Learn Lead Grow

 The Frayer model is one of my favorite tools for building student vocabulary. Whether you are face-to-face or in an online environment, building student vocabulary is an important aspect of learning. The Frayer model provides students with four quadrants to fill in with definitions, characteristics, and examples of a term.  Why I Love the Frayer Model I like this tool because it provides students with multiple ways to represent a term. There are many different variations of the Frayer model; however, I created the following variation to provide students with an opportunity to write, draw, and supply background knowledge. Plus, students can draw their own Frayer model on paper or use an electronic version. Get a Copy of My Jamboard Template If you are working virtually, I wanted to share with you the following Jamboard template , which students can use in remote, hybrid, or face-to-face learning situations! Jamboard provides the perfect platform for students to  Use the textbox to ent

 Did you know that you could use Jamboard to create sketch notes? If you are not familiar with the term sketch notes, it refers to a visual way to take notes by including text, images, concept maps, etc.  Sketch notes are a powerful strategy in helping students understand content, make connections, demonstrate understanding, and reflect on the learning.  In a virtual learning environment, Jamboard provides an excellent way for students to use a device to create notes because it contains a variety of flexible tools to express their knowledge. However, you can use a variety of other tools to do the same thing! The idea is to get students to share what they have learned!  Jamboard also provides students with a way to collaborate with other classmates on a Sketch Note, share a view-only copy of their notes, or download a PDF or PNG copy of their notes.  How do you get started? Students can create their own notes by visiting Jamboard or you could create and share a template of a Jamboard w

 Jamboard recently developed a new option for adding custom backgrounds to your frames. A colleague and I decided to put this to the test by developing an interactive phonics practice activity using Jamboard, Google Drawings, and Google Classroom.  Even if you are not a Language Arts or elementary school teacher, you might find this activity helpful. How Did We Do It?  First, we created a brand new Jamboard .  Next, we created a few custom backgrounds using Google Drawings. After we were finished designing our backgrounds, we saved them as a JPG (File > Download > JPG) and then uploaded them to Jamboard. You can upload your custom background to Jamboard by visiting Set Background.  After we set our custom background, we designed a few interactive "chip" pieces that would be placed on this frame. We created the "chips" using Google Drawings and downloaded them as a JPG; however, we chose the add image button in Jamboard to upload our "chips." We also

 Flipgrid just launched a new feature to record with the Mic Only feature! This is a great tool for students who may be camera shy, need to practice their reading, or might be distracted by the camera.  How might you use this feature?  Have students use this feature to respond to discussion questions. They could very easily put their ideas into a Google Doc or on the Sticky Note tool! Students could create their own podcasts. For example, perhaps students develop a podcast to discuss the causes of the Revolutionary War with on-the-scene "interviews" of historical figures.  The Mic Only feature could be a great way for students to practice their reading fluency in the elementary or middle school reading classroom! Simply have students pull out a book or piece of text and record their voice. Have students practice reading this text multiple times throughout the year to show progress monitoring.  Did you know that students can still use all of the tools in Flipgrid? Use the w

Visualization tools like mindmaps are extremely helpful for students to visualize concepts, see connections, and express their understanding in tangible ways. Gitmind is a free web-based tool that makes creating mindmaps and flowcharts easy to do.  Check out my video on how to use this great tool! 

 With many schools turning to virtual learning, it can be difficult to keep up! Although Zoom is an amazing platform that many teachers are using to conduct virtual learning, many teachers are becoming stressed and overwhelmed. Why? Classroom management changes when you are conducting online learning.  I developed the following video to help provide teachers with tips and tricks for teaching with Zoom. The following video will provide you with an overview of: Screen sharing Managing student participation How to use the whiteboard feature Creating Breakout Rooms Tips and tricks for managing disruptions Helpful security features Tips for using Zoom with an iPad

 I am always looking for fun and engaging ways to help students learn! I recently came across Baamboozle , which is a free tool for students to study, self-assess, or play a Jeopardy-like group game! Whether you want students to study, provide direct instruction, or play a group review game, Baamboozle has a feature for you.  Some of my favorite features of this tool are: No two games are the same! Questions are never in the same order and are pulled from a bank of questions created by the creator of the game.  You can customize your game to your student's needs! Need a timer? Want to give students a chance to pass on a question they don't know? Do you want to change your team names?  There is no need to prepare! There are thousands of games created by other educators available to play at your fingertips. Limited on student devices? No worries. You can easily project this game on your Smartboard Students do not need accounts or codes to play! I can easily create my own game

