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Virtual Learning Tips - Anita Young

TIPS from Anita Young
Tip #19
November 6, 2018
@anitayoung914

Spotlight on Edpuzzle

If you were to ask me what my favorite virtual tool is these days, I would hands down tell you it is “Edpuzzle.” Edpuzzle is a unique way of engaging learners in videos by adding voice-overs and questions throughout the video to assess comprehension, to engage learners, and to highlight important points.  Edpuzzle can be used as an informal assessment or even a formal assessment. It is a unique way of building out learning opportunities that can be accessed anytime, anywhere.

Within Edpuzzle there are various videos already imported from familiar sites such as youtube, Khan Academy, Ted Talks, National Geographic, etc.  Teachers and Students can use what is already there to edit or they can make their own. Talk about a flipped classroom! Have your learners find videos and highlight important key points or create their own comprehension questions to work with their peers.  How empowering!

Try Edpuzzle yourself with this “Inspiration” assignment.

I invite you to join me to learn more about Edpuzzle and discuss the many ways it can be used in learning environments.  Join me on Wednesday November 14, 2018 from 3:00-4:00 PM in my zoom room here to learn more! This webinar is part 1 of the 5 part of a Virtual Tools Webinar Series.  For more on the series and how to register, click on the flyer here.




Tip #18
October 22, 2018
@anitayoung914

Open Educational Resources


Most of us are near or wrapping up the first marking period of the 2018-2019 school year which means we have things under control, right?!? Maybe you have a well established routine and have really gotten to know your learners in these couple of months, so now what?  You don’t want to lose that engagement you worked really hard to earn, so what can you do to ensure they are engaged?

New ideas and activities can take a lot of time to develop so save yourself some time and find wonderful free resources you can use in your classroom.  FREE! Yes, free!  Open Educational Resources (OERs) are wonderful for many resources, but being free is a bonus.  We as educators go through a lot of similar experiences and understand the importance of time and what a good lesson means, so why shouldn’t we share those opportunities with one another? Learn more about OERs by visiting here.   

There are many great sites for sharing of OERs.  My favorites are COERLL (for language teachers) and OER Commons. The OER Commons houses the Appalachia Intermediate Unit 08 hub that contains the various CLX projects that were created.  These authentic learning experiences combine digital learning opportunities to create unique opportunities that are real world based for learners.  There are problem based modules and seminars for varying contents and grade levels. To access these projects, view the directions here.  Please join our member group and provide feedback to the resources you use!  

If you like the thought of using and remixing Open Education Resources, there are many others out there, check out ISTE’s article on 19 places to find OERs here.  Have fun exploring and keep your learners engaged all year around!




Tip #17
October 10, 2018
@anitayoung914

The Power of Collaboration

These days there are multiple ways of finding personalized professional learning; but after meeting with a group of world language facilitators this week, I realized something very important.  There is nothing more valuable than being able to collaborate and network with other facilitators of similar content areas or that share the same interests as you.

 Do you collaborate with other facilitators? If so, how do you collaborate with other them?  Some school districts are wonderful and offer common planning times, but what if you don’t have this opportunity?  What other options do you have? You can meet before and after school, if your life outside of school doesn’t interfere of course, but what other options are available to you.

Collaboration is an essential “C” in 21st century skills, so how can we model this practice to our learners? (Do you know your 4 C’s? Here is a quick review.) Let’s start with social media, right?  Twitter and other forms of social media allow facilitators to not only identify what types of professional learning they want but the opportunity to meet and collaborate with other facilitators around the world is very unique! There many virtual tools available to increase collaboration and communication in the education setting.

Here is a list of resources that you can find to increase collaboration between colleagues and among your students.

I am very hopeful in creating more events for professional learning and networking to offer collaboration because the ideas and strategies shared with each other was wonderful! Keep an eye out for future networking events coming up at the IU, but in the meantime, check out a virtual tool to help you AND your learners!

Tip #16
September 11, 2018
@anitayoung914

Green Screen Fun

I don’t know about where you live, but where I live in Central PA, rain has been coming down day after day after day.  So as I sit here trapped by flooding in the surrounded areas I found myself having a little fun!

