Thirteen Distance Learning Tools

It’s still possible to teach your class if you or your students are out of the classroom for a long period of time.  I’ve compiled a list of digital learning tools that can help in the event students or teachers are absent for long periods of time.

 

Screencastify: Record your lectures. Record your voice over your Google Slides or Powerpoint presentation. Create questions on a Google Doc which your students answer while watching your presentation.

Explain Everything: Digital whiteboard. Record explanations of key concepts and math problems. Upload your recording to Your Google Classroom.

Google Hangouts Meet: Meet with your class or individual students over a Google Hangout.

Nearpod or Peardeck: Create student paced lessons with assessments. Include videos, short answer questions, and a space for digital white boards.

Edpuzzle: Create an assignment out of a video.  EdPuzzle allows for the insertion of questions in the video. You can even record yourself explaining a concept and turn it into an EdPuzzle video. 

Flipgrid: Students can use Flipgrid to record what they’ve learned.  Students can give an oral book report, summarize events in history, comment on a classmates video and so much more!

Socrative: Easy to use assessment tool. Use Socrative to ask multiple choice or short essay questions.

Padlet: Use Padlet as a classroom backchannel.  Set up a Padlet for each of your Google Classrooms for student questions.

Book Creator: Have students create books based on their learning. Students can insert text, drawings, photos, and recordings of their voice.

Google Calendar: Post all daily activities and due dates.

Google Classroom: Use as the hub for student work and online discussions.

Google Drawings: Great for math.  Students can work out math problems and turn in using Google Classroom.

Google Forms: Use Forms for not only assessment, but for virtual worksheets as well. Forms is also great for a weekly/daily check in with students.  Ask how they’re feeling, goals for the week, etc.  Multiple choice check-in’s are easier to review because you can then use conditional formatting in a Google Sheet to flag certain answers.

Book Creator Gives Students Choice In Their Reading Logs

I was recently asked by a teacher how she could drop the traditional reading logs in her class. Her kids were doing it the old fashion way. They were talking out a piece of paper, writing the date, pages read, and a brief summary. After giving it some thought, I told her that Google tools could come to her rescue. She could use Google Sheets, Slides, Keep, and Drawings instead her paper reading logs. But the one tool that I focused on was Book Creator. Book Creator is a versatile tool that can be used in any discipline and for almost any classroom exercise. Book Creator allows the user to include pictures, videos, drawings, voice recordings, and of course, text. Book Creator is the ultimate in student choice when it comes to reading logs. I’ve found that when using Book Creator and giving students choice on how they’ll summarize what they’ve read, many students actually want to read! One of the downsides is that some students actually cut reading short in to get to their reading log. The teacher has flexibility too. On a certain day, the teacher can ask students to include a simple summary with a picture from the web. The next day, the teacher can ask them to record a video of them summarizing what they’re read. On yet another day, they can ask the students to draw a representation of what they’re read. They can also ask the kids to choose how they’d like to summarize their reading. The teacher has the ability to leave comments in a students book. Like creating a book, the teacher can leave comments in the same way, with text, audio, video, or by using a stylus to make comments.

Looking to give students choice in their class work? I highly recommend checking out Book Creator!

Why You Should Go Paperless in your Classroom

Save a tree!

Back in the day, you might find a classroom full of paper. Stacks of extra worksheets on a table. The teachers' desk is stacked high with student work, waiting to be reviewed and graded. There’s another stack waiting to be passed back to students.

The point is, the classroom was drowning in paper. And, unfortunately, this isn’t only a thing of the past. Some classrooms today still resemble the one I described. What makes it worse is that many students are equipped with tech, whether it’s iPads or Chromebooks!

There are a number of reasons to go paperless in your classroom:

1. Remove class clutter. No more stacks of paper in your class, whether it’s on tables or on a Teachers desk.

2. All that waste! Let’s face it, some of that paper, whether it’s student work or extra copies, ends up in the trash. Teachers make a couple extra copies of stuff just in case. Well, if those copies aren’t used, they end up in the great receptacle in the sky.

3. Student returned work is a whole other matter. As teachers, how many times have you passed back student work only to see it in the trash at the end of class?

