Trade Worksheets with Digital Activities
The queen of breakups, Ms.Taylor Swift, famously sang, “Please don’t be in love with someone else.” That’s how I feel about worksheets…well, I’m in love with someone else.
Who is it? Virtual learning through Google Classroom.
Of course, I love a good worksheet, especially the equivalent fraction worksheets I created. But, as a certified Google instructor, digital classroom activities have my heart. That’s why I’ve built a library of engaging virtual science, reading, math, and classroom community activities.
Not convinced to break up with worksheets yet? Here are 4 reasons you should…
1. Ditching Worksheets Saves Paper
Do you have a copy budget? Isn’t it nerve-wracking to watch your number of copies quickly shrink at the end of the month? So what’s your backup plan if you run out? That’s why using Google Forms for everyday tasks, like daily student social-emotional check-ins, can save your copy numbers. Instead of using a journal or a morning worksheet, you can assign it to them daily and not think twice about your copy budget!
2. Extra time for YOU!
Worksheets are time-consuming! You must head down to the copy machine, wait in line (fingers crossed, it’s a short one), and then go back to your room to organize all the worksheets. With digital assignments, it takes minutes or, in some cases, less than a minute to assign your class an interactive activity. No prep time, and maybe even no grading like with these Rocks and Minerals Google Forms activities. The answers are already graded and recorded for you!
So, you’re afternoon just opened up! Here are 5 things you can do instead!
3. Engaging Activities without Messy Worksheets
I get it. Students love to cut, glue and color, but cut and paste worksheets are messy and take precious instructional time. Is the activity helping them learn the topic, or is it hindering the learning process?
Of course, there is a time and place for hands-on experiences, especially for the younger elementary students. However, Google Slides & Forms activities like my Interactive Map Skills Bundle allow you to have activities with colorful pieces you can drag and drop, fill in the blank, and more — without all the mess.
4. Great for Group Work
With activities like a Map Skills Escape Room through Google Forms, students can efficiently work through the activity as a group. Worksheets and group work often become a hot mess, with one person spending their time writing on the page while the others watch them write. Booooring!
With a Google Slides activity, students can work simultaneously on the same slide deck and collaborate for a fantastic result. They can also easily access photos and resources for research purposes.
So did I convince you? Check out all my Google Classroom products and see if one is a good fit for your classroom!
Pro Tip: If you buy a bundle, you get a discount compared to buying them individually!
Download a 10-minute digital lesson template for Google Slides to try out a virtual option. Then, you can plan quickly and add links and photos for reference. Then I’ll send you a new template to try out every month!
