Online Bookmarking
What is bookmarking?
Bookmarking is a common strategy used by educators for many years. Traditionally sticky notes were used with classroom textbooks or hard copies of resources were coloured coded in folders. (Gormley and McDermot, 2010). This traditional approach can also be taken when engaging in blended learning. Today there is an abundance of resources available online. Online bookmarking tools or social bookmarking are key to the effective management of digital resources. They allow the easy capture of important information or resources to be collected and organised for use at another time. The social aspect of social bookmarking is evident when content and resources are catalogued into collections and shared with others.
Case Study A
A rural primary school in Munster is using Scoilnet Learning Paths to provide learning opportunities to pupils. Teachers select and organise resources from the Scoilnet site into a sequence and share it with their pupils via a Scoilnet generated link. Pupils access the learning path and work through a series of both online and offline activities. Once the activities are completed, either in class or at home, the material can be explored during in-class time to practice and apply concepts through interactions with the teacher and peers.
Case Study B
A large mixed primary school in Leinster is using Symbaloo Learning Paths to allow pupils the opportunity to prepare for in-class activities. A selection of materials sourced online and created by the teachers are organised into a learning path. The teachers add questions at different stages of the learning path to check for understanding. Built-in analytics provides the pupils and the teachers with data which is then used in class to check for understanding and to extend learning.
Creating Learning Paths on Scoilnet:
The short online tutorial videos below explore how to effectively create learning paths that can be shared with learners and accessed from home.
Creating Learning Paths on Symbaloo
This short online tutorial explores how to create a learning path using Symbaloo. The learning paths allow teachers to effectively collate resources that can be shared with learners and accessed from home.
Creating a Learning Path on Google Slides and Sharing it on Seesaw or Google Classroom
This short online tutorial explores how to create a learning path using Google Slides. It also then explores how this can be shared with students on Seesaw or Google Classroom.
Digital tools to support teaching, learning and assessment.
Including an online assessment tool as part of or at the end of a learning path can be an effective and engaging way to assess learners progress in both a formative and summative manner. Below are examples of two digital assessment tools. For more online tutorials videos, please visit the PDST Digital Technologies Team YouTube Channel.
Google Forms
Google Forms can be used by teachers to assess learners' knowledge and understanding, encourage them to reflect on their learning or as an exit ticket. Teachers can analyse the information to evaluate student learning and plan future instruction.
Kahoot
Kahoot is a game-based assessment tool that can be used in class or at home to assess learners in a fun and interactive way. It can be used individually or in groups and results are saved online in the teacher's account for future reference.