Digital+Toolkit

=Q. What is a Student Digital Toolkit?= =A. The toolkit is broken down into different areas with the apps, online and offline programmes that are available to them. The idea is that students should be able to make an informed choice about which tool would be the most appropriate to use for their work.=

=It is becoming more apparent as teachers and students get more familiar with the online digital tools and devices that there needs to be some management of these. Some teachers still get tied up with the old adage that all the students in the class has to 'produce a product at the end using this tool'.= =It doesn't have to be so...I encourage teachers to have a 'Teacher Digital Toolkit'= =This is an example of a basic one=

=For more teacher tools go to this website.=

=Students need a Digital Toolkit as well. I am working on 2 different websites at the moment, one is called=

=Publishing Ideas=
 * =ways to publish using online and offline tools=
 * =variety of ways to publish i.e cartoons and comics=

=and the other is called Web 2 tools and Widgets= =Set up a student toolkit so that students know what is available and what they can use. In consultation with you, you both can decide what is the best tool for their learning.= =The following could be an example of a Student Digital Toolkit= media type="custom" key="23451694" = Junior Digital Toolkit = //**There are so many digital tools available to students.**// =How can you manage them?= =Which is the best tool?= =How can we share them out?= =How can we remember to use them?= = = =I have talked a lot about the necessity of students having their own 'Digital Toolkit'.= =They need to be able to make __**choices**__ for their own learning! This is all part of building up self management and collaboration skills.= =The diagram below shows an example of an overall ' **Junior Digital Toolkit** '.= = There are 3 main digital tools = =Now the students need to know how they are going to use these. With the laptop I have itemised the different uses and what software application they will use with it= Writing stories - Kidspiration or Pages Playing Games -Wiki Make Movies - iMovie =And then I have done the same with the iPad/iPod Touch= = = Writing stories - Notes or Pages Drawing - Create a draw Making Music - Garageband = = =As the students progress and become more proficient, I would add more software and apps tools until they have a wide selection and choice about what they could use.= = = =Now let's put this into practice. Below is the ** Writers Digital Toolkit **at the beginning of the year= =Students are clearly able to see what their choices are for when Drafting and Publishing.= =As the year moves on, more apps, software and online tools can be added.= =There needs to be a monitoring system put in place to see what students are using. For very young children I might have a Sticker chart.= =For older, more independent students I would have individual Check lists that are either kept in a Clearfile folder or as a Google Doc.= =Putting management techniques such as this in place teaches students to be independent, collaborative and self managing. Students need to know what is available for them to use and that they have a choice in the way they want to learn.=
 * =tools and widgets that will enhance your blog or wiki=
 * =photo presentation tools=
 * =They need to know what is available=
 * =They need to know 'how' they can use this toolkit=
 * =Laptop=
 * =iPad/iPod Touch=
 * =Easi Speak=