Apps That Can Help Support Your Health and Wellness Journey

by Kelly Trapani, Health and Wellness Teacher

The utilization of technology has vastly altered the state of our day-to-day in both positive and negative ways. Though the argument can be made that more screen time can yield to more sedentary and distracted lifestyles, various technological advances can help to make getting and staying healthy easier than ever and as a cyber-school health and wellness teacher, I see those innovations first-hand. Through the usage of applications, health and fitness enthusiasts are able to more readily able to monitor their performance and create more attainable goals for themselves. Taking a holistic approach to overall health and wellbeing, here are a few of the apps that I have found most helpful on my fitness journey:

My Fitness Pal: This is actually the most popular health and fitness app in the world, and for good reason. This is used to record your physical activity as well as your nutrition habits. It will ask you what your goals are and tailor a plan to healthfully reach your goal. It is extremely easy to use and provides instant feedback on monitoring said goals. Also, it will discourage you from eating too few calories, a mistake oftentimes made by those who wish to lose weight very quickly. It will steer you to weight loss/maintenance in a healthy manner. In addition to that, it also provides a social network to encourage and motivate your friends. Occasionally, they will promote a “challenge” and if you log into your account for a certain number of days you will be entered to win prizes. 

Waterlogged: This app is super simple, but super effective. The premise of the app is to ensure that the user is consuming enough water throughout the day. To start, you set how much water you wish to consume, and as the day progresses, you “fill” your water jug. You can allow for push notifications for an additional nudge. The importance of staying hydrated cannot be overstated, and this app makes drinking enough water very simple.

HappyFeed: As I have said before, health is comprehensive and a combination of your physical and mental states. One cannot be healthy without the other being healthy. According to a study conducted by Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the University of California and Dr. Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami, expressing gratitude daily can cause individuals to not only become more optimistic but also cause them to exercise more and have fewer medical issues. HappyFeed is an app that houses a gratitude journal. The goal is to log three things you are grateful for every day, and you can also include pictures. In addition to this, it creates a running list of all the things you have been thankful for in the past. This can cause a paradigm shift in your mentality when you are having an awful day and can most definitely turn any day around.  

Headspace: Headspace is an app used for meditation beginners. Running on the premise that “10 minutes could change your whole day”, it is ideal for those who would like to practice mindfulness, but are not yet ready to commit to a long program. This guided meditation can help those even with very short attention spans, like me, become more mindful. 

SleepBot: I have been using this app for a few years now, and I honestly cannot imagine my life without it. I wake up every morning at 4:30 a.m. and part of the reason I am able to do so is through the use of this app. The coolest function in my opinion is the “smart alarm”. The app tracks your nighttime movement and wakes you up during a 30-minute time frame you provide. So, because the latest I can wake up is 4:30 a.m., my alarm clock will go off anywhere from 4:00-4:30 a.m., dependent on my movements. Because it monitors your movements, it is able to tell when you are in the “lightest” stage of sleep and will wake you up during that phase. This makes waking up much less painful. I am an actual gremlin in the morning, so I need all the help I can get. In addition, it provides a detailed sleep history it can tell you exactly when you fell asleep and woke back up. You can provide notes to log your slumber in even a more detailed fashion. This can allow you to know how to get the best night sleep possible. Also, it will let you know if you have any “sleep debt” to notify you that you need to be getting more sleep. 

Strava: Strava is a running/biking app that has a fully featured GPS tracking service. It will track your runs but you can also use it as a social networking app to see your friends’ most recent runs and compete with them in various “challenges” like most miles ran in a month or fastest half marathon. You can also compare your run against other random users who have run or biked certain routes. Strava is even more motivating if you are competitive!

Transformed: This is a 12-week weight lifting program created by BodyBuilding.com. It can easily be used from beginners to more advance lifters and is designed for both men and women. I completed this program last month and was really impressed. It creates new plans every week. Each week has 5-7 workouts, with an optional rest day. It also includes videos for every lift to go over how to safely and effectively execute each move. The app also offers nutrition plans to supplement your exercise program. 



