This week I was searching for a way to get my students excited about brainstorming new topics. It hit me that a live feed on the interactive whiteboard would do the trick. That's when TodaysMeet came to mind. TodaysMeet is a site in which the user can create a "room" with a distinct URL that can then be shared.
Since about half of my class has either a smart phone or an ipod touch, this site was a perfect fit. After explaining the site and its functions, students were directed to our "room". (Keep in mind that your classroom needs a fairly strong wireless signal the keep the ipods moving at a rapid pace.) The students really liked the ability to see the live feed on the interactive whiteboard as they entered their ideas. We have also used Edmodo to brainstorm and share ideas via live feed. You can read about that here. However, I prefer TodaysMeet because the screen around the feed has less visual distractions.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Quick Maps uses Google Maps to let students create and annotate maps. The best part about Quick Maps is that the students DO NOT have to create an account. Each map can be saved and assigned a unique URL. Students can then bookmark/save that URL for further editing or viewing map. However users do have the option to create an account in which all created maps would be saved. Embed codes are also given to each map for placement in blogs, wikis, etc. Quick Maps offers a great alternative to posters, and other map making sites that aren't as user friendly for younger students.
Posted by Troy Seyfert at 2:20 PM