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distance learning

How to Create Meaningful and Accurate Formative Assessments with EduProtocols

Can you relate to this? – You teach a lesson. You give your students the quiz and there are varying levels of mastery. You create a new lesson that night to then reteach the next day. You check for understanding…the kids totally understand. You quiz again…and they didn’t totally understand. 

Can you relate to this? – Your grade level team identifies an area of need/standard based on old data. You design an assessment to measure this standard. You teach and test. You are hopeful that your students will master this one standard by the end of the year. 

So…let’s try something that may be more effective and inFORMative. Using the EduProtocols, informed instruction will allow for more agility, flexibility, and versatility, while maintaining a student centered focus. With repetition and timely feedback or even feed forward, students receive information and can adjust their learning.

Agility: The power of moving quickly and easily; nimbleness

When routines are put into place, processes become more streamlined. Think of your morning routine. The night before, perhaps I pick out what I am going to wear to work and I pack up my lunch so the morning goes more smoothly. This allows the flow of my morning to go swiftly and I am out the door on time. 

The same thing happens with EduProtocols. Early in the school year, I used Thin Slides, 8 pARTS Grammar, and the Frayer model almost daily. Not only did I have a quick idea of what students THOUGHT they knew, I could easily send a new template or frame out for the next activity. Feedback was easier to provide in small, quick doses rather than waiting for the “big assignment”…which would likely be moved to the bottom of the grading pile. 

For example, if the 8 pARTS Grammar assignment indicated that there were groups of students struggling with adverbs and adjectives, I could use that information to create a Frayer for each part of speech. Students would receive the Frayer that correlated with his or her need. Brief, targeted lessons would be taught. The next 8 pARTS assignment would likely be completed properly. 

The agility with which the EduProtocols can be planned, prepped, and assigned is a win for the teacher. I am able to make moves “on the fly” and not have to wait to plan an activity. In a few clicks, I can likely be ready to better meet the needs of the learners in front of me. 

Lesson Idea: 8 pARTS

The 8 pARTS EduProtocol provides for grammar instruction to be authentic and meaningful. This is the ORIGINAL EduProtocol! 

  1. Find a fun picture or gif that will intrigue students. There are a ton on the internet and students will even start providing them!
  2. I engage my students in a Notice and Wonder protocol just to get them talking to each other about what they see in the picture. 
  3. Students fill in the 8 parts of speech noted on the form. This could be broken apart based on the age of your students. You will get an idea really quickly about what your mini lessons need to be. For the first time, we often brainstorm together.
  4. Students use the words they have brainstormed into a paragraph, practicing sentence writing.
  5. Students can swap papers/documents and even mark up the parts of speech with highlighting. 

The agility comes with the fact that this EduProtocol has morphed into Sentence Parts, MathReps, 8 Parts for Primary Sources. When paired with The Fast and the Curious (target specific grammar skills), Thin Slides, Frayer, etc., effective, informed lessons will help students’ skills grow in these areas. Templates can be found here. MathReps can be found here.

Flexibility: The quality of being easily adapted or of offering many different options

EduProtocols are super malleable. They can be twisted, turned, and iterated into something unexpected and amazing. Talk about Universal Design for Learning! Students will start to find ways to adapt to them as well. This is important when looking for a variety of ways students can “show what they know.” Depending on what I need to see for the level of learning, I may opt for a Thin Slide, a Sketch and Tell, or a Mini Report. Each of these would provide me with varying levels of understanding. 

Sketch and Tell can be leveraged across all content areas. The “show” portion can be a simple sketch using online tools or a picture of an actual paper/pencil drawing. Adam Moler has students use Legos, gummy bears, and playdough for this portion of the assignment. The “tell” side can include evidence, a response, a Frayer model, or a Flipgrid. 

Lesson Idea: Sketch and Tell

The flexibility of this EduProtocols is key to keeping things fresh in your classroom and formative assessment:

  • In Language Arts: vocabulary, figurative language, character traits, theme, literary devices.
  • In Science: vocabulary, processes, how-to’s.
  • In Social Studies: vocabulary, events, people, locations
  • In Math: problem solving, explain your thinking, notice and wonder

Sketch and Tell can be used in very sophisticated ways that will add meaning to content and let the teacher see what students know and what needs to be clarified. This provides a wonderful opportunity for students to share with one another or with peers. A Sketch and Tell plus Fligrid would pair nicely with the whiteboard option now in Flipgrid. For the Sketch and Tell Template, please click here. 

