Virtual Engagement Toolbox for Educators

The Virtual Engagement Toolbox includes five elements: Connections, Small Groups, Polls, In Platform, and Presentation Tips. This overview explains how each can be used to engage your virtual learners.

Connections: How to build relationships across the physical gap

In a physical world, we have shared context as our anchor for connecting - the school, the room, the wall. On virtual, we don't. So, we need to replace the context with something else as an anchor for connecting. Here are some ideas on how to creatively use objects as anchors of your connections .

Using "show and tell" from the connections toolbox, this short clip explains how to use a set of object for a short 1:1 meet and greet with new students.

Small Group Sandwich: How to enable collaboration and social engagement with small group breakouts

Small groups give the connection and socialization that kids are craving. With clear instructoins going in, a clear task to work on, and a thoughtful conclusion - small groups are magic. Here are many ways you can use them, if you can (I know - some platforms and polices prevent this - go ahead and skip, for now).

Polls: How to engage learners with real-time activities that display on screen

Polls are pretty simple - learner puts something on their smartphone or laptop, and it shows up on the screen in real-time. Think multiple choice, open ended answers, fun word clouds, and creative use of images as backdrops for real-time activities. Here are some ways you can increase engagement in a big way with poll interactions.

In Platform: How to turn the screen into an interaction canvas for your learners

Zoom, Teams, Google, Webex, Abobe, countless more. Regardless of the platform, there are tools built in that you can use to increase interaction with your learners (as long as they can type). Chat is the most basic. Cameras are powerful. Learn how these and reactions, annotations, and whiteboards turn your screen into a canvas for interaction.

How to enrich the learning environment with Lights! Camera! Action!

I've never created one of your lesson plans. But, I have some tips about how you can start with what you have and then build with the virtual engagement toolbox.

Tips:

• Start with your current lesson plan (don’t reinvent the wheel)

• Pivot around purpose – what is the outcome you are trying to achieve (say/think/feel/do)

• Look into your toolbox and try to pick virtual engagements to highlight the lesson activities

• Time is the constant – map your own content and virtual engagements to the clock

Pick from your toolbox:

• Short energizer? Lightening small group breakout, work cloud

• Some personal reflection time? Poll of open ended, create a slide

• Some group interaction time? Side-by-side, build a quiz

• A problem solving exercise? Create an output to share

• A quiz or competition? Polls used creatively

Details on the Small Group Sandwich parts - 1) getting into the small group, 2) small group time, 3) closing out the small group sesision

When to use each poll type - multiple choice, open ended, world clould, pin drop..