Free Resources

ClassDojo is a communication platform that allows teachers, students, and families to create school communities through sharing of classroom learning, photos, videos, and more. They have a fantastic mission of ensuring every child gets the education they deserve and learning experiences they love.

Scholastic Learn at Home is an amazing website that offers articles, stories, and fun learning activities at every age level. It is updated every Monday with five new days of activities. There is also a daily reading quest for students at different reading levels as well as additional access to BookFlix, ScienceFlix, and a Summer Reading Palooza!

youcubed is a website that engages students in mathematics. You can search for math activities and challenges by grade level and topic. They have modified some of their tasks to be more at home friendly for parents. There are also parent resources, student resources, and additional math apps and games.

Sora by OverDrive is an app that gives kids access to free digital and audio books. This is such a great way for students to continue their independent reading while schools are closed.

Virtual field trips are a great way to keep students engaged while they’re stuck at home! You can explore Hawaii, Yosemite, The National Aquarium, The Great Wall of China, and even go to Mars! There are a lot of great virtual places to visit and then you can have your students write about their “trip.”

Go Noodle gives kids an opportunity to take brain breaks as well as improve productivity and behavior. It also offers yoga and mindfulness activities. Their resources have a wide span of variety and provide for different abilities, interests, and ages.

Amazon future engineer offers free computer science courses and virtual robotics courses for kids in grades 2-12. You can also access code.org and BootUp project lessons from this website. Students can also remix popular songs to learn how to apply their coding skills!

Mathigon offers a ton of math resources and activities for kids of all ages. Kids can use virtual manipulatives, make origami, solve problems and puzzles, go on a treasure hunt, and build tangrams.

ReadTheory provides tips and strategies for teachers to improve their students’ reading comprehension. Teachers can also assign reading passages and questions to students and monitor their progress. You can set goals for students to keep them motivated as they work. It also gives an immediate and detailed response about why a student misses a question, so parents can help them from home. Texts are available for the elementary level through high school.

ABC Database Suite that has access to six educational databases. ABC World Culture, ABC World Food, ABC Food America, ABC the USA, ABC Maps Online, and ABC Lingo Lite. Each database has a unique experience for students to learn about a variety of topics. There are downloadable activities and assignments, and the possibilities are endless.

Science Buddies is a great website for kids to participate in STEM activities at home. There are a lot of different activities as well as project guides, ask an expert, research on science careers, and a tab for teachers, parents, and students.

Breakout EDU has a wonderful variety of games to keep kids engaged in math, science, reading, and social studies. The games span K-12 and gives teachers, parents, and students a digital tutorial to help them get started.

Boardmaker is a complete special education platform that provides a multitude of resources to meet the needs of special needs students, including non-academic needs. They’ve compiled many resources and tools to help educators during school closings, many free.

Parlay is a comprehensive platform that makes student discussions productive, collaborative, and interactive. Parlay allows educators to provide personalized feedback to individual students, hold live discussions, adjust instruction based engagement data, and much more.

SmartMusic is a music learning software for educators and students that makes practicing fun for students and tracking student progress easy for teachers. It offers a multitude of resources including teaching apps and strategies, practice tools, a huge repertoire library, and more.

We are so thankful that these companies have helped to provide us with these free educational resources so we can continue to find ways to reach our students and keep them learning until we resume school in the fall. We also appreciate all of our families in supporting us as we have navigated through this challenging time in education. We hope this gives you a few more tools in your pocket as you provide families with ideas for summer learning.

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Public Libraries

Though physical locations are closed, many public libraries offer digital library resources. Free ebooks and free audiobooks are obvious choices. By downloading an app to their computers, tablets, or phones, students can use their library cards to check out materials without ever entering the physical library. Some libraries offer wi-fi hot spots and even devices, for loan.

Libraries are also beginning to offer curbside pickup of physical books and magazines. Patrons place holds online, and library staff texts or emails when the items are ready. Library patrons pull up to the library, and the items are brought to their vehicles with no physical contact.

Many libraries are conducting previously in-person classes online, allowing patrons to access classes and story times from the library web site. These online events engage students in topics and give them motivation and ideas for future reading.

Even library cards can often be obtained online during this time, allowing students to access the library for the first time.

