Designing
a classroom whether virtual or brick and mortar is personal. It is a place
where students and teachers are learning and growing together. Teachers are
pushing themselves down new avenues, albeit involuntarily these days. Students,
even having gone through some distance learning in the spring- still feel
uneasy and apprehensive. So together, both teachers and students should forge the
virtual vestibule.
These
days you cannot go on social media and not see links and suggestions about
on-line tools and virtual software. The power of educators and design is great.
There are too many to name. They range in application from document share,
uploading into portfolios, and engaging through Gizmo’s and Demo’s. Most
educators have their favorites. We test, we use, we either love or hate. We use
what we feel comfortable with. We reuse what is user friendly, purposeful, and
engaging.
To
engage students online we must keep them active. We must keep them
collaborating and sharing- discussing and demonstrating. So, what tools can you
use. There are endless, as I said before, but here are a few I use for the
reasons listed above: user friendly, teacher ease, purpose, and engagement. The
4 criteria I use to decide what I will use in my classroom.
To
find information or research my favorites are: Newsela, HHMI Interactive and
TedED.
To
present information/for review: Quizlet Live, Nearpod, Kahoot
To
create presentations for students online: Flipgrid, Evernote, Flippity
To
have students share as a class or with the teacher: Google Docs, Bulb
Portfolio, Stop Motion app for videos, Audacity for recording podcasts
To
share out information easily in addition to email or LMS announcements: Remind
Less
outside links the better. Choose those that align and integrate with your
district LMS if possible. But these tools meet the 4 criteria and I also had my
own children play around with it and they found it fun and engaging. Whatever
tools you use make sure above all else they are purposeful and engaging.
For
videos: Amoeba Sisters, Teacher Tube and Discovery Education are my favorites.
To edit them and create short clips: https://youtube-clutter.org
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