Distance Learning

Tools

On this page, you'll find distance learning tools that are being used across the district.

Browse categories based on the type of activity you need to to find for tools, overviews, and links to tutorials to help you get started. You can also click on a topic from the list below.

Chromebooks - Edpuzzle - FlipGrid - Gimkit - Google Classroom - Google Docs - Google Forms - Google Meet - Google Sheets - Google Slides - Kahoot - Kami - Loom - National Emergency Library - Padlet - Pear Deck - Project Gutenberg - Quicktime - Soda PDF Merger - StudentVUE - TeachIT - YouTube

If you need additional assistance, each tool also has a staff contact who can provide further support.

If you don't see a tool you need to know more about, please fill out the form to request an addition.

Tools for Direct Instruction

YouTube

YouTube is a free video streaming service that allows you to publish videos online. Because YouTube is a Google service, it's easy to assign YouTube videos in Google Classroom and embed them in other Google Apps like Docs and Slides. As a DDHS employee, your staff google account is already linked to YouTube. You simply have to set up your channel and start uploading videos.
YouTube streaming features include:

Free Online Video Streaming
Ability to Create Private Videos (Accessible Only by Given Link)
Analytics Track Student Watch Behavior
Pre-Recorded, Scheduled Premieres, or Live Streaming
Easily Integrates with Google Classroom

YouTube Tutorials:

Staff Contact: Jaclyn_Stewart@ddsd40.org

QuickTime Player - Screen Capture

QuickTime Player is a media player that can record video, audio, and even your screen. This gives you the ability to record lessons that include visual and/or voice instruction, the ability to show lesson materials and media from your screen, and the ability to demonstrate actions you'll want the students to take. QuickTime Player is already included in the software on your Mac.
QuickTime Player features include:

Record Screen
Record Audio
Record Video
Play Media
Save Clips as .Mov

QuickTime Tutorials:

Making and Posting a Screen Recording

Staff Contact: Sebastian_Petreus@ddsd40.org

Google Meet

Google Meet is a video chat platform that allows you to meet with your students and other teachers using your computer or phone. You can give live video lessons, share your screen to demonstrate assignments and show examples, and see the speaker or your entire class at once. It's easy to set up a meeting through Google Calendar and invite students to it through Google Classroom.
Google Meet features include:

Live video chatting
Speaker focus, grid view, or share screen
Invite via email, Google Calendar, or Google Classroom
Approve meeting participant prior to entry
Secure meeting encryption

Google Meet Tutorials:

Staff Contact: Michelle_Wood@ddsd40.org

Loom

Loom is a screen and video recording app that allows you to capture your screen, voice, and face all at the same time. You can then share your video to a secure list or through Google Classroom. You can then watch as you get reactions from your audience. Many say the addition of seeing the teacher's face with their screen makes it much easier to understand and remember the content.
Loom features include:

Record Screen, Audio, and/or Face
Secure Sharing
Fun Reactions
Easy-Install Chrome Extension
User-Friendly

Loom Tutorials:

Staff Contact: Kelsey_Stiff@ddsd40.org

Edpuzzle

EDpuzzle is a video app that allows you to add interactive questions to your videos. This allows you to check student understanding as they view your lesson. Not only do you get their answer feedback, but you can also see which sections they watched multiple times. The controls are very easy to use, and you can mix and match videos you find on other websites.
EDpuzzle features include:

Stream Videos with Interactive Questions
View Student Engagement Behavior
Track Student Understanding
Clip Videos to Specific Section
Use Videos from YouTube, Khan Academy, Crash Course, and More

EDpuzzle Tutorials:

Staff Contact: Kelsey_Stiff@ddsd40.org

Pear Deck

Pear Deck is a Google Slides Add-On that allows students to interact with and enter information into the slides in your lesson. The lesson can be presented remotely and/or assigned as student-paced homework. Students are emailed a copy of the slides and their answers, and teachers receive of copy of each students answers in a Google Folder.
Interactive student features include:

Drag & Drop
Multiple Choice
Draw
Type Text/Number
Embed Browsable Website

Pear Deck Tutorials:

Staff Contact: Jaclyn_Stewart@ddsd40.org

Google Slides - Differentiated Lessons

Google slides has advanced hyperlinking features that allow you to make a lessons that take instant feedback from the student and shift to meet their learning needs. Through a single slideshow, you can provide direct instruction, student practice, review, reteaching, and assessment.
Adaptive slideshow features include:

Add Multiple Choice Questions
Advanced Linking Based on Student Response
Add Practice for Struggling Learners Only
Code Prevents Control Bar Cheating
End with Link to Exit Ticket

Google Slides Tutorials:

Staff Contact: Jaclyn_Stewart@ddsd40.org

Google Forms - Differentiated Lessons

Google forms has custom features that allow you to make an online quiz that adapts to the learning needs of individual students automatically, so you don't have to. Through a single form, you can provide direct instruction, student practice, and reteaching, and it will automatically grade it for you!
Adaptive quiz features include:

Embed Feature for Media like Teacher Mini Lesson YouTube Videos
Many Question Types for Student Practice
Auto-Linking to Additional Lesson upon Wrong Answer
Autograding and Answer Feedback
Assign Directly from Google Classroom

Google Forms Tutorials:

Staff Contact: Jaclyn_Stewart@ddsd40.org

Tools for Discussion

FlipGrid

FlipGrid is the TikTok of class discussion that allows you to create a private video chatroom for your students. Through the free site or app, you can host video debates, student project presentations, peer reviews, or video journals. There are fun video editing features that make the site feel like more like a social media app, which students love.
Video Chatroom features include:

Ability to Post Topics, Questions, and Assignments
Library of Engaging Prompts and Templates
Share to Google Classroom or Schoology
Blurred Videos for Optional Student Privacy
GridPals Option Allows for Student "Pen" Pals from around the World

FlipGrid Tutorials:

Getting Started with FlipGrid

Staff Contact: Misty_vMarie@ddsd40.org

Padlet

Padlet is a free discussion board website that allows you to create a private chatroom for class discussions. You can create up to 4 free discussion boards at a time, customize the backgrounds to fit your lesson theme, and post media and/or discussion questions for your students to respond to. They can then drop in and answer your question and respond to each other's comments at any time.
Discussion Board features include:

Ability to Post a Wide Variety of Media
Automatic Obscenity Filters
Easy Google Classroom Integration
Ability to Like and or Upvote posts
Turn Moderator Approval before Posting On or Off

Padlet Tutorials:

How to Create and Moderate a Padlet Discussion

Staff Contact: Jaclyn_Stewart@ddsd40.org

Tools for Student Practice

Kahoot

Kahoot is a multiple choice quiz show game that allows you to play live via video conferencing or to assign it as a student-paced homework activity. Premium features are free to all schools during the COVID19 closure, which allows students to get both instruction and practice via distance learning. You can also get reports on how your students performed and access to millions of free pre-made games in a variety of subject areas.
Kahoot Premium features include:

Multiple Choice Quizzes
Opinion Polls
Knowledge Puzzles
Open-Ended Questions
Lesson Slides

Kahoot Tutorials:

Staff Contact: Jaclyn_Stewart@ddsd40.org

Kami

Kami is an online document annotation app that allows students to highlight and comment on lesson content in your documents and allows teachers to do the same on student documents. Students and teachers can leave comments in a variety of formats. They can even let Kami read the document to them! It also offers easy Google Classroom and Schoology integration. The app is user friendly and works on mobile devices and desktop computers.
Kami features include:

Online Annotation of eBooks, PDFs, Worksheets, and More
Leave Text, Audio, or Video Comments on Documents
Highlight, Underline, Circle, and Draw Directly on Documents
Text to Speech Document Reading
Email/Browser Notifications for New Annotations

Kami Tutorials:

Staff Contact: Kelsey_Stiff@ddsd40.org

Google Docs

Google Docs is an online word processor that allows students to write and share documents. They can collaborate with your or other students in order to complete typed projects. Teachers can leave comments and get notified when students make changes. Most students are already familiar with Google Docs, and it ties in well with Google Classroom.
Google Docs features include:

Free Online Word Processing
Spelling and Grammar Checker
Ability to add Google Media to Doc
Assign Docs directly from Google Classroom
Share via Email to Collaborate
Control Writing and Viewing Permissions

Google Docs Tutorials:

How to Use Google Docs

Staff Contact: Jaclyn_Stewart@ddsd40.org

Google Sheets

Google Docs is an online spreadsheet program that allows students to create data tables and graphs and charts for mathematic and scientific assignments. Students can share their work with teachers or other students to collaborate. Teachers can leave comments and get notified when students respond. Students can publish their charts and graphs across the Google Suite.
Google Docs features include:

Free Online Spreadsheet Maker
Standard Sheet Formulas
Data Tables
Auto-Calculate
Graphs and Charts
Control Writing and Viewing Permissions

Google Sheets Tutorials:

Getting Started with Google Sheets

Staff Contact: Jaclyn_Stewart@ddsd40.org

Gimkit

GimKit is classroom quiz game that can be played live or assigned. Teachers simply make their Kits, quizzes, with multiple choice questions, and the students try to guess the answers as they play. Teachers can then see how students perform in each area.
GimKit features include:

Live Whole-Class Game Play
Assign Quizzes as Homework
Reports on Student Performance
Autograding

GimKit Tutorials:

GimKit Teacher Tutorial

Staff Contact: Joseph_Gardner@ddsd40.org

TeachIT - Custom Games

TeachIT is website that allows teachers to customize premade games to match their curriculum. While the content of the games site was primarily created for grade school teachers, the custom games can be easily adapted for practice activities at the high school level. You simply open the desired game maker, customize it to your student's content needs, and then publish the link for students (who will need to create free accounts to play).
TeachIT Custom Game features include:

Magnets (Drag and Drop Game)
Yes/No Quiz Maker
Snap (Matching Game with Button)
Matching (Drag and Drop Matching Game)
Sequencing (Drag and Drop Puzzle)
Choices (Multiple Choice Quiz)

Staff Contact: Jaclyn_Stewart@ddsd40.org

Go to the TeachIT Custom Game Makers

Tools for Assessment

Google Forms

Google Forms is an online form maker that allows you to make assessments with a variety of question and answer types. The form can be easily assigned in Google Classroom, and it automatically grades itself.
Google Forms features include:

Worksheet or Quiz Creation
Auto-Grade Assignments
Control Number of Responses per Student
Randomize Question and/or Answer Order
Reports Class Answer Data
Highlights Frequently Missed Questions

Staff Contact: Jaclyn_Stewart@ddsd40.org
Google Forms Tutorials:

Tools for Class Resources

Google Classroom

Google Classroom is an online assignment and communication platform that allows teachers to post lessons, assign homework, quiz students, give communication, and track grades. It ties in seamlessly with all the Google Apps, and provides a safe space for student learning and response.
Google Classroom features include:

Secure Platform for Online Learning
Post Lessons, Projects, and Assignments
Assign to All or Specific Students
Track Turn-Ins and Autograde Quizzes
Connect Grades to Synergy

Staff Contact: Michelle_Wood@ddsd40.org
Google Classroom Tutorials:

Chromebooks

Chromebooks are app-forward smart mobile devices that look like miniature laptops and work like a tablet with a keyboard. They allow students to connect to school using their student Gmail account and use all their school-related Google Apps. With Chromebooks, students can attend classes at home.
Chromebook features include:

Secure Wi-Fi access
Google Apps Integration
Gmail Student Login
Internet Browsing
Document and Media Editing

Staff Contact: derek_edens@ddsd40.org
Chromebook Tutorials:

StudentVUE

StudentVUE is the student's access point for Synergy, which allows them to see their schedule, grades, teachers, and more. Parents can see this same information on ParentVUE. Through this platform, students will be able to check missing assignments and instructions and email their teacher about their grade.
StudentVUE features include:

Student Synergy Login
Access to Live Grades
Schedule of Classes
Attendance Tracking
Teacher Communication

Staff Contact: Deb_Wheelbarger@ddsd40.org
StudentVUE Tutorials:

Soda PDF Merger

Soda PDF is a free online PDF document merger that allows you to combine several versions of a PDF document into one complete document. This is perfect for merging edits in a lesson between collaborating teachers or even merging student answers on a PDF you send out as an assignment.
Soda PDF features include:

Free PDF Document Merging
Upload Directly from Google Drive
No Limit to # of Files Merged
Convert PDFs to Any File Form
Convert Any File Form to PDF

Staff Contact: joed_talley@ddsd40.org
Soda PDF Tutorials:

How to Merge Files in Soda PDF

National Emergency Library

The National Emergency Library is a free digital archive of over 1 million texts. The library is free for anyone across the globe to use and is intended to provide resources for distance learning and intellectual stimulation during the COVID19 crisis. There are no check-out limits, so there is no limit to the number of students who can check out the same book.
Google Forms features include:

Over a Million Free Digital Books to Check Out
Wide Variety of Book Genres
No Late Fees - Just Check Out Again
No Check Out Waitlists
Universal School Library with Grade Level Book Lists

Staff Contact: Deb_Wheelbarger@ddsd40.org

Click Here to Go to Emergency Library

Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is a free digital archive of public domain texts. Since they provide only books with expired copyrights, most of their books are more than 50 years old. However, this means there are plenty of classics available, and you don't need an app to enjoy them. They provide multiple media formats for each book, and they are constantly adding more.
Project Gutenberg features include:

Over 60,000 free ebooks
HTML, ePub, Kindle, and Audiobook Formats
Top 100 Classics List
Browse by Author, Title, or Language
No Fee or Subscription Required

Staff Contact: Deb_Wheelbarger@ddsd40.org

Click Here to Go to Project Gutenberg

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