For many, Symbaloo is not a new tool for their classroom. Symbaloo is a great bookmarking tool for teachers...and really anyone. I love that I can find all of my bookmarks on any device. It really is a great tool, but this blog post is not about Symbaloo. Instead, it is about Symbaloo Lesson Plans.
I became aware of this great new tool when Symbaloo sent me a message via twitter. Any time I get a response from a reader, I am on cloud nine. This is especially true when I get a response from a business I am writing about. So, when Symbaloo asked if I had checked out their new tool, I was excited to see what it was all about.
When it comes to educational technology, the number one rule for me is that it must be kid friendly, and easy for teachers to use. Symbaloo Lesson Plans meets those requirements and then some.
The website is extremely easy to use, and reminds me a lot of Nearpod, when it first started. However, Symbaloo Lesson Plans places their interactive system on what looks like a game board.
In the summer, I teach with Georgia Virtual School. So my brain is in personal fitness mode. For my trial run, I loaded a Prezi into the Lesson Plan, a couple, of questions, and a YouTube video. If you would like to check out my first shot at Symbaloo Lesson Plans, click here and enter 63761.
Symbaloo Lesson Plans also has their own awesome tutorial. Check out their Introduction Video below:
What can you load on the tiles?
On each tile, you can load videos, webpages, questions, files, photos, or even math equations.
Does it self-grade and provide data?
Yes! The questions self grade, and you are provided with valuable data on the students performance. You can see how long students were on a question, and which questions were missed the most. This is extremely valuable information. Identifying what material your students do not understand, and reviewing material, helps your students be successful.
Personalizing Lesson Plans
Educational trends point to individualized learning. However, realistically doing this in a classroom of 30+ students, multiplied by all the classes you teach, is not easily done. Fortunately, Symbaloo Lesson Plans makes it easier. You can include a variety of paths that help students, or provide additional opportunities to show understanding.
Marketplace
One thing I love about many of the web 2.0 tools for education is the marketplace that most of them offer. Teachers love when other teachers share great lessons, and the Symbaloo Lesson Plan Marketplace is an awesome way to find great lesson plans. These lesson plans can be searched my grade level or content. You can even modify the lessons to fit your classroom.
Easy to Share with Students
Once you create your lesson, their are several ways to share the lesson with students. You can make it available to your google classroom, share a link, a QR Code, or just give your students a 5 digit code to enter on the Symbaloo Lesson Plans webpage.
Wrap up
Symbaloo Lesson Plans is another tool to add to your teacher toolbox. It has a lot of similarities to Nearpod, but also some interesting and helpful differences. Give it a shot in your classroom, and share below what you think. Most importantly, if you liked the article, please subscribe to my blog. It is a huge help to me, and puts you on the list to receive content directly to your inbox. Don't worry. I do not share your information, and I won't overload your inbox. Also, please share on Twitter and Facebook. You would make my day!
As always, thank you, and have a great week!
D.Barkes