Zoom - Robust software designed exclusively for video conferencing.

Google Hangouts Meet - The evolved version of classic Hangouts that's part of G Suite.

Microsoft Teams - Communication and collaboration platform that's part of Office 365.

WebEx - Cisco tool for video conferencing, online meetings, screen share, and webinars.

These tools all allow video conferences with screen sharing capabilities.

The teacher can start the conference and share the access link with the students.

Students can access the conference at the specified time using any device (e.g. laptop or tablet).

Some users like to use external microphones, headphones, or webcams, however, the camera and microphone attached to your device are probably fine for getting started.

Here is a quick comparison of the free/free education plans for Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts Meet, and WebEx Meetings:

Notes on Live Video Tools:

Safety comes first! Your school or district probably has advice about which video conferencing tool you should use and which settings should be employed. As an example, Zoom has released some best practices in this PDF.

Zoom, Meet, and Webex temporarily upgraded their free plans for educators but these offers have now ended for Meet and Webex. If your school Zoom account hasn't already been upgraded, you can apply here to remove the 40 min time limit.

Some teachers are also experimenting with live streaming on YouTube. For teenagers, it's a platform they're often already familiar with and they can comment in real-time.

Mix it up: Principal at International School of Dongguan, Todd Brink, suggested that, "One-on-one, small group, or whole group sessions are a must. Just like the classroom!" Video conferencing software allows these sorts of options.

Example Video Conferences From Teachers

Teachers at American International School of Guangzhou are doing a fantastic job of setting up engaging video conferences using Zoom.

Here are two examples that were recently shared on Twitter,

Using #zoom_us to create a collaborative story this morning ... once we had our order, can we work together to build a story one word a time? A myth about an earthquake that goes with our #unitofinquiry #howtheworldworks ? Even better! #AISGZ #onlinelearning #virtuallearning pic.twitter.com/W4EvYnGK2B

- Katie Robbins (@krobbins84) March 5, 2020

Another #zoom meeting with second graders. I think they only come to see a mess I make doing my science experiments. Today there were beans spilled all over my coffee table and the smell of vinegar is overpowering. Science #onlinelearning is still fun. #aisgz #pypchat #sciencefun pic.twitter.com/XSjc19ltCQ

- Inga Bela (@inga_bela) March 5, 2020

Jennifer Wathall is a teacher from Hong Kong who began teaching online earlier than most of the world. She shares her tips for teaching online, most of which apply to synchronous video conferences.

John Sowash shared these tips for running a virtual lesson on Google Meet (they can apply to other video conferencing tools as well).

Popular Tools for Recording Asynchronous Videos and Screencasts

There are a number of tools available to record screencasts. Like many online tools there are free plans and paid plans.

Let's compare four of the most popular screencasting tools teachers are using for recording lessons.

This chart compares the features of the free plans (paid plans have more features).

Note: As of March 12, Loom Pro is now free for teachers and students forever. The chart below has been updated.

Notes On Screencasting Tools

I've written a blog post specifically about Loom if you want to learn more. There are no age restrictions so students can use Loom if you want them to make screencasts.

You'll remember that Zoom is a popular tool for video conferencing. To record a screencast using Zoom, you start a meeting with yourself as the only participant and record the conference. You can't record if you're using the Zoom iOS app.

Record a Piece to Camera

Your videos don't have to be part of a video conference call or a screencast. You can record a simple piece to camera using your phone or webcam.

That is, a video of your happy self teaching and talking!

In our Educator's Guide to Video on The Edublogger, we outlined ten tips for recording a piece to camera. Read the full post (you'll find a PDF copy to download) or check out the summary below.

Video Editing

Made a video and want to edit it? Maybe it needs trimming, captions, or other effects?

For quick video editing on my phone, I love two free apps from GoPro called QuikStories and Splice. QuikStories puts everything together for you with music, transitions, and other cool effects. Splice is handy if you want to make more manual edits and don't necessarily want too many effects.

Try not to get carried away though, it can be a lot of fun creating videos but a raw edit is fine!

We have more advice about editing and other video tools in our Educator's Guide to Video in Teaching and Learning.

Example Videos from Teachers

This year 1 teacher from Tokyo International School demonstrates a wonderful reading lesson,

@Ms_SarahVaughan nurturing 'reading as thinking' remotely. #distancelearning keeping @tcrwp as alive as possible during this #peskycoronavirus @holleytcrwp @clemenkat pic.twitter.com/cWeCWnUBIX

- TokyoIS (@TISlearns) March 5, 2020

For older students, here is an example from two creative art teachers.

E-learning commenced today @TISLearns worried that Middle School Art & Design teachers Sara and @mandurubell Andrew might 'make it' as the next celebrity YouTube stars! If they earn their fortune and leave us what would happen to our Arts department and staff room giggles?! pic.twitter.com/ZQYpvpTLvR

- Christopher Frost (@FrostChrissy) March 4, 2020

For more tips on using live or recorded video in your online teaching program, check out this article from Richard Byrne. He has some great suggestions such as keeping your webcam on, using check-in questions, and using a $20 whiteboard.

Other Online Tools to Consider

So you have your home base set up, you've considered recording some videos to share with students, now what other online tools can you use to engage students and fuel their learning?

Here are some suggestions with a very brief summary of each. This list is far from exhaustive Leave your own ideas in a comment!

Create fun learning games for your students called Kahoots. Classes can play live against each other or students can complete the quiz at their own pace.

*Premium features are currently free for schools facing closures. Learn more.

A free tool that allows students to study information via learning tools and games (flashcards, quizzes etc). A new individual mode has just been replaced so students can play together while they are physically apart. The free account has advertising.

*Learn how to use Quizlet for remote learning here.

These short educational videos are fantastic for online learning. There's also BrainPOP Jnr. for K-3 and BrainPOP ELL for English language learners.

*Currently free for educators affected by coronavirus school closures. Learn more.

Online tool that allows you to make all sorts of graphic designs (perfect for communicating with students and families). Learn more about Canva in our guide on The Edublogger.

*Educators can get a premium account for free (not just during school closures).

A popular tool to create interactive YouTube videos to check students' understanding. Basic plans are free for teachers and students.

Design lessons with interactive question s, polls, quizzes, and formative assessments. Works with Google Slides.

*Pear Deck Premium is free for 90 days for schools affected by closures. Learn more.

Anchor.fm is a popular free service for recording, hosting, and distributing podcasts. Check out our guide on The Edublogger to learn more about using podcasting with students.

Create grids to facilitate asynchronous video discussions that are very engaging for students. This tool is totally free.

Padlet is an online bulletin board where you can display text, images, video, and more. Padlets can be embedded in blog posts. It used to be free but now there is a limit of three Padlets before you need to upgrade.

Students at the International School of Buscan recently used Padlet for a virtual art show!

Today's Grade 3 Virtual Art Exhibition on @Padlet is brilliant! #ISBlearning pic.twitter.com/rqJqwiN5Nt

- Simon McCloskey (@SimonJMcCloskey) March 5, 2020

Simple tool for younger students to create books or learning journals that combine text, images, audio and video.

*Schools that are closed for COVID-19 can get 90 days free of the premium plan. Learn more.

Cloud based video editing tool that allows students and teachers to get creative. Students could have fun responding to some of learning tasks as a video and can collaborate with peers on projects. WeVideo have also recently introduced screencasting.

*WeVideo For Schools free for schools affected by COVID-19. Learn more.

Real world texts at different reading levels with built-in activities.

*Free for schools affected by COVID-19 closures until the end of the 2020 school year. Apply here.

A curation tool that allows you to save, organize, tell stories, and share content from around the web. See the example Wakelet embedded below.

Read all about how to use Wakelet in this post.

More Ideas for Online Tools

To stay up to date with more useful online tools that teachers are using as they switch to online learning, follow this Wakelet by Erin Flanagan (@erintegration).

There's also a huge list of education companies offering free subscriptions due to school closings by Amazing Educational Resources that is updated regularly. You can check it out here.

A Note on Students and Books

What's a classroom without books! If you're going to be teaching virtually you might be wondering where to find reading material for your students. Some students might be lucky enough to have a lot of reading material at home. No doubt, many will not.

Here are a few ideas for sourcing digital reading material:

📚 Modern books/interface

Local libraries often offer free access to eBooks and audiobooks (e.g. OverDrive, Tumblebooks, Libby, BorrowBox etc.). Find out what your local library offers and tell families how to become members if they're not already.

Newsela - Real world texts presented so that children can access the same text at different reading levels (currently free for schools).

Rivet - Free app that families can download with thousands of modern leveled readers.

Epic - Digital library of modern books aimed at children under 12. Always free for teachers and librarians (and students can access it during school hours).

ReadingIQ - Similar to Epic. There are thousands of modern digital books for readers under 12. Access is free for closed schools - learn more here.

Oxford Owl - 100 free eBook readers for young children. Free but you need an account.

Story Shares - American not-for-profit group who shares stories online, that are aimed at older students who read below grade level.

📚Less Modern books/interfaces

Don't be put off by the "old school" designs of these websites. Many allow access to older works with expired copyright that can be ideal for classroom use.

International Children's Digital Library -- A collection of international books for children aged 3-13 presented in 59 languages.

Project Gutenberg - 60,000+ eBooks that can be downloaded for all ages (most are older works with expired copyright).

Faded Page - 5000 plus eBooks that are completely free to download. Not designed for children but there are many classics for older students (like Project Gutenberg they are mostly older works with expired copyright).

Open Library - Catalogue where you can borrow books for free (lots of options for older students).

Lit2Go - A free online collection of stories and poems in MP3 (audiobook) format with accompanying text. Includes many classics with expired copyright.

Sue Waters has written a post that shows exactly how to find and read eBooks. This is a helpful guide for both educators and students.

Can I Read Aloud to my Students?

This question is being asked over and over by the online education community in recent weeks.

Many teachers are keen to read aloud to their students using video, however, remember there may be copyright issues.

If you're in the USA, you should be covered by "fair use" as outlined by EdSurge.

Some publishers are now allowing teachers to read books to their students during school closure. Kate Messner explains here.

Pernille Ripp and Kate Messner have both written about other places to find online read alouds.

My favourite site for free read alouds (by professional actors) is Storyline Online.

Some authors are hosting their own online storytimes during the pandemic. Find the details in this post.

10 Tips for Virtual Teaching and Learning

Transitioning to online schooling is a learning journey for everyone. While everyone's circumstances are different, these tips might offer you some food for thought. Chime in with your own tips in a comment!

Here's a summary and read on for lots of ideas and examples:

1) Encourage Fun, Play, and Activity

In the traditional classroom setting, many teachers plan physical activity breaks for good health and productive learning.

Many PE teachers are leading the way, sharing their creative approaches to get students moving. If you follow the hashtag #HPEatHome on Twitter, you'll find a plethora of movement activities. Many are being added to a Google Drive of resources that you're free to access.

These PE teachers in Vietnam are sharing daily "Get Up and Go" videos with students. No doubt students love seeing their teachers on screen.

A PE teacher in China is using Flipgrid to teach dancing. Great to see parents getting involved too!

This made me smile. Mother and daughter working together on @flipgrid to learn the dance. It is great to see her mum supporting her during this unique e-learning time. note: this video has been posted with permission from both dancers #aisgzhpe #physed #elearning #movementmatters pic.twitter.com/KGqjx8Hky3

- Adam Tomassen (@AdamHPE) February 28, 2020

Well known Australian P.E. teacher Andy Hair has made up an easy game that his students can play while in lockdown at home.

If you haven't yet tried GoNoodle or Cosmic Kids Yoga (free on YouTube) I highly recommend them for elementary-aged students.

The only problem is, they still involve technology so you probably want to consider some options that give students a break from devices.

Minimizing screen time is becoming a big concern for parents and teachers.

Perhaps you could publish a daily challenge to keep students active and off screens? Take it a step further by asking students to send in a photo of their experience.

Here are some ideas. You're welcome to use this resource however you see fit.

📌 Download a PDF copy of the poster

Many teachers are also trying to set learning tasks that are offline (such as "hands-on" math for younger students - baking, measuring objects, shape hunts and so on).

British International School in Hanoi ran a LEGO Challenge and asked students to send in photos of their creations. What fun!

This teacher asked her students for their own ideas of how they like to spend their time offline.

Grade 4 came up with ideas to stay balanced and get offline sometimes during these days of #virtuallearning. They connected their tips to the #pyp #learnerprofile. They were thoughtful, funny, realistic and relevant. Thanks for the idea @ALMcCloskey #isblearning pic.twitter.com/fe2g4K56kE

- Laura-Claire Corson (@LauraClaire_C) March 3, 2020

2) Communicate Clearly and Frequently

When the school community is scattered, clear and ongoing communication is essential!

Ensure everyone knows how messages will be communicated and what channels they should be checking in on (e.g. email, LMS, blog, school website).

Make sure students and parents know how they can contact teachers for learning support and how they can get tech support. Some teachers are holding "office hours" (e.g. I am available for email support from 10am to 2pm daily; or "I am available for Google Hangouts Meet sessions from 12.30-1.30pm each day").

You might err on the side of overcommunicating to ensure everyone feels connected, supported, and confident.

Make instructions as clear and concise as you can. Effective communication will really pay off.

3) Seek Feedback Regularly

On the flipside of communicating, it's important to also seek feedback from students and families.

The team at Google recently made a suggestion that many closed schools are already trying out,

Using Google Forms, create mood check-ins for students to share their emotional state on a daily basis. Within the Form, students can request a conference with the teacher if they need extra support.

Jennifer Findley has created some great Google Form check ins that you're free to copy and use. There are forms for the start and end of the day.

This situation is new for most schools and families. Engage in a cycle of continuous improvement and refinement based on feedback from families, teachers, and students.

Check out our Google Form later in the post that can be sent to parents if planning for a school closure to find out about their devices, confidence, resources etc.

4) Give Choices

There's never been a better time to empower learners and offer choice. Online learning can offer a lot of flexibility so it's a great idea to take advantage of that.

By giving students some choice in the demonstration of their learning, you can also naturally differentiate and cater to a variety of learning styles and needs.

You've probably heard of a choice board? It's a graphic organizer that allows students to choose different learning activities. They're set up in a grid, perhaps with a choice of 9 activities. Some teachers like to include one mandatory activity.

💡 Kim from Seoul Foreign School created this photosynthesis choice board for her 8th grade students.

💡 US teacher Pernille Ripp created a " Choose Your Own Adventure " two-week exploration.

