Teachers had to make a lot of changes in the 2020-2021 school year to adapt to hybrid and virtual instruction. While I thought this year, with the return of in person learning, that I would go back to the way I taught before Covid, there were some things I tried last year that stuck around with me this year. In this post I’ll share three tools from hybrid and virtual learning that I’m still using and one that I was surprised to find I didn’t use at all so far this year.
I started using collaborative PowerPoints last year because they allowed students to work together even if they weren’t in the same room. It became a very useful tool, but I also found that many of the activities were quick and easy to do and go over in an in person setting as well, so I’ve been using a lot of them this year as well. I even wrote a post highlighting which activities I have used or plan to use again this year and which ones I’ve abandoned.
I used Nearpod for several years prior to Covid, but not with anywhere near the frequency I started using it last year. I started using Nearpod more last year because students at home could follow along with the slides better, but what I realized what that the built-in comprehension checks (polls, quizzes, Time to Climb, etc.) were really useful and required all students to participate. I don’t use Nearpod for every single lesson, but I still find myself using it for the majority of lessons this year.
I started using Flipgrid last year because it was an easy and fun way to assess presentational speaking. I have continued to use it this year for the same reason! One hurdle with Flipgrid is that some students don’t like the idea of making a video, but being given the option to obscure their face helps.
What I Kicked to the Curb: Classkick
Classkick was a useful tool last year when I needed a way to monitor students’ progress in real time as they worked on assignments and easily give them private feedback. I still think it’s a great tool, but I just haven’t had the need for it this year like I did last year, and I brought back some of the older tools it replaced, including drawing on paper (which most students tend to prefer to drawing on a screen).
Have you kept around any tools that you started using for the first time last year? Which ones?
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