What is Symbaloo?
Symbaloo is an online visual bookmark organiser.
It allows users to add their favourite and most important links in to a format that is easy to use.
Users create "webmixes" - an array of tiles which represent internet links.
These tiles can be organised into a layout that is functional and convenient.
Tiles can be searched from exisiting tiles or new tiles can be created.
Users can view and share their webmixes.
Webmixes can be set as home pages or added to the 'favourites bar' in internet explorer for easy access.
Creating a Symbaloo Webmix
Step One
Visit: http://edu.symbaloo.com and create an account
Then click "get started with your webmix" to begin
Step Two
Symbaloo automatically adds webmixes that they think will be helpful.
They are easy to delete if you don’t want them.
To delete a webmix that you don’t want, click on the Delete webmix tab and a dialog box will pop up Some Symbaloo pages will have a Remove tab – follow the same steps.
Step Three
To create a new blank webmix, click on the blue plus sign to the right of the
webmix tabs and a blank webmix titled new Desktop! will appear.
You can edit the name of your webmix by clicking on the "Edit Webmix" button, then "Rename Webmix".
You can also personalise your webmix by changing wallpapers. Wall papers may be chosen from the symbaloo collection, or photos can be uploaded. This can be done by clicking "Edit Webmix" then "Change Wallpaper".
Step Four
Adding Tiles can be done in two ways. Either by adding a Public Tile or Creating a Tile.
To Add a tile, click on one of the blank tiles on your webmix. You can type in the search box to see if the tile already exists. If it does, click on the tile and it will appear in your webmix.
If the tile you want does not exist, click on "Create Your Own Tile". A pop up box will appear where you can type the URL and customise your tile.
You can still personalise and edit all tiles on your webmix by right clicking on the tile and selecting "Edit".
Step Five
Tiles don’t just have to be links to websites, they can be links to embedded files as well (ex. YouTube).
To do this, find a YouTube video, click Share (right under the video) and copy the embed code.
Then, in Symbaloo, click on an empty tile and select click here to create your own tile.
Select Embedded from the drop down menu, paste the embed code into the box where you put the web address, and continue to create your own tile.
When this tile is clicked on, the video will open in Symbaloo.
Step Six
Sharing Your Webmix
To share your webmix, click on Share (top right corner of your webmix), then you can share it with colleagues and students.
* It is easiest to email one copy to your DET email, and then forward the link to students and colleagues from there as you have easy access to the address book.
Step Seven
Adding your shared webmix to the "Favourites Bar" allows for very easy access.
Simply, click on the link (from the email) to take you to the webmix.
Once on the webmix, click "Add to favourites Bar" button (Yellow star with green arrow) and a shortcut will appear on the favourites bar.
You are taken immediately to the webmix by clicking on the created shortcut.