By Kara WilkinsFree PreK-12 Distance Learning IdeasPreparing for illnesses like COVID-19 is always a difficult and serious affair, but it has given teachers an opportunity to think about how we can extend learning outside the walls of our classrooms and into the homes of our students. Here's a list of helpful distance learning ideas from a teacher who's a seasoned veteran at using technology to engage students.Distance Learning Ideas: Early Childhood and Lower Elementary EducatorsVideo Read Alouds: One of my favorite ways to use technology, to engage families and students at home, is to offer video read alouds. As the educator, you can choose a read aloud book that connects to their learning and create a video of you reading the book. If you make the video, you will also be able to pause, point things out to the students, and ask questions. Video read alouds could be done live, through a platform such as Facebook or YouTube. Teachers and administrators who do this will often set up a live event on their school’s social media sites and parents are notified when the school is going live. Families love this type of interaction and it also gives them a way to see educators out of the school environment.If you don’t want to go live (it is not as scary as you think!) you could record the video ahead of time and still host it on social media or share it through Google Drive or Microsoft OneNote.Take a look at this amazing principal, David Anderson, of the Christa S. McAuliffe Elementary School in Lowell, Massachusetts. He and his staff create live and pre-recorded read alouds for snow days and vacations!If you don’t like to record yourself, there are a myriad of read alouds on YouTube. Kate Messner, a children’s book author, is in the process of creating a list of author’s reading from their own books to share with your parents and students! Reading Foundational Skills: To keep our little learners working on their fundamentals, teachers can share the Reading Foundational Skills Collection in PBS LearningMedia. This is a fabulous collection of short videos from iconic shows like Between the Lions and Electric Company and student interactives where our littlest learners to can investigate phonemic awareness through activities and songs.Join the Share My Lesson Distance Learning Community Distance Learning Ideas for Elementary EducatorsVideos, photos and online journaling: Anyone who has worked in elementary schools knows that our students are tech savvy, but not tech experts. Because of this, technology lessons at home need to be user friendly for both the student and their families. Seesaw is a wonderful tool to help students capture their learning and experiences at home. Seesaw is an online journal that allows students to take and annotate pictures, make videos, and type answers to anything. Teachers create students in the class, but do not have to assign a digital activity for students to capture their learning, so it is very user friendly! At home students could: Make a video of themselves reading a book Take pictures of different shapes in their house and identify them Take a picture of a math worksheet and record an audio overlay to explain how they solved the problem Start a blog and journal their experiences at home Watch a video on PBS LearningMedia (like my favorite, Molly of Denali) and make a video explaining how Molly used informational text in the episode Seesaw has an activity library as well as the ability to talk to families and share resources.Top Distance Learning Webinars On-DemandDistance Learning Ideas: Middle and High School EducatorsDigital Assignments and Creating Screencasts: Many middle and high school teachers are already using a learning management system such as Google Classroom or Edmodo, distance learning toolkits, so sending out digital assignments is not new to them. For many, though, teaching long distance is very new. One of the ways to share content and directions with your students is by creating screencasts of your presentations. A screencast is a video that includes the content on your computer screen as well as your voice and/or a video of you. It is a fabulous way for students to still hear from you and feel connected.Screencastify is a great tool to help you accomplish this task. It is a Google Chrome extension that not only allows you a quick way to create these videos, it automatically syncs with your Google Drive account and is fully integrated with Google Classroom. If you are making a video of your Google Slides presentation, consider turning on the Closed Caption ability to support our students that are English Learners, deaf or hard of hearing.There are many different activities that you can push out to your students if distance learning is a decision in your district. Many edtech companies are offering free subscriptions during this time so check out this growing list of offerings. PBS LearningMedia Interactives: PBS LearningMedia Interactives are a fabulous way for our middle and high school students to interact with high quality and engaging content independently. Students investigate topics in all subjects through videos, interactives, reading and writing. Interactives sync with Google Classroom so they are easy to assign to your students. In order to support all your learners, you could use Screencastify to make an instructional video to preview the content and explain to your students how to use the interactive.As always, during this time of uncertainty, it is important for us to instill in our children that learning and exploration are important and can continue outside the walls of our classroom.Kara Wilkins spent eighteen years teaching special education and social studies to 7th and 8th graders... and has lived to tell about it! She is currently a District Technology Integration Specialist for the Lowell Public Schools. She is a Google Certified Educator, an Apple Teacher, and a 2015 Local PBS Digital Innovator for Massachusetts. Her current passion is using technology to help students connect with experts and classrooms all over the world!The original post can be found on PBS TeachersLounge.
Virtual Classroom...what is that? Running an effective virtual classroom isn't as hard as you think. Don't worry, I'm here to help!
