Resource Review:

Symbaloo a simple way to create an online search tool for students.

We have started our 5th &6th grade research projects and the students were shocked when I said they were not aloud to use any resources from google. I decided to pull together predetermined resources using Symbaloo, it is promoted as a great way to organize and share online sources, while preventing students from scouring sources that are not suitable for elementary students. 

Why Symbaloo?

Symbaloo is a tool designed to help engage and share knowledge. It promotes itself by highlighting its ease and ability to customize resource quickly and easily. The premise is that the platform can create a space for you to share, its an all in one, easily updated and accessible platform.

Pros:  Symbaloo is FREE and is extremely user friendly. The Interface is quick to learn and create and offers templates of others work that you can use or build off of. 

Using Symbaloo can extend any research activity, and creates a way to present engaging and customized content . Simple Show will enhance  retention of the topic by creating a  learning environment children enjoy, by offering an interactive easily manageable important information that is updated for all users in moments. 

Cons: Although Symbaloo is FREE but has considerable limitations, if you want your students to use the resource you create you really need to pay to upgrade.

I created To date I have attempted to create tiles that provide links for my students. I found that this is an easy tool but a lot of work to still pull together and fill in all of the titles. I would like a way to customize and fill in the tiles in a more efficient way. There are premade web mixes that fill in tiles for you, but the symbaloo library isn’t as stocked as I feel is necessary to make the leap to upgrade for the service/full use of there interface.  If they could compile and filter resources for you the tool would be a must have , but for now I think after this one use I will hunt for a more efficient way to compile resources or at the very least a source that provides the best resources to plug into Symbaloo.

You can visit this site by clicking the web link Or check out the YouTube tutorial provided below for further information. 

Site URL: http://www.symbaloo.com   

I am using this tool once I have full access and can use features that truly engage my students. #schoolresource #LIS568 #symbaloo