Symbaloo, Padlet, FlipGrid & More Spark Features

This week I was introduced to a new online bookmarking tool called Symbaloo. Symbaloo is different than other bookmarking programs I've seen because users can create a specific "webmix" or visual collection of bookmarks with a particular purpose. For example, this week I made a webmix of the educational websites that are safe for my preschoolers to use independently. By using Symbaloo, students are able to quickly choose a recognizable bookmark and begin working or playing.

I also did some playing around with Padlet this week. Padlet is a collaboration tool that can be used to organize a variety of ideas and resources. I've participated on Padlet walls as a student, however I've never created a template on my own. Since my students are not old enough to use an application like Padlet independently, this week I created a mock wall demonstrating how the teachers in my building could collaborate about ideas for our monthly Family Fun Nights. You can see my example here or explore other ways you may be able to use Padlet in your own classroom.

My favorite new technology tool is called FlipGrid. FlipGrid is a website/app that is the perfect exhibit of social learning. Students (or teachers) can take short videos of themselves answering open-ended questions and creating a collection of topical ideas. While this program does require technology that is capable of recording video and audio, it is very user-friendly and provides material for authentic assessment. Check out the YouTube video below to see how FlipGrid can be used in the classroom:

Finally, I spent some more time exploring some additional capabilities of Adobe Spark. I posted about some of its features back in May, but this week I created a video project. It was a quick and easy tool to use, and one of my personal favorite parts is the free stock image search built-in to the creator. This saves a lot of time searching the internet for free photos to compliment your work. While there are many scary and negative things that can be said about the use of social media in today's world, I created a video highlighting some of the positive benefits of integrating social media in the classroom, as well as some safety tips and a few of my favorite platforms. There are so many great resources for teachers out there -- keep exploring and learning!