Search this site
Skip to main content
Skip to navigation
WSBonlinetoolkit
Home
Western Suffolk BOCES WebLearning
DISS - Model Schools
Technology and Distance Learning
Webinars
Articles
Apple
Coding
Zoom
Video/Sound Recording
Google
Screen Casting
Near Pod
Pear Deck
Microsoft Teams
ELA
PK-2
3-5
6-8
9-12
Math
PK-2
3-5
6-8
9-12
Social Studies
PK-2
3-5
6-8
9-12
Science
PK-2
3-5
6-8
9-12
Social Emotional Learning
Emotional Support
Health Education
Library and Media Resources
Nutrition Resources
Outdoor Education
Physical Education
Physical Activities
Early Childhood
Music & Arts
LOTE/ World Languages
NYSED
Special Education
English Language Learners
Cultural Responsiveness
Parent Resources
Virtual Field Trips
WSBonlinetoolkit
Home
Western Suffolk BOCES WebLearning
DISS - Model Schools
Technology and Distance Learning
Webinars
Articles
Apple
Coding
Zoom
Video/Sound Recording
Google
Screen Casting
Near Pod
Pear Deck
Microsoft Teams
ELA
PK-2
3-5
6-8
9-12
Math
PK-2
3-5
6-8
9-12
Social Studies
PK-2
3-5
6-8
9-12
Science
PK-2
3-5
6-8
9-12
Social Emotional Learning
Emotional Support
Health Education
Library and Media Resources
Nutrition Resources
Outdoor Education
Physical Education
Physical Activities
Early Childhood
Music & Arts
LOTE/ World Languages
NYSED
Special Education
English Language Learners
Cultural Responsiveness
Parent Resources
Virtual Field Trips
More
Home
Western Suffolk BOCES WebLearning
DISS - Model Schools
Technology and Distance Learning
Webinars
Articles
Apple
Coding
Zoom
Video/Sound Recording
Google
Screen Casting
Near Pod
Pear Deck
Microsoft Teams
ELA
PK-2
3-5
6-8
9-12
Math
PK-2
3-5
6-8
9-12
Social Studies
PK-2
3-5
6-8
9-12
Science
PK-2
3-5
6-8
9-12
Social Emotional Learning
Emotional Support
Health Education
Library and Media Resources
Nutrition Resources
Outdoor Education
Physical Education
Physical Activities
Early Childhood
Music & Arts
LOTE/ World Languages
NYSED
Special Education
English Language Learners
Cultural Responsiveness
Parent Resources
Virtual Field Trips
Articles
Easy-to-Use Supports for Students in Google Workspace
Built-in tools can help students stay focused on their assignments and free teachers up to focus on individualized feedback.
The Best Family Communication Platforms for Teachers and Schools | Common Sense Education
After dozens of hours of testing, we recommend TalkingPoints as a standout messaging tool for families, teachers, and students.
How Can You Close the School Year? Six Ideas That Work for In-Person, Hybrid, and Remote Students
These six activities help students reflect on the past school year, celebrate their school community, and look ahead to what comes next.
Which Remote Learning Tools Will Teachers Bring Back In Person? | Common Sense Education
How the Pandemic Is Influencing Tech Trends for In-Person Learning
A key element of student engagement is the content teachers are using for instruction across subjects.
newsela.com/about/blog/what-we-can-learn-from-2020s-most-engaging-content/?utm_source=blog&utm_campaign=WC-BLOG-2020-Most-Engaging-Content&utm_content=resource-snippet&_ga=2.35880288.1393094415.1620906935-1724137167.1591902036
Leveraging Technology to Support Students’ Needs
Teachers can apply a concept called ‘tech equity’ to ensure that the technology they use is enhancing learning for all of their students.
Virtual Teaching Practices With Staying Power
Remote teaching prompted teachers to find new ways to reach kids and build a feeling of community, and some of those will be well worth keeping.
Enduring Practices From Remote Teaching
After a yearlong crash course in digital tools and remote teaching, a teacher reflects on what will stick in her brick-and-mortar classroom.
Making a Shared Space for In-Person and Remote Learners
Building community in a concurrent teaching model is challenging, but collaborative learning is possible with the right virtual tools.
