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.

Blogger in the Classroom

Blogger is a fantastic blogging platform (I’m a bit biased). Not only is it great for personal blogging but It can be used in many different ways in the classroom by teachers and students.

Teachers

1. Share what’s going on in your class. Write about the daily goings on, from what students learning to projects they’re working on.
2. Self reflection. Keeping a journal can help a teacher reflect on their day.
3. A staff blog. I’ve written about this before. Create one blog for the school site and ask the staff to contribute.
4. Share notes and assignment directions with your students.
5. Weekly updates. For the administration, use Blogger to share a weekly update about what’s going on around the campus as well as upcoming events.

Students

1. Student journaling. Students can use Blogger to keep a daily journal, sharing it with their teacher.
2. Assume an identity. Students can assume the identity of a historical or literary figure and blog as if they were that figure. What kinds of things would they say?
3. Exit ticket. Student can use Blogger as a daily exit ticket, reflecting on what they’ve learned that day. A great way to keep a journal of their learning.

Google Sites in the Classroom

Some districts are opening up the use of Google’s web site creation tool, Google Sites. Although they’re Google districts in that they use Google tools such as Classroom and Docs, Sites sometimes can take time for districts to warm up to, citing student privacy concerns and hard to manage what exactly gets posted to the site. Anyway, with some districts using Google Sites now, I thought I’d put together a few ways the digital tool can be used in the classroom.

1. Post student work. Students tend to give a bit more effort if they know their work is going to be published for all to see. You can create a site that’s strictly for sharing student work. You can upload a variety of things from an image, to a video, to a Google Doc. Then, share the site with parents and staff.

2. Keep parents in the loop. Create a site that’s strictly for letting parents and guardians know what’s going on in your classroom. From topics being covered to what the students are working on.

3. Insert a contact form. Use a site that enables parents or guardians to get in touch with you. Insert a Google Form that includes their name, contact information, and why their contacting you.

4. Embed a calendar of classroom and school events. Use a site as a calendar. Insert a calendar that includes school and class upcoming events.

5. Supplement your lessons. Use a site to supplement your lessons. Perhaps you want the students to research or put together a project using only the supplied information. Direct them to your site. Everything’s in one place for them to conduct their research.

6. Keep a classroom blog. The obvious, keep a classroom blog. It can be a personal diary of sorts. It can you reflect on your day and teaching practice.

7. Create a page that explains lessons and provides directions with examples. Use the site to post examples of student work or detailed directions on an assignment. If students have a question about an assignment or want to see a examples, simply direct them to the site.

Five Apps for Taking Notes On Class Reading

I was observing an English class recently where the teacher was discussing a piece of text with students. He was telling the students what the text was about while the students listened. Student engagement was at a minimum, with the students at the front of the class occasionally engaging with the teacher while the students in the back seemed to be counting the minutes until class was over. 

It must be said that this is a one to one classroom, where each student has their own Chromebook. Never mind that engagement was at a minimum, but the students had technology that could have made the whole process easier for the teacher to check for student engagement while being more engaging for the students!

Three apps that can help engage your students when discussing a text passage in the classroom are:

Google Slides:  Students can use Google Slides to summarize information and keep it nice and orderly. Simply title each slide by chapter or even paragraph.  Each slide can contain a summary, a wondering, or even discussion questions that pertain to a particular part of the text.

Kami: Kami is a fantastic pdf online annotation app that works great with Chromebooks.  Students can upload the document into Kami then annotate with text and highlights. Or, if the teacher has a pre-made note sheet, they can upload the document as a pdf where students can then upload the note sheet to Kami, complete the sheet, then upload it to an LMS such as Google Classroom

Google Keep: Google Keep is an indispensable notes app that ties neatly into the Google ecosystem.  It's on the students Chromebooks, making it ready to use.  And, one of the cool things about Google Keep is that it goes everywhere there's an internet connection.  Students can access their notes from virtually any device with an internet connection.  And, when the teacher wants to check student notes, students simply share them with the teacher via the share button.  No paper collected or returned.

Nearpod: Nearpod is a very good interactive presentation app that works well with both iPads and Chromebooks.  Use the open ended question option in Nearpod and attach the document for reference.  Ask students to summarize a chapter or paragraph per slide.  As the teacher, you get instant feedback on your own device as students submit their responses.

Google Sheets: Did you know that a spreadsheet could be used to take notes?  Well, it can.  Fill column A with chapter or paragraph numbers.  Then, title the rows as necessary with such things as summary or with questions.   

