My IEC 4037 Learning Community by Ow Yeong Wai Mang

My IEC 4037 Learning Community by Ow Yeong Wai Mang https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48 en-us 2022-08-14 04:06:48 UTC 2023-09-02 08:29:25 UTC hello@padlet.com Jiayi li_jiayi4_1 https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2264920784 Padlet has been useful for me in eliciting responses from students during a session as well as in capturing their exit ticket answers (e.g. "What are the three things you learnt today?").

In a group session, students were able to read and learn from one another's responses.
For individual sessions, I used Padlet to document a student's progress over time and to review the content of previous session.
Most students prefer it to writing. Some students have told me that it feels like they are texting.

]]> 2022-08-18 23:51:11 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2264920784 Angela huang_angela https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2265096173 Powtoon has been useful for my work with students with ASD as well as to engage students during class talks, as well as staff and parents.

For students with ASD, We enjoy creating various topics together as students find this platform a better way to express their thoughts and feelings, and they remember it better. It also gives them more autonomy and agency in the creating and sharing process.
1) Self- intro videos: Teaches them to express their feelings, thoughts and expressions through the apt use of animated characters and texts, especially if they have difficulties with verbal/face-to-face communication
2) Social skills topics:
- Created with students according to the targeted needs. e.g. appropriate/inappropriate phrases that can/cannot be used in school
- Customised school rules with Ms Angela

*It can be conveniently shared with parents so as to reinforce the learning at home!

3) I also used it to create videos for awareness talks for staff/students: Topics on inclusion and autism.

*Videos created by students will be shared with student's form class to help them foster better awareness of student's inner thoughts and bridge social communication. It is also shared with parents to let them know what is being shared in class.

]]> 2022-08-19 03:10:17 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2265096173 Ridiana https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2266037872 One of the new e tools that I have tried using recently is CANVA. It is an on-line graphic design tools that could be used for social media, poster, presentation etc. The simple and intuitive interface is able to attract readers due to the attractive visual graphic presentation. I have used CANVA to create infographics with an aim to share information on special education with teachers in my school.

This easy to use e-tools can further be used with students to encourage creativity such as

· Expressing their understanding in comprehension with visual graphics,

· Comic strips,

· Creating characters for composition,

· Presentation etc

]]> 2022-08-20 06:07:30 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2266037872 Cheryl chew_poh_choo https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2266174398 I have created a webpage using goggle sites which contain information of the various area of learning needs. Previously, when teachers approached me on questions about learning needs, I used to give them hardcopy of reference booklets on the different area of special needs that they enquired (E.g. ADHD, ASD, Dyslexia etc). I made these booklets which contain consolidated essential information of that specific area of special needs to help the teachers (so that they can have easy reference and do not have to surf many websites to look for information). Making these booklets was very time consuming and cumbersome. With goggle sites, I can put all the information on the webpage that I have created and share the link with teachers easily and readily. I can also share much more information now and I can even share educational videos using this online platform.

Besides Goggle Sites, another etool that I have used is a rather simple but fun App that teach sight words using a Ninga game. It is fun, engaging and has different level of difficulties that can be adjusted to meet the different learning needs of the students.

I also use videos (E.g. Social stories, educational videos etc) from YouTube in my daily teaching of the students. These professionally created videos are readily accessible (save time as I do not need to create something from scratch) and engaging.]]> 2022-08-20 15:08:02 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2266174398 Christabel https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2266449897 Wordwall is a platform that I use often to create interactive activities for lessons. It is a convenient means of teaching/explaining some of the skills to the students. Sometimes, I use it as a form of assessment as well. I save time by moving away from preparing activity sheets, i.e. printing, cutting, laminating, and students are also more engaged when they work on these activities on the interactive TV since there is an element of gaming fun.

Unfortunately, the site does not have a function that allows us to download student’s answers. Hence, to be able to track and review the student’s progress, it is still important for me to note down the errors made.

