If You Can't Find What You Need for Teaching Remotely on Wide Open School, You Don't Need It

Wow! I have been a fan of Common Sense Media's guides for evaluating the appropriateness of online content for years, but their latest project Wide Open School is one-stop-shopping for all of the help teachers transitioning to teaching remotely need right now.

Do you teach with a Mac? Boom, got it. Or, are you all Google Apps based? Boom, got it! Are you trying to figure out Zoom while hosting Zoom meetings? Boom, got it! What about Google Classroom? Yes! Are you concerned about healthy balances between media and healthy communication? That's there too.

I think you get the point, and I didn't even mention how there are about a dozen other topics beyond just setting up the virtual space. There are resources for special needs, specific subject areas, even how to set up virtual field trips.

Oh, and there is a family side to the whole thing as well.

Here's the bottom line. If you can't find what you need for teaching remotely on Wide Open School, you don't need it.

Today Show's Vicky Nguyen Breaks Down YouTube Children's Video Changes

I caught this story this morning on Today about changes that YouTube is making to its platform when it comes to videos that creators tag as being made specifically for kids.

The main changes include doing away with comments, no more live chat, no push notifications, not allowing these videos to be added to a playlist, and ending ads that are based off of browser history.

Jim Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media applauds the changes as a step in the right direction.

The changes however don't create any type of filter to keep kids away from videos not tagged for children.

Check out the full report below from Vicky Nguyen.

Flocabulary and Common Sense Media team up on Digital Citizenship

We use Flocabulary.com at Blue Star Elementary to help develop student academic vocabulary knowledge via Marzano's Six Steps. Kids love the catchy hip hop songs and animated videos.

Here is a great one that Flocabulary produced in association with Common Sense Media to teach the top rules kids....or any of us should remember when posting to social media.

The great thing about anything Flocabulary does is that it sticks with kids. They really get it.