195: Snow days ahead? Ideas you can use in class or remotely

Ditch That Textbook Podcast :: Education, teaching, edtech :: #DitchPod

In this week’s episode of the Ditch That Textbook Podcast, Matt and Karly dive into digital escape rooms, 2024 vision boards, design prompts, and other ready-to-use resources to get you through those snowy winter days.

News and updates:

Background remover is coming to Google Slides!

Big idea: Digital Escape Rooms

A digital escape room is a type of online game. It’s typically a digital version of a physical escape room, where participants are “trapped” in the room. They must solve puzzles and riddles to escape the room (or complete a specific task).

Our Digital Escape Room resources:

-More than 40 free digital escape rooms on our digital escape rooms page.

-Step-by-step instructions to make digital escape rooms

-Enroll in our online course: Getting Started with Digital Escape Rooms.

-Check out our newly updated Digital Escape Rooms Wakelet collection where you can find ALL of the resources above plus even more. (You can also get our Wakelet collections sent straight to your inbox by clicking on the subscribe button next to our name!)

Tech Tips:

-Create your own Lego Minifigure with Microsoft Designer

-Save time with Gmail template responses— Did you know that you can create templates in Gmail for emails you write often? They are easy to create and could save you lots of time! (Click on the settings wheel / settings / advanced / enable templates … then compose an email to create the template … three dots / templates / save draft as template … in email: three dots, templates).

Quick Teaching Strategies:

-Hopes and Dreams HyperDoc: This online lesson includes videos, quotes, and prompts to get them thinking and talking about the future. They will even use tools like Google Drawings or Canva to help them create their own special quote. After that, they can write a letter to their future selves and even create a vision board as an extension activity.

-Host a rock, paper, scissors tournament— Turn a fun, simple game into a fun ice breaker, brain break, or team-building activity. This post from Guide, Inc has everything you need to know!

Template of the week: Canva Vision Board

Welcome 2024 by designing a vision board or a single word/phrase that represents a goal or focus for the year with Canva EDU. bit.ly/CLCchallenge24