I have mentioned in before, but to connect with my learners I meet with them virtually via Zoom.  Zoom recently upgraded and added a virtual background tool that enables you to change the background of your screen.  One of the recommendations they suggest is to have a green background. When I saw this my brain wheels started turning!  I immediately purchased a green screen!

 It finally arrived and boy have I had some fun! There has been a lot  of recent studies that the best way for learners to learn in a new language is through Comprehensible Input so I thought well how can I incorporate more language and culture into my 45 minute live session?  The light bulb went off and I immediately thought of the activity “¿Dónde está Señora Young?” As my learners log into Zoom there will find their profesora in a new Spanish speaking location around the world.  For their bell ringer they will be prompted with clues in Spanish using a variety of cognates, vocabulary they are familiar with, and some terms that they must try to figure out. The learners will have cinco minutos to do some research online, using the Spanish clues, to figure out where their profesora is teaching from that day.

 There are so many great vocabulary words that I will be using repeatedly, week after week, that they will most certainly remember and with each new week I can introduce and broaden their vocabulary. Think about how many new places they will learn about too!

 Have you ever thought about using a green screen and weren’t sure why or how? Check out these resources here and here for some tips on using a green screen for your learners or for yourself.

 I would love to hear more about how you use a green screen in your class (any content area) and I will continue to update you on other ways I use it as well.  In the meantime, enjoy my recent travels!


La Casa Rosada in Buenos Aires, Argentina

 Machu Picchu in Peru

Toledo, Spain

Tip #15
August 6, 2018
@anitayoung914

Try Something New & Reflect


How willing are you to try something new? Have you decided if you want to try something new this school year yet? What are you afraid of?

“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.” -Neil Gaiman

The start of the school year is around the corner and I have been working hard to gather new resources and discover new ways to engage my world language learners.  I am always willing to try something new then reflect on how the learning process went for my learners and what I can do to improve. I recently created a list of new activities that I would like to try this school year.  

Some of my resources are virtual resources and can be used for varying content areas while some are specific to world language facilitators.  I have also included some fun activities to try that can be in both the virtual live session setting or in the brick and mortar setting. I will not take credit for coming up with these activities.  I have been very busy reading blogs from world language teachers! (Great form of professional learning!  Here is a quick start list.)  While many of them are in brick and mortar learning environments, I think some of the activities and resources can be used in the virtual setting as well.

Check out the list I created to share with my colleagues here.


I am really looking forward to trying out these resources and sharing them with you.  I am most excited to try out brain breaks during my live sessions and digital breakout activities!  I know things may not go perfect, but that is why it is important to reflect.

I would love to hear what new things you are planning to try this school year as well as your progress with them! Share your stories with me on twitter @anitayoung914 or email ayoung@iu08.org.


Tip #14
July 27, 2018
@anitayoung914

Why Should We Teach Global Culture?


A few months ago we collaborated and discussed creating opportunities for young learners to be exposed to languages and cultures.  We discussed how we could do this and came up with our “World Explorer for the Day” event. The vision came to life this week when 12 learners walked through the door at the IU and participated in varied activities to learn four new languages.  With these four new languages (German, Portuguese, Spanish, and French) came the understanding of what culture is, culture integrated with these languages, and geographical awareness of the world.

These young learners (ages 7-12) were exposed to virtual instruction from our German instructor, Laura Hanley, and one of our French instructors, Melissa Henderson.  They also engaged in virtual tools such as padlet, quizlet, and zoom. What a unique experience to watch them actively participate and truly be engaged!

       

As the day progressed and the sugar from the international candy set in, we got to do some hands on activities such as recreations of the Eiffel Tower with aluminum foil, counting in Spanish with M&M’s, and of course some Salsa dancing to Celia Cruz!


So now I pose to you the same question as I did to my learners that day, “Why should we learn about other languages and cultures?” I can go on and on about my personal beliefs about this topic, but I will leave you with these two articles to explore so you hear it from the “experts.”