These are the apps that have worked the best for me, feel free to share your experiences with one of these apps or any others that you have found.

Top 10 Reasons We Love Being Students at Pennsylvania Distance Learning Charter School

 Co-authored by Kiara Millie (Junior) and Garrett Pelkofer (Senior)

People have many views about cyber schools versus brick and mortar public schools. In brick and mortar schools, there’s constant contact with other people which is a plus for some. At Pennsylvania Distance Learning Charter School, students get to learn and experience new things. Independence is one of the most important factors of a cyber school student. Students are expected to learn and do things for themselves, this helps create lifelong learners and students who are driven and motivated. 

Below, we have listed our top 10 reasons why Pennsylvania Distance Learning Charter School has helped us grow as students.

1. Teachers 
Pennsylvania Distance Learning Charter School teachers are some of the most helpful teachers we’ve had. They make themselves available to you if you’re struggling, and they’re understanding about all student needs. Teachers are willing to meet every need and answer every question. Not only are they helpful and understanding, they all seem to take a genuine interest in the lives of their students. Many often engage in meaningful personal conversations that create a deeper student-teacher relationship. 

2. Low Stress
Our school is so flexible, and the hours to submit assignments to complete work are wide open.  This creates a very low stress environment for students. One of the pluses of any cyber school environment is the ability to complete school work on your own time. You aren’t pressured to complete something in a hasty manner. Students can always take a moment to catch their breath and relax in order to avoid being too flustered. This allows students to slow down and make sure assignments are done completely and correctly. It also encourages them to build a complete daily schedule for sleep, work, and play. 

3. Freedom to Access Schoolwork Anywhere
In cyber school, you’re not limited to one place to do work or go to class. You’re free to

access work and classes on vacation, at Starbucks, at  your grandma’s house,  and on your break at work. We’ve personally done all four. (Also, working from home allows our furry friends to study along with us.)

4. Resources
For families who may be low-income or have to follow a very tight budget, at our school there are many resources the school helps provide families at little to no cost to them so they can focus on what is truly important - education. Our school provides each student with a computer, printer, calculator, textbooks and school supplies to ensure quality education. Field trips are typically covered by our school’s FLEX funds and we offer reimbursement for internet, tutoring, and some recreational activities in relation to education. 

5. Friendly Students
It’s easy to make friends in classes. We’ve met really cool people in our classes and clubs that we’ve joined. Most students are willing to help you out and are always welcoming to new students. 

6. After School Clubs
The clubs after school are of growing importance to our school ecosystem. As members we look forward to our weekly student government sessions that allow us to make a definite impact on the school. Not only do clubs allow students to change and improve the school, but it also allows students to get to know one another and build friendships with other students. These clubs are a great platform to share interests, make friends, and make student voices heard.

7. Flexible Schedule
Another benefit of the flexible nature of our school is the ability to complete schoolwork whenever students are best able to. Work can be done at any time before 11:59 p.m., and this really comes in handy with longer assignments. Students can also incorporate other activities into their school day, like work, sports, or other extracurricular activities. Another cool benefit of Pennsylvania Distance Learning Charter School is the ability to work ahead. If students find themselves tossing and turning at night, they can knock out some work rather than stare at their ceiling, and thus, it gives them a head start on tomorrow. (Plus there is no dress code so pajamas are encouraged. :) ) 

8. Great Courses
Our school offers a wide variety of courses that meet a range of student interests and that students can dive into and learn about in-depth. Students are also offered clubs to participate in which can help build character and experience to ready you for college or the work force. 

9. Promotes Independence and Responsibility
Cyber school is extremely helpful for a student’s maturity and responsibility. You set up your own schedule and learn in the best way for yourself.  In addition, you are responsible for reaching out to peers and teachers when you need help. This is also a good form of college and workforce preparation. Students are entirely responsible for their assignments, learning the material, and being motivated to complete tasks. This foundation teaches students skills early that they will need to prepare them for higher education or the work force.

