Catlin Tucker

MAY 2, 2025

Facilitating meaningful discussion in a physical classroom is challenging enough. Discussion plays a vital role in building social presence, or the sense of being seen, heard, and valued, in an online course. Why Prioritize Online Discussions? They can: Connect students to an online learning community. That foundation is trust.

Discussions 195

Discussions Students Participation STEM 195

Catlin Tucker

APRIL 1, 2020

If you regularly engage students in discussions about the reading, videos, or current events, leverage your LMS’s functionality to create that experience online. For example, a single lesson in a classroom may be composed of direct instruction, a class discussion, and individual practice.

Teaching 545

Teaching Assignments Discussions Communication 545

Catlin Tucker

JULY 24, 2020

Pre-video Activity: Before students watch a video, teachers can generate interest in the topic and create some context for the video content with a pre-video activity. This activity can happen in the classroom or online. Google Forms Kahoot! Video is likely to play a significant role in blended and online courses this year.

Learning 546

Learning Questions Discussions Activities 546

Teach Hub

APRIL 30, 2025

Discuss behavior boundaries, noise levels, and how to move safely and respectfully in an outdoor space. Start with Short and Purposeful Activities Short and intentional activities are your best friend when you’re just starting with outdoor teaching. Before anything else, take the time to lay down some clear expectations.

Activities 78

Activities Teaching Learning Attention 78

Catlin Tucker

AUGUST 2, 2020

A few weeks ago, I published a blog titled “ 8 Ideas Designed to Engage Students In Active Learning Online.” 2 Virtual Jigsaw Activity with Google Slides. Teachers can combine online and offline activities, integrate the home environment, and mix various subjects on their boards. Label each slide with a topic.

Students 546

Students Math Writing Discussions 546

Catlin Tucker

OCTOBER 10, 2021

It can be an online station in a station rotation , on-demand video content in a playlist , or a self-paced online activity in a whole group rotation. ” This concern highlights the importance of building an engagement activity around the video content to maximize its effectiveness and create accountability.

Multiple Choice Questions 543

Multiple Choice Questions Blended Learning Discussions Art 543

Faculty Focus

MAY 4, 2025

Meanwhile, in my online section of the same course, students worked through carefully crafted modules at their own pace, their participation in discussion boards ebbing and flowing unpredictably. Instead, we need to reimagine active learning for both spaces, maintaining the core principles while adapting the execution.

Active Learning 61

Active Learning Activities Learning Minute Papers 61

Catlin Tucker

JANUARY 13, 2020

Each station rotation is designed to provide a balance of online, offline and teacher-led activities. My online learning activities typically involve the use of short videos, online discussions, student research, podcasts, and various formative assessments. I use the Station Rotation Model to design my lessons every few weeks.

Blended Learning 546

Blended Learning Learning History Social Studies 546

Catlin Tucker

MARCH 23, 2020

It is essential to build in time for them to discuss information and ask questions. lectures or mini-lessons), I would suggest recording a video and allowing students to self-pace through that video. #2 Facilitate a Small Group Discussion. TeachingVideoConf. 3 Conferencing with Students. one week at a time). GoldenCircleGoal.

Learning 546

Learning Students Discussions Textbooks 546

Catlin Tucker

MARCH 21, 2021

When I work with teachers who are new to blended learning, there is often a knee-jerk concern about the time required to design a lesson that strategically blends active, engaged learning online with active, engaged learning offline. Offline Learning Activities. Online Learning Activities.

Blended Learning 533

Blended Learning Learning Feedback Activities 533

Catlin Tucker

MARCH 1, 2021

Teachers can pop in and out of breakout rooms while students discuss academic topics and collaborate around shared tasks, but it isn’t the same as walking around a classroom with watchful eyes and attentive ears. Then they can work collaboratively to discuss what that standard might look like broken up into clear success criteria.

Learning 543

Learning Knowledge Writing Discussions 543

Catlin Tucker

JULY 19, 2021

Blended learning is active, engaged learning online combined with active, engaged learning offline to give students more control over the time, place, pace, and path of their learning. A key aspect of this definition is positioning the students as “active agents” in the lesson or learning experience. Moving Forward.