Research projects are PERFECT for distance learning because it puts the child in charge of their own learning! The reason it is important for teachers like me, is our district decided teachers are not allowed to instruct on new academic content during this time of school closures. This was a result of not being able to insure everyone has access to the same material. So I thought, RESEARCH PROJECTS to the RESCUE! Besides, it's what I typically assign after state testing is over with anyway! So, who doesn't love going on the endless rabbit hunt from time to time when you start diving into a topic? GUILTY!! NOW is the time to get the students on that learning train! Go ahead, dangle that carrot in front of them if you have to, but kickstart that love for learning again by assigning a digital research project. Make sure you maintain parameters, of course! Just provide your class with a little bit of context, some suggested kid-friendly research websites, and an overarching topic. Watch my video to see how I kickstart the research phase of our Animal Research Project! In my opinion, animals and countries are great places to start when introducing research projects. Don't be afraid when you hear "research projects" and you think back to that dreadful semester-long project your high school English teacher assigned you. Think of what it looks like now in a 1:1 classroom setting or digital learning through Google Classroom. It can be as simple as a presentation you might create to teach your class about a new topic - but this time your students are teaching! What's the encyclopedia of modern times? The Internet!! And how do you begin that search? GOOGLE! Nobody does Ask Jeeves or Yahoo anymore. So utilize the research tools available inside Google Docs and Google Slides to set your students up for success in a research project! And if you're looking for some quality research projects, hurry up and check-out my digital resources by clicking the image below. I promise you with the cute template and 5 video tutorials included to set your students up for success, you'll definitely enjoy how simple it was to assign a research project: Until we meet again, have a beautiful rest of your day!
25 creative, NO PREP google meet & zoom ideas for distance learning activities. These virtual games & ideas keep kids engaged & make teaching a breeze.
Homeschoolers can enjoy educational models or philosophies like distance learning that are uniquely designed to fit your family’s needs. Distance learning is defined by
Support students' emotional well-being during distance learning with these fun and easy social-emotional activities for home. Upper elementary students lo..
Virtual Classroom...what is that? Running an effective virtual classroom isn't as hard as you think. Don't worry, I'm here to help!
Zoom Games With Students During Distance Learning shares a variety of games, many familiar from the classroom, that you can play with students virtually.
I have three kids ranging from older elementary to high school. Each one of them is handling distance learning differently. My daughter, who is also the youngest, initially felt overwhelmed at the list of assignments
I get a lot of questions about what online / distance learning looks like for my classroom. It can be tough to answer because everything is SO differentiated based on each students' needs. Our families and school teams worked together to create contingency learning plans for each student (these were basically really long Prior Written Notices). These plans outline how work will be provided (printed or online), how much work the student will be provided each day, how often the student will have contact with teachers, what supports for the student will look like, etc. Since I obviously can't speak about specific students / plans, I'm going to show 2 basic examples of how I'm doing online / distance learning and answer some of my FAQs. Using Printed Materials: The families who wanted printed / paper materials for distance learning received a binder similar to this. Depending on the students needs, students complete 1-3 pages from each tabbed section a day. Materials are included for reading, writing and math and target the student's IEP goals. Students also received books, pencils, basic art supplies, etc. You can grab the FREE binder covers and tabs here. The freebie also includes links to the worksheets in the picture. Online Instruction Materials: Students who do online instruction receive a daily email with a link to an individualized Google Slide™. I don't use Google Classroom™, Seesaw™, or any other platform for assigning student work. I started remote learning using Google Classroom™ and found it was just easier for families if I sent all work in 1 Google Slide™ document. The Google Slides™ deck includes all of the student's materials for the day (reading, writing, math, morning meeting, movement, etc.). Students complete all of their work in Google Slides™ and only have to leave Google Slides™ to complete a few online activities (more on those below). I also embed all of the links and sign in information in the Google Slide™ for students. Here's an example of what a student's individualized Google Slide™ deck could look like: It is a little extra work to do an individual Google Slide™ deck for each student, but I've found a few ways to streamline it and it definitely has it's benefits! How I streamline this: -Here is an example of how I streaming and organize reading materials: I have Google Drive™ folders for each week of remote learning. Within the weekly folders, I have folders for each subject AND for my individual students. Think of the materials in the subject folders as my master copies. I add the materials/ lessons to the master copies, then I copy and paste materials/ lessons (the slide decks) from the masters to the student