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The Big List of Remote Learning Social Studies Resources

by Andrew Roush
written by Andrew Roush

Earlier this week, we took a look a several places educators can find engaging STEM and STEAM resources designed for remote learning. In this post, we’ll delve into some useful compilations, ideas, and sites dedicated to teaching social studies subjects like history, economics, geography, government, sociology, and more.

Best Practices

In Education Week, educators Mike Kaechele, Lynette Yorgason, and Jennifer Hitchcock share their tips and experience with project-based learning (PBL), remote teaching in general, and the tools and techniques they use.

Departmental Communications

Education agencies across the U.S. have worked to compile accessible resources for teachers and student facing massive shifts in education and everyday life. In Delaware, the Department of Education has put together a list of interactive resources, along with “Grab and Go” packets for teachers. You can also explore social studies professional learning opportunities as organized by the Maine Department of Education.

Ten Top Treasure Troves

The Edvocate has put together a list of 10 timely social studies sites for remote learning and teaching. This list notably links to large repositories of links or activities.

Watch and Learn

Mr. and Mrs. Social Studies is a YouTube channel dedicated to sharing ideas and strategies for social studies teaching. Check out their video on distance learning to get inspired to create exciting new ways to teach social studies topics.

Public Resources

PBS Learning Media has a vast array of videos, interactive lessons and pages, lesson plans, and audio/video resources that can be organized and filtered by topic, grade level, and type.

Using Common Sense

Common Sense Education, a nonprofit dedicated to vetting educational materials, offers a collection of the top 10 social studies tools for elementary learners, as well as 44 different social studies apps and websites.

Take a Field Trip

A virtual field trip can be a great way to explore history and society, as well as integrate other humanities subjects like art into social studies education. Check out our collections of virtual field trips in TCEA’s home state of Texas and around the world.

More Interactive Social Studies Resources from TCEA

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

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Educational TrendsSTEM/STEAM

The Big List of Remote Learning STEAM Resources

by Andrew Roush
written by Andrew Roush

Looking for ways to integrate effective, engaging STEM and STEAM education in remote learning? There are many ways to lead fun and functional lessons at a distance that combine the creativity and critical thinking skills of science, engineering, arts, and mathematics education.

Here are some resources from across the web to help deploy relevant STEAM activities and lessons at a distance.

Don’t Fret, Get PhET

Short for Physics Education Technology, the PhET project at the University of Colorado focuses on collecting and sharing “explorable explanations,” or descriptions of a process or concept that students and virtually interact with. PhET includes more than 150 interactive simulations and well over 2,000 teacher-submitted lessons. You can even find tips for using PhET simulations here.

PhET displays icons to indicate the type of media included (video, sound, HTML5, Java, Flash, etc.)

Technical Expertise from Georgia Tech

The Georgia Tech Research Institute shares remote lessons on making an electroscope (PDF), using energy to measure distance (PDF), making a rain gauge (PDF), and more. The university also has a distance learning STEAM homepage which includes useful links like EarSketch, a program designed to teach coding through music-making developed by Georgia Tech’s school of music.

Getting the Latest in STEAM

THE Journal has compiled a regularly updated list of remote STEAM resources, now at 18 pages of links and counting. Odds are what you’re looking for is there, even if it takes a bit of digging.

Using Your Common Sense

Common Sense Education, a nonprofit dedicated to vetting educational materials, has a trove of science and tech learning pages, apps, and other tools organized into categories like Interdisciplinary Lessons and Activities, Robotics and Coding, and Game-Based Learning.

Wakelet Wonders

Wakelet is popular not only to share idea with students, but between teachers, too. Check out this Wakelet containing free STEAM resources from the Cobb County School District in Georgia.

Putting the A in STEAM

It’s important to include diverse aspects of STEAM education, whether in-person or at a distance. Edutopia, a project of the George Lucas Educational Foundation, has compiled a number of articles and resources into a toolkit for moving from “STEM” to “STEAM.”

Take-Home STEAM Resources

You might be considering what kind of learning aides students could use at home. This post from Vivify STEM Education outlines their top picks for take-home resources.

A New Dimension of Remote Teaching

Interested in 3D design? Explore these remote 3D activities from Makers Empire.

To STEMfinity…

STEMfinity hosts a board filled with digital STEM resources, which can be filtered by topic, limited to only free resources, or to separate out lessons and activities from references and articles.

…And Beyond!

Major cultural institutions in the U.S. are sharing STEAM tools, too. National Geographic has organized a Learn at Home portal, while the Smithsonian Institute’s Learning Lab shares thoughtful links, including resources in Spanish, and the National Museum of Natural History shares webinars and events for distance learning.

