With the digitization of learning and education, teachers have a wider variety of creative tools that can impact student learning. Digital lesson plans give teachers a ready-to-go resource to use that can engage students in fostering growth and learning. Even though using digital multimedia tools may be intimidating at first, there isn’t any reason why you can’t start learning how to incorporate these tools today.
In this article, we’ll discuss digital lesson plans and how to create digital lesson plans of your own. We’ll also provide you with 25 digital lesson plans that you can try right now, so get ready to incorporate some new learning tools into your professional tool belt!
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While most teachers know how to write lesson plans and may even be required to do so daily, digital lesson plans are a little different. Digital lesson plans are instructional materials designed for learning that leverages technology or digital tools in some way, shape, or form.
Digital lesson plans open up a whole new realm for educators and learners. With traditional lesson plans, teachers may focus on learning using textbooks or activities in the classroom; the problem with this is that these plans can exclude an entire world of information and creativity.
However, using digital tools and lesson plans, students are only limited by their imagination and teachers can afford students the freedom to create and learn in completely new and engaging ways.
A digital lesson plan may include some form of the following elements:
Creating digital lesson plans doesn’t have to be hard. For teachers, the key is to start with the end in mind. By starting with the standard that you hope for students to reach and working backward, you can keep your digital lesson on track and ensure that it hits your specific learning targets along the way.
Once you have chosen your end goal, it’s time to start developing a basic outline of what you want students to accomplish. This may include a checklist or a rubric that breaks down the lesson into smaller, more manageable chunks giving the students a pathway to success. It may also be a good idea to provide students with an example to refer back to as they work.
After students have created their final product, it’s time for them to show it off and get some feedback. Feedback is a critical part of the learning process and should be included in your digital lesson plans. This allows students to make edits or changes as needed to hit the learning target.
The important thing is to give students the freedom to be creative and develop a final product that is uniquely theirs. No two end products should look exactly alike, that would be boring!
For both veteran and beginner teachers alike, it’s nice to have a few digital lesson plans in your back pocket, so to speak. Here are 25 digital lesson plans from WeVideo that you can try right now!
Students develop engaging stop-motion videos to explain complex topics in science.
Try this project with students in WeVideo.
Have students think of an experience or event in their lives and share it through a vlog or digital journal.
Students can show their thought processes by having them screencast and narrate their thinking.
Harness your students’ power and passion by having them create a video to raise awareness about a topic.
For this digital lesson plan, students design and create a short two-minute video advertisement that sells their audience on an invention, idea, or product.
After reflecting on their learning, students create a GIF representing a key concept or idea from a lesson or unit.
Turn character analysis papers on their head and have students create video analyses with audio, video, and fun animations.
Students write haikus, then bring them to life with video, images, or audio clips.
Challenge students to create a video that illustrates and analyzes a real-world math problem. Students can creatively show the problem and analyze how to solve it using mathematical concepts.
This project has students show what they know using a 3-5 minute video to highlight their learning over a period of time.
Participate in the KQED Media Showcase with your students and have students identify a change that would like to see on the local or global level and create a short video advocating for that change.
Have students create their digital citizen superheroes and design a GIF to go with their hero.
Kick the traditional, “Tell me about your summer,” prompt up a notch by having students create a podcast that highlights a summer story.
Students design their own TED-Style talks and show their expertise on a topic and look good doing it using high-quality video and audio editing tools.
Add a little music to your classroom by having students pair a song with a current topic, using images and animations to create a music video.
Having students create a GIF of themselves that represents their personality is a great way to break the ice at the beginning of the year, or reflect on their learning before summer break.
For students new to WeVideo, developing a scavenger hunt and having students search for different features and functions is a great way to learn how to use the tools to their fullest.
Students design their names and add motion and animations to bring them to life.
Student show their understanding of concepts such as cause and effect by creating a video that shows examples of the concept in action.
Students choose a historical figure and create a short video biography all about them to bring the person to life.
Have students create a video account of what happened during the experiment.
Students become teachers when they create a documentary that teaches others about a specific concept in science.
Learners create a fun and informative video on an animal after doing some research.
Students tell stories either from their lives or their imaginations by creating and staring in their short films.
Students take their favorite book and turn it into an animated classic by animating pages, zooming, and adding in fun effects.
Remember, these lesson plans are only a starting point, and with digital lesson plans there are countless opportunities to engage students through multimedia. By keeping the end goal and standard in mind you can develop lessons that inspire creativity and tap into students’ natural desire to explore while continuing to push students to grow and learn. If you are wondering where to start, check out the WeVideo for some ideas!