Tools for Distance Learning: If you find yourself switching to a hybrid teaching model, TeacherMade can help

If you find yourself suddenly reverting to hybrid or remote learning, don’t worry. There are tools out there that can help. We created TeacherMade as a way for Teachers to seamlessly switch into hybrid teaching. We developed a way to convert materials you already have in your classroom in just a few simple steps. TeacherMade makes it easy to digitize your existing worksheets and handouts. It’s so simple, and we think you should try out TeacherMade for FREE!

At TeacherMade, we love hearing about how our Teachers are thriving in various classroom settings with our app. We keep hearing about all the ways Teachers are using our software in their classrooms. Regina B., a 5th-grade Teacher in Virginia, recently worked with us over the summer. Here’s what she has to say about TeacherMade.

Meet 5th-grade Teacher, Regina:

When our district opened for the 2020-2021 school year, there were no protocols for remote learning in place. Our county is very rural, and a lot of the areas do not have reliable internet. However, when surrounding counties started to offer remote options, our county followed suit. We were already a couple of weeks into school, so there was little time to prepare and work out all of the kinks. I volunteered thinking that I would be able to be creative with online resources and give online assignments. This was not the case.

Hybrid and remote learning has challenges.

Though we were considered to be a remote learning option, not everyone who chose the option had internet access. Therefore, students were still allowed to do paper/pencil assignments. This was complicated by the fact that 5th grade was departmentalized. Each 5th grade Teacher was in a different school but shared over 160 students from all ten elementary schools in the county. The paper delivery system was a nightmare.

TEI questions felt impossible to do until TeacherMade.

On top of that, we were told that all online assignments had to be the same as the paper assignments. TEI [Technology Enhanced Items] questions are necessary to prepare students for SOL testing. However, they are not compatible with paper copies. Whenever you try to print TEI questions, they do not format correctly. I had to create an online test and then retype it using text boxes and shapes. With 160 students, I did not have time to recreate the same assignments twice, nor rack my brain trying to line up everything properly. I would have also spent half of my life grading all of the papers by hand.

TeacherMade is a digital learning tool that any Teacher can use for distance learning and hybrid teaching.

TeacherMade solved so many problems for me!

- It allowed me to be able to screenshot those TEI questions so that they could easily be printed. Once I inserted the document into TeacherMade and created an assignment, converting it back to TEI was effortless!
- It allowed me to make an answer key that would give the student instant feedback. The only issue with this was that you had to anticipate all of the ways that the correct answer could be entered. TeacherMade even fixed this issue by allowing answer keys to be edited. They also added an option to automatically rescore a test when you correct an incorrect answer.
- Students always forget to put their names on their papers. TeacherMade attaches the assignments to students’ email addresses. Therefore, you no longer have to shuffle through papers with no name trying to decipher handwriting to figure out who they belong to. With the challenges brought on by COVID, who wants to deal with papers anymore anyway? It is much easier to sanitize a Chromebook
- In the past, creating fractions and mixed numbers has been such a difficult task.TeacherMade makes these, and all other math-related symbols, so easy to create and solve. It’s as simple as plugging in numbers. I love it!
- The feature that added the most value for me was being able to see students answering in real-time! I missed walking around the classroom to see what they were doing to give them feedback. When I realized that I could see what they were doing in real-time, I gave them the feedback they needed to be successful. The students who were actually trying really appreciated this!

Perspective is everything if you are doing hybrid, distance, or remote learning.

This year has been filled with learning and growing on everyone’s part IF we faced it with a growth mindset. All of the 5th-grade Teachers on our team were stretched paper-thin before our ITRT [Instructional Technology Resource Teacher] introduced us to TeacherMade. Because we chose to accept it as the gift that it was, it simplified our year in so many ways. I can see it is just as big of an asset to teaching in a physical classroom. I can’t stress enough how invaluable real-time interaction is. For students who truly want to improve and have Teachers who truly want to help them improve!

Bring Multimodal Learning To Any Type Of Classroom

Multimodal learning is an approach that integrates multiple sensory modalities (similar to a learning style), such as visual, auditory, and kinesthetic, to enhance the learning experience and promote deeper understanding. It recognizes that students have varying preferences and strengths when absorbing and processing information. By engaging students through different modes, multimodal learning helps to cater to their diverse learning styles and preferences, ultimately improving their learning outcomes.

Teachers can bring multimodal instruction into traditional and hybrid classrooms. Leverage digital tools and educational technology to create a multimodal learning environment. Online platforms, educational apps, and multimedia presentations like TeacherMade provide various modalities for learning.

Incorporating multimodal learning into the classroom can be done in several ways:

Visual aids: Utilize visual materials like charts, diagrams, infographics, and videos to support verbal explanations. Visuals help students visualize concepts, reinforce understanding, and improve memory retention.
Auditory elements: Incorporate audio resources such as podcasts, interviews, and recorded lectures. These auditory components can present information, facilitate discussions, or provide alternative explanations. They cater to students who learn better through listening and verbal communication.
Kinesthetic activities: Introduce hands-on experiences and interactive exercises. This can involve experiments, simulations, role-playing, and group projects. Kinesthetic learning engages students in physical movements and allows them to actively participate in the learning process.
Multimodal assignments and assessments: Encourage students to express their understanding differently. For instance, consider allowing students to create videos, presentations, or visual posters instead of traditional written essays to demonstrate their knowledge. This approach encourages creativity and allows students to showcase their strengths.
Flexible teaching methods: Recognize and accommodate diverse learning styles by varying instructional approaches. Provide multiple ways of presenting information, such as verbal explanations, visual aids, and practical examples. This ensures that students with different preferences can access and comprehend the material more effectively.
Collaboration and discussion: Encourage peer-to-peer interactions and group discussions. This allows students to learn from each other’s perspectives and strengthens their understanding of concepts. Group work and collaborative projects can integrate multiple modalities and foster a richer learning experience.

Encourage students to reflect on their preferred learning styles and provide opportunities for them to engage with different modalities. Regular feedback and assessment can help gauge the effectiveness of multimodal strategies and inform adjustments to ensure optimal learning outcomes.

By incorporating multimodal learning techniques, educators can create a more inclusive and engaging classroom environment that caters to diverse student needs, promotes active learning, and facilitates deeper comprehension of the subject matter.

TeacherMade helps teachers bring multimodal classrooms to life. We bring interactive elements to your traditional assignments and Google Slide presentations.

Simplify virtual learning with TeacherMade. Try it for free today.

We think TeacherMade will simplify your life if you suddenly have to switch to hybrid learning this year. Sign up for TeacherMade today to give it a try.

It’s simple. Just pick the worksheet you want to upload.

- Step 1: Upload your file. The file you upload becomes the background of your new online worksheet. (We support these file types.)
- Step 2: Add fields for student responses.
- Step 3: Add answers to questions for self-scoring.
- Step 4: Send an assignment link to students or sync with your school’s LMS platform.
- Step 5: Get instant feedback and results.

It’s just five simple steps, and you can have a digital interactive worksheet from your students. Use materials you already have, and get started today!