You may be telling yourself that you have no idea how to manage this distance learning thing. Don’t worry, we are all in the same boat. There are several platforms that can help you deliver instruction to your students. A lot of districts are moving to distance learning in elementary. There are three main platforms that I see regularly. Hopefully, this will make your decision easier. Ultimately, you can choose what is best for you and your students.
Remote Learning Overview
We will look at the 3 most popular distance learning tools for elementary. I will also have some pros and cons of each. Then, I will also link some tutorial videos if you want to explore how each f these remote learning applications work.
Class Dojo
First of all, if you are already using this platform for communication with parents, then you have a big advantage! Your parents will already be familiar with this platform. That can be key during this time! It will be hard to transition to using an entirely new platform that parents and students have never seen before. Also, there is a video outlining all the ways you can use this tool but essentially you have a dashboard that you can post announcements, videos, links etc. similar to Facebook and parents can comment. This is where you would do your video lessons . Then the rest of your remote learning will be done in the portfolio section. Students can respond with video, pictures of their work, and more. Lastly, you can find a more detailed tutorial here.
Pros
- Parents/students familiar with the platform
- Can easily record your lesson and upload it to the stories page
- Can assign work with directions in portfolios
- Students can easily snap a picture or record a video as a response
- Works easily on smart phones for those without a computer
Cons
- No way to make interactive worksheets/activities
- Would still rely on another platform if you wanted interactive work
- Doesn’t auto-grade or have a place to return graded work
SeeSaw
Next, there is SeeSaw. I have seen a lot of teachers say they prefer SeeSaw over Google Classroom for the younger grades. I can say that there has been a bit of a learning curve for me in SeeSaw but I can see the benefit of this platform. There are a lot of great options for PK-1 students that cannot type or respond with written work yet. There is smart-board type screen that would allow for drawing, writing, typing etc. You can also add voice directions with the activities for the students which is a fun way to personalize it for you students and let them feel some normalcy hearing your voice. This is also great since a lot of these students can’t read the directions. You can find more tutorials here.
Pros
- Interactive Activities
- Voice recording options to accompany instructions.
- Smart-board type capabilities to draw, move pieces and write
- Links to video lessons
- Options for a full lesson in one place
- Friendly for younger students with limited writing ability
- Free lessons already made that you just need to assign
- Works on smartphone/tablets
Cons
- Free version doesn’t allow you to grade work
- Learning curve to understand platform
- May run into copyright issues putting lessons on this platform if material is a boxed curriculum or TPT product
Google Classroom
This has been the easiest template for making digital worksheets, activities etc. That’s because you can make something quickly in PowerPoint and upload to google slides. As a teacher, most of us are familiar with PowerPoint. Also, you can add a text box and type directions and leave move-able elements for students to maneuver. This auto-saves and you can easily grade work and send it back. Then, there is also an option for quizzes on google forms that will auto-grade for you as well. That’s amazing! A lot of sellers are giving permission to take products that you already own and make them digital on this platform but please… ask before assuming. You can find more tutorial videos here.
Pros
- Easy grading
- Auto-saves work
- Easy to return work
- Uploading PowerPoint will convert to a google slide
- Auto-grading quizzes can be made in google forms
- Lots of options to make interactive activities from worksheets
- Can easily embed videos straight from YouTube
Cons
- Interactive slides do not work well on smart phone, images try to resize when dragging them due to size
- Platform can be harder for parents and younger students to understand
- Does not have a drawing, voice recording option
I have made a YouTube video showing you how to take some of your worksheets and make them digital via Google Slides.
Which is best for me?
I honestly can’ t say which one is best for you. First, it really depends on your needs. Secondly, it is grade specific. The general consensus is that PK-1 teachers are using SeeSaw and 2-5 are using Google Classroom. Lastly, there is Class Dojo. It has been popular for all grades but is more for communication than anything. If it were me, I would use whatever platform you think your kids can handle. As a result, you will see more engagement. Try each of them and see what works. Distance learning in elementary is a new thing for most of us. In other words, take comfort in knowing that we are all in this together.
Finally, other teachers have put together some great tips to help us out. Check out these blog posts below.
