Collaboration and Sharing Resources by Megan Lavin

Symbaloo.com

mlavin1271 — 2015-10-04 02:26:06 UTC

Symbaloo is a great website where you can create "media mixes." It allows the user to add icons for whatever websites they want to link. Then, the user can share this mix by emailing it to others, embedding it on a website, or simply use it as their homepage screen. I have it embedded on my website so that if students have homework on a specific website, they can simply go to the one place and click the icon to get there! It also makes it easy for parents to check in on what technology their children are using at school! Click the icon below to see the mix I use for school!

Padlet.com

mlavin1271 — 2015-10-04 02:32:20 UTC

A padlet is a "wall" where the user can add links, announcements, pictures, videos, and voice recordings! You can then embed your Padlet onto websites, share on social media, or export into different forms. You can also manipulate and personalize your Padlet using different backgrounds and formats. Padlet compiled a list of great examples so you can see how you could use Padlet or have your students use Padlet!

Pinterest.com

mlavin1271 — 2015-10-04 02:39:17 UTC

Pinterest is a website where you can follow your interests or search for something specific. You can then "pin" what you like to a specific board that you create and share it with others. There are a ton of teacher resources that are constantly being added and updated. There is so much more than that, though. I often look for new travel ideas, crafts, and life hacks! I have not used this for my classroom yet, but I think that it would be a great idea to have a classroom account that students could update and post to in order to share resources.

TeachersPayTeachers.com

mlavin1271 — 2015-10-04 02:55:31 UTC

TeachersPayTeachers.com is a website where you can look for other teachers lesson plans, unit plans, or other resources for the classroom. They upload what they create for other people to purchase. You may need to pay a fee for the resources, but the prices are usually very affordable and it helps to know that the resources are created by fellow educators. There are also free resources as well. Teachers review a lot of what they buy afterwards which is extremely helpful. I have purchased a select few materials on the website in times of desperation and I have been happy with what I chose, especially considering I only spent $3.00-$5.00!

Sharemylesson.com

mlavin1271 — 2015-10-04 03:06:06 UTC

This website consists of various lesson plans and teaching resources developed by teachers as well. You can either use the search toolbar or search by subject and grade level. The lessons are aligned with the CCSS and you can examine a summary of the resource before downloading it. I believe that they are all free once you create an account!

Smart Exchange

mlavin1271 — 2015-10-04 03:25:55 UTC

I have heard great things about Smart Exchange. You can share your own resources, search for specific resources, or browse specific subjects, grades, and CCSS-aligned lessons. I found a few things just preparing this presentation!

TES.com

mlavin1271 — 2015-10-04 03:46:52 UTC

TES is a website where you can share, search for, and buy and sell materials. Right now, there is only core subjects available so there is definitely room to expand. I found some free materials that have definitely intrigued me, including a lot of grammar materials. I think this would be a great go-to place to find mini-lessons and extra days to work into those inevitable days where you finish the materials early or you want to keep the classes on the same page and one class is ahead of the other. There are also a lot of materials to work into units.

Discussion Questions

mlavin1271 — 2015-10-10 17:50:49 UTC

Have you ever used any of the sharing resources outlined above?

If you have, do you think they are useful?
If you have not, do you think you might use them in the future? Why or why not?

Have you used any other sharing websites besides the ones listed above? If there is another website you use, please add it to the list!
Do you think you would use a collaboration website like Padlet with your classes? If so, how would you use them?
Is there a collaboration website that you use often and would recommend to others? If so, please add it to the list!

Background Information (very similar to the video above)

mlavin1271 — 2015-10-10 18:35:40 UTC

Welcome to my presentation for EST 567! I compiled a list of different collaboration and sharing resources which many teachers use. This week we are focusing on the "Technology of Tomorrow" and "Emerging Technologies." I think that these have been and will continue to gain popularity.

The collaboration websites allow students to work together regardless of location and time availability. It also helps teachers be able to check in on progress and create assignments using technology that incorporate collaboration. For example, I could use Padlet to assign a unit page where students add resources, questions, comments, and writing assignments as we move through it. They can then look back at the page in the future when they want to review for the unit or the year. It can also be used for future years and students can continue to build on the work of students that came before them. Since we have focused on many collaboration websites throughout the semester, I did not focus on these as much as I focused on the sharing websites. However, I did find a handy link where there are a lot of different tools listed and explained for further reading, which is attached to the bottom of this post.

The sharing websites are where teachers can go to find materials and resources to help them make their own lesson plans. Teachers can also share their own lessons and materials with other teachers. Some of the websites, such as TeachersPayTeachers, allow teachers to sell their products to fellow educators. They can also offer it for free.

This is, by no means, a complete list of resources. However, as time goes on, I'm hoping I can continue to work on it myself as well as collaborate with others to add in even more resources over time!

Thanks for your time,

Meg

mlavin1271 — 2015-10-10 19:10:20 UTC

Hello and Welcome!

mlavin1271 — 2015-10-11 17:38:19 UTC

The video below explains my presentation in a bit more detail!

I also forgot to add in the video: If you click on the note, you can browse the website or watch the video in the note instead of opening up a new tab!

This is a great tool! Never heard of it, but love it!

2015-10-11 19:25:39 UTC

That's awesome! I'm glad to hear you found it worthwhile! -Meg