]]> 2022-08-21 09:38:24 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2266449897 Christabel https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2267208008 When my colleagues shared about how Padlet enabled greater collaboration among their students, I started to wonder if it was also possible for me to do the same even though most of my sessions were done individually or paired.

· Considering that even though these sessions were done individually, many of these students might be learning the same topic. Hence, I was still able to use Padlet to get students to brainstorm, share and review each other’s ideas/new vocabulary words. Furthermore, the students could be from different levels and perspectives could vary greatly, which I feel broadens their learning even more. It is of course important though for me to facilitate the learning process, and help them make sense of what other students have posted.

· When students post their views using Padlet, this also opens up options in their mode of presentation. Some students find it more difficult to express their thoughts in words, and by being able to post pictures and videos as well, I’ve experienced an increase in their participation.

· Allows for greater communication between myself and students. Students can post questions they have related to the topic, allowing me to respond out of lesson time which is limited, or to recap during sessions where necessary.

]]> 2022-08-22 09:03:30 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2267208008 Huixin bai_huixin https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2268068288 Padlet has been one of my to-go tech tools when I seek collaborative work among my students, especially for the after-school programme which I conducted. One of the sessions which I used Padlet for was to get them to recall and share their personal experiences on how their thoughts, feelings and behaviours can affect self and others. I was amazed by their openness to share. More importantly, their rich sharing had allowed me to delve deeper to discuss about their experiences and to reflect how they could have done better on the self-management aspect.

Padlet is a useful tool to co-construct ideas and thoughts, and provides an alternative way to those who may not be comfortable to share verbally. With Padlet, they were also able to tap on each other's experiences to give their two cents on how they would solve the problem/manage themselves differently. Such platform has also helped to link like-minded people together, especially when they realized that they had similar experiences or similar way of solving problems. It was a rich session as they learn from each other.]]> 2022-08-23 00:45:43 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2268068288 Felicia Tan https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2268231646 I frequently used Kahoot! as an interactive activity for my lessons. I see Kahoot! as a tool that not only motivates and activates my students' learning, it also allows me to check on their understanding of the lesson taught. I used this platform to test their knowledge, reiterate important concepts, and at the same time, I hope it can help them to retain information / knowledge taught. This game-based platform allows me to create quizzes for my lessons on literacy & language, numeracy as well as social skills.
Some benefits that i have observed so far when using Kahoot! are increased attention span & engagement, student participation, motivation, as well as interaction between students and teachers and students and peers. It also provides me the platform to have class discussion and as a formative assessment.]]> 2022-08-23 03:00:07 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2268231646 Huixin bai_huixin https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2268236527 I have always love Nearpod for its interactive features which I could use in my group sessions. One of the features which I have been using is the 'Time to Climb'. This is an alternative to Kahoot! and I use it often to review the concepts with the students that were taught previously (e.g. review of the importance of turning taking, the expected behaviour to seek help, Zones of Regulation etc).

This 'Time to Climb' feature also allows students to choose the avatar of their own. More than that, it creates a little competition among peers and it keeps them focused and motivated as they try to be the first to reach the summit - The students would first read the question given and choose the best answer. The one who gets it correct first would score higher in points and be the first to reach the summit of the mountain. I also like that it provides the immediate feedback to the students when they chose the wrong answer (e.g. true vs false). Additionally, there is a choice to choose on how I want to carry out the activity - either live participation or student-paced. I have also tried it for the review of sight words (e.g. spelling - where students can choose the correct spelling in the given option).

