TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Nov 17, 2024
Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to return to the Featured Sites Archive
Julie's Library - Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton
Grades
K to 5
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Julie Andrews (yes, from The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins!) and her daughter share and read their favorite children's books in this engaging podcast filled with music and activities....more
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Julie Andrews (yes, from The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins!) and her daughter share and read their favorite children's books in this engaging podcast filled with music and activities. Select any episode link to begin playing the podcast, read additional information about the authors and illustrators, and find the weekly activity accompanying it. Podcasts are available on the site or on several different podcast players, including Apple and Spotify.
tag(s): authors (105), book lists (165), listening (92), podcasts (103), preK (263)
In the Classroom
Include these podcasts and others as part of listening centers to engage students in reading and model how to read with expression. Find additional podcasts for students at TeachersFirst Special Topics Page: Educational Podcasts for Students, reviewed here. Encourage students to practice reading using Animate from Audio, reviewed here that lets students choose an animated character and create a recording. For example, ask students to select a favorite part of a book, choose a character, and personalize a background before creating a recording to share with others as a way to practice reading in an engaging manner. Share students' recordings on your class website or learning management system to celebrate their reading accomplishments.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Wriddle - Tech4Learning, Inc.
Grades
K to 2
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Wriddle is a literary development tool for young learners. After creating educator and student accounts, students access Wriddle and use the whiteboard to draw pictures, add text, and...more
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Wriddle is a literary development tool for young learners. After creating educator and student accounts, students access Wriddle and use the whiteboard to draw pictures, add text, and create a recording. Students log in using the provided link, a QR code, or integration with several learning management systems, including Google Classroom and Canvas.
tag(s): literacy (116), spelling (98), Teacher Utilities (159), vocabulary development (90), writing (323)
In the Classroom
Demonstrate to younger students how to log in and access their Wriddle accounts. Be sure to print out QR codes and access information and send a copy home for students to use at any time. Then, ask students to create a Wriddle to share ideas on a story character, discuss the setting in a book you read, or draw an item that matches a letter of the alphabet. Take advantage of the microphone option in Wriddle to differentiate using this tool for students who find it easier to share their thoughts by speaking instead of writing. Encourage these students to attempt writing in addition to using the microphone. Share students' Wriddle drawings with parents during conferences to demonstrate and discuss their literacy development. If you use a portfolio tool like Seesaw, reviewed here, upload students' drawing and writing projects to document growth over the school year.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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First 8 Studios - GBH Kids
Grades
K to 2
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First 8 Studios is a digital learning platform with math and science learning activities for early childhood. The science portion includes eleven learning apps, a teacher guide, and...more
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First 8 Studios is a digital learning platform with math and science learning activities for early childhood. The science portion includes eleven learning apps, a teacher guide, and Family Science Fun activities to promote learning of contents such as plants, ramps, and shadows. The early math activities include ten apps that teach concepts, including subitizing, spatial thinking, and data analysis. The Teacher's Guides have lesson ideas, circle time activities, and suggestions for learning centers and outdoor activities to reinforce concepts. Student learning apps are available for download on the Apple Store.
