App Smashing Tech Tools: Breaking the Mold

Ever run into a brick wall? My senior year of high school's final theatre performance ended with a high-speed collision between a brick wall and my head during the end-of-the-year senior one-act plays. A freshman boy tasked with flying me across the stage, unintentionally pinned my arms to my side and then failed to realize that my head would hit the wall before he stopped running full force. Naturally, my head produced a resounding thud, and I was left with a concussion. Ouch.

Sometimes, my eyes still see stars when I consider the countless number of educational tech tools that are available to us. That headache reappears whenever I attempt to navigate uncharted educational waters and help teachers determine what tools are worth our time, energy, and money. With a plethora of webtools and educational apps at our fingertips, implementing and using these tools in our classroom feels overwhelming. Which tool is right for each learning target and objective we set? Will students navigate these tools with ease, and how do we utilize them to ensure engagement with course content is possible?

Often, I see teachers feel overwhelmed by the number of tools available and worry that when implementing tech tools in their classrooms, students will focus on how to use the tech instead of how to access the content. The secret to discerning what tech tools to use is to implement a few tools purposefully and use them to their full capacity. My go-to's for remote and online learning were Flipgrid, Pear Deck, Padlet, and EdPuzzle. 

While each of these tools is powerful and assists in making learning visible and more interactive for students when used in tandem, the lesson becomes more than just a way to disseminate information; The lesson becomes an experience. Much like my head smashed against the walls behind the auditorium stage, app smashing leaves a lasting impact and can give teachers a bigger bang for their instructional buck.

App smashing allows you to gather formative data at the moment. 

Delivering content often necessitates partial direct instruction and time to put new information into practice. Remote teaching involves utilizing webtools such as readings, slide decks, and pre-recorded videos can become passive if students are challenged to demonstrate their learning while reading or watching a lesson. One of my favorite app smashes involves running a Google Form through Pear Deck. Students can take quizzes while participating in Pear Deck, with a slide on the left that contains content while completing the formative quiz on the right side of the screen. Kahoot can also be embedded to provide students with practice implementing content as well. Data produced by either of these platforms can measure student comprehension and progress. 

App smashing makes lessons more interactive. 

Another one of my favorite app-smashes involves running videos created by Screencastify and WeVideo through EdPuzzle, an app that challenges students to be active. The more students interact, the more likely they are to retain the information gathered.

 

Padlet is another tool that is versatile and has countless uses. Padlet is a curation tool that several contributors can post and share resources, documents, pictures, videos, and ideas. Padlet can be used as a backchannel chat, collaborative brainstorm, or a formative review. The shelf mode in Padlet can challenge students to engage with and apply content in several ways. They can participate and reply to several questions or prompts, and at the same time, they can see their peers' ideas and resources. Learning comes alive with Padlet. Turning on the comment and liking feature can take that student engagement even further. This tool has so many applications and can fit any content area, too. 

App smashing allows students to collaborate. 

Collaboration was a challenge during remote learning. Unlike in a classroom where students are physically brought together, working together online may mean that students are working at different times and are unable to speak face-to-face. Should we be engaged in blended or remote learning during the fall, collaboration is an essential part of the education process that needs to be enhanced. 

One way to enhance collaboration is by providing face-to-face (or screen) opportunities. Flipgrid is an incredible tool that allows students to respond orally and see their peers. While I often used it as a quick formative assessment to hear every student respond before quarantine, it quickly became how I had my students talk to each other and foster asynchronous discussion. Students craved connection. Challenging them to engage in a discussion via Flipgrid makes them feel a sense of community, comradery, and accountability to their peers.

Flipgrid also embeds into learning management systems or Pear Deck for in the moment reflection and discussion. Videos can then be downloaded and edited together using WeVideo to create a highlight reel, a class message, or even spark a further discussion. These videos can also be curated onto webtools like Wakelet to create a viewing gallery that students can access and reflect upon after a given lesson or activity. The more visual their learning, the more natural collaborative work will become in any learning format. 