Nearpod is an innovative and interactive way to engage learners and can also be used as an exit ticket to assess their learning. Nearpod also has this 'reports' function which I can access to review the questions which the students got incorrect. I could then address them or re-teach (if needed) in the next session; it helps me with the planning of the next session. While Nearpod, especially this 'Time to Climb', has its good, I feel that it is much more effective when used with a group of 2 or more students because of its mini competition feature.]]> 2022-08-23 03:04:51 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2268236527 Felicia Tan https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2269760696 I find Padlet being a useful tech tool for me to elicit thoughts and opinions from my students. I started using Padlet as an alternative way to hear from the students in my Tier 2 social skill class.
Padlet can be used as a check-in platform before i start my lesson. Students get to share their feelings and thoughts with me and this is important as it not only helps students to recognize their feeling, it also allows me to know them better.
Padlet can also be a form of collaborative tool as student can share, brainstorm and review each other's comments and suggestion. This can facilitate classroom discussion among teacher & students or students and students.
I will also use Padlet as an exit ticket to elicit my student's understanding at the end of my lesson. This will allow me to assess my student's learning and feedback on my teaching.
With the use of Padlet, i can see that the collaboration and discussion among peers have increased and the quieter students are also slowing gaining more confident to voice out and feeling safe to share with others. ]]> 2022-08-24 06:18:04 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2269760696 Huixin https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2271329781 Today, I tried out Coggle with a P4 student. I wanted the session to be more collaborative whereby we reviewed (and explored) skill steps and the situations where the skills can be applied, together.
Instead of ‘I do’, ‘We do’ and ‘You do’, it was more of me providing guiding questions to facilitate the thinking process. It was interesting to see how information were co-constructed through guidance and being presented in mindmap style for ease of overview. During the facilitation and guidance, it also provided me the qualitative observations on the learning of the student (eg. if she has knowledge of the skill steps to perform the required task, or if she has awareness of when she can apply the skill steps), and allowed me to provide immediate feedback and clarifications. Additionally, such collaboration gave the student the empowerment as she shared. I feel that this student of mine may learn much better when she has ownership of her learning. And to build ownership, it is important to give her a voice to contribute her ideas/experiences/opinions.

Coggle can be a tool that encourages critical and collaborative thinking, and enables students to contribute their ideas at their own pace. As the mindmap is constructed, the students can see how the information are linked to one another. ]]> 2022-08-25 12:00:35 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2271329781 Hafizah hafizahbhamzah https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2275332007 Google Classroom has been my life savior when the pandemic started . I was thrown to digitalized my literacy and reading classes in 2020. Overnight, I learnt on the go about google classroom as I transferred all the hardcopy of my lesson resources online. The technical aspects of it wasn't as straightforward as I had expected but once I got the hang of it, I was able to teach my fellow department members to navigate around it. What I like about google classroom was it allows me to

- embedded a consistent google meet session for my lessons online
- upload all materials and resources through a simple picture taking from my phone to my Google Drive
- Easy interface to customize to my own needs

In return, the benefits i have gained include

1) Better engagement and smoother interaction between my students and I
2) Creating independence for the students to access content without me around
3) A consistent tool i used for my Home Based Learning Days at the moment]]> 2022-08-29 22:11:01 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2275332007 Christabel https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2276012025 One way to support our teaching in class is to have relevant stakeholders generalize the skills taught in different contexts, e.g. parents to reinforce skills at home. For them to be able to do this, we have to share information with them. It has been a tiresome process making infographics using Microsoft Word/Powerpoint (even though this is also an e-tool).

A while back, a fellow SEN Officer introduced me to Canva, which is a graphic design platform that has a wide range of templates available. With the push from this module, I finally tried it out and discovered that this greatly reduces the time needed to create visually appealing infographics. Canva also continuously improves the functions available and they have added a “Whiteboard” feature which allows for brainstorming of ideas and planning, almost similar to what Padlet does but with many more templates to choose from.

]]> 2022-08-30 09:33:43 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2276012025 Huixin https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2283773213 Inspired by Christabel, Word wall was one of the new tech tools I have tried recently. I used it to review the concepts of feelings to different situations with a student who has ASD.

