The EduGals Podcast

This week, we are chatting about learner variability in the context of Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Learner variability is not just simply learning styles; we'll define what learner variability is as well as the various strategies that we can use in the classroom to support all of our learners.

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/105**

• Learner variability is not the same thing as learning styles!
• Learner variability is holistic and flexible to meet the needs of our students as their needs ebb and flow
• Learner Variability Navigator by Digital Promise
• Four key factors for learner variability: content, cognition, social-emotional learning, and student background
• UDL framework principles:
  • Variability is the rule, not the exception
  • All students can work towards the same firm goals and grade level standards when provided with conditions of nurture and adequate support
  • All learners can become expert learners if barriers are removed
• UDL and CRRP go together! 
• UDL Rising to Equity Initiative
• Factors are all interconnected, research-based, lots of strategies provided with each one
• Advice for getting started:
  • Get to know your students to learn their strengths and needs
  • Focus on one pillar or area of need
  • Try some of the instructional strategies
  • Be flexible - students needs will ebb and flow depending on many other factors
  • Start small, try 1 strategy and see how it goes
  • Focus on developing your mindset

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• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

This week, we are chatting about how chaotic this school year has been so far. We will share some of the different things that are making it feel so crazy, and we'll also brainstorm some ways that we can improve our daily teaching lives.

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/104**

• Teacher tired is happening already and it's only October!
• Chaotic startup for both of us - new student information system, more newcomers as immigration reopens, large class sizes with greater learning needs, emotional needs and well-being
• Why we're tired - introverts!, re-organization of classroom materials, fixing the mess of the pandemic, lack of downtime, sickness, busy in our classroom with a self-pacing learning model (intentional chaos), de-streaming and lots of change

Our tips and strategies for moving forward:

• Lean on each other - collaborative planning
• Give yourself permission to slow down and do a little less
• Release time for course planning, if possible
• Give yourself time to plan mastery-based learning
• Re-package and re-chunk your current materials
• Go for done, not perfect (create videos in one take!, worry less about making all the transitions or making your slides pretty)
• Consider annotating over animating when creating videos
• Be okay to say no and be selective about additional opportunities outside of the classroom
• If you're struggling, reach out to your colleagues and ask for help
• Be flexible with timelines - it all gets done
• Consider creating and using a common template (see E103)
• SlidesMania
• Make effective use of planning time during the week so you have downtime on the weekend

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Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

This week, we are chatting all about why UDL (Universal Design For Learning) is a great approach to designing classrooms that make learning accessible for all students. We are focusing on the big picture in this episode by going over what UDL is and isn't, how it's different from choice or differentiation, and strategies/tips to begin thinking about UDL in your lesson design.

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/87**

What is UDL?

• Based on the premise that all students are capable of success when we provide pathways and empower them to determine what they need at any given point in time
• Goal of UDL - create expert learners (purposeful and motivated, resourceful and knowledgeable, and strategic and goal-directed)
• Different from choice (just a piece of UDL) or differentiation (reactionary)
• Learner variability is the rule - a single explanation or model will not address the range of skills, abilities, language proficiencies, etc in a classroom - variability changes according to context, opportunity, etc.
• Lots of overlap with mastery-based learning, culturally responsive and relevant pedagogy (esp. high academic expectations), ungrading, trauma-informed pedagogy, blended instructional models
• 3 main buckets/pillars:
  • Multiple means of engagement - student choice, lesson relevance, motivation, self-assessment, feedback
  • Multiple means of representation - multiple modalities, scaffolds, visuals, cross-curricular connections, note-taking skills
  • Multiple means of action & expression - EdTech tools, choice for demonstrating learning, feedback, reflection (portfolios, conferencing, entrance/exit tickets)
• It's okay to let go of control in your classroom; focus on de-centring yourself and shifting the focus onto students

Resources:

• UDL Infographic from Katie Novak
• Learner Variability Project - Digital Promise
• Learner Variability Navigator
• Universal Design for Learning (UDL): A teacher's guide 
• UDL Guidelines from CAST
• UDL Progression Rubric from Katie Novak
• Chemix 

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Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

This week, we are back with an update on how mastery-based learning is going in our classrooms. We'll chat about our successes and challenges with mastery-based learning and provide some helpful tips and tricks along the way!