Needless to say it looks like we will be exploring more opportunities for young learners to get to know the world as well as work with learners to develop the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Don’t wait for our opportunities though, consider the benefits of teaching both culture and these goals and how you could integrate some of these topics in your facilitation with your learners to truly prepare them for their future.





Tip #13
June 16, 2018
@anitayoung914

Social Media in the Classroom
I have always feared using social media in my classroom. I always thought to myself there are 1000 things that can go wrong... cyber bullying, parents oppose it, blocked access in school, perpetrators, etc. The list can go on and on, but then, I realized social media is what my learners know best and what better way to make a real world connection.

I am no expert in using social media in my classroom. I think we can all agree that learners need guidelines and need to know the importance of digital citizenship so in order to even try using social media, I would first need to set these expectations. I have found some great free lessons and games on digital citizenship on OERCommons, EduTopia, and Cyberwise.

Now, onto the fun stuff! I tried an extra credit submission with my learners at the end of this school year and it went great. See the post here. Why did it go great? The learners shared excitement in their video, they were engaged in the culture of the lesson, they met the learning target, and they knew exactly what to do! There were no obstacles!

With that experience under my belt I am eager to discover new opportunities and choices for my learners to continue their authentic learning experiences using social media. Here are some of the free resources and sites I have found to remix lessons.



Share your experiences with me on twitter- the good, the bad, the great lessons, and suggestions for other instructors!



Tip #12
June 15, 2018
Anita Young
@anitayoung914

No Time Off for Teachers!

I will be honest I have heard some teachers say before that the best part of teaching is “June, July, and August.” I have to hope that they mean it is a time to reflect about the past school year and recharge the batteries for the upcoming school year. I am finding that more and more teachers are using their summers as the PERFECT time to better themselves for the next school year. There is so much value in joining a new professional learning community via social media, participating in ed charts on Twitter, traveling, attending workshops, participating in webinars, reading a book, etc. The ability to choose what YOU want to do and what YOU want to learn is perfect.

I recently participated in various activities that allowed me to reflect on my current practices as well as my past that shaped me into my role today. I can’t begin to tell you how beneficial it was to identify my strengths, my weaknesses, my uncertainties, and takeaways for the future. Understanding myself and my practices enables me to make better choices as a teacher focus on what I need to get better. Take some time to reflect on your own practices this summer then find a professional learning method that meets your summertime schedule!

Check out some of these great resources for summertime professional learning!
The next time someone tells you how great being a teacher is for having the summers off, tell me they are wrong, and in fact, you are working just as hard in the summer to grow and help your future learners!

                                         


Tip #11
May 29, 2018
Anita Young
@anitayoung914 

Quiet on the Set! Engagement in place!

We continue to discuss engagement and the idea of authentic learning experiences as well as the idea of a flipped classroom.  What does a flipped classroom mean? According to Wikipedia’s recent definition, “A flipped classroom is an instructional strategy and a type of blended learning that reverses the traditional learning environment by delivering instructional content, often online, outside of the classroom. It moves activities, including those that may have traditionally been considered homework, into the classroom.” Sounds great, right?

Summer is the perfect opportunity to take some time to professionally grow as well as evaluate how the year has gone by. Some of my summer plans include researching more digital tools, work to improve our assignments in Canvas, and to develop more student choice.  I have begun my investigating and I keep stumbling across the importance of student made videos. Not just boring old videos either, but fun, animated videos with music and edits. Check out all of these great benefits to use student made videos.

Across content areas student created videos can be made to demonstrate learning.  This is a great personalized choice for learners because they can integrate their learning into a topic of interest.  Learners can also make this an authentic learning experience by using real experiences. Check out some of the ways you can integrate student-created videos in your classroom:


So whether you decide to use Animoto, EdPuzzle, Go Animate, Lego Moviemaker, Sway, Instagram, iMovie, or Voki have your learners be the center of the learning environment and demonstrate their knowledge in their own personalized way.



Tip #10
May 16, 2018
Anita Young
@anitayoung914 


What is an “Authentic Learning Experience?”

