Brainstorming and polling with AnswerGarden

Brainstorming and polling with AnswerGarden
  AnswerGarden is a very simple tool for creating short answer polls and displaying the answers as word clouds. It’s really simple and quick to use and can be used in the classroom or embedded into webpages, blogs or in online courses.

To create an AnswerGarden poll just go to http://answergarden.ch and click on the + sign at the top. Then you can either type in a topic to brainstorm or a question.

AnswerGarden poll responses are limited to either 20 or 40 characters so be sure that the type of question you use doesn’t require a long complex answer. AnswerGarden works best when only a single word answer is required.

Once you have added your topic or question you can just click enter and your poll will be ready. Then just share the URL with the recipients.

You can refine your poll and add some security to it if you wish.

• There are a number of modes you can choose for your poll.
• You can allow different users to repeat the same answer, in which case the repeated word will appear larger depending on the number of people who enter the word, or you can allow each word to be entered only one time.
• You can set the poll to be moderated so that words only appear once you approve them.
• You can add a password for the poll and add your email address to get an admin link for the poll.
• You can lock the poll so that nobody can add to it, but this would usually be done once the poll is complete.

Once the poll has been launched there are a number of other nice features including an automatically generated QR code to make the poll easy to access for students on mobile phones.

 You can also share the poll quite easily through a range of social media or get an embed code to add it to a webpage or blog. You can even geo broadcast the poll through your local network so that anyone can discover it on their mobile phone or laptop.

Once your students have completed the poll there are a number of export options including export to Wordle, Tagxedo which allow you to customise the word cloud and save or edit the results. You can also send it to Twitter or save it as a PNG.

AnswerGarden in the classroom

• You can set a topic and get students to brainstorm vocabulary connected with that topic. Once all the words have been added you can ask students to peer teach any they don’t know in pairs or small groups or research the words in an online dictionary.
• Example: http://answergarden.ch/view/216363
• As a warmer you could get students to enter all the verbs, nouns or adjectives they know that start with a particular letter. You could even create two or three AnswerGardens with the same task and give them to different groups and see which group produces the most examples.
• Example: http://answergarden.ch/view/216365
• You could do a variation of the above game by getting students to brainstorm nouns that have specific qualities. For example, students could add anything they can think of that has feet, or anything that can fly, or anything that is green.
• Example: http://answergarden.ch/view/216364
• You could start with a route word and ask your students to enter or collect words that collocate with it. This doesn’t have to be done in one lesson but students could use a number of these AnswerGardens to collect collocations. They could do a similar thing with phrasal verbs using either a verb or a preposition in the question.
• Example: http://answergarden.ch/view/216366
• You could use AnswerGarden to get your students to create anagrams from a route word. Again you could have a different poll for each grup and make this competitive.
• Example: http://answergarden.ch/view/216367
• You could use an AnswerGarden to find out more about your students by getting them to enter things or people that they like or don’t like, such as favourite sports or actors.
• Example:http://answergarden.ch/view/216368
• You could find out how students feel about something by getting them to enter adjectives to express their feelings about anything from politics to action research on specific classroom techniques you use. Or they could just enter adjectives to describe how they are feeling. This is a good way to take the temperature of the room.
• Example: http://answergarden.ch/view/216362
• You could use AnswerGarden to get students to decide between two or three options. They just type in the one they want and the most popular one will appear as the biggest word.
• Example: http://answergarden.ch/view/216369

Because AnswerGarden is so simple and quick to use and doesn’t require registration it would be great to get students using it to create their own small research questionnaires. They could then share these within the class or through their social media networks and then present the responses in class.

I hope you enjoy using AnswerGarden with your students. Please post any additional ideas or links to examples you have created in the comments.

Related links:

• Digital Video - A manual for language teachers
• Managing the digital classroom - Using a backchannel
• Managing the digital classroom - Getting students' attention
• 20 + Things you can do with QR codes in your school
• Crowdsourcing Knowledge with Students

Best

Brainstorming and polling with AnswerGarden

19 + Things you can do with QR codes in your school

QR codes are possibly one of the most underused useful features of new technology. Perhaps one of the main reasons for this is that many people see them as a form of barcode and wrongly believe that they can only be produced by companies, but the reality is anyone can produce a QR code within seconds.

QR literally stands for 'quick response' and it enables you to transfer various types of digital content onto a mobile device in seconds without having to type any URLs.

There are two essential things you need to make QR codes work for you.

