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Created by Isabel Morales, Los Angeles Unified School District: @isabeljmorales | www.drisabelmorales.com
Ideas for Virtual Community-Building
How might I create safe virtual spaces where students feel accepted and connected?
Synchronous | Asynchronous | |
Mutual Sharing | Short Check-ins at the start of each session; each student verbally responds to a specific Q. Virtual Show & Tell Talent Show - allow students opportunities to share their talents, hobbies, interests Mentimeter polls/interactions | Discussion boards where students can share words, images, and memes Flipgrid - Share videos of hobbies, talents, passions Home/Neighborhood scavenger hunt: “Find an item that… (represents your history, etc...)” Gracias, Carmen! A spin on the Bitmoji Classroom idea: Students can create virtual “rooms” on Google Slides, decorating them with symbols of their identities and passions. Students can learn a lot about each other in this way, finding points of connection and commonality! (You can find sample avatars and classrooms here) |
Writing | Provide opportunities for students to write in ways that are meaningful, personal, and creative, and create space for students to share with one another. | Discussion boards to share thoughts, creative writing, reflections on current events, etc |
Resource- sharing | Collaborative Google Doc where students can share helpful apps, links, videos, and podcasts for de-stressing, calming, managing anxiety, and anything else they need | |
Music | Play music as students log onto Zoom meetings. Can break ice during awkward first couple of minutes when people are logging on and getting video/audio set up. Youtube Karaoke Dance party - Cha cha slide, Caballo dorado, etc... | Student-generated playlists to match different moods |
Feedback | Google form where students can state any needs, concerns, suggestions | |
Games | Kahoot https://skribbl.io/ - (Pictionary game) Online Simon Says Online Rock-Paper-Scissors Tournament | |
Collaboration | Escape Rooms: How to create, samples Virtual chalk talks & gallery walks on Google Docs (Students add comments to the doc, having a “silent conversation” with one another) Breakout rooms for small group discussion | Collaborative group activities (virtual) (students will have the option to work independently, if coordination of schedules is not possible) |
Celebration | Birthday acknowledgements Celebrations after completing projects Spirit/Dress-Up Days. Themed days (hats, jerseys, etc) | Group cards that students can sign for each other |
Documentation/ Compilation of Experience | “Class Photo” on Zoom on Day 1, and every couple of weeks | “Class Yearbook/anthology” - each student can design a Google Slide or Doc with images, reflections, and writing “Class Photo Collage”- Students add a picture of themselves to a Google slide, bringing everyone together virtually! |
Motivation & Morale | Share inspiring poems & videos Affirmations and appreciations to close out the week Virtual field trips Movement/energy boosters: “The Wave” - can be recorded, turned into a gif, and sent out to students Use Zoom screens to create collective shapes hearts with hands Class roles, in which students co-create the agenda, with music, check-in questions, motivating words, and energizers. | Discussion board for sharing mood-boosting gifs, memes, and jokes Discussion board for students to receive written affirmations and appreciations |
Visualizing Seating Arrangements | @okaikur: “Take a seat around our circle” Examples of different virtual visualizations of fishbowls and human spectrum activities via leadinggroupsonline.org |
Community is built over time, through mutual sharing, support, trust
More excellent ideas here! Thanks to Becky Foellmer @foes4sports for sharing her team’s work (They built on this file and brainstormed ideas for Health & Physical Education)