We hear about the challenge of embedding digital skills in literacy learning when working with learners who have beginner literacy skills or digital skills that do not meet the requirements of an educational setting.
Visit our Computer Basics Google site to see a collection of resources you can use to to support learners who are trying to “catch up” on digital skills.
You will find a collection of places that support learners with beginner literacy skills who want to learn more about using digital devices and leveraging connectivity for learning.
There are Lessons and Tutorials that you can use as a curriculum, build into your own curriculum or supplement a curriculum you are using as well as Lessons and Tutorials created by Ontario Literacy and Basic Skills programs.
Under the Standards tab we have collected resources to help literacy learners reflect upon and assess their computer skills.
Lots of people know about and use GCFGlobal (GCFLearnFree – edu.gcfglobal.org) resources as a place to send learners and to learn about techy stuff themselves.
Here are some other sites for getting started reviewed on this site:
- Text-based resources
You can read more about these places to learn at the AlphaPlus Computer Basics site under the Lessons and Tutorials tab.
You will find activities from these sites organized by topic at the AlphaPlus Digital Technology Readiness site Table of Contents where you will find some basics (parts of a computer, the mouse and the keyboard, etc.) under Getting Started. The rest of the topics are to help learners get ready for using digital technology for learning.
Activities from these sites are also accessible through the Digital Skills Library where they have been indexed and are searchable.
Have you heard about AI text generator in Canva? Simply start a Doc in Canva and use + symbol to select Magic Write.
Click the link below to see the Instagram video – you do not need an account or be logged in.
A Blended Learning Toolbox by and for Ontario literacy educators
As part of the Educator Network Blended Learning program, literacy practitioners share the resources that are most helpful in creating lessons and activities that engage learners and enhance and expand learning.
This is the collection from the Winter 2022 group.
These are the blended learning resources, activities and tools that practitioners have tested and are recommending. On some pages you will see their reviews or tips.
We start with an explanation of some of the terms we used and a link to a website about curating resources.
We have included an index. Some topics have several pages. If you open the PDF in a browser, you can use the back button to return to the index.
Use the link in the sidebar to open and download the collection.
“We are essentially social beings. We live in societies, of course; but more fundamentally perhaps, it is our participation in social communities and cultural practices that provides the very materials out of which we construct who we are, give meaning to what we do, and understand what we know.”
— Etienne Wenger, Communities of practice: where learning happens, Benchmark Magazine, Fall Issue 1991
We created this resource with the Silver Linings Café participants in June 2020. We updated it in October 2022.
The Silver Linings Café was an Metro Toronto Movement for Literacy initiative that AlphaPlus was invited to participate in.
This resource includes ideas from the Silver Linings Café instructors for how to engage learners and build community in video conferences (Zoom) during the pivot to remote learning during the COVID-19 lock down period. We were all getting used to working in this new environment and came together to share ideas, support each other and figure out how to support learners and learning.
Synchronous Learning
Synchronous learning is where learner(s) and facilitators(s) meet in the same place, at the same time, so learning can take place. This can happen in bricks—and-mortar classrooms or online meetings. Synchronous learning may include a whole class, smaller groups or one-to-one instruction.
In synchronous learning, learners usually go through a learning path together, accompanied by a facilitator who can provide support while learners are completing tasks and activities.
Examples of synchronous learning tools:
- Phone, Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams…
Asynchronous Learning
Asynchronous learning is a teaching method where learners use their agency and autonomy differently and is widely used in online learning. Its basic premise is that learning can occur in different times and spaces particular to each learner.
In asynchronous learning, facilitators usually set up a learning path which students engage with at their own pace.
Examples of synchronous learning tools:
Email, What’s App, Google Drive, Google Sites, Learning Management Systems such as Canvas, BrightSpace or Moodle…
Reference: Asynchronous vs. Synchronous Learning: A Quick Overview by Maria Ocando Finol
Canvas is a robust learning management system you can use for free.
Often called an LMS for short, a learning management system is an online platform that provides the framework and tools to handle all aspects of the learning process – it’s where you house, deliver, and track your training content.
An LMS is designed to make life easier for curriculum designers, instructors and learners. An LMS can streamline the process of identifying and assessing learning goals, keeping track of progress and collecting and presenting data for evaluating learning and how the learning environment is supporting learners.
If you’d like to learn more about Canvas or schedule a demonstration, contact Tracey or our Quick Tech Help service.