1. A means of creating the code.
There are a number of quick free services that enable you to create QR codes in seconds. These are two that I like:

• http://www.visualead.com/
• http://www.the-qrcode-generator.com/

 Here’s how to create the code:


2. A means of reading the code
In order to read the codes students will need an internet connected device with a QR scanner installed. There are a number of these also available for free.

• http://www.scanlife.com/get-the-app
• http://www.tapmedia.co.uk/more-apps.htm

QR codes can have a transformative effect, not only within a the classroom but also within a school. They have multiple uses which we will go on to look at, but among the greatest strengths they have is that they are platform agnostic, so they can be used on any mobile device with a camera regardless of brand as long as it has QR code scanning app available for it, so they can form a fundamental tool to enabling an effective BYOD program in any school.

Here are a few suggestions

In the classroom

• Add QR codes to worksheets and classroom handouts so that students who prefer a digital version can download one directly to their device.
• At the end of classes create a QR code for digital notes from the class with new vocabulary, errors or interesting expressions that came up during class etc.
• Create a QR code link to an interactive phonemic chart so that student can use it to work on their pronunciation and use their phone to record themselves.
• Create QR codes so that students can download grammar reference notes or vocabulary records at the end of a lesson.
• Get students to scan their timetable directly into the calendar on their phone using a QR code.
• Make a list of QR codes which link to suitable apps you want students to download to use in class. This will help them to save time searching for them.
• You can get students to scan images and infographics directly onto their device.

• Everything you print and put on a wall or put on paper and handout can be distributed using a QR code.

Around the school

• Have a QR code at the entrance to the school which links to a welcome video from or info video about the school, so that when people arrive at the school they feel some form of human contact, even if the school is closed.

• Add QR codes to pictures of staff members and link these to short video clips of the teachers introducing themselves.
• When you take photographs of events at your school and put them on display, add QR codes so that students can download the ones they want directly from the display.
• Add QR codes to any competitions you are doing around the school. These can link directly to email addresses or SMS text numbers that students should submit their entries to.
• Set up QR codes for events and schedules so that they are scanned directly into students digital calendars.
• Make newsletters available digitally with QR codes. Teachers or students can just scan the code if they want a copy.
• Set up QR codes with various study and learner training tips around the school so that students can get a tip and some inspiration where ever they are in the school.
• Add QR codes to instruction sheets so that teachers or students don’t have to make a photocopy, they can just scan them onto their phone.
• Add QR codes to teachers resources so that they can quickly scan and download a copy to their phone or mobile device rather than photocopying.
• Set up a treasure hunt with information and clues delivered to students phones as they search for QR codes which tell them where to find the next QR code clue.
• You can quickly get students onto your school Facebook page to like it.

• Everything you print and put on a wall or put on paper and handout can be distributed using a QR code.

In the self access centre

• Create QR codes for self-access worksheets and online activities that students can then scan and complete on their own device rather than paper. You can link to webpages, videos, listening activities etc.
• Make digital books and magazines in the library available to students through QR codes. There are  vast number of magazines that can be downloaded for free from sites like http://issuu.com/, https://www.scribd.com/, or students can download classics from http://www.gutenberg.org/ or from Google books.
• Create QR codes for recommended videos from YouTube or other video sharing sites. You could also have a QR code for a worksheet with activities for the students to do while they watch it.
• Create QR codes for recommended audio books or podcasts for students to listen to.

In your marketing

• Add QR codes to any brochures and promotional materials round your school. Then students can download a PDF version to their device and you can save money on printing. You can also update your materials without having to re-print them or change the QR code.
• Create a QR code with a link to a Google map showing the location of the school and add this to marketing materials to help people find the school.
• Add a QR code to materials that enable potential customers to easily send you a text message for more information.

Benefits of using QR codes
Getting staff and students familiar and comfortable with QR codes can take some time and training, but if you can integrate these into your school the potential benefits are huge.

Here are a few:

• Reduced costs of photocopying.
• Reduced costs of printing marketing materials.
• Reduced costs of storage and shelf space in library or self access centre.
• Reduced cost of lost books, CDs, video, magazines etc.
• Reduced costs of buying magazines, newspapers etc.
• Increased engagement with learning materials.
• Increased engagement with marketing materials.
• Increased learning opportunities within the school environment.
• A 21st century mobile friendly learning environment.
• A more digitally literate staff and student body.

I hope you find these ideas useful and please do post any comments or suggestions you have for using QR codes.

Thank you ...