Online Learning Days

Michigan's winter weather has created a school situation not seen in recent history. Many districts, including our own, are over the allowed weather days. The debate in the legislature, Governor's office and the Michigan Department of Education is whether districts can add minutes to their days to make up time or whether days should be added to the end of the school year. Meanwhile, states such as Ohio and New Hampshire are finding ways to use the technology age to eliminate loss of learning time due to inclement weather. Here are some ways that our technology could be used if we were able to use online learning days instead of inclement weather days in the future. Feel free to share your suggestions for how we could address inclement weather days as online learning days in the future.

Featured iPad Apps

The focus of any technology used in a "blizzard bag" should be how can it be used if access to the Internet is limited or unavailable. For 1:1 districts, for instance our 1:1 iPad high school, emphasis could be on the apps that you do not Internet for function. This will help determine the lessons that are created in advance for students. My recommendation would be that Apps that students have already used for classroom assignments and creative activities should be the focus. Unless you want the online learning days to provide students the opportunity to explore curriculum and create products that would not happen in the face-to-face classroom.

My recommendation is to make the student a creator! Instead of completing a set of math problems, challenge the student to record a story problem using their choice of math concept learned in previous lessons.  Digital storytelling or digital story problems are great ways to engage students differently during their online learning days. Ben Rimes,K-12 Educational Technology Coordinator at Mattawan Consolidated School, is well know for his video story problems and digital story telling. His recommendations for story telling and story problem apps include the following:

Elementary: Students can use the camera app to record video and audio. The benefit to using the camera app is that it is a built in app (available to all without download) and it functions without wi-fi access. The disadvantage is that there are no editing features; recording is a one-shot process! A slightly more advanced app, but still easy to use is Videolicous. A screen capture and editing tool. There is a free version, but videos are limited to one minute. 


Middle and High School: For older students interested in some "artsy content" (that's a Ben quote!), Vimeo is an app that works on multiple devices and provides a community of video creators to create channels, store video, connect with other users and edit content.

Maximizing Google

Many teachers by this time have taken advantage of our Google Apps for Education and are using Drive features and apps with their students. The first thing that I would suggest is that "Blizzard Bags" are created as part of class Google Drive folder and downloaded with instructions as part of the course introduction. A separate folder within your class folder title "blizzard bag". In order to make the material available without access to wifi, simply set the folder and/or assignments as "available offline". The video below demonstrates how to help students with this setting.

Getting the Most Out of Your Learning Platform

By definition, an online learning management system will NOT be available offline. So this is a limitation to Moodle and Edmodo, or an online learning management system. However, many students will still have access to the Internet. As with any blended environment that is implemented well,prior knowledge as to which students need alternative assessments because of lack of access at home will guide your decision to how you create and post assignments for online learning days. For instance, students in library science and Theory of Knowledge understand that assignments due dates do not change because of inclement weather days. Students who experience technical difficulties because of lack of access are required to make a plan with me upon return to school. 

From a management perspective, You can create a topic area in Moodle that is designated for online learning weather days. This should then be part of the course orientation, emphasized face-to-face as well as highlighted in introductory videos. For Edmodo, consider a backpack designated as a "blizzard bag".

Regardless of your LMS, any day designated as a "blizzard bag" or inclement weather day should include a teacher update to the system. It is important to have established online communication so students know that they should check and where they receive their message and information. The following videos demonstrate communication options in Moodle and Edmodo.

Twitter Friday Follow 

David Tebo, @tebotweets,  Superintendent from Hamilton Community Schools has embraced the concept of alternative learning for inclement weather days, offering challenges via Twitter for his district students. Several of his teachers have joined in with challenges appropriate for grade level. Parents and students then share pictures and videos with their teachers and Mr. Tebo, who promote the learning activities over social media. Here are some examples of his challenges and teacher challenges as well as student submissions.

Library News-Award Books are in!

Creating independent reading projects is more than just an English class assignment! Student choice is an important aspect of connected and personal learning. With our 1:1 iPad there are creative opportunities for students to engage in reading for creative purposes. Check out this resource page for 23 alternatives to book reports. Call or e-mail me to arrange collaboration time. Highlighted below are some new award winning informational texts that have been added to the library collection.

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