Versatility: The state or quality of being useful for or easily adapted to various tasks, styles, fields of endeavor

With all of the EduProtocols, I find the versatility of input, interaction, and output key to keeping me informed about my students and their progress in learning. When teachers use EduProtocols, students consume information, practice with the information, and then meet mastery over time. I spend September to December “training” students to use the EduProtocols. I make slight variations to keep the lessons fresh and engaging. The fact that I don’t have to teach and reteach HOW to use a graphic organizer allows my teaching to be faster as the year goes on. The students practically guide themselves even though the content increases in rigor. 

To keep the lessons unique, vary the input, interaction, and output. This often ends up looking like “choices” in learning, thereby creating buy-in as well. 

Input: Students don’t need to read articles or passages as a sole means of input. Video, commercials, music, poetry, primary sources, pictures, etc. can all serve as the input. Picture books, quotes, and art can even serve as inspiration.

Interaction: Learning should not be a “single rider” experience. Partners, trios and quads can work together collaboratively. Sometimes this can occur synchronously or asynchronously. Breakout rooms allow for real time interaction. Flipgrid can be used as well. Many teachers are making use of applications such as Nearpod, Seesaw, and Peardeck. EduProtocols naturally fold into these helpful tools.

Output: Students cannot just learn by consuming! Evidence of learning can take place in a variety of ways. Students can create using a variety of tools. Google Slides tend to dominate due to their convenience. Other creation tools to consider include: Book Creator, Adobe Spark, Google Drawing, Jamboard, My Maps, etc. 

By offering choice and exposure to new tools, students learn various ways to express their learning. I do think that the number of choices should be limited until students become familiar with the tools. 

Many teachers shy away from varied outputs due to grading. In my opinion, the success of students can be measured in many ways. I find the Single Point Rubric very helpful when evaluating the content of what a student has completed. The article linked previously demonstrates the power of the single point rubric and the impact on student learning. 

Keep your teaching INFORMed

I always thought I knew more about my students than any publisher test ever showed me. The EduProtocols have shown me even more! Thinking is made visible on a variety of levels. My students have become much more articulate in explaining themselves. I know I am making decisions minute by minute based on the information gleaned from INFORMed instruction. 

When I set forth to plan, I know that “there is an EduProtocol for that”! Solid lesson design modeled after Madelnine Hunter’s lesson design elements is simplified with EduProtocols. 

To help you get started, please consider checking out the SmartStart lessons ready to go. These are non-content, low cognitive load activities to get you started. Or, you may consider adopting an EduProtocol of the Week. Here is the Wakelet of EduProtocols!

Kim Voge

As an educator for 27 years, Kim has been an innovator in and out of the classroom. Kim incorporates best practices including WICOR, UDL, ELL. She believes in identifying learning objectives FIRST and then applying technology. Literacy in all content areas is the goal…and literacy must include new media. Kim strives to meet teachers where they are and move forward. In the classroom, Kim weaves pedagogy and technology in meaningful ways. Kim is an adjunct professor for Hope International University and serves as the CUE BOLD Director.

4 Tips to Boost Teacher Morale Now

October and February – those are historically the two most difficult months of the school year. By October, the honeymoon phase is over and everyone is counting down until the Thanksgiving and holiday breaks. February, though the shortest calendar month, feels like an eternity as the sheen of a new semester has worn off and spring break feels lightyears away. During these months  – and all the ones in between – keeping up teacher morale is critical for the climate and culture of a school building.

While most people would consider teacher morale an administrative or district issue, instructional coaches are in a unique position to provide some extra boosts to the morale of the teachers they see every day. Here are four things you can do as an instructional coach to boost the teacher morale on your school campus.