This, hopefully, continues the honoring of their individual needs and desires, while still helping them with their growth. There are different levels of independence for them to choose from, as well as choices for recording or writing their responses. There are different levels of teaching involved that will unfold once they select their choice.

Check out Pernille's post for more details.

💡 In his post on online learning, John Spencer presented an amplified version of choice boards.

John's variation goes beyond choosing topics or activities and allows for some student ownership of the learning targets and resources.

Something else to think about as you move forward and become more confident with online learning.

5) Set Up Guidelines

School guidelines are an important part of the transition process to online learning. These guidelines can be established even before your school has closed.

Not sure where to start? Check out this advice and examples from International Schools Services. You'll find online learning policies, parent guidelines and more.

Guidelines for students are also important but for a lot of students, a simple PDF with slabs of text won't be an effective way to communicate.

Yosef Tewolde in China shares a clear overview in a student friendly format.

VS basic ⁦@ncpa_china⁩ . Sending out tips for students each day in our VS daily bulletin. #onlinelearning #issedu #pulaoproud pic.twitter.com/R8bkTeZOHo

- Yosef Tewolde (@YosefTewolde) February 12, 2020

American International School of Guangzhou shared this appealing resource on Twitter about videos.

Here's another great example from teachers at Seoul Foreign British School,

#virtuallearning guidelines for primary students collab with @emcslack and Becca Cook. https://t.co/XCoRPuWNq7 #onlinelearning #sfs1912 @SFBritishSchool pic.twitter.com/zVH2jvtV1W

- Jill Zappia (@JillZappia) March 5, 2020

6) Ensure Teacher Wellbeing

This meme inspired by teacher Nancy Breau sums up online teaching pretty well,

It's crucial to consider teacher wellbeing. Teaching is hard enough in the traditional sense but moving online with minimal preparation or planning can be very stressful. In addition, some teachers are also trying to teach their own children whose schools have closed.

Effective leadership and communication are key. As a teacher, try to take care of yourself. Go offline at the end of the day, take breaks, keep moving, eat well, drink water, get fresh air... you know the drill!

Perhaps you could set up a little routine for yourself at the end of the day, This checklist for health care workers in the UK might give you some ideas.

Will Arnold is a teacher in Guangzhou, China, who wisely told me via Twitter,

My perspective from week 6 is that "how will teachers/staff be supported" should move to the top of the list. It's like putting your own oxygen mask on before you help others.

Touche, Will, touche.

7) Consider Student and Family Wellbeing

Switching to an online schooling program presents many challenges to students and families. Listening to families and sharing tips to ensure their wellbeing is very important.

There are many ways to go about this. You might be able to get the help of school counselors or welfare officers. Or, you might invite students and families to share their own tips on what they're doing to stay happy and healthy during this challenging time.

The International School of Busan shared a short video on their Twitter account with basic tips for families.

Staying healthy in a virtual learning environment. #ISBlearning pic.twitter.com/HdcwWWlxol

- International School of Busan (@ISBLearning) February 29, 2020

It's also important to remember that it can be hard to predict which students might struggle with the virtual school program. For example, students who generally thrive in the classroom may find the adjustment very difficult. Keep the lines of communication open and don't make assumptions!

Rebecca Barrett-Fox wrote an article called " Please do a bad job of putting your courses online " (hat tip: Raymond Rose in the comment section below). Rebecca does a great job of stressing that students and teachers are currently facing enormous and diverse pressures. The article is designed for higher ed but can definitely be extended to K-12. Show as much empathy as possible and keep things as simple as possible.

📌 Tips For Parents With Young Children

In terms of helping families switch to teaching their children at home, check out my post with 10 tips for teaching younger children - many of these apply to older students as well.

This is a guide that you can share with families for practical help and ideas.

You'll also find a sample home schedule (there is a blank version that can be downloaded as well).

8) Embrace the Online Community

School closures are fast becoming a global issue. You might have a million questions racing around your head but you're not alone. There has never been a better time to connect with the online communities of teachers who are keen to offer tips, support, and examples.

Facebook

There is a Facebook Group set up by Kirsten Durward that is very supportive and helpful. It's called Educator Temporary School Closure for Online Learning.

Click here to find the Facebook group and remember to answer the questions that pop up when you request access.

Also, use the search function or click here to find a breakout Facebook group. Due to the huge growth of the group, there are now many breakout groups that are regional, subject specific, year/grade specific.

No idea how Facebook groups work? We have a guide that will help!

Twitter

You'll also find some fantastic posts from community minded teachers on Twitter. Many teachers are using the hashtags #schoolclosures #virtuallearning and #onlinelearning. At this stage it looks like #schoolclosures is the leading hashtag?

New to Twitter? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Twitter to get started. It'll be worth it!

9) Keep Your Class Connected

Keeping your class connected can be a challenge when students are scattered around the community (and around the world in some areas).

As we've mentioned, video conferences are a good way to overcome this. While most video conferences would be lessons, consider adding in some fun conferences that are either structured (e.g. play a game together) or unstructured (e.g. live recess where students can just hang out).

If you're not using conferences, consider a tool like Flipgrid where students can respond to each other with short recorded videos.

You might be able to come up with ways for students to work on group projects together. This can add a layer of stress for students who might be struggling so of course, you'd gauge whether group work is a positive option.

Librarian ‎Jen Caressimo (@Zenkenjen) runs Virtual Spirit Weeks to bring the school community together. She invites you to check out her Google Drive of examples.

Camps and field trips are a great way to bring your class together. Did you know your class can also take virtual school trips. Check out this list of ideas from Freedom Homeschooling or this one from Mrs. Fahrney.

Maybe you can hold virtual assemblies for your whole school or year level, just like these folks in South Korea,

Today's virtual learning highlight - The PYP Assembly! Puppet shows, dance-offs, jokes and shoutouts. The PYP team broadcasting live to the Elementary School. What a fabulous way to end the week! I'm lucky to work with so many wonderful educators. #ISBlearning pic.twitter.com/JHFu0SA0zX

- Simon McCloskey (@SimonJMcCloskey) March 6, 2020

10) Keep it Simple 💓

The message you'll hear over and over from school leaders and teachers who have been at this for a while now is clear: keep it simple!

Don't overthink things and create complicated lessons.

Don't invest in expensive technology or reinvent the wheel.

Don't expect that you will be able to cover as much as you would in the classroom.

Just do your best. That is enough!

Obstacles and Issues Created by School Closures

The rapid school closures we're seeing across the world raise concerns for teachers, parents, students, and the wider community.

Some issues that are currently being navigated include:

Students/Families

Do all students have access to devices and the internet?

Who will look after students who are home from school? Are some students being left home alone?

How can parents manage their own careers? Do their employers allow them to work from home or have time off?

What about students who rely on getting free or subsidized meals at school? How can they be supported? What are the ramifications for farmers and food suppliers if orders are suspended?

Are there concerns with excess screen time and lack of physical activity?

How can students stay connected to peers?

How can students with disabilities or additional learning needs be catered for?

Teachers

How can educators juggle teaching if they have their own children home from school?

How can teachers maintain work-life balance?

Can teachers work from home or do they need to be on campus? Are teachers trusted and supported to work remotely?

Do teachers need PD? Can the transition to online learning happen immediately or does there need to be a bridge (for example, students are provided with work/a packet for a week while teachers set up the online learning program)?

What role will non-teaching staff take on?

Who will take classes if teachers become ill?

Will teachers continue to get full pay during ongoing school closures?

Schoolwide issues

Will testing and report cards need to be delayed? What other assessment and reporting concerns are there?

How is attendance monitored? For some, attendance or class numbers are linked to school funding.

Should teachers/administrators chase up students who aren't participating?

What will non-teaching staff do during school closures?

How should the school day be balanced with synchronous and asynchronous learning that's both online and offline?

How can individual students be catered for and work be differentiated?

How can you prevent all the student work from becoming a scattered mess? Are they going to publish items on a digital portfolio (e.g. blog) or something similar?

Will you face copyright issues if you try to use learning materials online (e.g. replicating textbooks or reading picture books aloud?)

For private schools with longer closures, will parents continue to be charged full fees?

What will the transition back to online schooling look like?

What sort of "gaps" may need to be filled if students miss out on essential learning or assessment?

Are their implications for senior students graduating and moving on to tertiary education?

Schools, teachers, and families may also face different issues depending on whether they are part of an international school, private school, or public school. Each situation is unique and throws up so many different variables.

As you can see, these issues are broad and complex. Perhaps at this stage there are more questions than answers.

Planning for a School Closure: Parent Survey

No matter where you live in the world, it's highly unlikely that you can now rule out the possibility of your school closing in the future.

Now is the time to plan. If you don't need that plan, great! However, many schools around the world are closing suddenly with minimal preparation. Teachers and staff end up scrambling to get their virtual learning programs together.

The first step in planning for a possible school closure may be to survey your parents and families. It's important to find out what technology, child care, and other resources they have available.

We created an example survey in Google Forms. You're welcome to use it or adapt it for your own school. You'll find instructions on how to make a copy under the Form below.

Instructions for Editing and Using the Google Form Survey

1. Click on this link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1viFs7kqOmJOBs-vzVX6pCbhd8rgSda0K-00LAjqruLM/copy
2. You will be prompted to make a copy (screenshot below)

3. You can edit the Google Form to suit your own school

💡 Google Forms Tips:

Planning for a School Closure: Taking Home Resources

If your school hasn't closed yet and you're planning for an upcoming closure, you might be thinking about what you should take home with you.

Every situation is different but in some schools, no one is allowed on the campus once the school is closed. In other schools, teachers are actually required to work from the school (while students are at home).

If you'll be working remotely, you might think about taking home some of the resources listed on the graphic below.

Checklist for Administrators and Educators Facing a School Closure

This post has covered a lot of information and offered a lot of ideas and options.

The following checklist might be a useful starting point if your school is beginning to discuss an upcoming or possible school closure.

Of course, this is just a very simplified checklist for schools that are beginning to think about transitioning.

📌 Click here to download a PDF copy of the checklist

Over to You

We'd love to keep this post updated with practical information. Please leave a comment if you have any tips, questions, or examples. We want to hear from you!

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Resources For Teaching Online Due To School Closures

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This extensive guide will give you insights into how educators around the world are approaching school closures due to COVID-19 (coronavirus). Learn about options for structuring the school day, using video, and using online tools. You'll also find a checklist for schools facing a closure and tips for virtual teaching.

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Resources For Teaching Online Due To School Closures

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Resources For Teaching Online Due To School Closures

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this has been compiled by 100s of educators around the globe and is continuing to be added to

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Shared from a former GEMS colleague who now works in Japan.

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Science Journal transforms your device into a pocket-size science tool that encourages students to explore their world. As they conduct eye-opening experiments, they’ll record observations and make new, exciting discoveries

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Streamline class management while providing every student with individualized learning experiences. Create, customize, and collaborate on lessons to help learners grow their skills. Use virtual classrooms to promote learning any time, anywhere. Keep meetings, documents, and reports all within reach.

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Google for Education - Online Resources for Teachers & Students

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Access educational and online tools for teachers and students, including lesson plans, apps, and games to advance learning in the classroom at no cost.

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Global Online Academy Course - Designing for Online Learning (a free PD)

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Global Online Academy Course - Designing for Online Learning (a free PD)

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Time for Kids has just put out two editions (G3-4 and G5-6) focused specifically on Coronavirus. All articles accessible from their website.

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Now students can follow the latest news. All tailored to their reading level. To explore the kids' website, select a grade and discover new stories each week.

View articles by grade level

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Now students can follow the latest news. All tailored to their reading level. To explore the kids' website, select a grade and discover new stories each week. View articles by grade level

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Chicago Public Library is offering Chicago residents the ability to sign up for an eCard in order to access online resources - all without having to visit a library branch!

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The safety and well-being of patrons is of the utmost importance to Chicago Public Library. As coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve, CPL is canceling all programs, events and meeting room bookings effective March 13 pending further notification to support social distancing efforts and limit the spread of COVID-19. All CPL locations have prepared social distancing practices and will be open regular hours from Sunday, March 15 onward to provide basic services.

CPL will continue following the recommended hygiene standards for our locations including:

Regularly disinfecting surfaces and equipment in our buildings

Making hand sanitizer available

Removing hand-held toys from children's play area

Encouraging frequent hand-washing

Current information suggests that person-to-person spread will continue to occur. We encourage patrons, particularly those who are vulnerable and high-risk, to stay home if they are sick and/or are concerned about infection.

CPL will continue to get daily guidance from Chicago Department of Public Health officials. CDPH continues to work closely with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other federal, state and local partners to monitor and respond to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. You can also access local, up-to-date information about COVID-19 on the CDPH website, www.chicago.gov/coronavirus. Additional questions can be directed to coronavirus@chicago.gov or (312) 746-4835. Get national updates on the virus at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus.

Early Voting

CPL locations serving as voting stations will remain open through the Illinois primary election on March 17. The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners has a list of early and day-of voting stations and their extended hours.

How to Reduce the Risk and Prevent the Spread of COVID-19

The best way for all Chicagoans to reduce their risk of getting sick, as with seasonal colds or the flu, still applies to prevent COVID-19:

Stay home if you are sick, unless seeking medical care.

Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

Cover your cough or sneeze.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

Use alternatives to shaking hands, like an elbow bump or wave.

If you have recently returned from a country, state or region with ongoing spread of COVID-19, monitor your health and follow the instructions of public health officials.

There is no recommendation to wear masks to prevent yourself from getting sick.

Using the Library Remotely

CPL cardholders can access library resources and information, including eBooks, audiobooks, music, video and online resources, 24/7 on our website.

Mobile Apps

Patrons with smartphones can access CPL on-the-go with our mobile app on iOS and Android. Other applications accessible with a CPL card include:

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Flipster: Read current and back issues of six of our most popular magazines: Bloomberg Businessweek, Ebony, Entertainment Weekly, Essence, People and Scientific American.

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RBdigital Magazines: Latest issues of more than a hundred popular magazines.

eCards

Don't have a library card yet? Apply for an eCard to access eBooks, audiobooks and online resources.

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The safety and well-being of patrons is of the utmost importance to Chicago Public Library. As coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve, CPL is canceling all programs, events and meeting room bookings effective March 13 pending further notification to support social distancing efforts and limit the spread of COVID-19.

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Actors reading picture books

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The SAG-AFTRA Foundation's Daytime Emmy nominated, Storyline Online, features celebrated actors including Viola Davis, Kristen Bell, Chris Pine, Lily Tomlin, Wanda Sykes, Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Betty White and more reading children's books to inspire a love of reading in millions of children worldwide.