“Education has but one main purpose- to prepare students for the real world. To do that we need to get “real” in education. It’s imperative that we provide ongoing, authentic learning opportunities for our students.” -Steve Revington

How can we ensure that our learners truly understand the concepts we teach them on a daily basis? Application! Making the learning opportunities realistic and allow them to envision how they could use it on a daily basis to make a connection. Providing authentic learning experiences is key for learners of all ages. Read more about what authentic learning is, why we use it, and how to use it here.

Authentic learning experiences can be done on a daily basis or integrated at all times of the school year. Authentic learning experiences can bring together previous content with new content or a culmination of content. They can be done in all types of learning environments- brick and mortar or virtual.

Explore the possibilities of authentic learning experiences:

You can also access the IU8’s CLX Resources through OER Commons for great authentic learning experiences in all content areas and grade levels. Here are some directions on how to access them. So as your school year winds down and you plan in the summer for your upcoming school year, consider authentic experiences to make learning real and lifelong.





Tip #9
April 27, 2018
Anita Young
@anitayoung914 

No Discipline Issues Today!

It can be a tough task teaching virtually when you don’t have the capability to monitor your learners face to face and ensure their engagement. You can’t tap on their desk, ensure distractions are put away, or make sure they aren’t talking to their classmate next to them.  So how can we possibly compete with these things for our learner’s attention and ensure we don’t have to deal with discipline?

Engagement!

Who honestly wants to plan for discipline?  No one, right? Let’s focus on planning for active participation and engagement.  Over the years I have really learned the power of preparation when it comes to my virtual sessions and ensuring that I have activities to engage ALL my learners. I have done lots of homework exploring blogs and most recently expanding my PLN with Twitter and Instagram.  On Instagram last week I saw an activity a teacher had done with her virtual learners and thought, “Wow! I can remix this and it would be perfect for my learners!”

Let me share my activity with you…

I am a big fan of Padlet, as you know, and decided with all of the new features Padlet offers I would use it as my tool.  My Spanish learners were learning about emotions so I decided that each one of them would post a “box” on Padlet and we did a listening activity that not only incorporated this week’s vocabulary, but prior vocabulary and grammar.  As they listened, they drew what they understood. I could see all the smiles and giggles on their faces as they actively engaged with the drawing feature in Padlet. For fifteen minutes of class I never had to worry if a learner was distracted or off-task because I could see their work and participation in real time.  No one cared about their artistic ability, they were more focused on the listening and trying to interpret the Spanish being spoken. So guess what? No discipline issues today!

This drawing activity can be used across various content areas- demonstrating math work, interpreting texts, making a visual hypothesis, visual vocabulary definitions, etc.  Whether you teach virtually or in a brick and mortar school, give it a try and allow your students the opportunity to draw, participate, and most importantly… be engaged!



Tip #8
April 16, 2018
@anitayoung914

Customize Your Professional Learning


Up until about four months ago, I was social media illiterate.  I didn’t exist on the Facebook or Twitter world. Hard to believe in this day and age, but it was something I simply didn’t think I needed.  I had an Instagram account, but mostly to share photos of my children with my family since we live so far away.



Then.. something changed! I joined THE BEST professional learning communities!



By joining the Twitter and Facebook world, I opened up my possibilities to individualized professional learning I never thought possible.  In a few short months I have discovered blogs, wikis, podcasts, and people who have shared so much knowledge with me in the topics that directly affect what I do and what I want to learn.



Here is a list of a few of my recent favorites:

Podcasts: The Virtual Teacher Podcast by Phil Morris (click here to access)

Blogs: Edutopia (click here to access)

Wiki: Web 2.0- Cool Tools for Schools (click here to access)

Twitter Accounts: @COERLL, @edtechteam, @bigtechcoach, and @classtechtips   



If you haven’t explored these resources, feel free to check them out for virtual tools and insight. They have so much to offer that you may lose track of time! Feel free to share any other resources you have found beneficial too! Find me on twitter and share!








Tip #7
April 5, 2018
Anita Young
@anitayoung914

It's time for class, but first, let’s prep!

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” - Benjamin Franklin

Often times people think teaching virtually is a piece of cake- no meeting with learners and no planning.  Boy are they wrong!

