Padlet
Create with ICT
Learning Continuum:
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generate ideas, plans and processes
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generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks
URL: https://padlet.com/
Description & Purpose: Padlet provides a virtual display ‘board’ for students to express their talents or thoughts on a topic in a secure online graphical environment. It is a platform for student communication and collaboration, presentation or reflection.
Platform: Accessed via the web interface and platform independent
Cost/Licensing: Free License for basic option. Premium option has most features; based on $US 45 per teacher for unlimited students.
Age Group Suitability: Secondary
Explanation for inclusion:
This resource relates to the sub-areas generate ideas, plans and processes and generate solutions to challenges and learning tasks, specifically, to Learning Continuum Level 5:
Critical Assessment of value
The increasing need for students' work to be collaborative rather than individual (Roblyer & Doering, 2014, p. 38) affirms the use of Padlet. It enables a collaborative approach to learning facilitated by the teacher. It forms part of the constructionist approach to learning whereby students construct their knowledge by actively participating in "classroom experiences" (Roblyer & Doering, 2014, p. 51).
Concerns include difficulty controlling what students are posting until after it has been posted and it can add as a distraction to learning with students taking up too much time making sure what they type is correct.
References:
Roblyer, M., & Doering, A. (2014). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching: International Edition, 6th Edition, Pearson.
Kahoot
Create with ICT
Learning Continuum:
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generate ideas, plans and processes
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generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks
Description & Purpose: Kahoot! is an online tool to administer quizzes, discussions or surveys. It is a game based classroom response system, played in real time and allows for interaction. The teacher (or student) can control the advancing of questions allowing the opportunity for discussion between questions. It creates a healthy competitive nature and helps students retain concepts.
Platform: Accessed via the web interface and platform independent
Cost/Licensing: Free
Age Group Suitability: Secondary
Explanation for inclusion:
This resource relates to the sub-areas generate ideas, plans and processes and generate solutions to challenges and learning tasks, specifically, to Learning Continuum Level 3:
Critical Assessment of value
Students interact with and learn from each other, viewing peers as potential resources for future learning experiences (Howarth-Hockey & Stride as cited in Hudson & Bristow, 2006). The active learning environment helps students and teachers discover any misconceptions. Kahoot aids in revealing 'undiganosed misconceptions from previous learning experiences or resources' and helps teachers and students detect and correct these misunderstandings (Michael et al as cited in Hudson & Bristow, 2006).
Concerns include the time-consuming component when accessing the site and limited time for students to answer (30 secs). Less suitable for complex questions as more time is required.
References:
Hudson, J., & Bristow, D. (2006) Formative assessment can be fun as well as educational. Advances in Physiology Education Mar 2006, 30 (1) 33-37; DOI:10.1152/advan.00040.2005
StoryBoardThat
Create with ICT
Learning Continuum:
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generate ideas, plans and processes
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generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks
URL: http://www.storyboardthat.com/
Description & Purpose: StoryBoardThat is an online digital storytelling tool, with comic-based themes that help students map out ideas, write stories, or relay events in a comic format.
Platform: Accessed via the web interface and platform independent
Cost/Licensing: Free
Age Group Suitability: Secondary
Explanation for inclusion:
This resource relates to the sub-areas generate ideas, plans and processes and generate solutions to challenges and learning tasks, specifically, to Learning Continuum Level 3:
Critical Assessment of value
Students combine creative writing with visual storytelling for a range of purposes and/or audiences. Students use the storyboard to organise their story structure (Yuan, 2011). As a multimodal learning tool, higher order thinking is required, where students create their comic strip, plan actions, develop creativity, practice writing skills, and sequence ideas. Constructivist learning occurs because students 'become heroes of their own learning adventures' because 'they build stories around academic pursuits' (Ohler, 2013, p. 10).
Concerns inlcude the design interface being too simplistic and lack of diversity of available characters.
References:
Ohler, J. (2013) Digital Storytelling in the Classroom: New Media Pathways to Literacy, Learning, and Creativity. Corwin Press, 2013.
Yuan, T. (2011). From ponyo to “my garfield story”: Using digital comics as an alternative pathway to literary composition. Childhood Education, 87(4), 297-301. Retrieved fromhttp://search.proquest.com/docview/866565444?accountid=10344\
Mindmeister
Create with ICT
Learning Continuum:
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generate ideas, plans and processes
URL: https://www.mindmeister.com/
Description & Purpose: Mindmeister is an online mapping tool that helps brainstorming, note taking and project planning. This resource provides simultaneous collaborative brainstorming (in real time) and visualization tools. In cooperative groups students create a mind map as a study guide for unit content, collect information for a group research project, or show examples of an important concept.
Platform: Accessed via the web interface and platform independent
Cost/Licensing: Basic option is free, with access to 3 mind maps, real-time collaboration and community support. EDU Campus (USD$6); EDU Personal (USD $18); EDU Pro (USD $30).
Age Group Suitability: Secondary
Explanation for inclusion:
This resource relates to the sub-area generate ideas, plans and processes, specifically, to Learning Continuum Level 5:
Critical Assessment of value
Banduras' 'reciprocal determinism' is confirmed, where student behavior influences and is influenced by personal factors and the social environment (Bandura, 1977). Students express ideas and concepts by creating a visual representation of content in collaboration, as multiple users can develop a graphic organiser together and comment on each other’s work. Social learning occurs as students learn from 'observing others' and 'form... an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action.' (Bandura, 1977).
Concerns include the amount of time required to create a mindmap and email is required for sharing.
References:
Bandura, A. (1977). Social Learning Theory. New York: General Learning Press.
