We've all scoured the internet for review games and/or templates to use with our students. Google has been my best friend since I started teaching. Why create it yourself when you can find it online, right? I stumbled upon FlipQuiz this week while I was searching for a website where the STUDENTS can create the quizzes for each other. Yes, I could have used my old PPT Jeopardy game but I was looking for something a little more engaging. Enter FlipQuiz. FlipQuiz is great for teacher creation to use as an all-class review but I think it's even more beneficial to students if they're the ones looking at the content, thinking deeply, and creating the questions. It's easy to use and sign up is super easy with a Google account. They can make custom categories, and import pictures to go along with the questions. Preview it anytime to view what your game will look like. Each question is presented on it's own question card and you just have to click to reveal the answer. If you do the paid version, the website will tally the score but if you have the free version you will have to manually tally each team's score. It's a great way to assess your students as they're creating the questions and swapping quizzes with each other. My first teacher is trying it out today and I can't wait to see what the kids come up with!
Here's the link to their Demo so you can try it out for yourself!
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Can we just take a moment to talk about how neat Google Drawings is? Talk about graphic organizer heaven! Possibilities are endless for what you can do with it!
I'm currently working with my US History teachers and their students over civil rights. Another DLC, our librarians, and myself created stations for the students to research court cases, people, events, and speeches. For most of the stations, we used Google Drawings to have the students create things to demonstrate their learning. Here are a few links to show you how we used Google Drawings: Our Timeline Template Our MLK Speech Graphic Organizer Our March Madness Court Cases Bracket I've also compiled a folder of graphic organizers created with Google Drawings that I've gathered from websites and trainings, combined with some I've made myself. Folder of Graphic Organizers Take a look at these and let me know if you have any questions! How often have we as educators given an assignment and told our students exactly what we expect them to produce with a specific tool in mind? I know I have. Instead, how about letting the students choose which tools to present their project with? Let them be the driver in their own learning.
Letting students have a voice and choice when it comes to their learning is the first step in us as educators becoming true facilitators of learning. Let's let our students create their own learning experiences. Instead of giving them specific instructions and one specific "car to drive with", let's give them the goal and let them choose how to navigate their learning. I did this in my own classroom the last few years of teaching and to be quite honest it was a struggle at first. I mean, when I was in school that's NOT how I learned. To give up the reins and let go of control was my biggest obstacle and it was tough to overcome it. When I finally did, however, the results were amazing. I had students using tools and methods of learning and presenting that I had never thought about before. My reluctant learners were engaged for the first time during a project. My test scores went up. All because I was letting my students take ownership of their own learning. It's not easy to do and it will be a struggle at first. But, give it a try and see how it goes. Start easy by offering a variety of tools to present a project with. Don't be afraid that you yourself don't know about the tool. Have confidence that if the student is picking it, that they will learn how to use it and be engaged in their learning. Let your students become curators and designers of their learning. Y'all! Spring break is just around the corner - literally A DAY AWAY - and I'm pretty excited about it! (could you tell?) Before I break for a week in Philadelphia, visiting my new niece, I wanted to share Adobe Spark with y'all. Adobe Spark is a great tool for curation and has three different presentation options that your students can pick from. I use "Post" with students when they're wanting to make an infographic for a project or when they're wanting to make something that will quickly grab people's attention. We've used it with Theatre productions, biography projects, quotes that they put on websites and in other projects, etc. It's easy for the students to create and share. Everything is customizable and doesn't require a lot of tech ability. I recommend using this when first starting your students out with tech.
"Page" is more used for portfolios, journaling, etc. I've used this with our Foreign Language department when students are creating travel guides for various cities, with Art when their students are showcasing their work, and with History classes when explaining events during a war or presenting information about a historical figure. Page allows students to present their information in a professional and creative way, all in one place. "Video" is great for students just starting out with video tools. It walks students through adding pictures, video, and/or text and allows for 10 seconds of voice over on each slide. I've used this with Speech classes, Spanish classes, Art classes, ELA classes, etc. Great easy tool and it's easy to download or share via a link. Check out the Spark Inspiration Gallery, here. ....Not like the Xanga blogging experience of your High School days, but blogging in the sense of student creation for the purpose of active engagement, learning, and global communication. Students can create a website or blog about a particular topic and then add information to it. This lets the student have a purpose and reason for doing the assignment other than just getting a grade. They're getting the opportunity to share their ideas with the world. They're feeling a purpose behind the assignment. They're engaged. Here are several ways you can incorperate blogging into your classroom. MathJournaling and blogging in Math is becoming more and more popular. Students are learning through explaining concepts and thinking outside the box. They can blog about vocabulary words - write what the term means and any prior knowledge they have. They can incorperate videos that explain what the term is and/or websites that offer tutorials or help on the term. They can also blog about how they're solving particular problems and how they worked through the different steps. They can include memes and gifs to make it fun and interesting. The possibilities are endless. ELAThere are so many ways that a blog or website would be a great tool for students to use in the ELA classroom. Students can create blogs that compare different works. They can keep a creative writing blog and see their progress from the beginning of the year to the end. Students can create blogs or websites instead of doing a traditional book review. They could also create a blog or website that simply analyzes or explains a speech, poem, etc. Foreign LanguageStudents can create blogs about cities or countries they're visiting. They can write in Spanish and create a professional looking website/blog instead of doing a poster or powerpoint. For Spanish classes that will take an AP test at the end of the year, Science & Social StudiesScience and Social studies could do this as well with a scientist or historical figure. They can make different tabs for various things about the person. Blog or create a website to explain cells or battled during the Civil War. Blogging or creating a website can really be used for any project in any subject. What they would put in a powerpoint have them put on Weebly, Blogspot, Google Sites, etc. Let your students get creative and think outside of the box in a new and exciting way. |
AuthorDigital Learning Coach & technology lover. Constantly looking for innovative ways to engage students and facilitate 21st century learning. Archives
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