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Astronauts reading picture books on the International Space Station

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Next Time You See a Sunset, written by Emily Morgan and read in orbit by Mark Vande Hei is now live online! Click here to watch the full length video.

Rosie Revere, Engineer

New book reading by Astronaut Kate Rubins
Written by Andrea Beaty

Endeavour's Long Journey

Book reading by Astronaut Tim Kopra

Book Reading by Tim Peake
The Incredible Intergalactic Journey Home follows a child, Roraigh, and his robot friend on an amazing adventure from the depths of outer space to their own front door.

It's Story Time

Imagine astronauts reading stories from space to school children and families around the world, in an exciting new program that combines literature with science education.

NEW BOOK READING

Part 3 of a 3-part reading of this book.

If you think this video is a great resource, please share the website with friends and donate to keep the Story Time From Space library growing!

Special thanks to:

Astronaut Anne McClain, for telling the story!

Emily Calandrelli, Tamson Weston and Renée Kurilla for the book!

Jack Moore, part of the STFS team for his awesome video editing!

CASIS/NASA, for launch support & on orbit time!

Google+

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Next Time You See a Sunset, written by Emily Morgan and read in orbit by Mark Vande Hei is now live online! Click here to watch the full length video.

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Stories in English and other languages from around the world

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First-time Visitors

Library Members

Book News

A partnership with the University of Maryland's

HCIL

Library News and Notes

COLLEGE PARK, MD: Thanks to help from our volunteer translator Kay Hong, the ICDL search tools are now available in Korean. View Korean interface.

COLLEGE PARK, MD: A recent article in School Library Journal looks at the educational value of E-Books. ICDL is featured, and some interesting uses and studies of E-Books in schools are described.

COLLEGE PARK, MD: The New York Times included StoryKit in their list of "top picks." StoryKit is our family-friendly iPhone app which children can use to create stories on their phone (or iPod Touch) with text, pictures and other story elements. Download it for free and give it a try.

FREDERICKSBURG, VA: Read how one reference librarian in Virginia went online to the International Children's Digital Library to help a local man find books in Farsi that he could read to his children. This librarian shared, "Our [local] library could never afford to purchase the more than 4,000 children's books available free in languages from Afrikaans to Yiddish." Read more.

WASHINGTON, DC: The International Children's Digital Library won the American Library Association President's 2010 Award for International Library Innovation. The ICDL was also named one of 25 Best Websites for Teaching and Learning by the American Association of School Librarians.

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ICDL - International Children's Digital Library

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First-time Visitors Library Members Book News A partnership with the University of Maryland's HCIL Library News and Notes COLLEGE PARK, MD: Thanks to help from our volunteer translator Kay Hong, the ICDL search tools are now available in Korean. View Korean interface.

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Free eBooks, primarily classics in the public domain. Better for older students (not many picture books)

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New website available for testing. Visit https://dev.gutenberg.org (or http://dev.gutenberg.org) to test the site (it may have occasional outages, as improvements are made). There is a new website page that lists some known issues, and part of the motivation for the change. If you visit the new website, please consider providing your input and suggestions via an anonymous online survey afterwards.

Project Gutenberg is a library of over 60,000 free eBooks. Choose among free epub and Kindle eBooks, download them or read them online. You will find the world's great literature here, with focus on older works for which U.S. copyright has expired. Thousands of volunteers digitized and diligently proofread the eBooks, for enjoyment and education.

No fee or registration! Everything from Project Gutenberg is gratis, libre, and completely without cost to readers. If you find Project Gutenberg useful, please consider a small donation, to help Project Gutenberg digitize more books, maintain our online presence, and improve Project Gutenberg programs and offerings. Other ways to help include digitizing, proofreading and formatting, recording audio books, or reporting errors.

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Find Free eBooks in the Project Gutenberg Library

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New website available for testing. Visit https://dev.gutenberg.org (or http://dev.gutenberg.org) to test the site (it may have occasional outages, as improvements are made). There is a new website page that lists some known issues, and part of the motivation for the change.

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Free audiobooks

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Free Public Domain Audiobooks & eBook Downloads

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Free audio books in genre Children that you can download in mp3, iPod and iTunes format for your portable audio player. Audio previews, convenient categories and excellent search functionality make LoyalBooks.com your best source for free audio books. Download a free audio book for yourself today!

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AMAZING SITE from K. Ziemke- Tons of links for resources

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AMAZING SITE from K. Ziemke- Tons of links for resources

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Read the World Distance & Digital Learning Support

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Raise a reader by getting the best book recommendations, reading tips, and discounts delivered straight to your inbox.

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Scholastic

Developed for Students in Grades Prek-9+

If you’re planning for a school closure, or in the midst of one right now, we would like to offer our help. As your partner in ensuring equitable access to learning opportunities for all students, we want to support you, your school, students, and families during this challenging time.

To ensure all students—regardless of your school’s virtual education plan—stay academically active, we have created Scholastic Learn at Home.

This free resource provides all students with 20* days’ worth of exciting learning journeys carefully created by our editors that span the content areas, to reinforce and sustain student learning should their buildings close.

View Scholastic Learn at Home   www.scholastic.com/learnathome

Please note, this site is completely free. We do not require any registration or rostering to use these carefully curated learning journeys. We wish you the best of luck during this difficult situation.

Your Partner in Learning,

Scholastic

*Content will be added on a weekly basis until 20 days of learning are available.

Photo © Ridofranz/iStock

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https://www.kqed.org/education/533204/how-teachers-can-navigate-school-closures-due-to-the-coronavirus

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What is a virus? What is Coronavirus? Where did it come from? How does it spread?
Kid friendly explanations and graphics.

https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-kids-guide.html

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How to Talk to Your Kids About Coronavirus | Parenting Tips & Advice

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With coronavirus being a concern for grown ups, kids might also be worrying. Here's how to talk about COVID-19 with your young children, plus ways to practice healthy habits all year round.

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Exercise songs

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TheLearningStation - Kids Songs and Nursery Rhymes

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Brain Breaks ♫ Action Songs and Dance Songs for Kids Playlist ♫ Move and Freeze ♫ Kids Songs

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Animal Exercises

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Fit Factor Workout for Kids

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Kids 20 minute workout

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Kids 20 Minute Workout - The Last Jump - 20 Online

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Children's books to support the Learner Profile

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Children's books to support the Learner Profile

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Books for Teaching the IB PYP Learner Profile

There are so many wonderful books for helping to teach children about the character traits of the IB Learner Profile. Over the years however, I keep returning to a few that I feel reinforce those profile traits really well. I've used these books with 3rd grade up to 6th grade equally successfully, even though they may seem to be a wee bit young for those age groups. They work well as quick read alouds and can be utilised to reinforce many reading skills and strategies too.- inferring, questioning, synthesising, figurative language and more. This page is a list of my favourite books for pulling together the Learner Profile traits. I like to use some of them within our units of inquiry or simply as a stand alone when the opportunity presents itself in my class to look more thoroughly at a particular profile trait.

I have grouped them according to each Learner Profile trait. Each picture is linked to Amazon so that you can click on any one and find out more about the book, customer reviews and so on.

Open Minded

Developing open-mindedness in children isn't really that difficult since they are actually pretty loving and accepting of others around the world. Opening their minds to the myriad differences surrounding them is tantamount to developing an even greater sense of global awareness and international mindedness in a young person who is going to become our future. Keeping an open mind can also tie in with being a risk taker and trying new experiences. These books help to promote the attitude of acceptance and tolerance as well as inspiring a need for change in certain areas.

Risk Taker/Courageous
Both of these books look at how the character faces fears and steps out of their comfort zone.

Journey is a beautiful tale of a girl who travels within her imagination.

Swimmy tells the story of a fish afraid to step out of his comfort zone and, once he does, discovers a whole world of learning and excitement as well as finding his confidence and strength from within.
Emmanuel's Dream is such an inspirational true story of a boy who only has one leg and yet, despite all of the challenges that he faces daily, still had the courage to face each and every one as he pursued his dream. I love to use this book for this profile trait! Especially since its true!

Sheila Rae, the Brave tells the story of Sheila Rae who feels that she is fearless until something happens that requires her to be really brave and she doesn't feel it! It looks at the difference between being a risk taker and being careful, about asking for help and how bravery doesn't equal being dangerous.

Inquirer

More Parts - I've used this book as a funny introduction to our unit about the human body. It was used as part of a lesson that looked into the importance of questioning within communication and of asking the right questions. My fifth graders LOVE it! It also offers a great opportunity to review idioms and other figurative language.

If......A beautiful book that inspires questions as we delve into some mighty big numbers that exist all around us. It is a great tool for reinforcing the reading skill of questioning. Provide each child with a sticky note or two and, as you read it together, have them note down the questions that pop into their minds as they discover the massive numbers within. I've also used it as we explored the key concept of FORM within maths for place value and as inspiration for writing using hyperbole.

Caring

This book, Have you Filled a Bucket Today?, is a classic that brings positivity and caring into any classroom community. I love this one for all ages! It can be used as a provocation for a random acts of kindness challenge and is perfect for establishing kindness as the norm in your class.

Ah both of these books are amazing, feel good books. They are all about how human beings can be so incredibly caring to one another and the difference th at caring makes to both the receiver and the giver. The Invisible Boy by Patrice Barton and Each Kindness by Jaqueline Woodson.

Knowledgeable

Parts is one of my favourites for laugh out loud hilarity. It explores the human body and I have used it as a fun formative assessment about the body systems, as we read through the book, thus tapping into the knowledge of my fifth graders. It appeals to their lavatorial sense of humour at this age range, even though the book is for younger readers.

Hippos Can't Swim is a non fiction book full of facts about animals and nature. It is a good book to demonstrate the trait of being knowledgeable since there are many facts that the older kids will know already and equally many that they may not yet know. Its fun.

Thinker

Being a thinker involves using our knowledge to solve problems, thinking things through and even trying out different ways, making mistakes and recognising when we have made a breakthrough. These books look at rial and error as the characters evolve throughout their problems and move towards learning and solutions.

One Hen is set in a village in Africa and explores how one boy learns how to become self-sufficient and help his family to become independent and thrive, escaping hunger and poverty. He works with what he has to begin with and builds upon his previous ideas.

What Do You Do With A Problem? looks into the form and function of a problem and offers suggestions as to how best deal with such things. It's a great book for reinforcing growth mindset too, especially with the IB Attitudes of independence and tolerance.

Principled

Two books that could be initially thought of as too young for upper elementary kids but really, the myriad of ways that they both focus on the trait of being principled is amazing.

A is for Activist is has an alphabetical list of different ways to promote rights, identify wrongs and how to take action. I have used this book, believe it or not, as a prerequisite to my 5th grade IB Exhibition. It was a great resource for looking at action. It's a great book for review within Who We Are, How We Express Ourselves and other units of inquiry that inquire into human rights, revolutionaries and taking action for change.

Balanced

The Hard Times Jar Learning to prioritize in our lives is shown within this story as a young girl thinks of ways to save money towards her goal. She has to make decisions about what she wants versus what she needs and what she really wants!

Petunia, thinking she has a book must make her full of wisdom, proceeds to tall the other farm animals what they should do. It is hilarious and takes a peek into the concept of ego and how we need to maintain a balance of being humble amongst others, no matter if we know more than they do or not.....as is the case with this silly goose.

Communicator

These are fantastic books for looking at the ways we communicate.

Voices in the Park explores perspective as the same story is told in different ways throughout the book. I have used this to reinforce the key concept, Perspective and also within developing our communication skills.

My Mouth is A Volcano is so funny! As we develop our communication skills, we have to learn when to talk and when to be a listener. It covers the attitudes of Respect and Tolerance too.

Reflective

Both books allow us to reflect upon how the characters changed. Each character goes through a lesson which helps them to develop an awareness of themselves, how they can help themselves to grow and improve and move onwards and upwards.

The Girl Who Never Made A Mistake is great at illustration how perfectionism can be debilitating and that we absolutely can use mistakes positively for our own learning.

Ish is a study of how we can harness our creativity and blossom without having to have everything exactly perfect. It actually questions, what is perfect anyway. I love it!

I hope you find this useful and find something that you can use. Happy clicking!

FOLLOW ME HERE, FOLLOW ME THERE.....

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Brilliant Books for Teaching the IB PYP Learner Profile

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Books for Teaching the IB PYP Learner Profile There are so many wonderful books for helping to teach children about the character traits of the IB Learner Profile. Over the years however, I keep returning to a few that I feel reinforce those profile traits really well. I've used these books with...

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https://www.studyladder.com/games/visual-arts-music

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Browse/PreK-12-Subject-Area/Arts/Price-Range/Free

https://www.sightreadingfactory.com/mixer-instrument-family?mediumId=rhythmonly

http://www.musicgames.net/livegames/orchestra/orchestra2.htm

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RxydFp9MENLOUJuIz_33yhhKa3PizFzz1XfnJ92_9wM/edit

http://www.musicalcontexts.co.uk/index_files/page0014.htm

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Early Years Science - Science Experiments for Kids

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This tool can help foster inquiry-based activities at home.

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Be creative and help people with engineering at DESIGN SQUAD GLOBAL. Watch videos, play games, try activities, and share designs with the community.

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All articles are free to access; just click on your grade level range to view articles

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Now students can follow the latest news. All tailored to their reading level. To explore the kids' website, select a grade and discover new stories each week.

View articles by grade level

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Now students can follow the latest news. All tailored to their reading level. To explore the kids' website, select a grade and discover new stories each week. View articles by grade level

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Username: emilysmith@gemschicago.org

Password: Gemschicago1!

**You can give students access to the digital content with this link: http://natgeo.org/explorermagstudent. Students will need to enter a one-word code, which changes monthly. The word for March is 'greet'.

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Learn Anywhere

While some have returned to in-person learning, we're still offering a space to connect, share strategies, and run down a virtual hallway to encourage each other and celebrate the wins for those who haven't. Discover our resources for educators and students.

EXPLORE RESOURCES

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While some have returned to in-person learning, we're still offering a space to connect, share strategies, and run down a virtual hallway to encourage each other and celebrate the wins for those who haven't. Discover our resources for educators and students. EXPLORE RESOURCES

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Destiny Discover - access to our eBook collection
Username: gems

Password: school

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LibGuide with links to online databases

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LibGuides: Research Resources 2019-20: Home

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All databases and research resources available at GEMS World Academy - Chicago.

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https://www.vooks.com/
Vooks is  a resource for families to keep kids reading at home.  Vooks
has take-home lesson plans built to provide children 20 minutes a day of read aloud time and activities.

