The Infused Classroom Blog
How to Use Wakelet in The Classroom
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Blended Learning can become more meaningful when we incorporate very powerful tools like Wakelet in our classrooms.
Wakelet has helped me become a better educator, and I can not stop using it!! It is changing how I curate and share resources- and more importantly how students I work with can organize their learning. Can I get a woot woot?
To get started: Check out this Wakelet collection on using Wakelet
What is Wakelet? It is the newest, hippest curation tool out there and it can help change the collaboration, creation and organization of learning in a classroom. Wakelet makes it ‘easy to capture, organize and share multi-media resources’ for both the teacher and student. If you have not done so, take the time to quickly learn this easy to use tool. I think of it as a more powerful version of Pinterest.
Once you discover how easy this tool is to use - you will want to start using it right away! Here are five ways to use Wakelet tomorrow!.
How to Use Wakelet to Activate Curiosity
Curate resources before a lesson or learning scenario for students to explore. This activity should be designed to activate their curiosity and get them ready for the learning experience and to give them the background knowledge they need to understand the content better. Consider curating resources that are high-interest or get them thinking about the ideas that are part of their learning goals. For example - curate Over Simplified History videos (from YouTube) or Flocabulary to get students interested in the content in a fun and engaging way!
How to Use Wakelet to Curate Exemplars
Students need mentor examples or ideas to help them get in that creative mindset. Great examples help stimulate their own ideas and creativity. Use Wakelet to curate really well-thought-out examples of student work into one collection. If you are using Flipgrid - download a great video or two and add to a collection. Using Adobe Spark? Use Wakelet to show off some of the best video, graphic or webpage exemplars for kids to see as they begin making their own learning artifacts.
How to Use Wakelet to Show Off Your Classroom
We all want parents to respect the learning that is happening in our classrooms - but parents don’t have time to visit or see what is happening each day. Now, using a Wakelet collection, we can invite them in to witness some of the learning experiences happening with students. To do this, create a weekly Wakelet collection that shows off the classroom work and captures the actual learning experiences. Use your phone to take quick videos of the students in action and then add those to the collection as well as examples of student work! It is time to let the learning pour out of the four walls of your classroom and into the world.
How to Use Wakelet for Student Research
Using the Wakelet Chrome Extension, students can easily curate their research or even their own learning artifacts using the power of a Wakelet collection. As they learn the skill of searching - teach them how to curate that research into a collection so that they can easily stay organized... Even have them take notes in the information section just below the source so they remember the important elements of that resource.
How to Use Wakelet to Share Innovative Teaching Ideas
We all have amazing teachers at our schools who are not on Twitter. No matter how hard we try, some will never join us on our favorite learning adventure by joining. So help them by curating some amazing ideas - each week or anytime you find something really helpful. A great example of this comes from Pam Hubler@specialtechie Check out this Wakelet were she shared #PottyPD with teachers in her district and around the world! Potty PD Wakelet
How to Use Wakelet to Share Playlists
To get students pumped and ready for class, we start our class each period with a song. To get students involved in the process, we invite them to add a song request. To do this, we create a collection, name it and click on the invite button in the upper navigation bar. This creates a unique link that can be shared with students and then students can easily add their submissions. I make a video of how to do the process, and add "Request a Song" to our Google classroom. Anytime during the year they can request. There is another great example of a Playlist class activity in the video below.
How to Use Wakelet to Get to Know the Class
Before school starts (or even as a back to school activity in January) you can invite students to do a Wakelet introducing themselves. Students can learn about each other and build excitement for the coming year as they learn who is in their class. Teachers should make one as well - to introduce themselves to the class and as an exemplar of the final product.
Pro Tip: Send an email with a tutorial video on how students can create their first Wakelet. Just think students will then come to class already knowing how to use this powerful tool.
Watch this video for actual examples of these ideas:
How to Use Wakelet for a Weekly Newsletter
Weekly newsletters have long been a great way to get parents involved in the classroom and create a powerful school to home connection. Consider creating a weekly or bi-weekly Wakelet for this task. The Wakelet could be used to show off student work, provide more insight into whats coming and could offer a place for students (or parents) who want more information about content - additional resources to keep the learning going.
How to Use Wakelet for Student Portfolios
Students in 2020 spend a lot more time online doing work, so they now have links to many of their learning assets. Teaching students to curate their best work during the year into a collection is a great way to help them see their growth over time and take pride in their work.
Pro Tip: Have students edit description section to explain about the assignment and illuminate their learning journey.
How to Use Wakelet to curate a How To-Tech Videos
As we have been using more learning tools in our class, I have created a Wakelet collection with tutorials to helps students who might need more time or have been absent. The number of views on these videos have taught me this was an important resource for them.
Finally, Check out this Wakelet on using Wakelet. This collection is the curation of amazing examples by educators as passionate as me about Wakelet.
