You are involved in an engaging conversation. The majority of the students are offering their thoughts, but there are those few that – for one reason or another – prefer not to speak up. You have included them by directing comments and questions to them, yet they prefer not to talk. However when they write they are incredibly expressive and persuasive. Why not tap into their writing abilities so that they can be part of the discussion.

Wall Wisher now offers the students a way to speak their minds in a way they are comfortable doing. Once the wall is created, you can use the title section to pose a question. The subtitle can add some more thought provoking ideas to aide the written conversation. The students will access the “Wall” by typing in a specific URL. There is no log in necessary for them. Once on the site, they will double click the wall to add any thoughts they may have. There is also a section where they can add a hyperlink to their “sticky note”. Each note has field for a name and you have the option to approve all notes before they are posted.

This site can be used solely as the main form of conversation, but what if you are in the middle of a conversation? What if you posed a question and discussed it for a few minutes and then gave the class three minutes of silent time where they only way they could express themselves is through the sites “sticky notes”? This would allow all members of the class to add to the conversation. Once the time is over, display the Wall on a screen or interactive white board and discuss what the students have written.

Other ideas for the site: make this wall an extension for a unit you are teaching by adding hyperlinks on the sticky notes; create a wall for extra credit/extension activities; develop a wall for a homework assignment where the topic is related to your current studies and the students must agree/disagree with a historical decision; or what if you used this as a ‘get-to-know-you’ wall before you begin the school year. It’s uses are only limited to what you can come up with. Click here for more ideas by Tom Barrett.

To set it up is simple. Go to the main page of Wall Wisher. Click on Login/Register in the upper right hand corner of the window. Complete the requested fields and click Done in the lower right hand corner of the window.