Ice Breaker / Introduction activities

Teacher and Student Bios

Bios with images (may choose to use an avatar)
Digital Stories (Intermediate to Advanced Technology Use)
To get an idea of a digital story (a collection of images, music, and voice-over) watch Patrick Lowenthal's video below.

Personable Welcome Emails

Announcements

Humanize the announcement with:

5 Minute Phone Call

Orientation Videos

Orientate your students to the course navigation and welcome them to your class. Many courses have content organized differently. Provide a roadmap.

Assignment Feedback Strategies

Synchronous Meetings

Use Zoom to meet with individual students, groups, or your entire class

Send calendar invites
Make class sessions graded. If they can’t make it live, offer an alternative assignment

Social Media

Twitter in the Classroom

Use Twitter

Click on the Bluebird above and establish an account
Set up a #(hashtag for your class)
Use hashtags so relevant topics can be followed
Include your hashtag and handle in your syllabus and announcement so that students can follow you
Remember you are limited to 240 characters

Ideas to connect and educate

Have students tweet their reflections of recent learning
Use it as a class notepad for brainstorming (large group, small group)
Quotes (teaching bite-sized info)
Help Board for class (students assist each other)
Meme Tracking
Class Story
- Students can create a story taking turns contributing one line each.
Gives quiet shy students the chance to have a voice
Introduce students to important people in history by taking on their persona and tweeting as them

Instagram in the Classroom

Click Next to Share Strategies for Developing Presence