tag(s): data (147), number sense (70), plants (148), preK (263), simple machines (17), thinking skills (15)
In the Classroom
Share the learning apps on this site with parents for students to practice math skills at home. This site also benefits students who need reinforcement in specific skills as a method for review. Even if you don't use the apps in school, be sure to visit the Teachers' Guides and Family Fun Guides to find many ideas for books, paper play, and on-the-go ideas. Include links to games and activities from this site and others you share with parents using Symbaloo, reviewed here, to organize and make information easy to access.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Kid Activities - Barbara Shelby
Grades
K to 6
1 Favorites
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Kid Activities is a treasure trove of ideas to engage and entertain elementary-age students. View the website content by selecting from several categories: game ideas, theme and lesson...more
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Kid Activities is a treasure trove of ideas to engage and entertain elementary-age students. View the website content by selecting from several categories: game ideas, theme and lesson planning, holiday activities, jokes and riddles, music & song ideas, and food. Additional ways to find content are to view the most recent posts or scroll through the page to find popular content. Each activity includes specific directions for materials required and setup needed. Many also have pictures that share finished projects.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): back to school (62), holidays (178), preK (263)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site to find many ideas and activities for your classroom. Then, share this site with parents when planning classroom parties or field days. Many parents enjoy receiving ideas for things to do at home with students; include a link to the Kid Activities website in your newsletter or share an activity each week or month. Consider creating a webmix with Symbaloo, reviewed here, to share with parents that includes a variety of at-home activities for parents.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Google Read Along - Google
Grades
K to 12
1 Favorites
1 Comments
Google Read Along is an entertaining, interactive website designed to help young children learn to read. This site is currently available in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Hindi, Marathi,...more
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Google Read Along is an entertaining, interactive website designed to help young children learn to read. This site is currently available in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, and Urdu. Though you can use Google Read Along on your computer, the best experience will be by using an Android device. Read Along engages young readers with a friendly character named Diya, who provides assistance and feedback when needed. Students receive immediate feedback by earning stars for each word they read correctly. In addition, Diya will help if children are stuck on a particular word. Gamification makes learning to read fun and engaging! Students earn stars and badges and can level up to more advanced books as they become increasingly better readers. Google Read Along also tracks how many minutes students spend actively reading. A Google account is required, and enable your microphone access for your browser.
tag(s): digital reading (18), gamification (79), independent reading (86), preK (263)
In the Classroom
Google Read Along would be a great addition to any preschool or early elementary classroom. Teachers who work with ENL students or adults learning to read may also find this site helpful. Students will gain confidence by practicing reading independently yet still get assistance if needed, all while the teacher can work with individual students or small groups. In addition, many books are cross-curricular, so they can be used to enhance instruction for other core subjects.Comments
This is a great resource to help my Spanish 1 and Heritage students to learn how to read.Jessica Zapata, , Grades: 9 - 12
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Letter Tile Free Play - Really Great Reading
Grades
K to 2
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Letter Tile Free Play offers a free digital playspace to explore and practice reading skills using letter tiles and digraphs. Begin by selecting a format for moving letters; options...more
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Letter Tile Free Play offers a free digital playspace to explore and practice reading skills using letter tiles and digraphs. Begin by selecting a format for moving letters; options include using a mouse, trackpad, or touch input. The playspace offers lower case letter tiles, basic digraph tiles, and six color tiles. Next, move tiles onto the playspace to create and sound out words.
tag(s): literacy (116), preK (263), reading strategies (101), sounds (42)
In the Classroom
Use Letter Tile Free Play with emerging readers to practice sounding out and spelling words during reading groups or as a free exploration opportunity during computer center time. Share with parents to use at home to practice forming and reading words. Share this site and the parent guide with parents for use at home. For example, use the color tiles to indicate the number of letters found in a word as a visual tool for students to use when creating words. When using the color tiles, consider selecting one specific color to indicate the use of a digraph. This visual reminder makes it easier for students to understand that the digraph represents one sound created by two letters. Document and share student learning with parents using Seesaw, reviewed here.
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Educandy - Educandy
Grades
K to 5
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Quickly create and share interactive learning games created from your vocabulary terms using Educandy. Activities include match-up games, memory matches, crossword puzzles, and more....more
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Quickly create and share interactive learning games created from your vocabulary terms using Educandy. Activities include match-up games, memory matches, crossword puzzles, and more. Go to the top right of your screen and click download the free app. After creating your account, follow the prompts to create a list of words, matching pairs, or quiz questions. When finished, edit or play the game using links found under your activities. Share using the link provided or copy the embed code to embed your game into a website.
