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In this new age of distance learning, it is critical that students are provided with experiences with relevant, intriguing phenomena that invite them to engage in science learning and help them to answer questions about what they've observed.

Both parents and teachers want students to do science outside of the classroom, and we've got to give them something to figure out. The NSTA Daily Do does both- read the full blog post to learn more and to access the free, daily resources available from NSTA.

In this task, Why do we all have to stay home?, students and their families engage in the practice of Developing and Using Models and discussion to figure out how social distancing (and shelter in place) slows the spread of the coronavirus. This task comes from a coronavirus lesson designed to help young children talk about changes they've seen and heard about, learn how the coronavirus is spread, and take actions to keep themselves and their families healthy and safe. The complete lesson and collection of supporting resources can be found on the NSTA website. View the Daily.

Today's task explores something many students and families are familiar with: eggs! This task, What's in an Egg?, engages students in science and engineering practices to figure out why some eggs produce chickens (or other living things) and some do not. This task has been modified from its original design so it can be used by students, parents, and teachers in distance and home learning. While students could complete this task independently, we encourage students to work virtually with peers or in the home with family members. View the Daily.

In today's task, How do we find patterns in weather?, students and their families read the NSTA eBook Thinking Like a Scientist: Investigating Weather and Climate, which engages them in science and engineering practices and the use of patterns as a thinking tool (crosscutting concept) to figure out science ideas about weather and how patterns of weather determine the climate of an area. View the Daily.

In this task, Why is my shadow always changing?, NSTA Press author Page Keeley shares strategies for using formative assessment probes to engage students in productive talk and science and engineering practices to figure out why shadows change size. These strategies can be used in the classroom and at home to make students' thinking visible, which both drives students to investigate their own ideas and question and guides educators in planning instruction. View the Daily.

A new online series from the National Science Teaching Association in which teachers of science learn, share, and grow together through informal discussion on important topics in science and STEM education.

© 2020 National Science Teaching Association

1840 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA 22201-3000

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In this new age of distance learning, it is critical that students are provided with experiences with relevant, intriguing phenomena that invite them to engage in science learning and help them to answer questions about what they've observed. Both parents and teachers want students to do science outside of the classroom, and we've got to give them something to figure out.

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Student Zoom Instructions: Logging in from Any Computer

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Gizmos: Math & Science (recommended by Erma)

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Gizmos: Math & Science (recommended by Erma)

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Hi there. We're ExploreLearning!

We're an education technology company creating seriously fun solutions for the most critical challenges in K-12 STEM learning.

What's this serious fun business all about? Tell me more...

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We're an education technology company creating seriously fun solutions for the most critical challenges in K-12 STEM learning.

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MS Advisory ideas--American School of Dubai

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MS Advisory ideas--American School of Dubai

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MS Virtual Advisory - Activities and Discussion Prompts for Students & Families

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A required part of this site couldn’t load. This may be due to a browser extension, network issues, or browser settings. Please check your connection, disable any ad blockers, or try using a different browser.

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Giving feedback online--AP Essay writing

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Giving feedback online--AP Essay writing

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Example Video Review  (AP Synthesis Essay)

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How to host a kahoot live over video with remote participants

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Free gamified quizzes on every subject that students play in class and at home. Pick an existing quiz or create your own for review, formative assessment, and more.

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Heaps of articles for Sec School students to read

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Heaps of articles for Sec School students to read

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Free reading material in Science, Social Studies etc

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Free reading material in Science, Social Studies etc

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An award-winning online curriculum platform that drives deeper learning and engagement.

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Paris Musées, a collection of 14 museums in Paris have recently made high-res digital copies of 100,000 artworks freely available to the public on their collections website. Artists with works in the archive include Rembrandt, Monet, Picasso, Cézanne, and thousands of others. From Hyperallergic:

Paris Musées is a public entity that oversees the 14 municipal museums of Paris, including the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Petit Palais, and the Catacombs. Users can download a file that contains a high definition (300 DPI) image, a document with details about the selected work, and a guide of best practices for using and citing the sources of the image.

"Making this data available guarantees that our digital files can be freely accessed and reused by anyone or everyone, without any technical, legal or financial restraints, whether for commercial use or not," reads a press release shared by Paris Musées.

What a treasure trove this is. I was particularly happy to see a bunch of work in here from Eugène Atget, chronicler of Parisian streets, architecture, and residents and one of my favorite photographers.

