E-Learning

It's more than just Mariah Carey emerging from her yearly hibernation.

The low temps and drastic weather can lead to an e-learning day, and it's better to be prepared rather than scrambling the night (or morning, been there) before it happens. Teachers should focus on being present, structuring lessons for engagement, and making active learning a priority when handling e-learning. Building routines, clearly communicating expectations and tech instructions, and using interactive activities will help students stay motivated and connected in online environments, especially if they are already part of your daily routines and instruction.

Here are three big ideas to consider when planning your e-learning!

To prevent the passive consumption of content, e-learning should be designed around active learning. This requires integrating tools and strategies that mimic, or even enhance, the dynamic interactions of a physical classroom.

Ask targeted questions that elicit more than a closed, right or wrong answer. Using a discussion board. Require students to not only post an initial response to a prompt but also to reply meaningfully to at least two classmates' posts to get collaborative dialogue, not just individual submissions. Try Schoology Discussion or a Nearpod Collaborate Board to bridge between synchronous and asynchronous instructional blocks!

What would typically take 30 minutes in a face-to-face classroom should be significantly shorter in a virtual setting. Duh, thanks for making me read that, Brian. However, it's something we have to keep in mind when planning our virtual instruction. A few studies, such as this one from NIH, found that the optimal duration for an instructional video is around 6 minutes, and researchers observed a sharp decline in attention after 9 minutes. This threshold drops off significantly for our younger learners and tops out at around 3 minutes for our K-4 folks.

Instead of recording an entire lecture, consider creating several shorter videos, each focusing on a single key concept. Screencastify lets you easily break up your instructional video, whether you record it yourself OR use their library from YouTube for Education.

Nearpod gives you so many ways to gamify your content for that day. Use their massive library of lessons, videos, and lesson elements from tons of trusted sources, even directly from your curriculum provider. Whether it's a pre- or post-lesson Time to Climb, a puzzling Matching Pairs, or multiple-choice questions built into an Interactive Video, keep 'em gaming while learning!

One of my favorite game tools, no matter what the age, is Blooket, especially since it's simple and has a great free tier. However, they can be taxing to make, and sometimes our brain and manual power needs a little help! Khanmigo's Blooket Generator helps with making sets based on learning objectives and standards and import them directly into Blooket.

Schedule a time!

I'm happy to discuss, plan, and co-teach!

Where we are going, there are roads?

TeachersFirst Reading Treks use interactive Google My Maps to help readers explore literature through settings, events, and themes with something familiar: a map! Plus, they're free!

Why try a Reading Trek?

Builds background knowledge and supports comprehension
Connects readers to real-world places and cultures
Engages students with images, videos, and links
Includes extension activities for deeper learning

Each Reading Trek includes a teacher guide for use with certain grade levels, standards, prompts, project ideas, extension activities in addtion to the interactive map with layered points with images and links.

You can either choose a direct map link (easier use) or downloadable KMZ file (for customization).

📍 TeachersFirst Reading Treks 🗺️