Web 2.0...What??
I purposely placed the word cloud first in this post because I think it says a lot about these tools. We have moved from a very static internet experience (remember Windows 95 era?) to a very interactive user experience. It has directly changed our lives. But back to the word cloud...my favorite term in that picture is "joy of use". That's it in a nut shell! I love working with technology if there is some kind of joy or satisfaction I am getting from it. I love Apple products and their applications because they are simple to use and just work. When I buy a song or video from iTunes, I am sure that it will show up on all my devices without the need to burn it to a CD because of iCloud. That brings me joy!! Simplicity, ease of use, and purposeful tasking is finished! I like that. So why don't we try using this concept in the classroom? We can! So l have hand picked a few items that I think will be helpful in the use of the Web 2.0 concept for my future classroom.
goanimate
Brain Pop
I think I would use this web site for homework, extra credit, or extra scaffolding for students who struggle. It is somewhat limited in what they offer because they must appease every disciple. You can't bank on diving into deep concepts when using this software when it comes to Social Studies. Just the facts, ma'am.
Polleverywhere.com
The example to the left is one that I made up for my blog. I sent out notices for people to vote on Twitter and Facebook and all I received was one vote -- mine!!! Oh,well.
Students will be eager to use this nifty little piece of software because it involves using a cell phone or a smart phone. The question, made up by the teacher, is posted online. During a lecture or class discussion, students are then asked to use their phones to text a response. This engages the students in their learning while using the technology that they are trying to hide from you while you are teaching! The results are immediate and you can quickly assess if you are getting through to all of your students or not. Depending on the question, you can also find out how much they know before hand.
I think this would be a helpful tool to use in just about any classroom -- especially to break the ice or bring understanding to your students during instruction.
Museum Box
This software allows students to learn through an entire unit while adding to their cube little by little through the lessons that are given out. In fact, it could be used as a portfolio for the entire semester. The use of this software is unending -- it all depends on the amount of work you, the teacher, are willing to put into it. But remember, you won't have to see another poster board project again. I encourage all educators to check this one out!
Videos
RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce) is a 21st century think-tank for enlightened thought. They have a video series of lectures that are accompanied by an artist drawing out the speech. It is really neat. It helps the visual learner, like me, to really concentrate on the ideas that the speaker is addressing.
Why would it be profitable in the classroom? The use of this tool is two fold: One, it exposes students to new ideas that are current in society (like the Did You Know? videos) and two, the medium itself helps students to connect these ideas and concepts which they normally would not have.
I also believe that this type of thinking taps out Bloom's taxonomy by pushing them to think and create and believe that it is possible to learn more than what is on a worksheet. You never know which student you will effect just by showing a video that might inspire them to become the next Steve Jobs. It might be a flick of the switch!