4. Save time. How much time have you wasted standing in line waiting to use the copy machine? Or, how much time do you use waiting for your copies? If you add it up, probably a lot!

5. Plus, going digital eliminates you wondering if the copy machine even works! We’ve all been there. You go to make copies only to find that the machine is being serviced, out of toner, or just plain broke and is awaiting repair. Going paperless eliminates all of these copy machine nightmares!

6. Going paperless means never having to worry whether or not you’ve made the right amount of copies.

7. Rationing paper is a thing of the past. Some schools provide a case or two of paper for a semester or a year. Some teachers find that with a few weeks to go, they are down to their last ream of paper! Digitizing class work or other handouts will remove this anxiety.

8. Lastly, going paperless means preparing students for the future. Much of what they’ll be doing in their adulthood will be digital. One reason why Chromebooks are so popular is because of all the things that can be done through a browser.

Reach Every Student While Making Them More Productive With ClassroomQ

You're a math teacher.  You have a classroom of 30 students.  You've assigned ten problems for the students to complete in class. It's a new concept so you expect there to be questions from the students while they work.  In the old days, BT (Before Tech), if a student had a question, they would raise their hand and wait for the teacher to help them. 

Today, there's an app called ClassroomQ. ClassroomQ is a web app that allows students to ask for help using any device that can access the web.

ClassroomQ is very simple to use for both the teacher and the student.  To create a queue, the teacher creates an account and a class code.  On the other side, the student clicks the student button, enters the class code and their name, and they're in!  If the student has a question, clicking the big red button on the web page will put them in the class queue, awaiting help.

ClassroomQ can be useful in your classroom in many ways:

1. Makes sure that students with questions get help.  Never have a student get frustrated and put their hand down, thus not getting the help they need.  Students put their name in the queue, ensuring they get the help they need.

2. Saves time.  The student no longer wastes valuable class time holding their hand up, waiting for help.  While waiting, students can move on to the next question.

3. Reach every student.  Shy or timid students are no longer missed because they are afraid to raise their hand or ask for help.  There's no hand raising or trying to get the teachers attention involved. Putting their name in the queue ensures they get the help they need.

4. Works great on any device, even smartphones.  Even though it's a web app, it still functions great on a mobile browser.  The teacher can use their smartphone to check the queue.  The student also has the option of logging in with their phone (provided they can use it in class.) Classroom Q works with any device that has web access.

5. Very easy to use. Students click the "Student" button, enter their name and class code and they're in!  All they have to do is click the big red button that puts them on the queue.

6. Great for homework questions. The teacher has the option to allow student comments in the queue.  While this may not be too necessary for the classroom, it can serve a great purpose for student homework.  Open a queue after class allowing students to ask questions about their homework.

ClassroomQ is a gem of an app that will help reach all of the students that need help.  Highly recommended for larger classes.

5 Apps For Student Field Trip Reflections

Your students are going on a field trip.  Perhaps they're headed to a natural history museum or art museum.  You want to make sure they go away with something--anything that proves that the field trip was worthwhile.  The simplest thing to do is assign a reflection of what they learned on the field trip.  

Make sure students are aware of the assignment beforehand so that they can prepare.  Allow them to use their smartphones while on the field trip so they can take pictures or write notes about what they learned.  

The following apps will help students share what they learned on their field trip:

Google Slides:  One of the easiest ways students can reflect on their field trip is by creating a presentation about it.  Slides provide a couple of templates tailored to field trips-the field trip template or the photo album template.  Or, students can create a presentation from scratch. Students can insert pictures or videos they took of their experience.

YouTube: Students can use their phones to shoot video, edit it, and upload it to YouTube.  When shooting video, advise students that they should include a piece from the visit and their thoughts on the topic.  At the end of the day, ask them to film a reflection of what they learned.

Storyboardthat: Students can use Storyboardthat.com to upload a timeline of their learning.  Use each box to document the day. Students can upload pictures from the day and include written comments.

Book Creator: Students can use Book Creator to create a short book that shares their field trip.  They can add different kinds of media such as photos, video, and sound.  Book Creator provides the students with the ability to create a comic book style book that can showcase their field trip.