(via @john_overholt)

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Paris Museums Put 100,000 Images Online for Unrestricted Public Use

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Paris Musées, a collection of 14 museums in Paris have recently made high-res digital copies of 100,000 artworks freely available to the public on their collections website. Artists with works in the archive include Rembrandt, Monet, Picasso, Cézanne, and thousands of others.

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WIDA Global Community - Online Learning Ideas

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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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Created by: Nick Kline, Aaron Hart, Rich Wiles, Brian Devore, Will Potter, Ross Chakrain, Michael Utz, Ben Pirillo, Christina Courtney, Shannon Maly, Ashely Sharp

Special Contributions: Deedi Brown, Jennifer Truong

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Welcome to the Active Home resource center. There are 2 types of tools on this page. On the left you'll find games and calendars for parents and families to use to make their home an active home.

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Student Passion Projects--how a school is doing it online

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Student Passion Projects--how a school is doing it online

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TRi Time Space Ads for TRi Time Toolkit Spring 2020

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Student-teacher discussions are a centerpiece of any learning experience, regardless of the environment. Seasoned educators are familiar with the basic expectations of in-person discussions, but what happens when conversations move from a classroom to video calls online? How does the new format affect how to design an effective discussion? What's important to remember and communicate to students as you establish expectations that keep everyone feeling connected, safe, and comfortable?

Below are GOA's five tips for making these conversations work for you and your students:

1. Know your goals.

Know why you are meeting on video. Just because most of your discussions in a brick-and-mortar class are synchronous does not mean that you should strive to replicate that same approach online. Video calls, whether one-on-one or in small groups, should be about connection.

As GOA's free course, Designing for Online Learning, recommends, educators should decide in advance which elements of each learning experience will be synchronous (happen in real time) and which will be asynchronous (happen at different times). Asynchronicity allows students time to work at their own pace, to take time to compose ideas, and to express themselves in ways that might not be possible in real time. In addition, asynchronous work allows students to absorb content, prepare assignments, and complete projects offline: it's a way to avoid hours of staring at screens.

The key questions to consider are these:

What types of learning experiences require synchronous connection?

Which synchronous experiences can be turned into asynchronous experiences?

Part of knowing your goals is also choosing the right tool. Start with what you know and what your school will support. In the Designing for Online Learning course, teachers mentioned Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, among others. If your whole school is moving to video, try to use the same tool across teachers and courses. You do not want students to have to master multiple tools just to learn. If you're on your own, find out which tools best support group conversation, have strong and stable technology, are accessible to all students, and are user-friendly.

2. Plan your pre-call and post-call logistics.

Setting up the call is the first step. If a designated time to meet has already been established, send students a calendar invite (with instructions for how to join the call) so they have a calendar notification on their devices as well. If you need to find a mutually available time, save yourself the back-and-forth of email and use a scheduling tool. GOA teachers and staff like Calend.ly and youcanbook.me for setting up one-on-one meetings (some GOA teachers use these tools with campus-based students for booking "extra help") and Whenisgood.net and Doodle for group meetings. If you and your students are in different timezones, make sure to investigate if the tool you use needs you to "enable different time zones."

If there are students who cannot attend a large group call, consider how they can learn from the experience afterwards. Will you record the full call to share with those not in attendance? If your school has a business account with a platform like Zoom, will you share a transcription of the call? Or, will you ask students in attendance to capture and share their key takeaways for others to review?

3. Review your school's communication policies.

You and your students are still in school even if your location for learning has changed.

Now is a good time to review your school's policies on student-teacher communication practices regarding social media, texting, and calling. Assume your school's policies have not changed and check with an administrator if you're unsure. Be aware that there may be gaps in your school's communication policies because distance learning was an unanticipated scenario for your school. For example, if your school has a policy that there are no closed-door private conversations with students on campus, it would be best to ask students to attend video calls in a communal space where others are present.

4. Be intentional about environment and conduct.

Being mindful of one's environment and conduct are key to establishing a comfortable and safe environment. Remind students that, just as we do at school, we aim to bring our best selves to video calls and all online learning environments. All video call participants should be considerate of what their environment is communicating to others.

Before the call, ask students to:

Be punctual and prepared. Keeping on a schedule can be difficult. Do your best to keep track of your meeting times.

