Diigo.com works as a library for useful and interesting links to web pages.
You can also save snapshots of a web page. In this way you don’t have to worry
about changes being made. You always have a copy of the page as it was. It also
allows you to make digital highlights and sticky-notes on regular web pages. Everything you save can be sorted into
categories and be given tags to make them easier to find. You can also share
them with different groups you are a part of. All the notes and highlights you
make will be saved in the cloud and are accessible from any tablet, smart phone
or computer as long as you have a connection to the internet.
What you need to make it work
Diigo.com works in all the most common web browsers and on Android and
Apple products. When you create an account, which don’t take long, you need an
email-address and then you´re ready to go.
As an educator you have the option to create a special account. This lets you create accounts for your pupils without having to connect them to an email-address. The pupils still can access all the information both from school and at home.
As an educator you have the option to create a special account. This lets you create accounts for your pupils without having to connect them to an email-address. The pupils still can access all the information both from school and at home.
How the resource can be used by teachers
As a teacher you can use Diigo.com as a library for your private links
you use in the classroom. But it can also work as a way for the teacher to
share useful links with the students. The students can be divided into groups
and have their own group site on diigo.com. This lets the teacher to see what
the different groups have done and makes it easy to assess the pupils’
participation. The groups on diigo.com can be made private, so that just the
participants in that group can see the content, or public for everyone to see. While
planning future classes web pages with useful information can be stored. And as
said before if there is something especially interesting it can be highlighted
or commented using the sticky-notes
On the diigo.com site there is a page with information for teachers
where you can find examples of how to use diigo.com in the classroom. You find
it if you follow this link.
How the resource can be used by pupils
Just as the teachers the pupils can use it for storing useful web pages.
It can be things that the teacher asks them to save or things that they themselves
find interesting and that can help them in their schoolwork. Using the highlight
tool and the sticky-notes makes it easy to remember important passes in the
text and to share ideas with their classmates.
The fact that everything is saved in the Cloud makes it easy for the pupils to work from home, the library or wherever they are.
The fact that everything is saved in the Cloud makes it easy for the pupils to work from home, the library or wherever they are.
Example of a task using diigo.com
Decide a topic that you want the pupils to explore. Prepare a couple of
links to web pages you find useful.
If you have access to an Interactive Whiteboard you can start looking for suitable information on the Internet together as a whole class. Otherwise you can divide the pupils up into groups with 2-3 pupils in each group. They get the task to find two web pages that they think can provide the information needed. They can save a whole page, highlight what they think is the most important on the page and then share it with the rest of the class.
Now the whole class can go through all the pages and see if what you need is found amongst them. If you don’t have access to an Interactive Whiteboard or enough computers for every pupil you can print the pages.
Did the pupils find the same information as you did? Is all information good information? From where does the information come from? How do we know that the information is correct?
This task lets you as a teacher to show how important it is to be aware of what web pages the pupils use.
Diigo.com can also be used as a place where you collect links to other useful resourses e.g. games, web based encyklopedias, newspapers.
Remember though that some pages might be accessible only via the school server and not from the pupils computers at home.
If you have access to an Interactive Whiteboard you can start looking for suitable information on the Internet together as a whole class. Otherwise you can divide the pupils up into groups with 2-3 pupils in each group. They get the task to find two web pages that they think can provide the information needed. They can save a whole page, highlight what they think is the most important on the page and then share it with the rest of the class.
Now the whole class can go through all the pages and see if what you need is found amongst them. If you don’t have access to an Interactive Whiteboard or enough computers for every pupil you can print the pages.
Did the pupils find the same information as you did? Is all information good information? From where does the information come from? How do we know that the information is correct?
This task lets you as a teacher to show how important it is to be aware of what web pages the pupils use.
Diigo.com can also be used as a place where you collect links to other useful resourses e.g. games, web based encyklopedias, newspapers.
Remember though that some pages might be accessible only via the school server and not from the pupils computers at home.
Isabell Olsson
This ICT resource I experience as a good tool for both teachers and pupils, but mainly the teacher. I've never heard of it before, but I am so glad that you wrote this post. It seems to be a useful tool for teachers that can spread further among other teachers. I will use for myself this library when I come out as a finished teacher. The tool seems to be easy, and the teacher can easily take part of the net by the computer, ipad or phone. Teachers really do not need to be afraid that they will lose links or material, when they can save the links. Since the tool is customizable where you get to choose whether their library will be private or public. For all teachers, it is probably difficult to know how the tool works, but the helping guide sounds perfect.
ReplyDeleteThe teacher can provide access to the ict resource and the pupils do not need to create an account. To give pupils the opportunity to also at home get access to the saved links, can lead to parents feeling more involved and monitor their child. The freedom that the teacher can give pupils by letting them save their own links that they find interesting, I believe will give the pupils confidence in their learning. But also the teacher can control the saved links. These sticky-notes really helps pupils and teachers to remember all the bookmarks, and can detect links and sort them in a good way.
As all activities require this tool that the teacher has prepared with links and knowledge about the tool. Either the whole class or in small groups give pupils the opportunity to learn more about to be critical that I think is good. For it is important that pupils develop in the same pace as society does.
Your example of activity is good! By that pupils can work in small groups will be as you say also a great way for pupils to compare the links and the sticky-notes, they have done. Here they really have an opportunity to learn from each other and expand their learning.
Something that I missed in the post was whether the membership was free or if there will be a cost? Other things that come to mind was how smoothly can transfer links to pupils that change class / stage? Is there any maximum limit on the number of pupils who may be in the teacher's users? Need teachers approve the links and tags that pupils save? This is obviously something that is not required to stand in the post, but thought that perhaps the teacher can check further on before using the tool.
Overall, I think that this tool seems to be good, since it facilitates the work of teachers. In a flexible manner the teacher or pupil can save links to be able to easily come back, really saves time for the teacher. It helps pupils develop knowledge to be critical and how to use the Internet. I myself am a person who likes to help and make things go smooth. So now it's time for me to create a membership and explore this resource even more. Thanks for the tip!