Student Engagement: Creating Lessons that Shine!

Meetings feeling dull? Parents not reading Webmails? Students disengaged? Try something new to draw their attention and excite them!

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Arts & Jams

Looking for a fun and easy way to engage your students without a ton of extra lesson planning? Try using Google Arts & Culture and Jamboard! 

Arts & Culture is a virtual museum that allows you to explore different mediums, movements, figures, time periods, and events from the comfort of your classroom. It even allows you to see local museums and exhibits. The great thing is the exhibits come with ready-to-read information so you can simply share the website and allow your students to explore. 

Jamboard is an interactive whiteboard that allows for collaboration through multiple platforms. Although the paid version does come with a physical whiteboard, you can access the website and mobile app for free. The only catch is, you cannot use your school Gmail account and will need to log in with your personal Gmail. 

Watch this short training video to learn more!

 

Google Classroom

With the new school year fast approaching and the issues of a pandemic still affecting our daily lives, how to properly educate students this fall is a major debate. Whether your school plans to go back to in-person education, a hybrid model, or fully online learning, having a better understanding of how to use online education platforms is a great idea! Having an online platform to help keep parents updated, send reminders, and post materials are always useful, as well. Google Classroom is a great option for online learning! Below are several training videos and instructional guides on how to successfully create and use Classroom. You can also view these videos and many others on my YouTube Channel.

Classroom 101:

Classroom 101 Instructional Guide

Inviting Students to Classroom:

Creating Classroom Assignments:

CS First: Code with Google

CS First: Code with Google

Information: CS First is a free curriculum for kids ages 9-14 years old that teaches them how to code. It uses a drag and drop style of coding, using Scratch to create a variety of fun projects, from designing your own Google logo to designing a video game. The great thing about CS First is that it is designed for all levels of experience. Easy to follow videos guide the learner through each stage of creating their project. No prior knowledge is needed for the learner or the teacher/parent!

Items Needed:

1. Computer
2. Headphones (preferred but not necessary)

Directions: 

1. Go to the CS First website
2. Search for a project to create

1. You can scroll down to see some example projects or click on the curriculum finder to help you pick an appropriate project
2. If this is your first time, I recommend trying an introductory project first
3. Note: Each project states how long it should take (1 hour is standard), this does not mean it will take you this long, it may take longer or shorter. 
2. Begin watching the videos!
1. I recommend a split-screen so you can watch the video and create it at the same time; after the video explains something, pause it, and then try it. Resume the video when you are ready. 
2. Rewatch the video as many times as you need!

Happy coding!

Virtual Learning

Virtual Learning

Online learning is the wave of the future but it’s not always easy to navigate the endless resources and tools available. With many schools closing their doors for a few weeks, many teachers are forced to completely digitize their lessons to keep students from falling behind. Here is a list of some of my favorite tools you can try!

Game-Based Assessments: 

• Kahoot
• Quizizz 
• Quizlet

Assessments:

• Google Forms - Check out my training here!

Learning with Videos:

• Edpuzzle - Check out my training here!
• Flipgrid - Check out my training here!

 

Eye-catching Instructional Tools

Tired of repeating directions ten times?! We've all been there! Some times the easiest way for students to remember directions is by using something eye-catching. Here are my top three favorite ways to provide instructions to students.

1. Canva
    This website allows you to create beautiful posters and designs.

2. Piktochart
    This website is great for creating infographics

3. Powtoon
    Create fun and lively videos to delivery your instructions.


Need another great idea? Instead of having students present their projects or assignments using a powerpoint, having them use one of the above to present their information to you.

Here are some of my most recent designs:

Mummify an Apple

One of the great things about teaching social studies is how easy it is to support other subjects and STEM initiatives. I teach 7th-grade social studies and my favorite unit is ancient Egypt! I created an experiment for my students to mummify an apple, essentially turning my classroom into a science class for the day. Check out the lesson plan below!

Mummify an Apple Experiment