We read and hear a lot about concerns that due to students learning from home, being away from school, teachers, friends, and extra-curricular activities, and not having what used to be the normal and familiar routine of going to school, there may be gaps in their learning and development.
In some schools, there is a reported increase in summer school enrollment for summer 2021 which may be due to virtual learning not being the prime environment for some of our students to be learning. However, the connection summer school students have with teachers may be just what they need since student-teacher ratios are traditionally lower in summer school classes. Last summer, I supported summer schoolteachers in our district across five high schools, and let me tell you, those teachers had hearts of GOLD given what they had been through since schools closed during term 3. It is probably safe to say, teachers across the globe and the roughest fourth quarter in their teaching careers. But the summer schoolteachers gave so much support to their students. It was heartwarming to watch.
If we want to give the same kind of support to all our students, how can we help them close their gaps over the summer break?
Links mentioned in the Episode 5 podcast: STRATEGY 1 – Interactive Lessons
Computer Science interactive lessons:
Codecademy or Runestone Interactive
Interactive lessons in different topics and grade levels:
· Nearpod, Peardeck, or Playposit
· Newsela for ELA, Social Studies, Science, Computer Science, World Language, Health, Physical Education, ESL, and more
· Khan Academy for math and science
· PhET for Science simulations
· NOVA for Science
· Commonlit for ELA
· Smithsonian Open Access for many different topics and exhibits
· EdPuzzle - where you can tap into videos already created on educational channels like:
o Khan Academy, YouTube
o National Geographic, TED Talk
o science and engineering Veritasium
o Numberphile
o Crash Course
· Kahoot ESL - ESL Video, ESL Cyber Listening Lab, and Bits English Language Learning
STRATEGY 2 – Adaptive Learning Platforms
· ALEKS
· ReadingPlus.
· Whitebox Learning System
· DuoLingo
STRATEGY 3 – SEL Interactive Lessons
Nearpod, Newsela, and Peardeck, and Commonsense
STRATEGY 4 – Create a Website
· Google Sites
STRATEGY 5 – Digital Scavenger Hunts
· QR Code Scavenger Hunt creator by Classtools.net and Free QR Code generator
STRATEGY 6 – AP, LSAT, and SAT Prep interactive lessons
· Khan Academy AP courses
· Khan Academy LSAT or SAT Prep courses
STRATEGY 7 – eBook Lists
· eBooks for Students
· epubBooks
· Gateway to the Classics
· Open Library by the Internet Archive
· Project Gutenberg
· ReadAloud app in the Microsoft Store
· Wakelet or Pearltree
STRATEGY 8 – Virtual Location Visits & Virtual Field Trips
· Google Tour Builder or VR Google Tour Creator or Google Earth Creator
· 14 Google Earth tours
· Google Street View by Google Maps
Virtual field trips
· National Parks
· Exploring by the Seat of your Pants
· Google Arts & Culture
· YouTube Virtual Reality channel
· Discovery Education Field Trips,
· GeoGuessr,
· City Guesser,
· Virtual Field Trips by the Nature Lab of The Nature Conservancy
· FlipGrid LIVE Events
STRATEGY 9 – Flipgrid
· Microsoft Flipgrid
· Kahoot games
· Wakelets
· Buncee
· Adobe Spark
· Wonderopolis
⭐Flipgrid FREE GUIDE for 50 Ways to Use Flipgrid in the Classroom
This Episode’s EdTechEnergy FREE Guide Learn 50 Ways to Use Microsoft Flipgrid in the Classroom + Checklist to Create 1st Group and Topic! Transcript Episode 5: 9 Strategies to Help Students Fill Gaps during the Summer transcript
Music Attribution
Music License: Jamendo Licensing Standard License - Title: Inspiring Corporate Artist: CORPORATEMUSIC Album: Corporate A
