A McKinsey study shows that learning loss because of school closures during the pandemic is significant. Experts also estimate that students may have lost one-and-a-half months of learning in reading, and this learning loss is more pronounced among students of color.

So how can we engage our students while helping them play catchup and overcome COVID Slide? 

We’ve put together 3 tips on how to introduce Read to Lead to your classroom to engage students, re-ignite deep learning AND combat time away from the classroom!

Tip 1: Spark Students’ Interest

Student engagement starts with interest. That’s why the first step to tackling COVID learning loss is sparking students’ interest in learning again. One simple way to do that is to put them in the driver’s seat to take control of their own learning – and what better way to boost student agency than by making them the protagonist of their own story? That’s exactly what Read to Lead’s learning games allow students to do.

Read to Lead lets students “be the boss” in different virtual workplace scenarios. The games are set in culturally relevant, rigorous, and immersive learning contexts, featuring diverse characters in a variety of professions. This provides students with a fresh perspective that is sure to reignite their interest in learning.

Tip 2: Use Content that is Designed to State Standards 

The second step is integrating learning experiences that are aligned to State Standards into the curriculum so that students can get back on track with learning. Middle school teachers – look no further than Read to Lead games!

Community in Crisis (Grades 5-6), Vital Signs (Grades 6-8) and After the Storm (Grades 7-9) are all designed to Common Core Reading Standards and support CASEL SEL Competencies. Educators have found that using Read to Lead helped improve their students’ vocabulary development greatly, and helped them prepare for state assessments. 

The detailed Performance Reports that are available on the platform are also a handy tool for teachers to keep track of students progress toward specific learning goals (and jump in with a little extra help where needed)!

Tip 3: Let Students Set the Pace

Differentiated learning is going to be key this year, as students are going to return to classes at all different levels. Allowing students to go at their own pace is important to helping them overcome COVID slide without becoming overwhelmed.

No matter what level your students are at, Read to Lead is flexible enough for you to be able to differentiate learning. Its adaptive technology modifies assessments based on students’ performance within the platform. The platform also provides instant feedback on students’ progress, celebrating their wins and motivating them to excel!

Tackling COVID Slide is definitely one of the challenges we will be facing in the new school year. But with the right tools getting students caught up and set up for success in the new school year can be a fun, enriching, and engaging experience. 

Sign up for a free Read to Lead account to get started!
Source, Source

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Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts… whatever the platform, the fatigue is real. Not just for teachers, but for students and their families too. 

Did you know that in April 2020, two trillion minutes were spent on Zoom alone? Two trillion minutes. It comes as no surprise that so many educators are feeling a little fatigued after a full year of virtual teaching.. 

We don’t pretend to have all the answers, but here are our top five tips to help fight Zoom fatigue in your virtual and hybrid classrooms. 

Start each virtual lesson with an SEL check-in question

Being a student in the middle of a pandemic, learning remotely, with little or no social interaction isn’t easy. . 

Starting each virtual lesson with a check-in question can help take the pulse of how your students are doing. This is especially important when we can’t be in the same room as them to read their body language or observe their interactions with their peers.

Allow students to name the emotion they are bringing to class. This helps students know how they and their classmates are feeling, what different emotions look like, and how to better interact with their peers based on how they’re feeling. This check-in can also help cultivate social connections between students, which is crucial for learning.

Use Zoom’s breakout rooms for deeper discussion

Do you love talking to a screen with 25 faces (or black boxes) looking back at you? If you don’t, your students definitely have it worse. The truth is, participating in discussions can be intimidating for students, and even more so in a large virtual group. One of the things we’re hearing from our teacher community is that smaller breakout sessions are sparking deeper conversations and reflections for students.

Zoom’s breakout rooms offer a quick fix to engage students in small group conversations, just like they would in the classroom. Small group discussions are also better at promoting critical thinking and increasing student satisfaction. Using breakout rooms in tandem with whole group instruction can be an effective way to avoid Zoom fatigue by changing things up once in a while.

Encourage students to have a designated space for learning

While not every student may have access to their own “virtual classroom” space (although we are loving the creative parents out there who have the financial ability to make this happen), there are norms that can be established in almost all scenarios. 

It’s tough having to sit through a lesson (much less with your bed 3 feet away), which is why having a designated place for learning is critical. Just like in a regular classroom, encouraging students to find a space that works for them and use it consistently can help reduce distractions and enable them to focus on learning.