What remote learning resources are you using to lead STEM and STEAM learning? What kind are you hoping to find? Join the discussion in the comments to this post!

Photo by Ousa Chea on Unsplash

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connections
Good Teaching

Maintaining Family Connections During Remote Learning

by Diana Benner
written by Diana Benner

Establishing connections with families during remote learning is so very important. But those connections are going to look a little different now due to the physical distance limitations. One thing that helps is being as consistent as possible. Consistency will help develop routines and form habits so that the communication becomes second nature.

Getting Started

To get started, you might want to take some time during the first week of remote learning to collect information from as many families as you can. You will want to collect information that will help you make decisions about communicating with them. Some questions to think about include:

  • How will I communicate with families? What methods of communication do families have access to? (email, phone, text)
  • When will I communicate with families? What times/days are most convenient for them?
  • Who will I communicate with? Who in the family should I contact?

As we saw in this blog post, establishing norms for your remote classroom is very important. It is just as important to establish norms for how students and their families will communicate with you. Below are a few ways to maintain connections during remote learning.

Hold Office Hours

Establish office hours and let families know when you will be available. Share if you will be available by phone or through video conferencing or both. If your schedule permits, try to provide a morning and evening time to help with family work schedules.

Create a Learning Contract

Create a learning contract for you, students, and families. In the learning contract, include the responsibilities of each person when it comes to staying connected.

Share Your Schedule

Share your schedule, including both your teaching schedule and your communication schedule. Before developing your schedule, remember that you need to leave time for planning, meetings, recording lessons, and, most importantly, your own self care.

Send Newsletters

Send a newsletter to families to keep them abreast of what is going on in your remote classroom. You can include upcoming events, share success stories, or provide links to resources for how families can support their child at home. Get Google Doc newsletter templates here.

Create a Q&A Document

More than likely, your students and families will have some of the same questions. Consider creating a Q&A document or website that will help with answering those questions.

Provide Information about Progress

Make sure families know how their child is progressing. Provide them with ways in which they can access their child’s grades and any feedback you are providing.

Document Communication

It is also important to keep a document or spreadsheet (like this template) so you can keep track of your communication. You might not always remember when you communicate with families, so making note of it will be helpful. This way, you can identify those families that you have and have not had any contact with.

Be Consistent

Keep in mind that many families are having to make adjustments during this time; therefore being consistent with your communication will help. It is equally as important to create multiple ways in which you will communicate in order to meet each family’s needs.

If you would like to explore remote learning more in detail, be sure to check out our Remote Learning Educator Certification online course. In addition, we have created mini-sessions that are available for you to view that focus on remote learning tips and tricks. What strategies or resources do you use to maintain connections with families? Please comment below.

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ESL/ELL

ELL and Bilingual Resources for Remote Learning

by Andrew Roush
written by Andrew Roush

In the U.S. today, bilingual education and education for English language learners (ELLs) is in high demand. And while students with limited English proficiency (LEP) might face difficulties at school, institutions have also struggled to support and fund bilingual and ELL programs among a number of competing demands. 

The changes to education occurring because of the COVID-19 pandemic pose new challenges for all kinds of learners, and especially those with limited English proficiency. Organizations are responding to the need, however, and we’ve put together a curated collection of useful resources that can help educators deliver quality English language instruction while in a period of remote teaching and learning.

Resources for ELL Remote Education

  • The nonprofit New Jersey Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages/New Jersey Bilingual Educators shares an extensive list of teaching resources, from best practices to tools and templates.
  • Colorín Colorado, an  English language learning site from WETA Learning Media, has a comprehensive guide for remote ELL education, complete with sample schedules, activities, and more. 
  • For educators looking for Spanish-langauge resources, Colorín Colorado also offers a clearinghouse of bilingual education resources in Spanish.
  • Edutopia outlines ways to use video and learning apps to help engage ELLs.
  • Those searching for interactive learning websites should investigate the University of Wisconsin Libraries’ ESL/ELL Education: Interactive Websites for Learning research guide.
  • The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) has developed its own collection of resources for supporting effective instruction for ELLs, including sites, publications and guides, information from other professional organizations, and more. 
  • You can find webinars and tools in the list of resources available from TESOL, an international association of English language teaching professionals.
  • Common Sense Education shares not only existing resources for ELL education, but also helpful information to help educators independently find or develop resources. 
  • Region 18 Educational Consultant Maria Mata shares health guidelines, lessons, free resources, and more in her Bilingual/ESL/Title III remote teaching resources newsletter. 
  • The English Learner Support Division of the Texas Education Association (TEA) also shares a number of updates and helpful links, including the English Learner Web Portal. 

