Q&A Time!

Hi!
I've been kinda busy. I haven't written anything in this blog for this school year! I feel guilty about that. It was so useful last year to track my progress through my course, and to have something to reflect upon: something concrete: a permanent record from which to draw material for my final assignments. This blog was a friend who always told the truth. It became a vital component of my studies.

Yeah. This year's different. This year I don't have time to write about stuff. Ideas? pfffffff.......This year I'm tangled in technology;  bogged down in blogs; drowning in a sea of passwords, usernames, HTML, CSS, 404's, URL's, blogs, links, audio, video, editors, readers, fonts, players, mappers, bubblers, quizmakers, walls, polls, wikis, VLE's, PLE's, PLN's, QR's, RSS, and other assorted alphabet soup! OMG!!!
My head is spinning!
I wanted to make a post of all the cool tools I've been using, but there are waaaayyyy too many, and I have classes to plan. So here's a couple of really simple tools for "Q & A" that take seconds to set up, and seconds to figure out.

1. Wallwisher. http://wallwisher.com/wall/fvelpn4tfg
It's so easy. Create a question. Send a link to your students. They type up short answers in blocks on a wall that everyone can read. Watch the answers roll in.
2. Answer Garden. http://answergarden.ch/view/43393
Easy enough for literacy level students. Ask a question. Students write one-word answers which are collected on a wall for all to see.
3. Twitter. https://twitter.com/
Not just for twits anymore! Great for low-level students. Send a question with a hashtag. They reply in 140 characters. Great for short question and answer practice! Or, ask THEM to send questions under a class hashtag. Everyone can answer each other!
4. Primary Wall. http://ronateacher.primarywall.com/2
You need to register, but then you can post notes for all to see. Students can respond by posting their notes. Similar to Wallwisher.

So what's with the QR code at the top? You can create your own QR code here: http://www.the-qrcode-generator.com/
using an image, a URL, text, phone number, or pretty much anything you want. Stick it on a handout for students and they can link to homework or quizzes, or websites, or wherever you want to send them. This one leads to my Pinterest page, which you will see is full of arty dreamy images...don't know what that says about me, but it's a nice quick link, rather than having to type in annoying text addresses. Try it out!

OK... enough for today. I have real work to do. Hope to return to blogland later with more tools too cool for school.