Tip 1: Cheer for the Unsung Hero

School buildings are micro-communities that feature a variety of people working in a variety of roles. Some have roles that are more prominent and visible – like the campus administrators and front office staff – but others tend to work more behind the scenes – like your campus diagnostician, or Special Education aides. Some teachers are on every committee or team, while others feel more confident within the four walls of their classrooms. Regardless of their role, all campus staff are equally important in supporting the school culture and without them, schools would cease to exist. Unfortunately, schools can often feel like a popularity contest for the adults as much as it does for the kids. Teachers who are on the most committees or who are the most visible often appear to receive more accolades and kudos than those whose classrooms are so far from the teacher’s lounge that they don’t even bother to venture out for lunch.

As an instructional coach, it is important that we cheer not only for the go-getters and the high flyers, but for the unsung heroes as well. As a former teacher, it always seemed like no one ever noticed when I did what I was supposed to do, but as soon as I forgot to submit attendance on time or I had a lesson that was a bit of a flop, others noticed these shortcomings. As instructional coaches, we are in a unique situation in which they get to see the ins and outs of a typical day in ways that most others would not. Just because that teacher isn’t posting their own lessons on social media doesn’t mean the lessons aren’t worthy of sharing. As an instructional coach, it is our job to provide the praises that may otherwise go unsaid.

Tip 2: Be Thoughtful

One of my favorite things about being an instructional coach is the opportunity to do something thoughtful for my teachers. No matter how small, a thoughtful gesture has always gotten a positive reaction. Whether you leave a handwritten sticky note on the teacher’s desk, send an encouraging email, or put a small treat in their mailbox, a little reminder that someone is thinking of you and cheering you on can make most bad days a little brighter.

These thoughtful gestures become more impactful when you have built a relationship with the teachers you are coaching and can tailor your gesture to what means most to them. I’ve previously coached a teacher whose love language was Dr. Pepper – as a Michigander that didn’t make much sense to me, but I knew that if she was having a bad day bringing her a Dr. Pepper would really cheer her up. Another teacher I worked with kept a digital “Happy Folder.” Every time she received a positive or encouraging email, she would save it to this particular folder so she could go back to it when she felt discouraged. I knew to always put my kudos to this teacher in an email so she could save it to her Happy Folder.

Some coaches like to bring treats to their teachers. I, personally, believe that chocolate solves all the world’s problems, but not everyone else would agree. Many coaches keep a stash of chocolate and ‘not-chocolate’ on hand for their teachers. Though it’s the thought that counts, I prefer to treat my teachers to something they would enjoy, so I always try to jot down these details when I can. Teachers, though always grateful, will be infinitely more grateful that you remembered they didn’t like chocolate or that you remembered Dr. Pepper was their favorite and that you went out of your way to accommodate their likes.

Tip 3: Share the load

Teaching is hard. Teaching during a pandemic is hard. Teaching and keeping up with all the “other duties as assigned” is hard. As an instructional coach, we often see – first hand – the load the teachers are trying to carry. We hear about it in our coaching meetings, we see it during our classroom visits. As a coach, we are in a position to help teachers carry the load. This can be a simple gesture like covering their class for 5 minutes so they can run to the restroom, as well as something more substantial like co-teaching a class. Oftentimes when a teacher wants to try a new technology tool or instructional strategy, I will research and create resources for the teacher to use during their first implementation so they don’t have to waste time making something that ends up not working.

One of the greatest complaints teachers have always had is a lack of time. By sharing the load, we are giving teachers back a small portion of that time, which is a precious gift to many. By sharing the load and taking on some of those things that are burdening teachers, we give them the opportunity to feel lighter, less stressed, and more able to tackle the challenges in front of them. 

Tip 4: Treat everyone as individuals

One of the easiest, and arguably simplest, ways to boost teacher morale is to treat each teacher as an individual. While this may sound silly, I’ve worked on campuses where the administration did not even know my name. I’ve worked on campuses where the teachers didn’t know me and assumed I was a rogue student. I’ve had instructional coaches ask me to integrate tools and resources that didn’t fit with my skill set. Too often, people search for high-impact strategies that are going to be a one-size-fits-all solution to teachers’ problems. While that is great for efficiency sake, it does not bode well for your ability to build trusting relationships with teachers.