Google has announced that it is “winding down” Jamboard. If you are using Jamboard you probably got the announcement. If you haven’t started using it, you might want to think about an alternative. If you are using it now, you can keep doing that until December 31, 2024. See more below.
The good news is that there is a way of using Google Slides to do some of the things that literacy practitioners are doing in Jamboard.
Jamboard
Jamboard is a whiteboard that has an online version that you can use for free. Users can add text, sticky notes, images, and links. You can create online discussions and opportunities for synchronous or asynchronous collaborative or individual learning.
In the Sample Jamboards folder you can see activities by some Ontario literacy practitioners (and me) that you can copy and adapt.
You will also see a folder called EDTechTeacher Samples where you will find copies of many of the Jamboards that were shared in the shared in the Building digital skills with Google workshop.
If you’d like to learn more about Jamboard or schedule a demonstration, contact Tracey or our Quick Tech Help service.
“Starting October 1, 2024, you’ll no longer be able to create new or edit existing Jams on any platform, including the web, iOS, and Android. Between October 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024, the app will be placed in “view-only” mode, during which time you can continue to back up your Jam files. Learn more.”
“After December 31, 2024, the Jamboard app will be shut down. You will no longer be able to view your Jams, and all Jam data will be permanently deleted. If there are Jams that you wish to keep, we encourage you to use one of our export or migration options. Learn how to Export your Jams.”
Google is recommending three alternatives. They are all much more complex whiteboards with steeper learning curves and they all require users to log in. They have quite limited free versions. We are looking for an alternative that is as simple to use as Jamboard that are open-source and free or low cost. In the meantime, you might try Padlet.
The alternative I like best so far so far is whiteboard.chat. You can make frames as you can in Jamboard so that different learners of groups of learners can work on activities. It can be integrated with Google Classroom or Microsoft Teams. It does not require users to create accounts. It has activities such as math quizzes that you can insert. You can play around for free – you do not even have to make an account to test it out. Unfortunately, the free account is quite limited. We are not ready to recommend it yet but so far, whiteboard.chat looks promising. If you try it out, let us know what you think.
There also are ways of using Slides to do some of the things Jamboard does. Contact Tracey to learn more.
Padlet is an online bulletin board. Users can add text, documents, images, videos, and links. Depending on the choices the Padlet creator makes, users can comment on posts and rate, like, grade or vote for posts. It is a mini interactive website where you can create online discussions and opportunities for synchronous or asynchronous collaborative or individual learning.
Here is a Padlet about how to post to Padlet: padlet.com/traceyehm/padletpost
Here is a Padlet Tracey uses as a workshop warm up: padlet.com/traceyehm/meal (The map in this Padlet is a wallpaper, not the Map option.)
And here is a writing prompt about time capsules: padlet.com/traceyehm/tceNet
If you’d like to learn more about Padlet or schedule a demonstration, contact Tracey or our Quick Tech Help service.
AnswerGarden is place where you can ask one short question online. Users can add text answers. You can choose between 20 characters and 40 characters for the answers.
If you’d like to learn more about AnswerGarden or schedule a demonstration, contact Tracey or our Quick Tech Help service.
The role of resource curation is an important one and can be overwhelming and time consuming.
AlphaPlus developed this site to help literacy practitioners
- develop curation strategies
- work with learners to develop curation strategies
- adapt literacy learning starter kits
There are three sections.
- Curating Resources
- Tips on finding and choosing resources to use with learners and co-learning resources for working with learners on curation strategies.
- Curated Lists
- Lists created by literacy programs and other educators. This set of learning resources can be a starter kit for literacy practitioners curating a set of literacy learning resources.
- Places to Learn
- e-Learning lessons, activities and learning pathways that literacy learners can work on independently. The resources are organized by topic. This set of learning resources can be a starter kit for learners curating their own set of literacy learning resources.
If you’d like to learn more about curating resources, contact Tracey, sign up for an Educator Network program or sign up for one-to-one support through Coaching.
- As an Educator Network participant, you’ll join a cohort of Ontario literacy practitioners in a reflective practice process and have access to both AlphaPlus knowledge and peer experience.
- AlphaPlus coaches will work with you to create an individualized plan and develop digital learning solutions for the learners in your program.
- If you get stuck while trying something new, the AlphaPlus Quick Tech Help option can help.
If you’d like a copy of this site to use as a starting point to adapt and expand for use in your program, please get in touch. AlphaPlus can give you a copy and support you in learning how to use a website builder such as Google Sites or Weebly as online learning spaces for learners, staff and volunteers.