Be focused. While it may not always be possible to find a completely quiet place to have your meeting, try to find a place that will be least distracting to you and other attendees.

Be seen and heard. Position yourself near strong wifi, in a front-lit space so everyone can see your face, and stay in one place for the conversation. Movement can compromise your connection with others on the call as well as your wifi!

Be respectful. Wear clothes that adhere to your school's dress code, sit or stand at a table rather than lounging on a couch or bed, find a neutral background, and remember that everything in your camera frame is visible to those in your meeting, so be mindful of what you're communicating.

5. Name it.

Video calls can feel awkward at first. You and your students may be used to using video for calls in social settings, but using video calls in a professional, academic context might be new. Expect that the beginning of the call may feel a bit strange, expect that people will fumble with the audio and video settings the first few calls, expect that your first conversations will include some co-navigating of the features your chosen tool offers (ie. screen sharing, text chats, break-out rooms, etc.). Being a bit vulnerable and naming the fact that everyone is figuring this out together goes a long way in mitigating awkwardness.

Finally, remember that having a video meeting means you've identified connection as a top priority. Take a few minutes at the beginning of the call to check in with students the way you normally do when they trickle into your classroom. Don't underestimate the value of this time to connect; it establishes the tone for the whole conversation and the learning that follows. Most importantly, it's what you've done naturally at school all along. Keeping that routine (whether it was intentionally designed or not) is a comfort for students and aids the goal of maintaining strong relationships. Skipping this step and immediately "getting down to business" can actually undermine your efforts to connect.

Finally, remember that everything you've read here aligns with guidelines you have followed as an educator your entire career. While the format and location for student-teacher discussion may be new, the skills to design and facilitate meaningful, relationship-based conversations are ones you already possess.
How are you approaching video calls? Tell us on Twitter. For more resources on online learning, visit our COVID-19 resource page, where we have collected articles, infographics, and online courses for educators and students related to remote learning.

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Five Tips for Designing Excellent Video Calls

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Student-teacher discussions are a centerpiece of any learning experience, regardless of the environment. Seasoned educators are familiar with the basic expectations of in-person discussions, but what happens when conversations move from a classroom to video calls online? How does the new format affect how to design an effective discussion?

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I love this lesson for a couple of really good reasons. First of all, they teach themselves and do a pretty good job at it. Secondly, it keeps them busy up to the last second and they enjoy it. Thirdly, my room can go through the end of the school year deep clean and stay clean!

Link to web based slide show Link to editable slideshow

I've been teaching high school art since 2000. I took a couple of years off and went to SCAD and earned an MFA in Painting. I really thought I was going back to the classroom "for a year" to figure out life and finances after grad-school. This Fall I will be starting my 7th year at Salinas High School and 17th year teaching. Needless to say I truly love my job.

A few years ago Salinas High School District offered 1:1 chromebooks for our students. At first I really didn't know how this technology would be an asset to the art room, but I was eager to figure it out. It's put the spark back into creating lessons and totally changed the way I teach.

I am pleased to share with you what is working for me and my students. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. I love knowing I am not only teaching my students, but being able to share and collaborate with teachers around the world.

Vaping, digital citizenship, college and career readiness, and COVID-19 were Salinas High School's main PBIS lessons for the 2019-2020 school year. We listened to our stakeholders and promised one exercise per quarter. We switched things up by experimenting with ways to deliver and how to cultivate faculty buy-in. I feel the main way to have teacher buy-in is to present content embedded in need based on data. As you peruse the lessons pay attention to the different ways we experimented with assigning teacher delivery. I think the most successful method was having six assignments centered on one theme. Assigning each department one lesson, and asking teachers to deliver that same lesson all day. We tried to develop instruction that wouldn't take longer than ten minutes. This way students will hopefully receive six ten minute lessons based on the same theme throughout the day. Over the year teacher buy-in did improve and staff complaints have lessened. In fact, we are hearing compliments and I have Nearpod to thank!

Crazy times right now and I have some innovative tech I want to share with you that might help with delivering content to your kids remotely. Have you heard of Nearpod? It's a slide deck program that allows you to incorporate polling, multiple-choice questions, digital bulletin boards, fill in the blanks, quizzes, games, and more! You have a choice to present a live version where you control the content on their device and can monitor their input immediately. Or you can deliver a student-paced lesson, which will be great for remote learning! For both options, you can download a pdf with a detailed report of their work. The best part is the Nearpod library made up of a gazillion premade quality lessons you can use as is or edit to your needs. You can create your own lesson directly from their dashboard or use a Nearpod add-on with Google Slides. You can also use a deck you have already created.

