Winter is Coming...Prepare your Snow Day Tool Kit Now!

Let's face it...kids LOVE Snow Days. But disruptions to the schedule can really throw off a teacher's plans, especially with looming high-stakes testing on the horizon. Instructional technology tools and strategies and digital teaching materials can help make learning happen, even in the event of untimely disruptions to the school calendar. The trick is to be prepared.

Share Digital Materials
Cloud-based digital storage via Google Drive allows you to access and share your files with anyone from virtually any digital device. Further, your school Google account offers unlimited storage. Whether it is .pdfs, video and audio content, Microsoft Office files, or Google Docs, Google Drive allows you to upload your content and share the links to your files with anyone, anywhere. Learn more about Google Drive.

Establish a Web Presence
Having a web presence to act as a "storefront" for students to access your materials is key. From this hub, you could share digital materials with your students in one location, providing them the opportunity to read instructional materials, view instructional videos, or view custom screencasts. Google Sites is one tool that can help you share digital content with your students for 24/7 access. Learn more about the "new" Google Sites.

Provide Opportunities for Interaction and Assessment
Students today are immersed in social media--Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat are but a few examples. Educators can capitalize on students' proclivity toward the sense of belonging or community that many of these social media sites provide by establishing a virtual classroom for students to interact in a supervised, positive, and instructional capacity. Google Classroom and several other social learning tools all have features that allow students to enroll in a teacher-created class to participate in discussions and online assessments, even when they aren't physically in class. Learn more about Google Classroom.

Communicate with Families
Snow days are unpredictable, which means teachers have little time or opportunity to let students know what they can do in the event of a school closing. There are several digital services, however, that allow for such communication. Students and families can opt-in to Remind, a website that allows teachers to send timely text messages as well as attachments. Learn more about Remind.