Digital Learning Best Practices

Digital Learning Best Practices. That’s a pretty broad topic and can revolve around many aspects of the digital learning environment like teaching, materials, infrastructure, and professional development. For teachers, the focus should be on what do we want students to know and be able to do and how do digital tools help facilitate that. The tools we use exist to support us in instruction and are not the end in themselves. Still, this is a new path for many of us and the question may remain, what are digital learning best practices?

When considering digital teaching and learning best practices, you might want to ask:

• What’s the right tool?
• What’s the purpose or goal of this digital assignment?
• What’s the purpose of this tool?
• Am I including the 4 C’s: Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Critical Thinking
• Do my objectives include 21st Century Skills
• Am I ensuring the privacy of my students
• Did I preview the content
• What about accessibility? Have I looked at the options for this assignment?
• What options for differentiation have I included?

There is a digital solution to meet your needs, have you discovered it?

See the “Digital Tool Checklist” in our Google Drive folder for guidance in choosing a tool.

Remember, if you’re using a tool that requires students to create an account (even if it’s free), please follow student privacy guidelines. This applies to clubs and sports, too.

The Blended & Virtual Learning Frontier Special Report. The Center for Digital Education and Converge, The Blended & Virtual Learning Frontier Special Report,  images.erepublic.com/documents/CDE12_SPQ3_V.PDF.
 
CDW-G. Digital Learning Readiness. Ed Tech: Focus on K-12, 2014, Digital Learning Readiness, www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/sites/default/files/rg-commoncore-143416.pdf.
 
Clark, Tim. “10 Best Practices for Teaching with Digital Content.” BYOT Network, BYOT Network, 2 Nov. 2014, byotnetwork.com/2014/11/02/10-best-practices-for-teaching-with-digital-content/.
 
Davidson, Cathy. “A Collaborative Guide to Best Digital Learning Practices for K-12.” DML Central, Digital Media and Learning Research Hub, 9 June 2016, dmlcentral.net/a-collaborative-guide-to-best-digital learning-practices-for-k-12/.
 
Moersch, Christopher. Digital Age Best Practices: Teaching and Learning Refocused. LOTI Connection, Digital Age Best Practices: Teaching and Learning Refocused, digitalis.nwp.org/sites/default/files/files/94/Digital%20Age%20Best%20Practices.pdf.
 
Scherer, Christine, and Kristina Wilson. “Top 5 Best Practices from #BPF2016.” Digital Learning: Educational Innovation, Northwestern University, 18 May 2016, digitallearning.northwestern.edu/article/2016/04/29/top-5-best-practices-bpf2016.