This post is sponsored by Tract. All opinions are my own.
Have you had a chance to try out Tract that I blogged about last month? If not, you can learn more by visiting that post here. It is a digital platform (free for teachers...just use the code: THETECHIETEACHER) with on-demand classes called learning paths that are organized by "Creators" which can include your students.
Oftentimes when I mention a new tool to teachers, especially at the elementary level, two issues arise. First, security--is the platform a safe place for children to be working? Tract has taken extreme caution in ensuring that all users are protected. By having strictly adult verified account holders, technology based inappropriate detection & blocking as well as human moderation, you can count on Tract to be safe and secure. You can read more about this 3 tiered approach here.
The second issue is usually the teacher not knowing how to integrate the tool or just finding the time to use it in a meaningful way. Here are 5 ways Tract can easily be implemented in the elementary classroom:
1. Digital Choice Board Options
Digital Choice Boards are such a great tool whether you are teaching in person or remotely. Using learning paths that have already been created or getting your students to work on designing and building their own learning path both make great choice board options! Below is a screenshot from my Digital Poetry Choice Board. I was able to link a learning path about how to create a nature poem right to one of the choice board sections.
2. Early Finisher Activity
Having Tract as an early finisher activity is a great way to easily use this platform for enrichment. Once again, students could engage in a learning path that has already been created or they could choose to create their own. The screenshot below is to an Early Finisher slide on my Area and Perimeter Digital Choice Board that links to a Minecraft Builders learning path all about area and perimeter.
3. Rotation/Independent Learning Time
Again, if you are teaching in person or remotely, most likely you will need to take the time for differentiated small group instruction. While you work with a small group, the rest of your class could use Tract as a center/rotation for their independent learning time. Tract will work on any device with a web-browser and will allow students to explore new interests and deepen existing passions.
4. Group Projects
Having students get together in small groups to organize and create a learning path about a topic of interest would make a great collaborative activity. I think this would be a great first step for elementary students to start creating a learning path before doing it independently. Tract has even provided a self-serve Creator Academy where students can login to view videos to guide them through everything from scripting to video editing.
5. Genius Hour/Passion Projects
"Genius Hour is an approach to learning where students are guided by their own interests, background knowledge and curiosity to learn." -TeachThought This is exactly what Tract nurtures in learners. Implementing Genius Hour into my classroom was one of the most rewarding experiences as a teacher. I loved seeing my students take ownership of their learning and I even saw many unmotivated students finally find a passion. I let my students explore on their own and took that time to remediate one on one with students who needed extra help with certain concepts. Every child worked on their own genius hour project but sometimes hit the pause button to work with me. What I loved about this was that I had very little interruptions from those I wasn't working with since they were so involved with their passion project. Tract would most definitely help keep students engaged and focused during Genius Hour!
Head over to Tract to sign up for your forever FREE account! Don't forget to use the special code: THETECHIETEACHER
