Instructors realize that sharing current, relevant content with their students can help make a connection between concepts taught in class and how they are playing out in the real-world. In the past, instructors might scan the newspaper and cut out a clipping to share with their class but with so many modern web tools, it is easier than ever to contribute online discoveries to class conversations. Using free online content curation tools, instructors can easily integrate new content in a variety of ways.
What are content curation tools?
A content curator is a service that uses algorithms to show the user only the most relevant and appropriate content with respect to a specific niche or topic of interest.
How Can I Use Content Curation in My Class?
- Organize and disseminate new content as a "digital handout" to students
- Facilitate discussion about current events that engage students
- Teach students to design their own personal learning networks to enhance their knowledge and professional development by connecting to experts outside class to tap into the world knowledge base.
- Encourage students to become both content creators and curators
- Critique information available on the web
- Keep track of and share online research efforts
- Create suggested reading lists or your own weekly class "newsletter" consisting of recommended reading based on curated content
What Tools Can I Use to Curate Content?
- Scoop.it allows users to create and share their own themed magazines designed around a given topic.
- Paper.li allows uers to find, publish and promote engaging articles, photos and videos from across the web by publishing a newspaper-style list of content categorized by topics.
- Learni.st allows users to share what they know and learn from others by "remixing" web content such as videos, blogs, podcasts, etc. into a simple learning resource on any topic.
- Pearltrees allows you to collect web pages, photos and notes and turn curated content into what they call "pearls." You can organize content into categories, share "pearls" and search for content others have already curated and organized.
- Storify lets users tell stories by collecting updates from social networks to create a new story format that is interactive, dynamic and social.
What tools do you use to curate content and how do you use the content for your classes? Please share by commenting.
