Over the past week, we have been looking at the digital classroom and online software that can help teachers teach students in different ways and engage them in online learning. The main resource we explored was taught to us by Mike Silverton. The website is called Focused Education Resources, which can be found here. This website is based on the BC curriculum and offers many options that can be tailored to specific grade levels to make it simple to use. A feature that really stood out to me is that this website offers lesson plans written and tested in real classrooms by real teachers. This is great because it is important to have lessons that work well in a classroom, as some are not ideal for this environment. It offers topics such as science, history, games and activities, research, world books, and indigenous education. The main one I explored was the World Book Early Learning, which was super interactive for students, with aesthetic visuals and features that let them explore at their own pace and align with their interests. It also includes many accessible features, such as an e-reader that reads text aloud to students, videos, games, activities, stories, and pictures. This site is awesome for early learners just beginning to learn online, and it helps keep them engaged in their own learning. This site is highly adaptable for any learner, it can be translated into any language while retaining all the same features. You can see an example of this site below! This website is so adaptable, and I am excited to get full access to this platform when I become a BC certified teacher and can explore it fully and experience its use with students! (Maybe even for practicum!)

Another topic we discussed this week in terms of the digital classroom and online learning is student security. When using these online platforms, it is important to remember that student safety and security are paramount, and that students are educated not to share any personal information online. It is also important that these platforms be cleared by the school’s admin to ensure they are allowed for student use, as some websites may be off-limits due to student security concerns. This is just another thing I wanted to keep in mind when it comes to the digital classroom and working with online platforms for education!