Remote learning by any means has not been easy for anyone. We all had quite a learning curve dealt to us, but it is how we have been able to adapt and find new ways to get to your students that is key to everyone's success! What I have found in the last six weeks, is that I keep evolving and finding new ways to implement my lessons. To help you find new ways, too, I am sharing with you my favorite finds. Here are my top 4 teaching tools that have got me through teaching remotely.
Flipgrid
I have been using flipgrid for a meeting place for my Science Lessons and classrooms. This has allowed me a site that I can see my students, check for understanding, as well as have the accountability that I need. I am able to star the assignments that I have looked at and even comment back through an email setting, or even create a video for them! I also utilize the ability to host a five minute or less video review lesson or even share a video from youtube for them to watch. You Tube might be a great place to house your video lessons that are over 5 minutes then for them. Students can showcase an assignment by showing you what they did and explain their thinking.
Flipgrid are the meeting place for your classroom, your school, your department or any learning community to discuss topics or lessons. Flipgrid sets up an icebreaker. For science you can have students add lesson/experiment reflections, share their thinking, explore STEM principles, give mini-presentations, and showcase their learning. Setting up a rubric so that the students can see what they need to do to show you what they know can be utilized by adding a document to flipgrid.
How I use it:
- I voice record my lesson
- I can star the students I graded so when new ones come in, I know where to start
- I use the mixed tapes to store the science stars of the week
- I use the mixed tapes to store students that still need my help
- I have students share their thinking and then I can check for understanding using a rubric
- I share videos I want them to view from youtube
- I email back to the students a personal message
- It allow students to view their friends and make comments on what they liked and learned
Screencastify or Screen-cast-omatic
Screen Casts are designed from the ground up to be the safest, simplest video creation tool for teachers and students. I can make learning more personal for my students and can provide my science lessons each week for distance learning. In the future I can use them for flipped classrooms lessons, by recording lessons, assignment explanations, and giving my students verbal feedback. I can tape myself incorporating a lesson, and use the teleprompter to write my lessons and then choose web cam and screen, make my cam the smallest it can go then teleprompt above so it looks like I am looking at the camera! I just start the prompter and it allows a space at the bottom for me to put the web cam!
How to use it in your science classroom:
- screencast an experiment so they can watch it before, during, and after class
- tape your lessons for kids that are gone
- give directions for assignments to share out
- screencast a lesson introduction
- use for flipping lessons and saving time once they come to class if they view it ahead of time
Boom Learning
I have loved Boom decks for my students! Boom is a platform that allows teachers to purchase and/or create digital activities for students. Boom “decks” are made up of individual, digital task cards for students to complete.
I use Boom for...
- Differentiating my science instruction, different decks for different kiddos
- It gives students immediate feedback (dings for correct, oops for incorrect and they get to try again!)
- Students Get EXCITED about learning with badges and fun digital “rewards” for their work
- Holding students accountable for their independent work especially in stations or at home
- It saves me a ton of time because it automatically grades.
- It also saves paper...it's paperless!
Find my boom decks here: K-5th Grade Science School Yard Boom Decks
What do I need in order to use Boom in my classroom?
- A computer, tablet, or interactive whiteboard
- An internet browser that is 3 or fewer years old (OR the free Boom app)
- A free or paid Boom Account (if you open a new account and click a link you get from a TeachersPayTeachers Boom card purchase, you’ll get 3 months free btw)
- An internet connection that students can use on a computer/tablet to access the Boom decks
- you can have a free account which will let you utilize fast pins when purchase them, but won't grade them and keep data which a paid membership will do.
Option A: Copy and paste the complete link for students to play
Option B: Go to the Boom main page (boomlearning.com) on a computer (or on the Boom app). Click on the “FastPlay” button. Enter the pin and click “play.” A fast pin is only good for a certain amount of days (14 days) which will tell you on the fast pin button.
You can create your own boom decks for your students, send the deck link to families or students and it is one of the simplest tools to use and the kids LOVE them! Boom Learning Site can be found HERE!
Google Classroom
Google Classroom is a free service for schools, non-profits, and anyone with a personal Google account. The best part of this is that a teacher and student can use in and out of schools. Classroom saves time and paper, and makes it easy to create classes, "hand out" assignments, communicate with each other, keep track of student assignments, and be organized.
How to use it in science classrooms:
- Once set up, you can share a code with your class to join. Once they join they can find your assignments, videos, and class work inside the class.
- This is paperless, so it saves time with copies
- It allows everyone to one place for organized science lessons, google documents, flipped lesson videos and more!
- This allows for easy communication and can be used in class, in their homerooms, and at home on any device.
- Best yet, it's a google suites product so it connects with all your other google activities such as google slides and forms!
I would love to hear what tools have gotten you through this as well. Keep on keeping on!
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