Share Your Ideas

Do you have resources you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments!

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

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Good Teaching

Lesson Plan Template for Remote Learning

by Lori Gracey
written by Lori Gracey

If you’ll be teaching remotely to some or all of your students this fall, it’s important to have a clear lesson plan format to follow. Your district has probably provided you with one in the past. But has it been updated to fit remote teaching and learning? Here is a sample lesson plan template designed for when students who will be learning remotely; it should work for any subject or grade level and is based on the latest research. I’ve purposely kept it simple for ease of use. Feel free to add whatever additional content you want or need.

remote learning

The Format of the Remote Learning Lesson Plan

To make things simple, this lesson plan sample has three broad sections: Introduction, Learning, and Closing. The Introduction section contains information about the following:

  • The topic or unit of study
  • The length of time to be spent on the topic in this lesson
  • Learner objectives
  • Connection
  • Focus activity

The learner objectives are critical, and what makes them work for long-term learning is that students are able to answer three questions about what they are studying:

  • What am I learning?
  • Why am I learning it?
  • How will I know when I have learned it?

That means that the students must clearly understand the standards being taught and the level to which they must master the standards. This should be stated in language that the students, regardless of age, can understand. Specificity is key. It’s not enough for them to say “I’m learning how to add.” Instead, they must be able to define that they are “learning how to add two digit numbers.”

The connection piece is most important for remote learning. It’s how you are going to help the students (and yourself) continue to bond with each other. This is where you can use some Social Emotional Learning (SEL) activities, ice breakers, getting to know you’s, or other similar strategies. The key is to help students remain connected even though they are distant from each other.

Finally, the focus activity helps to center the students in what they will be learning in this lesson. It could be something as simple as them sharing what they learned the previous day, a short video to gain their interest, an opening activity to raise questions, or a quick KWL about what they already know about the topic. The key here is to get their minds targeted on the learning that is about to take place, to get them focused.

Content Time

While not an elegant name for this section, it’s here that the real work of learning begins. In a remote classroom, there can basically be two types of activities: synchronous and asynchronous. Synchronous activities are those that happen with all of the students in the class at the same time. This could be from you, from online resources, from other students, etc. But the main thing is that all of the students are doing it at the same time. The activities, however, can vary from student to student, depending on how you have decided to differentiate. It’s the timing that makes this unique.

Asynchronous learning occurs next as students go off on their own (or in small groups) to learn. The teacher is not directly involved. This may mean they are working math problems, watching a video, writing a paper, or doing a hands-on activity outside of assigned class time. For successful asynchronous learning, the student must first understand the concepts being taught. It is a complete waste of time to have them practice something they do not understand and may even result in them learning the content the wrong way.

There is also a place in this section of the lesson plan template to list the resources students or the teacher will be using to master the content. This is for both synchronous and asynchronous learning.

Closing Out the Remote Learning Lesson Plan

The final section of the lesson plan is where we see how successful the students have been in their learning. There is assessment followed by student reflection on their own processes and results of learning. Additional resources are provided by the teacher for those who want to extend their mastery or need additional support.

Lastly, there is a place in the lesson plan for reminders to the students (deadlines, upcoming quizzes or tests, important announcements, etc.). It is also important, especially in remote learning, to provide information on where the students can go to get additional help. This could be virtual “office hours” or a tutor or extra videos or resources that explain the content differently than it has already been presented. I’ve even seen a teacher post a “panic button” in her Google Classroom that students can click on when they are struggling; the button creates an instant email to the teacher for help. All of this is designed to remind students that, although they are working remotely, they are not alone.

This remote lesson plan is very simple, but I hope it can act as a starting point for you in thinking about how to craft your teaching differently for remote learning. If you would like additional help in creating the best remote learning experiences for your students, check out the online, self-paced Remote Learning Educator Certification course. Priced at just $49 (less when 10 or more registrations are purchased), the course features six modules that include best practices, video how-to’s, and tips and tricks for communication, designing remote lessons, social and emotional learning, teaching platforms, and safety and security. You can also find more than 50 videos on remote learning available here.

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Good Teaching

The First Week of Remote School

by Lori Gracey
written by Lori Gracey

As many teachers prepare to “do school” remotely again, at least for part of the time this year, they are thinking about those critical first days of school and how to make them meaningful. As we all know, the first week can set the tone for the whole year. It’s THE time to start building a relationship with each student and them with each other. But how do you foster and promote the development of personal classroom relationships in a virtual environment? I believe that high school English teacher Angelina Murphy has found a great solution.

