Reclaim offers many effective, easily-accessible apps for my secondary English classroom, so I’ve been trying to narrow down which ones to try in the upcoming school year. I have two trains of thought:
- Choose an app which will allow me to disseminate information in a more exploratory way
OR - Choose an app which will allow students to create digital projects apart from Google tools (Google is awesome, but my kiddos get tired of using the same apps)
At this point, I’m learning more toward #1 – maybe it’s a scenario where I use this app to share information, then, once I’m more proficient with the app features, I can teach students how to use it for their projects.
In my English 10 classes, we read two novels during the school year: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton and Night by Elie Wiesel. Both units involve a research component. For The Outsiders, we research the 1960s, so that students can more easily immerse themselves in the setting of the book. For Night, we research the historical events leading up to, during, and after the Holocaust. I frequently use photos in both units, so I’m going to test out some apps that will help me to create a digital gallery walk – one of my favorite teaching strategies.
From my brief, preliminary research, Omeka looks like a good choice for this activity, since its description includes the terms “scholarly collections and exhibitions.” I could compile photos and historical data for my students to explore. Omeka’s interface looks streamlined and simple to navigate, which would lower the learning curve for my high school students.
Check back in the fall to see how it goes! Feel free to drop your favorite gallery walk tools in the comments.