Two Apps That Will Move You Toward A Paperless Classroom

I was recently in a Social Studies Department meeting.  The topic turned to a discussion about when they’ll get more printing paper for their classes.  Not being familiar with the number of cases of paper teachers received from the school, I asked how much paper they were given.  I was told they received a case of paper per semester. 

They noticed my surprised look and stated that it was still not enough.  And, here’s the kicker, their students have Chromebooks assigned to them! It’s a one to one school!

There are many reasons to go paperless with some classroom assignments, among them is time saved at the copy machine.

Teachers could save a lot of time by going paperless with these apps:

1. If you’re using Chromebooks in your class, you gotta check out Kami.  Kami is a fantastic PDF annotation web app.  Students can open up a document in Kami, annotate to their hearts content with text boxes, highlights, or with their stylus, and then upload it to your LMS.

2. Whether you’ve got iPads in your class or Chromebooks, the Showbie app is an easy way to go paperless in your classroom.  Showbie is available on the web as well as an iOS app.  Upload a PDF to Showbie and students can annotate with a text box or drawing tool.  Showbie also allows students to highlight text.  One of the really cool things about Showbie is the ability for students to leave a voice note on a document.  Showbie can also serve as an LMS of sorts in that you can distribute and collect work. 

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.  

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. 

6 Essential Steps to Using an App in the Classroom

I was recently observing a 1:1 Chromebook classroom where the students were asked to take notes using Google Keep.  Through my observation, it appeared that students hadn’t used Keep before.  After the teacher described what the icon looked like, students were to find and open it. Once they found Keep, students were to use their stylus (which some did not have) to take class notes.  Needless to say, there was a bit of a learning curve using Keep.  Many students asked why they were using Keep, never mind that many had trouble finding it. Others weren't sure how to use the stylus with the app.  Some students wondered why they couldn't use paper and pencil.  To avoid these questions as well as many others, the following six steps should be considered:

1. Introductions come first.  Let’s take the Google Keep example.  Before having students open up their Chromebooks, the teacher should describe the app.  Include in the description the different capabilities and the purpose of the app.

2. Advise students how to find the app. Instead of having students search their Chromebooks for the app, show them how to find it.  In the class I observed, many students struggled to find the app on their Chromebook, wasting valuable class time.

3. Tell them why it’s being used in class. In the Google Keep scenario, many students asked why they were using it.  Students should know that it’s a tool that will help them get their work done more efficiently.   Sell the app to the students.  Remember, you’re not using tech for the sake of using it.  There’s a reason. Explain it to them.  

4. Demo the app.  Show students exactly how they will be using it in class.  In the Google Keep example, the teacher wanted them to fold their Chromebook so as to resemble a notebook.  The problem was, the Chromebooks were in a case that didn’t allow for the folding over of the Chromebook.  As a result, many students struggled to take notes because they weren’t folding their Chromebooks. Some figured out that they had to take the computer out of the case in order to fold it.  Also, if the app requires any additional accessories, such as a stylus, advise students that they’ll need to be prepared with such.  

5. Practice using the app before actually using it.  In the case of Google Keep, ask students to “play” with the app.  Give them a brief assignment where they use all of the aspects of the app.  Allow them to draw, to write, to import pictures.  That way, they’ll be much more comfortable and confident when using it for authentic class work.

6. Use the app slowly.  Give students time to open the app and are prepared to use it.  Expect students to be slow using it the first time, even though they’ve already been exposed to it.  Be patient.  It won’t take long before using it is second nature.

Granted, all of these steps take class time, but, it will save more time and frustration in the long run.

10 Reasons Why HyperDocs Are So Great!

I was talking with a colleague recently when the topic of ways to engage students in the classroom came up.  I brought up the use of HyperDocs in the classroom.  My colleague looked at me a bit puzzled and asked, "what makes a HyperDoc so great?"  

Let me share what I told them about what makes HyperDocs so great...

1. A HyperDoc is an interactive opportunity for students to transform their learning into something more.

2. One HyperDoc can address the 4 C's of 21st-century learning, giving students the opportunity for critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration.

3. They're engaging digital lessons.

4. They can allow for differentiation in that students can be given different versions of a HyperDoc or through the tasks in the hyperdoc itself. 

5. Can be personalized and allow for the use of multiple resources and the inclusion of different media.

6. Allows the teacher to flip the classroom.

7. The teacher can design various design templates for their hyperdoc.

8. Allow teachers to float around the classroom, working with small groups.

9. Through the HyperDoc, students can apply what they've learned in the HyperDoc to real-world issues.

10. Great for the blended learning classroom in that learn not only via face to face teaching but through the use of online media as well.