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In a crisis situation, you want to create simple guidelines that are easy to implement across your school. Do not try to re-create the entirety of your academic program online, instead concentrate on the core academic program as a starting place -- it will be easier to add complexity later than to create a complex solution and have to simplify later.

Set "in your backpack" expectations with students and teachers:
​We know this advice is likely too late for most schools... but: Be sure all your students and teachers bring all materials home every night, including devices and textbooks. If school has to close without notice, you'll want to be sure everyone has everything they need. For Lower Schools, backpack readiness includes picking up a few grade-appropriate books from the school's library or some manipulatives.

For Upper/Middle Schools - Continue Core Academic Classes via Distance Learning:
​Move to a distance learning model, not an online learning model. What's the difference? In distance learning, you use the same face-to-face pedagogy through its remote learning equivalents. In online learning, you use a new pedagogy to take advantage of the medium. To give you a sense, it takes us six months to train an independent school faculty member to move to online learning for a One Schoolhouse course... you don't have that time.

Instead, move to a distance learning model where you replace face-to-face meeting times with video conferencing solutions (i.e., Algebra I in Ms. X's Zoom Room, instead of in Room 123). Have your technology department centrally create video conferencing accounts for all your faculty and then create new schedules for your student with the links to the video conference solution your school decides to use. An example might look like this:

We have learned that it will be important for schools to: 1) simplify schedules in order to create routine; 2) build in social/emotional check-points such as advisory, grade level meetings, and all school meetings; 3) consider having teachers record live sessions for students who cannot attend in real-time; and 4) consider only including core academic courses for the first week or two, in part because schools may need to have teachers of those subjects available as substitutes.

Create a Distance Learning Handbook Addendum, Distance Learning Plan (articulating how you are carrying out distance learning at your school), and a Faculty/Staff Distance Learning Handbook Addendum. For Lower Schools - Continue Learning: ​
Lower School plans are likely -- though not always -- different from the Middle/Upper School plan described as above. If the plan is different for younger grade levels, it will be important to communicate both the differences and the rationale for the differences to families. Some considerations in this first phase include:

Be clear with families about what to expect. We've seen some schools send messages such as, "If school is closed, we will provide you with learning resources and activities, but the volume of work will not keep students busy for the number of hours they're usually in school." Teachers should not work under the expectation that parents, grandparents, or older siblings will be able to teach their students all day.

Create a weekly "packet" of learning activities for your students. Use resources that students will have access to at home from their backpack readiness, and other online resources that your students already use regularly (perhaps: Dreambox, IXL, etc.). Teachers can also scan documents to send them home.

Consider asking students and/or families to do a daily (or multiple times a day) video check-in with the teacher. Also, consider engaging students in small groups or one-on-one; the focus would be on social-emotional wellness and community rather than instruction.

Create community and foster trust.
Schools are wonderful communities. This can be true at a distance too, when you keep your mission front-and-center and your values consistent. You'll want to consider:

Gathering regular, open feedback, and act on that feedback predictably. Without the ability to walk the halls of school or say hello to parents in the car-pool lane or at the soccer game, you'll want to survey constituents to understand how your distance learning program is going. Gather statistics for key areas such as time spent on schoolwork, accessibility of required materials, manageability of schedules, and comfort with the tools in use. Open-ended questions will be more valuable than multiple choice questions. Respond to the feedback. Communicate the adjustments you are making, likely on a regular schedule (every two weeks?) so that your community can know what to expect.

Maintain structures in place already. Keep communicating with families, in a variety of formats, and leverage the expertise of the professionals on your team, such as continuing with parent conferences, dorm meetings, and other important community connection points. This is the time to be creative too. When we put the question out on the Academic Leaders listserv, we learned about schools that are using video conferencing in new ways; some are having virtual parent coffees or even happy hours (after a virtual bedtime story from the HOS).

Get creative with traditions. This is a tradition-rich time in schools. Assemble the right team to make recommendations about how to handle traditions. Consider what each tradition contributes to building community. How can that contribution be made in another way? What questions do you need to ask and who needs to be involved regarding these traditions before you can make decisions? Make sure to ensure that student and parent voices are included. We've heard two ideas on this front recently. First, many schools are using the creativity of their student government to brainstorm and flush out ideas. Second, we've seen some schools publish graduation dates tentatively into the future -- if not, June X, then July X; if not July X than August X.

Support your faculty and staff. Faculty disorientation is highly likely. Faculty will be in various stages after the first initial push in the opening weeks of distance learning. Leaders will need to build in support structures for all faculty and staff members that are responsive to their circumstances so that they can, in turn, provide support to students and parents. Our friends at FolioCollaborative have great advice here.

Support students and maintain school policies, as possible.

Set up structures for student support. You will want to consider three key questions: how we will identify who is going to need support, who is going to provide the support, and what support are we going to provide? Almost certainly, you will want to think about engaging parents differently. And, you will want to consider a system for faculty members to raise concerns that they have about individual students. Read the advice from Liz Katz, Director of School & Student Support, here.

Adjust student discipline procedures. At this point, academic administrators should look at your general policies relating to student disciplinary procedures, and consider what changes you need to make in order to honor the intent and practices you normally have, while adopting them to a distance learning reality. You should make sure to publish changes to your normal practice for students and families alike, likely as part of a handbook addendum for distance learning.

Articulate school values related to academic honesty. As soon as we made the shift to distance learning, faculty began asking questions and raising concerns about academic honesty. We suggest reviewing the work of Challenge Success related to academic honesty as a place to set the framework for how and why students cheat, and the things that schools can do about it. One of the most important things that academic leaders can do is consistently articulate school values around academic honesty.

Don't change grading practices, at least at the start. Some schools are considering or have announced that they will move to a pass/fail grading system this spring. A few weeks into distance learning, that move is premature. There are a number of reasons for this, including: you do not want to signal that your program this term is "less than" for a variety of legal and regulatory reasons; you don't yet know the "rules of the road" from a whole host of entities that rely on grades from regulators to scholarship organizations to others, like the NCAA.

Begin to consider summer programming. Summer programming will almost certainly be different this year for schools. Begin to consider how you might use online or in person (if possible) summer programming to meet the needs of your community, including those of students who were not able to fully participate in distance learning programs this term and students who developed gaps in knowledge this term. One Schoolhouse has revised it's summer programming to include review courses for students who need them.

Consider the changing legal landscape.
The legal and regulatory landscape is changing quickly. Stay abreast of how the law is impacting your plans. Our friends at Venable LLC continue to update their guidance for independent schools here.
​Projections from public health authorities strongly suggest that schools should be prepared for an unsettled learning environment in 2020-21 school year. Significant impacts to schools' calendars and weekly schedules could be widespread or localized, should outbreaks occur and school-closing or stay-at-home orders be put in place. There may be times when campus is open, and other times when campus is closed. And, even when campus is open, only some students may be physically present. Some students may primarily receive in-person instruction, while others receive most of their instruction online; there will likely be movement between these two groups.

The right approach for finishing the school year was to move to a distance learning model to allow school to quickly be online. With the situation more fluid heading into next year, and an expectation that some learning may happen on-campus and some learning will almost certainly have to be online, now is the time to pivot to developing a Hybrid learning is a pedagogical design that allows for maximum flexibility between online and on-campus instruction. Highly functional hybrid environments are based on a few solid principles. At a foundational level, a robust design (including a learning management system, used by all faculty) provides a common platform for learning and offers a consistent user experience for teachers, students, and families. At the instructional level, faculty must have a shared set of skills in conceptualizing and building courses and teaching in multiple modalities (in-person, online, and blended). With common principles and a common platform underlying instruction, student learning continues seamlessly even as modalities change. hybrid learning model.

These principles of hybrid learning are predicated on the assumption that the school has a strong, effective, and mature curriculum and culture of learning and that the school's engaged community can thrive across modalities.
What is hybrid learning in this context?
These principles draw heavily on both the Principles of Independent Curriculum and Congruent With The Mission And Values Of The School
A hybrid learning program aligns with the stated mission, values, culture, and strategic priorities of the school.

The Student-Teacher Relationship Forms The Foundation For All Learning
A hybrid learning program keeps students and teachers in community whether online or in-person. Teachers are equally responsive in any learning modality.

Responsive To The Interests, Capacities, And Aspirations Of The Students Being Taught
A hybrid learning program serves the actual students in each class, regardless of modality, and is designed and implemented to meet students' interests, abilities (both developed and developing), aims, and requirements in all dimensions.

A Sufficiency Of Technology
A hybrid learning program relies on robust, ubiquitous, and curated technology tools that empower the delivery of the program but do not dictate teaching or learning.

Multiple Modes Of Assessment
A hybrid learning program supports the measurement of student mastery of articulated competencies and standards through a full range of assessment tools and techniques, both formative and summative.

Structure And Organization Are Essential Operational Elements
A hybrid learning program provides predictability and consistency in uncertain and fluctuating circumstances.

Inclusive And Just
A hybrid learning program recognizes the variety of students' multiple perspectives, fluctuating situations, experiences, and access to resources.

Wellness And Balance
A hybrid learning program relies on a deep understanding of the developmental, social-emotional, and physical needs of learners and educators alike. ​​

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In a crisis situation, you want to create simple guidelines that are easy to implement across your school. Do not try to re-create the entirety of your academic program online, instead concentrate on the core academic program as a starting place -- it will be easier to add complexity later than to create a complex solution and have to simplify later.

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

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

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

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

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

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Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring The New Coronavirus

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

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Experiment Library | Science Experiments | Steve Spangler Science

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For those of you who couldn't join us on Facebook this week (@spanglerscience), we've been working hard to provide fun and amazing at home experiences to those who have been impacted by the current events.

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SEESAW HOME Learning  TIPS

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Meaningful learning can happen anywhere. Set up a secure remote/distance learning environment when emergencies like COVID-19 cause school closure. We're here to help with resources to support effective remote/distance learning experiences for students, teachers, and families.

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COVID-19 and School Closures

Starting from February 2020, schools across Asia, most notably in China, started announcing extended closures due to the Coronavirus outbreak, and ours was among them. It is now March, and the virus has spread to Europe and the U.S.A., causing more school closures and millions of people to go into quarantine. As we here in Taiwan and other parts of Asia are starting to see the numbers slow down, there is a sense that we are beginning to come out on the other side of this. In other parts of the world, however, it has only just begun.

We were very fortunate, and our school was able to reopen after three weeks of closure, and we have remained open thus far. We are using this time to become even better prepared if we need to close again. Part of this was to train all of our faculty on how to use the key features of Zoom, and also familiarize our students with the platform.

Zoom Training

While students in second grade and above had classes that enabled them to practice signing in and participating in a Zoom call, I wasn't prepared to do the same in Kindergarten and grade one. In the event of a closure, we would expect our students to be in the presence of an adult during any video conference call. For our youngest students, we expect the adult to help navigate the technology. So, what does Zoom training look like for the early years?

Our PreK-1 Counselor Jennifer Fisher and I collaborated on a quick lesson that covered how to ensure we are presenting ourselves in the most respectful way when we are on a video conference call. There were three key things we wanted to discuss:

1. The Environment: What are the appropriate spaces to be in when getting on a video conference call?

2. Listening: What does whole body listening look and feel like when on a video conference call?

3. Speaking: What does active speaking look like when on a video conference call?

Jenn and I outlined what we wanted to cover and summarized it in this anchor chart:

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COVID-19 and School Closures Starting from February 2020, schools across Asia, most notably in China, started announcing extended closures due to the Coronavirus outbreak, and ours was among them. It is now March, and the virus has spread to Europe and the U.S.A., causing more school closures and m

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How would you feel if someone said you need to change your whole approach to teaching immediately? Imagine if, instead of interacting face to face with students in your classroom, you had to create and deliver a virtual program.

Perhaps you'd feel nervous? Overwhelmed? Excited? Unqualified? Inspired? Or perhaps plain lost.

Online learning is fast becoming a reality for hundreds of millions of students worldwide. Teachers, students, families, administrators, departments, and whole communities are being forced to respond and adapt quickly.

Referring to COVID-19 (coronavirus), UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay recently announced,

...the global scale and speed of the current educational disruption is unparalleled and, if prolonged, could threaten the right to education.

Perhaps your school is already closed or planning to close. Maybe there are no signs of school closures but no one has a crystal ball to predict the future.

UNESCO reminds us of the speed of change being faced by the global education community. In mid-February, China was the only country mandating school closures. By March 9, 29 countries are being affected.

Want a live updated on school closures? Check out UNESCO's tally.

What's In This Post?

Our guide will give you insights into how educators around the world are approaching school closures.

Thousands of teachers worldwide are currently sharing snippets of their experiences via social media or their blogs. We've compiled, curated, and built on some common themes and ideas to create this extensive guide.
Click on the links in the menu below to help you navigate the post.
You'll get ideas on:

This post also includes a range of useful graphics to help you that you're free to use and share. Here's a sneak peek of some:

Let's dive right in to the resources!

Daily Structure Options

The first question educators might be asking themselves is what does a "school day" look like when it's no longer happening in a school?

Let's talk about timetables, hours, and the overall structure you might implement.

In most cases, your school day will have to be based on technology although some departments, such as New York, are open to the option of mailing out work the old fashioned way. This is a good fallback if technology can't be used (it's important to find out about students' technology/internet access at home) but you may not want to get into the habit of only handing out packets (worksheets) if you can avoid it.

The old fashioned approach can work well to complement online learning though. Check out the fabulous "Learning Boxes" staff in Vietnam put together for their young learners.

We'll discuss many useful technology tools further on.

The issue of daily structure and timetables is a major consideration and some schools are constantly tweaking their approaches.

Do you stick to your regular school timetable? You could, but many schools are finding a modified approach is more realistic.

Lessons can take longer for students to complete at home for many reasons including:

Technology difficulties

No teacher guidance to keep students on track, engaged, and informed

A busy household (multiple family members and responsibilities)

Varying degrees of parent/caregiver involvement (there can be barriers like language, competence with technology and the curriculum, parenting younger children, or trying to keep up with work responsibilities)

Some teachers are finding what they could get done in one period of class requires two periods when it's online.

Consider a "Percentage" Approach

Most teachers who have some experience with online schooling realize that the pace is slower and expectations need to be reduced.

Some teachers provide and expect a certain percentage of the normal student workload. For example, an elementary student might have a 50% workload, although a senior high school student may be given a 90% workload.

Suggesting a percentage might give teachers and families a ballpark if they're wondering what to expect.

