Blended learning general tools for K-5

Blended Learning General ToolsFor Grades K-5By Wendy Torres

Hallmarks of blended learning:Seamless connection Increased Student- Online classroom Repurposed time between online and Collaboration and presence offline work control over: time pace place or path of learning

Online classroom presencehttp://blendspace.com http://lessonpaths.com http://www.symbalooedu. comhttp://zunal.com https://www.thinglink.com http://tizmos.com /edu

This site enables the teacher to How to add content, assessments, and use tracking information in one Video! central location for students to access. Blendspace gives teachers the ability to individualize and customize lesson content to suit specific needs of their students.Blendspace

Benefits of using BlendspaceIt’s FREE! 24 hour access: Allows teachers Students don’t Click and drag For older Works on all the ability to need a interface: easy students, you browsers(can utilize the could have them work on any publishing username or to use provide device) sharing password to comments on capabilities of access content: content and the Internet just need the answer quiz questions if you url want( that does require a username and password)

With lessonpaths, you can add content, How to assessments, and tracking information in use one central location for students to Video! access. The way lessonpaths operates is that it allows you to view and create “playlists” which consists of links to online content correlated to a specific topic. Each piece of content added to a playlist is called a “step” and one navigates between “steps” by clicking on left or right arrow icons on the screen. When you add a “step” you add content by either adding a direct url link, uploading a file, writing direct text into a word processing box, or creating a pop quiz. Your playlists can contain as many “steps” as you want.Lessonpaths

Benefits of using LessonpathsIt’s FREE! 24 hour access: Works on Allows you to see content all browsers(can work on one page at a time any device) Students don’t need a A playlist can have as Each step gets its own urlusername or password to many “steps” as neededaccess content: just need the urlYou can navigate between For older students, you You can control the steps as needed could have them provide content, and comments on content and answer quiz questions if who views/edit it. you want( that does require a username and password)

Symbaloo is an online tool that allows you to How to organize your favorite websites in one use location. Using symbaloo, you can Video! categorize your websites so that they are organized according to subject/content. Each category is called a webmix. You can have as many webmixes as you want. Webmixes can be public or private. Public webmixes can be found in the symbaloo gallery, private webmixes do not show up in the gallery, but can be shared via a url link. Only people who have that link can see the webmix. Students do not need an account to view any webmix. Accounts are required to edit and add content to a mix. Webmixes can also be embedded into your website.Symbalooedu

Benefits of using Symbaloo It’s FREE! You can have as Visual thumbnails many webmixes as proven more 24 hour access: you like with one Works on all attractive to kids. account! browsers(can work Minimize distractions on any device) and keep youngNo more misspelled urls, students focused. or students getting to Students don’t needinappropriate sites. They a username oronly go to the sites you password to access content: just need the have selected! url.

Click here to Zunalfind out more Zunal.com provides teachers templates for about creating webquestswebquests.. quickly. Sure would be nice to see an example of one. Click here to see an example.

Thinglinkedu Thinglink is an online tool that lets you add online resources to an existing image. In other words, this tool allows you to upload an image and then you can add any online resource- including pictures, websites, music and videos-to that still image. So, with this tool, a single image becomes an interactive information board!

Why use Thinglink? It’s Free! “People learn by employing effective and flexible strategies that help them to understand, reason, memorize, and solve problems.” -One of the principles of Personalized Learning “Brains deal with images differently than with print.” -Hall Davidson of the Discovery Learning Network “Visual media raises student achievement.” -Hall Davidson of the Discovery Learning Network

One of the best things You can create They only need an about this tool is that is thinglinks and then account if you want them easy and versatile, so it share the url with to create, edit, and addcan be used with a variety students/parents. Students content.( This is a great of student audiences. do not need to have an option for older students). account.

Ideas for using Thinglink: Click on the book to access a presentation created by Donna Baumbach-another fellow educator- thatcontains over 81 different ways that you can incorporatethis tool. All the ideas were submitted by other educators who have used this tool in their classrooms. There are many ways that thinglink can be used in the classroom!

General Video tools for Grades K-5

Online Video Toolshttp://www.watchknowl http://viewpure.com earn.org/http://safeshare.tv/ http://learnzillion.com

While being able to use youtube to share Videos videos with our students is great, the without problem with youtube is that there often the advertisements, inappropriate comments extras! and links to other videos. These “extras” can be distracting and look unprofessional during a presentation. With viewpure and safeshare.tv, you simply copy and paste the youtube link into the text box and then click on the create/generate link buttons. Then you will get a unique url link for the video. You can use that link when you project AND you can also send the link along to students so they can view the video from home without seeing any inappropriate comments, advertisements or other videos. ·ViewpureSafeshare

Watchknowlearn Watchknowlearn is an online source that allows you to search for educational video content and allows you to house that content in one location. This is a great site because who has time to go through all the junk on youtube for a video that might be a good fit for your classroom? What makes this site unique is that you can filter your search result so that the videos you find are very specific. You can filter the results by age and subject matter.