7 Tips for Teaching With Videos
Along with considering video length, teachers should look for ways to make watching a video an opportunity for active learning.
Hybrid Teaching Strategies for Elementary Classrooms
Some adaptations for hybrid classrooms, like digital manipulatives and instructional videos—will be worth keeping when all students are back in the room.
How to Facilitate Remote Socratic Seminars
Disciplined conversation about texts deepens students’ understanding—and builds a sense of community during distance learning.
The Camera-On/Camera-Off Dilemma
A new study offers some guidance for striking a balance between class cohesion and privacy. Plus, strategies from teachers to encourage camera use in context.
7 Tips for Breakout Room Success
Having students meet briefly in small groups can help build community and foster deeper learning.
How to ‘Read’ Students During Remote Learning
When your students aren’t engaging in online settings, try slowing down and using some of these questions to empower their voices and see what they’re learning.
Guiding Special Education Students to Stay on Track for Success in Hybrid Classrooms
Coaching special education students on metacognitive strategies helps them stay motivated during the pandemic.
5 Ways to Take Some of the Distance Out of Distance Learning
It’s important this year to keep connecting with students and fostering their engagement in learning.
13 Virtual Games to Play in Your Elementary Classroom
From scavenger hunts to Pictionary, we’ve gathered a batch of virtual games to get students talking, laughing, and engaging with peers.
A Powerful Strategy for Fostering Student Motivation
A look at how to adapt a well-established technique for boosting student motivation in distance learning or hybrid classrooms.
Using Gamification to Increase Engagement During Hybrid Learning
Games that take students on a quest can invigorate social studies and strengthen bonds among learners.
Virtual Literature Circles Create a Safe Space for Students
Discussions that are centered in students' experiences spark more text-to-self connections and help students internalize concepts like empathy.
6 Ways Teachers Continue to Promote Student Voice This Year
In distance and hybrid learning, elementary teachers are finding it more important than ever to build lessons centered on students’ active involvement.
Can You Actually Teach Kids to Read Online?
When remote learning muddies the already complicated process of learning to read, teachers get creative and find solutions.
Better Ways to Measure Student Progress
Distance learning has forced many educators to take a closer look at traditional grading and contemplate better methods of assessment.
4 Assessment Strategies for Distance and Hybrid Learning
A few ways to set up formative and summative assessments that provide an accurate picture of what students know.
How to Make the Most of Student Feedback During Distance Learning
It’s harder to read a class when students are learning at home, so teachers need to explicitly ask for feedback.
Focusing on Feedback in Distance Learning
Particularly in this difficult year, providing clear feedback is key to helping elementary students achieve learning goals.
Strategies From the Dramatic Arts Can Enhance Student Engagement
When students explore content using dramatic scripts, they can make gains in reading fluency and comprehension, while having fun.
How Conferencing for Assessment Benefits Students During Hybrid Learning
With a skills-based rubric and one-on-one conferencing, teachers can get a clear sense of what students are learning.
Supporting Choice Reading for Students in Distance Learning
Teachers can use remote reading conferences and online library explorations to ensure that students continue to build literacy skills.
7 High-Impact, Evidence-Based Tips for Online Teaching
What do highly effective teachers do in online classrooms? We combed through dozens of studies to find the best research-backed ideas.
Accessibility Features Can Ease Remote Instruction for Students
Popular devices and software come equipped with text-to-speech and other supports that lower barriers to learning.
5 Resources for Building Student Engagement in Online Learning
Explore 5 virtual learning resources to build student engagement in online learning and foster a sense belonging with K-12 students.
Using Student-Generated Questions to Promote Deeper Thinking
Asking students to create their own questions has a powerful impact on learning. Plus, 5 tips to encourage high-quality questions.
How to Make Station Rotation Work During Hybrid Learning
Implementing this method makes dividing a teacher’s time between students in class and those working at home much easier.
The Value of a Camera-Optional Policy
Allowing students to choose whether to turn their camera on for online classes enables them to take ownership of their learning.