10. Field Trips
Field trips are a quality way to encourage students to get together to see really cool places as a school. They create opportunities for students to get to know each other and meet in person. Students also get the chance to meet with their teachers and experience new things alongside them. 


Cyber school can be suitable for anyone, but it isn’t for everyone. Here at Pennsylvania Distance Learning Charter School, however, the school creates a suitable, enjoyable, and flexible environment for all who attend. Students are able to obtain life skills, experience a liberating education, and take their schooling with them wherever. Despite the distance. 

How Do You Teach Music in a Cyber Setting?

By Elisa Carpenter, K-8 Music Education Teacher

When I have a colleague, family member or friend ask me what I am currently doing with music, I tell them I am an online K-8 Music Teacher.  The FIRST thing that is asked 99% of the time is the question, “How do you do that?”  Some other questions that are asked are,

• Do you even see the kids?
• I bet playing instruments is really difficult, right?
• Isn’t the value of music depreciated because it is not in person?
• How do they participate in games?

These are all wonderful questions…..but these are also the most common thoughts that people have about teaching music online.  Teaching music online has recently been limited to specific fields most related to technology and the creation of music. Fields such as Music Technology Performance, Professional Sound Recording, or even Technology Composition, emphasize real-time products and computer-assisted access to the latest digital technology.  This technology assists instrumentalists with the ability to work with notation software, digital performances, sound boards and mixing professional tracks, synthesizers, multi-track digital audio workstations, audio engineering, advertising, radio, music publishing, marketing, MIDI instrumentation, and much more.  To live in an exciting time where technology and music are one in the same, our students in a cyber school setting deserve the very best in an online environment, regardless of the materials to be learned.

All of the above mentioned careers in music technology are important to our rapidly expanding use of technology as a classroom.  The careers above are normally discussed with students once they reach high school.  This is after they have had their general music education and time to experience music in many simpler ways. In a cyber setting, we can foster an interest in music, and technology at the same time, at the Kindergarten level, and the possibilities are endless!

So where do we start? We can’t possibly limit students in a cyber setting to experience music from 9th grade and up only…….and if we limit it to the career paths listed above, we completely leave out Music Therapy, Music Education, and most importantly…..Music Performance!  The students in our cyber setting receive an all-inclusive elementary music education curriculum that allows them to explore music through singing, playing instruments, composing, notating, listening, analyzing and performing individually and in groups. This is the kind of education that traditional brick and mortar schools offer, so why should we be any different?

This brings us to the meat of the article….how?

It truly starts with the elementary students. The youngest of minds can be the most inspiring and imaginative, the most creative and comprehensive.  Zoltan Kodaly, a famous musician and master in music education says the following about children:

"Let us take our children seriously! Everything else follows from this...only the best is good enough for a child." (1941) 

Kodaly had it right from the start – when we invest in our youngest students, our students will invest in

themselves and others as they continue to grow. So our investment is two-sided.  Yes, we as music teachers need to be concerned with the material taught and how they receive the experience in a cyber setting, but also that the material is authentic and exciting!  It is like telling your kids you are going for ice-cream, and you go to the grocery store to get yogurt…..kind of a letdown!

Here is how, as an elementary music teacher, I make my musical experiences for my students engaging, achievable, but also fun!

1. I have general goals for my students as musicians and people too!
2. The curriculum has music that stands the test of time, and is developmentally appropriate.
3. What we do is relevant to the music industry today, fun, and has goals that they can reach!

