Getting Them Talking (Digitally Speaking)

Will they show up to the Zoom? Will the link work? Or will this be the moment that the internet decides to come to a screeching halt? These are the questions and anxieties that fill me on the first day of school in 2020. Instead of worrying about going to the wrong classroom at the wrong time or forgetting students' names, I am more preoccupied with the connectivity of my technology tools than anything else. I fear the spinning icon that indicates that my device is attempting to connect to the internet. This temporary reality has teachers across the country feeling like first-year teachers again as we are being challenged to rethink and retool our student engagement strategies. 

Take it slow with technology. 

We are teaching in an entirely new format. While we had preliminary experience in the spring with remote learning, we are still relatively new to this environment. This year, there are entirely new standards for delivering content, and the bar has been raised for both students and teachers. We are no longer crisis teaching; we are normalizing distance learning. As such, no matter your comfort level with technology, take it slow. We aren’t required to use ten different web applications and customized breakout rooms on day one. Instead, we should focus on building relationships and getting to know our students. It is okay to talk and challenge students to talk, too. Focusing on familiarizing ourselves with the digital classroom environment can alleviate the pressure of having to know every formative assessment tool. It is okay to walk before we run with technology tools and strategies. Remember, we do not need to implement every new feature in Zoom during the first week. It can provide us with the emotional and mental space to do what we do best - love kids. 

We need to establish Zoom norms and netiquette with students. 

Just like we would establish rules in a physical classroom environment, we need to talk about expectations and etiquette in a digital environment. In a face-to-face setting, I rarely spoke to my seniors about behavioral rules, although I make daily quips about being a good human and making good choices as they walk out the door (physical and digital). Now, I am finding myself opening a dialogue with them about netiquette and behavior on Zoom. This environment is new to them, and it's new to me. Reminding students to mute their mics when they are not talking and leave their video running are essential parts of this new communication model. Nonverbal communication still matters; they have to be intentional. Teaching students to use the emojis on Zoom is also a great way to do formative assessments and check-ins with students seamlessly. Students also need to know how to "raise their hands" and use the chat feature for questions or quick comments. Providing students with opportunities to practice these features and discuss how/why these features matter will make the classroom more interactive. By working together to set standards and create norms, students will feel more comfortable engaging with each other and with me. They will have more confidence in knowing that they are in a safe environment and that their voices matter. 

Establish norms in how you deliver instruction and how to demonstrate mastery, too. Reviewing and sharing the screen is a critical part of delivering content, and it takes longer on a screen. I am continually reminding myself to slow down. Demonstrate, model, and then give them time to access the material. Taking our time at first will pay off later in the semester. When I have used breakout rooms with students in Zoom, I have explained how I want my students to take notes so that I can be in on their conversation even when I am in a different breakout room. Using the same procedure for these notes shaves down on the demonstration time; after a few experiences, it will become second nature. While I am not advocating for using the same tools and procedures every class period, I am noting that there is comfort in routines. Routines set expectations in students' minds and bring a familiarity to the course that allows them to open up, engage, and become more active participants in the class. 

Breaking students into small groups helps. 

Unfortunately, this week, my district learned that preset breakout rooms in Zoom do not work on a Chrome operating system (Teachers are all on Chromebooks). That being said, the breakout rooms still function in manually created groups. Small groups are incredible places for students to learn to be more comfortable talking on screen. When they do not feel like they are under a microscope in a class of 30, they will unmute, relax, and be themselves. Pushing students into breakout rooms, even informally discussing a quick idea or concept, gets them talking. They miss face-to-face interactions and connections as much as we do. By being able to speak with their peers in an informal, smaller setting, they will begin to feel more comfortable. Allowing a few minutes to discuss a prompt also creates a sense of camaraderie that comes from shared experiences. I have started my lessons here and see myself starting my lessons each day with this practice, and even in the first week, I see a positive impact. 

We need to be ourselves.