slides. The "Reading" Google Drive™ folder includes folders and slide decks for multiple groups. This is similar to how many of us have different reading groups in the classroom. I create and add all of the reading materials for the groups to the master copies. I copy and paste the materials into the individual student slides (based on their group) and add any differentiation necessary. If you want to do this, my biggest tip is: make templates for each lesson/ subject and for each student. This way you can easily and quickly copy and paste materials into the templates! Note: If you're going to send students individualized slides, make sure you set the sharing settings to: "anyone with the link can edit." If you want an already made template, check out my online learning lesson plan templates. The benefits of doing it this way: -Students don't have to worry about creating copies of Google Slides™ or submitting assignments! When students edit the Google Slides™, you will be able to see all of their edits without them doing any extra steps! -Since you can see all of students work in Google Slides™, it's a great way to collect data! FAQs: Are you doing live instruction? Yes! Most of my students receive live instruction every day from either myself or a paraprofessional (more about how paras are support students below). My live instruction looks different for each student, but it's typically 15-20 per session and is always done in 1:1. We do live instruction through Google Meets (it's what my district requires), I share my screen and we do a variety of activities like: read stories, work on sight words, word work, work on math IEP goals, review work I assigned students that day if they had questions, etc. Are you doing pre-recorded instruction? Definitely! Pre-recorded videos are great because they allow us to give instruction to students without students being required to sign on at a specific time. The drawback is students can't get immediate feedback, but it's still a great option! I do pre-recorded instruction/ videos for morning meeting, read alouds, breathing activities, and questions of the day. I also record videos using Screencastify (click here for more information & a tutorial) to explain directions to students for their activities. It's a free Google™ extension and is amazing! I embed the Screencastify videos directly to the Google Slides™ I send students. How often are you contacting students/ families? How are you contacting students/ families? It depends on the student/ family (sorry, I've said that A LOT in this post :-P ). Most families receive a daily check-in and contact from a teacher in our classroom via phone, Google Meets or text. We aren't always able to get a hold of students and families daily, but we just follow what's in their plan and the district expectations. Are you paraprofessionals working right now? What are they doing during remote learning? The paras I work with have been amazing during this all! They've really stepped up for our students which is amazing! Each paraprofessional does daily check-ins with 2-3 students. Check-ins are 15 minutes long, are done 1:1 and are held over the phone or Google Meets. Some students get emails or recorded videos for their check-in because that's what they prefer too! Paras are also doing weekly video recordings of them reading books and helping with recording Screencastify videos to explain directions to students. What are your favorite websites / freebies you're using? I've really tried to minimize the number of websites I'm using with students. I didn't want to overwhelm students or families with a ton of different logins and learning to use multiple different platforms. For math, we are using HappyNumbers. Teachers can get a free account through the end of the school year. It's awesome because it's differentiated and is SO engaging! This is something I will likely try to get my school to purchase for my students even when remote learning is finished. For reading activities, we are using BoomCards. You can also get a free unlimited account through them during the school closures. Boomcard memberships are super cheap (and there's always a basic free option), so this is something I'll continue using when we return to in-person learning! Feel free to leave any questions in the comments, send me a DM on social media or email me @ [email protected] I'm not affiliated with Boomcards, HappyNumbers or Google™. I have no connection with these companies other than just sharing what has worked for my class!
Language used for Checking In and Checking Out of hotels - ESL worksheets
Communication overload is what a lot of teachers are feeling during their distance learning journey. The energy it takes to teach online is a totally different beast. Add in the parent communication demands that have been amplified by this new reality, and you may find yourself with a very empty tank at the end of each day.
Google Extensions for Distance Learning Distance Learning is moving 100 miles an hour and it feels like everyday we are introduced to a new, amazing, glittery tech tool; so you might be wondering w…
Planning for this transition was a bit overwhelming since there is much to consider. Even with distance learning, it's important that I teach purposefully.
there’s a new kid in class. And his name is “Distance Learning.” And we’re all not so sure how we feel about him. He’s been a little disruptive. He came to us with almost no notice or warning, and well, he doesn’t seem to be moving on any time soon. In fact, it looks as though many of us will b
Distance learning is not a new thing and we know the advantages of doing courses with distance learning. But there are some myths connected with distance
Participate in the fourth grade distance learning decathlon! First, hone your skills with training exercises. Then take the challenge!