What I liked about this Word wall template is that, it has a text-to-speech function! During the session, I observed that this function has helped my student with the reading. This would be particularly useful for students with reading difficulties! Initially, I thought that this tool would take up much of my time in exploring how to use, but it was pretty easy to navigate. I also liked that it minimizes the prep time quite a bit, which would otherwise take up a fair bit of my time if I were to create the activity sheet from scratch.

While it is a free tool, it has maximum number of trials. Educators have to subscribe for it if we would like to use it quite regularly. ]]> 2022-09-06 02:21:03 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2283773213 Jiayi li_jiayi4_1 https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2291669504 Canva is one of my most-used tool! I use it whenever I need to prepare resource packages for students/teachers/parents, and presentations. It's super user-friendly and has very captivating infographics.

I love that Canva allows you to present directly from the website, so all your links and animations are functional! You can also allow other users to contribute and edit the project together (similar to Google slides but prettier). ]]> 2022-09-12 03:46:53 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2291669504 Jiayi li_jiayi4_1 https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2291677772 OneNote has been an organizing lifesaver for me. A fellow SEN officer introduced it to me earlier this year and I have been using it ever since for all my lesson materials.

Every student I see for sessions has a folder within OneNote and every session I have with them is on a tab of its own. Within each tab, I can include materials like videos, images, and even reading passages. So I don't have to worry about missing out on anything. I can sync it with different devices too, so whatever I prepare on my laptop, I can view them on the interactive screen.

I can also draw mindmaps and include student inputs so that I have some record of their learning after the session (saves paper!).]]> 2022-09-12 03:56:52 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2291677772 Jiayi li_jiayi4_1 https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2291736430 I recently started using IXL and it has been a great form of practice and assessment for my students! I have used it mainly for the literacy skills but they also have materials for mathematical skills. IXL has broken down the levels from Kindergarten all the way to Higher 2, and it has quizzes that provide immediate feedback.

Whenever I teach a skill (e.g. finding main idea, topic sentences, prefixes/suffixes, etc), I get my students to test their understanding on IXL using their own PLDs. With a teacher account, you can even create student accounts and assign work for them on IXL. It's a paid subscription but there is a one-month free trial (which I am currently on). If you choose not to pay, you can still use up to 5 practices per day!]]> 2022-09-12 05:17:19 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2291736430 Jeffrey https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2295253173 During the covid period when home based learning was introduced, our afterschool engagement programme was greatly affected. This was usually a face to face session filled with either enrichment workshops or creative activities and games for SEN & at risks students. However with ZOOM we were able to somewhat continue that engagement but it lacked the fluid flow that our traditional session had. There is this awkward silence with people just staring into the screen and waiting for a response or initiation from the teacher. Kahoot helped a lot in this area, its visual aspects seem to beckon their compliance . They were able to see what was happening, what they needed to perform and monitor progress. The game like nature of the platform really appeals to them and that really grabbed their attention. Kahoot is easily customizable so it is easy to tweak to your desired purpose. For lazy people like myself, there are templates that you can reuse and look like a professional.

]]> 2022-09-13 23:18:27 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2295253173 Angela huang_angela https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2299362308 Canva is definitely my go-to tool as well whenever I want to create sharing slides/pre-record my presentation/create visual aids for my students. The templates are beautiful and it is very easy to use. Interestingly, my sec 2s also learnt to use it at an ITE module they attended last semester, so it is going to be one of the go-to tools for them as well in post-sec education! ]]> 2022-09-16 03:35:46 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2299362308 Che Ka https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2299651492 Kahoot! is a fantastic way to engage interest and encourage small successes among the students especially those who are often discouraged by their own failures.

Have used Kahoot! frequently to have short quizzes as mode of recap of what was being taught in the previous sessions as well as a wrap up activity for sessions.

It is a good platform for both social skills lessons as well as literacy sessions. The game-like platform is very popular with the SEN students and is a good ice-breaker as well as a way to have intreresting break during sessions. ]]> 2022-09-16 08:19:02 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2299651492 Saarah https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2301029575 I was unsure about how I could ensure that I have the necessary etools to have my students show the skills and/or knowledge they had learned during our online sessions when Full Home-based Learning (FHBL) was implemented during Circuit Breaker. Fortunately, one of my colleagues introduced me to Whiteboard.fi. It is similar to how teachers use small physical whiteboards in the classroom.