I am not in any way affiliated with Nearpod, nor will I be receiving kickbacks from this plug. I am the technology coach at our school site this year and we are currently in a pilot program. I have been working with a very helpful site rep, Talia Hoffman ( taliah@nearpod.com). She has been kind and given me a promo code to share with you. This is a three-month all-access code for Nearpod and Flocabulary!! Perfect timing to help get us out of the weeds (or should I say germs).

Lesson Links
Digital Citizenship College and Career Readiness (Nearpod Lessons) COVID-19 (Nearpod lessons)
I went to share this post with someone and realized I never posted it. So here you go, 1 pt perspective rooms made easy. 🙂

Link to web-based slide show Link to an editable slide show

I am part of the school PBIS team. Have you heard of it? It's a system a lot of school districts across the Nation are using. It is a 3 tier system for identifying and correcting student behaviors. We have had some hiccups and teacher buy-in is not 100%. I feel overall student behavior on our campus is on an upswing. I also think the PBIS system could be a long term fix for some of the mental health issues our country is facing. If the system is worked right I think we are identifying people who need support early and offering them tools to live healthy lives.

At the bottom-tier, all students are engaged in school-wide lessons and a positive rewards system. Lessons at this tier are for situations like walking down the correct side of a hall, how to approach a teacher about a grade, or the dangers of vaping.

At the second-tier, a site trained specialist steps in and counsels the students who need more individualized support. One of the interventions that can take place is a check-in/check-out system. Students meet with an adult at the beginning of the day who reminds them how to deal with the negative behaviors the student has a pattern of engaging in. Each teacher signs off on the student's behavior at the end of the period. At the end of the day, the student checks-out with the same adult they saw at the beginning of the day for a pep talk depending on the logged responses.

Third-tier interventions are conducted by highly trained professionals for students who will probably struggle for the rest of their lives for one reason or another. Oppositional defiant students usually fall into this tier. The team of specialists develops a plan to help support this student and their teachers.
Link to: Student Handbook Lesson Link to: Positive Tardy Sweep Link to: Style (dress code) Link to: Catch My Breath (vaping) Link to: A-G Requirements Link to: Apathy Link to: Cell Phone Addiction Link to: Digital Citizenship Link to: Common Courtesies Part 1 Link to: Common Courtesies Part 2 Link to: Mindfulness Link to: Test-Taking Strategies Link to: Earth Day Link to: Bullying
This is the project that students (or their moms) stop me years later to let me know that they still have it hanging in their home. When we start this project they have a solid foundation of skills and their confidence is high. Confidence is definitely needed for a not so forgiving medium.

The main aspect I stress throughout this project is practice! I have 2 x 2″ pieces available throughout the entire project and stress practicing before moving onto the real deal. I never scratch on a student's project, but I will play on a piece of practice paper to help problem-solve for a technique that matches what they are trying to emulate.

I have found my favorite scratching tool is an Exacto blade. I like how sharp it is, but dislike how dangerous it can be. I tell them a couple embellished gruesome horror Exacto blade stories and that usually keeps them on their toes. I also have scratching tools available and some like them better.

I use peer critiques a lot throughout the year, but I really like using them during this project. Sometimes I think they are a little more brutal than I am, plus I can't catch every improvement suggestion like they can.

Link to web based lesson Link to editable slideshow

This project is a great way to introduce some basics about acrylic paint and hook them for future painting projects. My main goal is to practice tints, shades, and color mixing. It's a great way to get them hooked and eager to create on their own. I also link this project to Shepard Fairey as a way to talk about contemporary street art and fair use laws. They love his graphic style and become passionate about the discussion.

Who would have thought teens would have such a hard time producing a favorite selfie!?!?! It has to be one of my most frustrating moments in this project, but it's worth it. We use Pixlr Chromebook app to create the posterized effect. Then they enlarge the image on a Google Doc and submit. I use PDF Mergy to merge all of the documents together and print them in a batch per class.