WeVideo: WeVideo is a free all in one video app that allows students to shoot and edit video.  WeVideo has an iOS app for those iPad classrooms and is available on the web for those Chromebook classes.  It’s easy to use and students can create and edit video right on their mobile device.  

How To Lesson Plan With Google Keep

Google Keep is one of those apps that could be used for almost anything.  It’s a note taking app, it’s a to-do list app, it’s a place to store pictures for later use, it’s a drawing app, it’s a reminder app, and the mobile version allows for voice memos.  Needless to say, it’s a very versatile app, and, it’s all part of G Suite for Education!  Keep is right alongside Google’s more popular Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps.  Another reason why Keep is pretty cool is that it’s everywhere!  That’s right, no matter the device it will be with you.  You can sign in from your PC, Macbook, iOS device, or Android device.  

Of course, you can use it for all of the above, but did you know it’s great for creating lesson plans? You can write your plans from scratch into a note or upload an old lesson plan that you plan to use.  If you plan on using a handout for your students, simply upload it via the “add image” button.  Along with creating lesson plans, it helps keep those plans organized using color coding and labels.  Labeling the notes is important so when you click on the label, all of the notes that pertain to that particular label will be displayed.

Have you ever needed or wanted to share a lesson plan with another teacher or administrator?  Of course, you have--we all have!  That’s where another great aspect of Keep comes in.  Instead of printing out a copy or your lesson plan or photocopying your lesson, simply click the share button on your note and type in the email address of the person you wish to share the lesson plan with.  It’s that easy!

Here’s how to keep your lesson plans organized in Google Keep:

1. Create a note with the title of the name of your class.  Choose a color for the note.  Then, create a tag for the note.  For example, if the class is World History, create a tag titled World History.

2. Repeat for each class that you teach.  Make sure to choose a separate color for each class.

3. I think it’s easier if Keep is in Grid view.  If you only have one or two classes, then the list view will be fine.

4. The title of each subsequent note will be the date.

5. Color code the note according to the class.

6. Include the label of the appropriate class.  Again, clicking the label will display all of the notes with that label. 

With each lesson plan that you create, simply drag it under the title of the class.

And that’s it!  Along with using the customary Google apps in the classroom, Google Keep can help you stay organized with your classes.

The Digital Assessment Tool You Need To Try In Your Classroom

We all know that having a formative assessment as part of your class is an important part of teaching.  With that said, there are a plethora of formative assessment apps out there, many of them really good.  From Socrative to Kahoot, they can tell you what your class knows and doesn’t know.   One that I’ve been using lately is Formative.

Formative is like many other formative assessments out there.  As the teacher, you can create questions such as multiple choice, true/false, and short answer. 
I’ve found that there are a few things that set Formative apart from other assessment apps out there:
First, you can watch in real time on your computer dashboard as students answer questions.  You can also throw in your two cents as students work, leaving digital feedback on their work as they do an assignment. 

The second thing that separates Formative from an app like Socrative (don’t get me wrong, I love Socrative) is that Formative includes a library where you can search for pre-made Formatives.  Looking for something on Ancient Greece? Check out the Formative library, there may be one that pertains to the subject matter that you’re teaching.  If you find one that you like, you can add it to your account and edit it as you please.

Formative allows you to track your students progress. Click on the “Tracker” tab and you’re presented with a nice graphical representation of how your students are performing your tasks. 
If you’ve If you got an old worksheet laying around, or information text sheet, give it new life!  Formative will let you upload your document in your Formative.  After uploading, you can add questions and/or notes on top of the document.  Your students can then add answers or comments to your documents. 

And lastly, Formative works great with Google Classroom. If you use Google Classroom,  you’ll find that Formative fits in quite nicely in that it includes a link to share to Google Classroom.

If you haven’t check out Formative, I highly recommend giving it a try. 

You Don’t Need Tech Management Software in Your Classroom

At a school where I was a tech coach, we used Chromebook monitoring management software.  It's the type that gives the teacher the ability to monitor what sites students visit using their Chromebooks.  One issue that teachers had was getting the software to work on a consistent basis. Some days it would work flawlessly, allowing the teacher to see all of their students Chromebooks, while on other days, it would glitch.  Some Chromebooks would be visible or the software just wouldn’t launch.  I found that many of those teachers that struggled to get it to work were turned off using technology in their class—period.  Some felt that they couldn’t conduct their lessons with the Chromebooks without the ability to monitor their students with the software.  

