With September just around the corner, I want to share the latest on these tool web tools I have been working on over the last year or so. I’ve been busy adding, editing and debugging….

scrawlar (www.scrawlar.com) is a web based (html5) word processor and whiteboard. What this means is that students can write, edit, collaborate and share word docs and sketches (think math etc.) on any tablet, phone or computer. With desktop computers coming to an end, and many schools not 1:1 – scrawlar fills the void by providing a cloud based platform (never save to the tablet) – where students can work anytime – and anywhere. Encourage parents to follow the progress too! How many of you have become frustrated to learn student work was deleted on shared tablets?? scrawlar makes giving feedback a breeze!

Sure Google exists, but Google is incredibly tough for young students, especially those without email addresses.

scrawlar does not require students to sign up – making it the perfect writing solution for k-8 and those concerned with privacy. The latest whiteboard feature also allows students to annotate on images (think textbook) and share with classmates and the teacher. I envision this as a math tool. Can you see it used elsewhere?

nkwiry (www.nkwiry.com) is my latest project. We needed a tool to support the new Ontario Social Studies / Hist / Geo curriculum which is inquiry based. nkwiry can be used in any inquiry based classroom, however. nkwiry is a social bookmarking site. In other words, it is a place for teachers to create tile topics. Under each tile students and teachers can curate and share web content – sites, video and wikis. Students can vote on the resources and push the better ones to the top. Think of it like the textbook, but on steroids – and curated by your class! Like scrawlar, students do not need to sign up. I envision nkwiry as a fantastic way to engage parents in flipped class homework as low as in kindergarten! Encouraged your parents to search the web with their children for the best content and share it with classmates on nkwiry.

Like all of my development, I’d love to hear how you see these tools fitting your needs. What could be added or improved? Lastly, these will remain web based. Meaning you will never have to install an app or do updates. I realize what a pain it is to get IT to update apps every few weeks. It can be frustrating. scrawlar and nkwiry run in any web browser – chrome, mozilla, safari etc.