Unleash Student Creativity With Adobe Spark

With technology, there are more ways than ever for students to demonstrate and share their learning.  Today, students can create everything from their own websites that show off their learning to videos that might explain a concept.  A simple to use, accessible suite of tools that can help students share their learning is Adobe Spark.

Spark works on most devices and runs great in a browser, making it a great tool to use with Chromebooks.  Adobe Spark also has a suite of iOS apps for iPhones and iPads.  Spark Post is available for Android devices as well.

Adobe Spark is incredibly easy to use which makes it very classroom friendly.  There are three components to the Spark suite, Spark Page, Spark Video, and Spark Post.  And each component is free to use!  Each Spark component provides templates to help the user get started.

Spark Page is a web site creator in which students can insert text, images, videos, and links.  Students can use Spark Page to create a reflection blog or create a digital portfolio.  Teachers can use Spark Page to create a class page where they can upload photos and student work.

Spark Video is a video editing tool where students can edit a video by incorporating text, images, and narration to create their own movie.  They can use video to explain a concept such as a math problem.  Students can also use Spark Video to introduce themselves, create a video journal, document a field trip, or create a video book report. 

And lastly, Spark Post is a poster maker/graphic design tool where students can create everything from a poster, a flyer, or anything else they might want to create a graphic for.  They can use Spark Post to create a poster about a story they've read in English class or a graphic that explains the steps in solving an equation in science or math.

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 Ways Students Can Annotate PDF's With Their Chromebooks

Paper is out and technology is in! The days of making copies for your classes are over! Why waste time at the copy machine when you can simply upload a PDF to your learning management system such as Google Classroom? Below are three Chrome apps that students can use to annotate the paperwork you would otherwise pass out to them in class. All of the apps below are available in the Chrome Web Store.

XODO: XODO greets you with a straightforward interface prompting you to open a local file (from your Chromebook), a file from your Google Drive, or a file from Dropbox. After annotating the documents, they simply download the file and then upload it to the desired Google Classroom assignment.

DocHub: Simply click “New” from the DocHub dashboard and upload a file from your Chromebook, Google Drive, or Dropbox. Download the document the device, then upload the annotated document to the Google Classroom assignment.

Kami: Clicking on the Kami icon presents the student with a straightforward interface with the options to upload from various options. Kami also provides the ability to create a new blank pdf page on which the student can draw or write. Students can download the document to their Google Drive or to their device. When downloading, Kami provides the option of downloading just the text box annotations, which is good for test taking when the teacher doesn’t need a copy of the questions — just the answers.

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.

8 Apps For Class Warm Ups

Class warm-ups are an important part of the class. The teacher can use them as a review of the previous days material or they can provide an inquisitive foundation for the days learning. Below are five apps that can get the days class off to a good start.

Recap: With Recap, the teacher can initiate a chat-style discussion. In addition to the typed chat response, one of the cool things about Recap is that it gives the teacher the flexibility to let the students respond to a class warm-up with a video response.

Socrative: A great app for multiple choice quizzes. Socrative allows for the creation of a short answer warm-up question as well. If you feel a little competition would be fun, you can create a digital race where students answer questions faster than the competition to reach the finish line.

Seesaw: A fantastic online digital journal. Seesaw provides the flexibility for the teacher to either post a video, a drawing, a link, or something from Google Drive to the students journal for them to write about.

Google Sheets: That's right, you can use Google Sheets for class warm-ups! Simple create different sheets for different opening topics. When students enter the class, they open their shared Google Sheet, choose a square, and address the topic.

Newsela: Not just for English or Social Studies. Newsela is a great way to increase literacy. Choose from a variety of subjects. Ask students to read the content and answer the questions.

Kahoot: Gamify the opening of your class. Have your Kahoot waiting as students enter the room. A great way to get students seated with their device ready to begin the day.

Padlet: Create a Padlet board to open the class. Ask students to address the topic with links, photos, or video to make the discussion more interesting

Tag Journal: Tag Journal is the only app in the list that's for iOS only. What makes Tag Journal cool is that it allows the students to tag topics. For example, if the class is studying World War II, the journal topics may have something to do with the subject matter. Students can add pictures or audio to their journal entries.

