Teacher Digital Classroom Resources

I know this is a time of tremendous transition into teaching virtually. Here is a starter list of virtual teaching resources I curated from some great teachers and on-line platforms. The list includes a few power-packed platforms, demos, and my notes from demos on how to use these different platforms. The virtual demos come from on-line companies and teachers who use these resources. 

There are many ways to streamline classroom learning through flipped classroom systems that help teachers continue the teaching they would want to be doing through videos that students watch on their own. Students can watch these videos and then meet during class times to discuss what they learned. In these flipped classrooms, on-line classroom meetings become a place for discussion and answering questions.

For now, enjoy browsing through this list. Our teacher trainings provide more in-depth guidance into streamlined instructional approaches on and off-line that are culturally responsive and trauma-informed and that support teachers in engaging students as community researchers and digital and arts-based producers.

Please email me anytime with feedback on these resources and please feel free to share what other resources or supports you are seeking that would help you specifically at this time. Thank you! [email protected]
 
Khan Academy 
https://www.khanacademy.org/ela/cc-2nd-reading-vocab/xfb4fc0bf01437792:cc-2nd-vocabulary-acquisition-and-use

• Free ready-to-go on-line courses for every subject with videos that break down each aspect of a subject – you can link to specific videos that are already made that will help you teach students content
• Students who need more classes to take can enjoy any of these courses
• Parents who need some support in helping students can watch videos and help students

 
Edmodo – On-line teaching platform with demos to walk you through how to use the platform
https://go.edmodo.com/distancelearning/?utm_source=main&utm_medium=visitor-site&utm_campaign=2020-q1-teacher-distance-learning&utm_content=banner

• An on-line classroom for teachers to design for their own course
• These distance learning videos walk you through what to be thinking about as you organize your on-line classroom

 
Edmodo Demo Pointers - From Edmodo for Distance Learning & Distance Learning Schedules and Assignment Workflow
 
Schedule for Communication & Learning

• Work with school leadership
• Morning welcome with assignment for day
• Scheduling regular time(s) when you’re all on-line together
• Each day, students are given an assignment(s) and a set of tasks and a time for completion
• For daily tasks, 3pm is recommended so teacher can see students attended the day and provide credit and communicate with students who need help and feedback. Between 3 and 5pm, teacher can also make requests to students missing work for work submission. 
• Going advice – not to make assignments due by midnight – so as not to encourage students to stay up late and to keep everyone on a consistent schedule and teachers a day ahead
• Longer-term assignments assigned later due dates

 
Behavioral expectations

• Helping students develop methods for contributing and communicating
• Chat or raising hand
• Be clear on behavioral expectations before you start

 
Group Norms and Digital citizenship

• Make sure it’s just you and your students working on a platform
• Only create access for your students and their parents to join on-line classes
• Work on cultivating a space of belonging
• Use bitmojis, quick videos, badges, comments to help students feel welcome
• When setting group norms, be brief and focus on the positive – make every effort to welcome students and help them adapt through warmth to a new way of being together (from Alice Keeler)
• Not all students will have access to computers
• Paper options for every assignment – students can take a picture of their assignment and upload the picture from their phones to the on-line classroom

 
Other Edmodo Features

• Chat Rooms – organize student support - where students can ask questions and help one another out
• Group Work – adding selected members to a small group
  • Can also do shared folders with small group – only the group will be able to see what is going on
  • Can set members to read only
  • Can send an assignment or quiz to a small group

 
Edmodo Live Video Conferencing Suggestions

• Need communication norms
• Muting of mics – standard operating procedure – mute student mics when giving directions or needing focus on you (other video conference software permits teacher this control as well)
• Teach students visual cues – nodding heads, thumbs up, emoji signs, assigned ways to signal when wanting to join conversation
• Slow down the pace of live conferencing – anticipate and wait for the delay when you and others speak
• On zoom, teachers can screenshare and students can screenshare – decide on group norms for who will share when

 
Digital Platforms for Live Video Conferencing (these can be recorded and shared later)

• Microsoft Teams
• Google Meet
• You Tube Live
• Zoom

 
Edmodo Recorded Screencast Suggestions

• Model procedures you want students to follow
• Make sure they can see you – they will feel more welcomed
• Make these short: 3 – 7 minutes long
• Need webcam, good microphone
• Pour audio will turn people off

