web 2.0 Tools - I love Lino Boards

I love using Lino boards (www.linoit.com) and my students have given great feedback about their enjoyment in using it. I set up the Lino Board ahead of time, posting photos, videos and questions ahead of time. Students are then requested to post their responses on 'sticky notes.' Click on the colored 'sticky notes' in the corner. Post your response. I always remind my students to write their names, as the Lino Board does not record the username. Lino will indicate a numbered list if you prompt it. Students can drag their post anywhere across the Lino Board, add as many responses as they like, or respond to another student and drag the response near the other student to indicate a response. Anonymity is also an enjoyable option if you'd like to bring up controversial subjects and encourage student debate and conflict.

The Lino Board attached was used on JconnecT, an online Jewish learning program I teach for kids in different cities every Sunday. I used the Lino for two purposes:
1). An icebreaker. We play lots of icebreaker games in the beginning of each class to encourage the kids to bond and get to know each other, since they never meet in person and only see each other online once a week.  This icebreaker question was to post a souvenir they'd like to have from Israel. One student wrote the לוחות הברית and Moshe's staff!

2) In our Leadership Through Time lesson, we were studying 'Kohen, Navi, Zealot or Scholar.' After analyzing the tasks, leadership skills and ideal CV of a kohen, I asked the kids to post on the lino a souvenier a kohen might like to have. One student posted 'an Israeli beach house, since after all that hard work in the Beit Hamikdash, he would need a vacation!"

Lino can be used for more sophisticated student responses as well. Students can create their own Lino Boards for PBL. For example, when studying Sefer Shmuel, students can be divided into prakim. Each student can be given the task of laying out highlights of the perek in his own lino, inviting other students to post photos and comments on the dilemmas, events and leadership skills in the perek. Google Earth can be a great companion to Sefer Shmuel in discovering the different cities mentioned in Shmuel, especially when the Aron Habrit was captured. Images of the cities mentioned, how they look in both modern and ancient times can be linked to the lino and students can be invited to take a virtual tour, following the Aron on its journey until it was returned to the Jewish people. 

I love using lino boards and find them very versatile! www.linoit.com