Meeting with students virtually is an integral part of getting to know your learner to ensure their success.  After all relationship building is what makes a positive educational experience for the learner.  Once they feel like you care about them and are willing to get to know them, then they are more inclined to participate and reach out to you. 


I have heard from various online teaching companies that their work is only asynchronous and I wonder, are they really seeing a lot of success from their learners and how engaged are their learners? 

Can the teacher even notice they are engaged or if he/she is assigning work that is relevant to that student because he/she doesn’t know them? 

I have found that getting to know my learners and seeing what engages them or how I can engage them has really proven to be beneficial.  This drives the planning! I plan my live sessions very thoroughly based on who my students are, their interests, and the classroom rapport.  I also plan and adjust my weekly assignments the same. 

Planning and preparation is a large component of the Danielson domain and how all teachers, including virtual teachers, are evaluated.  Review the framework and example artifacts here.  You can use various tools to plan for your live sessions such as the Live Lesson Planning Doc, the 6E Template Planning Sheet, or find another free template that suits you here.


Remember that you must engage your learners from the very beginning and continue to provide activities that meet their needs. Ensure that your students are excited to return back to your class and all of this starts with planning and preparation!








Tip #6
March 20, 2018
Anita Young

@anitayoung914

Expose the World to Your Learners

With Authentic Experiences

Aladdin image By: yumiko124, CC0, https://pixabay.com/photo-1326853/

As the famous Aladdin song goes, "I can show you the world shining, shimmering, splendid." I recently watched this Disney classic with my daughter and paused as this song played. A simple act of introducing my daughter to Disney classics became a reflection on my teaching practices. What do I do to show my learners the world? 

 Authentic materials! 

Authentic materials and opportunities are critical for learners. Why? Authentic materials offers them opportunities to hear and read "real" language which in turn is proven to develop language learning. Read more about the importance of authentic materials HERE. 

Let's have readers develop vocabulary, in any language, by providing them daily articles that are published in well known newspapers or magazines. Have learners listen to authentic radio stations to discover pop culture and music! There are so many ways to integrate authentic experiences into in class activities, collaborative projects, or even in informal assessments. Read more about possible authentic activities for the world language classroom HERE. 

Learners use “El Corte Ingles”, an authentic store in Spain to “shop” for clothing
Please note that many of these activities can be altered and used in any classroom. As I continue to reflect I think... "Okay, I have my learners shop in Spanish stores, explore Mexican restaurant menus, and identify touristic locations in Santiago, Chile, but is that enough?" As I get to know my learners, more and more I discover that MANY of them have never traveled more than two hours away from their home! Some of them have never been to a city, a beach, or even an airport! 

How can I discuss airport or city themed vocabulary with my learners if they have never been to one? How can I possibly expect them to make a connection and internalize this content?

 Google Earth “Street View” of Machu Picchu in Peru
So here goes nothing... Google Earth! Why didn't I think of that earlier? Google Earth allows my learners to get clear 3D images of locations all over the world so they can picture themselves in that location. As I teach Spanish speaking countries this week, guess what, my learners are going on a field trip! Around the world! I can have my learners internalize this information by identifying Mexico with Chichen Itza, Peru with Macchu Picchu, and Spain with El Palacio Real. This "trip" will provide an authentic experience that will really allow my learners to internalize content. 

So take a second and reflect, what do you do to open up your learners' eyes and show them "a new fantastic point of view"?




Tip #5
March 5, 2018
Anita Young
@anitayoung914

Piece Together Engagement with Edpuzzles and Learner Interests

“Emotional involvement or commitment,” that is how Webster’s dictionary defines ENGAGEMENT. 

What is engagement to a teacher? 

Engagement is an active learner who is able to make connections to content presented, or discovered, and is able to apply what they learn to what they are doing now and what they want to be in the future. 

Before I can fully engage my learners, I need to learn about their interests and discover what they want to be in the future (or even help them with this step). There are so many jobs out there now, and future jobs, that our learners do not even know about. Using Onet HERE can help provide a wealth of knowledge on careers, salaries, educational requirements, etc. 