It seemed that the software was something of a crutch.  Without the software, the teacher felt that they had little to no control in the goings on in their class.  I tell them, although it’s nice to have, they don’t necessarily need it to use their Chromebooks.

As I said, some feel that without their management software in their class, they can't use technology.  They tell me that they can't trust their students to get their work done.  "There are too many distractions with the Chromebook" they tell me.  Ultimately, it comes down to how they dealt with distractions before tech entered their class.  I ask teachers, "how did you keep distractions to a minimum and therefore keep your students on task before students received the iPads?"  Apply those same principles you used teaching without tech and managing student use of iPads or Chromebooks in your class will be easy.

You don't need Chromebook management software.  If you do the following four things, management software in your class will be unnecessary.

1. Make engagement a priority. From the moment students enter your class, engage them in the days lesson, and don't let go!  Start your class with warm-up review of the previous days lesson using Kahoot or Socrative.  They key is, keep them engaged throughout the day and they won't have time to be distracted.

2. Make students want to do the assignment. Students need to know why they're doing the assignment.  Tell them how it's relevant to their lives or how the lesson will lead to what they will do later in the class.  Sell the assignment to them in a way that makes it beyond interesting!

3. Walk the Room.  You probably did this prior to those iPads or Chromebooks coming into your room.  It's really no different.  While your students are working, make sure you're actively walking around and checking to see what their doing.  Complement them or make suggestions about their work.  Don't sit behind your desk!

4. Make the screens visible.  My desks were in the old fashion rows.  But, when I got those Chromebooks, I made sure to move my desks up a couple of feet so as to make a pathway where I could walk or stand behind the class.  From the back of the room, I could easily see their screens.  And, if I couldn't, I would walk behind the row to make sure they were on task.

Use These 3 Apps for Pre-Assessment!

I was in a class recently where the teacher was beginning a new chapter. Instead of asking the students to open up their Chromebooks for a pre-assessment, she orally posed questions and asked for responses by asking kids to raise their hands. Her twenty-five student class remained mostly silent, with one student raising their hand to volunteer what they thought they knew, the rest of the class--crickets! Unfortunately, there may have been students that did know about the topic but where afraid to take a chance in front of the class.

When beginning a new unit, chapter, or topic, it's important to find out what your students already know about the said topic so as not to waste time covering material that the students already know. In the age of technology, apps can make this process easy and, depending on the digital tool, incorporate the pretest directly in the lesson.

Pre-assessment should be painless. Painless in a sense that you don't want your students to be timid in answering your assessment questions. You want them to give it their best shot, not being afraid of getting the question wrong. After all, it's not so much about the individual student, but about the data that you'll glean from your pre-assessment.
You want to know what your class already knows.

Socrative: Socrative is a great formal assessment tool. And, it can be handy for pre-assessments. Create a quiz and turn it into a racing game, where students try and answer all of the questions correctly in order to win the race. Then, at the end of the race, Socrative provides data on how your class answered each individual question.

Kahoot: Again, gamify your pre-assessment with a Kahoot. Always competitive, Kahoot engages students by presenting timed questions where students have a limited time to answer. Like Socrative, Kahoot provides a report on how well your students answered the questions so you can determine where you need to spend more time on your upcoming lesson.

Pear Deck: A fantastic interactive presentation tool that allows not only for student participation by typing in their answer but also allows them to draw their answer. Pear Deck has built-in templates asking students what they want to know about the upcoming topic while another asks them to draw what they already know about the topic.

8 Ways to Have a Digital Teacher Community

Teachers are busy.  Between parent meetings, staff meetings, and lesson planning, it can be tough to find time to meet with your department or colleagues on an individual basis.  One of the best ways to cultivate a professional learning community is through technology.  No longer do you have to carve out time to have a sit down with your department members, you can do it virtually, when you have time.  Unfortunately, Google Plus is going away and not everyone has a Facebook account (or perhaps they've left Facebook recently), so how can you get together with your learning community?  We'll, like they say, there's an app for that!
Slack: Slack is a good way to post documents for your team members to review.  It's also a great way to chat with anyone in your department without having to have their phone number.

