We all know that pen and paper has its role and its value in the classroom. What many educators don’t realize, however, is that there exists a multitude of technological applications that take what is done on paper in the classroom to new levels and allow students to express their thoughts to a large audience, the express their creativity, and even to think critically.
I recently discovered an app that has enormous potential for the classroom: Popplet. At the time, I was actually browsing different apps that I could use for concept mapping. My students had recently worked with concept maps by hand for comparing urban and rural uses of land but I wanted to try and have an option for them to use their personal devices and perhaps make it even more interactive. In my search I discovered Popplet. Popplet is an app that works on a computer or mobile device and allows you to create “popples,” or idea clouds. Each popple can be connected to another and allows a user to create a concept or brainstorm map, called a popplet. My explanation of my search for an app like this alone has likely already made any educator take a second look but if you still need convincing of the possibilities of using this tool, take note. Popplet can work for a myriad of different lessons: brainstorming ideas during projects, concept maps, projects, comparison and contrast, and more. What makes Popplet so much better than using standard pen and paper is that it can add to the critical thinking task that you have already assigned when students add multiple elements such as images and drawings or even when they begin categorizing parts by color. A student example of how I have allowed students to use Popplet is shown on the left, in which students were asked to research an energy source that they thought would be best suited for our community and defend their choice. Popplet isn't difficult to set up or use so it would require little training for students or teachers to use. A challenge to using this is one we often run into: limited access. Since this app can be used on mobile devices, a way to overcome this is by allowing collaboration with the task.
Another app that was shared with me that has incredible untapped potential is Glogster. Glogster is a tool that allows users to create virtual, interactive posters. Glogster has many features that are exciting for any student to use, including galleries of images, animations, and sounds, and also allows its artist to be even more creative by adding in other multimedia such as videos, images, drawings, and words. Rather than have students answer a question like: “What are the characteristics of a tropical forest biome?” on a sheet of paper, have students create a virtual poster that not only describes the biome but that would allow a person viewing it to experience what it is like in that biome by incorporating many types of multimedia in their poster. Or have students defend a particular stance on an issue by adding elements in the poster from experts, including videos and links to journal articles. Glogster is a tool that could turn menial content into fun, interactive, engaging lessons that incorporate critical thinking. Glogster is a tool that can be downloaded on many mobile devices but is easiest used on a computer. This tool would require a bit more preparation and training for those involved, both students and teachers, since the interface can be overwhelming. With this tool, the best way to overcome this challenge is to follow the well-known mantra: practice makes perfect. The more often you and your students use this tool, the better you will get at it.
Obviously, these two tools do not begin to harness the power that many web apps can hold for the classroom. There are many lists of other apps that can be used in the classroom, including my favorite, The Top 100 Tools for Learning: The 2013 List, which tells you the rank of the web app and a very brief description of the tool. The key thing to remember when searching for a new app to use in the classroom is simplicity: take something you are already doing and use the app to expand on it.
I recently discovered an app that has enormous potential for the classroom: Popplet. At the time, I was actually browsing different apps that I could use for concept mapping. My students had recently worked with concept maps by hand for comparing urban and rural uses of land but I wanted to try and have an option for them to use their personal devices and perhaps make it even more interactive. In my search I discovered Popplet. Popplet is an app that works on a computer or mobile device and allows you to create “popples,” or idea clouds. Each popple can be connected to another and allows a user to create a concept or brainstorm map, called a popplet. My explanation of my search for an app like this alone has likely already made any educator take a second look but if you still need convincing of the possibilities of using this tool, take note. Popplet can work for a myriad of different lessons: brainstorming ideas during projects, concept maps, projects, comparison and contrast, and more. What makes Popplet so much better than using standard pen and paper is that it can add to the critical thinking task that you have already assigned when students add multiple elements such as images and drawings or even when they begin categorizing parts by color. A student example of how I have allowed students to use Popplet is shown on the left, in which students were asked to research an energy source that they thought would be best suited for our community and defend their choice. Popplet isn't difficult to set up or use so it would require little training for students or teachers to use. A challenge to using this is one we often run into: limited access. Since this app can be used on mobile devices, a way to overcome this is by allowing collaboration with the task.
Another app that was shared with me that has incredible untapped potential is Glogster. Glogster is a tool that allows users to create virtual, interactive posters. Glogster has many features that are exciting for any student to use, including galleries of images, animations, and sounds, and also allows its artist to be even more creative by adding in other multimedia such as videos, images, drawings, and words. Rather than have students answer a question like: “What are the characteristics of a tropical forest biome?” on a sheet of paper, have students create a virtual poster that not only describes the biome but that would allow a person viewing it to experience what it is like in that biome by incorporating many types of multimedia in their poster. Or have students defend a particular stance on an issue by adding elements in the poster from experts, including videos and links to journal articles. Glogster is a tool that could turn menial content into fun, interactive, engaging lessons that incorporate critical thinking. Glogster is a tool that can be downloaded on many mobile devices but is easiest used on a computer. This tool would require a bit more preparation and training for those involved, both students and teachers, since the interface can be overwhelming. With this tool, the best way to overcome this challenge is to follow the well-known mantra: practice makes perfect. The more often you and your students use this tool, the better you will get at it.
Obviously, these two tools do not begin to harness the power that many web apps can hold for the classroom. There are many lists of other apps that can be used in the classroom, including my favorite, The Top 100 Tools for Learning: The 2013 List, which tells you the rank of the web app and a very brief description of the tool. The key thing to remember when searching for a new app to use in the classroom is simplicity: take something you are already doing and use the app to expand on it.