Writing Activities

Once students have something to read, it is helpful for them to have a purpose for reading. An engaging writing activity can give readers a sense of ownership over their reading. Students could read articles or biographies about people that interest them, and then compose a letter, email, or social media post to them. Students might read poetry online and then attempt to write something in a similar style. Students could plan a virtual field trip or road trip, researching a location, and creating a PowerPoint or website presenting their research.

Students might read diaries written by young people going through extraordinary circumstances, such as The Diary of Anne Frank, or Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Wartime Sarajevo. After reading these diaries, students could keep their own journals about life during the COVID-19 pandemic. These could be published on the web.

STEAM Activities

Students might read scientific articles online and then conduct at-home labs. For example, students might read an article about erosion and then conduct a lab using M&Ms and water to demonstrate the effects of erosion.

Students could read books about coding and then apply their knowledge by building computer games. There are books available that teach students to use Scratch, a free computer coding language. The only materials needed are a computer with Adobe 10.2 or later and an internet connection.

Readers might also do web research on famous structures, such as the Pyramids or the Eiffel Tower, and then build those structures from Legos.

There are plenty of books and web articles about drawing and painting. Students could read those and create their own pieces of art.

Math and reading don’t seem like a natural cross-curricular pair, but there are some ways to integrate the two. Students could read online texts about gardening, and then plan their own gardens using measuring tools and online garden blueprints, for instance.

Nature Activities

There are a plethora of online field guides geared towards kids. Students could read about native animals and conduct a backyard search for birds, animal tracks, leaves, and other wild life.

Scientific articles about climate change and its effects abound on the internet. Students could read up on solutions and implement some of them at home.

Students could read online instructions about building birdhouses and bird feeders and try constructing one.

Tablets are great for reading in any location. Students could take their tablets outside and read! An old-fashioned paper book is also suitable, of course.

Social Activities

This may seem like an oxymoron in the time of COVID-19, but reading can be a great way to connect with others online while increasing student engagement. With supervision, students could start a Zoom book club with their friends. This would give students an excuse to socialize with friends and give them something to connect over when sports and other extracurricular activities are canceled.

With parent supervision, students might start or join social media groups devoted to whatever book they are currently reading.

While students may feel distanced from regular life and its normal routines right now, the internet offers a variety of options and ideas for how to engage students in reading – and keep them engaged.

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How to Tie Up Loose Ends and Consolidate Key Information

It is essential to provide student-centered learning and active learning opportunities in an online classroom environment. It is vital to be precise on what skills need to be taught and what the goals are for completion of the unit of study. There are several areas that allow a unit to come together, and these include significance and efficacy. In my career of being a student and a teacher, the most important purpose in teaching units of study is to provide meaningful information. This requires creativity, and now is the perfect time to glean ideas in this area.

Simply assigning and completing assignments is not an effective practice in wrapping up online learning environments. Just as in any traditional classroom, it is imperative to include a variety of activities and opportunities for students to feel connected and that provide assurance of course and skill mastery. For example, in an elementary or secondary school class, students must be engaged and attain relevance to what they are learning.

Tying up loose ends and consolidating information requires a synopsis of skills acquired and capturing the essence of the most important points students need to retain. Throughout the course, students must feel empowered to want to learn and create discussions that allow them to actively participate.

How Students can Demonstrate Understanding and Content Mastery

Students demonstrate understanding and mastery in a myriad of ways in an online learning environment. One of the key ways to ensure student learning content mastery is creating opportunities for students to apply the skills in integrated ways. Examples of these include: projects, case studies or scenarios, creating opportunities for debate, sharing, games, and incorporating challenges. Another example of how students can demonstrate content mastery is providing small group tasks and individualized learning outcomes.

I have been teaching in a traditional and online learning environment for many years, and students need to be active in the learning process and feel supported. Active engagement in an online learning environment includes activities such as: group tasks, video/audio opportunities, forums, and creating resources that they can utilize. To come away with a fundamental understanding of the subject matter, combining the components of active learning with engaging opportunities allows students to retain effective skills. The online experience is well-designed and supported from the beginning, and understanding is an effective result of this design. They will master the content as they are participating in each assignment and recreating opportunities throughout the course.

How to Assess Student Learning

Assessment in an online learning environment needs to be strategic to the group you are teaching. Explicit details should be stated in the course objectives and include a rubric of the expectations. Progress monitoring through regular formative assessments and individualized feedback is effective in online assessment.