App smashing allows for differentiation, and lessons become experiences. 

Hyperdocs are my favorite ways to differentiate for students. Hyperdocs are digital docs, slides, or websites that involve navigating through a series of links. Pear Deck Student-Paced Mode is excellent for developing a hyperdoc lesson in which students can progress at their own pace, revisit course material as needed, and demonstrate their learning in a way that suits their skills and interests. Students can take ownership of their knowledge and progress in a way that makes sense. 

Breakout EDU/WebQuest How-To

I love utilizing formative quizzes to test students' prior knowledge and then suggest moving forward to a specific slide based on their scores. In this lesson, students can choose their adventures, complete EdPuzzles, Padlets, and finish embedded assessments based on a series of links and challenges they complete. Students may move forward through the lesson or return to a video or reading that reviews material that they have yet to master. When crafted correctly, every student may have a unique experience tailored to their strengths and interests. Students will have many opportunities to acquire knowledge and master essential skills. Students may even have fun as they feel like they are actively involved in their learning and have some autonomy as to how they grow as learners. 

Next time you feel like you are running into a brick wall, remember that app-smashing can take the best features of your favorite tech tools and revolutionize the learning experience for your students. Do not allow technology to give you a headache. Instead, consider what you want your students to learn, and then think about how these tools can help you to transcend the challenges we may face this fall and make your classroom connections stronger than ever before. 

Falling Forward: Getting Ready for the Fall Semester

"You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it" - Maya Angelou. 

Now that we have had time to step away from the computer screens and quarantine teaching, it's time to reflect on what worked and what did not. While headlines emphatically declare that remote learning did not work in various cases, I believe what we learned has only made us stronger. While some learning targets were not achieved March through May to level that several teachers would have hoped, teachers and students had time to focus on lessons of empathy, equity, and engagement. We found time to reevaluate social-emotional learning. We discovered gaps in resources and content that paved the way for a more equitable school system, and we identified what did not work in terms of engagement. Our shortcomings will only lead to a more successful fall semester - no matter what teaching format we embrace. 

Remember, we had less than a day to prepare for a complete paradigm shift in education. We walked out of school on a Friday, believing we would be back together on Monday, preparing and planning to deliver instructions, and those Monday meetings never came. Teachers scrambled, recreated, and redefined what their classrooms looked like. Teachers focused on their relationships with students and fostering engagement. So what lessons can we glean from the successes and the shortcomings of this past semester? How do we start fresh this fall? 

First, we do what we always do - build strong relationships. 

Fostering strong interpersonal relationships begins with sharing who you are. Being open, vulnerable, and true to oneself helps set a tone for a classroom environment. Many people worry that if we do not start face-to-face that this aspect of school will be missing. While building relationships and establishing a strong sense of community will not be as easy, it still can happen with a little bit of work. Live sessions are vital! Use live sessions to do what we would do - icebreakers. Two truths and a life, show-and-tell, theme meetings may all seem a little goofy, but leveraging that silliness will work and bring students back. They are craving connection as much, if not more than we are post-quarantine. Whether they are kindergarteners or seniors in high school, using the first few days (or weeks) to use live meetings to invest in creating a sense of community will go a long way if and when we end up remote again. Remember, students will work harder for people they care about and feel care about them. Show it! 

When live meets aren't possible, create videos. Create a one-minute video post once a week (or even once a day) that allows students to learn something about you. Share a passion, give a motivational elevator pitch, or make a connection between your content and their lives. Do what it takes to show that you are there for them! Take it a step further by encouraging them to get involved and complete the communication cycle. Flipgrid is an excellent platform for this. When internet access is scarce, send a letter. Any communication makes a difference. 

Once relationships are established, make sure access to course content is clear and accessible.

Clear course design is essential, especially as we may be moving back and forth between traditional, blended, and remote learning. Students need to be able to access course content and navigate through the learning management system or means of delivery. Routines should transcend delivery modes to help students adjust and adapt as needed. 