Starting a Zoom call is still uncomfortable for me. The constant chiming of students logging into the Zoom call and my nerves surrounding a technical glitch ruminate in my mind. Instead of being poised, I try to laugh at myself, make jokes, and say every student's name as they enter the room. Slightly awkward elf-depreciation and embracing my vulnerabilities are part of my personality. Allowing that piece of me to come out on-screen shows students that it is okay to embrace your personality or laugh at the obstacles caused by low connectivity. We do not have to have it all together at every moment, and we might not love the world we are currently living in, but we still can show how we enjoy every moment we share with our students despite the present situation. Talking openly about our feelings, but modeling how to find the positives allows us to forge connections deeper than we realize. While they might be quiet in the full class Zoom conversations, they are watching, and they are getting to know us. They will open up - perhaps today or maybe tomorrow. When we show students our passions, interests, and personalities, they will respond. We can let our love of learning and all things "nerdy" shine.  

As John Green states, "Nerds like us are allowed to be unironically enthusiastic about stuff. Nerds are allowed to LOVE stuff, like, jump-up-and-down-in-your-chair-can't-control-yourself LOVE it." And you know what, John Green, when I see my students on Zoom or receive an email from them, metaphorically jump-up-and-down on screen I will because I love my students, and I am here to listen whenever they are ready to talk. 

Be the Teacher Students Need Today

Be the teacher your students need today. 

As I repeat that mantra in my mind, it seems so simple and empowering, and yet, as I turn on the news or read social media feeds, it feels like the idea of what our students need today is planted on shifting sand. Our country and the world are full of so much uncertainty and political unrest that it is easy to lose sight of what our schools need to stay safe and begin again. I am scared - many of us are. Unfortunately, I am most afraid of adults who have stopped taking thorough precautions and adhering to CDC guidelines, but I digress. 

Coping with and attempting to quell these fears, I take a page from Disney's Frozen 2 and focus on doing the next right thing. This summer, I have spent a significant amount of time reflecting on how to support teachers. They will inevitably be thrown into an impossible situation of teaching in a hybrid setting with a looming threat of becoming sick or exposing others to COVID-19. Ultimately, teachers need to be ready to be everything and anything for their students at a moment's notice. The schedules, general classroom practices, and expectations will shift drastically from week to week. So I return to the question that weighs on teachers' hearts right now: How do we prepare to be the teacher our students need? 

We have to prepare for the worst but be ready for the best. 

As I help teachers in my district and those in neighboring districts this summer, my advice has been to plan mentally for a semester of full remote learning. While I think we will oscillate in between hybrid and remote learning for much of the fall, preparing for remote learning will make every face-to-face encounter a bonus. Adjusting lesson plans from remote to face-to-face is much easier than the other way around. Also, even if we are in the classroom, typical practices such as sharing Chromebooks, grouping and rotating seats, helping students over their shoulders, and circulating the room have to change. 

Now more than ever, it is more important and appropriate to stop a lesson or change a plan to address social-emotional learning. Our students have learned more about life in the last few months than any of us realize. While they need to get caught up on skills and content, they have grown and changed. They need guidance and support, and they need opportunities to process the collective experience that we have encountered. Providing them with that outlet will allow them to make room in their minds for the course content that we hope to share with them this year. We can and need to help them become ready to learn. The best way we can be the teachers our students need today is to remind ourselves that we don't have stress about content. We can permit ourselves to change course! 

Every synchronous moment counts. 

When planning for this upcoming semester, consider what absolutely needs to be synchronous and what can be adapted and taught remotely or asynchronously. Prioritize direct instruction lessons and more challenging content. Again, it is okay to alter previous lesson plans from the years we had the opportunity to teach face-to-face every day. This year is different; we are in a new normal. Front-loading an entire unit with direct instruction may ensure that students receive critical skills that they will need to be successful for several weeks. When we teach that meaningful content, though, don't forget to stop for social-emotional learning again. What we think is essential is often more expendable than we realize. 

Again, do not shy away from social-emotional learning and community building. 