Opinion | Kids Can Learn to Love Learning, Even Over Zoom
There are ways for teachers to nurture curiosity — and they’re especially important in online classes.
Promoting Strong Writing Skills With Digital Instruction
Teachers in all content areas can guide students through the writing process by using popular apps—both in the classroom and in distance learning.
How to Help Middle School Students Learn to Work Independently
These students can navigate a self-paced class with lots of teacher support at the beginning and clear expectations about assignments.
15 Lessons Learned From Online Teaching | PBS Education
Your source for teaching inspiration, blogs, and online professional events.
Engaging Students in Virtual Instruction With the Camera Off
Giving students the option to turn their cameras off may make them more comfortable and open up new possibilities for teaching.
5 Research-Backed Tips to Improve Your Online Teaching Presence
As the physical distance increases between you and your students, so can the psychological and emotional space. Here are some tips that can help.
How to use Jamboard in the classroom: 20+ tips and ideas - Ditch That Textbook
Jamboard is a creative collaborative online whiteboard. How do you use Google Jamboard in the classroom? Check out these ideas!
8 Strategies to Improve Participation in Your Virtual Classroom
Educators share their best synchronous and asynchronous strategies to boost student participation during online learning.
The Science of Keeping Kids Engaged—Even From Home
The upcoming school year will be filled with uncertainty, but the need to keep students engaged while working from home feels like a sure thing. Fortunately, there is a science of motivation.
Use Live Class Time to Center Relationships
By delivering content to students working at home, teachers can save live classes for what’s most important—the personal interactions that solidify learning.
53 Questions to Ask Students, Families, and Staff Once the 2020-21 School Year Is Underway
53 questions for your district to ask students, families, teachers, and staff during the first few weeks of the 2020-21 academic year.
Translating Mindfulness to Distance Learning
Modeling rituals and making mindfulness playful can help students incorporate mindful practices into their daily routines.
22 Remote Learning Tips For Parents Helping At Home -
Remote learning tips for parents include focusing on the child's well-being, creating a schedule, providing resources, and making sure work is complete.
Keeping Lines of Communication Open During Distance Learning
Clear, positive messages from administrators can go a long way toward helping teachers working at home feel more connected.
COMMENTARY: 7 things teachers can do to address student trauma – especially during distance learning
Trauma-informed approach to learning will make return to school more successful for students and teachers.
Designing Your LMS to Make Distance Learning Better
Intentionally setting up a learning management system where everything students need is easy to access can help them all be successful.
4 Tips for Productive Online Discussions
A debate coach with experience guiding virtual discussions explains how to get students to engage with each other and with the course content.
Using Social Media to Build a Personal Learning Network
More and more teachers are taking to Twitter and Facebook to share ideas and strategies with peers throughout the country.
ASCD Educational Leadership
Three Strategies For Better Online Discussions
NewsELA:
Planning for Acceleration: A follow-up conversation with Jeffrey Tsang of TNTP
Seven Distance Learning Priorities to Consider Before Reopening Schools | KQED
Schools went online at a rapid pace because of COVID-19 social distancing measures. As school leaders decide how to reopen schools, here's a list of seven priorities to consider first.
Fostering a Strong Community in a Virtual Classroom
The shift to working online requires teachers to think a little differently about how to build the culture they want with their students.
Getting Ready to Teach Next Year
There’s a lot of uncertainty about the 2020–21 school year, but planning for a mix of remote and in-person instruction will help educators be ready.
6 Engaging End-of-Year Projects
Let your students choose one of these creative, hands-on projects to show their learning.
Keeping Students With Learning Disabilities Motivated at Home
Using movement breaks and improving skills like the ability to focus can help high school students with learning disabilities stay on track in this unsettled time.
Calming End-of-Year Stress
The school year’s end can be stressful for students leaving a structured environment for uncertain situations. Offer connection and affirmation to help them feel valued and confident.
A Powerful Model for Understanding Good Tech Integration
Good technology integration isn’t about using the fanciest tool, it’s about being aware of the range of options and picking the right strategy—or strategies—for the lesson at hand.
Effective Uses of Technology in Elementary School
Minimizing screen time and maximizing student interactions are worthwhile, but there are still good uses of technology in the elementary grades.
