My wife Rachel runs an amazing hybrid math class. I asked her to share the edtech she is using to run things both in class and remotely with students. Here is her experience!
“`
The 2019-2020 school year ended in a way that no one saw coming. Covid forced a shutdown which included the closing of all schools in New Jersey. What this meant for teachers, students and parents was a very new way of doing school. Literally overnight, we had to switch to a Remote school setting and figure out how we were still going to move forward teaching our students from our homes, straight to theirs. Not to mention the state wide shut downs which brought even more challenges to the homes of so many people across the United States. Along with many other parents, my husband and I were forced to work from home while also caring for our 1-year-old. This was all being done in a state of panic and fear. Panic about supplies from the grocery stores running out and fear of Covid in itself and its rapid spreading across so many areas. Since this did happen so fast, there wasn’t much training provided to teachers ahead of time on how to utilize technology and other resources to teach remotely. It was definitely challenging, but it did force me to find new ways to reach my students virtually.
Fast forward a few months and it was time for schools to make an opening plan for the 2020-2021 school year. In my district parents could choose between two models, all remote or a hybrid model. I am teaching as part of the hybrid plan. I currently teach 6th grade math. The students are in school on a half-day schedule. They come in either Monday, Wednesday, every other Friday or Tuesday, Thursday, every other Friday. When they are not in person, it is considered their remote day. After the in-person students leave at the half day, teachers then get on Google Meets to meet with the students who are remote that day. This switches every other day accordingly.
I still get confused wrapping my head around what day it is, what groups are in-person vs remote and what students are in quarantine, but supposed to be in person, the students who are new because they just switched from all remote to hybrid. The situations that arise daily, I could go on and on! It really becomes overwhelming to keep track of it all. I have to rely on technology and other resources on the internet to help me run my classes this year more than ever before. I am going to briefly touch on some of the EdTech and resources that have stuck with me and been crucial to me and the operation of my class since Covid hit us in March.
Google Classroom
I really can’t say enough good things about Google Classroom. I literally operate my day-to-day class from this platform. There are so many features that are useful including making announcements, posting assignments, messaging whole classes and messaging individual students. The way that you can organize topics and create different sections has been so helpful in keeping my Google Classroom organized. My hybrid students have joined two Google Classrooms, one for in-person days and one for remote days. The way in which we can push out assignments, announcements and videos all on Google Classroom has been the best. You can also schedule all of these ahead of time so that you are not forced to do it every morning. The scheduling really helps me stay organized and on top of the work that needs to be assigned. Also the other features of Google including Docs, Forms and Slides work hand-in-hand with Google Classroom. Being able to assign assignments right on Classroom and attach them directly from your Google Drive with ease is so convenient. Google Form quizzes are a great way to assess student understanding quickly and it grades everything for you. This has been so helpful! Also the fact that you can assign copies of material to each student has been great. They are able to edit and write on the material and send it right back to you in Classroom. We have also utilized Slides to create a daily agenda for the days that our students are remote. Each day we create a new slide in the same slide deck and move it to the top, so kids can always follow the same link to find what needs to be done right on top of the slide deck. This has been great for staying organized and keeping the kids on track when they are at home without us because they have learned how to navigate Google Classroom and where to find the tools they need to work from home. I have turned on Google Guardian Summaries as well, so parents are automatically emailed update about their students!
Prodigy
Prodigy is an amazing game that incorporates math in an engaging way. Accounts are created for students and the first thing they do is take a placement assessment. This assessment takes into account their individual needs and focuses on skills that they need the most help with. This is probably my favorite feature of this program. Most times in math class, you have a curriculum that you need to cover in a timely manner, therefore we don’t always have time to go back or re-teach skills that students have not mastered. Prodigy focuses on the individual and does that for us. It hones in on what they need and gives them practice questions for their specific growth. It also has cool graphics, lets them build their own character and appeals to their interest. Coming from a game based learning background and having gamified my own classroom for several years now, I can tell you this game is a definite hit. It has been great for connecting in-class learning to at home practice. As we always encourage our students to continue to play at home. The best part is it is FREE!
