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Virtual Learning Tip for Elementary - Activity and Engagement

By Jessica Winstanley
Virtual learning is hard. Both for the teacher and the students. Students are not used to sitting all day on the computer. Teachers are not used to being locked in one location for instruction. It can be exhausting!  So here are some tips, tricks, and ideas to get your students up, moving, and engaged in the learning.
  • RESPOND WITH MOVEMENT: Have students stand up and do different motions to share their thoughts. Example: Put your hands on your head if you think the answer is X or When you know the answer do jumping jacks. See other examples in this blog post from Lessons for Little Ones
  • Music photo created by freepik
    TRANSITION MUSIC: Use "go noodle" or other music for transition time. If you need students to get out new materials, put on a go noodle and challenge them to complete the task before the Go Noodle song is done. Those that are able to do the task quickly can participate in the Go Noodle until it is done.
  • INTERACTIVE SLIDES: Use Pear Deck to make your slides interactive and allow students to share their thoughts and ideas that way.
  • BREAKOUT ROOMS: Use Breakout Rooms for students to engage with small groups and
    discuss. Make sure you give them a clear task with explicit directions (like partner reading, or sharing a writing) before you send them into the breakout room. You can also share a doc with them in the chat (copy and paste the link, then have them click on it). This will open your directions in another tab that the students can then access while they are in the breakout room.
  • RESPONSE BOARD:  Have students grab any sheet of paper - blank or notebook. They label the four sides in a variety of ways.  Examples include:   1, 2, 3, 4 or A, B, C, D.  You can use this to review multiple choice items and gather responses from the class -with everyone getting an opportunity to show what they know.  On the back, they can write Yes/Agree on the top and then flip it over and write No/Disagree on the bottom.  
  • POLL FEATURE IN MEET: Use the poll feature in Google Meet to have students respond to true and false or multiple choice questions. Poll feature too complicated? Just have the students type in the chat. For example, if you ask a T or F question, have the type T or F in the chat. If you are doing a multiple choice, have them type their answer. 
  • SCAVENGER HUNT: A scavenger hunt is pretty much what it sounds like. Teachers give students specific clues or items that they find from their homes or around the larger community. This works well as a video-conference activity, but it can also work as a series of photos that students take and upload to a shared file. Students can work in teams using the breakout room function, or they can work independently. Check out this blog post from John Spencer for some scavenger hunt ideas.
How do you get your students up, moving, and engaged during virtual instruction? Please share in the comments below!
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Location: Portage, MI, USA

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