Synchronous or Asynchronous Learning?

A question that may come up a lot as you plan and tweak your approach to online learning is whether your program will be synchronous or asynchronous. That is, whether it will be conducted in real-time or whether students will complete tasks according to their own schedules.

Here's a quick comparison:

You might find a mix of both is a useful strategy. Your own unique situation, including your students' age, might have a big impact on this decision too.

For some families, asynchronous learning can be more convenient: if parents are working, they may have more time to support/supervise student learning outside of business hours.

If your teaching and learning program involves video then you'll once again face the question of synchronous (e.g. live conferencing) or asynchronous (pre-recorded videos or screencasts).

We'll dive in to the video options further on, however, let's take a quick look at how some teachers are weaving conferences and recorded videos into their weekly schedules:

Examples of how Video Conferences are Being Used:

A 10 minute video conference to begin the day.

A whole class video conference at regular times during the week (e.g. 30 minutes every Monday and Friday afternoon).

A video conference to check in with each individual student each week.

On-demand video conferencing - students can sign up if they want to book a session.

Small group video conferences for students with similar needs.

Optional "live recess" to allow students to connect and hang out.

Examples of how Screencasts or Recorded Videos are Being Used:

A video introduction or screencast for key lessons (might not be possible for all lessons).

A short welcome video each morning and/or reflection video each afternoon.

A screencast to offer feedback on student work and progress.

Let's look at some specific options for daily timetables.

More Flexible Option: Distribute a Daily "To Do List"

When schools decide on expectations, they often need to consider whether they should give lesson guidelines that can be completed at any time, or stick to a traditional structure.

For example, if you were offering a flexible program, you could build on a checklist like this:

Today you need to complete:

30 minutes reading

30 minutes writing

30 minutes science

30 minutes math

It's optional whether you give an actual time requirement (e.g. 30 minutes) or just a task, however, a time suggestion can be helpful so students don't spend either all day working, or not enough time on task.

More Structured Option: Distribute a Timetable

Alternatively, students might be issued with a structured timetable that all students will complete at the same time, e.g.

9am - 9:45am reading

10am - 10.45am writing

10.45am - 11.30am recess

11.30am - 12.15pm science

12.30pm - 1.15pm math

1.30pm - 2.15pm lunch

2.30pm - 3.30pm catch up/specialist subjects

Factoring in time for catching up seems to be proving extremely useful for many schools. You might schedule learning activities in the morning and leave the afternoons free for catching up and offline pursuits. Alternatively, you could schedule one day a week for completing unfinished work or even have a weekly "screen-free" day.

Rather than a daily approach, some schools are taking the whole week into account and giving projects or assignments that need to be completed or worked on over 5 days. Based on progress, a new plan might then be made for the following week.

Example: Kindergarten

Ashely in the middle east is not doing any live teaching via video conference due to cultural and religious reasons.

Ashley's team sends a weekly plan to the parents of their kindergarten students along with a suggested timetable. There are no expectations that the timetable is followed exactly due to parents working and a variety of family situations.

The planners are given out two weeks in advance to help families plan ahead. The links to learning tasks go to YouTube videos and Ashley's Office 365 cloud account of activities or readings. Ashley's kindergarten class also uses Flipgrid.

Example: 5th Grade

Laura Faulk at ASIJ (American School in Japan) is a 5th grade teacher who has recently started teaching online.

Her team created a daily planner using Google Docs. They share it each morning on a website that was created for their new distance learning program.

They are currently surveying families to find out whether they'd like to have the planner in advance.

The Google Doc planner has links to all the students' classroom and specialist work. The students are given a guide as to how long to spend on each activity.

The ASIJ team adapted their ideas from the work of Hong Kong International School (HKIS have a fantastic home learning website that is worth checking out too!).

You can follow Laura and her team on Twitter (@asij_g5).

Help Students Plan Their Day

Some teachers, especially those who are giving out ongoing assignments or projects, encourage their students to plan out their own days. You could give them ideas or a template.

Here is an example which you're welcome to copy and adapt,

People seemed to like the student planners a non-twitter teacher created for our #continuouslearning students, so here is blank version. Feel free to make a copy and make your own! https://t.co/3ZzKKpUA2F
- Rebekah Madrid (@ndbekah) March 5, 2020
Instructions for use:

1. Click here to open the Google Doc

2. Go to File > Make a copy

3. Type a name and choose where to save it

4. Click Ok

5. You'll then find an editable copy of the Google Doc in your Google Drive

Useful Online Tools

For some teachers, the technology part of virtual learning will be the scariest obstacle. Before we dive in to useful options, take a deep breath and remember:

Less can be more: you don't need to be using a huge range of different tools.

Start with tools students and teachers are already familiar with: there are probably some technology tools, apps, or platforms you've used in class that can be useful.

Remember, despite technology being a crucial tool for most closed schools, teaching and learning isn't about the technology. Try to focus on the core business of schools: relationships and learning.

Virtual Home Base or Online Platform: 3 Step Approach

There are some awesome tools out there for learning and creativity but first consider what you'll be using as your home base. When your classroom and school assembly halls aren't in use, your virtual hubs are more important than ever.

What will communication look like and where will learning take place? Here are three common steps you might see:

1. Communication will probably begin with information from the school district or state education department.

2. Then a school website might provide an overview of your plan for the whole community. (Need a better school website? We can help with that!).

3. From there, you could have individual class blogs or other approaches like a learning management system (e.g. Moodle, Canvas, or Google Classroom), a Facebook group (for older learners), Slack, or Seesaw.

Read on for more information and examples of this three-step approach.

1) District/State Education Department

Let's zoom out for a moment. When a school is to be closed and learning is transitioning to online, the first step is often clear communication from the top level - your district or state education department (if your school falls under one of these authorities).

Here's an example from Northshore District School in Washington state. They published a blog post on their district website to inform everyone in the school community of school closures.

It's an honest and dynamic announcement as they're still figuring out arrangements. The beauty of blog posts is you can keep publishing as more information is made available.

2) School Website or School Blog

A school website (or temporary site) can be an important next piece in the puzzle. It can provide an overview of your plan for the whole community to ensure everyone is on the same page, knows what to do, and knows where to seek help.

Website Example: YIS Continuous Learning Plan

Yokohama International School (YIS) in Japan has been closed since early March. They're becoming leaders in the community of global educators scrambling to find out how to approach school closures.

YIS has created a website to communicate a clear approach to their changed schooling format,

Although campus is temporarily closed, "school" continues as we engage students with experiences that continue the planned learning program and help them to stay connected with teachers and classmates. These learning experiences offer authentic opportunities to focus on key concepts, knowledge, and skills. They emphasize interaction and creativity, and involve a balance of on-screen and off-screen tasks that help connect to previous learning and the current curriculum.

Vice principal, Rebekah Madrid, explains the choice of the term "continuous learning",

For the first day, people weren't sure what we meant by "continuous learning". But now it makes sense for us. We didn't want online (because not always online) and we didn't want distant (because that's not the vibe we wanted). So continuous worked for us.
- Rebekah Madrid (@ndbekah) March 3, 2020

3) Classroom Hub: Blog, LMS, or Other Online Community

The third step is an online hub where you can distribute student learning tasks, share resources, gather feedback, and keep everyone in the loop. Of course, you could just email out assignments to students but there may be better options (emails can be better for one on one communication; they can get lost and can be hard to refer back to.).

You might already be using a learning management system or other platform (e.g. Seesaw, Slack, Google Classroom) at school that you can continue to use after your school closes. If so, there is probably no need to reinvent the wheel! Go with what you and your students know.

But maybe you don't have a place set up already where you can post learning tasks and resources that students can use on a daily basis.

A blog is a free, basic, and flexible tool to choose.

Here are some reasons why you might consider a blog as your online classroom while your school is closed:

A blog is a space you can own (you don't have control over some online spaces like social media).

It's a place where all the bits and pieces you create and explore in the online and offline world can be housed.

Blogs aren't just text and images, you can include videos, slideshows, infographics, podcasts, posters, polls, charts and more. Here are just six tools that allow you to create interactive learning content for your blog (online worksheets, games, and so on).

Blog content can be organized in an orderly way and searched for as needed.

Comments and forums allow two-way interaction.

Blogs can be public or private (learn more about the pros, cons, and options in this article).

💡 We have a post that compiles some examples of class blogs from a range of age groups and locations. You'll notice that there is a lot of flexibility in the way blogs are used.

Class Blog And/Or Student Blogs?

You might be only interested in having a class blog to share learning resources and so on. Alternatively, you might want all students to use their own blog to complete learning tasks, publish online, reflect on their experience privately, or even connect with the world.

My Class is a free management tool from Edublogs that brings a class blog and all your student blogs/accounts together. It makes it easier for teachers to set up and monitor their classroom blogging program.

Learn more about My Class in this post.

Example: Art Blog

Here is an example of a fantastic blog with lessons for home art activities by Chris Gadbury.

One of the great things about the blogging community is you cannot only make your own blog but benefit from other educators' blogs as well!

Want To Start Blogging But Not Sure How?

Check out our Blogging 101 page. It includes a 15-minute tutorial video and all the help guides you'll need to get going!

Educators and students can set up as many blogs as they need using Edublogs for free (no ads or time limits). Compare all the features here.

The Student Blogging Challenge Begins March 15

Since 2008, the Student Blogging Challenge has run twice a year. It's a way for students around the world to learn about blogging while connecting with a global audience.

The challenge is like an online course that you can assign to students (minimal work for teachers!). It runs for 8 weeks and is free, flexible, and fun.

If you have students aged between about 8 and 16 and you're interested in finding out more about the challenge, check out this post.

Videos And Online Learning

You can come up with fantastic tasks for students to work on at home but your program will run so much better if students can still feel your presence as a teacher. Videos are such an important part of online learning and a great way to maintain relationships.

Your familiar face will grab students' attention while building engagement and understanding.

Nervous about being on camera? Don't worry! Just start small. It will be worth it. Many teachers are nervous to start and want to re-do their video over and over (some students are like this too!). It won't take long for you to realize your videos don't have to be perfect and students will appreciate your efforts.

Let's take a look at some options.

Synchronous or Asynchronous Videos

There are two main options for sharing videos with your learners:

Synchronously: That means real-time streaming. It could be a live stream (like on YouTube) or an interactive video conference (like on Zoom).

Some synchronous videos can be recorded so they can be viewed again at a later date. This is useful if students can't attend the live stream, they have technology issues, or need to revise the content.

Asynchronously: That means you record videos that can be viewed (and reviewed) when it suits the student. Your videos could be a simple piece to camera or a screencast.

Screencasting is where you narrate a video recording of your computer screen. Sometimes it's just audio and sometimes you can see your face in the video as well.

The benefit of these videos are there are no time pressures, however, the connections that can be formed in synchronous video conferences can't be underestimated.

Popular Tools for Synchronous (Live) Video Conferences

There are many tools out there that allow you to connect with students via video. This can really help to unite the class.

Three of the most popular video-conferencing options for teachers and schools include:

Zoom - robust software designed exclusively for video conferencing

Google Hangouts Meet- the evolved version of classic Hangouts that's part of G Suite

Microsoft Teams - communication and collaboration platform that's part of Office 365

They are all simply ways to have a video conference with screen sharing capabilities.

The teacher can start the conference and share the access link with the students.

Students can access the conference at the specified time using any device (e.g. laptop or tablet).

Some users like to use external microphones, headphones, or webcams, however, the camera and microphone attached to your device are probably fine for getting started.

Here is a quick comparison of Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Hangouts Meet:

Notes on Live Video Tools:

Principal at International School of Dongguan, Todd Brink, suggested that, "One-on-one, small group, or whole group sessions are a must. Just like the classroom!" Video conferencing software allows these sorts of options.

One teacher mentioned that they find Google Hangouts Meet offers students too much freedom, for example, students could mute or remove other participants from the room. Apparently, the workaround is to invite your students to join using the invitation link instead of directly adding them to the meeting.

Some teachers are also experimenting with live streaming on YouTube. For teenagers, it's a platform they're already really familiar with and they can comment in real-time.

Example Video Conferences From Teachers

Teachers at American International School of Guangzhou are doing a fantastic job of setting up engaging video conferences using Zoom.

Here are two examples that were recently shared on Twitter,

Using #zoom_us to create a collaborative story this morning ... once we had our order, can we work together to build a story one word a time? A myth about an earthquake that goes with our #unitofinquiry #howtheworldworks ? Even better! #AISGZ #onlinelearning #virtuallearning pic.twitter.com/W4EvYnGK2B
- Katie Robbins (@krobbins84) March 5, 2020

Another #zoom meeting with second graders. I think they only come to see a mess I make doing my science experiments. Today there were beans spilled all over my coffee table and the smell of vinegar is overpowering. Science #onlinelearning is still fun. #aisgz #pypchat #sciencefun pic.twitter.com/XSjc19ltCQ
- Inga Bela (@inga_bela) March 5, 2020

Popular Tools for Recording Asynchronous Videos and Screencasts

There are a number of tools available to record screencasts. Like many online tools there are free plans and paid plans.

Let's compare four of the most popular screencasting tools teachers are using for recording lessons.

This chart compares the features of the free plans (paid plans have more features).

Notes On Screencasting Tools

I've written a blog post specifically about Loom if you want to learn more. There are no age restrictions so students can use Loom if you want them to make screencasts.

You'll remember that Zoom is a popular tool for video conferencing. To record a screencast using Zoom, you start a meeting with yourself as the only participant and record the conference. You can't record if you're using the Zoom iOS app.

The only option of the four that allows you to record and save on an iPhone or iPad is Screencast-o-matic. The other options require you to use a computer to record.

Record a Piece to Camera

Your videos don't have to be part of a video conference call or a screencast. You can record a simple piece to camera using your phone or webcam.

That is, a video of your happy self teaching and talking!

In a previous post on The Edublogger, we outlined ten tips for recording a piece to camera. Read the full post (you'll find a PDF copy to download) or check out the summary below.

Video Editing

Made a video and want to edit it? Maybe it needs trimming, captions, or other effects?

For quick video editing on my phone, I love two free apps from GoPro called QuikStories and Splice. QuikStories puts everything together for you with music, transitions, and other cool effects. Splice is handy if you want to make more manual edits and don't necessarily want too many effects.

Try not to get carried away though, it can be a lot of fun creating videos but a raw edit is fine!

Example Videos from Teachers

Here is a short video from a dedicated kindergarten teacher in Tokyo, Japan.