Whiteboard.fi
I am still new to Whiteboard.fi, but I love it! This site allows you to create a link that you can share with your students. Once they click on the link they are sent to a virtual classroom with their own whiteboard. On this site the teacher can create questions ahead of time or on the spot and push them right to the students. The teacher writes or types the questions on their whiteboard and then they can push them out to all the students who have joined the room. Once pushed to the students, the questions appear on their whiteboards on their computers. The teacher can then see each students white board live as they are working out and solving the problems. I am able to assess for understanding and all while they are at home. I can use this information to then group or meet with students the following day when they are back in person. This has been great to use during Google Meets. It is also a great tool to use when meeting with small groups or individual students. There is also a feature called Toggle Teacher Whiteboard. This allows the students to watch me solve a problem for them, in case they need to see an example being solved. This is a great FREE tool that so far has been a great way to assist in teaching virtually!
BrainPOP
While I have been a fan of BrainPOP for many years, I have never had the luxury of being able to access all of the features and perks of having an individual teacher account. This year through my school I was able to set up an individual teacher account. This kind of account is a real game changer. Through the teacher account, you are able to create groups for all of your classes that students can join with a code. Once they have their own individual account, you can send them videos, assignments, quizzes, graphic organizers, and any other tools BrainPOP has to offer. The students are sent their own copies of the assignments and the teachers are able to see the scores they receive. Through this time of hybrid and remote learning, it has been beneficial to be able to send the students assignments through BrainPOP that are engaging and peak their interests! The best part is they can add codes from other teachers, so their one account can be used for all of their classes! It has been a great resource through this new way of teaching and learning!
Explain Everything
Explain Everything is a different type of digital whiteboard. It is compatible with computers as well as iPads. I utilize this tool more with my iPad because it is easier to write on. Through this tool you can write or type problems and then make videos recording yourself teaching the skills at the same time. You have the option of being on the screen or not. I really liked making the videos because the students could go back and watch/ listen to the problems being solved and explained multiple times if they needed to. You can set up the problems ahead of time so it makes switching from slide to slide a little bit easier. It works great for virtual learning. It is also helpful to parents because they can view the videos and are better able to assist their children if they choose to do so. The videos can be posted so the students can watch them as needed. I really love this tool. The only downside is that there is a monthly fee of about $8.00. I personally feel it is worth it!
Kahoot
Kahoot has been in my tool belt for many years. I love the level of engagement it brings to my classes. It has always been a hit in my classes and my students love to play them. Again, any type of competition or game-based learning appeals to my kids. The Kahoot days are some of the most exciting for the students in my 6th grade math class. When we went remote in the Spring, I wanted to continue to find ways to keep the students engaged. It was difficult to make sure they were staying motivated since I was not able to see them in person. I was so happy that I was still able to utilize Kahoot even when they were home. I could still design games based around the content that we had been covering and then I was able to push out the game to the students so that they could play at home. In class, we have played Kahoot a few times this year and every time the students are thrilled. As I walk through the room I love that the game gives me immediate feedback, I can assess for student understanding right away. Kahoot has various versions, but I have only ever used the free version. It works for me, but I am sure the other versions are awesome as well!
I never thought when I began my teacher as a career that we would be in this place of remote, hybrid, virtual learning, but here we are. I will say it felt great to get back in the classroom with my kids even if it is on a hybrid schedule. My kids are my ‘why.’ They always have been. So anytime with them is valued and I am so happy to have this time, although limited with them right now. We don’t know what the future holds and it could mean more or all virtual learning very soon. Due to the unknown and because of my love for these kids and our job as teachers, I will continue to look for new innovative ways to reach my kids virtually. Until then, I will utilize all of these resources I love so much and hopefully next time we talk, I will have more ways to utilize the resources above and some new ones to add to the list!
“`
If you have any questions for Rachel, send them my why and I will pass them along!
Until Next Time,
GLHF