Monday, January 4, 2016

New Year - Finding new uses for past resources

As a new year begins, I find myself sorting through the assortment of apps on my tablet as well as bookmarks on my laptop.  Over the next month I will share my favorites with you.

Padlet - A great online app for gathering student responses on a specific topic!  Check out their blog at http://blog.padlet.com/ for more ideas.  Here are some of the ways I've used this resource:
 
Chemistry: I had students find chemical formulas for compounds that contained a specific element (one they had used during the Bonding Basics lesson).  They had to post the common and scientific name along with the chemical formula.
 

Forensic Science - I have also used it to reinforce unit vocabulary by challenging students to find ways to use specific words in sentences or share pictures that illustrate their meanings. The padlet pages can be printed and used as a word wall. 

Unit Outlines - You can set up a padlet to list links to online resources for a unit.  The padlet allows you to layout the page in the format you feel is best for students. Plus you can add new resources recommended by your students.