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
097: Make learning ADDICTIVE with Brian Romero Smith Sr
096: Tips to make your HyperDocs rock with Sean Fahey
095: Flipgrid + scavenger hunt = Fliphunt!
094: Learning in the pause with Shaelynn Farnsworth
093: Big changes for student voice with Flipgrid
092: Google Classroom changes, 2018 version
091: #EducatorGoals with Keven Rinaman
090: Ditch Those Exams with Stephanie DeMichele
089: Firefly Classrooms with Troy Cockrum
088: A sticky note tech app smash!
087: The Quizizz you never knew ...
086: What the work world is begging us for
085: Ditch That Panel with Lance McClard
084: Real world connections with Sidekick
083: Try the Connected Kahoot!
082: Teaching for the long game
081: The Martians in Your Classroom w/@rachaeledu
080: Let's do PD (or class!) at a destination!
079: Create easy augmented reality in the classroom
077: Three FREE online conferences for teachers
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Regenerative Skills
The Meaningful Life with Andrew G. Marshall
The No-Frills Teacher Podcast
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
The Mel Robbins Podcast