@ThePedAgog demonstrating to Kindergarten 2 learners that Coronavirus and online learning won't interfere with promoting student agency and nurturing teacher student relationships @TISlearns @ibpyp pic.twitter.com/kmjO5uJQ0P
- Christopher Frost (@FrostChrissy) March 5, 2020

This year 1 teacher also from Tokyo International School demonstrates a wonderful reading lesson,

@Ms_SarahVaughan nurturing 'reading as thinking' remotely. #distancelearning keeping @tcrwp as alive as possible during this #peskycoronavirus @holleytcrwp @clemenkat pic.twitter.com/cWeCWnUBIX
- TokyoIS (@TISlearns) March 5, 2020

For older students, here is an example from two creative art teachers.

E-learning commenced today @TISLearns worried that Middle School Art & Design teachers Sara and @mandurubell Andrew might 'make it' as the next celebrity YouTube stars! If they earn their fortune and leave us what would happen to our Arts department and staff room giggles?! pic.twitter.com/ZQYpvpTLvR
- Christopher Frost (@FrostChrissy) March 4, 2020

For more tips on using live or recorded video in your online teaching program, check out this article from Richard Byrne. He has some great suggestions such as keeping your webcam on, using check-in questions, and using a $20 whiteboard.

Other Online Tools to Consider

So you have your home base set up, you've considered recording some videos to share with students, now what other online tools can you use to engage students and fuel their learning?

Here are some suggestions with a very brief summary of each. This list is far from exhaustive Leave your own ideas in a comment!

Create fun learning games for your students called Kahoots. Classes can play live against each other or students can complete the quiz at their own pace.

*Premium features are currently free for schools facing closures. Learn more.

These short educational videos are fantastic for online learning. There's also BrainPOP Jnr. for K-3 and BrainPOP ELL for English language learners.

*Currently free for educators affected by coronavirus school closures. Learn more.

Online tool that allows you to make all sorts of graphics (perfect for communicating with students and families). Learn more about Canva in our guide on The Edublogger.

*Educators can get a premium account for free.

A popular tool to create interactive YouTube videos to check students' understanding. Basic plans are free for teachers and students.

Design lessons with interactive questions, polls, quizzes, and formative assessments. Works with Google Slides.

*Pear Deck Premium is free for 90 days for schools affected by closures. Learn more.

Anchor.fm is a popular free service for recording, hosting, and distributing podcasts. Check out our guide on The Edublogger to learn more about using podcasting with students.

Create grids to facilitate asynchronous video discussions that are very engaging for students. This tool is totally free.

Padlet is an online bulletin board where you can display text, images, video, and more. Padlets can be embedded in blog posts. It used to be free but now there is a limit of three Padlets before you need to upgrade.

Students at the International School of Buscan recently used Padlet for a virtual art show!

Today's Grade 3 Virtual Art Exhibition on @Padlet is brilliant! #ISBlearning pic.twitter.com/rqJqwiN5Nt
- Simon McCloskey (@SimonJMcCloskey) March 5, 2020

Simple tool for younger students to create books or learning journals that combine text, images, audio and video.

*Schools that are closed for COVID-19 can get 90 days free of the premium plan. Learn more.

Cloud based video editing tool that allows students and teachers to get creative. Students could have fun responding to some of learning tasks as a video and can collaborate with peers on projects.

*WeVideo For Schools free for schools affected by COVID-19. Learn more.

A curation tool that allows you to save, organize, tell stories, and share content from around the web. See the example Wakelet embedded below.

Read all about how to use Wakelet in this post.

More Ideas for Online Tools

To stay up to date with more useful online tools that teachers are using as they switch to online learning, follow this Wakelet by Erin Flanagan (@erintegration).

10 Tips for Virtual Teaching and Learning

Transitioning to online schooling is a learning journey for everyone. While everyone's circumstances are different, these tips might offer you some food for thought. Chime in with your own tips in a comment!

1) Encourage Fun, Play, and Activity

In the traditional classroom setting, many teachers plan physical activity breaks for good health and productive learning.

A New York Times report on school closures explained,

At least one school in Hong Kong requires students - in gym uniform - to follow along as an instructor demonstrates push-ups onscreen. Each student's webcam provides proof.

Using a more engaging approach, these PE teachers in Vietnam are sharing daily "Get Up and Go" videos with students. No doubt students love seeing their teachers on screen.

A PE teacher in China is using Flipgrid to teach dancing. Great to see parents getting involved too!

This made me smile. Mother and daughter working together on @flipgrid to learn the dance. It is great to see her mum supporting her during this unique e-learning time. note: this video has been posted with permission from both dancers #aisgzhpe #physed #elearning #movementmatters pic.twitter.com/KGqjx8Hky3
- Adam Tomassen (@AdamHPE) February 28, 2020

If you haven't yet tried GoNoodle or Cosmic Kids Yoga (free on YouTube) I highly recommend them for elementary-aged students.

The only problem is, they still involve technology so you probably want to consider some options that give students a break from devices.

Minimizing screen time is becoming a big concern for parents and teachers.

Perhaps you could publish a daily challenge to keep students active and off screens? Take it a step further by asking students to send in a photo of their experience.

Here are some ideas. You're welcome to use this resource however you see fit.

📌 Download a PDF copy of the poster

Depending on quarantine situations and family circumstances, some students may be able to go out in the community. In this case, you might suggest trips to the library, museums, play dates, study groups, or exploring nature.

Many teachers are also trying to set learning tasks that are offline (such as "hands-on" math for younger students - baking, measuring objects, shape hunts and so on).

British International School in Hanoi ran a LEGO Challenge and asked students to send in photos of their creations. What fun!

This teacher asked her students for their own ideas of how they like to spend their time offline.

Grade 4 came up with ideas to stay balanced and get offline sometimes during these days of #virtuallearning. They connected their tips to the #pyp #learnerprofile. They were thoughtful, funny, realistic and relevant. Thanks for the idea @ALMcCloskey #isblearning pic.twitter.com/fe2g4K56kE
- Laura-Claire Corson (@LauraClaire_C) March 3, 2020

2) Communicate Clearly and Frequently

When the school community is scattered, clear and ongoing communication is essential!

Ensure everyone knows how messages will be communicated and what channels they should be checking in on (e.g. email, LMS, blog, school website).

Make sure students and parents know how they can contact teachers for learning support and how they can get tech support. Some teachers are holding "office hours" (e.g. I am available for email support from 10am to 2pm daily; or "I am available for Google Hangouts Meet sessions from 12.30-1.30pm each day").

You might err on the side of overcommunicating to ensure everyone feels connected, supported, and confident.

Make instructions as clear and concise as you can. Effective communication will really pay off.

3) Seek Feedback Regularly

On the flipside of communicating, it's important to also seek feedback from students and families.

The team at Google recently made a suggestion that many closed schools are already trying out,

Using Google Forms, create mood check-ins for students to share their emotional state on a daily basis. Within the Form, students can request a conference with the teacher if they need extra support.

This situation is new for most schools and families. Engage in a cycle of continuous improvement and refinement based on feedback from families, teachers, and students.

4) Give Choices

There's never been a better time to empower learners and offer choice. Online learning can offer a lot of flexibility so it's a great idea to take advantage of that.

You've probably heard of a choice board? It's a graphic organizer that allows students to choose different learning activities. They're set up in a grid, perhaps with a choice of 9 activities. Some teachers like to include one mandatory activity.

Kim from Seoul Foreign School created this photosynthesis choice board for her 8th grade students.

5) Set Up Guidelines

School guidelines are an important part of the transition process to online learning. These guidelines can be established even before your school has closed.

Not sure where to start? Check out this advice and examples from International Schools Services. You'll find online learning policies, parent guidelines and more.

Guidelines for students are also important but for a lot of students, a simple PDF with slabs of text won't be an effective way to communicate.

Yosef Tewolde in China shares a clear overview in a student friendly format.

VS basic ⁦@ncpa_china⁩ . Sending out tips for students each day in our VS daily bulletin. #onlinelearning #issedu #pulaoproud pic.twitter.com/R8bkTeZOHo
- Yosef Tewolde (@YosefTewolde) February 12, 2020

American International School of Guangzhou shared this appealing resource on Twitter about videos.

Here's another great example from teachers at Seoul Foreign British School,

#virtuallearning guidelines for primary students collab with @emcslack and Becca Cook. https://t.co/XCoRPuWNq7 #onlinelearning #sfs1912 @SFBritishSchool pic.twitter.com/zVH2jvtV1W
- Jill Zappia (@JillZappia) March 5, 2020

6) Ensure Teacher Wellbeing

This meme by Nancy Breau shared on Facebook sums up online teaching pretty well,

It's crucial to consider teacher wellbeing. Teaching is hard enough in the traditional sense but moving online with minimal preparation or planning can be very stressful. In addition, some teachers are also trying to teach their own children whose schools have closed.

Effective leadership and communication are key. As a teacher, try to take care of yourself. Go offline at the end of the day, take breaks, keep moving, eat well, drink water, get fresh air... you know the drill!

7) Consider Student and Family Wellbeing

Switching to an online schooling program presents many challenges to students and families. Listening to families and sharing tips to ensure their wellbeing is very important.

There are many ways to go about this. You might be able to get the help of school counselors or welfare officers. Or, you might invite students and families to share their own tips on what they're doing to stay happy and healthy during this challenging time.

The International School of Busan shared a short video on their Twitter account with basic tips for families.

Staying healthy in a virtual learning environment. #ISBlearning pic.twitter.com/HdcwWWlxol
- International School of Busan (@ISBLearning) February 29, 2020

8) Embrace the Online Community

School closures are fast becoming a global issue. You might have a million questions racing around your head but you're not alone. There has never been a better time to connect with the online communities of teachers who are keen to offer tips, support, and examples.

There is a Facebook Group set up by Kirsten Durward that is very supportive and helpful. It's a new group but its growing in popularity and already has thousands of members.

Click here to find the group and remember to answer the questions that pop up when you request access.

You'll also find some fantastic posts from community minded teachers on Twitter. Many teachers are using the hashtags #schoolclosures #virtuallearning and #onlinelearning. At this stage it looks like #schoolclosures is the leading hashtag?

New to Twitter? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Twitter to get started. It'll be worth it!

A number of teachers are creating Wakelets that curate useful information. Here is another useful Wakelet from Justin Ouellette.

9) Keep Your Class Connected

Keeping your class connected can be a challenge when students are scattered around the community (and around the world in some areas).

As we've mentioned, video conferences are a good way to overcome this. While most video conferences would be lessons, consider adding in some fun conferences that are either structured (e.g. play a game together) or unstructured (e.g. live recess where students can just hang out).

If you're not using conferences, consider a tool like Flipgrid where students can respond to each other with short recorded videos.

You might be able to come up with ways for students to work on group projects together. This can add a layer of stress for students who might be struggling so of course, you'd gauge whether group work is a positive option.

Maybe you can hold a virtual assembly for your whole school or year level, just like these folks in South Korea,

Today's virtual learning highlight - The PYP Assembly! Puppet shows, dance-offs, jokes and shoutouts. The PYP team broadcasting live to the Elementary School. What a fabulous way to end the week! I'm lucky to work with so many wonderful educators. #ISBlearning pic.twitter.com/JHFu0SA0zX
- Simon McCloskey (@SimonJMcCloskey) March 6, 2020

10) Keep it Simple 💓

The message you'll hear over and over from school leaders and teachers who have been at this for a while now is clear: keep it simple!

Don't overthink things and create complicated lessons.

Don't invest in expensive technology or reinvent the wheel.

Don't expect that you will be able to cover as much as you would in the classroom.

Just do your best. That is enough!

Obstacles and Issues Created by School Closures

The rapid school closures we're seeing across the world raise concerns for teachers, parents, students, and the wider community.

Some issues that are currently being navigated include:

Students/Families

Do all students have access to devices and the internet?

Who will look after students who are home from school? Are some students being left home alone?

How can parents manage their own careers? Do their employers allow them to work from home or have time off?

What about students who rely on getting free or subsidized meals at school? How can they be supported? What are the ramifications for farmers and food suppliers if orders are suspended?

Are there concerns with excess screen time and lack of physical activity?

How can students stay connected to peers?

How can students with disabilities or additional learning needs be catered for?

Teachers

How can educators juggle teaching if they have their own children home from school?

How can teachers maintain work-life balance?

Can teachers work from home or do they need to be on campus? Are teachers trusted and supported to work remotely?

Do teachers need PD? Can the transition to online learning happen immediately or does there need to be a bridge (for example, students are provided with work/a packet for a week while teachers set up the online learning program)?

What role will non-teaching staff take on?

Who will take classes if teachers become ill?

Schoolwide issues

Will testing and report cards need to be delayed? What other assessment and reporting concerns are there?

How is attendance monitored? For some, attendance or class numbers are linked to school funding.

Should teachers/administrators chase up students who aren't participating?

How should the school day be balanced with synchronous and asynchronous learning that's both online and offline?

How can individual students be catered for and work be differentiated?

How can you prevent all the student work from becoming a scattered mess? Are they going to publish items on a digital portfolio (e.g. blog) or something similar?

What will the transition back to online schooling look like?

Schools, teachers, and families may also face different issues depending on whether they are part of an international school, private school, or public school. Each situation is unique and throws up so many different variables.

As you can see, these issues are broad and complex. Perhaps at this stage there are more questions than answers.

Checklist for Administrators and Educators Facing a School Closure

This post has covered a lot of information and offered a lot of ideas and options.

The following checklist might be a useful starting point if your school is beginning to discuss an upcoming or possible school closure.

Of course, this is just a very simplified checklist for schools who are beginning to think about transitioning.

📌 Click here to download a PDF copy of the checklist

Over to You

We'd love to keep this post updated with practical information. Please leave a comment if you have any tips, questions, or examples. We want to hear from you!

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Resources For Teaching Online Due To School Closures

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This extensive guide will give you insights into how educators around the world are approaching school closures due to COVID-19 (coronavirus). Learn about options for structuring the school day, using video, and using online tools. You'll also find a checklist for schools facing a closure and tips for virtual teaching.

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Getting Started with "Apple Clips" Tutorial

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Resources for teachers - Book Creator app

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Browse through the most extensive library of Book Creator resources on the web. Ideal for teachers using the app in their classroom.

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The SAG-AFTRA Foundation's Daytime Emmy-nominated, Storyline Online, features celebrated actors reading children's books to inspire a love of reading in millions of children worldwide.

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BrainPOP - Animated Educational Site for Kids - Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology

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Class Video Responses- Students can create a video response and give feedback to each other.

