5 Websites for the Middle School Classroom: Part 1
Canva: Amazingly Simple Graphic Design // I have no training in graphic design, nor do I have the technology to create my own, so when I discovered Canva, I fell instantly in love. Canva is my go-to website for graphic design in the classroom, on my website, and on my blogs. I've had nothing but great experiences with it. It's incredibly easy to use and provides templates for all kinds of formats. Besides the graphics for this website, here are a couple examples of what I've done with Canva: |
I used Planboard throughout my student teaching experience to create my lesson plans, and I can't imagine teaching without it. It's essentially a calendar that allows you to import files & links, specify standards, create & share plans, and leave notes and reminders. On my classroom website, I can actually embed the lesson plan on my Daily Activity List so that students who miss school know exactly what where to look to see what they missed. Here is an example (and my tentative plans for the first day of school): |
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Blendspace is an excellent tool. It allows you to "Collect web resources in one place and share with just one link, measure student understanding with built-in quizzes, and monitor student progress and adapt to student needs in real-time." It can be a guided lesson that the students can do from their own device as well as a resource for them to refer to after they've been taught the concept in the classroom setting. Below, I've provided an example of how I used Blendspace to teach transitions. |
Padlet is an excellent online resource for collaboration. Teachers create a "wall" and invite students to contribute by giving them an access code. Multiple users can post at the same time. It's similar to TodaysMeet, but allows for users to upload links, pictures, and files. Plus it allows you manipulate the layout and design, so it's much prettier :) You can go to their website and make a wall for free to try it out. This could be used as a whole group, with small groups, or even to post commentary and questions throughout a lesson or Socratic seminar. |
Smore provides the perfect (and easiest) way to make digital flyers that can include pictures, links, files, polls, audio, and more. You can email Smores, send them as links, or embed them, so they are incredibly easy to share. What I love most about Smore is the potential for use in the classroom. One of our social studies teachers had her students create Smores for different African countries they were studying. In my lesson on settings, I had my students create a flyer for different settings. They first had to write a short narrative using with their setting. Then they had to show how their setting had been used in other literature and propose ideas for how their setting could be used in future stories. I was very impressed with the results, including this "Forest" Smore created by one of my students: |