Last year as I was trying to get prepared to attend my first ISTE conference, one podcast mentioned they’d be curating content from ISTE on a platform called Wakelet.  Mmmm…I hadn’t heard about Wakelet, and was naturally curious. So, I started exploring.  It appeared to be an extremely easy to use tool that allowed me to post videos, links, docs, Tweets, photos, etc. to a  wall.  I read this on their web site: “Now we can bridge the gap between humans and algorithms by empowering people to curate content in a stunning, useful and more personal way. Humans, taking control, of the information we put together.

Searching public Wakelet collections, you may find  YouTube videos, photos, articles and infographics that advocate a cause, inform or tell a story.  This tool has many possibilities as students can use these resources for their own research and learning journey.  Or,  they can  create their own Wakelet collection.  In creating their own Wakelet, students are empowered to move beyond a random list of resources.  They can professionally and visually engage their audience with photos, videos, articles, graphics and resources that have power. The power lies in being specific about  purpose and audience. Power to inform, teach or tell a story. What is the goal of this information?  Where do you want it to go? Who will you share it with?  Who will you collaborate with?  How will you move forward? If you follow Wakelet on Twitter, you’ll often see the following: #TheHumansAreComing.  With Wakelet, we have the opportunity to take charge of our information and make specific decisions. Decisions made by a human, not a computer.  

Fast forward to several months into the school year.  We were looking for an alternative to Padlet for our students to share content and collaborate.  In all of my searching, Wakelet kept appearing on ‘NEW AND COOL’ tool lists.  Wakelet offered to do a Google hangout with me to showcase their features.  They were helpful, informative and responsive to educational questions/needs.  And did I mention it is  FREE.  As a teacher, I can invite other students and teachers to collaborate on a collection.  I can also follow experts on particular topics to access and use their work.  It’s super easy to share a Wakelet with my students via Google Classroom, a link or a QR code.  No accounts necessary for students.  And I predict the updates and features will continue to grow. Wakelet is a tool to use and a company to keep your eye on!

 

WAYS WE ARE USING WAKELET:

*sharing out photos, links, articles, and ideas after attending conferences

*reliable research information for students as they dig into specific topics

*an easy way to curate and share Tweets

*documenting the story of a project in a classroom with visuals

*sharing resources and student work across buildings safely and in real time

*learning about new resources and ideas ( example below of a Wakelet wall on new video resources)