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white board video creation

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Create Explainer Videos for Your Classroom | Explain Everything Webinar

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Online Teaching Resources - Lucy Gray - Public

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Hello, friends! I'm Kate Messner, a former classroom teacher, forever-educator, and the author of more than three dozen books for kids. These include picture books like Over and Under the Snow, The Brilliant Deep, and The Next President; the Fergus and Zeke easy reader series; the Ranger in Time historical chapter book adventures; nonfiction like Tracking Pythons and Solve This: Forensics; and novels like All the Answers, Breakout, and . I'm happy that you found your way here!

This is a library of resources for kids, families, teachers, and librarians to make sure that reading & learning can happen anywhere this spring. Some of you may be out of school as communities try to prevent the spread of a virus known as COVID-19. Here's a great page from NPR that explains what that's all about, in a kid-friendly comic. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Jason Reynolds shares "How to Fight the New Bad Guy in Town," a PSA for kids, on the StorySeeds podcast here. And this excellent & important post from author Laurie Halse Anderson does a great job explaining why we're seeing closings (and why that's important) for older readers.

Below, you'll find a growing collection of resources that include everything from first-chapter and picture book read-alouds (all shared with permission!) to drawing and writing mini-lessons. Be sure to check back often, as new resources will be added every day. If you'd prefer to browse learning-at-home resources by age group, my daughter Ella has put together the pages below, with even more resources, organized by grade level. (Thanks, Ella!)

Resources for grades PreK-2 (ages 3-7)
Resources for grades 3-5 (ages 8-10)
Resources for grades 6-8 (ages 11-13)
Resources for grades 9-12 (ages 14+)

Many teachers & librarians have also reached out to ask about permission to read books aloud to your students via closed platforms like Google Classroom, Zoom, and unlisted YouTube links. Individual publishers have been sharing their own guidelines for online read-alouds, and you'll find a round-up of those here.

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of THE NEXT PRESIDENT: THE UNEXPECTED BEGINNINGS AND UNWRITTEN FUTURE OF AMERICA'S PRESIDENTS, illustrated by Adam Rex. Writing challenge: After the read-aloud, write your own presidential platform. What changes would you make to your country if you were in charge?

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of OVER AND UNDER THE POND, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal (shared with permission from Chronicle Books). After the read-aloud, look out your window - or step outside if you can - and see what hidden nature you notice!

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of THE BRILLIANT DEEP: REBUILDING THE WORLD'S CORAL REEFS illustrated by Matt Forsythe. After the read-aloud, check out the Coral Restoration Foundation website. Learn more about the threats coral reefs are facing from NASA's Climate Kids page, and check out this page about how kids can help our oceans. Challenge: Make a poster or drawing to teach people about how we can all help coral and other sea creatures!

OVER AND UNDER THE RAINFOREST, Kate's book with illustrator Christopher Silas Neal doesn't come out until August, but we got special permission to share an early read-aloud! After the story, check out this page with more information on the wildlife of Costa Rica, where Kate did most of the research for this book. Writing challenge: Write a short article to teach people about your favorite rainforest animal!

Tracey Baptiste, the author of The Jumbies series, shares a mini-lesson on comparative mythology. She talks through how creatures from different mythologies have traits in common and encourages kids to find those similarities in the mythologies they come across. She's also sharing some reading resources such as D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths, The Element Encyclopedia of Mythical Creatures, and her own Jumbies Field Guide available at her website.

Author Debbi Michiko Florence shares a read-aloud excerpt of her chapter book JASMINE TOGUCHI FLAMINGO KEEPER, along with a writing prompt (and a peek at a real daruma doll)!

Author Leah Henderson shares a first chapter read-aloud of her middle grade novel THE MAGIC IN CHANGING YOUR STARS. Writing Challenge: Find out who Ailey Benjamin Lane is named after. (Hint: His first name comes from an African-American dancer & choreographer with the initials A.A. His middle name comes from an African-American farmer & naturalist who searches out the stars and who created an almanac in 1792. This person's initials are B.B.) Who could they be?

Author-illustrator Jarrett Lerner shares tips and techniques to help you draw ANYTHING and EVERYTHING!

Veera Hiranandani, author of the Newbery Honor winning book The Night Diary, The Whole Story of Half a Girl, and The Phoebe G. Green series offers a diary writing prompt to help you get to know your characters and create an inspired story!

Author Jason Reynolds shares a read-aloud from his MG novel, GHOST. In this chapter, the main character talks about world records, so after the read-aloud, check out this page from the Guiness Book of World Records, with some records you can try to break at home!

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud excerpt from TRACKING PYTHONS: THE QUEST TO CATCH AN INVASIVE PREDATOR AND SAVE AN ECOSYSTEM. After the read-aloud, you can learn more about invasive species from National Geographic and the National Wildlife Foundation. Also check out this article from New York State Conservationist Kids!

Kate also shared this article about the python scientists, with photos and infographics.

Author & illustrator Grace Lin teaches viewers how to draw a Chinese Dragon and shares some tidbits about Chinese culture! You can find more of Grace's reading & drawing videos on her YouTube channel.

Author Carole Lindstrom shares a read-aloud of WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS.

Author Jo Knowles reads from the first chapter of her MG novel WHERE THE HEART IS and offers students a fun writing exercise! For more about Jo and her books, or for teachers/book group guides that go along with her books, visit her website.

Kelley McMorris, who illustrates the RANGER IN TIME chapter book series, shares a video about how she illustrates a book cover. After you watch, try using Kelley's process to design a new cover for one of your favorite books!

Author and illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi shares a read-aloud of her picture book WHERE ARE MY BOOKS?, gives a drawing demo and challenges young readers to create their own imaginative squirrels, and shares a crowd-sourced "Where Are My Books?" music video. You can find lots of free, print-ready activities and other fun bonus info at https://www.debbieohi.com/wamb

Author Erin Entrada Kelly gives a peek into the notebooks for several of her novels, including HELLO, UNIVERSE. Writing challenge: What's in your notebook? Take a little time to write in it today, inspired by Erin's ideas!

Author Chris Tebbetts shares a read-aloud of the first chapters of STRANDED. Writing challenge: Choose a wilderness setting of your own - the Arctic, the desert, the rainforest - and imagine you're stranded there. How will you survive? Write an imaginary journal documenting your adventure. Check out these wilderness survival skills from Outdoor Life for ideas!

Author Nikki Grimes shares poetry selections from WORDS WITH WINGS. Writing challenge: Try writing your own poem today, in the style of one of Nikki's read-alouds! For more of Nikki's read-aloud videos and lessons, check out her YouTube Channel here.

Author Ann Braden shares a read-aloud excerpt from THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS. Note: the octopus is a pretty amazing creature, so after the read-aloud, read up on them at this page from National Geographic Kids!

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of UP IN THE GARDEN AND DOWN IN THE DIRT, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. After the read-aloud, read more about helpful insects here and check out these garden activities from KidsGarden!

Author Sarah Albee shares a STEM mystery, "Did the Doctor Do It?" as part of her series exploring the science and intrigue of poison throughout history. Check out more of Sarah's Poison videos here.

Middle grade and Young adult author, Paula Chase offers a mini-writing exercise to help students build stories around their unique traits.

Author Nancy Castaldo reads some of BACK FROM THE BRINK with tips how we can all use our voices through our writing to make a difference. Here's the link to the reader's guide for more activities.

Author Debbi Michiko Florence shares an early read-aloud excerpt of her upcoming MG novel KEEP IT TOGETHER KEIKO CARTER, along with a writing prompt!

Author & illustrator Grace Lin shares the first story from her early reader, "Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same!" You can find more of Grace's reading & drawing videos on her YouTube channel.

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud excerpt from RANGER IN TIME: RESCUE ON THE OREGON TRAIL. Writing challenge: Choose your favorite event in history and imagine how a search and rescue dog might be able to help out. Then so some research about your historical event, and write your own story about Ranger's adventures there!

Christina Soontornvat shares how she came up with the idea for her new middle grade fantasy novel, A WISH IN THE DARK. Writing challenge: Use Christina's model to brainstorm your own list of ideas for stories that might be inspired by a classic tale! And check out more videos from Christina here!

Author KA Holt reads an excerpt from her forthcoming middle grade novel-in-verse, BEN BEE AND THE TEACHER GRIEFER.

Author Mae Respicio reads a few pages from her upcoming middle grade novel, Any Day With You, and shares a quick, fun writing prompt. Writing challenge: Imagine you've been planning a beach day with your best friends. You're so excited to go but when you get there... everything goes wrong and not the way you expected it to! Describe what happens.

Author Elly Swartz shares tips on how to use the emotion in your life to create authentic characters! Writing challenge: Take a few minutes to journal about a day when you felt an especially strong emotion - joy or fear or excitement! How might you use those emotions in a fictional story?

Author Lisa Yee drinks water, reads the first chapter of Millicent Min, Girl Genius, and fumbles when she comes across a couple of lines in Latin. Writing challenge: Try rewriting a scene from this chapter from the point of view of another character!

Award-Winning author Michelle Cusolito shares a writing mini-lesson to help writers add more sensory details to their writing. You can find more resources related to Michelle's book FLYING DEEP: CLIMB INSIDE DEEP-SEA SUBMERSIBLE ALVIN here.

Author-illustrator Lita Judge shares a video about how a sketching trip inspired one of her picture books! After you watch, take your own mini-sketching trip. Go to your kitchen or your bedroom, your porch or your backyard, and sketch what you see. Observe closely!

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud excerpt from CHIRP, a mystery for kids that's set on a cricket farm! After the read aloud, you can learn more about entomophagy (eating insects as food!) from CBS Kids, and check out a real cricket farm's website!

Author Chris Tebbetts shares a video mini-lesson on how to create a good beginning for a story!

And another video writing workshop from Chris, called Four Elements of Character. (This is an 8-minute video where you pause & write sometimes, so the full activity will take about half an hour. Recommended for writers ages 10 and up.)

Author Aisha Saeed shares a read-aloud of her picture book, BILAL COOKS DAAL, along with a related activity!

Author Emily Jenkins shares a read-aloud of A GREYHOUND, A GROUNDHOG.

Author Lisa Schroeder shares a read-aloud excerpt from her MG novel MY SECRET GUIDE TO PARIS, along with a writing exercise!

Author Janet Fox shares a read-aloud of the first chapter of her MG novel THE ARTIFACT HUNTERS. Writing challenge: Try writing a short scene of your own in which something unexpected happens!

Author & illustrator Jess Keating shares some thoughts on where ideas for stories come from! (This is part of a series Jess shares on writing & you can find more on her YouTube channel.)

Author Chris Tebbetts shares a read-aloud of the first chapters of MIDDLE SCHOOL, THE WORST YEARS OF MY LIFE, co-written with James Paterson.

Poet Charles Waters shares poetry from DICTIONARY FOR A BETTER WORLD (by Charles Waters and Irene Latham)

Author Abby Cooper reads the first chapter of her middle grade novel, FRIEND OR FICTION.

Author Lynn Plourde shares some tips on starting an observation notebook!

Author-illustrator James Burks shares a video lesson on how to draw Squirrel from his graphic novel series, Bird and Squirrel!

Author Kristen Larson shares an engineering design activity based on her book WOOD, WIRE, WINGS: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane.

Author Liz Garton Scanlon shares a video lesson on writing am ETHEREE - a ten line poem in which each line is one syllable longer than the last.

Author-illustrator Karen Romano Young shares a video doodling tutorial. You can also check out Karen's #AntarcticLog comics, a weekly series of comics about Antarctica - as well as the Arctic and anyplace where climate change is being studied.

Author KA Holt reads an excerpt from her novel-in-verse, HOUSE ARREST. Mini-lesson: listen for as many poetic devices as you can find (metaphor, simile, assonance, hyperbole, etc.)

Author Jennifer Roy shares a video read-aloud from her historical novel YELLOW STAR, along with a writing prompt about looking for symbols of hope in tough times, recommended for ages 10 and up.

Author Laurel Snyder shares some thoughts on fiction and making up stories, along with a read-aloud of CHARLIE AND MOUSE OUTDOORS.

Author Caroline Starr Rose reads her picture book, A RACE AROUND THE WORLD: THE TRUE STORY OF NELLIE BLY AND ELIZABETH BISLAND. When you've finished listening, visit the article, How to Pack Like Pioneering Journalist Nellie Bly, Who Circumnavigated the Globe in 1889 with Just a Small Duffle Bag, to see what Nellie brought on her journey. Challenge: Plan your own trip around the world. What would you like to see? Where would you like to visit? Mark these places on a map.

Author Corinne Demas shares a read-aloud of THE DISAPPEARING ISLAND.

Author Lauren Tarshis shares a read-aloud of the first two chapters of I SURVIVED THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC. After the read-aloud, check out this link to read about Robert Ballard, the oceanographer whose team discovered the wreck of the Titanic more than seventy years after it sank.

Author & poet Nikki Grimes shares poems about one of her favorite cakes, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, along with five steps to creating your very own poem about your favorite food! For more of Nikki's read-aloud videos and lessons, check out her YouTube Channel here.

Author Sarah Aronson shares a read-aloud of JUST LIKE RUBE GOLDBERG. And here's a FlipGrip page where kids can share their projects and ask questions.

Author Chelsea Clinton shares an excerpt from her book START NOW: YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

Author Bruce Hale shares a read aloud of BIG BAD BABY.

Writing Challenge: Write about the same experience in multiple ways (letters, poems, illustrations, and screenplay).

Bonus challenge: Write positive affirmations for your family members.

Author Sayantani DasGupta shares a read-aloud of the first chapter of THE SERPENT'S SECRET.

Author Deborah Underwood reads INTERSTELLAR CINDERELLA (illustrated by Meg Hunt) and gives kids a mini-lesson on how to write their own fractured fairy tales.

Author Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of UP IN THE GARDEN AND DOWN IN THE DIRT and answers questions from kids in a "Family Book Club" video recorded earlier this year (thanks to Read-Aloud Revival for making this recording publicly available for learning at home this spring!)

Author-illustrator Brian Biggs shares a read-aloud of his EVERYTHING GOES board books.

Author Jessica Young shares a read-aloud of HAGGIS AND TANK (illustrated by James Burks) with a mini-lesson on sound words.

Author-illustrator Brandon Reese shares a read-aloud of his picture book CAVE DADA. And here's a link to download a coloring page, too!

Here's a fun challenge from author Laurel Snyder ... She's written a brand new book, but doesn't have any pictures for it. Will you help? She'll read you the story of The Beastly Collective, and you'll draw your favorite animals, while she teaches you some brand new words!

