Web+2.0

For this assignment I had to research many diffrent sites that are what we call web 2.0. There are a ton of thinks out right now that are helpful to myself and my future students. I can create a webpage that my students and parents can access. I have access to so many tools for my students to research that I can get over stimulated by the information. I want to be able to use this information to my advantage so I can help my students find accurate information fast.

Web 2.0

I have decided that all of these tools are useful in one way or another so I will discuss some in more detail than others. These tools for the classroom are going to be very helpful in getting the class involved with technology and creating fun new projects that they may not have done before. The RSS feed is a useful tool for the classroom because it gives student’s access to information that is newly updated. I can teach my students to find the most up to date information by using RSS. I can also have them search the most up to date information in the news like an article relating to government or the environment. They can search quick facts related to topics that come up in class. I can also have the site notify me relating to important information that is happening right then and there. I am also thinking in an emergency this could be helpful because if the school is in lock down the teachers and students have no idea what is going on, and the RSS feed may give information on what is happening at the school or other schools. If my class was in lock down and I did use the RSS for information on what was going on at the school, I would first read the information then I would explain to my class what was going on just in case there was information that was harmful to them. In short the features of this web tool are good for instant information for me and my students. I can see some flaws in this type of tool. The flaws are that the information is fast so it may not have been edited very well and sometimes fast information does not include as much fact as other sources. These are just a couple of flaws I can come up for this tool. I really liked the Prezi tool. I think I can get stuck playing with that tool for a long time. I would want to add so many little fun images, games, links and information parts to the presentation that I may end up putting more information than I would like into one presentation. This tool is useful because it is not the same old power point and it is easy to control with the mouse. It is also a non liner way of presenting to the class. I could spend hours playing and adding information to my presentations with a tool like this. I think it would be a wonderful tool for students to have because they can get creative or have a simple presentation which ever they choose. I can use this tool as well as my students to present on new topics to the class. I think that the students may have trouble getting the hang of this new way of presenting, but once they understand it they can be creative and have fun making a unique presentation. The slide is a tool I would use for the class as a portfolio of a progression of work of my students. I can also use the slide as a transition to the next activity I have planned. I can have photos of the next activity for my class and I can add music for the transition. The students can use the slide to make their own portfolios. The Google Documents is a great tool to get the students sharing and cooperating on a project. I can create an outline of a project and the students can all work together to come up with the finished product. I also think this is a great tool so that parents can know what is going on in class as well as the administration. This seems to me like something that can have endless possibilities. Students can edit each other’s work and the students can even access the project when they are away from school. I have heard a lot of bad things about this second life networking site, but it looks to me like it can be a useful tool in getting the students to express their individuality and ability to use their imagination. I can use this site for reading and have the students come up with their own version of what they are reading. So that the students are the characters in the book and they can be creative and even recreate the book in their own view. This is what I would hope to get out of this site. I can also see the students using this as an outlet that can be used for good or bad and that is what worries me about second life. I would try to regulate it but I think that the students would be able to use it to get into trouble on the web. I need to research this a little more to feel comfortable using it in a classroom. If I could regulate it and lock things I think I would be more likely to use it. PBWorks looks like it is already set up for teachers and reminds me of our wiki spaces. This is set up to have students edit and groups have access to the information. By doing this parents and teachers alike can look over the students work and help the student. Blogger is a great way for students to use a journal. This is a great way for students to jot down anything they are feeling or going though. I think it is healthy for students to have journal time to reflect on what is going on. I like the idea of giving students a set time to blog and get things out in the open. I would like to give my students quotes or thoughts so that they can practice writing and expressing themselves. A blog would be a great way to do this. Podcasting is a cool way for students to bring in a recorded statement of a project or an idea to the class to share. Maybe for a project I can have the students all say something they enjoy about school or the class and have it playing in the background for parent teacher night. That way the students can feel good about the class and the parents hear all of the positive comments the students have to say about school and the classroom they are in. These are all useful tools for the classroom. I think I am going to play with some of these tools to get more comfortable using them. My students would have fun doing activities with these tools because it brings a new dynamic to the classroom.