Read about how Jennifer’s using Wakelet for organizing differentiated lessons for emerging and gifted learners!
Wakelet is fast becoming one of my favorite educational technology resources. I am so impressed with the features that make it the ideal tool to create self-paced – differentiated lessons; think HyperDocs on steroids!
As an Educational Technology Specialist supporting the teachers in Atlanta Public Schools, I’m always looking for tools and resources that allow teachers to work smarter not harder, while providing students engaging learning experiences. As a former middle school Gifted English/Language Arts teacher, I know the importance of providing students valuable learning opportunities, while meeting diverse learners’ needs.
Wakelet is a free, easy to use tool that can be used to create lessons for any grade-band and all subjects! Wakelet gives teachers the ability to “collect” any resource from the web and package it in an easy to follow lesson.
Wakelet allows me to add URLs, text, tweets, bookmarks, images, YouTube videos, PDFs, Google Drive files, Flipgrid videos and more. Being able to include URLs and links within text boxes allows teachers to connect other resources and learning experiences in one Wakelet collection. For example, I can link to a collaborative Google Doc, Google Form, Word Doc, Microsoft Form, Kahoot!, Quizizz, Nearpod lesson, a digital resource from Discovery Education, BrainPOP or another online tool.
For years, I have been a fan of HyperDocs, using G-Suite apps to create pedagogically sound, self-paced differentiated lessons. Recently, I decided to create a HyperDocs style lesson using Wakelet and share it during a presentation. The attendees were blown away with the features, ease of use and the ability to quickly copy and share a Wakelet collection!
I think my favorite tool is Wakelet’s integration with Microsoft’s Immersive Reader. This is a game-changer, allowing for more accessibility and support for all learners.
Wakelet is the ideal tool for teachers to curate and share resources for units of study as well as special projects. When planning differentiated lessons, teachers generally start in the middle, so I would suggest creating an initial Wakelet collection with all the steps of the lesson (5E model or other) with instructions, resources and instructional support for on-level learners.
Once the initial on-level collection is created, teachers can easily duplicate and modify the lesson by differentiating content (Lexile, complexity, tasks) for their emerging as well as gifted learners. The ability to easily reorder, add or remove resources/links in a Wakelet collection allows teachers to quickly customize and reorder lessons.
WIth a custom link, Wakelet collections are easily shared with students via Google Classroom or another LMS. Co-teachers can collaborate on lessons and easily share their collections. If you are a fan of using HyperDocs, I would definitely suggest creating your next lesson on Wakelet!
Check out Jennifer’s website!
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