Create a consistent lesson format 

When everything feels like it’s up in the air, consistency is key! Children are creatures of routine, and school shifting to virtual platforms has removed a lot of that consistency that comes with having a fixed daily schedule.

Students have said they missed having a routine, and the feeling of “not knowing” creates additional stress for them. Having a consistent lesson format for all classes can reduce some of the fatigue students may be experiencing. Setting virtual classroom routines for students also creates clear expectations and guides students to identify and recognize the beginning, middle, and end of a lesson.

Having live interaction with students at the beginning and end is a handy way to “sandwich” content, and ensure students have a chance to connect with you and each other. Working in elements of both synchronous and asynchronous learning is also helpful, as does setting regular office hours for students who need additional help.

Spark engagement in new ways

Sparking student engagement when you’re in the classroom all together is a challenge – nevermind when you’re virtual. Game-based learning assignments that can be completed either asynchronously or synchronously can be a great way to spark student interest. Read to Lead provides just that. 

Choose from a library of literacy games that you can filter by class objective and grade level, easily assign to your class and check student progress in real-time! Perfect for teaching from afar. What’s more – Read to Lead games are fully aligned with Common Core Standards and rich with culturally relevant content, keeping students deeply engaged in learning!

Sign up for a free account here and watch student engagement climb!

Tell us your best tip to combat Zoom fatigue in the comments below. Want more tips like these? Get in on the conversation by joining the Read to Lead Educator Facebook Group.

The post 5 Tips to Combat Zoom Fatigue in Your Virtual Classroom appeared first on Read to Lead.

School is back in session with the start of the new year, and that means it’s time to implement some new and creative ways to engage your students! As teachers and students across the country continue to attend a mix of in-person, remote and hybrid classrooms we wanted to share a few ways to invigorate remote learning for the start of 2021. 

Students have been through months of on-and-off remote learning, and may be experiencing Zoom fatigue as well as higher levels of stress, worry and anxiety as a result of upheaval in the country. All these factors may contribute to students feeling disengaged and unmotivated when it comes to virtual learning.

What can we, as teachers, do to refresh our students and increase engagement to set them up for success in this semester?

Here are five activities to start the year off on the right note and get students engaged in learning in 2021!

Set Intentions

What better time to set intentions for the rest of the year than in January? We’re leaving behind the weight and negativity of the past year, and looking forward to the future with hope and aspiration. For middle school students, choosing a word for the year to guide them can help them start off the year on the right foot.

This is also a great time to encourage students to reflect on 2020, and consider their goals for the upcoming year. Use this as an engaging and creative activity to help students ease into being back in school, and prepare them to dive into lessons with more motivation and enthusiasm.

Bring Real-World Professionals into The Classroom

Career exposure in middle school helps pave the way for future student success, and to this end, we’ve launched “Read to Lead LIVE!”, a free student-centered webinar series that gives students a front-row seat into career exploration. Each session features a working professional who shares their leadership experiences and career journey, giving students a unique chance to learn more about different careers first-hand. By bringing real-world professionals into your virtual classroom, you open doors and career opportunities for students that may have never existed otherwise. 

Sign up for the next Read to Lead LIVE! session on February 5th with Misty Copeland, principal dancer for the American Ballet Theatre.

Start a Virtual Gratitude “Jar”

Gratitude has been shown to have immense benefits, both in good times and in bad, but it is a habit that is difficult to cultivate. Help get your students in the habit of being grateful this new year by starting a virtual gratitude “jar”. 

Want to take engagement to the next level? Use Flipgrid’s video platform and ask students to record videos of themselves talking about things they are grateful for, or you can create a shared Google Drive folder for students to upload their daily or weekly gratitude notes. Not only will this help develop students’ Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) skills, but it will also give them something to look back on in tough times.

Build a Bitmoji Classroom

Building a Bitmoji classroom together can be an engaging activity to build connections and boost energy with students virtually. Students will love the chance to create their own Bitmojis and can even use these images to spruce up their assignments or projects. 

You can also use this as a way for students to help personalize their virtual learning environment and ensure the Bitmoji Classroom is culturally responsive.

While they may not be physically in a classroom, students are bound to be more enthusiastic about learning in a space they helped design and create, even if it is virtual.

Motivate Students to Read Through Game-Based Learning

Career exposure in middle school helps pave the way for future student success, and to this end, Read to Lead has introduced Live! webinar sessions with the aim of helping students take career exploration to the next level. Each session features a working professional who shares their leadership experiences and career journey, giving students a unique chance to learn more about different careers first-hand. By bringing real-world professionals into your virtual classroom, you add some excitement to your lessons and boost student engagement.