Examples of online assessment of student learning should include formative assessments throughout the length of the course. Short quizzes, oral and video presentations, skill demonstrations and applications are also effective assessment measures to check for students’ understanding. Timely feedback and requiring quick and reflective answers from students are also effective methods in assessing students’ content mastery.

Online learning environments need to be closely monitored, and informal assessment checks such as checking in often on students’ progress, direct messaging, and monitoring time spent online are vital to assessing students’ advancement.

Online learning environments require strategic design in completing and assessing of study. In summary, active engagement, quick and frequent formative assessment, and student-led learning outcomes are among the most vital components included in online learning. Wrapping up the unit successfully is vital to students’ content mastery.

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Plan for Multiple Kinds of Devices

It is essential to plan to use learning materials and platforms that are accessible on any device. According to the Pew Research Center, 96 percent of adults own a cellphone, and 81 percent own a smartphone. As for desktops, laptops, and tablets, research shows that 74 percent of adults own a laptop, and 52 percent own a tablet. This research shows that most students (81 percent) will at least be able to complete work at home on paper, then snap a picture of it to submit to the teacher.

Also, consider cloud-based apps that provide storage for students with limited device space. Google Classroom is one of the most popular learning management systems that educational institutions utilize because it enables students’ access to the platform from computers, tablets, and smartphones. Teachers can create online classrooms for sharing, attach files, port YouTube videos, chat with students in Google hangout, and keep track of students’ assignments and progress from one app.

Consider Connection

Consider students’ internet connection when planning for remote learning. Not all students have access to the internet or a good network connection. Luckily, there are options during this time. Spectrum and Comcast are offering free internet access to all students for 60 days. For smartphone and tablet users, AT&T is offering open hot spots and unlimited data to existing customers while Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile are following the FCC agreement and opening hot spots. Encourage students to utilize these deals while they are available.

Tune-In to the Television

The percentage of U.S. homes with a television signal, over-the-air, cable, or broadband, is about 96 percent, according to Nielsen’s National Television Household Universe. This means the majority of students have access to a television as an “alternative technology”. In response to the COVID-19 virus, PBS will provide a daily, five-hour At-Home Learning Service for students in grades 6-12 to PBS stations nationwide. There will be programs on history, English language arts, and science, as well as related learning resources from PBS Learning Media, a free online service of thousands of educational resources. Television provides an ample amount of resources and opportunities for learning. With 96 percent of households having access, in conjunction with PBS’s free daily learning programs, you can create lessons students can follow along to while watching.

Consider Homework Packets

Many school districts are having their faculty create homework packets for students. Teachers in each grade level put together a packet full of work (enough for a few weeks) and either set up a designated drive-up packet pick-up at the school, mail them home to students, or post them on the school website. If students are having trouble with an assignment, teachers set up office hours (via phone or email) as well as the opportunity to video chat if the student is able. If you are considering creating a weekly packet, make sure that it is a review for students. You do not want to teach anything new unless you know students have access to a computer and the internet where you can show instructional videos of how to complete any new work.

An alternative for creating your packet is to download one. Achieve3000 is offering free access to a set of literacy printable packets. These packets add up to a month’s worth of content differentiated for students who are at, below, and above grade-level in their reading abilities. Teachers can send a link for students to download, or they can print out the packets to hand to students.

When it comes to elearning, no one expects you to become an expert overnight. Think about the smallest thing that you can do for your students now that will make the most significant impact. That may simply be just checking in with your students as much as you can.

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Project-based learning, PBL for short, is becoming more and more popular in the world of education. Not only can project-based learning be beneficial at school, it can also be a wonderful way for students to learn at home. So, what is project-based learning? In short, it is when students learn through projects that involve investigating, questioning, researching, and collaborating to produce a product that demonstrates what they have learned. It is a researched- based teaching method that is often more engaging to students than traditional lessons.

Project-based learning might seem intimidating to parents at first, so it is important to support parents and students through this process at home. The following are ways to help support students and parents on their project-based journeys at home.

Ensure Expectations are Clear – and Consider Lowering Them

It’s important for teachers to remember that not all parents and homes are equipped with the same skills, supplies, resources, and technology as school classrooms. For this reason, it is key for teachers to set clear expectations for their students and to insure that these expectations are appropriate and attainable.

To begin, teachers must express to parents that it’s okay not to do everything perfectly. Most parents who work will find it overwhelming to think about facilitating projects with their children. By letting parents and guardians know that perfection is not expected, and that students will be receiving support, teachers can put parents more at ease. Teachers should give parents simple and clear instructions for project-based learning activities and make themselves available for communication throughout the day.