As previously mentioned, it is important to get to know your teachers as individuals and to accommodate their needs in the way that works best for them. Knowing a teacher’s name, knowing details about their life and interests, and celebrating all their steps forward – no matter how small – can significantly boost teacher morale. At the end of the day, all teachers crave is appreciation. As instructional coaches we appreciate the work they do, we appreciate their willingness to work with us and take some risks, and we appreciate the opportunity to learn from them as well.

While these four tips may help provide some ideas for ways that you can show your appreciation to teachers, remember that the simplest, most effective way to boost morale is to just show your appreciation in some way. Whether a note, a favorite soda, or a quick 5-minute restroom break, appreciating who teachers are and what they do every single day for students is the most effective way to boost teacher morale on your campus.

5 Top Tools for Distance Learning

This blog post is sponsored by Acer Education, a partner of EdTechTeam.

These are just a few of the tools featured in our free online course about Distance Learning Tools. 

Screencastify

Lights, camera, Screencastify!

Screencastify for education is an easy-to-use, free browser extension that can flip a classroom to online learning. 

You generally need a Chrome device or browser to use the tool. Then you can share directly to Google Classroom.

The free version includes all of the recording features but there is currently a 5-minute maximum for each video.  The unlimited version allows longer videos and has more features available.

Here are some various ways to integrate screencasting activities in your classroom, including fluency practice to slideshow narration. 

Screencastify Submit easily integrates with Google Classroom to send assignments to students without needing the Chrome extension.

Screencastify has compiled e-learning resources for educators, available here.

Canva

Canva is a fremium product that is free for teachers… Students and teachers can use this powerful tool to make design products of professional quality.

Users can create beautiful infographics, posters, brochures, booklets, etc. with all kinds of effects, filters, fonts, and more. 

There is a wide array of templates available, including various sizes specifically formatted for social media platforms.

Search to find loads of high-quality free images available for use; of course you can upload your own images as well. It is important to discuss Digital Citizenship and copyright issues with students. 

Users can duplicate pages and collaborate with teams on the various elements. Please note that live editing at the same time is not currently possible.

The upgrade allows users to access additional files and features, such as the ability to automatically resize an existing file to different sizes.

If you’re not sure about your skills or how to get started, enroll in the free Canva in the Classroom Design School or for some of the multitude of other tutorials. 

Edpuzzle

Teachers will find that Edpuzzle is an easy, awesome way to flip a classroom. Students can engage with videos that teachers have created or adapted for their own use, with their own voiceovers and inquiries.

People all around the world have already created many files that are available to use.

You can copy those files and edit them (e.g. crop, change questions, etc.) for your own use or create your own original videos. Teachers may also place restrictions on the video and how the students can interact with it. Their scores will go directly to the Gradebook.

There are several LMS Integrations that Edpuzzle works nicely within. 

Check out the certifications and professional development offered by Edpuzzle here.

Edpuzzle is currently free for educators with other optional plans and upgrades. If your school has been affected by closures, see how to sign up for Edpuzzle Pro here.

Nearpod

Nearpod is a free add-on that can be used with Google Slides, Microsoft PowerPoint (or a converted Keynote)… Add slides by importing your own files, starting with a blank presentation or using one of the many templates in the lesson library. 

It is an excellent tool for keeping social emotional learning and connections, especially during remote learning. Instead of a static presentation that produces a lecture, learning comes alive with students participating in tasks, virtual field trips, polls and much more.

You can set time limits of any amount, which might be useful to help pacing within a limited live class or provide guidance in a student-paced lesson. Live lessons are free with the Silver version and can be done live with up to 40 students. 

 Some of the activities could be used collaboratively in breakout rooms in online learning platforms, when available (e.g. Zoom). 

Reports

Teachers can see students’ results and participation and then offer feedback and targeted support based on responses. You can download a sample report on the right. 

Resources 

Nearpod is currently offering additional free resources here.

Soundtrap 

Soundtrap for Education is an online, everywhere studio. It can be used anywhere on any device and is entirely powered by the cloud. 

Music makers and storytellers – this one’s for you (but not just you!)… 

“Soundtrap is a game changer for my students. It has helped them learn that music is a tool that can spark the imagination and bring people together. Once those doors are open the possibilities are endless.”

