Creately
For months I have been looking for a mind mapping tool my wife could use in her AP Government and Politics Class. There are a few platforms out there (e.g. Text to Mind to Mind Map), but most are limited or difficult to use. Creately is a FREE web-based tool that is levels above the rest, with unlimited potential. It allows users to quickly and simply build a wide array of diagrams (e.g. flow charts, mind maps, family trees, etc.). Users can use pre-fabricated templates and be up and running in no time. Perhaps the best thing about this tool is the social-educational aspect. Students can publish their work, post comments, make notes, etc., all within the secure setting of this website.
Here are some quick and easy ways to leverage the power of Creately:
a) Language Arts: Students can create a diagram on Creately for their term papers outlining it their main talking points
b) Math: Students use Creately to explain their steps in solving a problem
c) Social studies: Students create a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the North and the South in the lead up to the Civil War
For any teacher that is looking for a student centered tool where students can qualify and organize content in a digitally rich and dynamic way, use Creatley! See the example below.
Survey Monkey
Ok, I have to admit it; I am a Google Forms addict. That said, I wanted to finally check out Survey Monkey, since I have always heard about it, but never took the plunge. Digital surveys and forms are increasingly becoming popular in classrooms. Teachers and students are using them for completing quizzes, collecting and qualifying information, completing homework assignments, etc. The list goes on and on.
Because I had some familiarity with building surveys and posting them, I was up and running on Survey Monkey in no time. Teachers can create accounts and generate their first survey or quiz in minutes. Survey Monkey seems to be Google Forms on a bit of “steroids”. Its strength lies in the fact that it is part of a global network. For example, they have pre-fabricated questions and/or survey templates for users to take advantage of. Further, if you are having trouble finding an audience, Survey Monkey will find one for you!
There is a bit of a catch, however. As Dembo and Bellow would say, Survey Monkey is a “freemium” tool. Many of its basic functionalities are free, but if a user wants to take full advantage of all it has to offer, they must pony up. When I created my first survey (posted below), I got a bit excited to see all the integration tools Survey Monkey was presenting me with. Problem was, when I clicked the tools, up popped the “premium” message. This may cause some people (especially teachers) to shy away from this tool and stick to things such as Google Forms and Poll Everywhere.
Easelly
Impressive. This is the first word that comes to mind with respect to Easelly, a digital info-graphic generator. Although currently still in beta, this tool has so much potential; and, can be applied to all content areas. As teachers, we are constantly asking our kids to examine content. All good teachers know that it is not enough for our students to just know the content, but have something to say about it. This is where Easelly comes in. It allows students to say something about the content (data, survey results, etc.) in a unique and dynamic manner. Moreover, using this tool forces them to qualify the information (in their own way) before even using the tool itself. As Dembo and Bello state, “The heart of it is the content that the creator wants to share with others. Students should be spending the bulk of their time determining what information to present and considering what the proper way to visualize it would be.” Easelly takes teaching and learning to another level. Once students have all their data in front of them, they begin to use this tool to represent this data in a new type of way. It is up to the students to determine how their data should be presented visually; they are making these decisions; they are critically thinking; they are creating.
Here are some quick and easy ways to leverage the power of Easelly:
a) US Issues: Compare and contrast modern day differences between Men and Women (see below)
b) AP Gov and Pol: Examine and present political voting trends and turnout throughout the country
c) Global Perspective Class: Examine and present “Nuclear Club” nations and nations that want to join this club!
Clearly, the potential of Easelly is fairly unlimited. The only thing I would like to see them do is continue to develop their service/system. With only a handful of templates, I can certainly see them adding more. I would ask them to focus on as many subject areas and hot topics as possible. Every class and every teacher, irrespective of content, needs to examine, evaluate, and present data. I will be sending them a request email, so wish me luck!
Bellow, A. & Dembo, S. (2013) Untangling the web: 20 Tools to power up your teaching. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.