While we are all in the same boat in navigating a global pandemic, we are fighting drastically different battles. Some people live in fear of preexisting conditions; some have struggled with unemployment or loss of income. Others face depression, anxiety, or other social-emotional related difficulties. Personally, our household has been under extreme lockdown because we have a child with Cystic Fibrosis, a lung disease that also impacts all vital organs and his digestion. My son has remained relatively healthy to this point in his life, but his disease classifies him as terminally ill. While I have all the faith in the world that he will live a full and meaningful life, my family has to be incredibly cautious because when he contracts even a mild cold, he will most likely become very ill. A common cold or stomach bug results in a round of antibiotics and even hospitalization. We've been there; I don't want to be back anytime soon. My solution to keep him safe is to move out of my house, and I am fortunate enough to have several options of places to go and that my son can remain at home with my husband. This situation is my battle, and I fully acknowledge that we all have different struggles related to this impossible situation. We need to remember to recognize our students' feelings and empathize with each other. Regardless of the subjects we teach, we should make room for teaching empathy and giving our students space to cope with the storms they face. Even older students look to us to guide them through difficult situations. How we handle our struggles and our fears can help them process their own feelings and cope. 

Try something new every week. 

As we mentor, coach, guide, and teach students in person, online, and everything in between, we may find that traditional instructional practices are not as effective as they have been in the past. This coming school year, we mustn't be afraid to try something new. We may need to extend out of our comfort zones and incorporate new tech tools or strategies. Now is the time to get creative, and if a lesson fails, it is okay! We can permit ourselves to learn with the students as we use new tools or assign new projects to our students. With all the stress and challenges that are sure to come this fall, we do not need to reinvent the wheel entirely, but we can try one new strategy a week. We may find new instructional practices that make our classrooms better in any situation. 

Give yourself grace. 

Even if you weren't the perfect hybrid, remote, pandemic teacher this past spring, remember that you still made a difference in someone's life. You were still there for your students, and your efforts mattered. The personal videos, supportive emails, and cards that you delivered to your students meant something to them, even if they were not able to verbalize their gratitude. Thank you for what you have done for your students and for what you will continue to do. No matter what happens as we return to so much uncertainty, we will continue to love our students, teach them essential content, and inspire them to be their best selves. Give yourself grace as we all muddle through each day. Remind yourself to be the teacher your students need today. While it might look different tomorrow, what you do makes a significant difference and will make our world a better place. 

Asynchronous PDs: If there's a topic that catches your eye, click through it! I'm sharing these optional PD experiences as an a la carte menu to help teachers feel ready for back-to-school. Anything to help!

• App Smashing with Pear Deck
• Asynchronous vs. Synchronous Learning
• Blended Learning Principles and Strategies
• Collaborate, Create, and Celebrate: Using WeVideo to Amplify Student Voice
• Enhancing Student Learning with Padlet
• Flipgrid and Remote Learning 
• Making Small Groups Work
• Putting the Pieces Together with EdPuzzle

EdPuzzle: Using Tech To Solve an Instructional Problem

7:30 in the morning is not an easy time for many people, especially teenagers. One year, my students were more averse to alarm clocks than any group who came before them (or after them). I had up to eight students a day (out of 28) coming to class with tardy passes - a number and frequency I have never seen since. As a result, students would miss the few minutes of direct instructional time that I would deliver to students. This group would come in halfway through a grammar lesson, writing exercise, or reading discussion, thus missing the meat of the material and often great discussions, questions, and ideas shared by their peers. To solve this problem and find a way to provide that instruction to students who would walk in half-awake still frazzled from the frenzy of the morning, I turned to tech tools. Surely a tech tool or instructional practice had to exist that would allow me to supplement the missed time and provide the same (or as close to the same) experience as possible. 

That semester was the semester in which I started flipping writing and grammar instruction for all students, typically short mini-lessons that involved active practice and application immediately after learning the lesson. Students would start the period as they hustled into their seats, watching a quick video lesson while I circulated providing support, greeting students, and checking in with any latecomers. I realized that creating videos allowed me to double my presence in the classroom. I could be teaching and completing social-emotional check-ins at the same time. If a student was absent, they always could watch the video, or if they needed additional support, they could rewatch the video at their own time and pace. 