Twitter: With Twitter, your department can hold a virtual meeting using a specific hashtag.  Or, you can tweet a question or comment to your staff or an individual.

Pinterest:  Your department can create a Pinterest board where they can share documents and student work.

Google Classroom:  If you're using Google Classroom, it's easy to adapt to using it as a PLC.  Create a new Google Classroom for your department where you can post comments, questions, and documents for your PLC to review.
 
Edmodo: Edmodo already has a virtual community where teachers can share resources and ask questions.  Create a new class in Edmodo where your colleagues can communicate.
 
Seesaw: Create a new class titled with your department name.  Seesaw allows for the sharing of documents and individual posts.  A cool feature in Seesaw allows for the creation of a blog.  Share the blog with the rest of the staff or admin so they can see the fabulous things you're discussing and sharing!

Schoology: Like Google Classroom, you can set up a class for the staff or for your department.  In Schoology, you create groups based department or grade level.  Easily share documents and post to share questions and comments.
 

Flipgrid:  Use Flipgrid as the students would, by discussing a topic and having others comment on it. Staff can post questions, comments , or share what they're doing in the classroom. Other staff can ask questions or comment on the Flipgrid. 

Eliminate Classroom Distractions With This Tip

It's all about the "e" word.

Technology in the classroom can be a great tool for learning.  It opens up many possibilities for students to expand their learning opportunities. But having technology in the classroom can bring its own set of challenges.  Along with knowing how to use it as an effective teaching tool, tech in the classroom can present the challenge of student distraction.  Put a Chromebook or iPad in a students hand with little engagement, and, unless you follow certain protocols, the students might find other uses for the tech, such as playing games or visiting unauthorized websites. 

Sure, there are various ways to try and combat student distraction.  The teacher could let students listen to music while they work.  They could provide for phone breaks, where the teacher sets aside a designated amount of time during class where students are allowed to check their phones for notifications.  Another might be to have students sign a contract where they’ll adhere to class rules about tech use in class.  The contract is then displayed in class with all the signatures so the teacher can refer to it as needed.  And lastly, the teacher can have students keep a daily to-do list, helping students to stay focused on the tasks that need to be finished.

Some of these might work in your class, but there is one sure-fire way to keep your students engaged...make engaging lessons!  The answer is that simple.  If you make engaging lessons, classroom distractions will be nullified.  I know it’s easy to say “just make an engaging lesson.” But believe me, once the effort is put into a lesson with student engagement in mind, your distraction problem will melt away.  There’s a two-part formula to making your lesson engaging:
First, students need to know why they're doing what they're doing.  Tell them how this lesson is going to build on the next.  Make the lesson relevant and meaningful.  Use real-life examples of how what their learning applies to them and the real world.

Second, fight fire with fire!  Use the appropriate tech tool to keep students from being distracted Deliver an engaging lesson using engaging apps such as Pear Deck or Nearpod.  Nearpod and Pear Deck are built to provide interactive features that keep students involved in your presentation.  You know the old saying, “Idle hands...”.

You can also keep the students involved with Socrative or Kahoot.  I’ve written before about Kahoot’s question template and how students can contribute their own questions to a Kahoot.  Knowing they’ll have an authentic audience for their questions will keep students on task.  Using these interactive apps can also make the lesson fun as well.  Socrative not only has the ability to check for understanding with multiple choice and short answer questions, but the space race game is a fun way to review content.

Seesaw is another app that can keep your students involved in your class.  Use the blog feature in Seesaw to help create an authentic audience for your students.  Knowing that other students, staff, and parents will be looking at their work will make them less likely to allow themselves to be distracted and stay focused.

The reward comes when a student tells you that they look forward to coming to your class.  It means their mind is open to accept new information, ideas and are ready to learn.  Keep the lessons engaging and you won’t have to worry about classroom management during a lesson again.  

6 Apps That Should Be On A Teachers Phone-Part 2

As I stated in Part 1, a smartphone is an indispensable teacher tool in the classroom.  After all, a smartphone is essentially a small computer in your pocket.  To help you with your day to day teaching duties, I recommend six apps that I believe can help you manage your workflow.