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/103**

• Mastery-based learning is a steep learning curve that is worth it!
• Grading conversations are minimized and students are focused on learning
• Getting to know students on a much deeper level this year
• Mastery gives you a lot of information quickly about students strengths and areas of need
• Routines need to be established early in the semester and this takes time! 
• Seeing richer connections between students, especially between ELLs with different first languages
• Setting these high expectations is motivating for students
• Policies/procedures for reassessment of mastery checks - consider a verbal quiz before attempting version 3, for example
• Digital vs Paper mastery checks:
  • Paper is better! Digital can create a bit of a tracking nightmare
  • Consider printing each lesson on different coloured paper
  • Paper adds a level of formality & seriousness, which builds accountability
  • Paper is tangible, quick to assess
• Progress Trackers:
  • Student-led Tracker example
  • Auto-Updating Tracker from Modern Classrooms Project
  • Public tracker provides another layer of motivation
• Building Resources:
  • Approach this with a team, if possible
  • This will get easier with time
• Templates:
  • Rachel's lesson template
  • Consider also using templates for mastery checks
• Overall, less focus on grades, more focus on learning
• Shifting the classroom culture, with more ownership on the students

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Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

This week, we are chatting all about station-based learning. This instructional model is frequently used at the elementary level, so our focus for this conversation is how to implement station-based learning in the secondary classroom. 

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/102**

• There are many different ways to set up stations - by activity, by curriculum strand
• Can be done over a day, several days, or even a week
• Catlin Tucker - Blended Learning in Action book and Balance with Blended Learning book
• Station Rotation Model:
  • Teacher-led, small group work, individual practice, online learning, collaborative stations
  • Doesn't need to be physical locations in your room although this can help your students stay on task!
  • Other ideas for stations: makerspace, research, project-based learning, design & create, virtual field trips, role playing &/or performance, feedback
• Feedback station suggestions:
  • Peer review, teacher led, self assessment
  • Provide sentence starters and/or frameworks to guide peer and self assessment
• Behind the scenes:
  • Lots of upfront work with a big payoff
  • Consider approaching the topic using different modalities
  • Think about those topics that students often struggle with to target for stations
  • Help students learn the model by starting with low stakes stations (getting to know you activities for example)
  • Consider interactions: teacher-student, student-student, student-content
  • Have clear objectives, tasks, instructions
  • Works well with mastery-based learning
  • Mix up the activities you use
  • Look at UDL framework for inspiration
• Logistics in the classroom:
  • Limit the number of students per station
  • Use a timer and project it to keep students on task
  • It's ok not to finish all tasks
  • Consider lesson classifications from Modern Classrooms framework
  • Add in a fun station (curriculum-related board games, etc.)
  • Tech vs no-tech - not all stations need tech!
  • If using tech, consider all aspects - headphones, headphone splitters, chromebooks, adapters
• Expect a learning curve - try, fail, learn!

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Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

This week, we are sharing our favourite formative assessment tools. Formative assessment is essentially how we are assessing students for what they know while they are learning it in an ongoing format. There are so many great EdTech tools available to provide feedback to your students while they are learning, so we are sharing our favourites for inspiration!

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/101**

• Formative assessment = assessment for learning = assessment as learning

Our favourite tools:

• Screencastify - use prompts, problem solving explanations, pictures, visuals, retrieval practice
• Mote - great Google integrations, Mote Loops, MoteCon 2022 sessions
• Google Forms - self-grading quizzes, flipped classroom
• Kahoot, Quizizz, Gimkit, Blooket - great game apps for assessment, spreadsheets for Q uploads
• All things Google - collaborative, slides, comments, emoji reactions
• Low tech - paper or whiteboards are great!
• Digital whiteboards - Jamboard, Miro, etc
• EdPuzzle, PlayPosit, Nearpod, Screencastify - interactive questions for assessment
• Interactive presentation tools - Nearpod, Pear Deck - try self-paced mode!
• Padlet - online collaborative bulletin board, digital word walls, collaborative sharing, Q&A
• Plickers - combo of low and high tech using QR codes
• Polling tools - Poll Everywhere, Mentimeter, Answer Garden
• Portfolios - check out E074 to learn more - Google Sites or Drive works well
• Interviews & Conversations - have students prep ahead of time with audio or video tools mentioned above
• Podcasting - reflective, works well for problem solving

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Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

This week, we are celebrating the 100th episode of the EduGals podcast. We have handed over the reins to two amazing guests, Stephen Hurley and Doug Peterson, to interview us about our journey with podcasting and the future of EduGals!

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

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**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/100**

• Stephen Hurley (Twitter) @Stephen_Hurley
• Doug Peterson (Twitter) @dougpete

Topics covered in this episode:

• Welcome to Stephen Hurley and Doug Peterson
• How we got started with podcasting and blogging
• Why we podcast
• The topic of our second podcast - can you guess what it was?
• Do we listen to our oldest podcasts? 
• Our recording process - from detailed outlines to what we do now (topic, separate research, just hit record and have a conversation)
• Our gear - started with USB mic and a rubbermaid container; now using Rode PodMics
• Our impact - greatest in our own professional growth; we see it in our classrooms
• Listener connections are important to us!
• Podcasting is a problem solving process for us
• MoteCon - check out Rachel's session
• PD sessions - EduGals is presenting at the ISTE Creative Constructor Lab in October 2022!
• Our vision and why we stay separate from our school board
• Four introverts walk into a Zencastr room!
• Podcasting with students - start small, think micro-podcasts, build scaffolds
• Staying fresh in the crowded podcasting space
• Upcoming topics for the EduGals podcast 
• Our publishing process and division of labour
• Getting started with podcasting - equipment, ideas, just hit record!
• Episode 200 will be on Google Sheets