When the quarantine began, teachers felt the need to use new tech tools and create new routines. As teachers prepare for the fall, teachers should consider what enhanced the classroom experience and what did not work as well. Engagement is critical to student learning, and purposeful use of technology increases learning potential. Knowing how to implement a few tools reduces the amount of instructional time spent on learning how to access the curriculum and increases the time spent interacting with the curriculum. Remember, if students are struggling with finding or accessing content, it is okay to rethink, revise, and redesign. 

Once a course is designed, focus on creating experiences for our students that bring them back to the classroom or the computer screen. 

After students and teachers feel connected and comfortable in the learning environment, we can begin to develop and enhance the student experience. With online learning, assessments may need to change. Traditional learning that works in the classroom may not be as effective when moved online. As such, it is okay to continue to stretch and grow in the curriculum design process. 

One of the biggest suggestions that my students had at the end of the school year was to consider varying instruction to make it more interactive. When live instruction is not possible or not guaranteed, get creative! Tools like EdPuzzle challenge students to be active learners. They need to engage with instructional videos and reflect before, during, and after learning. Instead of completing worksheets, students prefer opportunities to create. Rote activities can become more meaningful when students are tasked with creating their videos to demonstrate understanding using tools like Flipgrid. And if and when we are forced out of the classroom for some time, using tools like Padlet that promote collaboration and make learning visible can recreate some of the connections that we have with our students, and they have with their peers. 

Regardless of the medium, we also find ways to give feedback and guidance to help our students grow. 

The learning process, like the communication model, involves feedback. We need to think about ways to provide our students with fast and meaningful feedback to help our students know that they are learning. Screencasting is a powerful way to provide personalized feedback that can recreate some of the feelings of being in a live classroom, even when that is not possible. Our feedback needs to extend beyond a written comment or two at the bottom of a page or end of a paper. Tools like Screencatify, Vocaroo, and Mote can help us to use our voices to encourage, guide, and reach students. The significant part of using these tools is that links can be embedded in digital comments boxes or learning management systems as well. While it may take a teacher time to learn a new tool, such as the ones listed above, the time saved in the long run by helping students achieve learning targets will be invaluable. 

Finally, do not lose heart. 

This fall will be difficult. Returning to a sense of normalcy is going to be fraught with anxiety and heightened emotions. We are all going to worry about our health, our families, and the whole community. We will continue to navigate new waters, and the waves of quarantine may strike again. The ripple effects that we can identify now and some that we do not see coming will impact us. Teachers should allow the unexpected to guide us to calmer waters. Do not fight any storm alone and continue to communicate with your students, colleagues, and family. This, too, shall pass, and have heart; it will make us stronger. 

Hindsight is 2020: Ending the Most Unconventional School Year

Saying goodbye to this non-traditional school year has not an easy road to navigate. We have written the playbook while finishing the game, built the plane while flying in the air. Throughout this process, teachers have tried to make a collective trauma feel like a new normal for students. By sending videos, emails, and cards, we have tended to our students' social and emotional needs. Through structure, routine, and instructional activities, we have tried to keep their minds engaged. Surviving weeks of instruction have been our goal, but now we have been tasked with saying goodbye. While my school year ended a week ago, many local elementary districts and school districts are currently wrapping up their final weeks on a national level. How do we say goodbye to students we cannot see face-to-face? 

Start by creating a heartfelt end of the year assignments. No matter the subject taught, find a way to connect. Flipgrid is a great platform that allows students to see a teacher's face. This webtool allows for us to talk asynchronously and engage in powerful nonverbal communication. Prompts can be as straightforward as giving a graduation speech or a last lecture to a class or as creative as delivering a math-gram message to say goodbye using vocabulary from a year of geometry. Students could showcase how many planks they can do in a physical education class or embody a famous person to deliver a farewell address in a social science class. Be creative, and keep the content, but don't forget to emphasize the importance of communication and human connection. Students might find an assignment like this fun or engage because they're bored and miss your face! 

