Don't Forget About Paper and Pencil in Distance Learning

When you think of distance learning, one of the first terms that comes to mind is digital. Since the schools shut down, teachers have been scrambling to transform their paper and pencil activities and lessons to a digital format. As an edtech coach, I have been helping teachers with this transition. In light of this transition, I recommend not forgetting about paper and pencil. It may sound odd from someone like me, but I am a big proponent paper and pencil activities during distance learning.

If you've been following me on various social media platforms, you aware of my fondness for sketchnotes. My sketchnoting mentor Sylvia Duckworth has many great tools and strategies for sketchnoting digitally. If interested, follow her on Twitter. I have always preferred the paper and pencil method of sketchnoting. For years, I have scanned student-generated paper/pencil sketchnotes and posted them on my Cardinal Innovation Center website. In a distance learning world, there is no opportunity to scan student-generated paper/pencil sketchnotes. But never fear, the Google Classroom mobile app is here.

The Google Classroom mobile apps for iOS (iPhone, iPad) and Android as well as using the camera on Chromebooks/laptops makes sketchnoting and other paper/pencil activities in distance learning possible. The videos below show how students can turn in an image of handwritten work to Google Classroom in iOS, Android and Chromebook. Feel free to share these videos with teachers and students.

iOS

Android

Chromebook

If you have any questions and would like a follow up, contact me via Gmail or Hangouts at ajuarez@techcoachjuarez.com. If you would like to unsubscribe from this blog, go to bit.ly/tcjinbox.