For families that do not have internet access or access to devices, teachers should reassure families that other options are available such as books and art supplies. Many schools will allow students to check-out electronic devices to use at home. If this is possible, teachers should assist students who are in need in obtaining technological devices. Using projects that do not require technology is also an option.

Share Benefits of PBL at Home

Another way to encourage project-based learning at home is to share the benefits of this type of learning with parents and families. Project-based learning offers benefits such as giving students the opportunity to participate in hands-on learning, as opposed to completing mundane worksheets. Additionally, project-based learning gets students excited about learning new information and allows them to take charge of their learning pace and the product they choose to create to show what they have learned. 

According to the National Education Association, project-based learning makes learning relevant to students by helping them make connections to life outside of the classroom. Students are able to apply new objectives to real world issues. It also gives students the opportunity to think creatively and to learn in a way that is student-centered.

Explain How Parents can Provide Support

As parents and students begin to participate in project-based learning, it will be important for parents to understand how they can provide support to their child. There are several ways in which parents can be supportive. Setting up a space in the home dedicated to learning is one suggestion. This provides structure for students and gives them a consistent and familiar place to participate in learning each day.

Another way for parents to support students during project-based learning is to become familiar with the term and to research resources and ideas. Here is a guide parents can utilize. This guide explains the basics of project-based learning to parents and describes how this type of learning is student-centered, where students can take ownership of their learning.

Provide Project Ideas

There are so many ideas for project-based learning that can be done at home. For parents that are already busy and new to this type of learning, it would be helpful for teachers to provide them with project ideas. Some ideas include, but are not limited to:

• Eat This, Not That – This activity integrates writing, math, and nutrition by having students research nutritional information about food and describe this information in a product of their choosing.
• Recycling Program – Students can easily start a recycling program at home by researching ways to recycle, recycling materials at home, and showcasing this in a way that they choose. This could be through pictures, blogs, journals, etc.
• Student Podcasts – Students can choose a learning topic, listen to student-friendly podcasts regarding this topic, and create their own podcast that reveals what they have learned.
• Photo Essays – Students can research pictures of topics via the internet or go out into the world and snap some photos. Students can then produce descriptive writing that explains what they have observed.
• Plan a Service Learning Project – Have students choose a cause (animal shelter, homeless shelter, food pantry, etc.), research the cause, participate in providing a service (donate food, serve food, walk animals, etc.), and report back about their experience.

Online project-based learning ideas and resources are widely available to parents and teachers.  These ideas are just a click away. Some families, however, do not have access to the internet and it is important for teachers to provide parents with ideas to drive project-based learning at home. Encouraging students and their families to give project-based learning a chance is totally worth it!

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Whether learning in a physical classroom or online, effective classroom management is key to a productive environment. Although students are not contained in a single room, teachers must be intentional about managing student behavior and engagement in an online setting. Below are some challenges of learning in an online environment that teachers can anticipate, and online classroom management strategies to effectively overcome those challenges.

Challenges Online Learning Environments Can Present

Many of the challenges of online learning stem from student engagement. When learning online, students don’t have the benefit of a teacher’s physical presence moving about the room and monitoring learning engagement. Outside of video conferencing and other technology tools that some teachers are fortunate to access, students do the bulk of online learning independently. Maintaining motivation is more challenging for students, and it is admittedly more difficult for teachers to motivate students remotely.

Furthermore, using a plethora of technology for learning can present classroom management challenges that are similar to the physical classroom. For example, students can still be disruptive during live sessions or use collaborative time unproductively. Cheating and plagiarism are often amplified with the world at their fingertips and their teachers remaining distant. Whether online or in person, students are still in need of structure and support in order to self-regulate their behavior.

Classroom Management Strategies for eLearning

Whether you were hurled into elearning through unforeseen circumstances or you are amongst the many teachers who have chosen to educate our youth online, these are some strategies that can help you maintain a well-managed online classroom environment.

Build an Engaging Experience

I will reiterate the point that low learning engagement is the gateway to many issues in online learning. It is important to build a learning experience that will be engaging for your students. Take time to understand what interests them, where their strengths lie, and what their challenges are. Use this information to build an online classroom management plan that is tailored to your students and provide multiple opportunities for interactive learning.