Melissa Salguero

Music Teacher at PS 48

Soundtrap links nicely to several various learning platforms to enhance your digital classroom. It has several functions that make it a safe and easy tool for teachers and students to use. 

Studio

Users can create and edit sound and music files together or independently. 

Podcasts

The users can make podcasts and can even do so collaboratively. 

Pricing

The annual subscription information can be found here.

Soundtrap for Education is a tool that can be used by any teachers wishing to infuse creativity and innovation in their classroom, whether virtual or otherwise.
If you would like to learn about more tools, enroll in our free  ‘10 Distance Learning Tools’ online course! 

Quick Links:

Explore and apply the novel tools that educators are using to integrate technology in the classroom with more free online courses, sponsored by ACER. https://www.edtechteam.online/acer  

Jessica is a Google Certified Innovator with more than 15 years’ experience educating students of all ages. She obtained a Master’s in Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology while working on a federal grant with her University of Southern California professors. She’s also been an online instructor for her alma mater, helping teaching candidates acquire their credentials and infuse technology in their classrooms. She has lived and worked in several schools worldwide as a teacher, coordinator and librarian. She’s conducted ICT, GATE and IB PYP professional development in the US, Italy, Germany and the UK. Meanwhile, Jessica has designed curriculum, presented at conferences and contributed to educational articles and textbooks published internationally. She believes teaching students literacy skills (of all types) is essential to promote lifelong learning.

My Teaching Philosophy: A Mindset During Uncertainty

As everything changes all around me, I’ve had time to really reflect on what it means to be a teacher, what it means to me to be a teacher, and finally, what it means to me to be a teacher in the midst of a pandemic. Everything changes every 5 minutes, and you hardly have a chance to catch your breath in the hustle and bustle of trying to figure out how we are going to be able to keep everyone SAFE, let alone LEARNING, amidst a global PANDEMIC. But does that mean that my entire teaching philosophy needs to change to adapt to a new environment?

Being a Teacher

A teacher is… well, a teacher is everything. A teacher can be a friend, someone to talk to, someone who cares for you, someone you learn from, someone who motivates you, or even someone who you despise. A teacher has many definitions far beyond just “to teach”. We are innovators, communicators, hard-workers. We are resilient, we are strong, we are quirky, and we are human. We teach more than just the content, we teach how to become lifelong learners and human beings and productive members of society. We teach children how to be kind, understanding, and to stand up for themselves. We are there through the home-runs and the strike-outs. Most importantly, we care. In some cases, we may be the only ones who do. 

My Teaching Philosophy

At my core, I chose to be a teacher because I love to learn. I know that sounds odd, but think of the things that you learn as a teacher every day! The relationships you build with your students and the things they teach me are more valuable than gold in my eyes. I love my students, and I love to interact with them. They come by in the morning before school starts just to chat and ‘spill the tea’ which apparently means they just gossip and tell me about their lives for 10 minutes straight. I don’t know if they know how important that is to me, but hopefully, if they’re reading this they’ll understand. They teach me so much every day about culture, the world, and give me new perspectives on life. I don’t know how I truly lived before I developed these relationships. My world must have been so small. 

As such, I think that it’s important to me that the learning in my classroom is much more than just the absorbing and regurgitation of information, but a transference of ideas and knowledge that stem from something greater than just mathematics. I like to think that through my silly stories, conversations, and the examples that I set for them, students learn life skills too and more about how to be themselves. I think of myself as a role model for these students. So, I make mistakes – and I recognize and fix them. I do my very best to be balanced and principled, but am unapologetically myself in every instance. My high school math classroom involves so much more than math. Mastery of the course content, of course, is always at the center of every lesson, but there are unspoken principles that I find to be an integral part of the learning environment that I choose every day to put as my priority in the classroom. 

I base everything on these principles. I try to be true to my students and expect them to be true to me. I am HURT when students are dishonest academically, just as they would be if I purposefully taught them incorrect material. I tell them that. I push the necessity to organization and balance and give them the tools to help them remain organized.  I show them that it’s possible by staying organized myself. I don’t use a teacher’s desk, because I don’t like the implication. I simply chose a desk to sit in and engage with students rather than going back to my desk during independent work time. I also have the ‘mega desk’ as a reference to the office, which is just a bunch of extra empty desks that students can come up to if they’re struggling and I provide 1:1 or small group support for them. 