Ask students to write. Literacy is a critical skill in all disciplines. Writing allows them to express their feelings and also share their reasoning and logic. From solving a word problem in math to explaining how World War Two was won, they can use their words to demonstrate knowledge and understanding. We are living history right now, so find a way to encourage students to write to express their thoughts, reactions, and perspectives of the world in which we are currently living. Find ways to make final prompts relevant to their lives right now, and they will not only be able to demonstrate academic prowess, but they will also be able to express their current feelings. These writings can give a teacher direct insight into individual students while allowing them to amplify their voices as primary sources for this pandemic. 

Have them create a visual representation of their work. Whether it be creating a portfolio website or making work visible on a platform like Padlet, find a way to showcase student work. My favorite final project was having students make a COVID Time Capsule. This project allowed students to apply essential skills from my class and reflect on themes from other units while still personalizing the experience to their thoughts, feelings, and reactions during the quarantine. Students who had been disengaged previously picked up this assignment and wanted to share their ideas. They wanted to be able to express what they were experiencing from their perspective and needed that outlet. In my drama class, I had students write quarantine related monologues. These monologues gave voice to many different perspectives of people living on the pandemic frontlines working in hospitals, grocery stores, and delivering food. These projects fit my classroom, but the intention behind them could be applied in any discipline from creating a marketing plan for an essential business to designing a new fitness center in engineering that adheres to the CDC guidelines. Students can get creative and use the skills they have gained from any class to capture our collective experiences during the quarantine. Through pictures, drawing, creative presentations, or other multimedia projects, students can showcase diverse skills and share what they've learned in innovative ways. 

During this time, it is important to note that subjects such as art, music, and other electives have been incredibly invaluable during the quarantine. These subjects have always been the heart of our schools, and their significance has only been elevated. These elective subjects are why students get up and go to school; these teachers foster safe spaces for all types of students. Now more than ever, these teachers have created opportunities to express themselves. These creative projects and assignments do not have to remain in the elective realms. Find ways to offer students choice and opportunities to use their talents in your classes by encouraging them to create a rap about history, make a video demonstrating Newton's Laws of Physics. Challenge them to use their painting, drawing, vocal, musical, or dance skills and pair it with a final lesson or project in your classroom. The results will not only dazzle but inspire other students to engage, too. By encouraging students to use their talents, they will see the relevance and importance of core content areas alongside their passions and personal interests. 

Aside from fun end-of-the-semester projects, we need to gather information by allowing students time to process the end of the year in a more formal sense. No matter what subject or level taught, challenge students to reflect on the class experience and their own experiences. A short, personalized survey with a mixture of likert-style questions and open-ended questions can allow students to share valuable information with us as teachers. Keep the verbiage on the survey clear and positive. Frame an assignment or survey as a tool that can help you to become a better teacher. Encourage students to share what worked well for them and what could have gone better. Remote learning is a new educational format. The best way to improve is to receive authentic and meaningful feedback. After gathering both qualitative and quantitative data about the learning experience, challenge students to reflect on their engagement during this time. What they have discovered about themselves will continue to impact their learning styles and abilities moving forward. 

While surveys may look different at the early elementary level to upper high school, we should challenge students to reflect in ways that are meaningful for their developmental stage. Not only should we gather information about our class structure and instructional delivery, but we should take this time to challenge students to reflect on their actions and take ownership of their learning. How did they fair as students? How did they manage their emotions? What challenges did they face at home that impacted their feelings? Having students self-reflect on their actions and feelings during this time can allow us to target students who may need additional support in the summer. Gather social and emotional information and use that information to follow up with students in the summer. We might be off the clock, but as we have learned by teaching remotely, the clock may buzz at the end of a basketball game, but the clock in the teacher-student relationship game doesn’t end.

Ultimately, this is not the final goodbye. If anything, it has made me internalize the notion that my students will always be my students. Bound through uncertain times, we will forever have shared this historic time. In the end, it is okay to have fun. It is okay to shift gears away from tests and exams to reflect, create, and share. Teaching is a work of heart, and that love is what got our students through this time. It's that love that will continue to get through whatever they face beyond our classroom, too.