Using Technology to Support 10 Executive Functioning Skills
Teachers can use a variety of digital resources to foster the skills students need for long-term success.
Using a Class Google Site to Improve Organization and Engagement
This free tool helps students in the classroom and at home stay on the same page—and there are benefits for teachers as well.
How to Zero In on the Right Technology Tools
Data privacy and students’ previous experience with particular tools can help teachers determine the best fit.
Digital Tools to Support Choice Reading
Choice reading supports lifelong learning, but teachers often need help making the universe of books accessible to students.
Connecting SEL and Equity in Hybrid Learning Classrooms
Common social and emotional learning strategies also promote equity, contributing to all students’ feeling of belonging in school.
Making Project-Based Learning Inclusive in a Hybrid Setting
It’s not easy to help students feel connected when everyone isn’t in the same room, but these science teachers found a way to make it work.
How to Build a Strong Virtual Classroom Community
There is light at the end of our long tunnel of social isolation, but teachers still need to focus on students’ sense of connection to their peers and school community.
Teaching Students to Self-Advocate During Distance Learning
Teachers are finding ways to gauge students’ understanding of lessons this year, and guiding them to ask for help is a crucial piece of the puzzle.
Managing In-Person and Distance Learning at the Same Time | Common Sense Education
Use these tips to help make hybrid or hyflex teaching and learning work better for you and your students.
10 Teacher Picks for Best Tech Tools
Teachers and administrators from pre-K through 12th grade named these tools their top picks for this year and beyond.
Using Digital Media to Support Early Learning
There are legitimate worries about young kids’ screen use, but that time can be used to promote literacy, science, and math learning.
6 Free Resources for Virtual Field Trips
Teachers can use panoramic photos and videos of locations all around the world to make lessons more engaging.
Bringing More of a Classroom Feel to Distance Learning
Through technology, teachers can share the sights and sounds of the classroom to help remote students feel more connected.
Using Technology to Support Young English Language Learners in a Hybrid Classroom
Through videos and interactive online tasks, early elementary students can increase fluency and build vocabulary.
11 Tips for Teaching Preschool Online
From scavenger hunts to obstacle courses to read-alouds, many activities from the classroom can be adapted for little kids learning from home.
A Model for Teaching World Languages in a Hybrid Classroom
With some students in the room and some at home, how can teachers continue to focus on building speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in the target language?
Bringing a Collaborative Math Strategy Online
In a four-step activity called “Try It, Talk It, Color It, Check It,” students work through problems together and explain their mathematical thinking—all on Zoom.
Formative and Summative Assessment in a Hybrid Classroom
Getting a true sense of students’ learning and discouraging cheating is tough when some students are in the room and some are at home, but it can be done.
4 ways schools are successfully pivoting to remote learning
Spring 2020 was a real learning period for schools that had never used remote learning before. Call it a baptism by fire, if you will, but seemingly overnight, nearly every institution nationwide h…
3 Tips to Promote Attendance in Your Virtual Classroom
Using Google Classroom tools to encourage student engagement
Strategies for Working Efficiently When Teaching Online
Teaching in distance and hybrid models is time-consuming, so teachers need to make sure they use their time well.
Strategies to Encourage Students to Turn Their Cameras On
Incorporating SEL approaches, playing games, and giving students options can inspire them to show their faces.
How to Make Virtual STEM Lessons More Engaging for Young Learners
These easy-to-implement strategies can make science, technology, engineering, and math lessons come alive for elementary students.
Tips For Building Early Reading Skills Online
Elementary students may struggle with developing reading skills in an online classroom. These tips can maximize your time together.
How to Plan for Hybrid Teaching and Learning | Common Sense Education
Learn 6 key considerations for a blended model of in-person and remote instruction.
Adapting an Effective Math Collaboration Activity for Distance Learning
An instructional coach and math teacher who developed a powerful model for student collaboration have tweaked it for the pandemic.
How to Create Engaging Instructional Videos
Teacher-made videos that encourage interaction and engagement are an effective way to support student learning—and they aren’t hard to create.
