Author: Kerry Rice

Teachers across the country are finding ways to interact, engage and motivate their students. From teacher parades (following social distance guidelines of course), to massive Zoom call recordings of teachers waving to their students, it is evident that we embrace those things that allow us to stay connected with our students in ways that increase … Continue reading Let’s get creative…

For this post I decided to focus on some of the more common tools that can be especially effective in transitioning to online learning using more familiar instructional strategies found in all types of classrooms and content areas. It’s just a quick overview of a few essentials that are easy to use, free or very … Continue reading Common tools and familiar strategies for remote teaching….

Once you’ve shifted to a remote classroom, gotten your communication protocols established, and made sure everyone is safe and somewhat settled, there are a couple of items that still need your attention. The first is student privacy and Internet safety. It can be exciting to host your first successful web conference, or to set up … Continue reading So you’ve made the move to a remote classroom. What next?

I’ve been thinking a lot about possible responses to the school closures as a result of COVID-19. Although my expertise is in training K-12 online teachers, I don’t think that expertise is what is needed at this juncture. That will come later, after the dust settles. Teaching online is a paradigmatic shift in thinking that … Continue reading Crisis Response – Preparing to Teach Online

Predictions about the demise of the university (both figurative and literal) are not uncommon. These two articles, released a month apart, are particularly captivating.... The Slow Death of the University (Terry Eagleton, April 2015) The Death of American Universities (Noam Chomsky, March 2015)

I decided to participate in a Canvas Network MOOC this semester. I've tried a couple of MOOCs in the past with not very much success. Usually the topic interested me, but not enough, with my busy schedule, to keep me engaged in the activities, discussions, assignments and readings. In this case, the topic is of … Continue reading BlendKit2015 Week 1

I was directed to the video When a Lesson Goes Wrong while attending an Edweek webinar on Helping at Risk Students Develop Literacy Skills - an excellent webinar btw, but beyond the scope of this post. The video is of high school English teacher, Sarah Brown Wessling, attempting to instruct her students in literary analysis with the … Continue reading On Innovation in teaching

When I originally applied for the Fulbright, I had asked to be hosted with the Department of Didactics and Media in Education at Nicolaus Copernicus University, because in our past experience working together we had recognized that we had many common interests. My goal and my hope has always been the establishment of a lasting … Continue reading Kindred Spirits

I continue to settle into my life in Poland - my flat is organized with all the creature comforts I might ever need, I've figured out how to get around, the work is going well, I've gone mushroom picking in the forest outside Torun with my colleague Dorota and her friends, I know what shops … Continue reading Getting past the culture shock 🙂