I am just finishing my first year as an Applied Learning Sciences Ed.D. candidate at the University of Miami. For my course, Design for Workplace Related Learning, I designed a 3-day professional development on the transitioning to distance learning, specifically for math teachers entitled Finding the Remote Control in the Math Classroom. After hours of research, getting Google level 2 certification, and meeting with a focus group of math teachers from my school who told me what they needed, I curated three days of professional development on the following objectives (note, if it's in italics, it means it's specific to math teachers):
Math teachers should be able to:
o In Google Classroom, create a class template, add topics, schedule announcements to be used in the math classroom.
o Create a Jamboard, Whiteboard.fi and Padlet assignment for math collaboration
o Create a math quiz using Google Forms and Equatio to be used on the first day of class for a check for understanding.
o Use the laptop to type or speak an annotation (using mote) without error.
o Scan multiple documents and upload them as one PDF to Google Classroom using the Notes App so that homework and quizzes can be uploaded with one document only for ease of math grading.
o Annotate a “math quiz” using the iPad and Apple pencil and return it to a “student” without error.
o Upload a video in EdPuzzle and include three questions to check for understanding, incorporating the math feature in at least one.
o Create a Bitmoji virtual classroom with at least one interactive activity relating to math.
o Choose one of the building relationship activities from this choiceboard and tailor it specifically to the learner’s own classroom and post it in Google Classroom for the first week of school.
o Create a digital choice board for students that includes at least four virtual activities in math.
Now, after doing all this research and using an instructional systems design (ISD) approach to create professional development for my teachers, it was time for me to put my money where my mouth is. How was I going to design my notes for my students who are all starting remotely?
In comes Slidesmania. You have to know I've created my notes twice already for just the first day...thinking about how to open, creating a bitmoji classroom to mimic my exact in person classroom, thinking about UDL, meeting with our learning specialist, etc., etc., but these digital notebooks using Google Slides won out anything else I've researched.
Why? Look how cool it is!
Also, I've shown my first 24 pages of notes...I can add to them as I want, can give students a PDF version with links and slides hidden that they are not ready for so that they can print or use on Notability, if they have it.
What are you doing that will make Distance Learning organized for your students? Please share in the comments below!