We ask our students to create content every day that they are in class. Whether it is filming a Flipgrid video, creating an attractive Google Slides presentation, or completing a worksheet on Kami, they are generating digital content. We, as teachers, also create content for every class. Your initial presentation in order to teach a lesson, the worksheets we use in class, the projects we assign to groups. All these are examples of how content is created.
Perhaps the most impactful part of teaching digital literacy is teaching our students how to create things. At some point in our lives, we were taught how to make a presentation, write a research paper, or create a webpage. We make the assumption everyday that our students have also been directly taught how to do this. However, some of us are constantly underwhelmed and confused at what our students turn in.
Who has observed a student presentation where all the information was included on the slide, and students just read from the slide? How many of these presentations looked like it was just thrown together? No slide transitions, graphics, or colors? While our students know how to create these presentations, most of them don't know how to make them in a professional manner. They just keep on making them like they were taught in elementary school.
What about research papers? Or any type of paper? Students don't know how to properly use citations. They use Google as one of their references. They aren't able to use evidence to back their claims.
We assume that, since most of our students are considered digital natives, they know exactly how to do all this, but most of them haven't been explicitly taught what is expected out of their creations. Also, they know the basics of digital collaboration, but do they know of all the tools and resources they can use to collaborate, especially in the GSuite apps?
CONTENT CREATION WEBSITES
Most of you probably have a few sites that you know and use frequently in order to create lessons, handouts, and more for your students. Here are a few others that you may find useful. Most of these sites can also be used by your students as well!
NOTE: Only websites that have a "free" option are included here. There are many more wonderful websites and apps that could be included on this list, but we wanted an accessible list.
Wakelet: similar to Padlet, Wakelet is a free content creation and curation tool that will help you when presenting lessons or keeping track of resources. It's simple to use, allows extensive collaboration, and is very customizable for any lesson. Also, Wakelet works with some of our favorite teaching apps, such as Flipgrid, YouTube, Google Classroom, and more to help us seamlessly integrate material. In the teacher resource page, I've included a few Wakelets that I have created to give you an idea of what you can do with this site.
Canva: most of us have heard of Canva by now for graphic design, but did you know that it is free for educators and students to use? You can sign up, create and assign lessons and worksheets to your students, and allow them to work collaboratively within Canva. Also, all the Pro design features are free in the Educator's version.
Adobe Spark: Similar to other apps we use, Adobe Spark allows students to create graphics, flyers, videos, and presentations. This app can be a bit complicated to use, but the end results are usually more appealing and impressive. Honestly, it just takes practice to use. There are plenty of templates to edit and helpful hints on the site, as well as videos online that will help you use this.
Sutori: this has been used by some of the Freshman Campus teachers successfully. Sutori is a collaborative presentation and instruction tool that allows students and teachers to work together to create digital content. This link will showcase different ways Sutori can be used in any curriculum.
LucidChart: this site contains templates that can be used collaboratively to help extend learning. There are concept mapping tools, organization charts to help students organize and plan projects, and research aides to help students keep track of what they are working on. While this site does have a limit on how many free things you can make, it is a great creation tool.