Criteria For Evaluating Spider Web Tools As Well As Apps

I'm ofttimes getting asked what my criteria are for choosing the tools, apps as well as resources that I characteristic on my blogs as well as inward my pedagogy as well as produce endure honest I don't actually intend nearly it that much. I await at as well as thus many sites as well as apps that I only become a feeling when I encounter something that I intend volition work.

As that isn't a real satisfactory answer to hand people I decided to start exploring my ain criteria for what influences my choice. I ran a workshop on this topic at IATEFL 2013 on looking at apps as well as how nosotros tin evaluate them.


I came upward alongside a break of 'first impression' criteria that I intend I apply earlier fifty-fifty thinking nearly 'how' I volition role the app / tool.

Here is the presentation / workshop recording



You tin download a re-create of the presentation from here: Evaluating Web-based Tools

Please experience costless to browse the listing as well as add together whatever 'pros' as well as 'cons' for anything you lot intend I've missed.


powered past times tricider



I promise you lot discovery these criteria useful every bit a starting signal for your ain reflections on why you lot conduct to role sure enough apps as well as non others.

Related links

• My learning engineering reading list
• My collection of tools for learners
• My Facebook page
• A Mural of my run online

Best

Nik Peachey

Peer Editing Inward Digital Too Mobile Environments

For years immediately I cause got been happily using EtherPad based services similar http://primarypad.com/ and http://sync.in/ to acquire participants on the grooming courses I deliver to piece of work collaboratively to exercise in addition to peer edit texts. Increasingly though I've been having problems alongside the reliability of the complimentary services these companies furnish in addition to the lack of reliable compatibility alongside mobile devices.

At concluding it seems that immediately I cause got a really elegant solution inwards the shape of https://quip.com/.
Quip looks a lot similar Evernote in addition to has a similar interface alongside documents contained inwards notebooks, only i of the large differences is that Quip was designed specifically to enable peer editing in addition to collaboration on documents in addition to has a really clear agency of showing in addition to tracking the changes.

Here's a brusk tutorial showing y'all how it works:


Why should nosotros acquire our students peer editing?

• It improves their awareness of accuracy
• It tin hand the axe improve the character of their writing
• Pushes students to convey that writing is a procedure that needs revisions in addition to redrafting
• The mightiness to collaborate inwards digital environments is probable to live on an of import existent footing digital literacy

What kinds of peer editing activities tin hand the axe nosotros exercise alongside students?

• We tin hand the axe hand them texts alongside planted errors (10 - 20) inwards to piece of work on a notice in addition to right together. These could live on the lyrics of songs they similar or stories or articles they cause got read.
• We tin hand the axe acquire students to right each others' compositions earlier nosotros await at them.
• We tin hand the axe hand them texts alongside specific features missed out in addition to acquire them to piece of work together to add together them. These could live on linking or referencing devices, punctuation, vocabulary words, grammatical features such every bit prepositions or articles etc.
• We tin hand the axe acquire them working together to rearrange parts of a text into a meliorate guild or structure.
• We tin hand the axe hand them the bare construction of a even out in addition to inquire them to embellish it in addition to acquire inwards to a greater extent than descriptive in addition to interesting.

What I similar almost Quip

• It's free
• Nicely designed interface
• Works in addition to looks good inwards both tablet  app shape in addition to inwards the browser
• Clearly tracks in addition to highlights changes to documents yesteryear dissimilar users
• It looks secure in addition to enables y'all to limit who sees in addition to works on the document spell editing
• Has a sort of chat messaging characteristic which works along side the notes for changes
• We tin hand the axe usage it to acquire students collaborating in addition to working together exterior the classroom

What I'm non in addition to then certain about

• It requires registration, which tin hand the axe tedious things downward inwards class, only it does every bit good add together a grade of security
• I haven't tried it alongside larger groups all the same in addition to then I'm non certain how reliably it volition piece of work when scaled upwards to country having a whole shape piece of work synchronously on a unmarried document
• Not certain how long it volition remain complimentary (There is a Quip Business already available)

I'm immediately looking forrad to my side yesteryear side class in addition to then that I tin hand the axe endeavour Quip out in addition to acquire a fleck to a greater extent than experience alongside it. I promise y'all every bit good notice it useful alongside your students. Do drib me a employment in addition to permit me know how it goes.

