edPuzzle / NearPod / Mindmeister

 

Edpuzzle is an online video editing and formative assessment tool that lets teachers cut, crop, and organize videos. But it does so much more, too.

Edpuzzle is an online tool that allows teachers to pull in personal and web-based videos, like YouTube, to be cropped and used with other content. This can mean adding in voiceovers, audio commentaries, extra resources, or even embedded assessment questions.

Unlike a traditional video editor, this is more about getting clips into a format that allows teachers to engage directly with students on a subject. It also has the capacity to offer assessments based on the content and offers lots of controls that allow for the use of video even in more strict school scenarios.

The result is a modern platform that's engaging for students but is also very easy to use for teachers. It's even crammed full of curriculum-specific content to further help in teacher progress with students.

Edpuzzle allows teachers to share their work so there are plenty of ready-made projects available for use or adaptation as needed. It's also possible to export work to collaborate with other classes, for example.

Video content can be found in a variety of ways from the likes of YouTube, TED, Vimeo, and Khan Academy. You can also select videos from a curriculum library sectionalized by content type. Teachers and students can also create their own videos to be used in the Edpuzzle project. At time of publishing, only one video can be used at a time, as combinations are not possible.

Edpuzzle lets you setup an account to create a space in which videos can be edited. You can then select from a host of sources to draw in videos to be edited. Once you've found a video, you can go through it, adding questions along the way at relevant points. Then all that's left to do is assign it to the class.

Nearpod is a hybrid learning must-have tool as it intuitively combines multimedia learning with digital assessments for use in class and beyond.

This platform is easy to get started with and can be used by students of a wide range of ages and abilities. The fact it works across a host of devices is also helpful for use in the classroom, as a group, or from home where students use their own devices 

The ability to add questions to the presentation, that can be created with Nearpod, allows for a fun yet interactive way to follow along in the class. This can allow teachers to better see clearly how their students are learning, or not. 

Nearpod is a website and app-based digital tool that lets teachers create slide-based learning resources that are interactive for students to engage with and learn from.

Nearpod can also use gamification of information to make learning more engaging and fun. It is also built to work well with lots of pre-existing tools, such as Google Slides, Microsoft PowerPoint, and YouTube. Teachers can easily import media to make a lesson quickly and simply using already existing resources. 

Nearpod allows teachers to create lessons from scratch or use the existing library of more than 15,000 lessons and videos, across grades, to get up and running quickly. The system also allows you to pull in videos from the likes of YouTube for easy integration with a quiz, for example. More on that below.

Cleverly, Nearpod works in a number of ways to support a teacher-led classroom, student-led remote learning, or a single screen-led presentation teaching mode. Crucially, whichever style is used, it can easily be integrated with Zoom to include all students, regardless of their location.

Nearpod is great for making YouTube videos interactive. Simply select the one you want and then you can add assessment questions at certain points along the way. So all students need to do is watch and select the correct answer as they watch – ensuring they pay attention and allowing you to see how much they know, or areas that need attention.

The use of virtual reality is also a nice addition as Nearpod works with VR headsets to allow students to explore an area, much like a school trip, only without a limit on distance. 

The ability to draw directly on slides is a useful way to give students the freedom to interact, either adding their own images or perhaps drawing on a map or annotating a diagram.

MindMeister is designed for adults to create mind maps that make for great planning, but this tool is also aimed at students and for use in education.

MindMeister is both an app and an online tool that allows for easy access to mind map templates for brainstorming, writing plans, SWOT analysis, and more.

It is simple to create presentations based on the mind maps built in MindMeister, making it a ideal tool not only for personal planning but also for class-based projects.

MindMeister is a tool that helps students to see what they are thinking by laying out a map for easy organization in a visual way, helping students create a clear thought process. But that's just the surface use.

This tool is crammed full of features and applications that allow it to be integrated into the classroom as a great in-room asset as well as hybrid or remote learning aid. It features an Education specific tab, filled with ideas from the MindMeister blog to make it even more helpful.

MindMeister can be used as a project planning tool, featuring live collaboration so students can work together even when in their own individual homes. Since this is a secure platform, a project can be shared using a link so only those invited are able to take part.

MindMeister has you setup an account using an email, or sign in using Google or Facebook. You can then get started creating a mind-map or look at other ideas in the blog. Use a pre-existing template or create a mind-map from scratch. Numerous options are available to pick from in the library, which is organized in visually eye-catching tiles.

Images can be included to make the maps visually engaging. This can be useful for projects with students working collaboratively and for the teacher. Use MindMeister to create a semester outline showing the overview of the curriculum for the year ahead – for personal planning and for sharing with students, for example.

A template for pre-writing planning exists, but it could also be used to analyze a text after it's been read. This is a great way to create summaries of work so as to better digest it. It also makes for a powerful exam preparation tool in which subjects can be planned as individual topics and be laid out in a clear way that's optimal for those with visual memories. 

Students can add comments or vote on parts of a project, making collaboration in the room easy. The ability to integrate videos can also be helpful to use this as part of a teaching plan. The addition of emojis is another nice touch to make everything more engaging and accessible to students.