Remote Station Activities

Angelina has created a digital “First Day of School Station activity that includes both synchronous collaboration and asynchronous work.” Using a copied Google Slide deck for each of her students, Flipgrid, and Schoology as her Learning Management System (LMS), she has students working at virtual stations, both alone and together, to get to know her and each other. Her five stations, which can be completed each day spread out over the first week or in just one or two days, are designed to allow her to learn more about each student, encourage collaboration, and help them practice their tech skills in a low-stakes way. They work in small groups for two of the stations and by themselves for the other three.

remote station

Here’s the station schedule:

  • Station 1 has the students introducing themselves using Flipgrid. It’s a great way for the teacher to start to put a name with each face and to also hear how to correctly pronounce the student’s name. The students also complete a Google Form so that they can tell the teacher a little more about themselves.
  • Station 2 targets the syllabus and logistics of the class. After reading what is posted, students are asked to respond to two questions: What is one thing you notice? and What is one thing you wonder?
  • Station 3 has the students create an “identity slide” in Google Slides. They are to place at least eight different images (their own photos or graphics they find on the web) on a slide that showcases their hobbies, favorite TV shows, what they are passionate about, etc. The teacher has provided a sample slide about herself for them to look at.
  • Station 4 is all about getting to know each other. In groups of four (in a Zoom breakout room), students must learn their classmates’ names, favorite snack, favorite book/movie/music, etc. and share that via a Google Slide.
  • Station 5 again has students work in small groups to create and share community statements about how they will treat each other. Once their lists are combined, the whole class will develop shared statements about how they will learn together moving forward.

Other Station Considerations

While this was designed for high school students, I believe it can work with almost any age group or content area. You could add more stations, change them to include more group work or more individual work, add in a family component for them to complete together, whatever you want. It’s a very flexible way of getting to know each other.

Angelina has been kind enough to share her slide deck so that anyone can make a copy of it and use it. You can find the template here.

Another Station Idea for the First Week of School

Jennifer Calderon, an assistant principal, offers another great example of stations for the opening of school. Her “Getting to Know You” slide deck has six stations that act as a review (or tutorial) of some key technology skills. They include the following:

  • Station 1 – inserting a video of your favorite music
  • Station 2 – timeline of your life
  • Station 3 – favorite place
  • Station 4 – drawing with the Shapes tool to show your favorite school supply
  • Station 5 – Word Art with your favorite quote
  • Station 6 – creating tables with your favorites

You can preview her deck here or make a copy of it here.

Here are a few other ways to build SEL (Social Emotional Learning) into the first week of school, whether you are remote or face to face:

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Educational Trends

Remote Learning: How Parents Can Help

by Dr. Bruce Ellis
written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

With schools about to start back up, many parents are already looking to see how they can prepare themselves and their kids to have the most positive and impactful year possible. This past spring was definitely not what many parents planned for. And, with many parents trying to juggle new job situations along with helping family members that are in need, it left little energy to think ahead and make note of ideas and strategies for a better fall.

Fortunately, we have you covered at TCEA. Here are some tips and strategies that can help make this fall less stressful, for your child and for you.

Designate a Workspace

Creating a designated workspace that is separate from your living space can make a great impact on how well your child is able to focus on their educational tasks at hand. What you find works for you or one of your children may not be as good a fit for another of your children.

You have probably seen them when they are “in the zone” and may have some clear ideas as to how to replicate that space, but don’t forget to involve them. Consider asking for input and making it a parent-and-child project. While I do best with as few distractions as possible, I have friends that do well sitting right in the middle of noise and movement.

Regardless of whether the child prefers it to be busy with color and inspiration or whether it is a nod to minimalism, be sure to have good lighting and supplies (pencils, crayons, calculator, etc.) handy.

Develop a Schedule

It is unrealistic to try to replicate a school schedule and think that your child is going to spend eight hours learning. It is realistic, however, to develop a schedule that gives your child specific time to work on specific content areas with breaks included. They do need time to focus on learning and making application of the new knowledge, but they also need time to play, move around, and relax.

While “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” is a popular proverb dating back to 1659, it was extended in 1825 to include, “All play and no work makes Jack a mere toy.” The wisdom exposed here is that moderation is a good thing. Rhodes College shares how chunking the learning into manageable time slots can help a person stay focused and on task. Similar to the Pomodoro Technique, this involves writing a study/work goal, working on it for 25 minutes, and then taking a five minute break. Knowing that you have a break coming up helps you maintain a better focus. You may not accomplish the study/work goal in just one 25-minute slot, but the goal is that you have a target that you are working to accomplish.

