New Tech Teaching Toys (to me) from #sschat

Posted on by Stephen Lazar

Had a great time participating in the first Twitter #sschat last night. Having been away from blogging and the online teacher world for the past three years, I have missed a lot. Last night’s conversation on Web 2.0 Tools for the Social Studies Classroom really helped bring me up to speed, not to mention it really showed me for the first time how Twitter can be a valuable tool in my professional life.

The list below are tools that were new to me that I think can help my students better learn in my classes this year.

  • Worlde to help students analyze texts and documents [Thanks Daniel (@Agins213) for the idea and examples]
  • Voicethread is making my mind hurt thinking about all the possibilities. This looks like it could be an especially strong tool for my ELLs and struggling writers. I love that students could post via cellphone or video chat. This could transform homework in my class. I do an activity regularly where we put documents around the room on a poster and students respond around it. This would take the same thing and kick it up a notch. [Thanks, Jerry (@cybraryman1) for all the resources, and Greg (@gregkulowiec) for the document idea]
  • Wallwisher looks like it could be used for the same activity if I wanted to do it quicker. It would also be great for when students do stations and have to leave responses. [Thanks Becky (@Becky_Ellis_) for the idea)
  • Glogster looks like fun, though I worry I would have to spend a week teaching students just how to use it before they could produce anything. I’m also not sure how to use this to push student analysis as opposed to just throwing information on a poster [Eric (@vtdeacon) had some great ideas, though would still love to see examples]
  • Prezi looks like a really cool tool for me, and perhaps for students to use to show how a theme develops throughout history, though I have the same concerns as with Glogster. (Thanks Mr. Nesi (@mrnesi) for the first mention

Thanks to Greg (@gregkulowiec) for organizing and putting up the summary.

3 thoughts on “New Tech Teaching Toys (to me) from #sschat”

  1. Hey Steve! This IS interesting. You blogging, even more so. I dig the Wallwisher, very minimalist, easy to use. I’ll try out the others later. I could definitely see this used for our Literature circles but it’s open to the world. A measure of accountability.

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  2. Steve,

    Here are some Glogster examples for you. I hope they come out if not I’ll embed them on a webpage so you can see it

    Caribbean Brochure: http://s78ynd2.edu.glogster.com/caribbean-brochure/

    Product of the Rainforest poster on Banana: http://s069.navigators.edu.glogster.com/bananas/

    If the World were a Village poster: http://s069.navigators.edu.glogster.com/glog-919/

    another Product of the Rainforest poster: http://s049.navigators.edu.glogster.com/banana-project-visual-and-commercial/

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