tag(s): assessment (148), DAT device agnostic tool (147), game based learning (181), preK (263), quizzes (90), vocabulary (238)
In the Classroom
Use Educandy to create games and practice activities to reinforce vocabulary for any subject. Embed your activities into your website or learning platform for students to use at home. Turn the quiz creation around and ask students to create a list of vocabulary terms and definitions to use within the games. Introduce new vocabulary using Educandy to assess student knowledge at the start of any new unit. Extend student learning after vocabulary practice by having them create infographics, posters, social media posts, or guides with tools found at Canva Edu, reviewed here, using the new vocabulary and your topic of study.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Clever Crazes for Kids - Building Healthy Lives Foundation
Grades
K to 8
1 Favorites
0 Comments
Clever Crazes for Kids is a kid-friendly website devoted to sharing education enrichment resources aligned to state and Common Core Standards. This site features game-based learning...more
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Clever Crazes for Kids is a kid-friendly website devoted to sharing education enrichment resources aligned to state and Common Core Standards. This site features game-based learning activities based upon STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) concepts and content. Additional activities provide foundations in English language learning skills for ENL/ESL students. Play games as a guest or create a free account to save favorites and earn points. Download the Toolkit for Educators (PDF) to find an overview of the site's offerings and suggested curriculum uses.
tag(s): game based learning (181), multilingual (69), preK (263), STEM (279)
In the Classroom
Add games found on Clever Crazes for Kids to others shared on classroom computers. Encourage students to participate in games by earning points. Have students document and extend their learning by sharing screenshots of accomplishments and by screen recording student reading sessions to demonstrate progress. Use Seesaw, reviewed here, as a digital portfolio to document progress and share student learning with parents.
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PBS Kids - PBS
Grades
K to 5
1 Favorites
0 Comments
PBS Kids' focus is mainly educational activities and videos for kids in Preschool, Kindergarten, and Primary age students. For younger students, select games, videos, and activities...more
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PBS Kids' focus is mainly educational activities and videos for kids in Preschool, Kindergarten, and Primary age students. For younger students, select games, videos, and activities about well-known characters like Clifford the Big Red Dog, Arthur, Peg and Cat, Dr. Seuss, and more. Clicking All Games will give you 29 categories to choose from, for example, Team Work, Feelings, Engineering, Spelling, Reading, Healthy Habits, and many more. Click New Games to find topics such as Guess the Feeling, World Orchestra, and others to help familiarize youngsters with flight, trains, counting, and well, you name it, and PBS Kids probably has it!
tag(s): DAT device agnostic tool (147), game based learning (181), literacy (116), preK (263), video (262)
In the Classroom
Discover and share the many free resources available on PBS Kids. Show clips on your interactive whiteboard, or with your projector, then have students complete an accompanying activity. With younger students, use Gravity, reviewed here, as a video response platform for students to share how they would use what they learned by watching the videos or using the interactives. Alternatively, you might try using Acast, reviewed here; Acast is an extremely easy to use tool for creating audio to share as podcasts. PBS Kids is perfect for sharing with parents. Include a link to activities on your class website along with suggestions on how to use activities at home.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SplashLearn - StudyPad, Inc
Grades
K to 5
1 Favorites
0 Comments
SplashLearn is a game-based math and ELA curriculum for students in grades pre-K-5. In addition, SplashLearn offers several general knowledge games that incorporate science, social...more
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SplashLearn is a game-based math and ELA curriculum for students in grades pre-K-5. In addition, SplashLearn offers several general knowledge games that incorporate science, social studies, and the arts. SplashLearn adapts the learning paths students play games to fit individual student responses and interactions within the elementary curriculum. Use the teacher dashboard to manage classes and add students. Other features allow educators to assign material to individual students, add required assessments, and enable home access using parents' email addresses. The site's themes and rewards motivate student learning; students earn coins to purchase virtual pets.