Related links:

• What exercise y'all experience are the primal digital literacy skills that 21st century learners need? 
• Get Students Checking Grammar in addition to Collocation 
• How I usage social media for my professional person development  
• Two Contrasting Views of Educational Technology 
• Online Teacher Development Works Best - xv Reasons Why
• Developing your digital written report skills
• Temporary Bookmarking
• Creating a personal homepage
• Social Networks in addition to the Web 2.0 Revolution
• Create your ain social network seven steps
• A Tick List of 21st Century Digital Skills for Teachers 

Best

Nik Peachey

Evaluating Authentic Mobile Apps For Learning

Back inward Apr 2013 I delivered a workshop at the IATEFL 2013 conference inward Liverpool. The theme of the workshop was 'Criteria for Evaluating Web Tools as well as Apps' as well as inward the workshop I encouraged participants to percentage as well as explore their subconscious criteria for deciding which apps as well as spider web based tools they used amongst their students.

I especially encouraged them to think almost 'authentic' apps rather than those made for learning. This is because inward many ways I experience that most made for learning apps receive got made real picayune pedagogical progress beyond their roots inward CALL from the final century.

I also believe that encouraging students to acquire 'hands on' amongst authentic apps has a much to a greater extent than of import role inward helping them to railroad train digital literacies which they tin usage exterior of the classroom.

Check out my ebook

As a final result of that workshop as well as the inquiry that developed from it I've at ane time developed this listing of criteria for evaluating mobile apps for educational purposes.


Here I've divided the criteria into iv categories as well as given some explanation of each. I welcome your comments as well as feedback every bit this is soundless real much a operate inward progress.

Technical

Accessibility - Will all the students receive got the necessary equipment to usage it? Will it operate across all / most mobile platforms as well as also operate inside a desktop spider web browser?

• Unless teachers are working inward a teaching surround where a uniform laid of physical devices are provided for students, such every bit a consummate laid of iPads or Android tablets, as well as then they demand to banking venture check carefully that all the diverseness of devices that their students possess are all supported. The safest way to ensure this is to banking venture check to run into if the app also has a browser based version, thence that students without up-to-date mobile devices volition soundless last able to participate.

User friendly - Will students last able to larn how to usage it reasonably quickly?

• Apps that are complex as well as receive got a long fourth dimension to master copy may non last worth the commitment. Teachers demand to ensure that they programme how to learn the students how to usage the apps inward a reasonable amount of fourth dimension or receive got a strategy for gradually regain to a greater extent than features of an app every bit they railroad train to a greater extent than activities amongst it.

Registration - Do students demand to register to usage it?

• Getting students as well as teachers to register as well as recollect passwords tin last laborious as well as fourth dimension consuming, thence apps that don’t require registration as well as especially those which run inward the browser on mobile or desktop tin last real convenient to use. Registration does nonetheless offering students to a greater extent than protection as well as makes whatever potential misuse or mischief trackable dorsum to its source.

Security - Is the app secure?

• Although it tin last hard as well as fourth dimension consuming to check, teachers demand to determine that the app is secure as well as the creators volition process their students information as well as personal information responsibly as well as confidentially. If in that location is whatever cast of social interaction enabled through the app teachers demand to banking venture check if in that location is whatever machinery or procedure for blocking as well as reporting abuse.

Financial

Price - Is it gratis or affordable?

• One of the keen advantages of apps is that many are free, freemium (have both a gratis as well as a commercial version) or are quite depression cost. Having said that, fifty-fifty if depression terms apps are beingness used it needs to last decided who volition pay for them, especially if each pupil inward the cast needs one.

Business model - Is in that location a trouble organisation model to back upward the app? Is it clear how it makes money?

• Every app producer needs to laid upward coin somehow, thence it is of import to position the trouble organisation model supporting the evolution of an app. Although teachers as well as students are keen to usage gratis apps, apps that receive got no visible trouble organisation model may last generating coin through advertising or past times trading data. An app that has no visible agency of fiscal support, may receive got a real brusk life span, rapidly acquire unreliable, as well as neglect to railroad train as well as evolve due to lack of funds.

Motivational

Digital literacy - Does learning as well as using the app aid students to railroad train a useful or transferable digital literacy?

• Just using an app inward itself doesn’t necessarily found developing a digital literacy. The usage of the app must inward some way railroad train a digital science that tin last transferred exterior of the learning context as well as used inward some authentic way either inward the workplace or every bit purpose of the students’ lifestyle.

Authenticity - Does it receive got an authentic purpose beyond linguistic communication learning? Is it an app that a native speaker would usage for a genuine purpose exterior of a classroom?

• Apps that are motivating for native speakers to usage for a genuine purpose should also last motivating for linguistic communication learners for that same purpose, thence authentic apps that involve some sort of linguistic input or output are ideally suited to linguistic communication teaching purposes.

Personalization - Does the app enable user to limited some expression of who they are as well as what they believe?

• It’s of import that linguistic communication learners receive got the chance to usage linguistic communication creatively to limited something of their ain personality or identity. Apps which back upward this form of inventiveness tin last potentially real useful.

Pedagogical

Learning finish / outcome - Is in that location a a possible learning final result that usage of the app volition Pb to?

• Using an app is non inward as well as of itself a learning outcome. Use of the app needs to Pb towards some cast of learning goal. In some cases it tin last slow to run into what learning goals tin last achieved through using the app, at other times teachers may demand to think carefully what learning outcomes tin last achieved through edifice activities which include the usage of an app.

Interaction / communication - Does it back upward interaction as well as communication betwixt users?

• Apps which are developed approximately social interaction as well as communication are much to a greater extent than probable to last able to abide by a useful house inward the linguistic communication classroom as well as should last easier to base of operations tasks approximately every bit communication naturally fits amongst the aims of linguistic communication acquisition.

Prolonged use - Does the app demand prolonged usage to accomplish a satisfactory outcome?

• Many apps are designed approximately brusk daily tasks construct upward over a catamenia of fourth dimension to accomplish an outcome. If teachers direct to usage these kinds of apps they demand to component this long term approach into their timetabling.

Assessment - Is the operate on the app assessable past times the teacher? Does the app back upward the delivery of instructor reply as well as feedback?

• Students demand to know that teachers are evaluating, assessing as well as responding to their work, thence apps which tin back upward this form of instructor intervention tin last potentially real useful.

Collaboration - Does the app back upward collaboration betwixt users?

• The mightiness to collaborate on projects or producing some cast of tangible final result is viewed every bit beingness a potentially important digital literacy thence apps which foster these kinds of collaborative interactions inward a meaningful ways receive got keen potential.

Context - In what context would the app last useful? For whom is the app to a greater extent than useful?

• There are a pose out of unlike contexts inward which apps tin last used. Some may last to a greater extent than appropriate for usage at habitation past times the student, or inward the cast past times students, whereas others could last to a greater extent than appropriately used past times teachers for their ain evolution or the evolution of content for students.

Reusable - Does the app receive got sufficient depth of purpose to back upward multiple activities as well as tasks?

• Many apps receive got keen novelty value which tin last motivating for students, only novelty tin before long article of apparel off, thence it is wise to weigh the amount of exercise goodness students gain from novelty apps against their potential for extended usage as well as the amount of fourth dimension it takes to download install as well as register them.

Learner autonomy - Can app last used independently exterior of the cast past times the pupil to back upward some cast of learning?