What tools are essential to a flipped style lesson or video delivery? 

A screencasting tool and a video editing platform are two essential tools for creating original video content for students. My two favorite tools for this process are Screencastify and WeVideo, which allows me to edit and refine the video. WeVideo has so many special effects, music, and transitions to include in the creation process. Making videos can be time-consuming but can be reused and reshared over again. I house my videos on YouTube solely for the ease of sharing and create playlists to keep them organized by course, year, or instructional purpose.  

My instruction was consistent for all students, but now they had access to me whenever, wherever, and however, they needed me. This on-demand playlist of writing instruction allowed me to be more present in the room, directing my attention to students in academic and emotional needs. As I explored video creation more, I realized that I needed another tool to make my lessons more personalized and engaging. EdPuzzle was the solution. 

How does EdPuzzle work? 

EdPuzzle was (and still is) one of my favorite tools for providing instruction to students in any format. Making videos interactive and engaging, EdPuzzle encourages students to take an active role in their learning. Instead of passively watching a video or not watching altogether, this tool tracks student viewership. EdPuzzle also allows teachers to insert voice comments, written comments or links, multiple-choice questions, and open-ended questions during the video. This type of interactive structure keeps students actively listening and demonstrating their comprehension along the way. Teachers can craft entire lessons using a video from YouTube or any other video platform. They can access a library of already created videos and lessons or make their own from scratch. This webtool is user-friendly both on the teacher and student end. Teachers can share lessons with other teachers or find inspirational ideas from the EdPuzzle library. 

With EdPuzzle, I now had more flexibility to provide face-to-face feedback, incorporate individualized and small group work, and use station-rotation to create an active learning experience for my students. The use of a few tech tools not only solved my students' alarm clock problem helped me revolutionize the effectiveness of my writing lessons while creating more time for classroom activities. 

Aside from the traditional way of assigning a video to each student, how else can EdPuzzle be used? 

EdPuzzle is traditionally pushed out to students to complete independently, but the more I used it, the more I began to experiment with a small group and whole class lessons. I used Librivox recordings of Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew to create videos for whole-class activities. I inserted voice comments and open-ended questions to facilitate discussion while we listened to and processed through the play. The video would stop playing at crucial moments that necessitated further discussion. While the video played, I walked the room with my script and helped students follow along. I could read facial expressions and mentally gauge their comprehension, thus allowing me to provide immediate clarify or feedback to a particular line or scene. I also liked how knowing the length of the video gave me a better estimate of the pacing. If a student was absent, they did not miss out on the same experience as everyone else. They simply need the link, which can be shared with an entire class through a learning management system or assigned directly to an individual student. 

EdPuzzle can also be used for small group inquiry. If students are researching a project, they can watch and complete the EdPuzzle together. They can answer open-ended questions, find evidence through external resources or readings, and can engage in dialogue with one another throughout the process. This use for EdPuzzle works well with a station rotation classroom model. The answers students provide can serve as a useful formative assessment for a teacher to review later if that teacher is working or teaching in another station. 

Note that the free version allows teachers to store up to 20 videos, but the paid version allows for unlimited videos. The paid version also allows institutions to create a school library, making it even easier to collaborate and share. If you are looking for professional development, EdPuzzle has an entire library full of different topics, including Google Tools, Project-Based Learning, Diversity and Inclusion, 21st Century Learning, and more. These professional development experiences are free and can be completed at one's own pace. For people looking to prepare for whatever the fall might bring, this resource would be a great place to start!  

No matter what problem we are trying to solve, the intentional use of technology can allow us to create new experiences that may save time, provide more feedback, or enhance the student experience. I did not realize what EdPuzzle could do for my classroom before I started using it, and it even solved a problem or two I didn't realize I had. Find the tool that can solve your problem or maybe even wake up your classroom in ways you never imagined. 

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.