Cultivate Community Amongst Students

Building a positive relationship between teachers and students is only part of the battle of cultivating a productive learning environment. Community amongst students is just as important during online learning as it is in the traditional classroom. For a student, it is easy to feel isolated in online learning. Build in opportunities for students to collaborate and even socialize.

Establish and Reiterate Routines

Routines are important in any learning environment, especially when you can’t be present with your students daily. Simplifying routines is wise. For example, how students submit work and receive feedback should be consistent throughout the course. Set up office hours for students to contact you and stick to them. Also, maintaining some consistency with the work assigned each week will help students establish their own routines at home. Lastly, it is important to reiterate your routines often.

Educate Students about Plagiarism

Online learning lends itself to increased plagiarism. Students are working on technological devices with access to endless resources, and the temptation to copy information can feel insurmountable for students. I suggest that every online teacher combat plagiarism from day one. Let students know what it is and provide examples. Outline the consequences for plagiarism as well.

Establish Communication Norms

Communication in an online environment is a unique skill that our students will indubitably use in the future. Setting norms for communication with teachers and between students will be crucial to classroom management online. When video conferencing, for example, establish norms and expectations for things like background noise, camera use, and contributing to discussion ahead of time. Norms are also necessary for typing in online forums as well. Remember that we are working with students, and you will encounter some who don’t understand online communication etiquette and others who will need to understand consequences to prevent unacceptable use of communication tools.

Set Expectations and Be Consistent

When you establish norms and routines, it is important to expect that students follow them and be consistent in your response when they don’t. Let students know about consequences and penalties up front and stick to your word. You will have students who don’t meet your expectations, just as you do in the traditional classroom. Have a plan in place for when this happens, and make sure students and parents are aware of this plan.

Acknowledge Student Accomplishments

When students are productive, engaged, and learning online, it is important to acknowledge them. This is, of course, important in every classroom. Online students will not get to see a smile of pride or receive a congratulatory high five from teachers like they can in the physical classroom. Use the communication avenues available to you to let students know when they are on the right track. Positive reinforcement yields higher engagement, and higher engagement is the key to a well-managed online classroom.

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Struggles ESL Learners May Face with eLearning

As challenging as it may seem to a regular education student, imagine if English is not a student’s first language. ESL (English as a Second Language) learners are facing so many additional struggles with eLearning. Access to online platforms can be very confusing. When ESL learners have to navigate through it on their own because their parents also do not speak the language, their participation will be impeded.

Additionally, the lack of face-to-face interactions with their teachers inhibits comprehension of lessons. Many teachers may just post activities with only typed directions. Because of this, ESL learners may be lost right from the beginning. ESL learners need to watch their teachers explain items and have a chance to ask a question right at that moment to clarify any misunderstandings. Teachers’ body language also helps with comprehension. When all of this is missing, ESL learners are going to struggle.

Finally, teachers cannot forget about the emotional stress that ESL learners may be under due to the pandemic. The majority of ESL students still have families and friends living in different countries. They may be experiencing fear and worry for those that they are not with during this difficult time. Teachers need to reach out to these students as much as possible while not in school. Online learning is just one of the many challenges ESL students are facing right now.

ESL Resources for eLearning

To help ESL learners at home, teachers can share a variety of apps and websites for them to use. There are so many resources on the web that assist with listening, speaking, reading, writing, and culture. Providing these websites and apps to ESL learners can help them progress with their language skills and overcome struggles with eLearning.

Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab. This is a website that provides listening practice for different language levels. The activities range from easy to academic listening on so many interesting topics. The listening activities have pre-listening questions, vocabulary to practice ahead of time, and then comprehension questions to answer after a student listens. This website also provides vocabulary lessons and quizzes and even cultural activities.

Activities for ESL Students. This is a website that provides vocabulary and grammar practice. Students can choose from easy, medium, or difficult levels. Then, there are many vocabulary and grammar quizzes on a large range of topics. Students can practice how to respond to sentences with the correct phrase. They can practice vocabulary for the classroom, group nouns, even homonyms. Teachers for The Internet TESL Journal created all of these quizzes.

VOA Learning English. This is another great website that is actually a free language course. It is set up with weekly video lessons that have ESL learners practicing speaking, vocabulary, and writing. This will have high interest level for secondary ESL learners because it follows the lives of young Americans. It also provides practice for pronunciation and vocabulary. ESL learners can choose from beginner level videos to advanced. Students are encouraged to follow the videos in sequence.