Blended Learning 546

Blended Learning Learning STEM Learning Outcomes 546

Catlin Tucker

OCTOBER 7, 2020

Begin class with a review activity, writing prompt, feedback form, quick quiz, or formative assessment. That way, students can dedicate their cognitive resources to other activities or tasks. A welcome routine also quickly transitions students into an activity and frees the teacher to handle administrative tasks (e.g.,

Blended Learning 546

Blended Learning Coaching Feedback Discussions 546

Catlin Tucker

NOVEMBER 29, 2020

Breakout rooms provide a synchronous virtual space for students to connect, discuss, collaborate, and share. Give students a fun “would you rather…” prompt or icebreaker activity to begin their time in the breakout room. Zoom or Google Meet Breakout Rooms. I recommend the following to ease the transition for students.

Learning Spaces 545

Learning Spaces Student Engagement Learning Students 545

Catlin Tucker

JANUARY 20, 2020

How could I get the students to have discussions about mathematical concepts? When I design my station rotation lessons, I include a kinesthetic station that requires the students to work with their hands and utilize tools to actively engage with math concepts. From those questions, the kinesthetic station was born! Math is everywhere.

Math 545

Math Blended Learning Questions Coaching 545

Catlin Tucker

MAY 11, 2020

It is also true that engaging students in learning activities online will require (at least initially) that teachers onboard students to those technology tools and support them in learning how to navigate online tasks. It is just a matter of knowing what tools you can lean on to facilitate these different types of activities online.

Distance Learning 546

Distance Learning Assignments Coaching Activities 546

Catlin Tucker

AUGUST 19, 2020

Students can access content, resources, activities at any time, and from anywhere. Students can access content, resources, and activities at a specific time and location. They can control the pace of their learning, which lends itself to the following activities. Occurring at the same time and in the same place (e.g.,

Blended Learning 546

Blended Learning Learning Assignments Activities 546

Catlin Tucker

NOVEMBER 13, 2020

Teachers who have traditionally planned a whole group lesson that moves the class, as a unit, through a series of learning activities find it nearly impossible to hold their students’ attention in the concurrent classroom. Finally, I would encourage teachers to end their lessons with an exit ticket activity.

Evaluation 546

Evaluation Feedback Writing Assignments 546

Catlin Tucker

OCTOBER 24, 2021

Each time I return to an assignment, I add strategies, like polling, discussion boards, and partner work to make the experience more engaging. The playlist model presents students with a sequence of learning activities that they self-pace through. How often do you engage in creative activities at school?

Blended Learning 397

Blended Learning Multiple Choice Questions Learning Discussions 397

Catlin Tucker

AUGUST 23, 2024

Teacher 2: Delivers the same instructional content or activity to all groups, regardless of their skill levels. Example: Two Teacher-Led Stations – One Differentiated, One Guided Reading and Discussion Reading Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.2

Teaching 395

Teaching Writing Essay Discussions 395

Catlin Tucker

NOVEMBER 5, 2021

Blended learning is the combination of active, engaged learning online and offline. Blended learning prioritizes student agency, striving to give them a high degree of control over the learning activities and environment. Yet, in many classrooms, mistakes are penalized instead of normalized. What did you learn? 3 Valuing Inclusion.

Blended Learning 506

Blended Learning Feedback Coaching Achievement 506

Catlin Tucker

JANUARY 13, 2021

We also discussed the challenges of building community when learning is happening in part, or exclusively, online. If students are not participating in discussion or group work in breakout rooms, that may indicate that they are not feeling comfortable asserting themselves online. 3 Go Deeper with a Dialogic Interview Format.

Beliefs 494

Beliefs Discussions Assignments Blended Learning 494

Catlin Tucker

APRIL 22, 2024

Observations with a Checklist: Simply observing our students at work can provide valuable insights into their behaviors, interactions, and level of understanding during classroom activities. Teachers might include the following items on a checklist: Participation: Is the student actively engaged in the activity/discussion?

Feedback 431

Feedback Quizzes Coaching Discussions 431

Catlin Tucker

OCTOBER 29, 2021

It was exciting to see how the addition of a single device enabled my students to drive their learning and engage in meaningful student-centered learning activities. It is a series of stations, or learning activities, that students rotate through. How will students actively engage at this station? I was hooked!

Blended Learning 535

Blended Learning Critical Thinking Communication Participation 535

Catlin Tucker

FEBRUARY 21, 2021

A student’s sense of autonomy and agency are enhanced when they are given a choice about how to engage with the content, learning activities, and each other. The more opportunities students have to make key decisions about their learning, the more likely they are to be motivated to lean into the learning. An Experiment.