Booksnaps take a literacy twist to the idea of Snapchat! The idea is for students to use a digital tool to identify a portion of the text and share connections in a creative and meaningful way!  “A BookSnap is simply a digital, visual representation used to annotate and share reflections of an excerpt of a book or text.” (Martin, T, 2017 ) Why Booksnaps? Students can make meaningful and personal connections to the text. Provides students with flexible options for expressing understanding and thoughts. Helps students identify critically important parts of the text, illustrations, themes, etc.   How Do I Create a Booksnap?  The most effective tools for creating a Booksnap allow students to insert images, utilize annotation tools, and add audio/video. You can use a variety of tech tools, such as Flipgrid , Seesaw , and Book Creator.  Check out my helpful video below : No tech? No problem! Students can do many of the same things on a paper handout.  Step 1 - Take a Picture!   Have

 Fliphunts are digital scavenger hunts powered by Flipgrid and another tool like Google Docs.  Fliphunts are an amazing way to help students demonstrate their understanding of content in a highly engaging way! Whether students are at home, at school, or in a hybrid situation, they can showcase their understanding anytime and anywhere!  How Do You Create a Fliphunt? Check out my video below: What are the common elements of effective Fliphunts?  Fliphunts begin with a learning goal. Ultimately, you are providing students with an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of a concept or content.  Tasks are often listed in a Google Doc, Word Document, Google Slides, etc.  Each task should be designed to meet your goal, which is often designed with varying degrees of difficulty.  Some Fliphunts can take the form of a list of tasks to be completed in order  Students record themselves performing tasks, answering questions, or finding clues  Many Fliphunts take a gamified approach and pro

 If you are a Google Classroom or other LMS user, then you know that increasing student engagement and participation in asynchronous discussions can be difficult for several reasons. What if we looked for ways to facilitate online discussion in creative, meaningful, and engaging ways?  Idea # 1 - Flexible Discussion Board When I was younger, I would struggle with writing my thoughts on paper. It was much easier to "speak" them than right them. If your goal is for students to reflect on a writing prompt, why not consider offering a few ways to respond? Here is an example of a Google Classroom discussion prompt, which provides students with two different response options:  Written response on Google Classroom Video response on Flipgrid If you cannot offer flexibility in the tool being used, it might be helpful to consider using a speech-to-text tool like Voice Typing in Google Docs or using a tool like Grammarly to help edit your student's writing.  Idea # 2 - Provide Stude

HyperDocs are an excellent way to connect learning with students in hybrid, face-to-face, or virtual learning environments. Want to learn how to create your own HyperDoc?  First, I would recommend visiting the HyperDocs.co website to get an idea of some of the templates and samples that are available for all teachers to use. Here is a sample HyperDoc on HyperDocs that I have created.  Want to see a step-by-step video on creating a HyperDoc ?     Next, I would make a copy of a template and begin putting together your HyperDoc. Here are a few things to think about: Workflow - how will you collect and distribute materials? How will students submit work to you? Google Classroom is a great tool for this.  Accessibility - how will you help students access learning and materials?  A good way to do this is to force a copy of the document  and add helpful video tutorials. Screencastify is a great tool for creating helpful videos.  Design - how will you create a document that is easy to navig

 Are you new to HyperDocs? Check out my infographic for tips, tricks, and resources:

 Jamboard is quickly becoming a favorite tool for many educators across the globe. It is simple to use and easy to integrate; however, the one question that I often hear is "how can I share it with students?" Want a tutorial on how to use Jamboard? Check this out!  Google Classroom may be one of the easiest ways to share a Jamboard with your students. Simply attach your Jamboard to your assignment from your Google Drive. Then you will have the option to choose one of the following options: View Only - students can only see your Jamboard and can't change anything. Perfect if you want to demonstrate something to students.  Students Can Edit - this allows your entire class to work on one Jamboard at the same time. Make a Copy for Each Student - this creates an individual copy of your Jamboard for each student in the class. This will save on your student's Google Drive. NOTE: You will not be able to see all of your students completing their Jamboards at once; however, you

Have you ever been frustrated when students forget to read instructions or include certain elements in an assignment? I have found writing assignments to be particularly challenging for some students. In order to save my sanity and help students practice important self-management skills, I developed an interactive Google Sheet called "My Perfect 10 Checklist." The following Sheet has checkbox reminders, a tally feature to count all checked boxes, and conditional formatting, which will turn green when the student is ready to turn in their assignment.    How Does It Work?  First, you will want to create a Google Sheet with the important tasks you want students to complete. It might be helpful to keep it simple and list a handful or no more than 10.  Then, you will want to add checkboxes, so that students can keep track of their completion.  Next, I find it helpful to add a box to tally up how many boxes have been checked. You can use a CountIf equation to keep track of how man

 Word Walls are great strategies for helping students interact with vocabulary terms in meaningful and productive ways. Word Walls typically are constructed of paper stapled on a bulletin board or wall; however, what do you do once your students leave your classroom? Why not create a virtual word wall using Google Slides and Flipgrid?  How does this work?  Click here or check out my video below: Conclusion Creating a virtual word wall will bring vocabulary to your students in virtual, hybrid, and even face-to-face situations. Plus, adding the collaborative nature of Flipgrid will increase engagement and provide meaningful opportunities for students to practice using vocabulary terms in class. 

