Podcast Series: Innovations in Education

Ed. note: Video of the Week picks are supplied by the editors of Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. Click here to watch the video at Common Sense Education.

Video Description: Digital devices put the world at our students’ fingertips, whether with their own cell phones or with school-provided computers and tablets. But along with opportunities for powerful learning come the risks–and realities–of distraction. So, what are the best ways to manage digital distraction in the classroom? Check out these practical tips on supporting students and modeling productive 21st-century learning. For more ways to manage classroom technology, check out Common Sense Education’s collection Dealing with Digital Distraction in the Classroom.

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Ed. note: Video of the Week picks are supplied by the editors of Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. Click here to watch the video at Common Sense Education.

Video Description: Showing videos or films in your classroom? Use TodaysMeet as a backchannel for real-time chat. With the help of a backchannel, students and teachers can discuss screenings, silently, as they watch. For more tips on using video in the classroom, visit this collection of resources.

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Ed. note: Video of the Week picks are supplied by the editors of Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. Click here to watch the video at Common Sense Education.

Video Description: It’s gotten a whole lot easier to assign group work in Google Classroom. Learn how to use Google Classroom’s assignments feature to create and manage group projects for students. Simply create a new assignment, de-select “all students,” select the student in the appropriate group, and title the assignment to clearly identify the responsible group. For more resources on managing group work, visit this collection of resources for group work with Google.

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Ed. note: Video of the Week picks are supplied by the editors of Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. Click here to watch the video at Common Sense Education.

Video Description: Effective parent-teacher communication is crucial in helping students learn. But, for busy teachers it can be challenging just to keep up. Can apps and other digital tools make it easier to keep everyone — parents and students — in the loop? Transparency and equity are key to managing any communication between home and school. Watch here to find a variety of tools and useful tips to help you better engage your parent audience. For more tips like these, visit this collection of parent communication resources.

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Ed. note: Video of the Week picks are supplied by the editors of Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. Click here to watch the video at Common Sense Education.

Video Description: When you show video in your classroom, you want your students to be active viewers — to comprehend, not just consume. But why stop at comprehension? When it comes to video in the classroom, students shouldn’t just get what they’re watching, they should have something to say about it. Check out the video for our tips on how to help students become better active — and reactive — viewers in class. For more tips and strategies, visit this collection of resources for next-level classroom video.

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Ed. note: Video of the Week picks are supplied by the editors of Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. Click here to watch the video at Common Sense Education.

Video Description: Learning to code in school is more popular than ever, and it’s never been easier to get started. What’s more, coding can teach students skills that apply across the curriculum, beyond computer science. So, what’s the best way to get your students coding in the classroom? Here you’ll find some practical tips on how to set up learn-to-code lessons that empower students to become producers, not just consumers, of digital media. For more tips and strategies, visit this collection of coding resources.

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Ed. note: Video of the Week picks are supplied by the editors of Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. Click here to watch the video at Common Sense Education.

Video Description: If you want to get your students’ attention, show them how an issue affects real people. Ranging from bullying to STEM to autism, the topics tackled in these documentary movies can open kids’ eyes and encourage discussion. And when they’re shown as part of a lesson, you can better help students understand and analyze what they’ve seen. For more tips and strategies, visit this collection of movies for middle school classrooms.

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