Six ways educators can use and shape the Indiana eLearning Lab
This week a new, powerful tool for Indiana educators was launched – the Indiana eLearning Lab. The Lab is a hub for lesson plans, resources, and community for educators and parents who are navigating the shift to elearning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To help launch the Lab with the Indianapolis eLearning Fund, the College Football Playoff Foundation announced an $800,000 donation.
Here are six ways teachers and school leaders can use and shape the Lab:
Sign up for a free account
All Indiana educators can create a free account at inelearninglab.com. The Lab focuses on helping educators, parents, and guardians as they support remote learners. Users get access to resources, trainings, example lesson plans, and communities of practice for deeper conversations and discussions.
After signing up, educators can indicate what topics they want to learn more about, like social-emotional learning, social studies, digital citizenship, and more. Teachers select the grade band they teach in and will see customized resources for those grade levels. You can select the following grade bands: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12.
If you have questions about how to use the Lab or any of the resources, a live chat feature can connect you with a person to help. All features of the Lab are available as soon as you create your account.
Take a tour of the Indiana eLearning Lab
If you’re the kind of person that wants to know all the bells and whistles of a new technology tool, you’re in luck! The developers of the Lab are hosting virtual tours to make sure you know all the ways you can take advantage of it. Sign up here – tours are available starting July 28 to August 4. Get the inside scoop and ask questions from the people that created it.
Join a Community of Practice
Are you wondering what other Indiana educators are doing to make elearning work? Do you want a group to bounce ideas off of and share successes and challenges? Join a community of practice in the Lab!
There are currently six communities of practice: K-2 educators, Grade 3-5 educators, Grade 6-8 educators, Grade 9-12 educators, Parents/Guardians, and Special Needs. You can sign up by going to the Communities tab. Once you join, you can see a feed of relevant posts, participate in and start new discussion boards, and connect with other members in the Community.
Apply to be a paid Community moderator
The Lab is currently looking for educators who are skilled at engaging virtual groups and have some prior experience with elearning to help moderate the Communities of Practice. Moderators will help to lead the Communities and share feedback with the developers on how to improve the Lab.
Moderators will be compensated for their time. Interested educators can apply here. Moderators have the opportunity to impact the way educators across Indiana are collaborating and supporting each other with elearning.
Sign up for a professional development session
The Indiana eLearning Lab will have ongoing opportunities for educators to deepen their elearning knowledge and skill with professional development events. After creating your account, click on the calendar icon to see all upcoming trainings.
Upcoming sessions will dive into Pear Deck, Flipgrid, and Google Classroom, as well as examine best practices around elearning lessons, daily student check-ins, and tools.
Follow the Lab on social media
Stay up-to-date on all of the events, features, and news from the Lab by following them on social media. Like the Lab’s Facebook page or follow them on Twitter to make sure you see all the latest.
We hope you find useful resources, connections, and solutions in the Indiana eLearning Lab. We are so proud of the creativity and perseverance educators have shown over the last few months and know whatever comes next, you will continue to do everything you can to make sure your students thrive.
More about the Indiana eLearning Lab
The eLearning Lab is a personalized microlearning platform full of easily accessible eLearning resources and lesson plans that are grounded in solid instructional pedagogy. The eLearning Lab is funded by the Indianapolis eLearning Fund, and is meant to provide educators and families with the support they need to transition to eLearning. This support includes access to eLearning experts via live chat, weekly eLearning webinars, and an open community forum to collaborate with others across the state of Indiana on eLearning. The Lab’s partners are Five Star Technology Solutions, SETDA, and The Mind Trust. Learn more here.