Starting school in January virtually doesn’t have to be a drag. By incorporating these four activities into your virtual classroom,  you can engage, motivate and captivate your students and put them on the path to a productive and successful year ahead.

Curious to learn more about Read to Lead? Sign up for free and get immediate access to three different virtual workplaces, over 30 games and a multitude of lesson plans and resources to bring the real world to your virtual classroom.

The post Top 5 Activities For Your Virtual Classroom This January appeared first on Read to Lead.

Recently, Classroom, Inc. co-hosted a panel discussion with the New York Life Foundation and New York Life Ventures, focused on themes and trends in education technology and the increase in virtual learning.

The discussion, “EdTech and the Future of (Remote) Learning,” explored how organizations are creating new resources to support learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The panel of EdTech experts offered invaluable insights and effective models of remote learning across a range of contexts, including educators leading their classes virtually, New York Life employees furthering their professional development, and parents supporting their children academically while they are learning at home.

The event was introduced by Joel Albarella, Founder and Head of New York Life Ventures, and moderated by Megan Protas, Director at New York Life Ventures. Panelists included Michael Molinaro, Chief Learning Officer at New York Life, Allisyn Levy, Product Lead at BrainPOP, and Christina Oliver, Executive Director of Classroom, Inc.

The Role of EdTech

EdTech makes it easier for teachers to tailor their instruction based on each student’s individual needs and gives students access to new types of learning experiences.

Gamification tools like Read to Lead help teachers personalize learning by allowing students to go through the curriculum at their own pace. The games adjust the reading level as students complete assignments. The platform also gives teachers the information and data they need to provide additional support for struggling students.

“There’s nothing that replaces a teacher. EdTech can help make teachers better teachers and give students the ability to learn, make decisions, and take risks in an environment where it’s safe to fail,” said Christina Oliver, adding, “Read to Lead allows students to see themselves leading their own learning, understand what it’s like to make hard decisions, and imagine themselves beyond the classroom.”

Why is EdTech Important to New York Life?

Many New York Life employees and agents are now balancing supporting their children’s learning at home with the demands of their career and professional goals.

Both Allisyn and Christina shared that, as parents, they know how challenging the transition to distance learning has been. Christina noted, “Giving your child a dedicated space to work and arranging your child’s learning environment is an important start. Zoom can be exhausting, so make sure that your child takes breaks and gets outside, which is essential for focus, mental health, and well-being.”

Michael Molinaro leads the creation of continuous learning opportunities for New York Life employees. He said there are many similarities between what works for K-12 and the professionals at New York Life when it comes to effective remote learning. Specifically, creating dedicated time and space for learning, being intentional about one’s learning goals, taking breaks to support focus and wellness, and maintaining strong peer relationships have all been essential as more professional learning opportunities have transitioned online.

EdTech plays an essential role for New York Life in supporting ongoing professional growth for their workforce and supporting the philanthropic mission of the New York Life Foundation to invest in programs that benefit young people. 

EdTech Tools Highlighted at the Event

• Degreed is a learning experience platform (branded at New York Life as The Learning Exchange) that provides curated learning content pathways to New York Life employees to enhance their skill sets.
• BrainPOP resources enable students and educators to make connections and learn about the world around them from home.
• Read to Lead, created by Classroom Inc., is a game-based learning platform that invites students to “be the boss” in a virtual workplace and develop literacy, life, and career skills.
• Outschool offers 50,000+ unique online classes from hundreds of certified, independent teachers where users, regardless of household income, can access programs and learn in a collaborative environment.
• Online learning tools like Quizlet, Grammarly, Khan Academy, Blackboard, Varsity Tutors, MasterClass, and Coursera.

To learn more about how your company can partner with Classroom, Inc., please contact Matt Chacko at mchacko@classroominc.org.

The post Event Recap: EdTech and The Future of (Remote) Learning appeared first on Read to Lead.

COVID-19 created urgency in the education community to quickly innovate to improve student learning outside of the traditional classroom setting. When schools across the US closed, Classroom, Inc. expanded its efforts to help middle school youth nationwide develop leadership and literacy skills. New relationships with leaders in social impact, including AT&T, have made it possible for Classroom, Inc. to rapidly improve the ways it offers its free learning platform, Read to Lead, and training to support educators and students. 

