Have you heard of the free curation tool, Wakelet? Specifically targeted towards both students and educators, Wakelet is a one-stop solution to saving and displaying links from around the web while organizing them in a visually appealing and meaningful way.
In this article, we take a look at how to get started with this free curation tool, as well as how to immediately begin saving and sharing your content from the web in a way that speaks to you.
What is Wakelet?
So, what’s the purpose of Wakelet, and what problem is it striving to address? Indeed, curation platforms were already in existence before this free curation tool. However, Wakelet is unique because it allows students, educators, and the general public to curate seemingly disconnected information and display it in a meaningful collection.
While most online curation platforms only let you display specific types of online media, Wakelet allows users to display both online and offline content. So, not only are you able to save and display online articles, Facebook posts, videos, and more, but also essays, podcasts, artwork, and Google Docs or Slides.
Who Is Wakelet For?
While Wakelet is a popular tool amongst educators, it is not solely for those in the field of education. Curation tools are valuable in every profession, as well as in personal projects. However, teachers particularly benefit from Wakelet due to its ability to display valuable information in a way that is visually appealing to both other teachers and students.
What Can Wakelet Be Used For?
There are several ways that the Wakelet space can be used to make your life and classroom more organized. First, let’s explore how Wakelet can be specifically used for education:
Teacher Curated Resources
Teacher-curated resources can be incredibly useful for students who just need a nudge in the right direction when it comes to their online search skills. By using your Wakelet app to display sites that you have hand-picked by you, students can focus on learning and not attempting to find information on the internet that may not be particularly valuable to the task at hand.
Student Curated Resources
When conducting research on their own, students may find organization to be a difficult task. After all, how many times have you found a valuable resource on the internet, only to have it lost in a sea of open tabs and web pages? By using Wakelet to keep their content organized, students can keep their valuable resources all in one place in a visually appealing and easy-to-access way.
Digital Portfolios
Wakelet is a fantastic way for students and teachers alike to create digital portfolios showcasing their talents, work, and professional backgrounds. This is especially useful for professions that require a digital resume. And while some may opt to use a blog as a digital portfolio, Wakelet is a great and often preferred alternative.
Creating a Class or School Newsletter
Looking to create a more dynamic newsletter that your students will actually want to read? Wakelet can be a great way to do so. To appeal to your students’ interests, school newsletters can be a curation of top Tweets from the school community, key resources for students, PDF files of homework expectations and reminders, and showing off student digital creations. The possibilities are endless!
Does Wakelet Have Age Restrictions?
When researching any type of new tool that you would like your students to use along with you, it’s important to consider age restrictions. According to Wakelet’s Terms of Service, students must be at least 13 years old to create their own Wakelet account. And while younger students cannot create their own account, they can still view and access your Wakelet collection when provided with the URL.
How to Use Wakelet in 4 Easy Steps
Do you think Wakelet sounds pretty great and are ready to sign up with an account? We’re here to take you through how to use Wakelet in 4 easy steps, so you can begin curating content right away.
1) Sign Up
Signing up with Wakelet is easy! Simply head to Wakelet.com and click on “Sign Up” at the top of the page. From here, you can choose to sign up with Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, or with your email. If you have one of the above accounts already, signing up with Wakelet virtually takes seconds and requires no additional information.
2) Start a Collection
Ready to start your first created collection? After you’ve signed up, your Wakelet homepage will prompt you to Get Started. From here, you can choose a username and then answer a few simple questions that will help Wakelet further customize your experience.
From here, you will be prompted to create your first collection by selecting the plus sign above “Create a new collection.” You’ll then be able to enter a title, description and upload a cover photo to further customize your Wakelet page. Your cover photo can either be uploaded from your own computer, selected from Wakelet’s completely free Unsplash library, or chosen from GIPHY.
3) Save Content From the Web
Now comes the fun part – saving your content! Wakelet makes it easy to simply paste a web address, add your own text or image, or upload a PDF. Plus, it integrates seamlessly with Twitter, Flipgrid, YouTube, Google Drive, and OneDrive to make curating from these platforms incredibly easy.
Wakelet Browser Extension
One of the best parts about Wakelet is the fact that it has a browser extension, which can easily be downloaded for Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge. The Wakelet apps for iOS and Android can also be downloaded, making it super easy to curate content when using a smartphone or tablet. You can find the links to download the Wakelet Browser Extension here.
4) Share Your Curated Masterpiece!
Now that your Wakelet page is complete, you can share it in a number of ways (if you so choose to, of course!). Sharing your Wakelet page is as easy as sharing the direct URL to your page, but you can also seamlessly share it with several social media platforms, as well as embedding it to your blog or website. Want to convert your Wakelet page to a non-clickable word document? Convert it to a PDF that can be printed or attached to an email!
Is Wakelet the Right Tool For Me?
If you feel that you could benefit from being able to easily access your content all in one place (and really, who couldn’t?) Wakelet is most definitely for you. Whether you’re a student, an educator, a professional in any field, or can simply benefit from curating valuable resources and information, you’re going to want to give this free tool a shot.
