Activities, My Classroom

4 Ways to Stay Connected With Students During Remote Learning

Trying to figure out ways to connect with students even when you don’t get to see them everyday? Well, you came to the right place!

Teachers know how important it is to continue making connections with students even when school is now at home. Remote learning should not put a hold on forming relationships with students, so here are 4 ways teachers can stay connected with students during remote learning.

Google Forms: Google Forms can be used in a variety of ways and checking in with students is a simple way to collect responses and data. Teachers can create Google Forms and assign it to students through Google Classroom. What is included in the forms can vary depending on what you wish to know about your students: A survey on how they are feeling today, a short response on what they are looking forward to, A paragraph describing what they learned that day or what are they doing at home, and much more. There are multiple question formats teachers can choose from. Students press the submit button when finished, which gives you documentation of how your students are doing.

Google Forms should not take the students more than 10 minutes to complete. You can ask anything and the responses will be for your eyes only.

Padlet: This is a new one for me and I am in love! Padlet is such an easy and simple platform that engages students to one another and to you. Padlet is free and easy to create. By clicking the “Make a Padlet” link, teachers have a variety of layouts and setting options to engage students. You have the option to change the format, title, background, and how others can react. Here is a padlet I created last week that had students answer four questions. They were able to view their classmates’ responses and comment on each post. We were all connected at different times and got a little insight in the life of their peers. I really recommend Padlet!

Here is an example of a Padlet I created for my students to end the week. I asked them four questions in which they could write, describe, and take pictures of how their time is being home.

Flipgrid– I have used Flipgrid for academic content so I thought why not use Flipgrid to have students record answers to questions I ask. Flipgrid is free and students really enjoy it! The fun thing about Flipgrid is that teachers can set a time frame on the answer’s students provide and students get to put fun emojis throughout their video and their cover selfie. If you are not familiar with Flipgrid checkout my blog post Book Reports Through Flipgrid, hopefully this can help you when you are remote learning.

Here is a Flipgrid I created to check in with students. I wanted students to share an art project or craft they have been working on for Art class.

Google Meet/Zoom– This is another resource I never knew I needed in my life. Thanks to remote learning, I can “meet” with my students face to face digitally. Google Meet is a Google App and Zoom is a downloadable app that allows teachers to video chat with students. Whether it is one, seven, or twenty-three students, Google Meet and Zoom allows you to see students and talk to them just like if they were in class.

I have held two Google Meetings with the Reading Specialist at my school and we played games to give kids a brain brake.

I hope this blog post gave you ideas on how to stay connected with students and hopefully you learn and have fun in the process!

-Nikki Fishman @fishmaninfourth