1. Scanner Pro/Turbo Scan:  There are two here because they are both great scanner apps.  It’s important to have a scanner at the ready for a couple of reasons.  First, if you’ve got that old worksheet you’d like to digitally send to your students, quickly scan it and upload it to your LMS.  Second, you can scan a piece of student work and share it in various apps.  

2. Trello:  I’ve written before about how Trello can be a good teaching planning tool.  Trello is an easy way to plan your classes.  Simply create a board for each class, a list for a chapter or unit, and a card for each assignment.  

3. Twitter: Share on the fly what you’re doing in the classroom.  Snap photos of student work and share them with your school or district.

4. Pinterest: Pinterest is a great resource for finding ideas and getting inspiration for your class.  Look to Pinterest if you’re looking for teaching tips or ideas for new projects.  Looking for teacher blogs to follow.  Look no further than Pinterest to help you find that next blog read. is also a cool place to find teacher blogs.   

5. Dropbox/Dropbox Paper: Dropbox is a fantastic storage receptacle.  Store documents and photos and have them available on the fly through your phone.  Use Dropbox Paper for taking quick notes on your.  Everything is saved in Dropbox.

6. Fantastical 2: Available for iOS only, Fantastical 2 is a great way to write down calendar tasks.  You type your entries in natural language which makes entering calendar events quick and easy.  

3 Mistakes to Avoid When Using Tech in Class

Tech in your classroom can be a very useful tool.  When implemented correctly, it can allow for differentiation, inclusion, and allow students to express themselves in ways they were never able to before.  When not implemented correctly, it can lead to a loss of class time, frustrated students (as well as teachers), and a lack of learning.

With that said, there are caveats that teachers should be aware of when wanting to use those iPads or Chromebooks in their class. 
From experience as a technology coach, I've identified three mistakes some teachers make in their classroom with technology.  So, when you go to use that tech, avoid the following:

1. Not testing it out. Just because it works at home, doesn't necessarily mean that shiny new app you've learned to use is going to work in your classroom. For example, there may be network issues at your school site that block a particular part of the app that either won't let you sign in or allow students to use the app. Make sure and test the app out at your site. Does it work with your school wi-fi network? If you have a minute or two at the end of class, ask a student to sign in to the app to make sure it can be used.

2. Taking for granted that students know how to navigate the web and the computer/iPad. Just because today's students are growing up in the digital age, doesn't necessarily mean they know everything about how to use a Chromebook or iPad. Jumping to that conclusion could lead to frustration by both the student and the teacher. Before using an app or piece of hardware, do a short primer about how to navigate the web or access an app.

3. Using tech for the sake of using tech. I get it. You're excited about using tech in your class. You've heard of this new app or a way to use the Chromebook in your class and you want to dive in, head first. But wait! Don't wrap your objective around your tech. Wrap your tech around your objective. You need to know where you want to go before choosing the appropriate tool. Avoid putting the Chromebooks first. Once you know the objective, ask yourself how tech can help you get there.

Start a New Semester With These Digital Tools!

With the advent of a new semester, students are apt to be, how shall we say, a bit squirmy.  Trying to harness their attention, no matter what the grade, can be a challenge. 

What better way to start the new year off right with the right tech tools!  The right tools will help keep your students engaged on their first day back from their winter break!
Check out a few tools and how you might use them during the first few days back from a break:

Kahoot:  Kahoot is great to review content!  Perhaps a Kahoot that reviewed the previous semester's information so as to build upon what the student is going to learn this semester.  Or, use Kahoot to find out what students know about upcoming topics by putting together a Kahoot.

Padlet: Invite inquiry with Padlet! Tell the students what they'll be studying this semester and ask them what questions they might have about the topic.  Use Padlet to have students share what they already know about the topic.

Voicethread:  Create a Voicethread using it in much the same fashion as you would a Padlet or Kahoot.  Sometimes, it's just easier for students to speak what's on their minds rather than type it out.  And often, you'll get more out your students if you ask them to record their voice addressing the topic rather than write it.  Ask students what they already know about a topic or ask them what they hope to learn this semester.  Instead of writing a response, students orally share their response.

