This isn’t about campfires or marshmallows -- but it is about the sweetness of Smore! Come learn about this user-friendly, free tool that creates beautiful multimedia communication pieces to share via email, embed in a website, or post as an announcement in the online classroom.
Learners show deeper engagement when material is presented in multiple ways. According to Mayer (2009), “The case for multimedia learning rests on the premise that learners can better understand an explanation when it is presented in words and pictures than when it is presented in words alone” (p 2). Smore, a dynamic newsletter creation tool, works wonderfully in the online classroom because it is visually appealing, allows for easy integration of pictures and video, and links to resources that students can access with a simple click.
When students view a Smore, you will know because of their robust analytics. The ability to track the popularity of newsletters and view other analytics can shape how you communicate with your students. The same flyer can be viewed via email or social media, within the LMS, or on a website. You can gain greater insights into how your students access information.
This type of practice is reflective of a learner-centered approach, described by Palloff & Pratt (2013). By using the Smore analytics tool, you can take into account what your students’ needs are when it comes to communication. Students respond well to multimodal content, especially when it is delivered in a way that relevant and accessible.
During this workshop, you will design and create a newsletter in Smore and learn multiple ways of sharing the newsletter. Settings (public vs. private) will be discussed and the analytics tool will be examined in detail.
Top 10 reasons to love Smore:
10. You don’t have to be a designer to make gorgeous course announcements.
9. Downloadable as a pdf… always good to have options!
8. Templates galore!
7. Mind-blowing analytics -- you can see where in the world people accessed my Smore.
6. Easy to share via email (and the emails scale to fit on mobile devices).
5. Pictures and videos can up uploaded in just a few clicks!
4. Embedded Smores have static urls, so they are very easy to update.
3. The free version is awesome; the highly affordable educator’s version is epically awesome.
2. Images, fonts, and backgrounds that entice the audience to engage with the material.
1. See reason #10… impossible to make ugly (and sweetest calorie-free smores around)!
References:
Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia Learning (2nd ed.). Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press.
Palloff, R. M. & Pratt, K. (2013). Lessons from the Virtual Classroom (2nd Ed). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.