My utmost priority as a music teacher is to not create the next Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart or Michael Bublé…..although that would be pretty awesome……it is to have a classroom environment where my students can learn about music, and explore what their musical purpose is in life.  I want to aid in the well-balanced social and artistic development of my students, and to offer the opportunity to become a musically literate adult. I want my students to be able to sing to their children when they go to bed, or sing Happy Birthday to celebrate another year.  Music is about sharing the gift of expressing who we are, and how we are effected by the world around us.  My students don’t have to be the next big thing, just a big thing in their own lives.  I do this by implementing the following rules in my classroom:

1. At all times, we are respectful of the level of musicianship of our friends, and choose to support their learning.
2. We always have some class time to perform for our friends, and practice audience etiquette.
3. We give helpful feedback during a presentation of what we have listened to.
4. When working in small groups, we keep each other accountable – following rules and being polite helps us all learn better!
5. If you or a friend is struggling, offer encouragement, or ask for help!  Learning music in any way is like learning a second language, and that takes time!

I put in place activities, performance opportunities, progress checks and games so that my students can consistently be encouraging and well-minded musicians.

Second……the huge elephant always in the room….is the curriculum.  The two most important aspects of my curriculum are that the music being played stands the test of time, and that it is developmentally appropriate.  I feel as though having these firmly in place allows for some really wonderful and musical things to happen! When the curriculum is built upon how children develop physically, vocally and mentally, their achievement rate will be much higher, and the sense of accomplishing musical tasks will become intrinsically valued and later built upon, rather than just another check on the to-do list.  Music that stands the test of time simply is music that intrigues their musical ears and employs them to move. See the example below:

Setting: Student in a kindergarten classroom, at home currently in their music class

Activity: Gross motor – Skipping

In this class, a student will practice skipping to 5 different types of music: A classical overture with a rhythmic skipping value, Irish tap dancing music, to the beat of a lollipop drum, to an unaccompanied children’s folksong and to a short piece of rhyming literature.

In the example above, the student is at home, but still gets the opportunity to move in a way that they are already familiar with. They are also in the comfort of their own setting.  On top of that they are experiencing different cultures, and mediums as to how a rhythmic skipping pattern can be found in instrumental music, literature, dance music, and folksongs, while reinforcing gross motor development. You could also see this in a traditional setting.

Whew…almost done!

Lastly, the material is relevant to what they see today.  Most young musicians are exposed to music through the radio, television, mobile device or through music in their own home or culture. Technology is expanding quickly, so we must keep up with it, and offer learning materials that are just as exciting and new, but also attainable. Below you will see a chart of tools that I use for games, assessments, and some big ideas I cover in each of my grade levels. 

Student Learning is ascertained through keyboard performance. The students have supporting materials throughout their musical experiences.	Games	Assessments	Big Ideas in Music	Learning Theories Used
	-Circle Games used with online spinner http://wheeldecide.com/ -Prezi Presentations    https://prezi.com/ -Reading with an interactive book https://prezi.com/ -Flashcard review games https://quizlet.com/latest -Jeopardy    https://flipquiz.me/ -Resources: http://www.classicsforkids.com/composers/	- Google Forms -Quizzes -Tests -Written papers -Notated music -Group work -In-class performances	Google Document Link: Big Ideas in Music	Zoltan Kodaly Carl Orff Dalcroze Gordon Music learning Theory

I would like to encourage you to think of music learning as nurturing a mind to be aware of all facets of human life; that sometimes we don’t have the words to explain how we feel.  There are those who are better with mathematical computation skills, or others who use a written language to make human experiences tangible.  Regardless of our gifts or talents, music learning in a brick or mortar school or cyber setting should be the same; a chance to explore each bridge that music connects us to.  Whether the bridge leads to the divisions of note values and math, to describing the science behind amplitude and frequency to musical pitch, or the physical demands of practicing an instrument – music is in everything we do. Why not figure out how we can do it best?

The title of this article is “How Do You Teach Music in a Cyber Setting?”……and I hope this article has led you to answer the question in the title; that technology enhances music learning – not solely to make a way of living, but a way of life.