Note: This tool is now free for teachers for the premium version and complete access to all its features (no cost).
tag(s): addition (127), alphabet (52), blended learning (37), decimals (84), division (97), equations (119), fractions (157), game based learning (181), geometric shapes (135), Learning Management Systems (20), measurement (124), multiplication (121), number sense (70), place value (34), preK (263), sight words (22), spelling (98), subtraction (108)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free games and activities to provide practice and support with your math and reading curriculums. Differentiate learning based on student ability and confidence. Assign content based on students' learning goals. Share this site with parents to provide practice and support for math and ELA concepts at home. Use SplashLearn's reports and assessment results to guide your lesson planning and make adaptations to adjust to students' learning needs. Share this site with other practice activities using a bookmarking tool such as Symbaloo, reviewed here. Share your Symbaloo link with parents and on classroom computers for easy access to all learning tools shared. Use activities found in SplashLearn as part of a blended learning experience using Pear Deck, reviewed here. Include a link to the site along with videos and other learning activities found online or uploaded from your computer.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ReadingIQ - Age of Learning
Grades
K to 6
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Reading IQ contains an expansive reading library including quality fiction and non-fiction literature and award-winning books. Free enrollment for teachers provides free access to students...more
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Reading IQ contains an expansive reading library including quality fiction and non-fiction literature and award-winning books. Free enrollment for teachers provides free access to students on any device. After enrolling, set up your classroom to access student monitoring tools that include assigning reading levels and monitoring time spent reading. ReadingIQ allows teachers to assign books then provides detailed reports of class and individual progress in reading levels.
tag(s): book lists (165), classroom management (122), literacy (116), preK (263), reading comprehension (147), spanish (106)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of this free reading program to differentiate reading materials for your students both by ability and interests. Set up your program then share learning goals with your students and parents. Engage students use by using the free interactives and printables from ReadWriteThink, reviewed here, and have students create story maps, book covers, and much more as part of their retelling and summarizing activities. Create shared class activities using a video response tool like Gravity, reviewed here, to enhance student learning by asking students to share short book talks about their favorite books read on the site. Take learning even further by creating ongoing podcasts discussing favorite books and characters using Buzzsprout, reviewed here. Buzzsprout makes it easy to create and share podcasts by offering scheduling options to meet your needs.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ReadWorks - ReadWorks.org
Grades
K to 12
8 Favorites
0 Comments
ReadWorks provides a free, research-based, and Common Core-aligned reading comprehension curriculum. Click Explore Content from the top menu to search through hundreds of lesson plans...more
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ReadWorks provides a free, research-based, and Common Core-aligned reading comprehension curriculum. Click Explore Content from the top menu to search through hundreds of lesson plans organized by grade level, topic, or titles. Register to download materials and save lessons to your folder. (A valid email and password is required). Be sure to start with the Teacher Guide to see all the many features ReadWorks offers about using and teaching the provided lessons and differentiation. For a quick start, click Explore Content then select options from the left menu: Text Options - Reading Passages, Aritcle a Day, and Paired Text, Curriculum Support, Grade, Topic, Text Types - Nonfiction, Fiction, or Poetry, and Lexile. There are thousands of reading passages along with question sets to support learning activities for grades K-12. Each selection contains the text with audio, a vocabulary link, and a questions set. In the left margin, you will find related resources such as standards and related materials.
Teachers can create classes to assign reading and track assessments (which are automatically graded). After signing up with email, click on Admin from the top menu and create a class. Students join the class by using a code and their Google account. No Google account? No problem. Create a roster and provide the class code to students. Easily create assignments for the whole class, or individuals as a way to differentiate. This is a perfect tool to use for remote (or distance) teaching and learning!
