Collaborate, Note Taking with Titanpad

I have spent several days this summer doing webinars via SimpleK12 and learned they subscribe to a site that they use for the backchannel of the webinar.  I immediately started asking them questions about the site and learned it is free to use.  That was the key to me.  So, I created an account at titanpad and have already started generating ideas to using it in my classroom or my school library.

Titan pad is a platform that has a note-taking component on one side and a chat option on the other.  The note-taking side syncs constantly so multiple users can add their information.  It reminded me a little of one-note but with the ability to chat.  The owner of the "pads" as the program calls them can keep them in an archive to refer to later.   The pads have security options, the ability to import and export the notes and the capability to save revisions.

As a classroom teacher planning to flip the class and also thinking heavily of devoting a portion of my time to PBL, I started seeing the lightbulbs going off with this program.

First of all, think of all the special ed students you have in class.  Often, they can't keep up with notes or need to have an assistant there to take good notes for them.  Occasionally, a student helper is used to jot notes down and then have them copied for the student.  With Titanpad, the notes are input directly on the site.

With the chat component, the students can type questions directly to the teacher and the teacher can use that information to see immediate feedback of comprehension.  The pad is exported to a PDF or a Word file and voila, instant access to all the notes.  If you have a school that is 1:1, this is a fantastic way to collaborate in your classroom.  I was saving my notes and copying and pasting them into OneNote so I could refer to them later. 

I am thinking this could be a great way for partners and groups to collaborate.  Often, in my French class, I have the kids write skits.  If you use this, the kids can work on their skit in groups and I can be involved with it.  

If you teach a class and have kids absent, you do the notes here and make them available later. No excuses for missing class.  Kids are at home sick but not really that bad? They can join the class and see what is happening and ask questions.

I can see this working for a class that involves collaboration or a class using PBL.  It's worth a shot, right?