This blog post accompanies my session, 20 Tools for Significant Learning and Student Engagement, presented at the 2018 Teachers’ Convention of the North American Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Updated PPT: 20 Tools for Significant Learning and Student Engagement (updated 8/8/18)
Note: 8/8/18 Additional links added to Learning how to Learn; and Caring
Note that I have deliberately not included tons of sites and ideas because I wanted this to be simple and not too overwhelming. To pique interest.
Learn about Designing Significant Learning Experiences
- Dee Fink and Associates: Designing Courses for Significant Learning
- A Self-Directed Guide to Designing Courses for Significant Learning
- Syllabi and Examples of Course Design for Significant Learning
Learning How to Learn
- Evaluating and selecting content sources, i.e. YouTube, TedEd, books!
- Teach students to subscribe to the journal’s feeds i.e. ALT or Community of Inquiry
- Using project based learning and makerspaces for student-designed projects
- Teach students to monitor their own understanding (print flashcards, Quizlet), and mind map knowledge, identifying areas to learn more, selecting and pursuing
- Reflection on their own blog, like UMW does with A Domain of One’s One
- Showcasing and extending learning with job portfolios: i.e. via Mahara or other portfolio tools
Caring
- Create a persuasive video to share on YouTube, Videoscribe, FlipGrid, or Animoto.
- Use GoogleSites to share the value and importance of a subject. Sample GoogleSite.
- Join an international debate at idebate.org.
- Use Skype or Zoom or a similar video chat tool to bring in guest speakers; students hear others’ stories
Human Dimension
- Blog or discuss ways in which one’s personal life affects and is affected by the subject via WordPress, VoiceThread, Weebly, Edublogs.
- Be an ethical, responsible member of a team serving others; tools to support groups: GoogleDrive and similar tools to support collaborative learning.
- Observation of real-life human experiences related to the content; report back to the class.
Integration
- Aggregate, curate, and mashup web content to make connections. Sample feedly for online learning. Flipboard or Scoop.It or StumbleUpon or Google Alerts
- Create a description or analysis or infographic of the relationship between two or more concepts with WordPress, Piktochart, or Infogram.
- Curate pins on Pinterest on competing ideas or concepts into relevant boards to integrate and make connections. i.e. Graphic design pins
Application
- Analyze and critique an issue or case study, and organize and present it via Padlet.
- Apply the skills in context; document ability with video via YouTube, Videoscribe, FlipGrid, or Animoto.
- Create a recommendation for a corporation in a real-world problem/situation, build and present on GoogleSites or PowToon.
Foundational Knowledge
- Create and share/narrate a mental map or conceptual structure of major concepts. Bubbl.us or Mindly the app or MindMeister.
- Create a presentation: Explain & predict concepts and ideas. i.e. Prezi
- Have students access and interact with primary sources of content – i.e. TedEd, Library of Congress, and more.
Online Tools and References
- Annual List of Top 100 and Top 200 Tools
- AVLN classes updated on the Adventist Learning Community
- Andrews University Online
- My department & lots of resources online – Digital Learning and Instructional Technology
Fink Taxonomy and Tools v2 PDF Handout – Permission granted to reprint freely. Please share any adaptations.
What would you add? Feel free to comment and share.