Adapting Reading Comprehension Instruction to Virtual Learning
In distance learning, teachers can adapt many of the strategies they would use in the classroom to promote reading skills.
Effective Instructional Models for a Hybrid Schedule
It can be a challenge to engage students when they’re at school only a few days a week—station rotations and flipping the classroom can help.
Building Community in a Virtual Pre-K Classroom
Foundational strategies of effective early childhood education that teachers used in the classroom work well for remote learning too.
Creating Online Clubs for Students During Remote Learning
A teacher who sponsors a coding club shares how it helps students meet peers with similar interests and feel less alone while learning at home.
5 Ways to Use Videoconferencing in Remote Learning
Videoconferencing has become an essential teaching tool, and these strategies will help teachers make the most of it.
The Student Engagement Trap, and How to Avoid It
Capturing students' interests can be harmful to learning when it's not relevant to the subject, research shows.
Your Checklist for Virtual Project-Based Learning
It’s actually a good time for challenging, independent projects. Here are some of the steps you should consider as you prepare your students to get started online.
Nurturing a Classroom Community During Distance Learning
Strategies like using a variety of groupings and having students meet each other during online office hours can help build strong relationships.
5 skills teachers need during COVID-19
We find ourselves working in some interesting places these days. Today, my office is the home of my great-grandparents in a small Minnesota town. It’s a simple house, and full of reminders of what …
How Using a Little Sign Language Can Improve Online Classes
Nonverbal communication such as American Sign Language can help students and educators in every grade feel more connected.
4 Ways to Increase Engagement in Distance Learning (and In Person)
I participated in a distance learning institute recently where over 500 educators were asked how they measured engagement. Many responded with eye contact, nodding along, cameras on, answering ques…
Helping Teachers Feel More Confident About Distance Learning
Teachers will be more successful at remote instruction if they believe they can do it, and school leaders can boost their sense of efficacy.
How to Make Teaching Online Feel Less Isolating
Working from home can be tough for educators who feed off the energy of their students and coworkers, but there are ways to feel more connected.
A Framework for Thinking About Tech Integration
Apps and other digital tools should minimize complexity while prioritizing the authentic connections that are central to learning.
An Adaptable Framework for Project-Based Learning
The National Geographic Society has a five-step PBL model and resource library to foster deep learning whether students are in school or at home.
Keys to Success in Distance Learning
Educators from around the country shared their advice about making remote instruction work for middle and high school students.
Connecting With Reluctant Remote Learners
Online classes make some kids anxious, but building relationships with them can go a long way toward helping them feel secure.
Planning Lessons With the Student Experience in Mind
Providing students with clear directions and easy-to-navigate content is especially important during distance learning.
How to Create Community in a Virtual Classroom
By establishing routines that address the challenges of online learning, teachers can help students in grades 3 to 8 feel a sense of belonging.
2 Simple Ways to Improve Online Instruction
Distance learning started as an emergency in the spring, but teachers are finding ways to make it better, even for students working on smartphones.
How to Develop Culturally Responsive Teaching for Distance Learning | KQED
Culturally responsive teaching is a powerful way to help students become independent learners, and it can be especially valuable during distance learning.
5 Effective Modeling Strategies for English Learners
Providing English learners—and all students—with examples of how to do learning tasks is particularly useful during distance learning.
4 Ways to Craft Choice Menus in Distance Learning Classes
I have three kids ranging from older elementary to high school. Each one of them is handling distance learning differently. My daughter, who is also the youngest, initially felt overwhelmed at the list of assignments
The Socially Distanced School Day
Every facet of the school day will have to change when students and staff members return to buildings. We explain the recommendations, present different strategies, estimate some of the costs, and weigh some pros and cons.
Parents and Educators as Co-Creators: 5 Family Engagement Strategies from District Leaders
5 takeaways on supporting family engagement from district leaders. Learn about leveraging social-emotional learning, technology, and family-school partnerships.
Emphasizing the Importance of Play During Distance Learning
For young children, play is the primary vehicle for learning, and these ideas will help ensure that they continue to have rich play experiences at home.
How Children Process Grief and Loss Through Play
Young children will likely process the tumultuous events of 2020 in the only way they know how—through play. Here’s how adults can be supportive.
