Asynchronous+Discussion+Boards


 * Asynchronous Discussion Boards**

[|Padlet] Great for teaching, discussions, note taking, brainstorming, collecting feedback,or group projects! You can customize a “wall” and invite individuals (students) to it. Once students have access to the “wall,” they can drag and drop almost anything to it. The "wall" can be kept private between you and the students. Examples of what can be added to the wall: word documents from your computer, links to internet sites, pictures from your iPad, video from you tube, etc. It all depends on what the assignment is. As students add to the “wall” it is immediately update and everyone can see the additions to the wall right away. It helps with immediate collaboration! The "wall" can also be decorated so if students are working on a collaborative project they can design it however they want!
 * Great Asynchronous Tool**

Rita Kolenic

I use Padlet as my exit ticket sometimes, especially when we are using iPads on that day. I also will link a padlet wall to lessons on Edmodo. My goal is to get my middle school students to start using it for feedback on their projects. Lance Wren

As a BTSA induction teacher in a fast paced program, one of the most reliable tools that I had as a resource for me and my peers was the LBUSD Moodle. The school district had its own moodle in which our supervisor could post links to resources and give us assignments through the discussion boards. This was a great tool for my cohort especially since we only met once a month which was not enough. These discussion boards allowed my peers and I to reach out to each other with any concerns.

Similarly, the students and teachers at LBUSD rely heavily on School Loop. This is such a wonderful communication tool for teachers, students, and parents. Teachers can provide a place for assignments, and provide interventions to specific students. Parents can directly contact teachers regarding any concerns that they have at the comfort of their home without even having to stop by the school. Similarly, students can contact teachers or their classroom peers to inquire missed assignments if they are absent or are missing anything. Overall, this discussion board tool is one that has been very effective for all of the grade levels at Long Beach Unified School District. I really wish other districts would look into something similar. It would definitely get rid of any communication barriers or miscommunication between parents and teachers which are often the majority of the problems.

Monica Santiesteban

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This is a “stretch” for being listed under Asynchronous Discussion Board, but it is a site where parents can go to retrieve information about their child’s day, so I thought I would put it here. Class DoJo is a free virtual classroom populated with avatars for each student. Throughout the day a student’s avatar receives positive or negative points based on behavior. (The teacher populates the behavior lists so they are tailored to the age level of the students.) When parents log on, they have access to only their own child’s avatar. Students also have a code, so they can log on and track their behavior as well. =====