Trends in Technology #5: Blendspace

Blendspace, which is now called TES Teach, is an interactive dashboard that allows an individual to organize resources related to a certain chosen topic. The grid style of the dashboard allows a user to pull a collection of resources together that can be either web-based or self-created.

Let's say I want to create a lesson on Greenland's melting glaciers. To enhance my lesson, I might want to search YouTube videos, find related web articles, locate pictures or add my own documents. The menu/tool bar allows me to search for content, click to review the content, then drag and drop onto my gridded dashboard. The tiles can be moved around and ordered in whatever way a user likes. From the tool bar a user can do the following:

• search YouTube
• search Google
• search Google images
• search Flickr
• insert a Webpage
• insert from Google Drive
• insert from Dropbox
• upload Media/File

A completed dashboard can be used as a teacher's central lesson area or the dashboard can be shared in its entirety with students via a shared link, Google Classroom, or a QR code. TES Teach also allows for Common Core standards to be linked to lessons based on grade level.

I have used this for two lessons in my high school Earth Science course and have found it an easy one stop shop educational tool. I've also had my students create their own gridded dashboards in preparation for a Socratic discussion related to a specific topic. I really like this educational tool and find my students do too. This is another great educationl technology tool that more teachers should try!