Teachers can create classes to assign reading and track assessments (which are automatically graded). After signing up with email, click on Admin from the top menu and create a class. Students join the class by using a code and their Google account. No Google account? No problem. Create a roster and provide the class code to students. Easily create assignments for the whole class, or individuals as a way to differentiate. This is a perfect tool to use for remote (or distance) teaching and learning!
tag(s): characterization (18), context clues (5), figurative language (15), guided reading (33), main idea (8), parts of speech (40), plot (11), point of view (8), reading comprehension (147), reading strategies (101), sequencing (17), Teacher Utilities (159), themes (11), vocabulary (238)
In the Classroom
Show students how to sign up and log in to ReadWorks using a projector or interactive whiteboard. Complete a sample assignment together. Use ReadWorks in blended learning or flipped classrooms leaving class time for asking questions and clarifying. Post the link on your website and consider assigning the Article-A-Day for at home reading. Rotate the subjects weekly and discuss the topic the next day in class. Consider using a back channel tool such as GoSoapBox, reviewed here, for the discussion, so even your quiet and shy students feel comfortable participating, and you can get analytics after the discussion. Teachers of all subjects, but especially science and social studies, can find topics for students to read for their subject. Then challenge students to research the topic further. Differentiation can be accomplished easily by assigning to individual students, or you can create multiple classes, which would actually be small groups, who read at the same level or have the same topic interest.Once the students are familiar with the site use Symbaloo Learning Paths, reviewed here, to assign reading to groups at the same reading level. Older students, once they know their reading level, can their select reading and create their own Symbaloo Learning Paths. Check these to make sure students include all types of reading, and that they are challenging themselves. After several selections, ask older students to choose the topic they were most interested in, find resources to learn more about the topic, then extend their learning by presenting their findings using a multimedia tool such as (click on the tool name to access the review): Canva Infographic Maker, Marq (Lucidpress), Powtoon, or Adobe Express Video Maker.
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Arcademics - Arcademics
Grades
1 to 9
2 Favorites
0 Comments
Looking for engaging interactives for math, language arts, geography, and even more? Look no further than this colorful site. These activities are great ways to build skills and work...more
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Looking for engaging interactives for math, language arts, geography, and even more? Look no further than this colorful site. These activities are great ways to build skills and work on math and language arts concepts for all students. The activities are divided into multi-player and single-player games in such categories as "Addition and Subtraction," "Multiplication and Division," and "Fraction and Ratios." There are also language arts interactives! After signing up, enroll your students in the Free membership, assign games, and keep track of student progress. Arcademics uses HTML5, so you can use any device with a web browser. Find apps for Android and iOS, too. HTML5 allows students to play together from any device, anywhere; this means students can play some of the games with classes around the world. Talk about collaboration! Need help? See the step by step instructions for troubleshooting available at the FAQ link. Access information for grade levels, subjects, and more across the top of the website. To choose a game, roll your mouse over it to see its title, then click. Read the quick introduction to understand the activity. Provide direction in whether students should enter a player name or use the randomly generated name from the site. Choose to play a new game or join an existing game. Create a private game if you wish, which requires password creation. No email address or personal information is required for these excellent practice activities. There is a subscription (at a cost) offer for this site. This review is for the free portion of this resource "The free Arcademics Basic includes student powerups and achieivements, but no data analysis."
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This site includes advertising.
tag(s): addition (127), collaboration (94), DAT device agnostic tool (147), division (97), fractions (157), game based learning (181), multiplication (121), ratios (47), subtraction (108), verbs (27), vision (45), vowels (6)
In the Classroom
Use these games for individual practice for students who need extra help. The instant feedback provides great learning opportunities for students and builds confidence. Group students in multi-player games that is engaging and interactive. Focus on students' honing skills, building confidence and working together as a group of learners. Use these activities with an interactive whiteboard or projector to elicit large group participation or when computers are limited. Provide this link on your class website, for students to access both in and out of the classroom. The instant feedback for students and keeping track of student progress makes Arcademic Skill Builders perfect for remote learning or the blended classroom! Extend student learning by having students use Flock, reviewed here to ask clarification questions and to reflect on their learning. Require students to comment on their peers' questions and reflections.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Padlet - Padlet
Grades
2 to 12
13 Favorites
0 Comments
Padlet offers many tools and resources for creating online bulletin boards to display and organize information on any topic. Create a new board from scratch or choose from many templates,...more
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Padlet offers many tools and resources for creating online bulletin boards to display and organize information on any topic. Create a new board from scratch or choose from many templates, including timelines, maps, storyboards, KWL boards, and many more options. Padlet also offers AI features to use as a tool to automatically create interactive activities and custom boards based on topic, grade level, and additional details such as standards or teaching objectives. Padlet Sandboxes allows members to interact and collaborate in real time using sticky notes, drawings, and more. Customize the appearance and format of your Padlets using options such as allowing comments on posts, moderating posts and comments before they are publicly posted, and sorting options for easier viewing. When adding posts, you can add links, images, videos, documents, polls, and more. This is a link to Padlet's Help section for posting a video or an image. Free accounts allow you to make 3 Padlets that include search, themes, stats, premium wallpapers, and cross-device support for uploaded videos. You can always delete an old Padlet to create a new one. Find video tutorials and examples by scrolling to the bottom menu and clicking "Support" on the left side of the page. Padlet is a device-agnostic tool available on the web but also available for free as both an Android and iOS app. Use it from any device or move between several devices and still access your work. App and web versions vary slightly.