Use Free Tech Tools to Boldly Go Where No Language Class Has Gone Before

Use Free Tech Tools to Boldly Go Where No Language Class Has Gone Before

by: Angela Berger, World Language Teacher

A couple of weeks ago I presented at the Pennsylvania State Modern Language Association conference in Erie, PA. If you have never attended a conference for your content area, I highly recommend doing so!  I found it to be a wonderful experience. I met other language teachers who are just as passionate about sharing a love of language with their students as I am. I was able to exchange ideas, learn new things and I came back to my school feeling invigorated ready to try out some new tips and tools on my own students. My presentation on Free Tech Tools covers how to integrate technology from the most basic level of substitution to the point where the assignment would simply not be possible without technology. Examples are given in relation to the SAMR Model of Technology Integration, which was developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedora.

My first exposure to both technology and foreign languages and cultures came at a very young age when I was watching Star Trek with my dad. He would always watch it so I was stuck watching it. Eventually, I came to enjoy it. The earthlings in Star Trek were eager to visit new worlds and learn about new cultures. They did so with an appreciation and celebration of the differences. These people helped to build bridges between cultures.  Without technology, these people never would have been able to interact with other cultures or see new lands. I will discuss how technology can help us teach language and culture, and introduce our students to new worlds…in other words to boldly go where your classroom has not gone before.

The SAMR Model is made up of the following levels: Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition. Click HERE to access the tutorials on how to use the tools mentioned in this blog.

Level 1: Substitution

The lowest level of technology integration is Substitution. This is where technology acts as a direct substitute. There is no functional improvement. You are doing the same thing you would be doing in the classroom except you are using technology as a substitute. An example of this would be to use Vocaroo to have your students record themselves speaking.   There are several benefits of doing it this way. It saves class time. Your students can listen to their recording and self-correct prior to submission.   If you have a Google website, you can have the students submit their work in a Google Form. This will send all of their recordings to one easy to access location on your Google Drive.

Level 2: Augmentation

The next level of technology integration is Augmentation. At this level there is some functional improvement due to technology. An example of this would be to use Quizlet to create audio flashcards. The functional improvement is that students are able to not only hear see the words, but they can hear the words being pronounced correctly in the target language. You can also add pictures to the flashcards.

Level 3: Modification

In this level of the SAMR Model, technology allows for significant task redesign.  For example, you can use EdPuzzle to create guided, interactive tutorials that provide immediate feedback.  EdPuzzle will allow you to turn any video, either self-created or from Youtube, into an interactive tutorial. The benefits are that the students can move at their own pace.  They can rewatch a particular segment as needed, without having to rewatch the entire video.  Students can interact with visual, audio and written content.

Additionally, Edpuzzle allows you to turn any video into a quiz. You can insert questions, including oral questions in any part of the video. You can prohibit skipping. Students will be unable to fast forward or view a different tab while the video is playing. You can add notes and audio to the video. Feedback is automatically given to the student. This can include oral feedback.  If you create a class in EdPuzzle, you will be able to see each student’s answers and how many times each segment was watched by that student. You can use this tool to assess reading, writing, speaking and listening skills.

Level 4: Redefinition

At last, we have come to the final level of the SAMR Model, which in my opinion, is the best level!  In the final level of the SAMR model, you will create assignments that would be inconceivable without technology. I like to call this level “to boldly go where your classroom has not gone before.”  The tutorials below will show you how to create virtual Culture Quests using Screencastify, Google Maps and Google Images. Edmodo can be used to create a collaborative discussion board with students all over the world.