Author Christine Evans shares a read-aloud of Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist, illustrated by Yasmin Imamura.

Author and illustrator Grace Lin shares a chapter from her book, The Year of the Dog. You can find more of Grace's reading & drawing videos on her YouTube channel.

Grace Lin teaches families how to draw a dog from the number 5 (just like in The Year of the Dog!)

Amy Guglielmo, co-author of POCKET FULL OF COLORS shares a read-aloud of her picture book biography of Disney artist Mary Blair. Art challenge: Collect a rainbow of colorful objects inside or outside as a fun follow up activity. Take part in the "Rainbow Hunt," and draw a picture of a rainbow to post in your window for neighbors to see on their daily walks.

Author Kerry O'Malley Cerra demonstrates an easy tool students can use to summarize. This tip can also be used for writers as chapter checks!

Japanese American author, Kathleen Burkinshaw reads a chapter from her MG historical fiction, The Last Cherry Blossom based on events in her mom's life as a 12 yr old in Hiroshima during WWII. Also learn a little about her mom's favorite Japanese folk tale. You can find a Discussion Guide on her website www.kathleenburkinshaw.co

Newbery Award winning author Meg Medina shares a writing lesson on Creating Tension.

Kerry Madden shares a read-aloud of ERNESTINE'S MILKY WAY.

Author Buffy Silverman shares On a Snow-Melting Day: Seeking Signs of Spring and a little science show-and-tell.

Author Diane Zahler shares a read-aloud of the first chapter of The Marvelwood Magicians and a writing prompt.

Abigail Rayner shares a read-aloud of The Backup Bunny.

Michelle Cusolito reads aloud her book Flying Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible ALVIN (illustrated by Nicole Wong) while Jeff Angeley of Southcoast Lessons provides live musical accompaniment. You can find more resources related to Flying Deep here.

Author Meg Fleming shares a read-aloud of her picture book, Sometimes Rain.

S.K. Ali, co-author of THE PROUDEST BLUE, shares directions for making a paper boat.

The niece and nephew of Cedella Marley read her book, Get Up, Stand Up, a picture book adaptation of one of Bob Marley's beloved songs that has a timely message for children: To counter injustice, lift others up with kindness and courage.

Author Lisa Yee talks about Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) and reads passages from the book. Writing prompt for today: Do you think boys and girls can be friends?

Would you rather be an #astronaut or #aquanaut? Perhaps you need more info to decide. Check out Jen Swanson's video below. Then make your choice and draw a picture of your suit!

Author Jo Watson Hackl Shows How to Take Your Reading to the Next Level by Exploring the Natural World of Your Characters.

Author Heather L. Montgomery reads-aloud chapters from SOMETHING ROTTEN: A FRESH LOOK AT ROADKILL.

Author Heather Shumaker offers a weekly author chat called Fiction Friday. She shares tips and ideas for writing fiction, reads a short excerpt from her middle grade novel The Griffins of Castle Cary, adds in a mini writing lesson, a few corny jokes, and encouragement to young writers and readers.

Author Christina Diaz Gonzalez talks about finding writing inspiration from your own family history (video is in English and then in Spanish).

Kate Messner shares a read-aloud of HOW TO READ A STORY, illustrated by Mark Siegel & shared with permission from Chronicle Books.

Author Kimberly Derting shares a read-aloud of CECE LOVES SCIENCE with permission from HarperCollins.

Author & science teacher Anne Ruppert shares a try-it-at-home fingerprinting activity from SOLVE THIS: FORENSICS (by Kate Messner & Anne Ruppert, published by National Geographic)

Author Jacqueline West shares a read-aloud from The Shadows, volume one of her bestselling MG fantasy/mystery series The Books of Elsewhere, along with a writing activity for you (and possibly your pet!) that will help you think about character and dialogue. For more info and other videos, visit her website! www.jacquelinewest.com.

Author Carter Higgins shares a read-aloud of BIKES FOR SALE with permission from Chronicle Books.

Author Deborah Underwood reads FINDING KINDNESS, illustrated by Irene Chan (Godwin Books/Macmillan, 2019).

Author Melanie Crowder reads a chapter from her middle grade novel, Three Pennies, and shares a quick and easy craft to go with it. Writing Challenge: Think of one of your favorite books-does an animal make an appearance in the story? In Three Pennies, the author writes several chapters from the point of view of an owl (named Owl). Try to add a chapter to that favorite book you've got in mind, writing from the point of view of an animal in that story.

Author Cynthia Levinson reads The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton. Thanks to Simon & Schuster Kids for permission.

Loree Griffin Burns, author of books like Citizen Scientists and the upcoming picture book You're Invited to a Moth Ball, shares her favorite book of all time: The Flora and Fauna of Hosmer Street. It's not a book she wrote, but rather one she made with her three kids. For one year, Loree, Sam, Ben, and Cat committed themselves to getting to know their animal neighbors; what they found surprised them. In this video, Loree show listeners a few of their best finds (garter snake! walking stick! a skeleton!), what they learned (the more you look, the more you see!) and, of course, how to start creating The Flora and Fauna of Your Place.

Many people have heard of the secret network that helped many enslaved blacks escape to freedom in the North called the Underground Railroad. But how many of you have heard about the Overground Railroad? Author Lesa Cline-Ransome reads from her book, The Overground Railroad, illustrated by her husband, James Ransome.

Author Kathleen Blasi reads HOSEA PLAYS ON, which depicts a day in the life of street musician Hosea Taylor, who made his community better, with his open-hearted giving. After the read-aloud, you can take a look at the newspaper article that inspired Kathleen to learn more about Hosea Taylor and served as the research springboard for HOSEA PLAYS ON.

Author Laya Steinberg reads her picture book THE BEST SUKKOT PUMPKIN EVER and shares a seed planting activity.

Author Jewell Parker Rhodes shares a read-aloud of the first chapter of GHOST BOYS.

Roy Freeman shares a read-aloud of CORDUROY, written and illustrated by his father, Don Freeman.

Author Nancy Tupper Ling shares a read-aloud, along with a lesson on how to make a list poem about your favorite place in the world.

Author Sarah Scheerger reads her picture book, Mitzvah Pizza, and shares a story about the real-life pay-it-forward pizza place that inspired the story. Classroom activities for the story are found here.

Writing Lessons! Many families are using this time at home to work on writing projects that range from stories and poems to special interest research reports and even novels. Here are some craft lessons from authors to help with ideas & strategies!
Author Meg Medina shares a video lesson on creating tension. Author Jennifer Torres shares a mini-workshop on setting with a video and pages to download. Here's a lesson from author Paula Chase on writing dual points of view. Author Josephine Cameron shares creative writing tips about how choosing the perfect setting can help you shape the character, plot, and relationships in your story.
Additional Resources:

Want to see even more author & illustrator videos? Check out the Authors Everywhere YouTube channel, created by Susan Tan!

Check out STEM Tuesday from The Mixed of Files of MG Authors blog for weekly book lists, interviews, and activities.

Want to try writing some poetry today? Joyce Sidman shares an amazing collection of ideas to get you started.

Here's another poetry lesson from Kathryn Apel - writing a didactic cinquain!

If you're stuck at home, it's a great time to start a writer's notebook! Author & Poet Amy Ludwig VanDerwater has a whole collection of posts from different writers, called "Sharing Our Notebooks." Check it out -so many ideas here!

Author Madelyn Rosenberg shares a collection of writing prompts here.

Here's a collection of video mini-lessons from nonfiction author Melissa Stewart - great for teaching informational writing, including research, text features, text structure, rich language, voice, and revision.

Author & poet Laura Shovan shares a collection of poetry mini-lessons on her website!

The folks at Middle Grade at Heart share a list of MG novels with discussions questions & related activities here.

Author Victoria Coe has a playlist of writing lessons for kids with 25 lessons.

Author Sarah Darer Littman offers short readings and writing prompts on her website.

On the Kids Ask Authors podcast, you can hear author/illustrator Grace Lin and a guest author answer a kid question! Kids can submit their own book reviews, poems or jokes! https://www.kidsaskauthors.com Subscribe to the podcast here: http://ow.ly/8OPg30qr7WD

Erica S. Perl (@ericaperl) is doing a weekly Instagram live author event called "Winging It with Erica S. Perl" featuring read-alouds, writing prompts, and occasional shakings of a tail feather. Tune in every Tuesday at 2 pm EST and wish her good cluck!

The KidLit TV team, a group of diverse children's book authors and illustrators, has created a virtual library of FREE read aloud, drawing & writing tutorials, podcasts, art activities + reading resources for kids. https://kidlit.tv

Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author & illustrator, shares daily drawing lessons on his YouTube channel.

Author Kathryn Hulick invites you to investigate a ghost story as a scientist, based on her book STRANGE BUT TRUE.

New Books to Check Out!

In case you're missing your weekly trip to the library or bookstore, we also want to let you know about some new books out this spring!

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Read, Wonder, and Learn! Favorite Authors & Illustrators Share Resources for Learning Anywhere - Spring 2020

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Hello, friends! I'm Kate Messner, a former classroom teacher, forever-educator, and the author of more than three dozen books for kids. These include picture books like Over and Under the Snow, The Brilliant Deep, and The Next President ; the Fergus and Zeke easy reader series; the Ranger in Time historical chapter book adventures; nonfiction like Tracking Pythons and Solve This: Forensics ; and novels like All the Answers, Breakout , and .

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The COVID-19 outbreak has caused a number of lockdowns and heightened alert levels in a number of cities and countries around the world. This has led to long suspensions of classes which disrupted the learning cycles or academic terms in schools, affecting the youngest learners until to the graduate students in the universities in many countries.

As of March 10, 2020, 32 countries in three continents have announced or implemented school and university closures per UNESCO report. " Sixteen countries have shut schools nationwide, impacting almost 363.1 million children and youth. A further sixteen countries have implemented localized school closures to prevent or contain the spread of COVID-19. Should these countries also order nationwide school and university closures, it would disrupt the education of more than 500 million additional children and youth. Countries affected by COVID-19 are putting in place national responses in the form of learning platforms and other tools. "

To be more specific, online distance learning has been the main response of most schools. Distance learning, in its simplest description, is remote learning where the teacher and the learner is separated by geographical distance. To facilitate interaction between the teacher and the learner, online platforms are employed and structures are put in place to foster and promote interaction and facilitate learning.
Benefits of online distance learning include:

Own pace of learning in the comfort of one's home

Study anytime, anywhere (may include synchronous or asynchronous learning activities)

May save time, effort, and cost if done in the long-run (or social distancing to avoid spread of sickness)

Online learning tools can be easily accessible and use, with proper guidance and training

Challenges of online distance learning include:

May not be appropriate for young learners, especially for those who have minimal or irregular adult supervision at home during scheduled study time

Learners may easily be distracted because of other online sites that may be accessible during learning time

May lose track of schedule, if not followed well

Limited interaction or delayed feedback from teacher

Unreliable and unstable access to the Internet

EdTech Tools that Support Online Distance Learning
Learning Management Systems (LMS) for communication, creation of online or virtual learning environments or classes, upload and share materials, post assessments, and give feedback

Schoology

Google Classroom

Edmodo

Moodle

Canvas

Blackboard

Seesaw - for young learners

GoBubble - for young learners

Live Streams Virtual or Online Meetings foronline lectures or synchronous discussions:

Google Hangouts Meet: Until July 1, 2020 - "...free access to our advanced Hangouts Meet video-conferencing capabilities to all G Suite and G Suite for Education customers globally including: Larger meetings, for up to 250 participants per call Live streaming for up to 100,000 viewers within a domain The ability to record meetings and save them to Google Drive"

Microsoft Teams - The free version of Microsoft Teams includes unlimited chat and search, group and one-on-one audio and video calling, and 10GB of team file storage along with 2GB of personal file storage per person. Users also get real-time collaboration with Office apps for Web, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote

Skype

FaceTime

YouTube Live

Collaboration Tools for productivity (documents, slideshow, spreadsheets, video presentations, posters, or ebooks).

Google Docs, Slides, Sheets

Office 365 Word, Powerpoint, Excel

iCloud Pages, Keynote, Numbers

Book Creator for Chrome: "...offer everyone the ability to collaborate together on books in real-time. This is a premium feature that is usually only available with a paid subscription, but we're offering 90 days free use of this tool, to help keep students and teachers connected." (Book Creator Team)

Anchor for podcasting

Formative Assessments to check for understanding
Coding or Virtual Creation

Minecraft Education - To help keep classrooms connected during school closures, #MinecraftEdu is now available for teachers and learners with valid O365 Education accounts through June 2020. Learn more: https://msft.it/6016Tjevw #MicrosoftEDU

Tynker - Tynker will be freely available to all schools worldwide facing closure due to COVID-19 coronavirus concerns. We are also scheduling free webinars for T's on how to leverage the @GoTynker platform to support at-home learning by S's. More details at https://gotyn.kr/SchoolClosureSupport

Resources for Contents and Instructional Materials/ Creation of IMs

NumberBender Youtube Channel for Math tutorial videos

Khan Academy free online courses

BrainPOP - "ICYMI, we're offering free access to BrainPOP for schools affected by #coronavirus closures. Learn more here: http://brnpop.co/3bOUY3u "

Buncee - Classrooms who are experiencing school closures will be able to gain free access to Buncee Classroom, that way teachers/students can connect virtually and continue learning together. Contact us at support@buncee.com

Discovery Education - To help U.S. schools and the communities they serve maintain continuity of learning in the event of prolonged school closures due to the Coronavirus, Discovery Education has created a three-pronged response.

Classwork Zoom - Free Access for closed schools

Screencastify - "If your school has temporarily closed due to the Coronavirus and is looking for a solution for remote learning, please have an administrator contact us at sales@screencastify.com. We'll do whatever we can to help at no cost."

Explain Everything - This is a FULL service screencasting whiteboard app. The company is offering FREE subscriptions to schools closed due to the virus. For ipads, androids and chromebooks

See more at: Coronavirus Virtual Learning Offers, EdTech companies offering FREE support and/or access to schools affected by COVID19 closures.

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The COVID-19 outbreak has caused a number of lockdowns and heightened alert levels in a number of cities and countries around the world. This has led to long suspensions of classes which disrupted the learning cycles or academic terms in schools, affecting the youngest learners until to the graduate students in the universities in many...

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My friend Carla is using this template for her 6th grade students.

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15 Strategies for Online Learning When School is Closed

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We have outlined 15 strategies to help guide your thinking in creating online learning environments for students when the physical school building is closed.