Literacy Web Tool Modeling

One web-based literacy tool that I see a great deal of application for in a STEM classroom is Blendspace. Blendspace is an incredibly flexible tool that can be used to bring together many resources and store them in one space. A Blendspace lesson consists of multiple different slides that can populated with text, images, video, powerpoint slides, link to webpages, and more. In addition the content, there is an area where the creator of the Blendspace can write a summary of the resource. There is also the option to create quizzes to assess students within the tool. On top of this flexibility, teachers can create classrooms on Blendspace and track their students’ activity while using the lessons, or students can create their own lessons. Blendspace users are also able to leave comments on the lesson, which allows for discussion.

            Because Blendspace is so flexible, it can support a number of literacy skills. If students are asked to create a lesson from a text where they use each slide to present something from that text, such as a vocabulary word or a main concept, they would be using the literacy skill of citing textual evidence when analyzing the meaning of a text. Teachers could also create a Blendspace lesson that compares and contrasts one author’s presentation of events with that of another. By populating a lesson with sources from two different perspectives, the teacher can support this skill by having students create comment on the lesson identifying the similarities and differences between the texts. Teachers could also ask students to create a Blendspace to identify and summarize central ideas from the text. Students could create slides with quotations from the text or add in images and videos that represent ideas. Because there are so many options for how to use Blendspace, the teacher can choose which literacy skill on which to focus.

            Blendspace also works well to facilitate differentiation. Teachers could create leveled lessons that include content of varying degrees of difficulty. If there is a student who struggles with reading large amounts of text, the teacher can provide a Blendspace that relies more on images, videos, or diagrams. The Blendspace lesson itself could provide students with multiple options for an activity. A teacher could populate a lesson with multiple videos or directions for activities and allow the student to choose with which one they would want to engage. Additionally, students have options when creating Blendspaces to use many different types of content. Some students might be more comfortable representing ideas with visual content whereas other students might prefer to write out their ideas. This tool allows students to work in the mode with which they are most comfortable.

            There are many topics in science course that are often difficult to grasp and students often benefit from being show multiple representations of the concepts. One way I might use a Blendspace lesson in my classroom is to help students more thoroughly understand a complex process such as cellular respiration. I could populate a Blendspace with a series of videos, pictures, diagrams, articles, and interactive activities that will help students to get a better grasp on the process. I would allow the students to work through the material at their own pace and choose the type of resources that they like. I would also encourage students to leave comments on the lesson to identify concepts they thought were important or to ask questions if something does not make sense.  I would also be interested in having students create their own lessons as a mini-research project. I would present students with a list of topics and then require them to find resources that explain different aspects of that topic. I would again utilize the comment feature so that students could review each other’s lessons and generate questions.

            The flexibility of Blendspace and variety that it provides are the two biggest pros for this tool, but they can also be cons. Some students may struggle with so much freedom if asked to create their own lesson. It also may be overwhelming to present a student with so many sources at one time. In order to combat this, I would model how to approach a Blendspace lesson with my students and provide them with an example of a lesson if I ask them to create one. I would spend time monitoring my students’ success and comfort level with the tool to make sure that it is appropriate.

            Ultimately, I think that Blendspace has many applications in the classroom. I look forward to utilizing it to supplement my instruction and helping students develop skills necessary for STEM content literacy.