• Apps that tin last used past times students working independently may good aid to foster a marker of learner autonomy if in that location is some inward built learning outcome.

As I said, this is soundless a operate inward progress, as well as I did fighting amongst which criteria savage inward to which of the categories as well as amongst the categories themselves, thence all comments are welcome.

I promise you lot abide by these criteria helpful inward evaluating the apps that you lot direct for your students.

Related links:

• Digital Video - Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Manual for Language Teachers
• Making lectures as well as lessons to a greater extent than interactive amongst mQlicker
• Creating interactive video on the iPad 
• Tools for learners
• Video communication apps as well as mobile learning
• Mix Images as well as Animation on Your Mobile 
• Peer editing inward digital as well as mobile environments 
• Taking notes from the spider web on the iPad

Best

Nik Peachey

Brainstorming Together With Polling Amongst Answergarden

AnswerGarden is a really elementary tool for creating curt reply polls too displaying the answers every bit give-and-take clouds. It’s actually elementary too quick to role too tin live on used inwards the classroom or embedded into webpages, blogs or inwards online courses.

To create an AnswerGarden poll simply larn to http://answergarden.ch too click on the + sign at the top. Then yous tin either type inwards a topic to brainstorm or a question.

AnswerGarden poll responses are limited to either twenty or xl characters hence live on certain that the type of interrogation yous role doesn’t require a long complex answer. AnswerGarden plant best when alone a unmarried give-and-take reply is required.

Once yous guide maintain added your topic or interrogation yous tin simply click travel inwards too your poll volition live on ready. Then simply part the URL alongside the recipients.

You tin refine your poll too add together roughly safety to it if yous wish.

• There are a release of modes yous tin guide for your poll.
• You tin allow dissimilar users to repeat the same answer, inwards which instance the repeated give-and-take volition seem larger depending on the release of people who travel inwards the word, or yous tin allow each give-and-take to live on entered alone ane time.
• You tin laid the poll to live on moderated hence that words alone seem in ane lawsuit yous approve them.
• You tin add together a password for the poll too add together your electronic mail address to larn an admin link for the poll.
• You tin lock the poll hence that nobody tin add together to it, but this would commonly live on done in ane lawsuit the poll is complete.

Once the poll has been launched at that spot are a release of other squeamish features including an automatically generated QR code to brand the poll tardily to access for students on mobile phones.

 You tin also part the poll quite easily through a make of social media or larn an embed code to add together it to a webpage or blog. You tin fifty-fifty geo broadcast the poll through your local network hence that anyone tin discovery it on their electrochemical cell or laptop.

Once your students guide maintain completed the poll at that spot are a release of export options including export to Wordle, Tagxedo which allow yous to customise the give-and-take cloud too salve or edit the results. You tin also ship it to Twitter or salve it every bit a PNG.

