BP3_2010011_Web2.0_T1-listhings

Image screenshot taken at http://listhings.com/

I was thinking today about the materials I use in my classroom. I asked myself, “Is there a Web 2.0 tool that I could use in place of these materials?” I work at an environmental science themed magnet school and I am always looking for was to reduce our classroom consumption of materials. I was also thinking about the routines that I have implemented into my classroom and what materials I needed to maintain those routines. I started going through the list: pencils, copy paper, notebook paper, sticky notes… ahh that was it – sticky notes. I could almost bet that I could find an online equivalent to sticky notes.

I began my search at Go2Web20. After a quick search I came across “listhings.” The sites introductory sticky note read:

Welcome to Listhings!

This is your personal canvas for storing notes. Click on me to edit, or hold down mouse button to drag me around. You can also resize me from the right and bottom edges. Create new notes by clicking «Add» from upper right corner or by double-clicking on canvas.

Notes are automatically and safely stored on the eco-friendly Listhings servers.

This would be perfect. The site could not be more user friendly, all the sites instructions fit onto one sticky note.

You might be thinking to yourself, “What in the world could he be using all these sticky notes for?” A few years back I began to use sticky notes a lot during my literacy block. Prior to this I had used composition books and notebook paper to record student thinking. It always seemed so pointless to put only a few thoughts on one piece of paper. As a result, I started using sticky notes. I found that my students were more concise in their thinking, focusing on the most important parts. As students read independently I ask that they record their thinking on a sticky note. For instance, one person may write about a connection they had with the text, while another might jot down a question they have while reading. As a teacher, I collect these notes in order to assess my kids understanding of a particular text. This has always been so difficult to manage.

Listhings allows the user to create a new page for different context. In my case I would choose a new page for each text. The students reading that text would then post their thinking notes on the virtual board. In turn, I automatically have a record of each students thinking. Having a central location for posting notes also allows my students to review each other’s thoughts. I love how you can take a Web 2.0 tool meant for one purpose (in this case – making lists) and utilize it to facilitate student learning.

Reference

Listhings. (2010). Retrieved from http://listhings.com/