Anne Wintroub is the Director of Social Innovation for AT&T, where she leads a national philanthropic portfolio designed to empower communities. In August 2020, we spoke with Anne about her approach to social innovation, the impact of COVID-19, and how technology and our collaboration can transform education by supporting educators and students in distance learning.

AT&T’s Approach: Education Innovation & Effective Distance Learning

AT&T has been supporting innovative approaches to education for over a decade. Through programs like the AT&T Aspire Accelerator for EdTech startups, investment in pioneering education organizations, program partnerships, and grants and contributions, AT&T is dedicated to ensuring students have access to a high-quality education and opportunities that transform their lives.  

While AT&T has long recognized the potential of technology to improve education through innovation, the events of 2020 demonstrated the urgent need for more scalable and equitable approaches to distance learning.

When COVID-19’s impact on education became clear, Anne noted that AT&T “launched a $10M plan to help educators make the transition to teaching through distance learning, help students learn more effectively, and help caregivers get the support they need.” Furthermore, AT&T made an intentional effort to “find new organizations involved in social innovation, like Classroom, Inc., who were playing a profound role before COVID, and help them have the ability to reach and impact thousands of more students.”

Putting Innovation into Practice

COVID-19 made it impossible to ignore that many young people in the U.S., particularly people of color from low-income communities, lack access to the same educational opportunities as their peers. To improve equity in distance learning, Anne notes that many organizations “have found innovative ways to scale their services and platforms to reach more people.” 

“The education community is responding in so many different ways, in ways we wouldn’t have predicted beforehand,” reflected Anne. “We know students learn differently, and that learning effectively is not about equality, it’s about equity. We’re seeing organizations like Classroom, Inc. innovating their approach to distance learning so they can serve students in both deeper and more precise ways, ensuring students and families are getting what they need to be successful.”

For Classroom, Inc., this meant creating additional resources that meet the needs of students, teachers, and caregivers. With the support of AT&T, Classroom, Inc. created a Distance Learning Resource hub for teachers making the transition to hybrid and virtual formats, a Family Portal for parents and caregivers who lacked experience engaging in online learning, and an improved version of its most popular learning game, Vital Signs, set in a medical clinic.

Improving Equity in Distance Learning

Creating resources that are easily accessible by anyone anywhere is only part of the solution to enhance educational equity.  “We know representation really matters,” said Anne. “We have to show all kids, especially those who have been traditionally left out of leadership opportunities, what possibilities there are. We have to showcase leaders who students can relate to, help them explore the types of opportunities that exist, and make sure they know the people and organizations that so deeply want to see them succeed as leaders.”

Classroom, Inc. intentionally designed Read to Lead, their game-based learning program that empowers students to “be the boss,” with a culturally-responsive lens. The diverse community of characters in the digital learning games provides students from all backgrounds with opportunities to see themselves as readers, leaders, and professionals.

Anne shared that the power of Classroom, Inc.’s approach is in combining the diverse career worlds of Read to Lead with a program that helps students develop the literacy and leadership skills ”to be successful in the jobs of today and the jobs of tomorrow.”

Looking Ahead: Scaling Innovation in Distance Learning

While students will eventually return to their classrooms, the need for innovative, and equitable distance learning opportunities will remain. As the role of technology in education continues to expand, Anne believes that students must be at the center of designing EdTech. She challenges organizations to “see students as co-founders and truly value their voice” and to “continue developing innovative, human-based approaches to teaching and learning.”

To have a lasting impact, innovation must be amplified through collaboration where different organizations can play on each other’s strengths. “[At AT&T],” Anne said, “collaborations can take many different forms. It’s more than just providing financial resources. We strive to share the best of AT&T’s resources from insights, to human capital, to technology, so that impact becomes more of a collective experience.”

The post Innovating Through Change: A Conversation with AT&T’s Anne Wintroub appeared first on Read to Lead.

Learning loss, typically associated with summer vacation, is a well-known challenge that educators face, particularly after extended breaks in instruction. 

This new school year, as students return to a variety of classroom environments, educators are facing an additional challenge: “COVID Slide”, which accounts for the additional month’s students spent out of school buildings this spring because of the pandemic. 

This long absence from in-person instruction will inevitably compound the summer learning loss that students usually face. Achieve3000 predicted that students could lose 49% of potential learning gains by the start of next school year and that the achievement gap between low- and high-income students could increase by as much as 18%.