tag(s): artificial intelligence (145), biographies (95), blogs (65), book reports (28), brainstorming (18), bulletin boards (15), DAT device agnostic tool (147), images (260), journals (16), rubrics (35), timelines (56)
In the Classroom
Use a Padlet to collaborate in collecting ideas, brainstorming, and more. Use this tool easily in your Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) classroom since all students can access it for free, no matter what device they have. Padlet does not show which work is attributable to which student, so you may want to require that students initial their contributions in order to get credit. If allowing all students to post to the wall or make comments, you may want to discuss internet safety and etiquette and establish specific class rules and consequences. Making the setting private again will prohibit content from later being replaced by classmate "vandalism."Take advantage of Padlet's many features, such as "recipes," to make and personalize Padlet collections quickly. Examples of recipes include exit tickets, read-and-respond activities, class schedules, and blogs. Another option to use with Padlet is the Sandbox option, which allows members to draw, create, and play with others in real time. Be sure to visit the Sandbox examples that share ideas and templates for Jeopardy games, interactive lessons, collaborative reading reflections, and much more. If you previously used Google Jamboard, which has been discontinued, Padlet's Sandbox features are a worthwhile replacement for Jamboard.
Use a Padlet to collect Webquest links and information to share with students. Leave the wall open to comments, and solicit input, discussions, or viewpoints from students. They can even contribute other sources they find. Color code resources to indicate different reading levels or "high challenge" sources for your more able students. Assign a student project where students choose their theme and design a wall around it. For example, have students create a wall about an environmental issue. They can include pictures, audio or video, links, and other information to display. Use as a new format for book reports. Do your students have favorites such as music or sports? Create a wall around these favorites or hobbies. Use a wall for grammar or vocabulary words. Create walls for debates or viewpoints. Post assignments, reminders, or study skills on a wall. Do you use student scribes or reporters? Use the Padlet site to create a wall with the goings-on in class. Embed your walls in a blog, wiki or website. See a similar tool (and more ideas to use either tool) in the TeachersFirst review of Lino here. Decide which one you prefer! Unfortunately, the Padlet embedded viewer is very small but can be scrolled in both directions.
Use Padlet as a class space during snow days and school breaks. Share the link to a teacher-created, public wall where students can share notes about what they did during the snow day or respond to a thought-provoking question.
Encourage creativity and organization by having your gifted students (or anyone doing independent projects) create Padlets to collect ideas, images, quotes, and more in an "idea bin." Require them to share a brainstorming Padlet to show you the ideas they considered before they launch into a project. Have them brainstorm (and later sort/color code) the possibilities for a creative problem solving or "Maker Faire" project. In writing or art classes, use Padlet as a virtual writer's journal or design notebook to collect ideas, images, and even video clips.
Edge Features:
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes Interaction w general public/ public galleries with unmoderated content
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
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Products can be embedded
Products can be shared by URL
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