Virtual Instructional Days

🎥Virtual support sessions were offered on 1/20/2026.

Watch the VID Support Recording and review the Session Presentation.

(available 7am - 12pm on VID)

Keep Calm and Teach...Online

Are you ready for the possibility for your school to offer a synchronous virtual instructional day (VID)? Chances are your lesson for today will still work. Have a content file you were going to display on the SMART board? Present your screen. Need to share a file with students? Share it in your Canvas course(s).

Additional Support from Instructional Technology:

OIT@aacps.org

Google Meet Options for Virtual Instruction

There are four types of Google Meet links; depending on how the link is created, it changes the security of the Meet. For security reasons, it is expected that teachers will use the Google Meet External Tool in Canvas for virtual instruction days.

If a teacher has a scenario (such as simultaneously meeting with students in multiple classes) in which they cannot use the Google Meet External Tool in Canvas, they should create a secure, lookup/nickname Google Meet to share in their Canvas course(s).

To learn more about Google Meet link types, security features, and best practices, review Preparing for Virtual Instruction: Canvas, Google Meet, and Best Practices.

Prepare for Virtual Instruction

Plan Ahead

Review the Virtual Instruction Checklist 25-26
Canvas for Virtual Learning
Introduce your students to Canvas
Review Using Google Meet in Canvas
- Move Google Meet tool to Course Resources/Navigation
- School Admin - Access Google Meet in courses
Enroll appropriate co-teachers and TAs to all Canvas courses
Optional: Create a module in your Canvas courses to house materials for the VIDs.

Day Before/Day of Prep

Review VID Schedules
Set up a Canvas Google Meet Link for each course
- For Cross-listed courses it is recommended that a link is created for each class period. Google Meet in Cross-listed Courses

Virtual Instructional Strategies:

Top 10 Virtual Learning Reminders- Here are things to remember to make virtual teaching as smooth as possible.

Building a Classroom Community - activities to help student feel connected in the virtual world.

Choice Boards & Learning Menus - keep students engaged through choice.

Lesson and Activity Ideas for Synchronous Virtual Instruction

The Basics

Using Google Meet:

VID Attendance

Mark students attended in PowerSchool that attend class virtually via Google Meet.

Attendance is due by 11:59 pm on the VID.

⭐Important: Teachers must enable attendance for each Google Meet link created in a course in order to receive attendance reports.

Student & Family Support:

Canvas Support for Elementary students:

Canvas Support for Middle & High students:

How do I use the Course Home Page as a student?

Tips for using Google Meet

Overview

For Presenters

To Share with Students

VID Prep Support Sessions

🎥Virtual support sessions were offered on 1/20/2026. Watch the VID Support Recording.

Google Meet:

Agenda:

Google Meet in Canvas
Using Canvas Modules
Enrolling additional users
Google Meet for cross-listed courses
Q&A

Session Presentation

Thanks to Woodside Elementary's Innovative Learning Advisor Kaitlynn Greenstein for creating this slide deck.