How I Use Learnist: a Tool for Teaching and Organizing
Carrie Sorensen
Learnist is a community of people sharing what they know and learning from each other. This “How I Use Learnist” blog series spotlights various ways people use Learnist in their lives to share their expert knowledge on various topics. Learn how elementary teacher Carrie Sorenson uses Learnist in her classroom daily.
As a 1st grade teacher, I use Learnist in my classroom almost every day, both as a teaching and an organizing tool. I often create boards for whole group lessons that incorporate videos and interactive games and sites. I also have my 6 and 7 year old students use it to access material during independent centers — this way I know that they are right where they need to be, and can follow the logical sequence of learnings that I’ve created for them, all on their own.
Each year my students and I choose countries to study, and learn about them by first researching and then making and tasting food from those regions, like this one we use when studying Italy. I use Learnist as a whole group teaching tool by creating boards that I can display on my SMARTboard that share videos, articles, and recipes that we all work on together (like this one on Puerto Rico). We research as a group, and keep the board up and refer to it multiple times over the course of our unit of study. I also send home the links to families, and post them on my school blog as a way to strengthen our home/school connections and give students the opportunity to further share their knowledge with those they care about.
I also use Learnist as a guide for independent centers. For example, using a blended learning approach, I show my students how to access these writing sites that help to strengthen their skills as I scaffold and differentiate my teaching with other students, allowing for the most individualized learning possible. This approach keeps them on task and gives them independence — no need to worry that they are in the wrong place, or struggling to find the resources.
As a teacher, I was (and continue to be) inspired by Dawn Casey-Rowe’s boards for her high school crowd, and have used them to inform my own board creation for my younger crew.
Whether I’m creating lessons, organizing material, or searching for inspiration, Learnist is a tool and creative space that I feel incredibly grateful to be able to use with my students.