I’ve used this etool during my literacy intervention and numeracy intervention with my students via zoom. It allowed me to create questions and push out for my student to work on using their whiteboard and markers to show me their answers (e.g.: spelling strategy to spell, mathematics strategy to answer a maths question). I am able to monitor their work. It allowed me to gather formative assessment data on my students understanding and application of the concept taught to them.

But before I could use this etool with my students, I needed to use a session to demonstrate and teach them how to manipulate the interface. Initially, there were some hiccups when my students just started to use this tool, but once they got the hang of it after one or two sessions, we were able to fully maximise our online sessions.

]]> 2022-09-17 15:05:54 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2301029575 Saarah https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2301040605 Kahoot! is a motivating and engaging etools I enjoy using instead of traditional paper and pencil to review content with my students, especially for students who prefer competition and games. It allows me to evaluate my students’ understanding of the content and make the necessary modifications to my lesson based on the data gathered. This etool has also helped me to pre-assess my students before starting to teach them a new skill/topic. This data gathering tool is engaging and simple to use. It is very engaging for students and simple to adapt to match the needs of both myself and my students.

Kahoot! is simple to use and understand. It gives me the option of creating my own quiz or using one that has already been made. Each quiz is completely customizable to the questions I want to use to assess my students' understanding.

]]> 2022-09-17 15:22:39 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2301040605 Jiayi li_jiayi4_1 https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2302374430 Reading Christabel's and Huixin's inputs made me really curious about Wordwall so I tried it out for a session. And I love it! There are so many templates and resources available and like Belle said, it saves a lot of prep time. ]]> 2022-09-19 05:18:18 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2302374430 Huixin https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2302384733 I use Kahoot! quite often; in my group sessions when I do review with my students, and also trainings for teachers. I like Kahoot! because it is interactive and creates competition among the peers. It keeps them motivated and engaged.

As I use it to review the concept from the previous session, it allows me to understand and assess the degree of scaffolding I would need in my teaching. What I also appreciate about Kahoot is that it is not limited to literacy. I can also create quizzes on social skills or self-management skills to assess their learning. Easy to use and customizable as well.]]> 2022-09-19 05:26:31 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2302384733 Che Ka https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2302402066 Google Classroom is a good platform for HBL especially to post announcements, create assignments and link to online work as well as communication with students.

Though the starting was tough for the students with SEN to learn to log on and as well as navigate the classroom. It was a good platform for my reading classes. It was a good parking platform for my classroom slides as well as reading resources for the students. ]]> 2022-09-19 05:42:15 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2302402066 Huixin https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2310824010 Pinterest is one of my favourite community sites to look for ideas to design my resources for my students (such as sight words worksheets or spelling templates). I can also easily find literacy games and incorporate the idea into my intervention sessions. Pinterest allows you to create your own board and pin the resources under similar categories, so that you can easily locate them. Not just printable resources, Pinterest has videos related to social skills too. More importantly, because of its wide variety of resources, it has saved me a lot of time as you can adapt the worksheets.

Pinterest promotes self-directed learning and it is accessible anytime, as long as you have the app in your phone. Pinterest is free, has unlimited access and you have full control on what you want to save to the board on your Pinterest account.]]> 2022-09-23 17:00:01 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2310824010 Angela huang_angela https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2313240737 I first learnt about this e-tool from a teacher who uses this in his teaching for CPA. It has been very useful for my student with visual impairment, as it does not require my student to use a separate magnifying equipment e.g. Onyx.

With the help of a personal learning device now, my student can log in to Google Jamboard and view teacher's written workings and explanations that are conventionally written on a whiteboard and magnifies it to her own comfort level. This is a form of UDL as the whole class approach allows each student to view from their own device and magnify to their own comfort level.