The paint I supplied them with was a warm and cool: red, blue, and yellow. Along with, white and black to create values. I tried FIFO squeeze bottles this year and can't say enough about how great they are! P aper plates and plastic wrap are available for pallets. I stress recycling and ideally no paint should ever go down the sink.... ideally. I give them their own brushes to keep. For the most part, they take better care of them if it's their own brush vs. a class set.

Developing successful color schemes is a challenge! Mixing light values is also difficult, especially due to colors drying darker. I have a gigantic paint-chip book from Sherwin-Williams. It's great to compare values and play with color choices. The rest of the project is pretty straight forward. It literally becomes a paint by number and takes the stress out of painting a portrait for the first time.

Web-based Slideshow Editable Slideshow Color Scheme Planning Sheet Shepard Fairey Digital Notes

One of my teaching joys is overhearing students talk about or explaining to each other what we are learning in class. During this project, I heard students talking about watercolor techniques and color schemes left and right. They love this project and it shows! By far this is one of my all-time favorite projects because they are confident in the techniques they have learned and proud of the composition they have created.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Link to web-based slide show. Link to editable slideshow.

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I love this lesson for a couple of really good reasons. First of all, they teach themselves and do a pretty good job at it. Secondly, it keeps them busy up to the last second and they enjoy it. Thirdly, my room can go through the end of the school year deep clean and stay clean!

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Copy of IB Biology - Distance learning overview

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Even when schools are closed, you can keep the learning going with these special cross-curricular journeys. Every day includes four separate learning experiences, each built around a thrilling, meaningful story or video. Kids can do them on their own, with their families, or with their teachers. Just find your grade level and let the learning begin!
-The Editors of Scholastic Classroom Magazines. For Families | For Administrators | For Teachers

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Teaching Remotely for Grades K - 12 | Free Resources and Strategies

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Even when schools are closed, you can keep the learning going with these special cross-curricular journeys. Every day includes four separate learning experiences, each built around a thrilling, meaningful story or video. Kids can do them on their own, with their families, or with their teachers.

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Introductory and intermediate music theory lessons, exercises, ear trainers, and calculators.

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I am just wrapping up a semester in which I taught a course on classroom drama strategies completely online. I learned more than my students did, in many respects, and I am wrapping up this experience feeling highly enthusiastic about how the course evolved and the enormous potential for arts education online. Following are some of my thoughts about what worked.

Creating Community Online
The course assignments were posted on the University of Richmond's Blackboard system, but what really made the course work, in my opinion, was the online software that I use. Webex Meeting Center allowed the students and I to connect and see each other via web cams and speak directly to all in attendance.

Each student signed on from home every other Thursday night from 8:00 - 9:30 PM. Seeing the faces, expressions, and gestures of whomever was speaking, and hearing voices, laughter, and reactions to whatever was being shared made the online experience so enjoyable. Recent articles I've read report that the lack of face-to-face contact is a major cause of students' dissatisfaction with distance education. They may love the convenience of online learning, but they miss the classroom community.

This ability to see and hear one another was the strongest contributor to the community in our class. We all looked forward to our Thursday night meetings during which students would share the PowerPoints, videos, and written products that they had created:
"I think that the online class meetings have been the best part of the class itself. It is nice to share all the work that we have done and more importantly, it is really great to be able to see other teachers' ideas and work with the same activities." "I have taken other online classes in which our reflections and projects were all posted on the discussion board. I really enjoyed meeting online and sharing our presentations from my classmates. I felt it really brought meaning to the class." "I have loved getting online and seeing what everyone has accomplished and had problems with." "I think that online meetings have also been extremely beneficial. It has been great to see these strategies used from K-12th grade and even to see how the same strategy worked out at the same grade level. I would definitely take another class similar to this one in format and topic!"
(Another amazing feature of this software: I can record all sessions so that any student who has to miss a class can access the recording and view it at another time. See photos that follow this post.)
Videos
Because our focus was on the use of drama strategies for active classroom learning experiences, video examples of the work in action were a crucial component of the online course. The students had book chapters and articles to read, but because we were not able to try out the various drama strategies together as a group of adult learners, videos were key.
"I have so enjoyed the combination of videos and readings. The videos made things so clear."
I had already created a number of short instructional videos, but offering this course made it imperative that I go through my files and create more. I posted videos on Vimeo that showed students creating Tableaux of historical and literary moments, presenting Human Slide Shows of sequences of events in episodes from history, writing and rehearsing and performing Curriculum-Based Readers Theatre, and participating in Character Interviews. I also revised several PowerPoint presentations that explain the drama strategies step-by-step in words and images. I saved them as movie files and posted them on Vimeo as well.