Pinterest in the Classroom

Pinterest is a great resource for, well, everything. Pinterest is a good place to start if you're looking for inspiration or fresh ideas. Pinterest is also easily adaptable for classroom use, and, chances are, your students already know how to use it.

1. Student introductions. A great way to have students introduce themselves is through the creation of their own Pinterest board. Ask students to tell the class about themselves through the use of pictures. Have them include in their board their favorite foods, likes, dislikes, favorite places, interests etc.
2. Student collaboration. If students are collaborating on a project, have student groups create a board where they save information on their topic. The board would be a great place to serve as an information repository.
3. Distribute assignments. Create a class or subject board to distribute assignments, such as reading and worksheets.
4. Research. Students create boards as a place to store their research.
5. Share what’s happening in class. The teacher displays pictures of student work and projects. Include photos of assignments and other goings on in the classroom.
6. Post assignments. Create a board and use it as an assignment repository. Include worksheets, classroom and homework assignments, as well as instructions for assignments.
7. Students visual report. Have students create a board in which they create a visual report. Students include pictures on a topic and explain the significance of each picture as it pertains to the topic.
8. Comment board. Students post their work for other students to comment on.
9. Assignment repository. Teachers create a board for each unit/chapter in the class. Include all relevant information pertaining to the unit or chapter.
10. Parent communication. Teachers stay in touch with parents. Create an upcoming tests/assignments/events board
11. Celebrate students.  Celebrate those who do well with an achievement board. Post exemplary student work and test scores.
12. Brainstorm.  Create a brainstorming board. Students upload images where all students can review the board for ideas.
13. Presentation board. Students create a presentation board with images only.
14. Share resources. Create a board that includes class notes and readings that will help students with class work.
15. Samples of student work. Create an example board. Sometimes students need examples of past work and projects. If students need examples, point them to the board.
16. Bellringer prompts. Create a board for bellringer prompts.

Engaging Apps For Summer School

Summer school teachers, the days of lecturing for hours or having your students do book work for most of the day are long gone.  You have one class with the same students and the same subject for the entire day, why not make it fun and engaging?  With technology, students can now be fully engaged in a lesson while spending hours in the same class. 

You say you don't have access to Chromebooks or iPads in the classroom?  Well, there are ways around that, especially at the high school level.  Knowing that most of your students have cell phones will set you free of a day of classroom monotony. 

Here's some ideas to energize your summer school classroom, all of which have phone friendly apps:

Socrative is a great way to spend a summer class session. Split the class up into teams using just a few cell phones and boom! You've got fun learning that can last as long as you need it or want it to.  Students can participate in a race to answer questions correctly or review with a quick quiz or morning warm up.

Kahoot is another great way to keep the troops entertained while there is actual learning going on. Again, split the class into groups based on cell phone availability and review the days topic with your students. You can create a quiz beforehand or quickly use one that has already been created.

Nearpod is a good activity to use when other reviewing content or going through it for the first time. With Nearpod, the teacher can create either a teacher led presentation or a student paced presentation where the students work through the various activities at their own pace.  Nearpod exercises can include drawing activities, quizzes, short/long answer, and collaborative activities.  Nearpod is great for keeping students engaged throughout a lesson.

Edpuzzle is a fantastic way to show your class a video.  Using Edpuzzle, students answer questions throughout the video, keeping them engaged.  Students watch the video at their own pace.  So, if they don’t know they answer to a question you’ve posed, they can simply review the video again until they find the right answer.

11 Apps That Foster Student Collaboration

1. Explain Everything: The well-known whiteboard where groups of students can work on a project together.  Anyone with a link/code can edit.

2. iMovie: A great way to get students to work together!  Making a movie forces groups of students to collaborate, by virtue of the app.  Someone can direct while others act.  And, they should be working from a script, which they all collaborate on as well.

3. Voicethread: Have students put together interviews, conversations, or theatres of the mind.  Ask them to collaborate on a script and the actual voice recording, with students playing different parts in the audio recording.

4. Google Docs & Slides, Apple’s Pages & Keynote: All of these productivity apps can be used collaboratively.  Use them to take collaborative notes, write dialogue as a group, create slides etc.

5. Book Creator for Chrome: Have students create a book on whatever topic you choose.  And the cool thing is, they can do it collaboratively.  Students invite their partners to their library and they can work on a book together.

6. Padlet: Each group can create a thinking map.  Students can use Padlet to address a question or explain the steps in a process, perhaps how to solve a math problem.

7. Popplet—Great on the Chromebook!  Students use the share button with their partners to collaborate on timelines or graphic organizers.

