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Popplet

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Mind-mapping is an effective and frequent used tool to help students brainstorm and make connections. Popplet is a web-based interactive mind-mapping tool that allow users to organize their ideas by typing, drawing, and/or uploading images and videos. Users can first use it as Sticky notes and then indicate the same or similar ideas into categories. Popplet allows users to brainstorm collaboratively to enhance critical thinking. 

Benefits

By using an interactive web-based mind-map tool like Popplet, it: 
  • allows teacher to create an inviting environment for collaborative learning and thinking;
  • allows everyone’s voice to be heard and generate ideas;
  • encourage second language learners express ideas via various media;
  • stimulates thinking by uploading different visual materials (colors, photos, videos, graphs, etc.);
  • assists learners to visualize their thinking process and revise their thoughts (metacognition);
  • enables learners to organize information more effectively;
  • facilitates learners to identify key and related concepts more easily;
  • allows teacher to facilitate a focused brainstorming session with control;
  • helps learners to make connections and generate a conceptual framework;
  • allows PDF or JEPG export so that students can document this in their learning process journal;
  • encourage students to consider other viewpoints;
  • increases learner participation and keeps them on task.

Preparations

  • Decide a prompt that is clearly defined for students to focus on. Brainstorming is not just to have students to come up with all kinds of ideas at random. A focused and defined topic not only activates students’  prior knowledge, but also encourage them connect and generate new ideas.
  • Allocate time for students think individually and silently first.
  • DUring this activity, monitor students’ responses and ensure their ideas are original and relevant to the prompt.
  • Encourage students to make connections to others’ responses and add more details by texting or upload visual materials.
  • Please refer to Step-by-Step Instructions on Using Popplet in Your Classroom
  • Guide your students to sing up a Popplet account so that you can add them as collaborators to your Popplet. By the same token, one student can set up a Popple and invite their group members. The video below shows how to enable ‘Share’ function on Popplet.

Applications

  • Activate students’ prior knowledge by having them respond to a prompt (a topic, a question, a problem, an idea, etc.)  and encourage them to make connections among each other’s responses.
  • Create a vocabulary mind-map
  • Create a visual map after reading (Help students to construct visual images after reading promotes comprehension.)
  • Summarize main ideas and supporting details
  • Categorize new information to understand informational text
  • Reflect on the learning process
  • Explain a problem or a question by using a Fishbone diagram (such as global warming, environmental issues, what is advertisement?…)
  • Recall after reading informational texts
  • Outline topic sentences and examples for expository writing
  • Create a web to analyze information texts
  • Brainstorm ideas before writing
  • Analyze text structures

Alternatives

alison

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Published by
alison
10 years ago

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