Edistorm – Online Brainstorming

Written by Mark Brumley

If you’re a teacher, chances are you have your students brainstorm a lot.  Students brainstorm paper topics.  They brainstorm to come up with predictions for a new novel.  Students brainstorm ways to solve math problems or to conduct science experiments. They brainstorm ways to react to a variety of given scenarios.  Students brainstorm in class all the time, but there’s a way for them to brainstorm better and brainstorm together.

 

Edistorm provides students with an online tool for brainstorming and discussion.  Students create storms on assigned topics, choose a template for the storm (pros and cons, education word wall, SWOT analysis, Venn diagram, KWL chart, analyzing non-fiction, etc.) and invite other students to contribute.  While logged in, students type ideas onto sticky notes and drag them onto the storm’s wall.  Since the discussion is real-time, students instantly see the ideas others have added to the wall.

Using a tool like Edistorm enhances a brainstorming or discussion activity by helping students generate more ideas as a group and be more compelled to speak up in the group since they can add sticky notes instead of using their voices.