At the same time, it auto saves what the teacher writes and the teacher can continue writign on the next page, instead of having to erase the conventional whiteboard before adding on.

I also like that the teacher can take photo of any piece of written work and post on the jamboard instantly for students to see from their own device and encourage peer reviewing, rather than through the use of a visualiser, which my student would then have to magnify her vision through her Onyx device

After learning about this e-tool, I have also adapted it with my student when we learn spelling. As it is difficult to maintain a "spelling book" together as he often loses his things, I have used Jamboard as the alterntive. I use it to record the words we are going to learn, as well as for him to write during spelling / take a photo of his spelling answers and post it. He can then review the learning at his own time and we can review it together at the start of the next lesson. ]]> 2022-09-26 08:33:41 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2313240737 Jeffrey https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2316651914 Animaker
I find it to be a complete editing software to create professional looking animation.
In the past, I hv been using PowerPoint to create crude animated storyline. You could pull off certain 'movements' using picture insert, animation & transition functions but compared to Animaker, it is rather 2 dimensional and require lots of pre-editing. Animaker takes out the hassle with customizable avatar creation, different background templates to set the scene for your storyboard I love the bundle of action templates where you can make your character do almost anything in your storyline. You can add voice to make your character speak, female or male, even your own voice, it is all entirely up to you. The interface is simple and easy to navigate, of course going through the tutorial will be very helpful. The syncing of scene and voice over required sometime for me to master. I had to go through several rectifications on the time line feature because the narration spills over into the next scene. After creating 7 scenes for the self intro and making tedious adjustments, I realised the 'save as' template is only available if you upgrade the version, then the software froze on me...what a way to end the day...

Reply: I hope that you managed to find a solution in the end. It must have been a long tiring time for you then. All the best for your next attempt! If you find this good, you may also try to get the school to purchase or upgrade. ]]> 2022-09-28 02:16:19 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2316651914 Jeffrey https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2318999020 Like PowerPoint, canvas offers a extensive library of pre-made templates making content creation simple even for beginners like myself.
It has features similar to Photoshop that can create overlays or textured effects. Interface is easy to navigate
Which I feel is an important element to reach out to a wider audience especially the non techno savvy. Imagery in stock is totally free which is unlike most similar platforms. Now anyone can produce professional looking presentation simply with a click.]]> 2022-09-29 08:41:05 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2318999020 Jeffrey https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2322424215 Nearpod
Free version is with limited features
Nearpod is integrated with other platforms, thus removes the need to go around mulitple websites.
Template search can be filtered using subject, grades, resource type or just the typical general search.
Nearpod has quite a unique template. Within a sub category, there are further options to select more templates under that category. Teachers just need to pick and choose. Nearpod has a live lesson mode for teachers who want to conduct a lesson or student paste mode if teacher intend to have student learn at their own time. This allows flexibility in the teaching delivery. I find the report session at the end very interesting. Teacher is able to check on learner's participation & progress on the activities. The summary table shows each student's performance and whether they have completed all the sub tasks required.]]> 2022-10-02 06:33:22 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2322424215 Jeffrey https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2322424987 Wakelet
This is a useful tool to create online or even classroom lessons. It is totally free and safe so long as the publish profile button is disabled.
For dyslexic students, it has a immersive reader function, where a text could be read to a student
Its inbuilt dictionary is useful to highlight meaning of unfamiliar words and translator for students who are non English speaking. The text format can be adjusted to make fonts larger, lines spacing wider. I find this conveniently integrated to be suit the needs of dyslexic students. Like in other platforms, it has a collection of customizable templates to create any kind presentation with a click of a mouse, taking the hassle out of preparation. Reaching out to a wider audience has never been so easy, e.g. using links, QR code or social media.