Communicate with the Teacher

Hopefully the teacher is initiating communication with you and sharing what he/she expects of your child. Because this is still a new way of teaching, educators may still be trying to find their footing and struggling to stay one step ahead due to delayed decisions from their district and state leaders. Here are a few questions you can ask your child’s teachers in order to be the best advocate for them:

  • How can I best support you as my child’s teacher?
  • Do you have a teacher website I can refer to that has resources to help with learning tasks and assignments?
  • Other than grades, what are some evidences I should see if my child is doing well and learning in your class?
  • If my child doesn’t understand an assignment, where is the best place for me to direct him/her for resources that you provided?

Model Hard Work

As an adult, we find that there are times we would rather not work on a particular project even though it is necessary…and possibly required. You’ve learned to work through the lack of motivation to get the job done. Share your experiences with your child as to how you manage to move forward, even when you would rather not.

Letting them hear how you feel frustrated and unmotivated at times but still work through it can help them start internalizing those same efforts in their lives. Is it thinking of how good it will feel when the task is done or how you will be proud of yourself for finishing a hard task? Maybe you’ve learned to bribe yourself that when you complete xyz, then you’ll let yourself enjoy something simple as a reward. However you do it, talk to your child and find out what works for them (and what doesn’t work for them). You may find these conversations are much more rewarding than you realize and put you and your child on the same team when it comes to tackling hard work.

Don’t Forget Self Care

If we aren’t careful, we can be so focused on establishing routines to “get’er done” that we neglect self care. Growing up in Texas where the thought is “pick yourself up by your bootstraps” when you go through hard times, it can be easy to overlook the necessity to take time for yourself so you are more able to keep going…and hopefully find yourself needing to be picked up less often.

Some simple ways include eating healthier meals, getting enough sleep, limiting being on digital devices as it gets closer to bedtime, socializing (even from a distance) with others, and even looking for ways to help others. These can go a long way in refreshing your body and soul so you have more attention to give to the work that needs to take place.

How Do You Help?

We’ve shared a few ideas above, but that doesn’t cover everything. What are some strategies and tips you would share with parents that have either worked for you and your child or that you’ve seen other parents successfully do? We’d love for you to share by leaving a comment below. Your comment may be the very one that helps another parent have that “aha!” moment so it all comes together much easier at their house this fall.

Photo by Juliane Liebermann on Unsplash

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Good TeachingGoogle Tips and Tricks

Hypertext Docs: Teaching the Bonus March

by Andrew Roush
written by Andrew Roush

July 28th marks the 88th anniversary of the clash that ended the U.S. veteran’s protest movement known as the Bonus Army, or Bonus March. Today, we’ll use this social studies topic to explore hypertexts and hyperdocs to create learning.

Editor’s note: Random-Access Memories is a periodic series highlighting the ways in which major historical events have influenced and can be explored through ed tech. Got an idea for a future edition of R-AM? Drop us a line.

It was a summer of continuous protests, and the demonstrators were met violently by state forces deploying tear gas and military units to break up the demonstrations. It was 1932, and veterans from across the nation gathered in Washington, D.C. to demand economic relief. Today it’s know as the Bonus March and its participants called the Bonus Army, and it’s an important chapter in the history of the Great Depression and the World Wars and economic transformations that bookended it. 

As a historical subject, the Bonus March as an opportunity to explore history through hypertext, especially hypertext that includes primary-source documents.

Linked Learning

We mostly encounter hypertext in our everyday life as links or hyperlinks. You know, like this. E-readers also display a kind of hypertext, allowing you to skip to a chapter or bookmark in the digital text. Google Docs and other apps, like Slides? Those include hypertext features, too — sometimes called hypermedia to include videos, audio, and other multimedia — just like links on a web page.

Since its inception, hypertext has been seen by educators as a potential way to increase engagement with text and media and encourage self-directed and deep learning. Hyperdocs, a kind of hypertext document used in education to collect multiple parts of a learning cycle, can be a great way to deploy hypertext to encourage student voice, student choice, collaborative learning, and more. In this post, we’ll look at one small example: How we might use hyperdocs to teach a social studies lesson about the Bonus March of 1932. Have your own ideas for using hypertext to teach? Let us know in the comments!