MosaLingua. In addition to websites, there are hundreds of English learning apps that ESL learners can download onto their phones. MosaLingua has students choose from 14 different categories of vocabulary and then creates flashcards, dialogues, and basic English grammar to help with communication. Beginners to advanced students can find vocabulary to suit their language level. The audio clips that are also provided with this app will help ESL learners with pronunciation.

SpeakingPal. This is an app that can fill the void for ESL learners in regard to practicing their speaking and getting immediate feedback from a teacher or native-English speaker. The lessons on SpeakingPal will teach ESL students new vocabulary and will have them respond to a variety of conversations. When the ESL student speaks into the app, words will be highlighted that need better pronunciation. The app will provide the pronunciation and have the student keep practicing it until they say it correctly. The goal of the app is to help ESL students be understood when they speak.

Busuu. This is another app to improve vocabulary and grammar for ESL learners. The lessons can be personalized to the needs and level of a student. They are self-paced and also provide a social component in which a student can get feedback from native-English speakers. The native-English speakers will comment on the students writing and pronunciation.

Google Slides. Teachers can also help ESL students with eLearning by providing video explanations of tasks that need to be completed. Furthermore, if teachers are using slides to present new material, providing the video recording and captions will increase comprehension for ESL students. Google Slides is an easy way to create presentations with video recordings, and it automatically generates captions from the video recordings.

Although these websites and apps are not going to replace in-class learning, they will be invaluable for ESL learners as they are navigating the new world of eLearning. Teachers can provide lists of apps and websites to their students and encourage them to use the sites in addition to the work that is provided through their schools. eLearning can be overwhelming with the amount of information out there. So, by providing a small list of websites and apps to try, ESL students will be more likely to actually use them and find success.

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Virtual field trips take students to places such as museums, national monuments, and events without the students ever leaving their seat. And the best part? No permission slip is needed. Below are some great virtual field trips for every grade level, kindergarten through high school.

Go to the Farm

In kindergarten and first grade, a popular field trip is going to a farm. Whether students are growing up in a small rural community or a city, the farm has much to offer. One virtual field trip called Farm Fresh 360 takes students on a Canandian farm tour. Students can learn what life is like on a dairy farm, on a grain farm, a sheep farm, or even a mink farm (just to name a few). Young learners can watch the production of milk and cheese as well as learn about a day in an apple orchard. Additionally, Google Cardboard can be used to experience life in a farm in a virtual, 3D-reality component. This field trip is one any elementary student would be happy to go along for.

Visit a Zoo

Whether students are researching an animal for a paper or working on skills such as comparing and contrasting various animals, the zoo is an excellent virtual field trip for second graders. One particularly great one is the San Diego Zoo. The website has live cams and videos of some of their most popular animals including apes, elephants, and tigers. The website, geared toward kids, also includes behind-the-scenes videos and stories of life in a zoo, as well as printable activities and online games. Students are sure to get lost in the engaging and exciting lives of zoo animals.

Explore an Aquarium

The National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD, is an exciting virtual field trip perfect for third graders. The National Aquarium Virtual Tours website is easy for students to self-guide themselves through. There is a map of the aquarium where students can pick if they want to take a peek in at the alligators or sea turtles, the Amazon River or the Channel Islands. By clicking on an animal, fun facts become visible. While this virtual tour is not live, it does an extraordinary job making people feel like they are right there in the aquarium with the animals.

Visit our National Parks

National Parks are popular vacation destinations and are also great virtual field trips for young learners. Yellowstone National Park, in particular, provides the opportunity for a virtual field trip experience that would be beneficial for students in grades 4 or 5. Yellowstone is the home to the Mammoth Hot Springs and the Mud Volcano, and students are now able to get a feel for what a trip there would be like. The interactive maps on the website take you right to those popular park locations, as well as a live-stream of the Old Faithful Geyser. There is a bounty of information to dive into on this site.

Museum Experiences

For middle and high schoolers, the door to virtual field trips swings wide open. Not only would these students be able to benefit from any of the above mentioned trips including the farm, zoo, aquarium, and national parks, but there are hundreds of others to choose from. For starters, The National Museum of Natural History’s virtual experience is informative and exciting. Students can visit the ground, first, and second floors in room-by-room tours of their permanent, past, and current exhibits. The Bone Hall is a visitor favorite, where students can look at all different kinds of skeletons.

