Teaching Online with Google Slides
We just got the news that we’re headed back to teaching online this week. After a few rounds of online teaching, many of us have gotten used to the routines, but it’s a very different type of planning that often requires reimagining and rewriting our existing units.
Many teachers, including myself, have become very familiar with Google Slides. They have allowed me to switch back and forth between face-to-face (through a webcam) instruction and showing virtual resources to students during lessons.
In Microsoft Teams, new updates mean I can present the slides side-by-side with my camera so students can see me and the slides at the same time.
Tips for Teaching Online
Lots of these strategies are the same whether you’re in a physical classroom or a virtual classroom. When you’re feeling overwhelmed with making the transition online, remember – you already have a million tools and tricks up your sleeve. Stick to what you know and are comfortable with.
Classroom Management
You’ll need to set up routines. Think of your day at school. What are the parts of the day that help ground students and prepare them for learning? In our online class, we start with singing O Canada and having a morning meeting to check in. We take some body breaks and water breaks. We play a game at the end of the day to leave on the best note so they’re eager to come back again tomorrow.
Familiarize yourself with the settings in your meeting platform (MS Teams, Google Meet, Zoom) so you know how to mute students, remove people from the meeting, and share your screen. Then review your expectations with students. Take some time to co-create your classroom norms for learning online. Just like in a regular classroom, you’ll need to review them as needed by your students.
Relationship Building
One of the benefits of virtual learning is being able to see your students in a different setting. This gives you a fuller picture of their life and is a great way to build connections. Get to know their pets and siblings.
Tip: When a student is speaking to you, look into your camera so they see your eye contact.
Recognize that families will be supporting their children in many ways, not all of which are visible through the camera lens. Be compassionate to the challenges (big or small) that families are facing in this time.
Planning and Preparation
Have all of your materials close at hand. Always keep blank paper and a marker or a whiteboard handy.
Think about the things you would keep nearby at school in case of a sudden change in schedule or a failed lesson. Have a book, a game, and an alternate activity ready at all times. There will inevitably be times when technology fails or your own children need your immediate attention. Be prepared so you can go with the flow and be flexible.
Virtual Teaching Slides
You can be the most entertaining speaker and not engage your visual learners. In Kindergarten and Primary grades, we use so many visuals through the day. If you’re able to go into your classroom, take pictures of the visuals you use regularly and insert them into slides. You can also find free images to use on pixabay.com
Don’t feel the need to reinvent the wheel! Think of what you already have that can be adapted easily (without making decks and decks of slides). Check out the thousands of resources made by other teachers before making your own. Chances are you can find exactly what you need with a few quick searches.
Here’s what I’m teaching online this week:
I have a JK and SK Kindergarten class with a high percentage of ELL students. I have sent home crayons, a handful of popsicle sticks, an empty notebook, and a booklet of ABC pages.
We’re going to focus on:
- Phonemic awareness
- Phonics and letter formation
- Measurement (See a preview of the unit on YouTube)
- Flexible thinking (a social-emotional learning unit)
- Whole class inquiry
Nonfiction Text Features
- This is a great time to choose a nonfiction topic that interests your students and learn about nonfiction text features through a high interest inquiry topic. There are lots of ways to chose an inquiry topic in a virtual classroom. You may have written notes about students’ interests and wonderings from the past few months. You could brainstorm some topics that students are interested in learning about. You could show them pictures of the covers of these units and take a vote.
- This bundle includes units on volcanoes, the solar system, baking, groundhogs, ocean animals, the human body, construction, Indigenous Peoples, and artists. The units are also posted separately. Here’s a YouTube video preview of the unit on Volcanoes!
Alphabet Letters and Sounds
- This is a set of activities for each of the letters of the alphabet, including a morning message, a video introduction to the letter and sound with the Jolly Phonics action, a video showing the formation of the lowercase letter, words that start with the letter, and a craft idea.
- Helpful for ELL students in all grades
Kindergarten Math Units
Here are my Kindergarten math units and a post about them.
For Primary teachers, check out these resources for some fun, engaging learning in your virtual classroom.
Financial Literacy Unit
- Although this says Grade 1, it is appropriate for Kindergarten to Grade 2 and above with slight modifications.
- The unit focuses on exploring the coins, bills, and their names and values.
Social Studies Units
Grade 1: My Local Community
Grade 2: Global Communities
