Padlet/Wallwisher

Name: Padlet (name recently changed from Wallwisher.)

Price: Free

Format: Website.
www.padlet.com
*Website will work on all smart phones and tablets

Difficulty: Easy

Email Required: No

Description:
The full potential of Padlet is only now becoming clear to me. I have used it in almost every BYOT activity since I went 1:1 with my iPads. It has become an invaluable tool for my class.

In short, Padlet is an online wall. Simply go to padlet.com, and click build a wall to begin creating an online collaboration hub for your students. I would highly recommend creating a free account; however, as this gives you the ability to move, edit, and delete posts that your students make. Once a wall has been created, the teacher may change the wall's title, make posts, and most importantly, change the URL to the wall. Students can then visit the URL and post on the wall. They are able to post pictures, videos, text, and URL's. Padlet also has a built in share function that allows you to email, screen-capture or share a QR code for the wall. 

The question of "how does a student get their work to me?" comes up a lot when discussing BYOT. Even more so in my class now that we have gone 1:1. Padlet has pretty much put that question to rest. With Padlet, as long as a student can take a screen shot of their work, they can post it to me on a wall. If an app only has a "save to camera" function, then students can save the picture to their photo library, and then post it directly to Padlet. This means that students do not need to email me with their work. Instead, they can post it to a wall and I can view/download the file from the Padlet wall. If students are making videos for a project, I have them post it to their own wall (that I create for them). 

The many uses of Padlet become clear with examples. The following links go to some of the walls my students or I have created. 

• http://padlet.com/wall/ujausqxbpa -- Padlet as a collaboration tool for studens to post work and view their peers work. 
• http://padlet.com/wall/volumedefinition -- More collaboration
• http://padlet.com/wall/65onor6tgp -- Padlet as an online poster board for a student's project
• http://padlet.com/wall/Postermovies -- Padlet as a place to post ShowMe/iMotion videos. This page loads slow due to the large amount of videos on the wall. 

The following two walls are embedded into the blog. This means that posts can be made to the wall from this blog. Edits on the blog will show up on the URL version and vice versa. 

Screenshots of Minecraft and pictures of Minecraft in class posted to Padlet. One student used PicCollage to write the surface area of their building, while another used a photo editor and then took a screen shot. 

Created with Padlet

Created with Padlet

Students uploaded PicCollages and a few ShowMe videos to the above Padlet.


Conclusion: 
Padlet is a great tool that can fill a variety of roles. It can serve as an online collaboration board, an individual student-website, or a sort of drop-box for student work. It is easy to use and easily shared.  

Pic Collage

Name: Pic Collage

Price: Free

Format: Apple/Android App
-Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cardinalblue.piccollage.google
-Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id448639966

Difficulty: Easy
For teachers looking to get into BYOT, Pic Collage is THE app to go to. It is simple enough to use, yet it has enough features to keep the more technically minded students entertained.

Email Required: No

Description:
Pic Collage is an app that can be used to create collages on a student’s device. The best thing about this app is its simplistic interface. There are no complicated controls, or random text floating around to confuse students. Instead, users are given a blank screen with a plus sign on the bottom. To add objects to the screen, the user clicks the plus sign, or double taps on the screen. Pic Collage gives the user the option to add photos from the device’s photo album, photos from the web, text, stickers, and to alter the background. The app also provides users with an option to insert photos with a “use camera” option. This option lets the user take a picture directly from the app, and automatically insert it onto the screen. All objects added to the collage can be rotated, magnified, and cropped.

The “use camera” option opens up a wide variety of interesting options for the students. For instance, some of my students take pictures of their work on dry erase boards, and then insert the picture onto Pic Collage. The ability to insert pictures from an album means that pictures saved from using apps such as Mematic or Comic Puppets can be inserted onto the Pic Collage.

Finally, Pic Collages are be easily shared to a teacher. Students that do not have an email set up on their device can save the Pic Collage to their device’s camera roll, and then upload it onto a digital poster such as Wallwisher or Linoit. Students can also easily upload images onto Edmodo. 

Student Examples:

Summary:
I highly recommend this app for teachers looking to enhance their instruction through the use of technology. The apps basic features are easy to use; yet, once students and teachers master the basics, there are numerous ways to really get creative. 

Word of Warning:
Because students are given the option to insert images from the web, watch out for the typical inappropriate searches that come with internet researches. Be prepared for many backgrounds that consist of One Direction and/or Beat headphones.

Animoto

Name: Animoto
Price: Free/Premium option ($5 per month)The free version of Animoto limits the user to 30 second videos. However, usually within a month of signing up for Animoto, you will receive a free promotion to create one video with no time limit.

Format: Web/App-www.animoto.com
-https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/animoto-videos/id459248037?mt=8

Difficulty: Easy For teachers looking to delve into the world of BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology), Animoto is a great starting point. It is a simple tool that students may use in web or app format, and the videos created can be easily shared via direct links.

Email Required: Yes

Description:Animoto is a simple tool for creating short, fun videos with pictures and text. Students first must choose from 32 different themes. The theme determines the look and feel of the video. After choosing a theme, students may add text, videos, or pictures. The pictures can come from the internet or as a direct upload from the computer. If a student is using their device, their picture(s) can be uploaded from their photo library. Students then add text to their video. Each text block is limited to a total of 90 characters, 40 for a title and 50 for a subtitle, but students may have numerous text blocks. This limit on the amount of text, coupled with the 30 second time limit on the free versions, teaches students how to be precise and to the point, a skill surprisingly lacking in most students.
The last step to creating an Animoto video is to add music. This is where Animoto really shines, and the number one reason my students enjoy the tool so much. Animoto has a large, free, collection of music ready to be inserted into videos. The music types range from jazz to rock to classical, and the students love getting to find the perfect song for their video. The ability to add music to the video provides the teacher with a built-in incentive program: if a student shows me a complete and correct video, they can begin adding music. I do not allow my students to add their own music to the video, but there is an option to upload your own songs. 

Teacher Examples:

The following were the videos I showed my students when introducing an activity that had them using Animoto to create a video on either PEMDAS or one-step equations. 

• http://animoto.com/play/xQpN6wlYdEw5cqx6oV5mhg
• http://animoto.com/play/GaemxlwbJ9PErxZ8Jcc6Dw

Student examples: 

• http://animoto.com/play/MKZwngB553MNmoeFafdIiw
• http://animoto.com/play/RT1w2bTWAcIChzg6pKQoRQ
• http://animoto.com/play/PcZ0poNm6mIO1Oa3FQe1pQ
• http://animoto.com/play/UKYZtNVqWs0snN11RW1WVQ

Summary:Animoto is a wonderful tool for simple assignments. However, with the limited time frame and text options, teachers should not use Animoto for large projects. Enrichment activities, or short (one day/half day) activities are best when using Animoto.