Take a Virtual Trip to Ellis Island

Another great virtual field trip idea for high school aged students would be a visit to Ellis Island. To take a unit on immigration to the next level, explore Ellis Island through a 31-minute video clip of interviews and photos from this historic immigration inspection station.

See the Great Wall of China

What average field trip takes students to The Great Wall of China? This virtual field trip does. The Great Wall is a 2,000 year old ancient structure that stretches more than 3,000 miles across several provinces of northern China. The virtual tour gives users the options of three different versions: Jinshaling to Simatai, watchtower, and winter. Each experience is unique in itself and engaging to viewers high school on up.

Get a 360 Degree Tour

A last virtual tour to note is the 360 Cities virtual website. This site boasts being the largest collection of 360 degree images and videos from around the world. It provides kids with the opportunity to see stunning panoramas across the world. The search bar allows you to type in destinations such as the Trevi Fountain, Mississippi River, or DisneyLand. Not sure what you want to see? The world map shows all the places there are virtual tours of. It would be easy to spend many minutes or even hours getting lost on this site.

With the many options for virtual field trips for students in grades K on up, disappointment doesn’t need to set in when students aren’t able to go on a physical trip. From the zoo to the Great Wall of China and beyond, virtual field trips are taking students wherever they want to go and to places they’ve never even imagined. Check them out. You never know where you might end up.

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Six proven tips can allay the anxieties and stress and make way for physical and emotional control so parents and students succeed on their journey of teaching and learning from home.

Establish a Dedicated Learning Space

Do you as a parent have a special place for meditating, working from home, reading, watching your favorite Netflix series, sleeping, etc.? How do you feel when you step into that space? You probably feel driven to engage in the named activity because the environment has become a trigger for the particular habits that often occur there. You can foster work and learning habits in your child by having your child use a dedicated space for learning. For a learning space that is most appropriate, make the space comfortable, eliminate distractions, and provide the required learning tools.

The optimal learning space is one that is flexible and comfortable for your child. Does your child like to lie down or sit up to work? What temperature and lighting are favored by your child? Having choices within the space makes the space flexible for your child, which is motivational and comforting. A learning rug, sofa, child-sized desk, and/or s table are pieces of furniture to consider when creating your child’s learning space. Also, your child may be most comfortable with a blanket, a fan, bright and dim lights, a variety of lamps, etc. that will allow him or her to adjust the space as needed or desired.

Maximizing the space and time for learning requires eliminating distractions. Some typical distractions include television, gadgets, toys, clutter, various extreme colors in one space, etc. Remove or unplug any distractions to increase your child’s focus and learning.

Having learning tools readily available in the dedicated space will decrease time spent searching for the tools and will maximize learning time. Provide appropriate learning tools such as pens, pencils, appropriate technology, paper, required books, learning games, or other required materials.

With a dedicated learning space, your child will begin to associate work and learning with this area and learning time will be maximized.

Establish a Routine that Works

Children’s emotional control, choices of behavior, and tendencies toward learning improve with a consistent routine or schedule. When creating a routine or schedule, it is important to “put pen to paper” because a routine needs to be clearly established and communicated. Start with big pieces of the day that are already in place such as mealtimes and bedtime. Then build other timeslots into the schedule like computer time, reading time, etc. A routine that works requires you to know your child. When does he/she focus best? This will be an optimal time for tasks requiring the most attention and deliberation. When is your child more sluggish? This time of day will be ideal for brain breaks, play, or activities that interest your child.

Once you’ve created a routine or schedule, post the schedule for all to see. Place it on the refrigerator, send it electronically, or use whatever method for communication that works for your child and your family. A routine promotes positive habits, decreases anxiety, and promotes security for children; learning is more likely to occur in these right conditions.

Check-in Frequently

“How do you feel? Tell me something new.” Doesn’t it feel good for someone to take such interest in your feelings, thoughts, and well-being? It feels good to children, too. Safety, security, and emotional well-being are reinforced through frequent check-ins, so ask your child questions regularly throughout each day.

Another purpose for frequent check-ins involves a correlation to the effective teaching-and-learning cycle. The cycle requires feedback or, simply stated, helping your child understand what he/she did right and what needs improvement or correction. Check your child’s work and talk with him/her about great efforts and about improvements needed.

Provide Ample Brain Breaks

Have you ever been in a meeting and had to excuse yourself for a drink of water so you could refocus? Children, like adults, need breaks too. Brain breaks are breaks from the task at hand and are essential for focus, concentration, processing information, and memory. Breaks may be brief, like stretching, or extended, like engaging in some type of physical activity. They can be scheduled or can occur after the completion of sets of activities or tasks. A scheduled break, for example, would be a 3 minute stretch break every 30 minutes of work. A break after completion of tasks, for example, would be a 10 minute break after all math problems have been completed.

Build in Time for Interests and Play

Play and engaging in personal interests yield benefits for children; they foster creativity, support children in processing the world around them, and increase motivation. Play can occur in a variety of ways and spaces. It can include toys, games, drawing, dancing, swinging, pretending, imagining, dreaming and discussing dreams, sharing, and the like. Personal interests may be involved daily in book choices, choices in games or music, research on chosen topics, etc. When the benefits of play and interests are facilitated in the lives of children at home, growing and learning are more likely to occur.

Encourage Challenging Work

Engaging only with easy tasks leads to stagnation in growth and learning. Instead, encourage children to take on a challenge. Challenges encourage risk-taking and require persistence to be accomplished; thus the fostering of real-world skills is at hand. Challenges become easier through repetition, and one graduates from one level to the next on the continuum of growth and learning.

Like teachers in classrooms, parents that teach from home want security and success in emotional and academic growth for their children. Teaching your child at home is not easy, but the six tips will guide you to a more successful journey in the charted or uncharted territory you are facing at home.

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What is Gradebook in Google Classroom?

Gradebook is exactly what it sounds like – a way to record, monitor and manage students’ grades. Google Classroom has so many features that can be beneficial for both teachers and students at any grade level. It gives teachers the option to post assignments to an online platform that students can view at a later time. Teachers are able to post additional resources like tutorial videos to help struggling students.

Perhaps one of the most useful aspects of Google Classroom is Gradebook. As stated earlier, Gradebook is a component of Google Classroom in which you can record student grades, but there is so much more to it than that. It is a way for teachers to more easily and accurately keep up with students’ grades and assignment statuses. Google Classroom Gradebook makes it easy for teachers to keep their gradebook completely online. It creates a format that is easily accessible and promotes more communication between instructor and student.

Benefits of Gradebook in Google Classroom

1. One place for everything – One of the best aspects of Google Gradebook is that you can easily see all students’ grades in one place. It is very easy to quickly identify who has not turned in assignments.
2. No more calculators – Gradebook is also beneficial because you can instantly see which students are struggling because of the running averages that are displayed for each student. Whether you are using a point system or percentages, the calculations are done for you in the program. So no more squinting over the calculator late into the night to average grades.
3. Customizable – It is very easy to customize how you grade. You can choose to use a point system or percentages. You can choose to calculate a straight average or weight different categories according to their importance. These customizations are very easy to make as you enter assignments.
4. Communication – Gradebook is also a great way to communicate with students. We all know how important it is for students to receive timely feedback. When feedback is educative and given quickly, it can be very effective and beneficial in the learning process. Gradebook provides you as the teacher with the opportunity to communicate feedback on assignments to students privately. Students can also respond to the teacher privately. This communication is only seen by the teacher and the student. Also, Gradebook is so easy to use, you will be able to get that information back to students quickly so they can process corrections and enhance their learning.
5. Preparation – Probably the most important aspect of using Google Classroom Gradebook is for the purpose of preparation. Using an online platform like this is a great way to prepare students for so many life activities sure to come. Earlier I said you can begin using this as early as kindergarten…yes, kindergarten! By simply teaching students to log into their Google Classroom account and complete very simple tasks like “choose your favorite picture and copy and paste it into your reply to your teacher”, you can increase students’ proficiency in technology, which is an integral part of their education. At each level, the tasks can be more content related and the technology will become second nature.

How to Use Gradebook in Google Classroom

The first step, if you have not already done so, is to set up your account in Google Classroom.  This is actually very straightforward. Go to classroom.google.com and follow the prompts. Once you have created your classroom, you simply add students. After adding students, and when you are ready to start entering grades, there is a button at the top of the page that says “grades”. Click on that button and follow the prompt to begin entering assignments. There are so many ways to customize grading and settings as mentioned earlier. This is a tool that can be very useful for teachers and students. It is certainly worth taking a look at. You may never go back to the traditional gradebook again!

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