Instructional Activities

Concept Maps

Concept maps can be created digitally or physically. These maps visually represent a student's thinking and understanding of a topic. Students will start with a broad idea then break it down into specific subjects using definitions and vocabulary. This is an effective tool because it can be used as a review activity, to visualize relationships between concepts, or to organize information. I would use it in my classroom as an activity for students to represent their ideas and use for review. An example of this was when we created our own concept map about the United States government. I included my concept map and a blank map below.

Digital Review Tools

Digital review tools are digital resources that can be used to review a certain topic. These could be created by either the teacher or students. This is an effective strategy because it makes reviewing material more fun and interesting for the students. I would use it in my classroom to review or formatively assess students. An example is when we created a Kahoot as a group. Each group used a different digital resource so we could see how other tools worked. My group's Kahoot review is linked below.

EdPuzzle

EdPuzzle is a digital resource used to assess students' learning. To create an EdPuzzle the teacher finds a video online that pertains to the subject they want to assess students on. The teacher then puts the video into EdPuzzle and can record a voiceover, add questions, and write comments on the video that students have to respond to. This is effective because it assesses students while also making it engaging. I would use it in my classroom to formatively assess what sudents know and have learned. An example of this is when we created our own EdPuzzle over economics. I attached the link to the EdPuzzle I created below.

Padlet

Padlet is a digital resource that organizes information. Teachers or students can create posts and later use it to easily find information about a topic. I would use it in my classroom to check for student understanding. I would use Padlet as a group or individual activity to formatively assess if students understand the topic they are posting about. An example is when we created a Padlet as a group for a history review. The link to the Padlet is below.

Visual Anchor

Visual anchors are a great way for students to visually show the teacher what they have learned. This can be created in many different formats. Students could create a presentation, a poster, an image, or use any other visual tool. I would use it in my classroom for students to represent what they learned or already know. It could also be used as a Jigsaw activity where each student or group becomes experts on a specific topic and presents their topic to other classmates. An example of this is when we paired up and created a visual anchor. We picked a song and created a presentation about the historical message of the song. The link to the presentation is below.