]]> 2022-10-02 06:35:09 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2322424987 Huixin https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2323181806 CapCut is an app which users can download to edit videos on the go using the mobile phone or iPad. It offers a variety of animated stickers and music for background. You can also explore the different transitions options in CapCut. What I like about CapCut is that it allows me to edit videos and add stickers into the videos which I had filmed to make it more interesting for viewers.

I've used it previously to make a video on self-management skills (with my students being the main contributors to the content and skits), and we shared it with the whole school as one of the assembly programme in the morning.

However, CapCut (like any other video editor app) can be a little challenging if you are not familiar with video editing. It can be time-consuming.]]> 2022-10-03 05:25:04 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2323181806 Che Ka lim_che_ka https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2323217392 Loom is a free screen recorder for Mac, Windows, Chrome, iOS, and Android. It’s quick to install, easy to use. You can also use without downloading. One of the limitations for free account is you can only save 25 videos.

The benefit is using it as screen recorder while you can voice over or record yourself on the screen. Love that it can be for people who are either visual or auditory lovers.

I have previously used this as a briefing slide for our Gratitude project to our students and it was quite easy to use for the basic recording of slides, voice over with or without your image shown.

]]> 2022-10-03 06:14:18 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2323217392 Felicia https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2331846539 After reading Christabel's sharing, I want to find out more about Wordwall. So I went to ask one of my EL colleague and found out that my school has an account. Finally find time to explore and created a simple matching program to help my P1 student to build on vocabulary. ]]> 2022-10-08 11:30:30 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2331846539 Jiayi li_jiayi4_1 https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2333040204 I tried Loom after reading Che Ka's sharing and it's really very useful! The voiceover function makes it helpful to prepare step by step instructions for students to access learning independently and/or online.]]> 2022-10-10 05:42:05 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2333040204 Christabel https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2334498956 Inspired by Angela’s post on Powtoon, I made attempts to try it out a few weeks ago. There was a 3 days free trial so there were many characters and scenes to work with. However, the scenes and timings got a little complicated for me and I stopped the production for a bit. When the trial expired, I found that the free version was less appealing with much fewer characters and scenes to use. Even if we created our own character, there would still be a watermark on it.

When time came for us to start on our self-introduction video, we were exposed to Animaker and I tried it out with caution with many thanks to Jeffrey’s introduction 😊Thankfully, it still allows me to save my draft while working on the video (find your saved work under “My Projects”). As compared to Powtoon, the free version has more options to use. With the features, it makes animating our characters a lot easier. All we need to do is duplicate the character in the different scenes, and with just two to three clicks, the character’s actions, expressions and even movements can be changed. There are also multiple templates available to choose from, which makes it less time consuming than creating a video from scratch. The only challenge I still have is working with the scenes/timings for a smooth transition. Time to watch more tutorials! :D

]]> 2022-10-11 02:46:45 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2334498956 Angela huang_angela https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2336624957 OneNote is one app which I've actually been using personally since undergrad days for my own organization of notes till now for ADISE.

However, Jiayi's post shed light on how OneNote can be also a t&l tool in our sessions with students. By keeping my sessions with students organised and including multimedia, I am also modelling a form of self-organization to my students and introducing them a viable e-platform to store their own learning. In fact, I have also observed a teacher using OneNote in class!

At the start of the math class, everyone automatically takes out their Personal Learning Device (PLD), opens OneNote and prepares to take notes of math questions and workings, and design it the way they want, with the use of a stylus. They can organize their learning by math topics. It works as a math notebook for them as well and the PLD also stores the softcopies of the textbook and worksheets. Students just need to bring a PLD with stylus for all math lessons. It also opens the options for students to choose either typing or writing with stylus in OneNote, catering to different types of learners. I noticed how it keeps the students more engaged, increased on-task behaviour during math teaching.