The History of Hypertext

It got its start, unsurprisingly, in education. Researchers at Brown University first developed a hypertext system in the late 1960s. The intention was to link different texts in a computer system, allowing users to move from idea to idea, building a large, self-guided context for learning. The result, the “File Retrieval and Editing SyStem” (FRESS) was initially a huge development in computer science, but it quickly caught on in education.

One of the best examples came in 1976, when FRESS proved itself to be as revolutionary for education as it had been for computer science. Collaborating under a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant (“An Experiment in Computer Based Education Using Hypertext”), Andy and Professor Robert Scholes of Brown’s Department of English used the system to create a poetry textbook and linked corpus for students and instructors that contained course texts, supplementary materials, and an ongoing omnidirectional commentary and threaded discussion that they created themselves. 

“A Half-Century Of Hypertext” Brown University Computer Science 

Eventually, of course, hypertext became one of the building blocks of the world wide web and the internet as we know it. And with the omnipresence of the internet today, it’s easier than ever for educators to deploy hypertext and hyperdocs in their teaching.

Effectiveness of Hypertext

Hypertext tools can be effectively used in education, and combined with other proven techniques. Technology Integrationist Michelle Wendt notes that hyperdocs in particular can “engage learners using the four C’s—collaboration, communication, critical thinking and creativity.”

An academic study by Conradty and Bogner in 2016 finds that hypertexts, compared with textbooks, can provide individualized learning and “may support individual motivation and activate thinking abilities, intensify elaboration, permit creativity and cultivate learning by discovery.”

Any hypertext offering the option to deal in more detail with the subject requires additional involvement with it, so that the outcome is less likely to be just linear learning but a networked thinking process. Students have to process the learning matter, resulting in meaningful knowledge unachievable by rote-learning alone.

“Hypertext or Textbook: Effects on Motivation and Gain in Knowledge,” Cathérine Conradty and Franz X. Bogner. University of Bayreuth 2016

Using hypertext is also related to the concept of mind-mapping, and different ways of learning through note-taking. And don’t forget, you can deploy hyperdocs in the service of a number of other proven techniques like the Jigsaw method. 

The Hype Around Hyperdocs

The term “hyperdocs,” a combination of hypertext and document, was recently coined by educators Lisa Highfill, Kelly Hilton, and Sarah Landis to describe hypertext documents that act as a digital “hub” for a unit or other learning cycle. 

Now that Google tools like Docs and Slides have become so prevalent, teachers are using these tools to create similar lessons, choosing and mixing resources that go well beyond simple web pages. Last year, we looked at something called a playlist, which teacher Tracy Enos used to organize her language arts lessons and differentiate instruction for her students.

Jennifer Gonzalez, “How HyperDocs Can Transform Your Teaching” Cult of Pedagogy

Moreover, hyperdocs can integrate with any number of effective teaching models like the 5E model and more. Don’t be afraid to deploy hyperdocs in professional learning as well. You can even use hypertext in slideshows (aka “hyperslides”) to create interactive games. Tools like Google Draw can be useful to create what Joli Boucher has dubbed “hyperdrawings.” In social studies, graphs, charts, maps, and more can easily be integrated into hyperdrawings.

One popular method is using Google Slides, which can embed a number of multimedia types within a shareable presentation. Check out the video from educator Sam Kary below to see how he uses hyperdocs through Slides, especially when engaging in remote learning and teaching.

A Hypertext Example: The Bonus Army

hypertext
World War I veteran passing out copies of the Bonus Army newsletter, 1932.

In 1924, Congress promised veterans of World War I, then called the Great War, a cash bonus for their service. This bonus originally could not be claimed until 1948. During the Great Depression, however, many veterans of the war were out of work and without a safety net. Many demanded their bonuses be paid out in order to alleviate the economic strain. 

By mid-1932, tens of thousands of veterans and their families marched across the nation to Washington D.C., where they camped near the U.S. Capitol in protest, until they were violently expelled by the U.S. Army on July 28, 1932. 

While the government did not immediately respond to the protests, President Herbet Hoover’s already struggling reputation took a hit, affecting the 1932 presidential election. The victor, Franklin Roosevelt, took a softer tone with continued protests, though he still vetoed an attempt to pay out the war bonuses early in 1936. Congress overrode the veto and the veterans received their bonuses just five years before the U.S. would enter a second global war.

For a history-focused hyperdoc example, check out the hyperdoc on this topic we’ve created, integrating the 5E model.

Existing Hypertext Resources on the Bonus Army

Looking for a place to start? Check out these digitally-enriched resources for learning about the Bonus March. 