Being a Teacher Today

Things are changing, and fast. Our whole world is changing. In the matter of a week, we were told to figure out how to transfer everything to an online setting, and let’s be honest – we tried, but I know that my connections with students suffered during this time. As we look ahead, most schools are opting to partake in 3 weeks of remote learning, at minimum, at the start of the school year. Everyone is worried that this will affect their relationships with students. That things will change. I hear other instructors express their concerns that this intro will just be a do-over of a difficult end to last year. As they say these things – I implore them to consider – does your teaching philosophy need to change? 

Honestly, I don’t think so. I think you can still be all of the things that you want to be as an online teacher, you just need to take the time and consider what is important to you, and find the tools necessary to incorporate those things into your online classroom. 

  • Do you value communicating with your students and building relationships? Take the time to pre-record some of your lessons as videos that you can release at a later date and use that live zoom session to build those relationships with your students. Find an incredible icebreaker that can help you to get to know them as people. 
  • Do you enjoy movement in the classroom? Encourage students to find things around their house, incorporate scavenger hunts that they can do from home. Teach them extra movements that correspond to things that they are learning and host a chat where you can all participate and move together
  • Do you value student interaction? Incorporate more discussion forums in your online classroom. Most LMS’ have an integrated or built-in discussion platform that allows students to interact. Better yet – encourage group note-taking or collaboration on a group project via dynamic documents.

Note that none of your core principles needs to change. You don’t need to alter your beliefs in order to teach online. Just adapt. Reach out. Learn from others. Or turn on your notifications for this blog as I walk you through my new series – planning for a remote classroom. Until next time, what principles are most important to you in your classroom? Why did you begin to teach?

Kristin Usrey is an alternative certified math teacher working in Carrollton Farmers Branch ISD. Kristin holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Aviation Technology Management from Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology, and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Tarleton State University. After working for SpaceX, she brings the ideals of corporate collaboration, real world connections to mathematics, and effective communication in the classroom. Unafraid of and instead inspired by failure – she loves all things technology, digital innovations, and incorporating new tools into her classroom.

How to use Google Classroom as an Instructional Coach

Google Classroom has become an increasingly popular platform for teachers and educators, especially in the midst of the transition to remote learning caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Though Google Classroom has – up to this point – been regarded as a tool for teachers to work with students, we are reinventing Google Classroom as a tool for instructional coaches. Google Classroom is an all-inclusive tool for coaches to communicate, connect and support their teachers as we continue on this remote learning journey. 

What is Google Classroom?

Google Classroom can be thought of as a one-stop-shop for students and teachers. Google Classroom is an easy way to seamlessly integrate all of Google’s G Suite tools used for teaching and learning, especially in remote and asynchronous environments. Some teachers were initially interested in Google Classroom as an organizational system to rid their desks of paper clutter, but this program has proven to be significantly more robust than just being a virtual filing cabinet.

How do Teachers use Google Classroom?

Though teachers first began using Google Classroom as a means to go paperless, this learning tool has gained popularity because of its functionality and ease of use. Teachers most often use Google Classroom to streamline how they manage their classroom resources. From the syllabus to the final exam, teachers can store all their lesson content, assignments, and additional resources all in one place for students. Because Google Classroom integrates with other G Suite tools, there are several benefits to using this platform. For example, when assignments are posted in Google Classroom, the Calendar app recognizes the due date of that assignment and will automatically post the assignment to the calendar as a reminder for students to easily keep track of when their work is due.

Teachers also love the ability to digitally organize, distribute, and collect assignments or other course materials via Google Classroom. Teachers can easily post the same assignment to multiple classes at the same time, or assign something to individual students that require differentiation or additional support. Any assignment or material posted to Google Classroom can be reposted to future classes, which saves teachers from reinventing the wheel each year.

Google Classroom also allows teachers to communicate with students via announcements and discussion boards, which can help keep students organized and on track. Teachers can set various permissions that allow students to comment on announcements or simply view them depending on the needs of the class. Parents can also receive notifications from Google Classroom about what assignments have been posted and what assignments their student may be missing, which helps to support an open line of communication for all stakeholders.