]]> 2022-10-12 08:10:00 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2336624957 Angela huang_angela https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2347979684 Im glad to have learnt about Wordwall from Christabel. I tried it out the "Gameshow Quiz" function with my students and they loved it! There are many activities Im looking forward to try such as Matching up or Anagram, which will engage my students better when they learn vocab and spelling. Overall, I think this is going to be one of my new go-to e-tools for literacy lessons!]]> 2022-10-19 23:53:16 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2347979684 Christabel https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2361841917 Huixin’s post first got me interested in Nearpod because I’ve always enjoyed using interactive tools with my students. Later, when we did the lesson on affordances, Hafizah and Jiayi helped to showcase some features of Nearpod which made me even more intrigued.

What I really like about Nearpod is that it allows for multiple interactive functions which saves us the need to visit many platforms for the same function. E.g. Collaborate Board function works in a similar way to Padlet, though the free version of Nearpod has limited features when we use the Collaborate Board function. The Time-to-Climb function is similar to platforms like Kahoot, Quizziz, that allows for us to quiz students but in an even cuter manner with the avatars. We are even able to integrate youtube videos in the Nearpod presentation by simply pasting the link in the presentation. The Nearpod library also has extensive number of resources that the community has created for others to tap on.

What I don’t like so much about Nearpod is there are limitations to how we can edit a slide in within it. The slides created in Nearpod itself are usually very plain and bare. The good thing though is that it allows for us to integrate Google or Powerpoint slides into our presentation so we can aesthetically enhance them.

]]> 2022-10-30 03:57:30 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2361841917 Christabel https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2361851060 Doing up our e-Portfolio has given me an idea on how I can better share resources with parents now. I have been either been giving specific parents hard copy resources or via email. Hence, I was thinking of how I could make use of our school's website to better share resources with any parent who are keen.

However, there are multiple challenges with placing resources directly to the school website, starting from the simple fact that I don't have access to the management of the webpage. Thus, the use of google site to create a resource bank is a great idea.

Other than Google Sites, Google has many features that allows us to work collaboratively in an interactive manner. I learnt this from my colleagues that during the circuit breaker period, they used Google Forms to create a virtual escape room. You can create sections to the activity which makes it seem like you are really moving on from "room to room" after solving the clues. Teachers can also vary the level of task difficulty by providing different amount of prompts.]]> 2022-10-30 04:33:41 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2361851060 Cheryl chew_poh_choo https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2366757285 I have discovered this interesting online learning platform that uses games to teach. There is a wide selection of games (pre-made or you can create on your own). The library has a rich content of learning games created and added by teachers all over the world. Like many other platform, you can sign up for free with lots of content availability right away. The most important thing is that it is easy to use. Students can make quizzes if you want them to, which gives you a new way to have them work in groups or even to present their work.]]> 2022-11-02 14:17:54 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2366757285 Cheryl chew_poh_choo https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2366806465 Classroom screen is a free online tool that allows teachers to display lesson’s instructions in a clear and visually appealing format. There is a variety of widgets to help students get to work and support their class activities. I have tried it, it is very cool.

https://youtu.be/j6EwmrFhogA

]]> 2022-11-02 14:44:29 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2366806465 Che Ka lim_che_ka https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2368663260 Nearpod is an engaging teaching platform to use where activities like quiz and games can be injected into the presentation. The live presentation allows students to also link to other websites for other activities outside of Nearpod. Love the high level of engagement. The downside of Nearpod is the default background are quite plain. Will need to use powerpoint to prepare the slides before loading to Nearpod. The free version of Nearpod only allows 100 Mb, so will need to purchase for more lessons to be saved. ]]> 2022-11-03 15:24:48 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2368663260 Che Ka lim_che_ka https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2368670986 Animaker is a convenient tool to make cartoons. It is an useful tool to create social story for students with Special Educational Needs. Animaker has a free version and I love how one can customize the characters and many other functions of the animation. There is much variation for customization and it is quite easy to use. ]]> 2022-11-03 15:29:14 UTC https://padlet.com/elizabeth_owyeong/kqb4njow2n9vrb48/wish/2368670986