Numerous schools have reported not being able to have any contact with some of their students from the onset of the pandemic. The potential for learning loss with that population is significant. 

Through these are sobering statistics, educators can develop instruction plans that can mitigate the effects of learning loss. Here are three strategies to help counter the effects of learning regression exacerbated by the COVID-19 school closures. 

Engage Students with Real-World Application

Research shows that even before COVID-19 closed schools and classrooms went online, students were feeling disengaged from their education, with more than half of middle school students reporting that they felt “not engaged” or “actively disengaged” in their learning.

There are many factors as to why students may feel disengaged at school. One key complaint is “boring and irrelevant” lessons. Selecting curriculum and resources that have direct applications to the real world can engage students in their learning, improving overall results. 

A variety of free tools can help students understand the real-world application and relevance of their education. These tools can help combat COVID-19 learning loss, but also ensure they are preparing to become engaged citizens of their community, country, and the world.

Read to Lead Recommends:

• Introduce students to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development via SGDs in Action, a mobile app that helps students learn about and engage with issues affecting our world and environment.

• Bring governance, politics, and civic participation to life with iCivics, which features interactive games and classroom resources for educators to break down the complexities of civics education in a fun and enjoyable way.

• Couragion exposes students to a variety of STEM careers through inclusive, work-based learning experiences that prepare students for jobs of the future.

Make Learning Fun with Gamification

It’s no secret that the old-fashioned approach of a teacher spending an entire class lecturing does not lead to happy, engaged students. With educators facing even more significant literacy loss than in years past, it is critical that students have access to learning experiences that are both academic and fun.

Gamified learning platforms offer an alternative to traditional forms of instruction. Game-based learning has been shown to be an effective way to improve literacy, in addition to increasing engagement and motivation among learners.

Read to Lead Recommends:

• Prodigy, a curriculum-aligned program for mathematics allows educators to design assignments and provide feedback, while students cover core concepts within a fun video game layout.

• Khan Academy is a favorite among teachers and students for its interactive and easy-to-navigate interface, which features subjects such as math, science, history, and more.

• Scholastic has a variety of learning games available for students covering a range of subjects and grade levels.

Elevate Student Choice, Voice, and Agency

Middle school is a unique time for any student. With schools reopening after COVID-19, middle school students face the additional challenge of getting back on track with their academics while navigating the new normal. 

When students have a choice in what they learn and are offered customized learning paths catered to them, they display greater engagement, which translates to better academic outcomes. Affording students greater agency also drives self-initiated learning, fosters collaborative learning environments, and helps inculcate students with a range of essential skills. 

Project-Based Learning (PBL) is an effective way to elevate student choice, voice, and agency. PBL offers students the freedom to direct their own learning, and empowers them to take ownership of their education, which can help combat learning loss. This translates to better outcomes in terms of student performance academically, student motivation, and preparing students for further education and future careers.

Learn more about how to elevate student choice, voice, and agency, and why this matters HERE.

Read to Lead Recommends:

• My PBL Works, by the Buck Institute for Education, features an extensive collection of resources for teachers to introduce project-based learning to their students, including planning tools and project ideas.

• Virtual Schoolhouse showcases resources for teachers to immediately implement in their classrooms

• Dreamdo Schools offers teachers an easy to follow handbook for introducing PBL to their students.

Conclusions 

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the education of our students and left unaddressed, they could be facing an immense amount of learning loss.

By increasing student engagement through real-world applications, capitalizing on gamified learning platforms to keep students interested, and focusing on student choice and agency, we can help tackle this problem.

About Read To Lead

In the Read to Lead games, middle school students become the boss in a digital workplace. They play through their workday, reading closely, thinking critically, and solving real-world problems, all while balancing the hectic demands of an exciting career.

Our games and lessons include:

– Reading and writing practice through game-based learning

– Career games that build real-world connections 

– Turn-key project-based learning curriculum that reinforces literacy & career skills

By playing our games, students increase reading achievement, find motivation, and see— often for the first time— a real connection between learning, career aspirations, and their futures.

To learn more, visit us online at http://bit.ly/platformreadtolead 

The post Three Reading Strategies to Counter COVID-19 Learning Loss appeared first on Read to Lead.

COVID-19 has drastically altered how we think about education. In a majority of US states, students have been out of school since spring, and virtual learning has taken over as the main form of instruction. While the future of schools remains uncertain, it is clear that when teachers are faced with virtual learning, it is critical that they make the most of the face-to-face instruction time they have with their students. 