Benefits of using WatchknowlearnIt’s FREE! 24 hour access: Saved lesson Students don’t There is also a Works on all planning time: No need a username section that has more wasting time or password to videos broken browsers(can work on youtube seeing access content: down by grade, on any device) if a video MIGHT be just need the url useful for class subject and common core standards.

Founded by two former teachers in 2011, LearnZillion offers a free and growing set of math and English Language resources for grades 2-12 that combines short video lessons, assessments, playlists, and progress reports. These videos provide grade-level appropriate, conceptual, visual explanations that can be used by both kids and adults. Each lesson focuses on a specific sub-standard, and can be organized by teachers into custom playlists for students. Teachers use LearnZillion videos and resources for everything from whole class instruction to small group and independent work, as well as for homework assignments and to enable parents to help support student learning at home.Learnzillion

Learnzillion How it works: You create a free teacher account and after you sign up for an account, you can browse through the differentlessons. When you click on a lesson, you have the option of downloading the material so you can adapt it as you see fit to meet the needs of your students. You can alsodownload printable resources that go along with the video lesson. You can share the video lesson on an LCDscreen and/or you can also assign the lesson to a class-so students can do it in the computer lab or at home. How do students access the lessons you assign: If you want the students to access the content so they can do it on individual computers, there are two ways that students can access the lesson you have assigned. (With login information or without login information)With login information: When you add students, it will give youan enrollment code. Students click on the student login page,copy and paste the enrollment code, and then come up with a username and password. After that they have access to any lessons you have assigned. Without login information: If you don’t want your students to have login information, you can get a quick code from a lesson. The students would then put their quick code in, and the lesson will show up on their screen.

It’s great With login information: Without loginthat you can Students can access information(quick code) download multiple lessons you have Students can access one the videos assigned and you can get lesson at a time. A different progress reports and quick code is provided for as each lesson. You can’tpowerpoints grades. access progress reports or grades using this method. and adaptthem to suit Yeah, and it Havingyour needs. is always students available access video because it is lessons online! Thousands of video resources for FREE!

Discussion, collaboration tools for K-5

This tool is free, simple to use and can Great be used to allow younger students a fun, tool for engaging way to formulate and share K-2 their thoughts about an issue. students! With this site you can get student feedback. This resource can be used when you would like pupils to state their thoughts or opinions. The text frames automatically shrink the font as the students type, so the resource is suitable for simple statements or longer explanations. Text frames can be presented as captions, speech bubbles or thought bubbles. With this site, students can also edit an avatar to represent themselves. IBOARD:Thoughts and Reflections

This tool can be used by The main thing you would Teachers may want the students in groups, or on students to write down their individual computers. It have to be concerned with answers first prior to typing is the students' ability to but that is up to individual could be used as pre- type content as students type atassessment, during activity different paces dependently on teacher discretion and their level of exposure to judgment. or post assessment assignment. keyboarding.

A free activity for children to reflect on Great tool and celebrate their learning for K-2 achievements. students! A simple but powerful activity - children can record their learning achievements on the screen by adding images. Sound support included. Also, the child can personalize the face! Students can pick between two word prompts: “ I can” and “ I am learning to…” They can click on the images and drag them on the circle. They can also type labels to describe what they are learning or are to do.IBOARD:My Learning

My Learning This is a great tool to use at the beginning or ending of units. Have students celebrate their achievements. Use the print outs to create class books or class bulletin boards. Have students share their learning boards with each other.

Online chats and discu.ssion boards are great How to use Web 2.0 tools that can be used as extensions of the classroom. When these tools are used Video! effectively, they can be a valuable tool to use inToday’s Meet conjunction with the regular face to face classroom. Todaysmeet is a free, simple online chat tool that was designed so that teachers or presenters can receive feedback and commentary. With todaysmeet, anyone with the link to a discussion can participate in a live chat. This tool allows anyone with the URL for the specific chat stream to join in, using short (140 character) messages. Participants can be in the same room or across the globe, and no membership or log in is required. The only \"skill\" needed is being able to type. You can print out transcripts of the chat forum.