The objective of this worksheet is to train the forms of irregular verbs. It is a fun activity. It's a board game. There isn't a solution. It's a good way to relax and at the same time to train the irragular verbs. - ESL worksheets
picture dictionary - ESL worksheets
Past simple tense practice with a reading passage, comprehension questions, supply the questions, exercise on 'did' and replace the verbs. The passage is based on what the lovely picture suggests. A good follow-up is asking them to write about a great birthday they had. - ESL worksheets
Marilina is on a school trip to London (she is Italian). The students read the postcard and answer the questions. Thank you to Zailda for the template. If you have never tried Yorkshire pudding, have some and eat it with beef gravy;-) - ESL worksheets
This is a chart showing all tenses with examples in use. Students can keep this handout in their file or it can be used as a poster.Get the FREE pdf here...https://www.tefllessons.com/product/tenses-chart/There is an A4 and an A3 version available to download.Check out our other FREE charts and posters...https://www.tefllessons.com/product/present-perfect-simple-chart/https://www.tefllessons.com/product/the-phonetic-chart/https://www.tefllessons.com/product/past-simple-tense-chart/https://www.tefllessons.com/product/esl-classroom-posters/There are 100+ FREE materials available to download when you register as a FREE member at www.tefllessons.com - ESL worksheets
Students will look at the pictures and answer the open-ended questions with their own words. They will try to focus on the photo and try to write the correct answer. It is fun and useful. - ESL worksheets
This is a reading comprehension about Space. They read the passage and then answer the questions. A key is provided. Space is an interesting topic that many teenagers like to talk about. - ESL worksheets
It deals with vocabulary related to household chores. Hope it can be useful! Have a great Friday! :D - ESL worksheets
As I'm going to start with my young weak learners the use of the Present Simple and the routines, I'm going to revise first how to ask the time. Key includedPart 2 here: https://en.islcollective.com/resources/printables/worksheets_doc_docx/excuse_me_what_is_the_time_-_part_2/time/94285Here you are more clocks: https://en.islcollective.com/mypage/my-creations?search_key=clocks&type=printables&option=published&id=620769&grammar=&vocabulary=&materials=&levels=&studentTypes=&skills=&languageExams=&dialect=&functions=&page=1&sorting_type=most_newest&filter_type=filter_all&view_type=list&view_length=12 - ESL worksheets
The series board games should be a funny, playful way to practice vocabulary and grammar orally. The instructions for the teachers are included.If you like this game, you can find more board games here:https://en.islcollective.com/mypage/my-creations?search_key=Board+games&type=printables&option=published&id=5163&grammar=&vocabulary=&materials=&levels=&studentTypes=&skills=&languageExams=&dialect=&functions=&page=1&sorting_type=most_newest&filter_type=filter_all&view_type=list&view_length=12 - ESL worksheets
Reading comprehension, writing exercises and critical thinking all in one worksheet which can also be used as the basis for conversation or a classroom discussion. Suitable for group work as well. REMARK: THE PREVIEW OF THIS HANDWRITTEN WORKSHEET LOOKS A BIT UNTIDY, BUT ONCE YOU DOWNLOAD AND PRINT THE QUALITY IS ACCEPTABLE. - ESL worksheets
A reading comprehension and a writing activity about the advantages and disadvantages of a multicultural society. - ESL worksheets
I did not include any channels for toddlers or early elementary. Because of the width of YouTube, kids can come across crazy things on YouTube! For even more safety, watch the following videos on the channel’s website or YouTube Kids instead of YouTube. Learn in Color is not affiliated with any of the channels below. […]
Make sure your students know the meaning of the words from the word list on the right side of the page. Ask them to complete the sentences with the words from the word list. It's a good exercise to revise crime and punishment vocabulary. - ESL worksheets
The following cards will help your students develop their speaking skills. Cut the cards, put them face down on the desk, students take the card and must talk nonstop for 1 minute on the given topic. - ESL worksheets
Here is an infographic that shares insights on tips to enhance your eLearning courses.Read more ›
Simple, fun and easy game to review vocabulary in a dynamic way. Topics from the cards can easily be changed and adapted to your students needs.Since there is time and competition involved, surely your students will enjoy it! - ESL worksheets
Previous similar activities:https://en.islcollective.com/mypage/my-creations?search_key=how+observant+are+you&type=printables&option=published&id=620769&grammar=&vocabulary=&materials=&levels=&studentTypes=&skills=&languageExams=&dialect=&functions=&page=1&sorting_type=most_newest&filter_type=filter_all&view_type=list&view_length=12 - ESL worksheets
Vocabulary practice related to technology and social networking. This is the first worksheet of a set of two. Key provided.Here you are the following worksheet:https://en.islcollective.com/resources/printables/worksheets_doc_docx/welcome_generation_/computers--technology/80026 - ESL worksheets
Prepositions of place and time. - ESL worksheets
This worksheet is meant for adults and high school students. The students have to read the text and answer the questions about the text . It can also introduce a discussion about the subject. - ESL worksheets
The objective of this worksheet is to train the forms of irregular verbs. It is a fun activity. It's a board game. There isn't a solution. It's a good way to relax and at the same time to train the irragular verbs. - ESL worksheets