More History Hypertext Resources

Exploring Hyperdocs

Photos via DC Public Library Commons and Wikimedia Commons

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Good Teaching

Tech Tools and Best Practices with Remote Learning

by Crystal Fuentes, Guest Author
written by Crystal Fuentes, Guest Author

As educators prepare for going back to school, some may still feel uncertain as to what our upcoming year will look like — and most importantly, how it will start. In March, we were all thrown into the deep sea of remote learning regardless of whether we were tech-savvy enough to swim or not! It is safe to say though that teachers now have a wide variety of tech tools under their belt.

Here are eight tips on using tech tools that enhance best practices for remote learning and even traditional settings. Whether your district will follow a hybrid model or full remote model, the following digital tools and examples from additional resources will help you be ready for whatever comes your way.

Digital Organization for Remote Learning

Being organized can help to reduce stress and focus on what’s most important, allowing more time for teaching or facilitating the learning of students, while also helping them access resources easily. Google Classroom has a fairly new feature where assignments or questions can be categorized by topics for efficient organization.

Creating hyperdocs is another way to keep tasks and assignments in one document where students are provided hyperlinks and instructions for a self-paced lesson. Google Sites is a great tool that is free and available for Google users to set up a digital classroom where students can visit to access resources, assignments, important upcoming dates, and other materials all in one place.  

Increase Student Engagement

In order to increase student participation during remote learning, we must keep them engaged with interactive lessons. Nearpod is a teacher favorite that focuses on learner participation with a wide variety of activities embedded, such as open-ended questions, fill-in-the-blank, Flipgrid, and matching pairs, available for feedback and assessments.

Content media can easily be included in the lessons as well, such as videos, VR field trips, 3D objects, and Sways. This tech tool is constantly evolving to meet teacher needs in order to keep every student engaged while delivering a live lesson for synchronous learning or a student-paced lesson for asynchronous learning.

Nearpod has a full library of already created interactive lessons that are aligned to state standards ready to be assigned to students. Classflow is a cloud-based software that allows for effective lesson delivery and you don’t necessarily need an interactive display. Pear Deck is a Google Slides add-on that helps teachers create interactive lessons with different activities and assessments for students to participate in during a live lesson.

Finally, Edpuzzle is a life saver when it comes to assigning videos to students. This tool allows teachers to embed questions, narration, or notes throughout any video to check for comprehension and ensure students are fully engaged. 

Facilitate Student Learning

Become a facilitator and encourage students to take ownership of their own learning. You can create and assign a hyperdoc for an entire week, allow students to complete it at their own pace, and set a due date for students to submit all of their work. You can use Google Docs or Google Slides to create those interactive lesson documents with hyperlinks and resources. 

Timely Student Feedback

Timely feedback from students in real time allows the opportunity to monitor and adjust instruction immediately to meet their needs. You can empower every student with a voice by actively participating using collaborative Google Drawings or any other Google tool, interactive assessments with Quizizz, fun synchronous assessments with Kahoot, and game-based quizzes using Time to Climb activities in Nearpod.

Another amazing tool that allows for students to have a voice is Flipgrid. While you effortlessly engage learners, you also provide the opportunity to boost their confidence. 

Student Collaboration

Collaboration among students not only increases their confidence and keeps them actively learning, but also allows them to problem solve with peers while developing one of the critical skills needed in the real world.

Padlet is a digital platform where teachers can create beautiful collaborative boards for students to contribute with a variety of media. They can post content such as text, hyperlinks, images, and videos.

Nearpod also has a collaborative activity where students can post ideas or resources to one digital board. Teachers can also share templates they create in Google Docs, Slides, and Drawings, granting them editing rights to work synchronously in real time to complete a task or assignment as a group. 

Limit Screen Time

Just because students are learning remotely does not mean all of the work needs to be done digitally. Students can be given a project-based assignment and be asked to reflect  or present it to peers using a tech tool, such as Flipgrid or Seesaw. Within both of these platforms, students can record a video of themselves and safely share with peers. 

Video Recording

Video tutorials are one of the best ways to teach anything while showing visuals or using a digital whiteboard, especially on YouTube! Screencastify or Loom will allow you to record yourself explaining a concept while sharing your desktop screen and simply uploading it to YouTube to share with students. 

Communication with Students and Parents

Communication is key. One of the best interactive tools to openly communicate with students, parents, and even colleagues is Google Sites. As mentioned in the first tech tip for best practices, Sites allows the user to organize any content and media in pages and personalize it to make it fun.

The site can be shared and viewable to not only students but parents as well to create a centralized digital location for all important classroom information and resources for student success. Think of it as a digital open-house for the entire year! 

