There are several great online tools that can be repurposed for learning and teaching. My current affection lies with Popplet.
Popplet on first look seems to be a simple mind-mapping tool. As you start to delve into its features it is an incredibly intuitive tool that can serve lots of uses either in or beyond the classroom.
So what is Popplet?
In my view you make it be what you want it to be. The developers' definition is as follows:
In the classroom and at home, students use Popplet for learning. Used as a mind-map, Popplet helps students think and learn visually. Students can capture facts, thoughts, and images and learn to create relationships between them.I delivered a training session to a colleague on the use of interactive whiteboards. In preparation for the session, I was really having to dig deep to think of new innovative ways to extend the use of the IWB beyond creating drag and drop activities or presenting powerpoints. Then I came across Popplet.
You start by creating a 'popple'.This is box which could contain a statement, question, a picture or a video. You can then start to capture your ideas around that particular subject in other popples that link together. One of the great user features is drawing tool. If you are working from a PC or laptop you can use your mouse cursor to draw a picture or write something.
If you are using an interactive whiteboard you can use one of the pens supplied with the board to draw or write in the popple too. So, altogether you have a nice blend of media and tools that you can bring into your popple board to help students develop their understanding around the topic you are teaching. What's more is they can reflect upon in following the lesson if provided with the direct link to your popplet.
If students have access to an internet enabled device in class, they can also contribute their thoughts to the popplet by providing them with a direct link (there is an app too).
Below is an example of a Popplet I have been playing with. As you can see I have incorporated a drawing that highlights the effect of cross wind on landing, a video example and a picture of a graph which enables pilots to determine crosswind factors - a small lesson rolled into one!
Ideas for teaching
1. You could spend the first part of your session delivering the foundations of that particular topic and then encourage students to expand or challenge your ideas through doing some of their own research online and constructing their thoughts within your popplet.
2. I think Popplet is a really simple way of putting a lesson plan together. You start with the topic you plan to teach as your central popple - sometimes it might be a controversial video that will spark debate. Then around this you can start to create other popples that contain questions that you might want to challenge your pupils with or classroom research/group work activities, from which the outcomes are shared in the popplet.
3. I'm not one for splurging buzz terms too lightly around but.... hey, what about the flipped classroom. Why not get your students to independently (or in groups) research a topic or question that you plan to cover in your next lesson and put their ideas together in a Popplet. This will provide you some insight of what they understand and what you might have to build on with them in your lesson.
These are just my thoughts - I'll leave it up to you guys who are at the coal-face everyday to come up with some creative uses for this nice little tool. I have created a Popplet here for you to contribute your ideas on how you might use or already use Popplet in your teaching. If you would like to contribute please send me your Popplet ID or email address and I'll add you.