  

8. Recap: Pose a complex question to groups of students and ask each student to contribute to a discussion.  Ask students to present their answers to the rest of the class.

9. Google Drawing: Life Google Docs and Slides, students can collaborate on a poster or drawing, working on the project at the same time in real time.

10. Canva: Students can work together creating posters, photo collages, or infographics.  Students simply share their creation with a partner and their off and creating together.

11. Evernote: Have students share a notebook.  Then, they can work on a piece of writing together or add different entries in a journal style writing assignment.

5 Ways To Measure Engagement Without Breaking Your Lesson Flow

The book "Bold School" (Keischnick, 2017, p. 95),  states that "Trying to measure engagement and comprehension without breaking the flow or falling behind schedule is a great challenge for direct instruction."

This is where technology can come to the aid of a teacher trying to infuse checking for understanding throughout the lesson without pauses or time-consuming transitions.  Chromebooks and iPads have created numerous opportunities for teachers to measure engagement during instruction.  The trick is how to measure engagement without breaking the flow you've created in your instruction.  How can technology help in keeping the lesson flowing, without interruption or dead spots?

The other consideration is to make sure every student has a voice.  If you simply ask students if they get it, some may genuinely understand, while others, not wanting to risk embarrassment or hold up the class, shake their head in the affirmative.

These apps can help you reach each student while incorporating checking for understanding in the lesson without breaking the flow of your lesson.

1. Nearpod: Use Nearpod for all phases of your lesson, from the introduction all the way to your formative assessment.  All the while checking for understanding in between.

2. Pear Deck: Pear Deck will not only help you present your lesson and incorporate checking for understanding with an anonymous thumbs up or thumbs down option, but you can also ask a question on the fly for students to answer in the lesson, without having to exit your Pear Deck lesson.

3. Google Slides Q & A: If you're presenting a Google Slides presentation, make it a Google Slides Q & A presentation.  Students can have their phones at the ready to ask a question without interrupting the class.  Q & A is great for those students who oftentimes are too shy to ask a question.

4. Kahoot: At the beginning of class, prior to the lesson, ask students to prepare for a Kahoot by having them go to Kahoot.it.  Then, you can insert Kahoots at various points of your lesson.  Prepare a few checking for understanding questions throughout your lesson.  Then, when the time is right, throw in a Kahoot.

5. Socrative: Use the Quick Question feature in Socrative to ask a multiple choice, T/F, or short answer question.  Like Kahoot, ask your students to prepare to use Socrative.  You can either have questions prepared (in which case, you can make a rocketship race out of it) or ask them on the fly.

Tech Tools Teachers Can Use To Keep Parents Involved

• 1. Seesaw:  A fantastic portfolio app!  Ask parents to install the Seesaw parent app. From there, whenever their child posts something (like a journal entry, a photo of their work, a video, or a drawing), their parents are notified.
• 2. Google Classroom: Use the Google Classroom email guardians feature to email parents about student missing work, upcoming work, and any other relevant class activity.
• 3. Weebly/Google Sites/Adobe Spark Page: Create a web page.  Use web site creation tools such as Weebly, Google Sites, or Adobe Spark Page to create a page that shares classroom information such as a classroom calendar, upcoming events, and student work.
• 4. Twitter: Create a class Twitter account!  Add photos of student work.  Keep parents abreast of upcoming class tests and assignments.
• 5. Instagram: A class Instagram account would serve the parents well.  Include photo’s of student work and daily class goings on.
• 6. Pinterest: Create a Pinterest board!  Include pictures of the class at work as well as student work.
• 7. Blogger:  Keep a blog!  Use Blogger or Google Sites to blog.  If you find it difficult to keep a daily blog, try a weekly blog.  Write about what you’re doing in the classroom. Include photos of student work.  Include a calendar of upcoming class assignments and events.
• 8. Remind: Use Remind to let parents know about upcoming tests and assignments due dates.
• 9. Class Dojo: Let parents know how their child is doing in class by sending messages, photos, or any updates from class.
• 10. Bloomz App: A great way to communicate with parents!  Bloomz allows you to instant message parents—pretty cool.  Once parents have signed up, they can receive posts you’ve written, announcements, alerts, and upcoming events.  Use Bloomz to schedule parent/teacher conferences too!
• 11. Edmodo for Parents: If you use Edmodo in your class, this sister app is a must for parents!  The app allows parents to be notified when their child turns in an assignment, when tests are upcoming, and when homework is due.