 
Edmodo Suggestions for Digital Platforms for Screencasts

• Screencastify – create, edit, store, and share videos from google drive 
  • Course on how to use screencastify – free for 5 min videos

https://www.screencastify.com/course/master-the-screencast/lessons

• ScreencastoMatic – create, edit, store, and share videos - 15 min free video – shares to google drive or YouTube
  • Tutorials

https://screencast-o-matic.com/tutorials

• Camtasia – create, edit, store, and share videos
  • https://www.techsmith.com/video-editor.html

 
Video Hosting Sites – where you can upload videos

• YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive 
• Edmodo has 100MB limit to file size
• Solution - send video to YouTube, make it unlisted, anyone with link can view the video

 
Filming tips from Edmodo

• Maximize sunlight and avoid backlighting
• Focus on creating an appealing visual within the frame
• Pull up existing videos of files for the frame
• Angle webcam
• Test microphone
• Include yourself in the video
• Eye level with webcam
• Speak clearly
• Play with pitch and speed for effect – let your personality come through
• Plan what you will say and show – reduce editing
• Use props to entertain kids – the more entertaining, the more students will talk about you and watch your videos
• Make YouTube playlist with all of your class videos that helps you organize your content and which you can access easily

 
Preparing to Create Videos – from Edmodo

• Chunk material
• Short bursts of information
• Title slide for screencast
• Repurpose lecture slides – draw from what you already have

 
Edmodo Other Helpful Video Recording Platforms – where teacher videos can be paused, students can insert questions; teachers can do voice-overs in a different language, etc.

• EdPuzzle – students uploading, annotating, and linking to other sources with their own videos - https://blog.edpuzzle.com/free-resources/edpuzzle-womens-history-month/
  • Edpuzzle Best Videos for Elementary Students

https://blog.edpuzzle.com/free-resources/best-videos-elementary-students/

• PlayPosit - https://go.playposit.com
• Actively Learn - https://www.activelylearn.com – free for remainder of school year
  • Great article on student collaboration through Actively Learn

https://www.activelylearn.com/post/remote-learning
 
Creating a Facebook Group
https://www.postplanner.com/how-to-create-a-facebook-group/
https://zoom.us/pricing

• Learn how to set up a private Facebook group where you can meet with other teachers or parents to create your own support systems

​Zoom Tutorials
https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/206618765-Zoom-Video-Tutorials?_ga=2.234296925.2130490398.1585013428-2093359200.1582859850

• Zoom shows you through a range of demos how to use each of its features, which can help you establish communication norms and moderate class discussions

 
Cool Cat Teacher with Alice Keeler – Google Classroom Bootcamp Short Version
https://www.coolcatteacher.com/google-classroom-bootcamp-duo-demo-student-and-teacher-views/

• Breakdown of how to organize your class, take attendance, create and grade assignments, import quizzes from quizziz - https://quizizz.com

 
Cool Cat Livestream Facebook – Google Classroom Bootcamp Long Version
https://www.facebook.com/coolcatteacher/videos/716103472258370/

• Two teachers walk you through Google Classroom Set-Up and all features of Google Classroom from teacher and student perspective

Alice Keeler – More Google Classroom Resources
https://alicekeeler.com/google-classroom/
 
NCTE Articles
Google Drive: Facilitating Collaboration and Authentic Community Beyond the Classroom
Jennifer S. Dail & Anete Vasquez
https://secure.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/VM/0254-may2018/VM0254Google.pdf?_ga=2.245264582.273439060.1585248120-169287751.1585248120
 
Reconsidering Student Inquiry through Digital Narrative Nonfiction,
Fawn Canady and Troy Hicks
https://secure.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/EJ/1086-jul2019/EJ1086Jul19reconsidering.pdf?_ga=2.210787414.273439060.1585248120-169287751.1585248120
 
Redesigning Peer Response as Conversation
James Strickland
https://secure.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/ELQ/42-3/76F513DF-A926-41AD-B43F-DE000246C6FB.pdf?_ga=2.47076580.273439060.1585248120-169287751.1585248120
 
Uninterrupted and On Their Own: Audio Reflections in the Writing Classroom
Marissa E. King and Karen Sheriff LeVan
https://secure.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/LA/0953-mar2018/LA0954Perspectives.pdf?_ga=2.223131992.273439060.1585248120-169287751.1585248120

The Best Parent and Teacher Teaching Guide
Teaching Tolerance
​https://lnkd.in/eEPiQdj