Bubbl.us can be a useful tool in any classroom. It helps students and teachers organize their thoughts when brainstorming on a specific topic. Teachers could also use it to help them plan - daily or weekly.
In Primary Grades:
This tool can be used as a teacher directed class activity. The teacher can give a topic and have students come up with ideas to create the brainstorming map. The teacher could also create a brainstorming map that is partially filled in and have students complete it as part of an assignment or assessment. Students could work in partners or small groups in the computer lab to build their own brainstorming map as well.
In Intermediate Grades and Beyond:
Students can create their own brainstorming maps. This would be especially useful for students to use when writing a paper or completing a project. It would be an easy and organized way for students to lay out their thoughts before completing their assignment. The site makes it easy for users to move around their thought bubbles, which would also be helpful for older students.
In My Own Classroom:
This Web 2.0 tool would be very useful in my first grade classroom. I can use it to guide student thinking during reading lessons. We can use it as a teacher guided tool and my students can tell me what to add to the map. If I take them to the computer lab, I can have a partially filled in brainstorming map and have the students complete it on their own as an assessment.
Stephanie I really like your suggestion of using the map as an assessment, I never thought of using Bubbl.us like that. As an assessment tool that would also allow for necessary differentiation and accommodations.
ReplyDeleteI too have used the concept map in reading groups, and I find it incredibly useful for before reading strategies and getting all the students to participate and collaborate. Students can add on to other students' ideas or begin their own thought in order to activate their prior knowledge.