Remember, you can click HERE to access the tutorials on how to use the tools mentioned in this blog. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask! I can be reached at angela.berger@padistance.org

Establishing a Human Connection in a Digital World

by Katie Devlin, Secondary Social Studies Teacher

When I first became an online teacher three years ago, I felt as if I needed to adapt and acquaint myself with a brand new world. However, I knew that I still needed to present myself as the teacher that I knew I was; someone who was dedicated to her students and school and who really wanted her kids to succeed and do well. In a cyber world, the computer is both a gift and a curse. It enables us to create lessons that are interactive and at the cutting edge of technology. However, it can be so hard to maintain that human connection in our digital world. As a fairly new educator who is currently in the midst of her fourth year teaching, I have found that connection is key to fostering student success. Here are some of the tenets of online teaching that I try to integrate into my daily practices as an online educator:

1. Embrace your humanity! As I often stress to my students, we are all human. This means that mistakes will happen, as well as amazing successes in the school environment. In my live classes, I use my webcam so my students are aware of what I look like and see my smile as they enter my online classroom. When I create videos for courses, I use my camera so my students see that I am putting time and effort into crafting a (hopefully) great lesson for them. If I make a mistake, I acknowledge it and move forward; modeling to students that we can all overcome our missteps in the online world. Keeping a human element in an online world can foster connections.
2. Make it a community! Throughout my years as an online teacher, I have stressed to many students that this is a community of learners, not just a teacher and students. I also use online mediums such as Twitter and Instagram to follow educators that inspire me. One of the things that has stood out most to me in the past year is that teachers also need to assume the role of learner in the classroom. If we aren’t willing to accept changes, we won’t move forward in an ever-changing society! In my courses, I offer students the chance to offer feedback on lessons. Many students can be timid, so I stress to them that all feedback is valued and appreciated, even negative feedback. By showing students that they have a valued voice in the classroom and can indeed “teach the teacher”, a community is formed where everyone is valued.
3. Keep in communication! The hardest part about working in an online environment is communication. Many students who come to our school are extremely shy and mentioned that they “don’t like talking”. This means that self-advocacy skills are often lacking. I’ve tried to diversify my means of communication with students at our school. This means that I text students, email them, use gchat as a communication means, and use the phone to contact. While a student may be shy on the phone, they could be comfortable expressing themselves in a different manner. I’ve also found it important to ask students about their lives as well as how school is going. In the past, I have done check in emails that ended with a fun question instead of asking about their grades. The insight I gained into the lives of my students was powerful and helped the human connection grow in our digital environment.

Although this list is short, there are many different ways to foster the human connection in our digital world. How do you do so? I’d love to see your feedback in the comments section below!

Creating MORE VOICE in the Online Classroom

 by Katie Heiles, 7-12 English Teacher
and 
Victoria DeRoner, 7-12 Social Studies Teacher

As commonplace with any job, when you start your online teaching adventure, you’re probably given a generic course that someone else created.  That course may (and probably will) lack any kind of personality, and as you fall into your own groove with your teaching, you will probably also fall out of favor with the course set up.  This is when overhaul happens, and when overhaul happens, you tend to come to  “Ah Ha!” moments of epiphany about your courses and your teaching.  After almost 10 years of teaching in the online environment, we have come to the realization that there has to be a different set of instructional best practices than most teachers are familiar and/or comfortable with.

These realizations come mostly from frustrations - frustrations about the course design, about the student dynamic, and about our limitations given the cyberspace environment. First and foremost, when a course is designed without heart, and with only a purpose to present information and ask students to reproduce it, it lacks personality and functionality.  It becomes repetitive and very two dimensional.  Often, students are required to access multiple resources in different places, leaving them feeling disorganized and lost.  Understandably, this will lead to a lack of engagement.  If we understand that our students are digital natives, then we must understand that they are “accustomed to the twitch-speed, multitasking, random-access, graphics-first, active, connected, fun, fantasy, quick-payoff world of their video games, MTV, and Internet are bored by most of today’s education, well meaning as it may be” (Prensky).  This means a boring course is not going to pique their interest, or keep their focus.

We also need to realize the reality of our online student population.  We have students with drastically different learning styles and needs.  Some students may be able to read and recall without an issue, but what about the auditory or visual learner?  They need, and very much deserve differently formatted learning activities.  These are just a sampling of the frustrations that led to making significant changes in the way we choose to format our courses:

Through a combination of technology conference workshops, a better understanding of the SAMR Model, and our own trial and error, we came up with the acronym, MORE VOICE.  We now use this model as a guide in implementing necessary changes to improve the learning experience for our students.