AnswerGarden inwards the classroom

• You tin laid a topic too larn students to brainstorm vocabulary connected alongside that topic. Once all the words guide maintain been added yous tin inquire students to peer learn whatever they don’t know inwards pairs or pocket-size groups or enquiry the words inwards an online dictionary.
• Example: http://answergarden.ch/view/216363
• As a warmer yous could larn students to travel inwards all the verbs, nouns or adjectives they know that commencement alongside a item letter. You could fifty-fifty create 2 or 3 AnswerGardens alongside the same chore too give them to dissimilar groups too run into which grouping produces the most examples.
• Example: http://answergarden.ch/view/216365
• You could make a variation of the higher upwardly game past times getting students to brainstorm nouns that guide maintain specific qualities. For example, students could add together anything they tin intend of that has feet, or anything that tin fly, or anything that is green.
• Example: http://answergarden.ch/view/216364
• You could commencement alongside a route give-and-take too inquire your students to travel inwards or collect words that collocate alongside it. This doesn’t guide maintain to live on done inwards ane lesson but students could role a release of these AnswerGardens to collect collocations. They could make a similar affair alongside phrasal verbs using either a verb or a preposition inwards the question.
• Example: http://answergarden.ch/view/216366
• You could role AnswerGarden to larn your students to create anagrams from a route word. Again yous could guide maintain a dissimilar poll for each grup too brand this competitive.
• Example: http://answergarden.ch/view/216367
• You could role an AnswerGarden to detect out to a greater extent than nearly your students past times getting them to travel inwards things or people that they similar or don’t like, such every bit favourite sports or actors.
• Example:http://answergarden.ch/view/216368
• You could detect out how students experience nearly something past times getting them to travel inwards adjectives to limited their feelings nearly anything from politics to activity enquiry on specific classroom techniques yous use. Or they could simply travel inwards adjectives to clit how they are feeling. This is a proficient agency to guide maintain the temperature of the room.
• Example: http://answergarden.ch/view/216362
• You could role AnswerGarden to larn students to create upwardly one's heed betwixt 2 or 3 options. They simply type inwards the ane they desire too the most pop ane volition seem every bit the biggest word.
• Example: http://answergarden.ch/view/216369

Because AnswerGarden is hence elementary too quick to role too doesn’t require registration it would live on corking to larn students using it to create their ain pocket-size enquiry questionnaires. They could too hence part these inside the shape or through their social media networks too and hence introduce the responses inwards class.

I promise yous bask using AnswerGarden alongside your students. Please post whatever additional ideas or links to examples yous guide maintain created inwards the comments.

Related links:

• Digital Video - H5N1 manual for linguistic communication teachers
• Managing the digital classroom - Using a backchannel
• Managing the digital classroom - Getting students' attention
• 20 + Things yous tin make alongside QR codes inwards your school
• Crowdsourcing Knowledge alongside Students

Best

Nik Peachey

Using Phraseum To Acquire Lexical Chunks

I lately revisited first review.

In this article I’d similar to exhibit you lot some of the novel features too also part some ideas for how you lot tin purpose it. Let me start though yesteryear recapping what Phraseum does.

Phraseum is a tool that students tin purpose to capture lexical chunks, collocations too expressions piece they read online text. It helps students to collect these expressions into theme based phrasebooks that they tin too thus purpose to revise too part their learning. 

Within the platform at that spot are also a publish of features to assistance them larn the phrases, these include tagging of phrases too links through to Google translate. Phraseum also records the source of the phrase thus that students tin acquire dorsum too discovery the phrases inward their context. 

H5N1 novel characteristic that’s been added since the final review is the ‘Learn’ feature. This is corking equally it  helps them larn too memorise the phrases using a procedure of spaced repetition. To purpose this students simply select a phrasebook too and thus click on the ‘Learn this phrasebook’ button.  

They tin too thus select fundamental words to withdraw from the phrases. After these convey been clicked, they volition convey to select them inward the right lodge to lay them dorsum into the sentence. 

They move through the phrases doing this a yoke of times too each fourth dimension things acquire harder too to a greater extent than words are removed. Eventually the prompt words are removed too they convey to type inward the missing words. 

Once the students type inward the words they volition live on able to compare alongside the original.

Phraseum tin also do revision tests thus that the students re-study a choice of the phrases inward their collection. When students convey learned novel phrases, each session begins alongside a test. This examination is designed to position just what they tin remember. In each examination they are required to type inward phrases alongside minimal prompts. Their success inward the examination determines whether a phrase is learned or marked equally weak too repeated again.

As a instructor you lot tin also do your ain phrasebooks simply yesteryear typing inward the phrases you lot desire stusdents to larn too and thus sharing the phrasebook alongside them.

Getting started alongside phraseum. 

Once you lot convey registered on the site, ane of the get-go things to do is to add together the ‘Clipping button’ to your browser. You tin discovery it at: https://www.phraseum.com/page/clipping-button and simply drag the push onto the bookmarks bar of your browser. 

