Who knows what schools will look like next year!?! Be prepared. Use resources with multiple formats.

As the 2020/2021 school year approaches, teachers have a lot of questions about what it will look like. When we ask this question, it seems like all we hear is “We don’t know yet.” Since governors, district leaders and administrators don’t know what schools will look like next year, teachers are struggling to figure out how to prepare. In this blog series, we are looking at 10 ways that we can prepare this summer without wasting our time. Each way will prove beneficial to you, whether your district ends up using distance learning, traditional classrooms, or a hybrid education approach. Included in each blog post in this series will be tech tool suggestions, free resources, and a giveaway entry form.

We have already talked about setting up your digital classroom and exploring technology tools. Today we will discuss something else all teachers should do to prepare for next school year:

You can take time to find resources that will work with in class learning AND digital learning.

The summer is when I find and create those teaching resources for the upcoming year. This is the time where I find the projects and activities that I can use throughout the year to supplement my provided curriculum. I'm still doing this this summer, but this year I am making sure that each resource can be used in a paper format and a digital format. This way I am prepared for whatever type of learning we're doing next year. 

Digital formatting of paper resources can be very diverse. Since I use Google Classroom, I tend to use Google Drive formats like Google Docs, Google Slides and Google Forms to create digital resources. Other people choose to use websites like Quizlet, Kahoot, Smart Learning Suite and Gimkit to create digital resources. Additionally, some websites provide digital versions of print resources. Zearn, for example, gives you a perfect digital resource to go with the math curriculum from Engage New York (also known as Eureka Math).

One of my favorite resource is my math tiling puzzles. I use them in class to model problem solving skills, as well as the inverse nature of operations (ie. using addition to solve subtraction). Then students use tiling puzzles as a center activity, as an early finisher challenge and as a homework extension. Since I know I want these available next year - whatever next year holds - I created a digital version of each of these puzzles. I used Google Slides to make puzzles where the kiddos can pull the tiles into the different equations, and I tried them out with my kiddos this year. They worked perfectly! Now I have the paper copies for in the classroom and the digital copies that will work for distance learning or in class at a computer center.

You can download one puzzle from each of my sets for free on Teachers Pay Teachers. Here are the links to these free tiling puzzles:
Addition Facts - digital version and print version
Subtraction Facts - digital version and print version
Addition with Regrouping  - digital version and print version
Subtraction with Regrouping  - digital version and print version
Addition and Subtraction with Regrouping - digital version and print version
Multiplication Facts - digital version and print version
Division Facts - digital version and print version
2 Digit Multiplication - digital version and print version
3 or 4 Digit Multiplication - digital version and print version
Long Division - digital version and print version

Throughout the summer I will be taking more and more of my paper resources and creating digital versions. If you sign up to follow my Teachers Pay Teachers store, you will receive an e-mail each time I add a new digital version.

June Digital Learning Resource Bundle Giveaway

Now time for our giveaway!!! With today's giveaway entry form, you will be entering to win my Addition Facts Tiling Puzzles Bundle. This bundle includes: 10 addition fact tiling puzzles in printable version AND in digital (Google Slide) version. Enter to win this Internet Scavenger Hunt Bundle, by completing the June Giveaway Entry Form #3.  

All winners will be chosen on July 1st.  Winners will receive the bundle directly to the provided email. All those who enter will also receive my monthly Raki's Rad Resources News Releases.

Interested in more tips on how to prepare for the unpreparable 2020/2021 school year? Come back tomorrow for tip #4!

Missed a day? This blog post contains the entire list of 10 Things You Can Do to Prepare for Next School Year.