Our time with our students is precious, which is why we need to focus on discussion, collaboration, and connection during these brief periods of virtual interaction with them. 

Here are three ways you can use Read to Lead to make the most of live instruction with students.

Grab Student Attention with Conversations About the Future 

Engage students by focusing on topics that are relevant and make connections to their lives beyond school. Introducing students to the world of work as early as middle school can guide students in making informed decisions about future career paths, and help them stay motivated through the school years.

The Read to Lead program gives students the chance to take on a leadership role within three different workplaces. Students are also introduced to a variety of professions and careers within the platform, and educators can use these games as a starting point for discussions and debates among students. 

Tip for Live Instruction: Flip the classroom! Send students discussion and debate questions the day before and assign reading and preparation as homework. Students will come to the live instruction prepared to discuss the topic and share their learnings.

Use Read to Lead’s offline curriculum to engage with students on the screen. With Read to Lead’s Be the Boss Activity, educators can guide their students through discussions to identify the qualities of a leader and explore what it takes to be the boss in an authentic workplace setting.

Teleconferencing platforms like Zoom also often include features that allow for virtual collaboration, such as breakout rooms for small group discussions, and chat boxes for students to type their responses to discussion questions, or even respond by “clapping” or giving a “thumbs up”.

Give Students Spaces to Talk About The Current Moment 

The COVID-19 global pandemic is affecting all aspects of our lives and our students may be experiencing higher levels of stress, and anxiety. They need safe spaces to talk about how drastically their lives have changed. As educators, we need to address this situation with our students, particularly more disadvantaged children who may not have alternative channels to discuss the challenges they are facing. 

Though not part of our traditional curriculum— dealing with the pandemic, managing the emotions that students may be experiencing at this time, and identifying the positive aspects of the current situation— are critical conversations to be having with our students at this time. 

We have created a curated collection of Read to Lead lessons relevant to the COVID-19 pandemic. Covering topics like Making a Diagnosis, Managing Anxiety, and Looking for the Helpers, these lessons are immediately relevant and applicable to students’ lives.

These lessons are standards-aligned and can be used towards your ELA, Science, Health, Social Studies, or SEL learning goals. Each lesson is specifically designed for a distance learning setting, and include step-by-step directions for execution as well as Google worksheets for students to complete. They aim to spark meaningful conversation, promote critical thinking, foster leadership and provide support to students as a class community.

Tip for Live Instruction – Include your Students! Take stock of what’s happening in the community, state, and on a national level. Ask your students what they are thinking about, and let them help drive their learning experience.  

Introduce Read to Lead distance learning lesson “Anxiety Relief” to help students identify their feelings, explore strategies to manage anxiety, and make space to uplift each other. You can download all of our distance learning lessons here. 

Encourage Independent Work

The constraints placed on live instruction as a result of the transition to distance learning and remote classrooms, in another light, can be seen as an avenue for educators to encourage independent work. By giving students tasks or projects to work on independently in their time outside of virtual instruction sessions with their teachers, we can empower them to take charge of their own learning.

Tip for Live Instruction – Be Flexible – and Forgiving! One-way delivery of content through a video chat can be exhausting for both educators and students. By giving students space to explore their interests with project-based learning, educators can maximize facetime and empower students to drive their learning.

Research projects or Project-Based Learning (PBL) are another way in which educators can encourage independent work and make the most of live instruction. Allowing students to pursue topics that resonate with and interest them will engage students better. The Read to Lead platform includes a wide selection of close reading articles that students can choose to read independently and write their own articles sharing their perspectives. Educators can then dedicate their time with students to answering their questions, and helping them develop critical thinking skills.

Conclusion 

Making the transition from in-person education to distance learning can be a challenge, but Read to Lead is here to support you through this time with useful and timely resources that you can start using in your remote classrooms immediately.

It is easy to get started with Read to Lead, and the platform is free to educators and students. It includes 44 games where students get the chance to take on leadership roles in different authentic work environments that be used in independent learning time. 

Make the most of live instruction with Read to Lead’s extensive library of worksheets for students, and self-directed learning projects for students to work on independently – a total of more than 150 hours of games, curricula, and content. Most importantly all games, activities, and projects are completely virtual, easily applied to distance learning environments.

If you have a question that needs to be answered right away, write support@classroominc.org and our team will respond to you within 24 hours.

The post How to Make the Most of Live Instruction: The Read to Lead Guide to Engaging Students Virtually appeared first on Read to Lead.