4 Strategies to Help Students Feel Calm During Distance Learning
Ways to guide elementary students to regulate their emotions and feel connected to their teacher and peers so they’re ready to learn.
5 Radical Schooling Ideas For An Uncertain Fall And Beyond - MindShift
American education is full of innovators practicing alternatives to the mainstream. Now, some of those alternatives are proving their mettle.
6 Ways to Bring Students and Staff Back to Schools
Here are six models for how to operate your schools within social distancing requirements and health and safety requirements.
10 Things Great School Leaders Do Over the Summer
Strategies school leaders can use to reflect and prepare to make the next school year successful.
Designing a Meaningful Graduation Ritual in Quarantine
In-person high school commencement ceremonies are canceled—but seniors can still mark the transition in a meaningful way.
Teacher-Created Videos for Remote Learning
When Concourse Village Elementary in the Bronx had to close their school building due to Covid-19, principal Alexa Sorden and her staff pivoted quickly to deliver engaging lessons via video.
Safely back to school after coronavirus closures
As they ponder the path to reopening schools, systems can consider three questions: when to reopen, for whom, and with what health and safety precautions in place.
When will schools reopen? Not soon, education leaders say, despite Trump's declarations
With little guidance from the federal government on reopening schools, state leaders are debating when to end closures. Their answer so far: not soon
Schools Are Opening Worldwide, Providing a Model for the U.S.
Children are returning to school in countries that are weeks—or months—ahead of the U.S. in battling Covid-19. Here’s how it’s happening.
What Past Education Emergencies Tell Us About Our Future
With schools closed in 185 countries, experts who’ve studied school emergencies around the world share insights about the impact on kids.
Why Learning at Home Should Be More Self-Directed—and Less Structured
On March 18, 2020, Simone Kern tweeted that simply “recreating schools at home” passes up a golden opportunity to engage kids in authentic, self-directed learning.
Why Are Some Kids Thriving During Remote Learning?
Though remote learning has brought many challenges, some students seem to be thriving in the new circumstances. What can we learn from them?
Teaching Strategies of Award-Winning Online Instructors
A recent study gleaned five insights on virtual instruction by examining the techniques shared in common by top-rated online instructors.
5 Home Learning Experiences for the Elementary Grades
Activities that incorporate speaking and listening, reading and writing, math, music, science, art, and drama—and are parent-friendly.
Teaching Tips and Resources for Distance Learning as Coronavirus Shuts Down Schools
Strategies, best practices, and tools for managing online learning and distance education during coronavirus and COVID-19 school closures.
Keeping Students Engaged in Digital Learning
Whether you’re new to teaching online or a veteran, these six tips can help you make sure your students stay connected and immersed in learning.
Strategies to Build Engaging Digital Lessons for High School Students | PBS Education
Your source for teaching inspiration, blogs, and online professional events.
Formative Assessment in Distance Learning
Schools are closed but schooling goes on, and it remains crucial that teachers find ways to see what students are learning.
Bringing the Benefits of Your Morning Meetings Online
To give his students a sense of stability, an elementary teacher has shifted his morning meetings to asynchronous home learning.
How to Keep School Rhythm and Routines for Young Children at Home - EdSurge News
As schools shift to remote learning models for the foreseeable future, parents and caregivers are finding themselves in a new role—that of the school ...
I've Been Teaching Online for Years. Here's How to Prevent Burnout During a School Closure
During the coronavirus pandemic, it can be a difficult adjustment to work from home. Online educator Kiesha Easley offers 5 strategies to protect your mental health.
Teaching Through a Pandemic: A Mindset for This Moment
Hundreds of teachers, many of them operating in countries where teach-from-home has been in place for weeks, weigh in on the mental approach you need to stay grounded in this difficult time.
10 Tips for First-Time Online Professors
(who were suddenly forced to teach online due to a global pandemic)
What Teachers in China Have Learned in the Past Month
An American whose classroom in Beijing is now online shares what she and her team have learned since the coronavirus hit, just as U.S. teachers make the same shift.
Report abuse
Page details
Page updated
Report abuse