Padlet

Padlet an App for collaboration. I have tried this out in class. The most interesting feature for me as a teacher interested in inquiry-based learning is the KWL chart. The KWL chart represents three columns

(1) What we Want to Know
(2) What I Wonder
(3) What I Learned.
You can add more columns if needed. You can enter text and pictures.

Will we get really interesting questions that probe for inquiry, investigation, exploration and creativity? The example given on ‘giraffes’ is very much oriented on facts, yet which interesting and creative questions could come up?  For example:
How do giraffes give birth so that their offspring does not die immediately when falling from such a height?
How and why did giraffes get their long necks?

My first KWL Padlet is a discussion on Inquiry-based learning aimed at first years teacher training students.

Padlet can be used as an App or in your browser. The latter gives you a much better overview.

You may also be interested in the blogs on LearnLab, Kahoot, and Socrative.

Purchase	Free for the first three padlets. PRO version US$ 12.99
Hardware	iPhone, iPad, Google Play/Android, PC
Requirements	iOS 9.0 or later, Android 5.0 or higher, browser

Advertisement

GoLabz

GoLabz project is an international platform for online science labs. It aims at promoting and encouraging inquiry learning and experimenting in science education. The large database with resources can be searched on subject area, age group, science topic etc. We selected the most interactive, online labs for age 8-14:

 

• Balancing Act – simulation, game about weight using a balance scale
• Density and Buoyancy – simulation, game about mass, volume and density (coming soon)
• GearSketch – drawing pad enabling you to draw gears and chains and learn about transmission
• Energy Skatepark – game with information about kinetic, potential and thermal energy
• Electrical Circuit Pad – easy to use drawing pad for simple electrical circuits

Responseware: Kahoot

Kahoot is a well known responseware program in Primary and Secondary schools. The teacher starts a ‘Quiz’ on his own PC and shows the questions one by one on a large screen, using a projector or a interactive board. The students answer using any digital device: PC, tablet, smartphone. The results are  displayed graphically on the teachers’ PC and can thus be viewed on the large screen. The answers are anonymous to other students, but the teacher can download a file and analyse the results later.
A Kahoot Quiz can be used to check students’ knowledge, but can also be used to check what students know before instruction on a new topic takes off.

DiScoro offers training and workshops in the use of Responseware, such as Kahoot, Socrative, and in how to create various types of questions.

Example of a question

Functionality and Review

• Kahoot offers two quiz options: Quiz and Survey. A question in a Quiz requires one correct answer. In a Survey all answers are correct.
• Students think that Kahoot is fun.
• Kahoot is easy to use.
• The use of Kahoot during your lessons does not take much time. After the first time you can use Kahoot within 10 minutes.
• Kahoot offers only Multiple-choice questions. It is not possible to use an open question where students write in their own answer.
• Students must respond under time pressure. The maximum time you can allow for answering one question is 3 minutes. We think this is rather short and unfortunately does not allow for discussion or more difficult questions.
• Kahoot uses a picture or a video with every question. If you do not upload a picture, then Kahoot will use its own picture. It is therfore wise to always upload a picture that matches the question.
• You might experience that if you do not turn down volume completely that the program come along with quite a loud tune all the time.

Purchase	Free
Hardware	iPad, Android tablet,, Smartphone, PC
Requirements	PC for the teacher with browser

Iceland

DiScoro was invited to Iceland as keynote speaker at a conference. The audience consisted of twenty researchers from seven different countries. They research mathematics textbooks and how teachers work with these resources. My speech was about:

How do publishing houses evolve from paper-based mathematics textbooks to digital books?
What are the options when you design digital media?
What are the possibilities when you use digitale media?
What are the demands that come up in: taskformat, hints and feedback?
What are the challenges for authors and researchers?

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Interactive Body

Every month DiScoro writes about resources that can be used in schools. Please, see the MENU under Services for workshops, training and other services.

The BBC offers a collection of games or animations on the Anatomy of the Body. Users are asked to move the correct muscle, bone, organ etc. into the correct position in the body.  The Drag&Drop function together with helpful clues and hints make it into a real learning tool.

Advantages:

• Easy navigation
• Helpful clues and hints
• The game pays attention to knowledge on location, name, and function of the muscle, bone or organ
• No advertisements or other non-functional information

Disadvantage:

• The window cannot be enlarged to full screen size.

Use Inner Body website if you wish to zoom in on detailed parts of the body while instructing in front of the class.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Advantages:

• Very precise and detailed pictures
• Detailed written information on fysiology on the side
• Excellent zoom (in) function.

Disadvantages:

• The screen builds up again after an action, which results in a restless screen-image
• Advertisements appear on the righthand side of the window.

However, if you have an Interactive Board you can use the board’s function to cover the righthand part of the screen.

Purchase	Free
Hardware	PC, Android tablet
Requirements	browser,Flash 5

History

Digital History is a website about topics in American history. The entry of the website is visualised in pictures as well as on a time-line. The site offers a huge amount of information in text, pictures, films, historical documents etc. Additionally, it offers useful information for teachers. The content of the site is produced under the responsibility of the College of Education of Houston University (US).

The contents is possibly too elaborate to be widely used outside the US, but some topics will definitely be of interest and are worth studying for non-US students. The approach can also serve as an example to work on an historic project or topic nearer to the students.

Digital History (USA)

Digital History (USA)

Purchase	Free
Hardware	PC, tablet
Requirements	browser

This is a Journey Online

Désiré heeft reeds in 2001 als adviseur en auteur meegewerkt aan de online educatieve site This is a Journey Online. Een educatieve en interactieve website waarin communities van jongeren met elkaar samenwerken. De website staat in het kader van Duurzame Ontwikkeling. Jongeren van 13 t/m 16 jaar leren over andere culturen en landen en communiceren daarover met elkaar. Deel thema’s zijn onder meer water, voedsel, gewoonten, infrastructuur, en dagelijks leven.

De site is in het Engels. Het materiaal werd gebruikt door scholen in Zimbabwe, Indonesië en Nederland. Jongeren kunnen vragen insturen, zelf verhalen plaatsen en deelnemen aan discussies. Het doel is het ontwikkelen van een action plan, waar jongeren voorstellen doen in het kader van duurzaamheid.