 Did you know that you can create a Jamboard directly from Google Meet? It is now possible by clicking on the 3 dots in the bottom-right corner of your Google Meet screen. Once you select Jamboard, you can use a new or existing Jamboard, which saves on Google Drive! Want to create an existing Jamboard before your Google Meet? No problem! Check out my tutorial. Why Should I Use Jamboard?  Jamboard is an interactive whiteboard tool that can be used as a tool for group or individual instruction. Here are some ideas for using this tool:  Use it as a whiteboard for group instruction. Keep notes of your meeting and save as a PDF.  Use the post-it note feature as a way to collaborate and groupthink. Did you know that if you create an existing Jamboard and share it in Google Classroom, you can make individual copies for each student? This might be an excellent way to customize instruction for each of your students!

 I am so glad that I came across Wordwall the other day while I was browsing Twitter! If you are not familiar with this free tool, you can create interactive quizzes, games, and even printables with a few clicks.  I decided to see how easy it was to create a quiz, so I decided to create an account and develop the following quiz on Starbucks.  To my surprise, it was incredibly easy to create and extremely flexible to use. Although I used the "Quiz" template, I found that I could convert it into another activity to make it more engaging and fun for students. Plus, I could create a PDF printable for students who may not have the technology or needed a paper version of the activity.  If you are in a remote learning situation, I would highly recommend checking this out!  Want a quick tutorial on how this tool works? Check out my video below: 

Games and math fluency practice are nothing new. In fact, when I was younger, I loved the game Number Munchers, which helped me learn my math times tables through individual practice.  As devices have changed, so have the games; however, 99 Math is quickly becoming one of my favorite math fluency games because it can be used on any device as long as it is connected to the Internet.   Why? It combines the gamified approach of Kahoot and Quizziz with math fluency practice! It's easy to use, device friendly, and free! How does it work?  Check out my video below: 

 Remote learning has caused educators to rethink the way that we provide instruction to our students. For example, many of our students (and even educators) struggle with needing to juggle multiple screens and windows. Dualless is a Chrome extension, which provides users with the ability to split their browser screen into two either horizontally or vertically!  This is perfect for students who may need additional supports, need to see additional resources, or who want to increase their efficiency. The ratio can be adjusted based upon need, which makes this a perfect companion tool for students and teachers who are working with multiple browser windows at the same time.  Here are some helpful features: Split your current browser window into a pair and resize according to a ratio (3:7,4:6,5:5,6:4,7:3) Need to merge your split browser windows into a single window? No problem! Did you need a video tutorial on how to do this? No problem! Check out my video below:

 Did you know that you can import questions from a previously used Google Form? It's possible and can make your life so much easier. Simply click on the import questions button in Google Forms, search for the Form you want, and import your questions. Why not take things a step further and build a question bank using Google Forms? First, create a new Google Form and add questions it. You will not actually use or share this with others, because the whole idea is to important questions from this resource. Next, create your Google Forms quiz and choose the import questions button. Finally, choose the questions that you would like to import. Want to see it in action? Check out my video below:

 The annotation feature in the Google Classroom mobile app is a great way to have students complete worksheets, annotate text, highlight key ideas, and show their work for math problems! It is also a great tool for teachers to create PDF annotations for students, while you are waiting at the bus stop for your own children or enjoying a quiet evening on the couch!  How do you use this feature available on the Google Classroom iPad App? Check out my video below: 

There are tons of cool brain breaks out there! Whether you create your own or are using pre-made breaks on Teachers Pay Teachers or  GoNoodle ,  brain breaks are an effective strategy for getting students refocused and priming their brains for learning.  Lately, I have seen quite a few brain breaks that use dice! In the spirit of hybrid and virtual learning, I was inspired to create my own interpretation in the following Google Doc! I call it Stop, Drop, and Roll Your Virtual Brain Break!   Feel free to click here to access your own copy and customize it to your needs. How Does It Work?  Did you know that you can visit Google and type in "Roll Dice" to get virtual dice? This might be a great way to complete this activity or give students the opportunity to complete this activity independently.  First, use Google's "Roll Dice" feature to "roll" the dice on what to complete in the first physical activity.  Next, roll the dice again to determine your gra

