Blended Learning ONLINE Checklist

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On my campus (and I’m sure on many of yours) we are working on growing our blended learning practices. Many define blended learning differently. On our campus, when we say blended learning, we mean teaching our students in differentiated small groups based on data, while students work through a paper checklist that details what they need to complete in the areas of independent work, future ready (collaborative activities), and a digital component (this could be an additional mini-lesson from the teacher which has been recorded or adaptive software that meets students where they are to fill in gaps and take them farther).

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Daily Slide Deck: Keep your teaching organized and on track whether Remote or Face-to-Face

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This summer, our district is providing live remote instruction utilizing Zoom and Schoology for summer school. I’m not a part of summer school, but have been lurking on facebook and twitter to learn from those who are! I’ve been most interested in HOW teachers are sharing content – HOW they are keeping themselves and students on track – and WHAT has been most beneficial. The constant I’ve seen in social media posts, conversations, and examples shared with me has been having a Google Slide Deck for the teacher to teach from throughout the day that contains all links, videos, examples, reminders (to self and students) all in one place. This Slide Deck is NOT shared with students for them to click through, but for them to see on the screen as the teacher is talking and teaching (teacher shares their screen). This has been helpful because (obviously) everything is in one place, but also because it is visual for students to easily follow along with.

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Creating in Slides Shortcuts: Little tips and tricks for creating that can save you BIG on time!

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Recently, some colleagues and I were working collaboratively to create a document that captured our ideas. As we worked, one teammate said, “How did you just do that so fast?” I didn’t know what she meant. It was little shortcut I knew that she hadn’t learned yet. Sometimes it’s the little things that can make all the difference! I am a huge fan of any shortcut – no matter how tiny – that can shave time off my workload! Here are a few shortcuts for creating in google slides that – when used together – can save you a ton of time!

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Have Fun in your Online Meetings! Game Ideas for Class, Staff, or Family Online Meet-ups

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Have Fun in your Online Meetings

On my campus, while we are working hard to meet the academic needs of students remotely, we are also focused on ensuring that students still feel connected to their teacher and their classmates.  In the same way, while I want to meet the work needs of my staff members, I also want to ensure that we stay connected as a staff and continue to grow and build our culture – even remotely.  Teachers are planning weekly class Zoom meetings for team building and culture building. As a staff, we are hanging out in a virtual staff lounge on Zoom and also sharing memes, jokes, and ideas on a staff padlet wall. Staying connected during this difficult time is so important for our students’ and our own mental health! After the first few – “It’s so great to see you” Zoom class or staff meetings, it can be hard to come up with more ideas for bonding and having fun together from a distance. Here are some ideas I’ve found across the internet that I hope you’ll find useful! Continue reading →

Positive Incentive Chart

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Positive Incentive Chart (2)

In preparation for Day One of our emergency school closure due to COVID-19, I created a simple behavior chart to encourage and motivate my personal children to complete learning tasks and chores in order to earn game, screen, and toy time. I didn’t want them to start the day begging for my phone or vegged out in front of the TV… I was hopeful they would be happy to complete some learning activities with me. Both of my kids were REALLY excited when I showed them this chart (ages 8 and 4) and… we are mid-way through day one… and it is working great for us so far!

Positive Incentive Chart

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Master the Slide Master

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Master the Slide Master

Have you ever used a slide template and wished you could move an object in the background over just a little? Or maybe you wished you could add your school logo, class name, or presentation information to every slide in the deck without having to actually go through and add it to EVERY SINGLE SLIDE individually? The answer is to MASTER the SLIDE MASTER!!! It is so easy you’ll wonder where this little tip has been all your life!

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Fun with Fonts

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Fun with Fonts

I am a font lover. There. I said it. I love great fonts and I cannot lie! I believe that a well-chosen font has the power to change the entire aesthetic of a slide deck, document, sign, or assignment. I think we can all agree there is a big difference here:

Font Example

One note makes you feel loved while the other makes you scared for your life! Continue reading →

Tear-off Your Content to Create Small Groups

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tear-off your content

I’m preparing for an upcoming presentation and have been thinking of creative ways to split the participants into small groups without the overused “numbering-everyone-off” strategy. I’m enrolled in Tony Vincent’s Classy Creations course and this week one of the many things Tony taught us was how to create a tear-off sheet – you know, the kind that you often see posted in which you can tear off a tab of information to take with you. Even while watching Tony’s tutorial I knew THIS was the solution I was looking for! I could put a tear-off sheet at each table, ask participants to take one, and then get into small groups based on their tear-off. Continue reading →

Personalized Valentine’s Stickers

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Valentine Sticker (1)

I don’t know about you… but I keep seeing Valentine’s cards at the grocery store! It’s that time of year to start getting Valentines ready for your personal kids, students, and colleagues. This year, I wanted to do something different than the grocery store folded cards and candy. I decided to create a sticker that can be printed on Avery 2″ circle labels so that I can place the labels on ANYTHING to turn it into a Valentine.

Here’s what I came up with:

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