 I encourage you to explore this resource with your learners or embed it in a lesson so they have the opportunity to research and discover what careers really match up with their interests. 
I have recently started to explore a new virtual tool for education entitled, Edpuzzle. Edpuzzle (www.edpuzzle.com) offers an opportunity to select videos or create videos with the ability to add audio notes and questions throughout the video to assess students as they watch. 

Check out the “assignment”  I created HERE which includes a video provided by Edpuzzle in which I was able to add a few comments and a question. Read more about EdPuzzle features here . Once you have discovered interests and career possibilities, engage your learners! 

Use Edpuzzles to present them with authentic realities during all stages of learning. I invite you to follow me and share your engaging Edpuzzles on twitter @anitayoung914. 







Tip #4 
February 20, 2018
Anita Young
@anitayoung914

Point Your Way To Success with Learner Participation and Prompt Feedback

Arrows and Other Zoom Annotate Tools
Picture your perfect classroom setting... what are your learners doing? What does the class look like? What can be heard? 

You have created a welcoming environment with clear expectations, so what does the LEARNING look like? Are your learners engaged and how do you keep them engaged? 

First and foremost, it is important to identify your content with their interests in mind. If your learners are invested, then the learning will come naturally. As you plan your lessons in advance, what do you consider an engaging activity and how can you keep your learners participating? 

Let me share with you a simple tool that offers MANY possibilities of activities and can keep your learners actively engaged while also providing your instant informal feedback. Using the Zoom application, instructors at World of Learning use the annotate features to keep their learners engaged. The annotate features in Zoom allow the instructor and learners to draw, write text, use arrows with their names, and many other tools to stay actively participating in a lesson. For example, how about a quick vocabulary review? Our instructors present several words or images on a screen then request learners in the L2 to identify the term using the annotate features in Zoom. Learners have the capability to use the tools to move around on the screen and write or click on it themselves for all to see. How about sharing authentic resources on the screen and scaffolding reading strategies with your learners? You can use the tools to highlight, write notes, or identify key points write on the text. There are so many possibilities! 

Check out this quick introduction of the Zoom annotate features here. The Zoom application is ideal for any classroom setting- both physically present with your learners in the same room or virtually in different locations. Please feel free to share your lesson idea and how you use the annotate features to engage your learners! Share your lesson plan or zoom recording of your lesson!   

Watch Ellen as she uses the Zoom Arrow tool!



Tip #3 

Reap the Rewards of Learner Engagement

Using Zoom Annotate

February 7, 2018
Anita Young
@anitayoung914

Picture your perfect classroom setting... what are your learners doing? What does the class look like? What can be heard? 

You have created a welcoming environment with clear expectations, so what does the LEARNING look like? Are your learners engaged and how do you keep them engaged? 

First and foremost, it is important to identify your content with their interests in mind. If your learners are invested, then the learning will come naturally. As you plan your lessons in advance, what do you consider an engaging activity and how can you keep your learners participating? 

Let me share with you a simple tool that offers MANY possibilities of activities and can keep your learners actively engaged while also providing your instant informal feedback. Using the Zoom application, instructors at World of Learning use the annotate features to keep their learners engaged. The annotate features in Zoom allow the instructor and learners to draw, write text, use arrows with their names, and many other tools to stay actively participating in a lesson. For example, how about a quick vocabulary review? 

 Our instructors present several words or images on a screen then request learners in the L2 to identify the term using the annotate features in Zoom. Learners have the capability to use the tools to move around on the screen and write or click on it themselves for all to see. How about sharing authentic resources on the screen and scaffolding reading strategies with your learners? You can use the tools to highlight, write notes, or identify key points write on the text. There are so many possibilities! Check out this quick introduction of the Zoom annotate features here. The Zoom application is ideal for any classroom setting- both physically present with your learners in the same room or virtually in different locations. Please feel free to share your lesson idea and how you use the annotate features to engage your learners! Share your lesson plan or zoom recording of your 
lesson! 
Watch our video...


Want to know more, contact me at ayoung@iu08.org to learn about our Professional Learning or Enrolling learners in our WOL courses.


