Resources To Start Off Your Week 58

     Happy Spring Break everyone, as of Friday the 22nd we have officially been on holidays and won’t be back in the classroom until April 1st. The weather is almost feeling like spring time (it is around -10 C) but we still have well over two feet of snow that can begin melting anytime (seriously… anytime now). We don’t have a lot of plans for the holidays as we are calving on our farm so I’ve ended up having lots of time to prep for school and spend time with our new puppy, Kevin!

I’ve been spending some extra time scouring the web to find some really awesome resources to use once we come back from Spring Break and I think I found some pretty neat ones. As always, I will be adding these to my lists of resources under the Fav Websites heading.

1 ) Gynzy: Interactive Whiteboard Tools
– If your classroom has an interactive white board, like a SMART Board,
  then this website is definitely the one for you! It offers a lot of tools that
  are pre-created to help utilize your interactive white board to it’s full
  potential.
– Users can search by subject area (Social Studies, Math, Science, etc) or
  by grade level to find the tools they need for their classroom.
– Some of my favourite tools are definitely the floor plan creator that allows
  you to design your classroom setup or pick from pre-created options, the
  traffic light (great for managing classroom noise), and the interactive
  maps of the world.
– One down side is that you do need to sign up and create an account
  which only gives you a trial. Perhaps if there was enough interest your
  school could create an account for you or you could get a collaborative
  account with your fellow teachers.
– http://www.gynzy.com/en/corporate

2 ) Padlet
– Padlet, previously known as Wall Wisher, is a great interactive site
  for brainstorming and sharing ideas in the classroom. Teachers can
  create a “wall” and students, on their devices, can post notes on the wall
  that can be shared with the class.
– I’ve used this in the classroom and asked students to “post” their responses
  when we read texts, brainstorm ideas, share prior knowledge and more. I
  find that students really like it because they can engage with multiple platforms
  (reading text but responding digitally) and it allows them to utilize their devices.
– Students can add their name to their post or leave it blank if you want them
  to be anonymous (which can be a good feature). The wall can then be shared
  if you post student work online for those who missed, gain feedback from
  another class or PLN and/or share through your classroom’s social media
  networks.
* Check out the “wall” I created below
– http://padlet.com/

3 ) DS106: Open Course on Digital Storytelling
– DS106 is a mooc (massive open online course) about digital
  storytelling and all of the different platforms that digital storytelling can
  encompass. This course has been running since 2010 and still has many
  active participants who are interested in learning more about digital
  storytelling.
– I think it would be amazing to have students participate by completing
  one of the projects or have students explore the site and complete any
  project of their choosing. It can also serve as inspiration for teachers who
  can create projects for their students based on what they see.
– Some projects include Photoshop projects, GIFs, lip syncs, creative
  postcards, CD cover remixes and A LOT more. If you teach any of the
  digital design courses this online resource could essentially plan your
  entire course!
* Big thanks going out to Tyler for sharing this resource with me.
– http://ds106.us/

DS106. (2010). “DS106 Hall of Fame: Page Header”. Screenshot. Available online at http://ds106.us/hall-of-fame/