How much time can you spend exploring websites you may never use before it becomes overwhelming? It's not that long, quite frankly. If you asked me to tell you what websites I was on this week, I'd just refer you to my browser history because I can't keep up.
This week, I wanted to see how many new websites I could find that I really felt like I might use in a school library setting. I have to say, overall I was kind of disappointed. Maybe I just don't have the practical experience to see how many of these websites could be useful. Here's what I did find and like, though:
1. Edmodo - After spending a few weeks using Canvas, I can see how students, especially older students, would benefit from online discussion. One of the students in my class mentioned how as a teenager, she found that blogging helped her to develop her voice and confidence. A class discussion board could do the same for someone who is uncomfortable raising her hand in class. Edmodo seemed like a good resource for that if your school does not already have an app for online discussion. There is also a way for teachers to communicate with parents if the teacher would like to use this platform rather than email.
2. TEDed - I love the videos on TEDed! "A Day in the Life of an Ancient Celtic Druid," "The Secret Student Resistance to Hitler," "The Dust Bunnies that Built Our Planet..." It seems like you could find something here for almost any lesson. Sometimes showing a quick five minute video is just what you need to break up your class and keep your students engaged. There are also lesson plans if you need something to spark your own creativity. (The lesson plans themselves seem pretty basic.)
3. WeVideo - If you are looking for a way for your students to create professional looking videos easily, setting up an account at a website like WeVideo may be worth the money. Creating videos is a nice change of pace for students, even if it may be more of a time commitment than most other assignments. If students feel that they are making something they can be truly proud of because of how professional it appears, they will probably be more excited about the project.
4. Poll Everywhere - Having your students engage with your class through polls and quizzes is not something you'd do every day, most likely, but it might be nice to do occasionally, especially right before vacations when you know they're getting distracted really easily. Poll Everywhere is a popular option for companies and schools to do this. It's not free if you want all the features, but if this is something you think you and your coworkers would use regularly, a premium account may be worth advocating for.
5. Canva - For my other class this week, I needed to create two infographs. I'd never made one before and certainly don't have any graphic design software on my $199 Chromebook. So, I googled "infographic free" and found Canva. I quickly made two rather professional (if I do say so myself) infographics. It was easy and would be a nice way for students to present information to their peers. I could see an assignment where students had to propose a business venture or science project in a simple way, using Canva. It would be a nice break from PowerPoint and would force them to elaborate on an idea, rather than just reading from a slide. There are premium accounts on Canva, but I found I didn't need it. If you really want to zhuzh up your infographic, there are many elements you can buy on a per item basis. Another site to consider is Piktochart, which seems better for collaborating, but this, again, comes at a price.
That last point about considering two sites that do virtually the same thing raises a point that I struggled with while exploring. There are so many websites and apps that claim to do the same (or very similar) thing. How do you decide which to use? We all have limited time, and the thought of spending hours exploring these resources and reading reviews while also trying to run a school library sounds exhausting. Maybe if they are similar, you just go with whatever you get a good feel from? And ask your friends if they've used any of the sites; they may be able to give you pointers. There are innumerable tools for schools online, though, and knowing even some of them will give you an advantage when working with teachers and students alike.
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