Top 5 Digital Back to School Activities

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By Tracey Brown, OIT Teacher Specialist

Back to school activities are a great way for teachers and students to get to know one another. They have always included opportunities to learn and practice names, share fun facts about your life or your summer and just work on building a classroom community where everyone feels valued. Below we share our top 5 favorite digital back to school activities. Looking for templates for any of the activities shared? Check out the Back to School page on Digital Takeout.

1. Scavenger hunts: A scavenger hunt is a great way to introduce the students to the digital tools they will use this year. A traditional scavenger hunt might have had them discover the book shelf, the homework folders, or the hand washing station in the room. A digital scavenger asks them to explore their digital world in much the same way. It might begin by having them locate certain apps on Classlink that you will use frequently. It might continue by having them open Brightspace and locate the announcement area where you will post important information and the content tab where they will find assignments. The scavenger hunt might even conclude by asking the students to open Google Drawings or Wixie and then lead in to another great back to school activity- an All About Me poster!

2. All About ME: This one should be completed by the teacher(s) and the students as it is a great way for everyone to get to know one another. You can start off with the basics like name, birthdate and favorite color, but then the possibilities are endless for what to include. You can structure it with specific prompts or leave it open ended and let everyone share what matters most to them. To allow some choice, you could even let students decide if they prefer to write and draw on paper or use a digital application. Submitting a picture in Brightspace directions here.

3. Selfie I AM project: This one allows students to start with one of their favorite things, a selfie. Then they include a sentence or a series of adjectives that describe them. No paper, printer or glue needed. They just import their image into the app of their choice (Google Drawing and Wixie work great for this!) and start typing. This is a great twist on the all about me that especially appeals to secondary students because it allows them to focus on something that matters to them as they become more independent.

4. Vision Boards: This one can double as a getting-to-know-you activity and goal setting for the upcoming year. This is another project where the teacher should participate. Show the students that you have goals for this year too. For younger learners we would recommend a template with specific prompts to guide them in setting some goals. For secondary you might choose the structure of prompts for responses, so leave it open. You could even complete the project in two stages where the class first decides the categories for their goals and then fills them in for their personal goals. Can be done whole class, small group or as individuals.

5. Surveys: While it might not seem the most exciting of the options, surveys are a great way for you to quickly gather info about your students, and since they are only sharing with you and not classmates, they might be more candid. Not only can you quickly scan results to learn about your students but you can use responses to make purposeful groups for projects throughout the year. Follow up surveys can also be used as formative assessments, to show growth or identify those who are struggling.

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