Digital Ideas for When Students are Absent

Students are absent, maybe 1 or 2, maybe a large number. Managing 1 or 2 students absent is one thing, managing a higher percentage can be something different. Perhaps it’s a field trip, perhaps it’s widespread illness, perhaps it’s the weather or perhaps it’s testing; whatever the reason, we all want to make the most of our class time and stay on course. How do you make this class time valuable for students present without the others missing out? Let’s explore some digital options!

• Try having your students create tutorials or instructional videos for you. They can use tools like iMovie, Stop Motion, Explain Everything, Keynote, or Google Slides. You get to keep these and use the best ones next year.
• Jigsaw the lesson. Different groups create videos for different portions of the lesson. Use the videos as a flipped lesson so they get the material and you get to focus on using class time for questions and application.
• Have students create Kahoots for the entire class. Don’t forget to have them include related images (and cite them). The app for playing Kahoots is available in the ASD20 Catalog.
• Have a Quizlet "Live” experience. Use a Quizlet set you’ve already created, have the student create one, or search for sets created with others already linked to your course materials.
• Explore a new tool or have the students explore one that you’ve been interested in trying.
• Try a Google Slides Jeopardy style game. Follow the link and the direction to copy the template to your own Google Drive.

 
Need some additional ideas? Try these sites:

• Take a Break: Physical Activity Breaks in the Secondary Classroom – Colorado Education Initiative
• Leadership Games and Activities
• Engaging Classroom Activities for all Grades