More Than a Timeline

Timelines are a great way for learners to express their knowledge of content. Typically we see timelines to show a progression of a specific event or person with how specific events came together to tell the story of something bigger.  Have you ever thought to use a timeline with your learners that's not just about a sequence of events?

I like the Read, Write, Think app Timeline.  It's free!  I presented the idea of using this app from a different point of view.  The features within the app allow users to be creative!  Once an event is created, several different options within the app allow for the user to demonstrate a more depth and complex understanding of the topic.  First, begin with a short explanation.  Then, add a longer explanation.  Once different events are added to the timeline any of the objects can be moved along the time or shifted to appear in the upper area or the lower area of the screen.  So what can we do that's different?

Plot Diagram

What better way to illustrate understanding of a story than by creating a plot diagram.  Use the various features to explain the plot along the way through the reading.

Five Fact Review

What are the five most important pieces of information shared during a certain lesson or time period?  Discern which five facts are the most important, put these in order and explain why these certain points were added.

Visual Vocabulary

Vocabulary is always a skill learners can work on, so why not have learners create their own dictionary for any subject area.

Organize Ideas

Sometimes creating and manipulating ideas within an area can make the content better understood.  Using this app can allow learners to think and collect their ideas in one spot.

Reflection

While planning a learning experience it is so important to remember to allow time for reflection.  Using the features available in the Timeline app allows learners to have a structured form of reflection.

In this example, the Timeline app is used to express the food chain of animals in a particular food web.  How do the individual plants and animals affect the lives of organisms living in that environment.

Another feature of the Timeline app is exporting the final product.  A document can be exported as a PDF or a RWT file format.  The RWT will allow the project to be modified.  The exporting feature also converts a timeline to an outline.  Perfect for writing!

What will your learners create using Timeline?

For the Love of Maps!

I love maps!  I have always loved maps!  I love exploring and finding new places to see.   Which road will take me somewhere new.  When I was little and my family would take a road trip I would look at where we were going and try look at different states in the atlas, remember the atlas?!?  When I was fresh out of college and moved to a big city one of the first things I got was a Mapsco.  Anyone remember that huge 3 ring binder with pages and pages of maps?  Fast forward a few (or more) years and who looks at a paper map any more?  When I'm going somewhere new I love to use the street view of Google maps to see what something will look like.  After I go somewhere new I like to go back and see what it looks like for someone else's view.  So, what about incorporating maps into the classroom?

Maps are a life skill.  You need to be able to read a map!  But what if you can create your own?  What would your map look like?  Google My Maps is just the thing to use to make your customized maps.  Making a map is as easy as searching the internet!  Using my maps you are able to mark certain locations, add images, link to websites, and more!  I am very excited about the possibilities of incorporating maps into currirulm with learners in the very near future!

I made a tutorial video that covers most of the aspects of creating your own My Map.  I hope you find it useful.

I was fortunate to share my love of My Maps with fellow educators.  Look at some of the wonderful ideas they have come up with to start using this tool with their learners! Where will your map making skills take you and your learners?

#TIA17 Keynote Speaker Eric Sheninger

Keynote speakers are supposed to energize and inspire!  That's exactly what happened when Eric Sheninger spoke at the Think Iterate Act conference in North Texas.  I am so thankful to work with so many others who have the same mindset as I do when it comes to education.  The tweets I shared during this particular keynote are all thoughts I stand behind 100%!