Tech Tools I'm Using For Distance Learning

As the new school year gets closer and closer, I finally have an answer as to the location of my classroom! I will be starting the 2020-2021 school year online. This has allowed me to start planning what technology platforms I want to continue using from the spring and summer school, as well as new tools I want to try more of!

Schoology

My district uses Schoology as their Learning Management System and I’ve been using it for years before distance learning. Thank goodness, because my students were very comfortable with navigating our course when we went fully online in March. 

It may not be as cute as Google Classroom, but it gets the job done. This platform is where my students find all of their assignments and informal assessments that I want them to complete. During online learning, I organized each week into a folder and then each day’s work into a folder so that students could easily find their assignments. I also had a Spanish speaker this year and couldn’t rely on his partner to translate assignments, so I made him his own folder as well.

They can also see updates from me, upcoming dates, and their graded work. Also, students can message me through Schoology if they have any questions (much easier than typing out my long work email).

Google Meet

In my school district, we are encouraged to use Google Meet since it is an online platform that we don’t have to download onto our students’ chromebooks. Overall, Google Meet works for my basic needs and I’m also really hopeful that they will be making some much needed updates! I love how Google Meet allows me to use the Meet Attendance extension to see who is present during our class. The main thing that is hard for me is the need for two screens to monitor students while presenting my lesson. Also, it would be nice if Google Meet allows virtual backgrounds so I can transport my students to Hogwarts instead of my apartment! All in all, I can teach my students virtually and that’s the main goal!

Google Sites

Although I’ve used Google Sites in the past, this is the first year I’m using it as a class page for parents to access important information. Schoology is meant (for me) solely for assignments and assessments to live. My Google Site will house every other bit of information that parents, and students, can access. Thankfully, Google Sites has become so popular around the Instagram world and lots of teachers,  have provided helpful tips and templates to get class pages up and running!

Template from Enriching Elementary on TPT

FlipGrid

I cannot say enough amazing things about FlipGrid! I saw it for the first time at the CUE Conference a few years ago and immediately tried it the following Monday. I even presented my love for this tool at my district’s first technology conference two years ago. FlipGrid is a tool where students can respond through videos. I’ve posted questions in all subject areas that students respond back to and then added their own personal touches to their videos. My favorite part is that the personality of the shy, quiet students will come to life because they feel they’re just talking to themself!

 Even better, FlipGrid has added so many more options that I haven’t had the opportunity to use yet and plan on using this school year. There is now a whiteboard feature for students to show their work and a screencast feature so students can still explain their thinking.

NearPod

I’ve heard about NearPod for years, but never used it until I taught online summer school this year. This tool is such an amazing resource to encourage and track student participation online! I used the NearPod add-on in Google Sites to enhance my presentations that I taught live with students. I was able to include a variety of assessment features, but I just stuck with open-ended questions, polls, and quizzes. I was not only able to see what students answered, but I could see which students still hadn’t answered yet. This was so helpful because it was usually the students that wouldn’t turn their camera on or respond when I called on them. This provided evidence to parents about their child’s level of participation.

Written by Co-Author Madalyn Bradburn