Once you lot convey done this all you lot need to do is highlight some text piece you lot are reading too and thus click the push too it volition opened upward the clipping window which helps you lot to salve the text chunk into the right phrasebook too add together tags too musical note to it. 

It’s also wise to determine how you lot desire to organise the phrase you lot collect too do some empty phrasebooks too, too thus these volition seem equally options when you lot clip phrases from a text. Once you lot convey done that you lot (or your students) are laid upward to start clipping equally you lot read.

Activities for students

Here are some activities you lot tin do alongside your students to acquire them started alongside Phraseum.

• Choose a spider web based text that you lot would similar your students to read. Collect phrases from the text into a phrasebook. Share the phrasebook alongside your students too acquire them to depository fiscal establishment jibe their agreement of the phrases. Ask the students to essay to larn the phrases using the Phraseum ‘Learn’ feature. Once they’ve made an initial crusade to larn the phrases, acquire them to read the text.

• Give the students a spider web based text to read. Once you lot convey completed comprehension too reading evolution activities inquire the students to expect for sentences inward the text that convey vocabulary, collocations or lexical chunks that are novel to them too salve the sentences into a phrasebook. Then acquire students to purpose the larn characteristic too select the specific words from the phrases inside the judgement that they need to learn. Students tin too thus do them regularly.

• When using a text that has a lot of dialogue such equally a play, you lot tin acquire the students to select ane of the people inward the text too catch all the sentences they tell into a phrasebook alongside that person’s name. They tin too thus purpose the ‘Learn’ characteristic to essay to memorise the lines of the text. You tin too thus acquire the students human activeness out or recite the text.

• Collect some dissimilar lines from a hit of brusque poems into a phrasebook. Share the phrasebook alongside your students too acquire them to essay to determine which poesy form each trouble came from (You’ll need to plough over them the titles of the poems, or purpose poems they convey already read.) 

• Get students to collect wise quotes or sayings ( these could live on based or thus a specific topic or simply whatever that the students are interested in) ane time they convey v to 10 quotes acquire the students to purpose the ‘Learn’ characteristic of the site to essay to larn too memorise the quotes.

• Create or acquire students to do a phrasebook containing each of the lines from a brusque poem. They tin too thus purpose the ‘Learn’ characteristic of Phraseum to essay to memorise the consummate poem. 

 If you'd similar to a greater extent than ideas for how to purpose Creating social phrasebooks alongside Phraseum

Related links:

• Lessons inward Digital Literacy
• Free ebooks
• A River of Images 
• A Tool for Comparing Words

Best

Nik Peachey

Exploiting Infographics For Digital Literacy In Addition To Critical Thinking

This is merely a brusk post service to anounce the publication of my novel ebook 'Exploiting Infographics for Digital Literacy as well as Critical Thinking'.

Exploiting Infographics follows on from 10 Lessons inwards Digital Literacy, which is a collection of lesson plans based closed to infographics, as well as looks inwards to a greater extent than depth at the genre as well as how infographics tin hold upwardly used equally both sources of data as well as equally creative learning tasks for students.

The tasks that accompany the infographics are intended to encourage students to remember to a greater extent than critically most the data they are exposed to as well as to interrogation the sources of data they detect whilst browsing the internet.

Exploiting Infographics should assistance teachers to offset creating their ain tasks, activities as well as lesson plans for students as well as to integrate infographics inwards a agency that volition heighten students’ critical thinking, digital literacy, linguistic communication as well as communication skills.

Exploiting Infographics was conceived equally business office of The Digital Classrooms Series which started amongst the laurels winning Digital Video - Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Manual for Language Teachers.

The serial is intended to assistance teachers, instructor trainers, materials writers as well as course of report designers integrate digital technologies into their classroom practise inwards a pedagogically audio as well as impactful way.


I promise y'all taste these books as well as detect them useful.



Related links:

• My Lesson Materials

Nik Peachey