Without the videos to reinforce the readings, I know that the course would not have been nearly as effective. The videos of the drama work elucidated the text explanations and validated the use of the drama strategy with real students.

It takes a lot of time to do the initial videoing, edit the clips so that they give a good sense of the drama strategy in action, and then post the finished product on the Internet, but it's a learning tool that we all have the ability to take advantage of. Because of sites like YouTube, people are quite tolerant of less than perfect videos. I believe that, more and more, students will expect videos to illustrate the methods that they are reading about because making and sharing them online is really so easy. It's my opinion that video is especially critical to the success of online learning meant to result in helping students be able to do new things as opposed to just attaining new knowledge and information.
Assignments
My hunch that my students would benefit more from sharing the drama work that they did with their own students than from writing papers and taking tests proved to be totally correct. Their major course assignments were to create PowerPoint presentations and videos to share during our online meetings. My Webex software allows me to pass control of the screen to any participant who can then share anything from his or her own computer.

So, as in a face-to-face class meeting, students shared how they put theory into practice (what went well, what was problematic), but working online always meant that we got to see photos and videos of the actual work a classmate was talking about.

"I also really appreciate that the class is based on performance and projects rather than tests and papers. I feel like I have learned so much more about Human Slide Show and Curriculum-Based Readers Theatre by doing them with my students than I would have had I taken a test on the information. And I think our power points and videos are so much more interesting and insightful than a written paper would be."
Future Arts Education Online
I am hoping to offer this university course again and others, too. This spring I am conducting a course to train teachers in Shelby County, Tennessee Arts Infusion Schools to present Curriculum-Based Readers Theatre to other teachers. And this training will occur completely online! Next school year, the Kennedy Center's CETA program is sponsoring its first online course and I will get to design and deliver it.

I have learned so much and each online teaching opportunity adds to my understanding and, I hope, the quality of the experience for the participants.

If you have any ideas or practices that have worked for you in this arena, please leave me a comment.

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I am just wrapping up a semester in which I taught a course on classroom drama strategies completely online. I learned more than my students did, in many respects, and I am wrapping up this experience feeling highly enthusiastic about how the course evolved and the enormous potential for arts education online.

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Inq-ITS | Digital Science Labs and Assessment

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Inq-ITS (Inquiry Intelligent Tutoring System) is an online educational environment for science. Students learn through digital simulations that allow them to conduct their own investigations. Teachers receive automatically scored reports on student performance, and real-time alerts on student needs.

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Google Arts & Culture-access to museums and galleries

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Google Arts & Culture-access to museums and galleries

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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It's official! You're beginning your journey toward a more engaged, personalized classroom powered by Screencastify. Here's the best part: creating, sharing, and assessing is incredibly simple. (Related: Listen below to learn about Screencastify's newest features!)

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Below, we'll help you get started in just a few, quick steps. If you're partial to video like us, you can see all of the steps detailed below in our 15-minute certification course, The Flash.

Set up the extension

First, you'll want to make sure you've installed your new trusty sidekick, Screencastify Record. The extension will allow you to create videos with just a click. The first time you use Screencastify Record, you'll go through a quick three step process to get everything set up and ready to go.

1. Log in to the extension with your Google Account. We strongly recommend that you automatically save videos to your Google Drive (thank us later!)

2. Accept the permissions: Chrome will ask for a few permissionsfor the extension to run optimally. In a nutshell, these permissions allow us to create a folder in your Google Drive account entitled "Screencastify", access your webcam and microphone, record your screen, and display our annotation tools.

3. Introduce yourself: Don't worry - you won't need to share any awkward facts. Instead, you'll just answer a 2-question survey to make it easier for us to help you along your journey.

Create a video

Now that the extension is fully set up, you're ready to start recording ⏺. The great news is that you have lots of options to create a video that's perfect for you and your audience.To create the perfect video, you'll just need to think about a few settings.

1. Decide what you'd like to record: Screencastify includes three different recording types. Want to capture everything on screen? You'll love the desktop option. You can also capture a single tab with a browser tab recordingor just your webcam with the webcam option.

