Best 3 Blogging Platforms for Students
WordPress
Speaking of the best platforms to start your blogging adventure,
there is no way to get around WordPress. With over 60 million users, it is the
most popular tool for content creation and management. It's the number one
choice for content creators worldwide. And it's a great option, especially for
students. There are many reasons why WordPress deserves your attention. It is
highly flexible and customizable. This gives the user complete freedom in terms
of design and setting. At the same time, it is an open-source platform and can
be used free of charge, which appeals to students. In addition, there are many
templates, designs, and simple features that will lead you to a smooth start and
success. However, this platform is extremely user-friendly. Although it offers
some advanced features for tech-savvy users, such as the ability to access and
edit your website's code, it can be easily handled without any HTML or web
design experience. ۔ So perfect for
beginners!
Wix
Next up is Wix. It offers a wide range of features and customizable
options. These will help you showcase your creativity and build a high-quality
website. In short, Wix is made for building websites. However, they also have a
blog function. It is one of the easiest builders to use and is very popular
among users around the world. Another benefit is the wide range of free tools
and features. With the free plan, you can get the Vix subdomain, which is not a
good option for businesses, but better for students. However, even if you
decide to have a paid plan, you will be surprised at how affordable it is.
Pricing starts at just $ 13 per month + you get a free custom domain for the
first year.
Tumblr
If you feel you don’t need many advanced and fancy features at the
beginning of your trip, you should go to Tumblr. Unlike Wix or WordPress,
Tumblr is a social media platform that still allows users to create complete
blogs. The platform allows you to create seven types of posts, share videos,
photos, music, links, etc. It's 100% free. And it allows you to customize your
blog using a lot of great templates and features. Tumblr is also very
intuitive. Like any other social network, it makes content creation, sharing, and management much easier, which is why it is a smart choice for beginners.
Using Google Classroom as a Learning
Management System
Introduction
The development of several fully online University Certificates
such as Visionary Leadership, Coaching for Performance and Mentorship, and
Police Leadership, required an LMS that:
- Ø Is cost-effective.
- Ø Does not require a student number for each student.
- Ø Is scalable to mobile or smartphone platforms.
- Ø Facilitates peer discussion.
- Ø Supports a journaling feature.
- Ø Supports video lectures.
- Ø Supports the inclusion of video clips from YouTube.
- Ø Supports student messaging.
Over the five years since its creation, Google Classroom has evolved as an LMS that supports all of the features mentioned above. To select Google Classroom, you search for “Google Classroom” in Google. You will need to use your institutional credentials to access Google Classroom, provided your institution has subscribed to the Google suite.
Steps for Implementation
Step 1. Navigate to Google Classroom
Navigate to Google Classroom and sign in using your institutional
credentials. You can either search for Google Classroom using Google search or
sign in to your Google suite using your institutional credentials.
Step 2. Create your course
Click on the + sign in the right-hand corner of the screen to
create your course.
You will need to name your course and indicate the section of the
course as well as the specific subject matter within the course. You can also
assign a room number for the course if you have more than one cohort of
students enrolled in the course.
Step 3. Create topics within the course.
Click on the + sign to create topics within the course.
Now that you have created your course you will need to create the
topics for your course such as:
Course Outline
Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
You can sequence your modules by easily dragging and dropping each module
to the preferred level.
Step 4. Populate your topics
Populate your topics with the material required for student
learning. Within your topic you click the + sign and choose to add either:
1)
An
Assignment.
2)
A
Quiz Assignment.
3)
A
Question, or Discussion Question.
4)
The
material comprising either:
1)
A
pdf. document.
2)
A
Word document.
3)
A
video clip.
4)
A
PowerPoint presentation.
Step 5. Invite students to join the class.
Once you have completed the development of your course in Google
Classroom you invite students to join either by clicking on the +sign in the
“Students” tab or by sending the students an email with the course code
included.
Best ICT tools for Student Assessment
Flipgrid
Flipgrid is a social media-style video discussion platform great
for generating class discussion around topics, videos, or links posted to the
class grid. Students can video record their responses to share with the teacher
or class. It’s a great tool for supporting your students to make their thinking
visible.
Jamboard
Jamboard is a digital whiteboard that is compatible with GSuite
services. It’s a game-changer for emphasizing the process of learning over the
product. Math teachers love how students solve and explain their solutions. If
you don’t use Google, Padlet is our runner-up.
PearDeck
Pear Deck is an interactive presentation and lesson delivery tool.
Students use their devices to follow along with the teacher’s slideshow on a
classroom screen. Throughout, teachers can pause at points where they’ve added
interactive questions and collect real-time data about student understanding.
Floop
No matter what grade and subject you teach, grading takes time that
we don’t have. Enter Floop. This tool is a cloud-based website where students
get annotated feedback from you and your classmates. Using any
internet-connected device, students upload images of an assignment to the
platform, and you put markers in places where you want feedback. Students are
able to see and respond to comments, creating a feedback loop.
