By Jessica Sanders
Digital Learning Day celebrates the practice of digital learning, which is “… any instructional practice that effectively uses technology to strengthen a student’s learning experience,” according to Alliance for Education.
This celebration started in 2012 as a way to highlight innovative teachers, new instructional technology and leaders that are bringing this initiative into their schools and communities.
Use this holiday as an excuse to go digital for a day, whether you teach an all-tech lesson or take a few minutes to learn a new technology skill. Here are 10 tech-based suggestions for celebrating Digital Learning Day, both in and out of the classroom.
1. Try Something New
Is there a new tech tool you’ve wanted to try in your classroom but haven’t gotten around to it? Schedule time into your day to give it a whirl—whether you’re introducing it to the class or just testing it out at home.
Get Digital: Introduce Whooo’s Reading, a free online reading log used by more than 8,000 teachers, to your students.
2. Learn Something New
If your schedule is already packed in the classroom, take time at home to learn something new that you can use with your students later.
Get Digital: All you need is 3 minutes to become a tech-savvy teacher with these YouTube video lessons.
3. Start a Classroom Blog
Use a classroom blog to connect with parents and teach your students about writing in the digital world. Most blogging platforms are free and easy to setup with minimal experience.
Get Digital: Learn how to start a classroom blog. Teacher Nicole Long introduced a blog in her classroom and never turned back.
4. Lead an All-Tech Lesson
Digital Learning Day is the perfect opportunity to teach your first all-tech lesson. Use online tools to bring every subject to life—your students will be excited to try something new.
Get Digital: Use a few of these 10 simple tech tools.
5. Connect With Another Classroom via Skype
Mystery Skype, an activity where students connect with another class in an unknown location, is an exciting way to take your learning outside the classroom and challenge students. Whether you’re connecting with a class across the country or across the ocean, students will need to use reasoning and questioning to figure out where their mystery guests are located.
Get Digital: Follow these steps to have a successful Mystery Skype session on your first try.
6. Teach a Digital Safety Lesson
Digital safety is a critical topic for 21st century students to learn about. Use Digital Learning Day as an opportunity to incorporate a lesson about online safety into your day.
Get Digital: Here are five lessons every 21st century student needs to learn.
7. Create a Digital Story with Video
Students will love spending the day shooting, editing and publishing a video. Assign each student a different task—set up, filming, adding narration—and then publish the final piece on your classroom blog or YouTube. Don’t forget to share it on social media too.
Get Digital: Use these nine steps to put a digital story together with your students.
8. Live-Tweet Your Day
If you’re not on Twitter yet, sign up for an account and live tweet your Digital Learning Day activities. You can allow each student one turn to post an update using images and hashtags (#DLDay).
Get Digital: See how Twitter changed this teacher’s classroom forever.
9. Bring Google Into Your Classroom
Google will make your life easier as a teacher. Not only will it save you time with grading and handing out papers, but students can collaborate in real-time and share work with their families quickly and easily. Use Digital Learning Day as a chance to start making use of Google’s many tools in your classroom.
Get Digital: Try these 10 Google hacks from Google Certified Teacher, Alice Keeler.
10. Meet With or Find a Digital Mentor
A digital mentor can make it easier for you to learn about new technology and may even be able to provide tips on how to integrate new tools into the classroom.
Get Digital: Can’t find a mentor? Follow these edtech blogs for tips, tools and suggestions.
3 Bonus Ideas
- Create a digital photography-based lesson
- Organize your digital library
- Bring QR codes into your classroom
Digital Learning Day is the perfect opportunity to try something new and challenge your students with technology. Students will also be excited to try something new, or bring something they’re familiar with—blogging, Twitter—into the classroom setting. Don’t miss this chance to innovate and bring lessons to life.
Get signed up for an online fundraiser Read-A-Thon with Learn2Earn on Digital Learning Day.
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