how to: embed a video on your blog

Videos can enrich learning in many ways, from providing direct instruction to making synchronous class meetings asynchronously accessible. Embedding a video on your blog enables users to see everything they need in one place, without following a link to another site (and leaving yours!).  Videos make your site more entertaining and engaging, and embedding them easier than you think. Learn how in this 3-minute video, which I made for students to help them with their work for Hack to School Night:

 

why: gratitude

Thank you for reading this!

I start almost every reply to student emails, comments, and messages with a simple phrase: "Thank you."

Hi,

Thank you for your message.

Thank you for your comment.

Thank you for your email.

Sometimes I feel more casual, or more enthusiastic. In those moments, I lead with, "Thanks."

"Thanks, Esmerelda!

"Thanks, Jimmy!

It's fun to take a second bite of the gratitude apple. Once in a while, after I finish answering the question, or explaining a concept or a process, or I receiving work, I close with, "Thanks again." It's easy. It's free. It's the best investment I make each day, because it's honest - I am truly grateful for each and every effort the people in my life make - and the goodwill it creates inevitably leads to better outcomes. Which makes everyone thankful, especially in today's world.

Thanks again for reading this.

why: i provide context for the first major project of the school year

I teach English courses, and apart from the occasional research paper, group project, or final exam, the essay is the largest assignment we have during the year. Here is how I scaffolded the first essay of the fall semester, by:

• Providing a reading
• Attempting to lower students' level of concern by asking for a first impression in writing (e.g., a comment about the text that indicates they at least skimmed it long enough to find something with which they agreed, or disagreed, or something that led to a question)
• Creating a video about the text
• Asking for a paragraph that develops a perspective on the topic
  
• Discussing the text and their comments
• Recording our online conversation and making it available for student review
• Providing a prompt and the basic structure of an essay

Then I decided that wasn't enough. Although many students appear to be thriving this semester, there are also many who have not attended Zoom meetings, or communicated with me, or produced work that I can see online.  

Rather than make assumptions about their capacity or motivation, or focus on accountability and grading, I slowed down and shared what I've learned from students about writing in school. I segued into a talk about Montaigne, the original definition of the essay, and a way to approach our first assignment. Because the emphasis was on making the attempt, I guaranteed students who published their essays on time a minimum grade of A- (everyone rightly observed that they'd never get a better deal).

I told the students that: (a) I have a reason for everything we do, and I'm happy to discuss my reasoning with them at any time; and (b) I won't ever ask them to do anything that I couldn't/wouldn't do myself. In that spirit, I modeled what it looked like to do the work in our course. I sat down, answered the prompt, and wrote an essay for the students to read, comment on, and grade.

Finally, I pointed out that writing activates a different part of our brain than typing, and I acknowledged that writers sometimes prefer putting pen to paper rather than typing. In order to give students the choice, I posted a way for students to scan and publish their handwritten work so that it would show up well on their blogs.

 

how to: post a scanned image to your blog or website

Here is a pro tip for you to use in all of your courses this year.

If you prefer writing on paper, instead of typing, or if you want to use an image of a printed page, you can still create professional-looking, easy-to-read images online.

Instead of posting a picture that looks like this:

You can post a scan that looks like this:



Here's how:

1. Click HERE to download Scannable (which is now part of Evernote, which we'll talk about