Photo by Thomas Kolnowski on Unsplash

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remote learning
Good Teaching

Supporting Remote Learning Habits

by Luke Smith, Guest Author
written by Luke Smith, Guest Author

Educators can’t control many of the circumstances of students’ lives, but they can offer support to ensure they have the best opportunities possible to build positive attitudes and habits and encourage meaningful learning. And now that nearly all learning has been moved to remote learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic, students from small or underfunded schools to the most expensive private schools need new kinds support from their teachers, making the strain on the most underserved populations even greater. 

Teachers and educators are the lifelines for students who don’t have the resources or support from home. The following ideas can help teachers work from a distance with their students to get them through distance learning and prepare for life after school.

Teaching Them Time Management Skills

Learning from home can add complexity to existing challenges. Many students struggle with an empty household when they come home from school. Parents and guardians may work full-time. Some parents may be doing so remotely thanks to quarantine restrictions, making it hard to spend time helping kids keep up with schoolwork.

One of the most important skills you can teach young people is how to better manage their time and avoid distractions to get their work done. These skills are important in both brick-and-mortar and virtual classrooms, as well as post-school life.

The best plan of action is to work with parents to ensure the student’s online activity is being monitored and understood. Doing so keeps students and their private information safe and helps students learn how to schedule and prioritize their time. 

Self-Monitoring

It may be difficult to get parents to help, so teaching students to self-monitor their time is also a good plan of action. Help your students write out to-do lists of work or activities due for the next day before they leave the virtual classroom. Ask them to estimate how much time they believe the assignment or activity will take and to schedule it for a specific time after virtual learning hours.

You may need to give them an idea of how long an assignment takes to complete without distractions. Students can test different methods and find what works best. Older student may even use common time-management techniques, like the “Pomodoro” method.

Be Consistent

Follow up with students on a weekly basis to see how their scheduling is going and if their time estimates have been correct. Encouraging your students to estimate the amount of time they need to work on projects and scheduling when during the day they will complete them can be tricky, but is beneficial to their growth. They may begin to understand how managing their time and working in distraction-free spurts helps them get their work done faster, so they can go back to social media or their other favorite past times.

Learning to Work Remotely

The COVID-19 pandemic has sped up the rise in remote learning and working from home. You can get your students more comfortable with the remote work concept by enriching your lesson plans with remote learning methods.

For example, find ways to carry out traditional classroom activities in Google Classroom. Or give students a list of STEM enrichment activities they can do from home. Consider conducting a live webchat or video conference with your students after school as tutoring or office hours, or as a chance for social and extracurricular activities. If your school has extended its calendar to make up for delays in prepping for remote learning or it’s a year-round school, using video chat tools can help you continue to communicate with your students, especially ones who need additional scaffolding.

Consider Household Limitations

For your low-income students, you may need to provide an extra level of support. Many may not have access to a high-speed internet connection at home. If the school or your community’s local programs don’t provide computers or tablets for low-income families, consider setting aside some classroom time so students without access to computers at home can work during classroom hours in the computer room — if you can. If not, consider tools that can be accessed on mobile devices whenever possible. However you can introduce your low-income students to the technology and process of remote work and learning gives them a leg up on the future.

Helping Older Students Prepare for Adulthood

All students need to know how to self-monitor their time and familiarize themselves with remote work and study tools in order to be successful in college and in life. They’ll be required to work independently during their college and working years and access online learning sources to enhance their studies and their careers. Teaching your students these two skills are crucial for their future.

Exploring College Options

Providing resources for first-generation college applicants so they can get ready to apply to college is another way you can support your students. Some may be worried about how they will pay for college. They may even question if they are capable of doing well, can afford the process, or even be able to attend amidst health concerns. Sitting down and taking the time to hear their concerns, doubts, and hopes can help you better understand what they need most.

Helping them to schedule time to speak with a college counselor remotely could be beneficial. The counselor can show them financial aid programs and resources for low-income college students. The information may give them hope that it’s possible to succeed in college. Working with your school’s counselors and advisors to consolidate resources and clarify guidance can be useful across campuses.

You Play an Important Role in Your Students’ Future

Every student has different talents, skills, and limitations — including many that they can’t control. Your involvement can make all the difference. Listen to your students and their needs. Patiently provide help and reinforcement. And think about how you can help them pick up life skills (like the ones mentioned above) that could serve them well past their school years.

How are you helping students adapt to remote learning? Let us know in the comments.

Photo by Julia M Cameron from Pexels

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