• Multimedia
• Options
• Relevance
• Embed

• Visible
• Organization
• Instructions
• Choice and creativity
• Expectations

Multimedia:

As online teachers of digital natives, we need to use multimedia tools whenever available.  Having a lesson on a white background with black text only, will not engage our students. They need images, videos, audio, and interactivity in their lessons.  

Options:

Our students need options in case something doesn’t work for them. For example, if they don’t have a strong internet connection (an obstacle many of our students face), there needs to be a backup plan.  Instead of just providing a link to an interactive magazine they can flip through, we need to also provide a link to just a pdf copy. Or, if you’re asking students to watch a video, maybe provide a reading and study guide as an alternative.  

Relevant:

Our lessons need to be relevant.  We need to find ways to connect it to their lives, interests, or something they are familiar with.  

Embed:

If something in the lesson can be embedded, do it!  When in doubt, embed. This takes away the need for students to click out of the lesson and to another site.  In addition, they will be less likely to get lost in the process, or accidentally be viewing content that isn’t part of the lesson.  Embedding removes barriers, and makes the course more accessible for all learners.

Visible:

We, as teachers, need to be visible as often as possible. Our students need to see us, whether it’s using our webcams during live classes, or creating instructional videos for asynchronous days that show our faces and our personalities.  If video isn’t an option they need to, at the very least, hear our voices. Our students deserve to be able to make that human connection and know that we are not robots.  This will help foster a positive student-teacher relationship.

Organization:

Not only does there need to be organization  within individual assignments, but we also need to have consistent organization across all lessons.  In following a consistent structure, the students know what to expect and can move through their lessons with confidence. This means text should be formatted consistently across the course, and day to day lessons should follow the same outline or structure throughout the course.  

Instructions:

Due to the barrier of the online environment, our instructions need to be extra clear to students.  This is especially true of the asynchronous lessons that require them to move through the content without teachers right there with them.  Teachers need to consider various learning styles in creating their instructions and ensure they are meeting accommodations of students with IEPs.  Lessons should not be “scroll worthy”.  If there is too much, find a way to cut back or chunk the information better.

Choice and Creativity:  

Providing students with choice and the ability to be creative is another way to foster engagement and student success.  Planning lessons that allow for this will be beneficial to students.

Expectations:

Students need clear and consistent expectations regarding what they need to do. The teacher’s expectations should be transparent and explicitly stated for students in the lessons.  This also means grading practices and feedback should match the expectations so that students are never guessing how they will be assessed.  

MORE VOICE is not about the the course revolving around the teacher or the content.  It is about humanizing online courses, so that our students feel as though they are part of a real learning opportunity, and understand that there is a real life, breathing and caring teacher on the other end of the monitor, who wants nothing more than to see that student succeed, because their success is our success.

#togetherhappenshere.

For some of our favorite MORE VOICE  tools and resources, see the links below:

• Screencast-o-Matic - record screen share directions
• Youtube - create and edit webcam videos
• Powtoon - create animated video lessons
• Quizlet - create flashcards, study games, and study sessions
• Studystack-create flashcards and study games
• Kahoot- create online review games
• Quizizz- game style formative assessment
• Vocaroo - record audio directions
• Padlet - create online bulletin boards
• Prezi - create interactive presentations
• Ed Puzzle - edit and add questions to Youtube videos
• Classtools.net - Create vintage style games and other interactives
• Zondle - Online review game generator

Works Cited

Prensky, Marc.  “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, Part II: Do They Really Think Differently?” On The Horizon 9.6 (2001). Print.

“How The SAMR Model Improves Teaching With iPad.” Learnmaker. 12 April 2015. 9 Feb 2016.<http://learnmaker.co.uk>