This document provides best practices for using Learnist, a social learning website and app, for teaching. It explains that Learnist boards allow users to create and collaborate on collections of multimedia lessons on any topic. The benefits of Learnist include being able to access lessons anywhere, sharing knowledge publicly, and using interactive multimedia links rather than textbooks. Examples then demonstrate how to structure lesson plans, address Common Core standards, provide teacher resources, and create collaborative boards. Stylistic advice is given such as including intriguing images and keeping titles parallel. Feedback questions conclude the document.
2. The Basics
• Learnist is a social learning website and app
• Boards explain/explore any topic, and are sorted by category
(e.g. Politics)
• Boards are collections of multimedia learnings, which can be:
– Websites
– Videos
– Podcasts
– PDFs
– Slideshows
– Photo galleries
– eBooks
– Etc
• Learnings are organized in numerical steps
• Anyone can create, collaborate on, search, like, and comment
on boards
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3. Benefits & Uses
Advantages:
• Access anywhere (home, school,
etc)
• Make board once, reference
repeatedly
• Share knowledge publicly
• Curate collaboratively
• Search related subjects easily
• Interactive multimedia links beat
reading a textbook
Scenarios:
• Outline individual lessons
• Summarize entire courses
• Teach Common Core
Standards
• Explore general topics
• List student research sources
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4. Example Lesson Plan:
• Instructs students clearly in each learning description
• Comments responded to rapidly by board creator
• Provides optional learning assignment
• Links to full required reading text online
• Includes intriguing learning images and tags
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Puritan Language
http://learni.st/users/78891/boards/16225-puritan-literature
5. Example Common Core
Standard:
• Explains standardized education requirement
• Describes board and learnings clearly
• Uses bullet points and bold text to accentuate points
• Mixes videos, websites, and practice problems
• Includes intriguing learning images and tags
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Applying the Pythagorean Theorem
(Common Core Standard 8.G.7)
http://learni.st/users/171/boards/1750-applying-the-pythagorean
theorem-common-core-standard-8-g-7
6. Example Teacher Resource:
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Bullying Prevention
• Appeals to diverse groups
• Provides many relatable, contemporary examples of
topic
• Offers community support and solutions to a common
problem
• Mixes videos, statistics, and websites
• Includes intriguing learning images and tags
http://learni.st/users/leena.ray/boards/586-bullying-prevention
7. Example Collaborative Board:
• Created by two people
• Suggested learnings from multiple users
• Explains high-level science concept simply
• Includes videos, infographic, and engaging multimedia
• Covers a hot topic in the news
• Includes intriguing learning images and tags
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The Higgs Boson
http://learni.st/users/atleastimnotdumb/boards/2261-the-higgs-
boson
8. Stylistic Advice Recap
Pick as specific a board topic as possible
Simplify concepts and avoid redundancy
Describe purpose and audience of board
Pair each learning with an intriguing image
Include at least four learnings on your board
Highlight key points in bold and titles in italics
Include videos and interactive multimedia content
Keep capitalization parallel for board and learning titles
Rearrange learnings to sequence by level of importance
Tag your board with relevant themes to increase
visibility/searchability
Write link summary and student instructions in each learning
description 8
9. Feedback Questions
1. How are you currently using Learnist, as an educator?
2. Is there anything about the site that still confuses you?
3. How would you explain to other teachers the uses of
Learnist?
4. How has this presentation and discussion changed the
way you plan to use Learnist?
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Akkurat typeGoals:Promote educators using our productIncrease usefulness as a teacher resourceDemonstrate use cases, best practices, and styling adviceBest practices for teachers
Learnist is available online, as well as on iPad, iPhone, and Android applications.
Teachers already use Learnist to outline specific lessons, whether they’re on a novel, a time period, or a skill!Collaboration allows multiple people to co-create boards and anyone to suggest learnings.All of the example boards on the next four slides include intriguing images and tags.
Good examples:http://learni.st/users/maggiemessitt/boards/13879-using-learnist-in-your-college-classroomWell laid outhttp://learni.st/users/leena.ray/boards/586-bullying-preventionhttp://learni.st/users/marciamarcia/boards/2754-learningnexthttp://learni.st/users/dawncasey/boards/3271-using-learnist-in-the-high-school-classroomBad examples:http://learni.st/users/christine.mccabewaverla/boards/18043-creative-classroom-ideasGreat resources, but unclear learning descriptions and redundant imageshttp://learni.st/users/SugarNspicePixie/boards/1044-linguisticsAgain great resources, but approaches too general of a topic (learning all languages rather than a specific language or level).
Collaboration allows multiple people to co-create boards and anyone to suggest learnings.Terry heick for examples – a must have guide to project based learning, causes of the civil war, educational apps that actually work
Polish presentationMake into slideshare and include on new boardFind educators on Learnist by searching for .edu email addresses and “teacher” or “educator” in bio descriptionsPromote presentation:Get dawn to get a guest post in edudemic or teach thought or bothChristian includes in newsletterTwitter, FB, LinkedIn, blog
