Collaborative Platforms
I’ve played around with this tool and find it complicated but the final products I’ve seen created from it are very user-friendly and beautiful so it may be worth the “getting used to it” phase. Through Boom Cards, you can create interactive lessons and your students need to create BoomLearning profiles - which is easily done by clicking here and choosing to import your Google Classroom.
A helpful Video showing how a teacher incorporates it into Google Classroom.
Free
Here is a Step-By-Step Guide!
By creating a PADLET, your students can add in their two cents to an assignment. This is great for co-constructing, getting their ideas, seeing how they’re feeling or using it as a mental health check-in. I envision using this to ask students what they’re wanting to learn, what they’ve been doing. They can be small answers or longer ones. It almost has the appearance of a Facebook wall where you can move around “post-it” looking answers, you can “love” posts… It’s a great way to keep a community. It’s a VERY simple and effective way to include quick answers without video/audio :)
Free unless you want more access.
Here is a Step-By-Step Guide!
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To create flashcards, diagrams and study guides. Many teacher pals I know use this wholeheartedly and swear by it. I’ve never got into it, but have attached a Step-By-Step Guide! It can provide a great tool for revision - key concepts and terms and can be used as a form of assessment.
Free.
Here is a Step-By-Step Guide!
Canva changed the way I taught and the way my students presented their understanding. My kiddles’ used it for everything from creating postcards to a backdrop to their presentations. You can create advertisements, teaching documents, assignments… and they are beautiful and very easy to create. My students now gravitate to it when given choice in any project and I’m sure they will at a distance, too!
Free.
Here is a Step-By-Step Guide!
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This is a mind-mapping/brainstorming tool. I envision using this for open discussions in class and co-creating success criteria or just to share ideas and information into a visual format. I also envision recommending this to students who require graphic organizers to get their ideas on paper for writing.
Similar to Coggle where you can work together to brainstorm or map out a topic. It encourages collaboration and discussion.
FREE
Your kids will LOVE ya! This is a version of Twitter you can monitor for your kiddles.
Collaborative Platforms for Parent-Teacher Communication
Send individual or group messages to the parents of your students. I’ve found that mass-emails are NOT cutting it, but I find Class Dojo a little babyish for upper elementary and intermediate-aged students. This is the happy medium. What I like? You get notified if parents didn’t actually receive a message. It tells you if contact information is out of date. You can schedule conferences on it, link videos and photos, too.
Free for now!
Here is a Step-By-Step Guide!
Private and secure parent-teacher communication. Video & Photo Sharing. Much like the other options listed here :)
Free during Covid
Here is a Step-By-Step Guide
Super popular communication platform for teachers and parents. Exact same functionality as ClassTag except with Class Dojo, you can translate messages into 30 different languages. Particularly effective if you’ve got EAL students, immigrant families. This helps build a sense of community for all!
Always Free. (parents can use it free but if they want something more they may pay.)
Here is a Step-By-Step Guide!