Although choice boards have been around for quite some time, they are gaining popularity in remote and hybrid learning situations. Why are they gaining such popularity? Choice boards help differentiate instruction by providing structured choice, provide flexibility, student autonomy, and increased engagement.  Listen, Do, and Watch Choice Board I created the following Listen, Do, and Watch Choice Board (feel free to use for your own copy)  to provide students with different options for learning about a concept. Brain research suggests that students need multiple representations of new concepts in order to solidify its meaning. The following activity capitalizes on using video, audio, and hands-on learning activities. Plus it provides opportunities to reflect on their learning.  How Does This Work?  Prior to students completing the activity, you will want to add the name and a link to 3 different audio clips (or Podcasts), 3 activities, and 3 video clips.  Then, post the choice board to

Want to take your Google Classroom assignments to the next level? Here are three tips for creating better assignments in Google Classroom:     Tip # 1 - Break out Emojis! Add emojis to instructions to serve as bullets or help key instructions stand out! Our students are visual creatures, which is why apps like Instagram and Snapchat are much more engaging to our kiddos! An awesome way to get emojis is through Joy Pixel's Emoji Keyboard Chrome extension . Tip # 2 - Don't get too attached!   Too many attachments is difficult to manage for students. A good rule of thumb is to use no more than 3 attachments in a post. What if you need more attachments? Consider embedding additional resources like websites, templates, etc. in a Google Doc with instructions. Need a sample? Check out my UDL Essay instructions . You will notice that it contains: The Lesson Goal Suggested Steps to Complete Assignment FAQ's Rubric Bonus Tip! Did you know that you can force students to make a

 Need a crash course on creating your first Google Form? Check out my 3-minute tutorial, which will teach you how to create, share, and analyze results from your form. 

 Did you know that Google Drawings is a great tool for helping students organize their thoughts? If you are teaching virtually or want to design a printable graphic organizers, Google Drawings might be a great tool! Whether students are constructing an essay or a video response, helping organize their thoughts can help solidify their argument or understanding of the topic.   I designed the following graphic organizer called "Need to Know" using Google Drawings. It contains three different components: What Do I Already Know? This is a great way for students to begin thinking about what they already know about a topic. Connecting background knowledge is a great way for students to connect with their topic.  What Do I Need to Know? The following section helps students develop questions on what they need to know about their topic. I love including the 5 W's and How questions. What Do You Need to Know? This portion helps students think about their audience as they construct

 There have been a ton of Bitmoji or virtual classroom ideas available to educators since the Spring. Although this tool is great for remote learning situations, it can be helpful in hybrid and face-to-face learning situations too. The idea behind a Bitmoji classroom is to replicate your own classroom and make resources, news, and tools available to students in virtual settings.  Click here to see my Bitmoji classroom in action!   Considerations Here are several considerations to keep in mind when designing your own virtual classroom: 1. Use the Bitmoji extension to add an animated version of you!  2. Consider adding links to homework, resources, tutorials, and classroom news! 3. Don't forget about navigation! Use icons or pictures to link to slides. It might be helpful to add an icon to return back to your "home" screen or classroom.   4. Make sure that you publish your classroom to the web! This makes it easier to access regardless of device.   How Did I Do It?  Want to

 Reflection is an important piece of learning; however, we sometimes skip over it completely or do not give our students adequate practice. When reflection does occur, our students are often left to the same old routine, answering questions on a Google Doc or posting a response to a discussion question.  Why not give students a creative way to summarize their learning? iFake Text Message could be a great tool for your students to use to summarize learning, save it as an image, and share with classmates via your favorite workflow solution.  For example, what if you wanted students to summarize your lesson on the water cycle? Here is a sample text string that a student might be able to create with iFake Text Message. How does this free tool work? Simply visit  iFake Text Message.  construct your conversation, and save! Check out my helpful video for more information:

Flipgrid is not only a great participation tool, but it can be a great tool for screencasts! I recently worked with a group of teachers who wanted to develop a video for virtual sight word practice. Whether you want to give a math lesson or create a brief tutorial, Flipgrid shorts are the tool for you! Flipgrid Shorts are a tool that allows you to create screencasts in 10 minutes or less! You can use a variety of tools, such as a whiteboard, add pictures, text, drawing, or even sharing your screen! Want to learn how to do this?  Check out my video below: