How to Engage Kids in Distance Learning

Are your gradebooks like Swiss Cheese? Are there kids who are just missing? Today, Mary Howard, sixth grade science teacher in New York, talks about how we can engage kids in distance learning. These are not easy times to teach but they are important times to teach. I'm here with you as you work to engage your students. Let me know how you're engaging your kids on Twitter @coolcatteacher. www.coolcatteacher.com/e671  Sponsor: This Fall season is going to be different, but we’re not sure how. Whatever happens, online learning will play a huge role in our teaching. What better way to understand online learning than to take your summer PD online through Advancement Courses? With Advancement Courses, you never stop learning. They offer over 280 graduate-level PD courses in 20 different subjects — all self-paced with up to six months to complete. Go to advancementcourses.com/coolcat and save 20% off each course by using the code COOL20. That’s just $120 per graduate credit hour or $160 for 50 clock hours. You can also receive graduate credit through CAEP and regionally accredited university partners for continuing education requirements. Thanks, Advancement Courses for sponsoring today’s show. Mary Howard - Bio as Submitted Mary is a 6th grade ELA and Science teacher from Grand Island, New York has found success using digital tools that not only make learning fun for her students, but encourage critical thinking, collaboration, and create a life-long passion for learning. Whether the digital experience is related to Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics or promotes literacy, Mary believes passionately in the potential that technology has for reaching and engaging ALL learners. In pursuit of this passion, Mary has spent the past 10 years presenting at dozens of technology conferences across New York State and has become a globally recognized speaker on the topics of augmented reality and virtual reality in the classroom. Mary shares her strategies through her blog, http://www.yoursmarticles.blogspot.com, and was featured as an NYSED New York State EdTech Innovator in October 2018. She has published numerous educational technology articles and has provided webinars on Virtual Environments, Virtual Reality, 3D Design, QR codes, and engagement strategies and is excited to share these experiences with the Engineering Design and the Middle-Level Science PLT. Mary’s accolades include recognition as the 2018 International Society for Technology in Education’s Virtual Pioneer of the Year and a Silver Presidential Volunteer Service Award. She was a New York State Teacher of the year finalist for 2018 and 2020. When Mary isn’t elbows deep in her technology initiatives, she is a mother of 3 boys and devotes her free time to refereeing youth hockey and volunteering within the hockey community. She is an avid runner and hiker and is just a few peaks away from becoming an Adirondack 46er. Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a sponsored podcast episode. The company who sponsored it compensated me via cash payment, gift, or something else of value to include a reference to their product. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I believe will be good for my readers and are from companies I can recommend. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."