How can Instructional Coaches use Google Classroom?

Tip #1: Organization

Though Google Classroom is typically considered a one-stop-shop for teachers and students, it can be a great resource for instructional coaches as well. When I first began coaching, I had resources all over the place and my solution to that was to print everything out and make a binder that I could share with the teachers I was coaching. While the binder was a great way to keep everything in one place, those resources were only accessible when the binder was in my possession. If I wanted to look up a resource at home or refer back to meeting notes, I was unable to do so without the binder. Another downside to the paper binder was that when things changed, as they always do in education, those resources became outdated and unusable.

As an instructional coach, Google Classroom can replace your paper-based organizational system, for a more complete resource hub. Google Classroom can house all the materials, announcements, videos, and resources you want to share with your teachers. You can make a different classroom for each teacher you are coaching, or one classroom for everyone which would allow teachers to collaborate with each other as well. Regardless of which method you choose, Google Classroom will help instructional coaches organize all of their coaching materials for teachers. Even better – these classrooms remain active and available for teachers long after the coaching cycle ends. Teachers do not need to fear that resources will go away once the cycle ends, and can refer back to their meeting notes, videos, or discussions at any point throughout the year.

Tip #2: Announcements & Communication

As an instructional coach, there are often times you find a cool new tool or think of new ways to implement instructional strategies, but you’ve already had your meetings with teachers for the week. Usually, I would send an email to the teacher with my findings, but if you’ve ever seen a teacher’s inbox, you know it is very likely that those emails go unread or get buried somewhere. Google Classroom would allow you as an instructional coach to post announcements for teachers that would draw attention to whatever resources you are sharing at that time. These announcements also help teachers keep coaching related materials together, instead of having a folder in their email in addition to a folder on their drive, and then some random papers printed out too.

Announcements would also be a good way for coaches to send reminders to teachers about when you are facilitating coaching meetings, campus training, and other professional development opportunities. Announcements, especially in collective classes, could be used to highlight and celebrate the awesome things teachers are doing in their classrooms as well.

Tip #3: Giving and Collecting Feedback

Similarly to the ways in which teachers provide and collect feedback from students, instructional coaches can use Google Classroom to provide and collect feedback from teachers. Maybe you want a teacher to try a new strategy in their classroom, Google Classroom would allow you to create an assignment for that teacher to remind them of the task that needs to be completed. You could ask teachers to reflect on a particular lesson or activity using discussion boards or even assign a coaching survey through Google Forms to collect data about the coaching cycle. Using assignments and discussions within Google Classroom allows the teacher to tangibly keep track of and complete tasks while also providing the coach with opportunities to provide feedback. Just Google Classroom allows teachers and students to communicate asynchronously, Google Classroom can provide the same opportunities to teachers and coaches.

Tip #4: Scheduling

Another benefit to using Google Classroom as a coaching tool is the integration of other G Suite products like Google Calendar. Coaches can create a collaborative calendar with the teachers they are supporting and schedule things like meeting reminders or tasks that need to be accomplished. Oftentimes coaches need teachers to answer some questions, reflect on their lesson or prepare a challenge to be discussed – all of which can be posted in the Classroom as ungraded assignments so they will show up on the teacher’s calendar as to-do items. This can help teachers keep track of their participation in coaching, as well as where they currently are in their coaching cycle.

Google Classroom has long proven itself to be an impactful tool for teachers to use in their classrooms, but now has an opportunity to serve instructional coaches as well. Google Classroom is an easily accessible, intuitive tool to facilitate continuous communication and support between instructional coaches and teachers despite challenges of time and physical space.

Megan Purcell is a Digital Learning Specialist and Certified Dynamic Learning Project coach in Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD located in Carrollton, TX. She enjoys working with teachers to help them elevate their teaching through the use of impactful technology tools and strategies. Megan holds a masters degree in Educational Technology, which she earned overseas at the National University of Ireland in Galway, in addition to being a certified Microsoft Innovative Educator and Apple Teacher. She is a former high school English teacher who loves learning, technology, and helping make life easier for her teachers. She believes that every student should have access to current technology in order to develop 21st century skills necessary for participating in a global society.