Nearpod: Find out what your students already know about upcoming topics, what they want to know, or review content from the previous semester.  Nearpod is sure to keep your students engaged through its drawing activities, open-ended questions, and multiple choice questions.  Nearpod also provides its own Nearpod store, where you can browse through a multitude of already made lessons.

EdPuzzle: Create a video of yourself in which you review content from the previous semester, inserting questions for your students to answer as you go.  Then, have students watch the video and answer the questions.  Or, create curiosity by showing a video of upcoming topics, while creating questions asking what topics they're most curious about.

Flipgrid:  If you have the same students this semester as last, ask them to create a Flipgrid where they reflect on their learnings from last semester.  Then, once they've done that, ask them to comment on each other's reflections.  If it's a brand new class, ask them to record their wondering or what they hope to learn this semester.

Apps for Classroom Backchannels

What is a backchannel? A backchannel is essentially a classroom conversation that takes place alongside a class. With the advent of technology in the classroom, backchannels can now take place digitally, in or out of the classroom.

How can a backchannel be used in the classroom?

Opening up a backchannel in your class can serve numerous purposes. It can allow quieter students to fully participate in class. By setting up a digital backchannel using one of the below apps, quieter students can simply log in and share their question or comment. It can supplement your teaching by allowing for discussions outside of the classroom. Students and teachers can participate in a supplemental dialogue about the subject after class is over.

Apps that can be used for a class digital backchannel include:

Backchannel Chat: An app and a website, Backchannel Chat gives the teacher control about what is discussed in the backchannel. Discussions can be archived and available for future reference. Another great aspect of this app is that every post in the backchannel can be moderated by the teacher and must be approved before posted for all to see. Along with the website, there’s an app for Android and iOS.

Padlet: Create a wall that pertains to a specific topic or chapter and use it as a backchannel. Allow students to comment and ask questions on the board. Make sure and turn on the profanity filter.

PollEverywhere: In the same way you opened a Padlet wall, start a discussion in PollEverywhere. Use the app or the website to let students communicate with you. Use PollEverywhere while students are working on a project or classwork. Great for students that are timid in the classroom.

Google Slides Q & A: If you use Google Slides to do a presentation, you’ve got to use Google Slides Q&A as a backchannel. Simply go to your audience tools and start a new Q&A. During the presentation, a URL is presented at the top of the presentation, directing students where to go to ask a question or make a comment. Students can vote on which questions or comments are the best then, at the end of the presentation, the teacher can choose to display the comments while they address them.

Verso: Verso is unique in that when you post an activity to discuss, it allows you to post a recording of yourself giving directions, a document from your Google Drive, or attach a link for students to access. Verso provides an option that allows the teacher, to include certain vocabulary. The other thing that’s unique about Verso is that, as the teacher, you can access classroom stats, showing who has participated in your discussions and how often. Verso is available on the web at Verso app.com as well as an app
.
Slack: Slack is not only great for business teams, but it can be used in classrooms as well. Set up channels for different class topics. Use separate channels for comments and questions. As the teacher, send out discussion topics and ask students to comment. Send students feedback on their work in class.

Three Digital Whiteboards that are Classroom Ready

A digital whiteboard is essentially a blank piece of paper. For teachers, it can be a fantastic way to flip a classroom. Teachers can use the digital whiteboard to explain a concept, then, when students return to class, they can ask questions or practice what they’ve learned.
 Students can use the digital whiteboard to demonstrate their learning, explain a concept, or review for a test. And, with a stylus, digital whiteboards are easy and even fun for students to use.
 Below are three digital whiteboards teachers and students alike can use for their class.

1. Explain Everything: Available on all platforms, Explain Everything. Like the other whiteboard apps, Explain Everything allows the student to record their voice while putting together their whiteboard project. Students can share their project via a link that can be copied and pasted on a learning management system such as Google Classroom for review.

2. ShowMe: Like Explain Everything, ShowMe is available for Chromebooks via a ChromeOS app. The project can easily be shared via a link. Along with using their stylus, ShowMe allows for the insertion of a text box, in which the student can type in text. And, like other whiteboard’s, a link to the project can be copied where it can be easily shared with the teachers via a learning management system such as Schoology or Google Classroom.