2. Enable the annotation tools: When you enable the annotation tools, you can use the pen tool, rectangle tool, or stickers to capture and retain viewer attention on the most important aspects of your video.

Add in computer audio: If you'd like to include audio emanating from your computer (like a video or song), be sure to turn on desktop audio (for desktop recordings) or tab audio (for browser tab recordings)

Increase engagement with editing

A few edits can make a huge difference toward aiding viewer understanding. Luckily, you can edit your video with the click of a button).

1. Access the editor: Adding your video to the timeline is as simple as clicking the "Open in Editor" button on the top right of the Video Management Page. (Pro Tip: You can also edit videos you created anywhere by heading straight to edit.screencastify.com)

2. ‍Enhance your video: There are tons of ways to make your video better including adding text, zooming in on important information, or cropping out extraneous visual details.‍

3. Export your beauty: Now that you've made your edits, you can export your video.

Assess viewer understanding

Before you share your video with your viewers, you may want to add a few elements to make it easier to assess how well they grasped the information in the recording. Enter: interactive questions!

To create a quick assessment, click "✏️ Interactive Questions'' on the right hand side of the Video Management Page. From there, you can add multiple choice questions to specific timestamps in the video.

Share your video

At this point in your journey, you've created a video, edited it for maximum effectiveness, and added questions to quickly assess viewer comprehension. It's officially time to share the video with your audience! To get the video in front of your audience, you have lots of options! Check out a few below:

1. Share the link to the Watch Page: The Screencastify Watch Page is a distraction-free place for viewers to watch your videos. To share the link to the Watch Page directly, you'll just need to click "Copy Share Link" on the top right of the Video Management Page.

2. Share the video to another tool: Screencastify has integrations with tools likeGoogle Classroom, Wakelet, Remind, and more. When you use any of these integrations, your viewers will be taken to the Watch Page to see your questions.‍

3. Export your video: In addition to linking to your video, you can also export your video as an mp4, mp3, or even an animated GIF.

Analyze viewer analytics and responses

Now that your audience has seen your video, you'll have access to data 📈. Namely, you'll be able to see Viewer Analytics and responses to Interactive Questions.

1. Viewer Analytics: Viewer Analytics allow you to see who's watched your video, when, and how many times. It's a great way to monitor engagement simply.

2. Interactive Questions Data: When viewers respond to your interactive questions, you'll be able to organize their responses by individual, question, or video. This data should help understand where your viewers completely understand the concept and where there may be a bit more work to do.

🌟 If you're looking for more robust information about how your viewers are understanding the content covered in your video, try asking them to create a video with Screencastify Submit.

That's it! You're more than ready to cultivate a classroom supercharged by video-based instruction. As you continue your video journey, be sure to check out professional learning resources on Screencastify University.

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A Beginner's Guide to Screencastify for Educators | Screencastify

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Welcome to the #communityofcasters! We're excited that you're joining our vibrant, creative group of educators.

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Get students learning about science with engaging and accessible texts that inspire each student to see the science in their world.

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Social Studies resources & materials for schools | Newsela

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Take the pain out of finding, differentiating, and matching content to social studies standards with engaging and vetted texts.

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Educator Temporary School Closure FB page

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Educator Temporary School Closure FB page

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Global Educator Collective has 128,257 members. Welcome to our Educator Collective. We are a group of educators from all over the world sharing our expertise and supporting one another. We seek to...

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iCommons with any inquiries or information needs.

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making videos that students can use

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Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students' progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

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Kahoot! | Learning games | Make learning awesome!

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Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that brings engagement and fun to 1+ billion players every year at school, at work, and at home.

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Resources for teaching online--Kathleen Morris (blog)

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Resources for teaching online--Kathleen Morris (blog)

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some great ideas

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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. It's never too soon to calmly plan and prepare.

Think there's no chance your school will close? In mid-February, China was the only country mandating school closures. By March 13, 61 countries have implemented school closures. 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. 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 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. 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

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).

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'd 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.

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? 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).

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 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.

A free tool that allows students to study information via learning tools and games (flashcards, quizzes etc). There's also a collaborative classroom game called Quizlet Live but it requires participants to physically see each others screens. 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 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 (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 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).

There's also a Google Sheets spreadsheet that lists the tools that are being offered free due to school closures but be warned, it has been unavailable at times due to heavy traffic!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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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-a free video discussion platform