Laboratory 543

Laboratory Motivation Fairness Participation 543

Catlin Tucker

OCTOBER 24, 2020

The station rotation is a blended learning model that is composed of a series of stations, or learning activities, that students rotate through. In our current COVID reality, the “rotation” is not a physical shift to a different part of the classroom but a transition from one learning activity to the next.

Attention 546

Attention Blended Learning Activities Feedback 546

Catlin Tucker

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

There are a series of stations–or learning activities–and students rotate through them. Tips for using the station rotation model in a concurrent classroom: “Rotate” or transition groups of students from activity to activity on a set schedule. Engage students around the video content using online discussions (e.g.,

Blended Learning 545

Blended Learning Teaching Learning Students 545

Catlin Tucker

JUNE 18, 2023

One way to achieve this is by rotating students from a pre-video activity into the video lesson and ending with a post-video activity. Pre-video Activity Teachers can use the pre-video activity to pique student interest, tap into their prior knowledge, or encourage them to brainstorm or make predictions.

Lecturing 433

Lecturing Knowledge Assignments Writing 433

Catlin Tucker

JUNE 21, 2021

As teachers use the range of blended learning models to combine active, engaged learning online and offline, they are freed from feeling pressure to spend large chunks of a lesson at the front of the room controlling the experience. How might a whole group, real-time discussion make it challenging for some students to participate?

Blended Learning 518

Blended Learning Learning Lecturing Motivation 518

Catlin Tucker

FEBRUARY 3, 2022

When I facilitate workshops on this model, I describe it as a sequence of learning activities designed to move students toward a specific learning goal or objective. What learning activities will help them make meaning or progress toward learning objectives? How can the playlist support them in applying what they are learning?

Blended Learning 542

Blended Learning Coaching Feedback Knowledge 542

Catlin Tucker

JUNE 21, 2020

Instead of designing a lesson where students move, they will remain in the same location throughout the class and work through a series of learning activities. Students do not need to be physically close to engage in small group discussions or talk while completing collaborative tasks online.

Blended Learning 546

Blended Learning Communication Assignments Activities 546

Catlin Tucker

SEPTEMBER 18, 2023

It promotes ownership of learning, motivating students to be more engaged, active participants in their education. In pairs or groups, students can compare their answers to an answer key or a strong exemplar and work together to check, correct, and discuss their questions.

Evaluation 428

Evaluation Assignments Failure Discussions 428

Catlin Tucker

JUNE 4, 2020

The Teaching Tolerance website includes lessons, texts, tasks, and teaching strategies teachers can use to guide students in exploring and discussing social justice topics. It has a collection of creative and artistic activities for kids, including an advocacy poem, talking points for families, and collage activity.

Teaching 453

Teaching Distance Learning Middle School Middle School 453

Catlin Tucker

AUGUST 29, 2021

Learning is a dynamic process that requires active engagement. As we begin the new school year, students need to be at the center of learning and actively engaged in thinking, making, doing, discussing, and reflecting. Yes, that is a less cognitively and socially taxing role, but it is not nearly as interesting or engaging.

Teaching 545

Teaching Learning Students Art 545

Catlin Tucker

MAY 11, 2021

After engaging with information in a format that feels accessible, students can transition to an activity of their choice designed to help them make meaning. This is where blending active, engaged learning online with active, engaged learning offline can provide learners with meaningful choices.

Blended Learning 545

Blended Learning Learning Universal Design Disabilities 545

Catlin Tucker

APRIL 14, 2020

This word association activity creates clarity about what the group is thinking about a particular issue or topic. This made the responses easier to see and discuss. However, as we discussed, “risk-taking” is a critical aspect of experimenting and innovating on a school campus.

Multiple Choice Questions 464

Multiple Choice Questions Lecturing Participation Distance Learning 464

Catlin Tucker

MAY 13, 2024

Shifting from teacher-led to student-led learning requires that teachers equip students with the skills necessary to assume responsibility for specific learning activities in the classroom. Summarizer Synthesizes the main points and key takeaways from the discussion or analysis. What if kids don’t watch the video?

Teaching 392

Teaching Critical Thinking Discussions Questions 392