Social Tools

There are a number of social tools available online that can be used in educational settings. With all the choices available, it's important to find tools that work for you as a teacher and provide a improved learning experience for students. Here are a few of the social tools I explored. 

1) Voice Thread

Type of learning: Depending on how this tool is being utilized, the type of learning can be understanding if it is being used as a media lecture. It can be application, evaluation, or synthesis if students are being asked to make connections to new knowledge, make judgements about what is being presented, or create their own media. 

Type of learning experience: Along Dale's Cone of Experience, VoiceThread is leaning toward the abstract experience. I would classify it as an exhibit, motion picture, recording, and still picture depending on how it is being used. 

Integration of Tool: This learning tool is a great resource both for teachers to present information, and to involve students in learning and responding. Because students can add voiceover comments to pictures and videos, it allows them to input their own knowledge and ask questions about a particular topic. I can envision a teacher setting up the media and presentation and allowing students to add to it. 

2) EduBlogs 

Type of learning: EduBlogs is going to be a higher order of thinking along Bloom's Taxonomy. Having students create their own blogs would be analysis or synthesis, depending on the task they are being asked to complete on their blogs. 

Type of learning experience: Edublogs would be more of an abstract learning experience along Dale's cone of learning experience. It would involve still pictures, visual symbols, and verbal symbols as students create blogs with written stories and visual pictures. 

Integration of Tool: EduBlogs is a great website to use for your students to create their own blogs within your class. Having a class blog also allows you to provide links to each student's blog so students can view each other's blogs. 

3) Lucidchart

Type of learning: Lucidchart could be used for a variety of thinking, but I see it most useful as application, analysis, and synthesis. This tool can be used for students to make connections and analyze text and topics studied in class. 

Type of learning experience: The tool Lucidchart would be an example of a visual symbol learning experience. It is on the abstract end of Dale's cone of learning experiences. The use of charts, diagrams, and visualizations of knowledge requires a more abstract understanding. 

Integration of Tool: Lucidchart would be an awesome way for groups of students to brainstorm together for group projects. It would also be useful as an assessment tool for students to create their own diagrams on a particular topic. It works perfectly as a student for students to apply their knowledge about a topic in a visual representation. 

4) Podomatic

Type of learning: Podomatic is a higher order of thinking, fitting as synthesis on Bloom's taxonomy. Using Podomatic to create podcasts can be categorized as creating something new. 

Type of learning experience: Podomatic would be a more abstract learning experience as a recording on Dale's cone of learning experiences. 

Integration of Tool: Podomatic is a very easy approach to recording podcasts, and takes out some of the intimidating editing tools of other softwares that can deter students from using. I also like the easy access to the sound effects while recording to improve the quality of their podcasts. I could see this being a great website to use for students to create their own podcasts and publishing them easily. (This is also a weakness of other editing softwares - no easy way to publish.) 

This social tools would be a great addition to a classroom with a wide variety of uses and clear benefits to learning.