3. Educreations: Create various classes within Educreations and add lessons to that class. Students can join your class with the class code assigned to that class. Students can use Educreations in much the same manner. They can create classes based on the classes their enrolled in, then, share their project with a link.

Podcasting in the Classroom

With more and more students having access to Chromebooks or iPads, there are new ways students can achieve their learning objectives, one of those being podcasting.

Back in the day, podcasting would have required a portable tape recorder and a blank cassette. Students could talk into the microphone on the recorder all the while making sure they pressed play/record on the machine. Each group would have to use their own audio cassette or share one among the class, hoping they didn't record over other groups work.


Today, podcasting has gone digital. It's a great tool to use for formative assessment and collaborative work. Simply pair students up or have them work in larger groups to create a podcast.

Why podcast? Along with serving as a tool for formative assessments, podcasts can address many listening and speaking standards. A few ways to integrate podcasts into the classroom include:

Reflections: Students can reflect on their learning by speaking what they've learned. And then listen later as a way to review their learning.
Language Practice: Podcasting can be a fantastic tool for language classes. Students can practice speaking a new language, listening to themselves improve in their skills. Teachers can also model the language and have students playback and respond to the teacher in a podcast.
Exit Ticket: Students can respond to an end of day question by speaking their answer and recording it for the teacher or class to listen to.
Interviews: Students can interview each other in a couple of different ways. First, one can pretend to be a historical figure, author, etc. Second, interviews can serve as class introductions. Each student sharing their likes, dislikes, favorite foods and whatever else they can think of.
Explain a Concept: Great for math and science. Students can record themselves explaining the steps on how to solve a math problem or science concept.

Now that we know what podcasting can be used for, we need to find a podcasting tool that students can use. Three apps that are easy to use and classroom-friendly include:

Voicethread: Available for both the Chromebook and iPad, Voicethread allows for the creation of a thread topic, where students can respond. A great way for an exit ticket question posed by the teacher.
GarageBand: The only one of these that's iPad exclusive. Garageband is not only great for creating music but serves as a podcast studio as well, allowing students to record their voice only.
Synth: Synth is also available for the Chromebook and iPad. With Synth, teachers create a podcast classroom where they give the students the code to join. Students can post in the Synth class or respond to a teachers question.

Real-Life Digital Tools for the Classroom

There’s nothing wrong with using Google Classroom. As a matter of fact, many of the articles I’ve written tie into using Google Classroom. It’s a great digital tool to distribute and collect class work. But, in addition to using Google Classroom or any other learning management system in your class, it’s important to integrate "real-life" digital tools into your classroom.

Google Classroom and other Google tools such as Docs and Slides are perfectly adequate for the classroom. Google tools are good. But, if we want to prepare students for life after school, whether it’s after K-12 or after college, they need to be familiar with the tools they may encounter in the workplace.  Let’s face it, students are more likely to use Evernote, Trello, or Dropbox in the workplace than they are Google Classroom.

I’ve written before about how some of these tools can be used in the classroom. If we want well prepared lifelong digital learners who are ready for life after school, teachers need to expose students to those digital tools they may encounter in the workplace, which I call "real-life" tools. Below are a few of those tools students may encounter in the workplace followed with an idea on how to implement them in class.

Trello: Student can use when working in groups.  They can keep track of team responsibilities.  They can also use Trello as a to-do list.

Skype: Assign students to work in pairs, but with a student from another class!  Ask students to connect with students in other classes and have them work collaboratively via Skype.

Any.do: Have student create and keep to-do lists using Any.do.

Evernote: Ask students to keep their notes in Evernote.  They can share their notes with each other and work collaboratively on an assignment or share their notes with the teacher.

Slack: Students can use Slack when working collaboratively.  They can communicate and share work with each other.  

Explain Everything: Have students explain concepts using this digital whiteboard.  

Dropbox: Students can use Dropbox to store a portfolio of their work, then share their Dropbox with their teacher.

Twitter: Teachers can use Twitter as a means of keeping students informed of classroom activities.

Google Calendar: Have students keep a Google Calendar in which they’ll note upcoming due dates and class events.