Popplet

Popplet

Using Popplet

Popplet (http://popplet.com/) is a web tool that help organize ideas for students on various topics as an online mind map to make connections to material that students are learning. This web tool is support by Apple and costs $4.99 to buy in the Apple Store. This app consists of plain backgrounds that students can cover with fill-in-the blank spaces with facts or information about a topic in any design or pattern desired.

Literacy Skills

This tool would support vocabulary comprehension as well as making connections for students who struggle to identify the similarities between topics. This could be used to review material and compare it to previously learned material to help students who struggle with new vocabulary, particularly ELL students. This tool would be helpful as students develop media literacy as well as learning new material and producing new connections from currently understand material.

Differentiation

This tool could be used for differentiation in most content within mathematics from learning new material and vocabulary to reviewing before an exam. This tool is very helpful in that students could access and adjust this material outside of the classroom. The use of this tool would allow students to practice and continue to make connections and talk to their teachers about their Popplets and help students develop deeper, more meaningful connections.

Popplet could be used to differentiate in any way that a student wanted from creating very detailed concept maps to very brief simple maps all up to the choice of the student creating it. Whether a student learns better from buzz words or rote memorization of definitions, this tool could be helpful for them learning new formulas, vocabulary, and concepts in mathematics.

Examples in the classroom

One example in the classroom for using Popplet would be review before an exam in Algebra. Students could create several Popplet maps that cover solving quadratic equations and start with a basic map that has a center title of Quadratic equations and methods to solve them. This could branch out to the different methods to solve them. Then, each Method could have its own Popplet map with the description of how to use each method.

Another example of how Popplet could be used in the classroom is by having students work in groups to make connections from an article to new material being learned in class and then have each group present their Popplet to the class and create one large class Popplet that we as a class complete together as a way for students to create more connections with material that is new and foreign.

Pros/Cons

Pros

·         Helpful visual for students who are visual learners

·         A good way to get students to use new technology and a way to vary learning methods

·         Helps create new connections as students can make connections on their own without teacher interruption

·         Engages students by the use of computers/tablets rather than typical paper and pencils notes which most students see as boring.

Cons

·         Costs $4.99

·         Not all students will have computer or tablet to use Popplet

·         Some students may struggle to use the app from lack of experience and get frustrated