Innovative Solutions for Distance Learning

Wayside Publishing offers a myriad of resources to support learners in getting the most from their learning program.

In this page, we provide an overview video of our favorite distance learning features, detailed Tips and Tools, the latest in our free webinars, and more professional development resources.

► Tips and Tools 

The Learning Site^® provides the pathway to all performance-based digital resources. With the Learning Site^®, continue teaching and learning without interruption. Set clear objectives and learning goals, explore all the differentiated activities for students and give timely and effective feedback online.  

Use Explorer Activities To Support Communicative Language Learning In Context

Activities in Explorer^® support learners in acquiring or reinforcing vocabulary and grammar in context. Explorer^® offers tasks in all modes of communication, including additional interpersonal tasks via online writing and recorded speaking opportunities. Expansion activities can be assigned to your entire class or to specific learners, and the new Instructional Strategy Toolkit offers 100+ ideas that you can filter by learner styles, proficiency level, and more. Watch Explorer overviews of our latest two series, EntreCulturas and EntreCultures!

Engage With Online FlexText for Full Access to All Online Content

Click FlexText^® page icons to navigate back and forth from FlexText^® content to authentic resource links, activities and assessments in Explorer^®.

The educator's FlexText^® experience      The learner's FlexText^® experience

Use Classroom Forum to Promote Community and Inspire Interpersonal Communication

This is a flexible feature that educators can use to pose lesson openers, polls, links to external resources, and more. Learners and teachers can use Classroom Forum anytime as their communtity "bulletin board". Teachers love posting leasson openers and more, and students can comment, exchange GIFS, upload audio/video/photos, etc.

Classroom Forum and remote teaching webinar (1hr+ recording) 

Use Discussion Forum to Enhance Cultural Classroom Connections

Discussion Forum tasks are included in Explorer^® tasks themselves, providing educators an easy way to assign, monitor, and grade task-specific communications.    Task Discussion Forums: How-To (12 min)    

Explore Countries of Focus Using Unit Cultural Openers and Authentic Resources

Authentic resources always relate directly to unit themes and inspire communicative activities. In Explorer^®, these resources include video, audio, links to podcasts and news stations from around the world, and more.  

Reasons for Authentic Resources (9 min)     Examples in EntreCulturas EntreCultures (10 min)       Webinar (1 hr+)

Flip the Classroom and Continue Teaching

The Learning Site supports educators in implementing a basic discovery approach to grammar. Assign instructional strategy videos to enhance student growth across skills!

Teaching Grammar in Context with EntreCulturas     Teaching Grammar in Context with EntreCultures

Self-assess Progress With Can-Do Statements Using the Language Portfolio

Online student portfolios follow learners from unit to unit, level to level. Students can upload evidence of what they can do in the language, reflect on their progress related to Can-Do Statements, and set goals.

Portfolio guide (pdf)    Portfolio overview  (2 min)   Supporting Self-assessment (6 min)    Why Use Portfolios? (8 min)

Use the Gradebook and Calendar to Assign Tasks and Remind Students of What's Ahead

Use the online calendar to remind students of upcoming assignments and deadlines, assign tasks to specific learners or an entire class, and more.

Gradebook overview (1min)   Assigning activities (3min)   Filtering activities (5min)    Assignments for Students (12min)

Continue Providing Feedback on Student Growth on Language Skills

Deliver feedback with the option to record or write comments. Assess progress through a variety of formative assessments, and evaluate language and intercultural proficiency growth through IPA summative assessments - all with a goal of informing learners of how far they've come, and what they should focus on next.

Why deliver oral feedback? (7 min)     Performance-based Assessments and Rubrics:  EntreCulturas  EntreCultures   Assessment and Feedback webinar (1 hr+) 

Download or print the above tips as a tip sheet pdf    

►Free Webinars

Enjoy remote learning webinars across a variety of topics on The Wayside Publishing YouTube Channel. Click "subscribe" within YouTube to be notified when new videos are posted!

►Professional Development

Our blog Proficiency Talks shares weekly lessons learned in the field on a variety of profiency-oriented topics. Here are the latest that support remote instruction. Subscribe to the blog for weekly insights shared straight to your inbox!

►More Resources 

Bring On the Free Stuff   

We are excited to bring you a library of activities and resources, designed primarily for French and Spanish classrooms, compliments of Wayside Publishing.

New Tools in the Learning Site^®

Over 100 activities can be explored in the Instructional Strategies Toolkit for Learning Site^® educators. Once you log in, click Learning Tools, and open the Instructional Strategies Toolkit. Use the filters in the toolkit to navigate by mode of communication, proficiency level, learning style, and beyond.  New this winter, click the filter Remote Learning and Teaching with Virtual Instruction to see forty of our favorite remote teaching strategies!

Instructional Strategy Toolkit Video (1 min)