Wallwisher and Student Voice

In our classrooms we are always looking for ways to have student share and hear ideas with peers. The traditional models are "turn and talk" or "share at your group" but I have found even though this allows for student voice, this does not allow for me to be in every conversation or for students on opposite ends of the room to hear from each other.

In science, we are constantly thinking and sharing ideas about investigations, observations of images, etc. as we build understanding to new concepts. I always want to be able to have every voice be heard and every idea to be shared, but we don't have the time or the space often to do this in the physical classroom.

Solution: Wallwisher. Wallwisher is a great website that allows you to build a virtual cork board and have students write a virtual post-it note with ideas. The site allows for walls to be embedded so its a simple click to my homepage for students. The wall also does not require a user name or password to add a post it note. One of my biggest time issues with students on sites is creating, remembering and using user names and log ins. Wallwisher solves that.

Here is an example of the board I will be using next week for my students to share ideas about how earthquakes occur. I simply embedded it in my site and students can double tap on the ipad to create a post it. Simply add in their name and share the idea!





This will allow for me to go back and see exactly who is participating (I always wonder what some of my students are actually talking about...) and what ideas each person shared. But more important than me being able to view it, it allows all the ideas in the classroom to be "heard" and students can see even what someone on the other side of the room is sharing without having to be a turn and talk partner.