How do you make online learning interactive? Have you heard about virtual corkboards? Or, to say it simply, is there a virtual bulletin board?
When schools shut down due to COVID 19 virus, teachers around the world have employed interactive ways to teach online. One of them is using virtual bulletin boards to increase student engagement despite the big challenge both teachers and students face in the new normal setting in education.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
Quite a challenge indeed. However, best efforts come when most needed. Because of the strong commitment of teachers, the access and provision of quality learning to the students continue.
In this article, we will talk about multimedia or virtual bulletin boards. It’s an opportune time to talk about their presence in our virtual classroom knowing that we teachers have to find means to engage our learners.
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What are virtual bulletin boards?
Virtual bulletin boards are multimedia walls and canvases used to establish collaboration and interactive online instruction. They are digital tools for visual thinking and interface. These are great examples of digital tools that support online learning and allow you to post your creative digital sticky notes. Ultimately, they excite students.
The best part is, I am very enthusiastic to demonstrate complex concepts knowing that I meet where my students are. Knowing that our learners today are interestingly tech-savvy, we have to update ourselves with technological advancements as well to keep pace with the automation trend.
Subsequently, we need to arm ourselves with the best online teaching tools. And using virtual bulletin boards is one fantastic way!
These interactive virtual bulletin boards serve as a blank canvas where you can work with your students.
These bulletin boards are accessible online and students can post their work, collaborate with their classmates, upload videos and images, and present a concept.
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What are they for?
So, what can virtual bulletin boards do to our virtual classrooms? How do these applications enhance student learning and increase student performance?
Certain online applications can be used as interactive virtual bulletin boards to elicit interaction and demonstration of learning from students.
Virtual bulletin boards are used for introducing a topic, giving assignments to students, and presenting videos and images. Indeed, it’s an excellent digital teaching-learning tool.
Best of all, hands-on virtual bulletin boards are used to get learners’ attention and motivate them to be at their best. With that, these online digital tools can really do best in distance learning where engaging students has become very challenging.
Is there a Virtual Bulletin Board?
We can’t deny the important roles bulletin boards play in student learning. They own the best spot in a physical classroom. Fortunately, bulletin boards are also spreading their efficacy online through cork boards.
To captivate students virtually is indeed a difficult task. But with the presence of virtual bulletin boards through very accessible applications the internet offers today, getting the interests of students has become very exciting.
Here are 4 of the best virtual bulletin boards that can make your online classes interactive, collaborative, and fun! I have tried using each one of them and I’m sure you’ll love them too. Let your students experience collaboration anytime and anywhere.
1. Padlet
One of the perfect means of innovative education is by using Padlet in facilitating learning. The app offers gramps of virtual bulletin boards that enable you to utilize post-it notes. Also, using this application allows me to make creative presentations of which my students can access online and offer the perfect place where my students can create relevant posts. It heightens their creativity and confidence.
It offers an interactive interface for the users to add images, graphics, videos, and text. I have experienced its great use in making learning interesting and exciting.
Usually, I leave activities for my students to reflect on, and adopting Padlet for this purpose is very effective. Quickly, students can access the link and won’t be required to create their own accounts.
Every time I share the collaborative link on our Group chat, my students are very excited to check out what’s in store for them and respond immediately.
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2. Popplet
Here’s another virtual bulletin board to go that promotes personalized learning. Introducing Popplet for education. It’s another great way to help students visualize complex concepts and experience collaboration in real-time.
Intensify your Popplet experience by sharing this digital tool with your colleagues and spreading good news for student collaboration.
With a blank canvas, you and your students can create popples and begin a superb interaction. The popplets you create serve as your ingenious post-it notes. It’s a very intuitive and straightforward online application that even beginners will enjoy their initial encounter with popplets. Most importantly, you can create attractive posts through the app’s classification background colors.
You can adjust the size of the popples, and most essentially, you can add images and embed videos. Amazingly, you can also draw within the popplet you created. It’s a perfect brainstorming tool and typically aids in organizing details.
For the perfect try, you can sign-up here.
3. Dotstorming
Making your online classes really fun and exciting is a great idea to increase student engagement and Dotstorming is absolutely the perfect choice for an app. It offers digital whiteboards that allow the participants to post their thoughts through virtual sticky notes.
Its functionalities are quite similar to Padlet. This application is also an effective tool for brainstorming and collaboration in real-time. You can even ask your students to draw on canvases at the same time. You can enjoy using unlimited boards for 30 days for free. Make use of its voting board, wall, and collage.
You can add a card, personalize your thoughts, and add images.
Would you like to explore its best uses as an impressive corkboard? I’m sure you’ll like it. Try it here.
4. Miro
Intensify your student’s online learning experience with this visual whiteboard. Aiming to instill in your students a deeper understanding of content, you can use this interactive application and enjoy the Miro online whiteboard.
Miro is another effective app that aids remote learning. Its great functionality highly supports timely interaction and communication among participants – your students. Additionally, just like other virtual bulletin boards, you can also provide immediate feedback on your students’ projects and outputs. This is very important in student learning as students should know how they are faring in your class.
Let your students experience the exchange of ideas in real-time which in a way, builds up their self-esteem especially since you can also present your constructive feedback here and now.
Miro gathered impressive reviews from its users around the globe. As an educator, trying this digital tool is ideal. Would you like to get started today? Enjoy it here.
5. Wakelet
Here’s another impressive option for a virtual bulletin board that helps you with information dissemination and collaboration for remote learning.
This online platform has shown its great use in education. Teachers and students have used Wakelet in different ways. To demonstrate their ideas, students can create interactive digital portfolios with much efficiency.
Wakelet is a versatile online platform and an easy-to-use collaborative tool that pays really close attention to educators’ needs and responds to feedback. They recently introduced an exciting feature for collaboration called “Spaces”, which enables you to create visually appealing, in-depth spaces for brainstorming.
Watch out for more advanced features to be added soon.
6. Google Jamboard
Google Jamboard is another fantastic collaborative digital whiteboard where students can work together and show their best ideas.
With this amazing app, you can easily import any file, including images, documents, maps, spreadsheets, and presentations from other Google Workspace applications.
Teachers like you can take benefit of this digital whiteboard by collaborating with your colleagues for strategic planning and brainstorming.
Conclusion
Hence, is there a virtual bulletin board? Well, this article has answered your query.
I know that distance learning poses challenges in terms of student interaction and collaboration. Fortunately, there are interactive online whiteboards and canvases that support student collaboration. These virtual bulletins are amazing digital tools for clear communication and visual thinking.
Bringing the above-mentioned virtual bulletin boards into your online classes is an incredible idea. Spark interaction and involve all your learners. If some of them are startups, then you should guide them well. They will enjoy your learning activities and perhaps they can create their own learning as they build together concepts.
Interestingly, virtual bulletin boards are a big help in education, especially in remote learning. Explore their functionalities and collaborate with your students.
Should you want to share your wonderful experiences with virtual corkboards? Feel free to share in the comment section below.