Virtual Lessons for Distance Learning

How to Teach Virtual Lessons for Distance Learning

Teaching in a traditional classroom is challenging. When we take that traditional experience and attempt to put it online, that challenge becomes even harder. This post will give you some ideas on how to teach virtual lessons for distance learning. Read on to be prepared for whatever this school year may bring your way.

Online Tools

Click here to learn how to create a weekly schedule for virtual learning. The teacher in this video will show you how to create and send a weekly schedule to students so that they know what to do and when to do it. She even shows you how to embed Zoom or Google Hangout links so that students can simply click to join your virtual lessons.

Download the FREE trial to Audible and send this link (https://amzn.to/3aGPasx) to your students so that they can download it as well. Audible will provide those who download the app via this link with 2 free books. You can assign books to your students that you would normally read aloud in class. By using Audible, they can still listen to the books just like they would have done in class. Because we typically read books aloud that are ABOVE their reading level, using Audible will allow them to listen to the chapters you assign and then have class discussion during your virtual lesson.

Screencastify- Watch this video to find out how to download this Chrome extension and use it to record high-quality video lessons for your class. This teacher will take you step-by-step through the following:
- How to download the Google Screencastify Chrome Extension
- How to access the downloaded extension with the pink arrow
- How to show a document to students
- How to embed your webcam at the same time so that students can see you and the document
- How to use all of the features of Screencastify such as the annotation, pause recording, erase, etc.
- How to stop sharing your screen
- How to store video on your Google Drive
- How to share the link with students
- How to share to Google Classroom
- How to edit the video

Click here to learn How to use Google Resources in the Upper Elementary Classroom– This teacher will show you how to use:
- Google Drive
- Google Docs
- Google Slides
- Google Sheets
- Google Forms
- Google Sites

All of these tutorials are short and concise video clips that you can watch again and agin. Additionally, she provides a great list of project ideas.

Click here to grab a free trial of Kindle Unlimited and enjoy unlimited reading and listening on any device. This will allow you to access a multitude of books to use with your students for read-alouds, book talks, literature circles in breakout rooms, book reports, and so much more!

Guided Reading

If you are looking to teach Guided Reading virtually, then look no further. Anna DiGilio does an AMAZING job laying this out for you step-by-step in this fantastic video. If you are teaching Guided Reading, this is a MUST WATCH.

If you are familiar with Seesaw or would like to learn more, check out this short video on ways to incorporate it into your virtual reading groups.

4 Tips for Teaching Guided Reading virtually-
1. Start on the level where your students left off.
2. Email, place in Google Classroom, a digital guided reading book each week.
3. Share helpful tips and tools with parents- Parents may not know what to do with the book you send, so be sure to include some tips, directions, and questions to ask. You might ask them to discuss the title, take a picture walk, and make predictions before reading. Keep it simple.

Click here to get FREE Guided Reading Strategies Posters that you can have parents print at home, send them home to those without printers, or have them available in digital format.

4. Assess students’ reading level with video by having students recorded themselves reading

Learning sites

Have Fun Teaching YouTube Channel: educational media brand for teachers, parents, and kids. HFT makes teaching and learning fun with engaging songs and videos. With over 1 billion views, and popular videos like the Alphabet Song, Seasons Song, and Water Cycle Song, Have Fun Teaching is a favorite in classrooms and homes all over the world.
PBS Media: free site full of videos, articles, and interactive video lessons on all core subjects.
Scholastic Learn at Home: free site contains days of lessons and activities on interesting topics.
Mount Vernon’s Museum Collection Online: collections contain thousands of artifacts related to George Washington and his family. Students can get up close and personal with primary source objects!
Mount Vernon Online Learning: Collections of digital primary sources, secondary sources, videos, games, etc.
History Meme Student Guide for Google Slides: free resource that you can assign to your students to help them learn about history memes and create their own.
Newsela: provides current events and nonfiction text. This company is graciously offering their entire website free at this time. If you haven’t checked them out, now is the perfect time.
Readworks: Always free! Sign up for a free teacher account and assign your students articles that meet your standards. You can filter by grade level, subject, topic, reading level, read-aloud, and more!

Learn More

Click here to pick up a copy of The Distance Learning Playbook, Grades K-12: Teaching for Engagement and Impact in Any Setting by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, John Hattie

Effective teaching is effective teaching, no matter where it occurs

The pandemic teaching of mid-2020 was not really distance learning, but rather crisis teaching. But starting now, teachers have the opportunity to prepare for distance learning with purpose and intent―using what works best to accelerate students’ learning all the while maintaining an indelible focus on equity.

Harnessing the insights and experience of renowned educators Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and John Hattie, The Distance Learning Playbook applies the wisdom and evidence of VISIBLE LEARNING® research to understand what works best with distance learning. Spanning topics from teacher-student relationships, teacher credibility and clarity, instructional design, assessments, and grading, this comprehensive playbook details the research- and evidence-based strategies teachers can mobilize to deliver high-impact learning in an online, virtual, and distributed environment.

This powerful guide includes:

Learning Intentions and Success Criteria for each module to track your own learning and model evidence-based teacher practices for meaningful learning
A diversity of instructional approaches, including direct instruction, peer learning, and independent work that foster student self-regulation and move learning to deep and transfer levels
Discussion of equity challenges associated with distance learning, along with examples of how teachers can work to ensure that equity gains that have been realized are not lost.
Special guidance for teachers of young children who are learning from a distance
Videos of the authors and teachers discussing a wide variety of distance learning topics
Space to write and reflect on current practices and plan future instruction

The Distance Learning Playbook is the essential hands-on guide to preparing and delivering distance learning experiences that are truly effective and impactful.

Conclusion

These tips on how to teach virtual lessons for distance learning can make this difficult time a bit easier. We would love to know which of these resources you found most helpful. Be sure to drop a comment below to let us know!

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