Personally, I don’t like using this tool to tap Oh, you could This tool can alsointo the backchannel. It can be distracting also set up be used fortrying to focus on a lesson, or presentation question andwhile also viewing a chatroom to see what comparing andothers are saying. I have, however, used it with answer session contrasting..my students as part of team via virtual officediscussion/collaboration activities. This toolgives every student a chance to provide hours! commentary and ask questions. It is a great tool for collaborating and brainstorming, though.This is a good tool Students can that students can create use to expressfrustrations or need conversationsfor clarification on (chats) between fiction or nonfiction topics. characters speaking about significant events and then print them out.

Lino is a free web based service that allows you to How to create digital corkboards where you can“stick” post use it notes. With lino, you can add post it notes, along Video! with pictures, videos, files and multimedia presentations on a digital “cork board”. So at first glance, it appears to be a nice site to share multiple resources from one location. Lino, however, is much more than just a content sharing site. It provides teachers with a great way to engage students in brainstorming and collaboration activities online. For example, teachers can provide a topic and allow students to generate ideas and/or ask questions before they begin prewriting. If the teacher chooses to, she can create a corkboard that students can post comments, images, and videos to. Teachers also have the ability to can create groups and make canvases (corkboards) private or public.Lino

Ideas for using Lino To learn more aboutUse it for brainstorming or collaboration this tool click Use to help \"flip\" the content of your classroom: Students can access the here! canvas from home and then discuss the content in class Use a canvas as an electronic portfolio or \"showcase\" of students' work Use a canvas to share classroom news, announcements or praises Create a canvas of useful websites that help reinforce content that students can use at home for practice

· Click here for Padlet and primarywall are both a video tools that allow you to create on how virtual walls/digital bulletin boards. to use • Using padlet you can add post padlet! it notes, along with pictures, videos, files and multimedia presentations on a digital board for free. You can create a free account so you can edit and delete walls as needed. Students do not need a login to use the tool. They only need the url to your wall. Walls can be public or private.Padlet

Ideas for using PadletGreat way to engage Vocabulary review Click here students in to see Reflection: Ask a provoking more brainstorming. question at the beginning of a Great for unit then have students revisit examples! their answers at the end of the collaboration or unit. Do they still feel the same?getting feedback from Why or why not? others. Provide a topic and Great for note-taking allow students togenerate ideas and/or ask questions.

Kidblog.org is designed for elementary and middle school teachers who want to provide each student with their own, unique blog. Kidblog is simple to use, and allow students to publish posts and participate in discussions within a secure classroom blogging community. Teachers maintain complete control over student blogs.Kidblog

It can be The simple Use Kidblog to:accessed on interface •create classroom discussionsany device, takes away •learn digital citizenship •practicing writing skills 24/7. the •create an e-portfolio distractions •reflect on learning that come •formatively assess writing Site with other Two Site blogging one sites. Oh wow! I just found some awesome educational videos about blogs!

Titanpad and primarypad are web-based walolorwd·sprpoucpeilsssaonrsddteeasicghneerds for schools that to work together in real-time. Titanpad and primarypad are almost the same thing except primarypad does not include a chat feature and its interface is simpler. (meaning you can’t import outside documents. You can just type text.) With both you can: Click here for a • Easily create a new public document, tutorial on share the unique url, enter your name, how to use and begin writing. titanpad. • Each collaborator receives their own color, making it easy to track each person's changes. • Note that in order to keep a working document private, the url should not be shared with those not involved in the collaboration.(with a free account on Titanpad titanpad, you can make pads private)Primarypad • Changes to the document are made in real time. • Students do not need a login to access the pads. Pads are deleted after some time.

Ideas for use :

. How to use Collaborizeclassroom is a free, online learning platform for teachers and Video! students to create structured discussions in a private online community. Students can expand on discussions as well as interact with online lesson plans that allow for deeper participation inside and outside the classroom. This tool offers a variety of tools to increase student engagement, including multimedia uploading, forums, and simple questionnaires.Collaborizeclassroom This is a great tool to use with 4th graders to 12th graders.



Collaborizeclassroom A word of advice before you use this tool: The interface of this tool is easy and fairly user friendly. However, due to the various options that you have available with this tool, it is not a tool I would recommend using with K-2 students. I have used discussion boards with my Fifth graders and can see this as a wonderful tool to use with Middle and Upper School students. In order for students to use this service, they will either have to registrar with an e-mail address or will have to create a username and then request membership.If you are going to use collaborizeclassroom or any other discussion board forum you also need to teach your students proper online communication rules. This is because while our students are comfortable using technology, they have to be directed how to use it. They don’t initially know how to do this. *Below are some resources that can help you with this: For grades 3-5:http://www.brainpop.com/technology/computersandintern et/digitaletiquette/ * For grades 5-8* http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/hoodmari ne-1086694-online-chatting-do-s-and-don-ts/