Digital Learning
EL Strategies for Success in the Virtual Learning Environment
Slow things down, focus on the key concepts, less is more
Literally s l o w down presentations and videos (suggestion: set speed at 75%)
Use the digital tools available
Edpuzzle
Pear Deck
closed caption
read aloud applications
translation tools
provide “how to” directions for use of tools (multi language if needed)
Use Pear Deck, putting questions and directions in the chat, in Google Classroom “make a copy for each student
Use of breakout rooms with ELs only
Kahoots for reviewing vocabulary
Khan Academy, when appropriate, has a Spanish website – type ES in front of a web address
30 minute Study Groups with ELs during lunch and/or breaks (EL teacher joins the study group when possible)
Screencasting a YouTube video with split screen Word document beside it with simplified text or vocab words, add subtitles in Settings and slow the speed of videos to 75%
Write terms and information in ONE document instead of having to go to many different pages or sites to find vocabulary and information
Where applicable add pictures to PowerPoints or documents
Digital Tools, Apps, and Platforms: WCPSS Approved
Animoto: Gives students the ability to make a short, 30-second share video of what they learned in a lesson.
AnswerGarden: A tool for online brainstorming or polling, educators can use this real-time tool to see student feedback on questions.
Biblionasium: This online, safe, and simple book network allows teachers to view books students have read, create reading challenges, and track progress. Students also can review and recommend books to their peers.
BrainPop: Use videos on countless topics to shape your lesson plan, then rely on BrainPOP quizzes to see what stuck.
Buncee: A creation and presentation tool that helps students and teachers visualize, communicate, and engage with classroom concepts and ideas.
Dotstorming: A whiteboard app that allows digital sticky notes to be posted and voted on. This tool is best for generating class discussion and brainstorming on different topics and questions.
Edpuzzle: Use video to track student understanding.
Educreations: A whiteboard app that provides students the tool to share understanding and comprehension.
Flipgrid: This tool lets students use 15-second to 5-minute videos to respond to prompts. Teachers and peers can provide feedback.
ForAllRubrics: This software is free for all teachers and allows you to import, create, and score rubrics on your tablet or smartphone. You can collect data offline, compute scores automatically, and print or save the rubrics as a PDF or spreadsheet.
Formative: This online, all-student response system provides teachers the opportunity to assign activities to students, receive the results in real time, and then provide immediate feedback to students.
Gimkit: A handy resource for creating real-time quizzes. It was created by a high school student!
Google Forms: A Google Drive app that allows you to create documents that students can collaborate on in real time using smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
Kahoot!: A game-based classroom response system, where teachers can create quizzes using internet content.
Mentimeter: Allows you to use mobile phones or tablets to vote on any question a teacher asks, increasing student engagement.
Nearpod: This tool is nice in that you can not only gather evidence of student learning, like an all-student response system, but also create differentiated lessons based on the data you collected.
Padlet: Provides an essentially blank canvas for students to create and design collaborative projects. Great for brainstorming.
Pear Deck: Plan and build interactive presentations that students can participate in via their smart device. It offers unique question types.
Peergrade: A platform that allows teachers to create assignments and upload rubrics. Students upload work and are anonymously assigned peer work to review according the rubric.
Plickers: Allows teachers to collect real-time formative assessment data without the need for student devices. Perfect for the one-device classroom.
Poll Everywhere: Teachers can create a feedback poll or ask questions. Students respond in various ways, and teachers see the results in real-time. With open-ended questions, you can capture data and spin up tag clouds to aggregate responses.
Quizalize: A great tool that allows teachers to easily create quizzes and homework for students. Teachers can then see how the students did and identify areas for improvement.
Quizizz: Create quizzes to assess learning—and include your students in the quiz-writing process.
Quizlet: Create flashcards, tests, quizzes, and study games that are engaging and accessible online and via a mobile device.
Remind: A tool that allows teachers to text students and stay in touch with parents.
ShowMe Interactive Whiteboard: Another whiteboard tool that students and teachers can use to check understanding.
Adobe Spark: This app from Adobe allows teachers to add graphics and visuals to exit tickets.
Vocaroo: A service that allows users to create audio recordings without the need for software. You can easily embed the recording into slideshows, presentations, or websites. Great for collaborative group work and presentations.
VoiceThread: Allows you to create and share conversations on documents, diagrams, videos, pictures, or almost anything. This facilitates collaborative student discussion and work.
WordArt: This word cloud generator has an added feature that allows the user to make each word an active link to connect to a website you determine.
Nearpod: a student engagement platform that can be used to amazing effect in the classroom. The concept is simple. A teacher can create presentations that can contain Quizzes, Polls, Videos, Images, Drawing-Boards, Web Content and so on. They can also access over 7K k-12 standards-aligned lessons.
Desmos: A free online graphing calculator
Flubaroo: Grading Made Easy · Grade assignments and assessments in under a minute!
Kami: A leading digital classroom app built to transform any existing document into an interactive learning experience.