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Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

This week, we are discussing various strategies, tips, and ideas for digital teacher organization. As we embark on a new school year, this is a great time for you to get organized and develop some systems to help keep you on track. We'll talk about digital planning, Google Drive, Google Calendar, Canva, Slides Mania, and Gmail.

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/62**

• Paper planning - Happy Planner and Sharpie Pens
• Digital Planning
  • Using the Google Calendar created by Google Classroom
  • Canva planner templates, lesson plan templates, and desktop wallpapers
    • Download as an image and add it to Google Slides as a background image
    • Download as a PDF and use it with your iPad/tablet (Good Notes)
  • Slides Mania - Weekly planners, Yearly planners, Notebook Style, and Morning Meeting Layouts
  • The GRID Method webinar - Stephanie Howell
  • Consider creating a slide deck/doc as an overview with all resources hyperlinked (helps with Classroom organization)
• Google Calendar
  • Time blocking with Google Tasks, easy to move tasks/events but beware!
  • Hyperlink resources into your event
• Google Keep
  • Great for to-do lists, regular checklists
  • Google Keep headers blog post
• Gmail
  • Gmail tips for L1 exam blog post and Gmail podcast episode
  • Multiple aliases
• Google Drive
  • Naming conventions, starred folders, priority tab (workspaces), deal with orphaned docs
  • Google Drive podcast

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Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show

This week, we are sharing our favourite new Google features. There have been so many great updates to Google tools over the past few months and we are excited to share new features that we are excited about in Google Classroom, Gmail, Calendar, Meet, Docs, Forms, and Drive.

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/99**

• Google Classroom - Add-Ons
• Gmail - New Integrated View
• Email Marketing Tools for Gmail (Layout and Multi-Send)
• Google Chat - Delete Chat Spaces & Content
• Google Calendar - Appointment Scheduling Sharing 
• Google Meet - Picture-in-Picture
• Google Meet - Companion Mode
• Google Meet - Live Streaming to YouTube
• Google Docs - Table Templates
• Google Docs - Emoji Reactions
• Google Docs - New Notification Settings
• Google Forms - Fonts & Customization
• Google Drive - File Location
• For more Google Updates, check out the Google Workspace Updates Blog

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Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
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This week, we are sharing some tips and tricks to gear up for the new school year. We'll discuss reminders, considerations, and EdTech tools you might use as you get started with your planning. 

If you like what you hear, we would love it if you could share this episode with a colleague or friend. And make sure you subscribe so that you don’t miss out on any new content! And consider supporting the show by buying us a coffee or two!

We would love to hear from you – leave a comment on our website OR check out our FLIPGRID!

Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/98**

Start with big-picture or long-range planning:

• Prioritize your ambitions and goals - rein in your wild ideas!
• Long-range planning will help make the day-to-day planning easier
• Think about what your summative assessments will be
• The minutia of the daily planning will get done - it's ok to not have that ready yet because you need to get to know your students first
• Mastery-based learning - different way of thinking which gives you more flexibility in planning
• Growing pains will happen - expect them if you are trying something new!

EdTech Tools we recommend:

• Screencasting tools - Screencastify, Loom, Screencast-o-matic, Explain Everything, OBS Studio (stick to one only for students)
• Loom for Educators
• Check for privacy/data and board/district policies
• Google Slides - create HyperDocs for mastery-based learning (better than docs)
• Learning Management System (Google Classroom, Brightspace, Canvas, etc) - organization, consistent naming/numbering systems, personalization, minimize navigation
• Google Assignments in LMS for student submissions

Community Building:

• Super important over the first two weeks of school
• Hands-on learning in small, randomized groupings (inquiry, design thinking, etc)
• Diagnostics to figure out starting points
• Consider skills units at the beginning of the semester
• Help new students learn about their school community (tours)
• Use simple icebreaker activities to start off group work (this or that, would you rather, two truths and a lie, etc) - model this first as a teacher
• Colleague relationships matter too! Informal is better than forced icebreakers

Self-Care:

• Establish your routines now, prioritize yourself and your goals
• Figure out what works for you, self-care looks different for everyone
• Add habits to your to-do list (Todoist is great!)

Support the show

Connect with EduGals:

• Twitter @EduGals
• Rachel @dr_r_johnson
• Katie @KatieAttwell
• EduGals Website
• Support the show