Three months of teaching third grade online and these are the resources / tools I have loved… I know many of them became free because of COVID. These are the ones I would consider the best and most used in my third grade online classroom!!
1.) FlipGrid – Cannot say enough about how this made my online classroom more interactive and kept our community strong. I used it every week to have my students ask their special person a question and then the special person replied with a video back. I used it to show and share many assignments I gave. This is without a doubt my favorite tool that I used for online learning. https://info.flipgrd.com/ At the end of the year my students did projects that they showed and shared on a Flip Grid. One of those projects was their summer bucket which can be found at https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Summer-Bucket-List-Glyph-and-Writing-Activity-End-of-the-Year-683375
2.) Epic Books – This came in so handy. So many books that the students can read online. I could also share a book via ZOOM and read it to them or have them read it from the screen. I combined a lot of FLipGrid with Epic. Let me me give you an example…
CECE BELL AUTHOR STUDY:
I watched the loom video with my small groups and then shared it later on in my Google classroom for students who could not make the meeting. We read the I YAM A DONKEY Reader’s Theater together in the zoom meeting and discussed Cece Bell together. The loom video is my online version of an author study.
Here is an example of my lesson on Google Classroom
– PS. I LOVE LOOM Too!!!
https://www.loom.com/share/53c028a8e5bd4ce59e3ce3ab19f99ea8
Here is the story on Epic https://www.getepic.com/book/65602330/i-yam-a-donkey Cece Bell’s El Deafo is also on Epic.
Now make a FlipGrid Video
In your FlipGrid Video (watch my FlipGrid as an example).
https://flipgrid.com/s/0eb3a502f830
1.) Tell me one thing you learned about Cece Bell from the video (you cannot use the same fact I used in my video).
2.) Print the small play below. Then act out the play I YAM A DONKEY by rereading it and being creative. The play was free on TPT and can be found at https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/I-Yam-a-Donkey-Play-2817603
SOME IDEAS: You could draw the characters (cut them and make them into puppets) and video tape yourself acting it out with the puppets you made. Maybe you have a real yam and a stuffed donkey or donkey figure. If so, you could act it out with those as props. You could use the whiteboard app. on FlipGrid and make your video with that too. You could even ask a family member to help you – you could read the part of Donkey and they could read the part of Yam. You could just read it changing your voice for the different characters.
Learn more about CECE Bell:
Visit her website: https://cecebell.wordpress.com/ (She is reading El Deafo on the site.)
Watch her Sock Monkey Goes to Hollywood story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sJIRNZXqzE
Epic El Deafo – https://www.getepic.com/app/read/49120
Origami Yoda – https://origamiyoda.com/
3.) ReadWorks – I used this free resource before we went virtual. Students can read texts and answer questions and students can see their work.
4.) Nearpod was another website I used often. My students really enjoyed how interactive it is and I like that I can see their work later through the reports page. You can select student paced for virtual learning.
5.) Generation Genius – https://www.generationgenius.com/ – Not free, but I loved the trial version. The videos are go great with the Science topics we learn in third grade.
6.) I KNOW IT https://www.iknowit.com/ – This is a site created by Super Teacher Worksheets and it is all math skills. My class used IXL before we went virtual (they used it virtual too) and they needed something different. This was free because of COVID and I loved it. I loved being able to assign a math skill and then later go back to see how my students did on that skill.
7.) Spelling City – I have for many years paid to have the premium version of Spelling City. I highly recommend it. It came is super handy while teaching virtually. Once you are premium you can view student activity on the test. The students also have many more choices of games to practice their words with. It will even give a spelling test for you!!!
8.) Kahoot – My students enjoyed reviewing skills with a Kahoot. I loved that I could assign a Kahoot on Google Classroom and then later see how they did. They still could compete against classmates and try for the highest score by playing again.
9.) BrainPop – I had used this in class as well and virtually it has been great. Through the teacher platform you can assign things and see the progress.
10.) XTra-Math – Great way to practice just the facts. I used this in my classroom and virtually it has been so helpful!