Tip #2 Set Clear Expectations
January 23, 2018
Anita Young
@anitayoung914

The Value of Setting Clear Expectations - No Surprises!
You have just welcomed a new learner, now what? How do they know the expectations of your course, the grading procedures, or when assignments are due? In order to ensure success and allow that learner the opportunity to succeed, it is essential to establish open communication immediately. Not only is a warm welcome important, as I discussed in my previous post, but ensuring that the learner understands there is a clear path to communicate to you virtually is equally as important. How do you keep the communication open and consistent? There are several methods to communicate virtually. At the WOL we use tools in our learning management system such as inbox features, calendars, or announcements to communicate to our learners. We use them to dictate assignment due dates, talk to learners individually, share additional new content in their interest areas, discuss great things we see, mention future improvements, etc. Keeping this communication consistent on a weekly or daily basis allows our learners to recognize that we are HERE for them and there are no guessing games on how or when to complete assignments. Another great positive is that it builds a relationship in which they can feel comfortable to reach out to their teachers and take on an initiative in spear heading their own learning. If you don't have a learning platform system... have no fear! There are MANY ways to communicate learners virtually. Check out the link here for ten great tools on how to communicate to learners virtually. I will leave you with one last thought... keep your communication clear, consistent, and as always, welcoming!      

READ MORE - What is Possible with Personalized Learning n Schools? (iNacol and the Carnegie Foundation)


TIP # 1 Take the Time to Know Your Student

January 9, 2017
Anita Young 
@anitayoung914

The Power of Hello to Create a Learning Community
Teaching in a virtual learning setting brings on a set of unique opportunities in which you can deliver content and support your learners. Before you can indulge them in new technology to explore ancient civilizations, the pythagorean theorem, or how to use proper kitchen utensils, it is important to create a learning atmosphere that encourages them to be successful and makes them want to come back for more! It is essential to create a  community of learners from the onset of your course.

Learners need to feel welcomed, empowered, and the understanding that someone wants to get to know them and see them succeed. At the start of every course facilitators need to take the time to get to know their learners. Learn their names, learn about their community, get to know their hobbies! Being able to bring their interests in your classroom will allow them to make life long connections. Many of our WOL teachers take the first 2-3 minutes of a live virtual session to great each individual learner. This enables the facilitator to get to know the learners on his/her roster along with the face and voice of that learner. The learner, in return, feels welcomed and appreciates the facilitator's recognition which can lead to more active participation in the course as well as the comfort level in asking questions. It only takes a few minutes, but this can go a long way in establishing a community of learners!


Read More Here -http://mams.rmit.edu.au/y6xh29nmrcwr.pdf

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Leading with Language

Words matter! How we use words matters. The Leaders of the Hopi Nation in 2000, proclaimed “the time of the lone wolf is over”.   I watched a special on PBS that gave me hope. “American Creed - Ideals that Unite Us” - former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her Stanford colleague, historian David Kennedy lift the many amazing stories and different voices that make up the unique fabric of the United States of America - check it out HERE . We are all in this together. So when I opened my email and saw Dr. Michelle Saylor front and center of Education Week’s Leaders to Learn From - I was excited! She talks about language uniting people - expanding possibility. I love the positive impact of teaching World Languages to all learners. Language matters. Dr. Saylor’s mission to provide opportunities for everyone to experience another culture through the language rings sweet for us in the World of Learning at IU8 . Michelle’s story is well worth the read. Learning
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What Matters in Schools - Today and Every Day?

I started my weekend with a text message from Dave Lehman, the Superintendent at Conemaugh Valley School District about his testimony in the State Senate this week. I like working with Dave. We have become sounding boards for each other as we have worked collaboratively through Appalachia IU8. The job of a Superintendent goes well beyond the scope heading up schools. Most people don’t know how many hats a Superintendent wears on any given day. Some days we talk about alternative programs and expanding learner options - other days we just commiserate about how little we get to talk about education. James Hollis in his book Swamplands of the Soul stated, ‘Doubt is a radical form of faith’, something that I think is needed when working as a Superintendent. I have learned so much from working with Dave these past few years, he digs in when doubt is present. He often has simple, yet profound advice as he muddles through one of the many difficult issues faced by Superintendents most days.
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