KellyM-SWeb2.0paper

All of these tools would be appropriate for all ages of secondary education students.
 * Web 2.0 Tool Review **

** Tools I've used, and really like: ** 1. [|Wikispaces.com] This tool is designed to allow for collaborative information sharing. In the classroom this tool could be used to keep all of the students's work in one spot, for the teacher to easily access. It can also be a place for the teacher to share information to the class (research links, assignments, etc.). Using a Wiki would also allow the students to show off their work to anyone in their family (provided they have computer/internet access).

2. [|Delicious.com] This tool allows you to collect and organize urls - very similar to bookmarking, only it is accessible from any internet connected computer. In the classroom this tool can be used to group approved urls together for students to use so they won't have to search for appropriate sources. It is also a good way to organize teaching resource urls. There is so much information out on the internet it is nice to "bookmark" the useful sites.

3. [|Xtranormal.com] This tool allows you to make mini animated movies. I think the kids would really love working on this tool. In the classroom the students could create historical stories using the animation. This adds another medium the kids can use to express the knowledge they have learned.

4. [|Quizlet.com] This tool allows you to make notecards to quiz on vocabulary terms. This is a good interactive way for the students to study vocabulary words, and other terms. It also allows for images, so a student could put images to identify on the cards. There are multiple ways for this tool to enforce the learning - the students create the cards themselves, then they can study them, quiz themselves and play games to learn the information.

5. [|Animoto.com] This tool allows you to make slideshows with images, pictures, and text, all set to music. The only drawback to this tool is the limited length of the slideshow for the free application. But it is free, so that is nice. In the classroom, this can be used to allow students to showcase their understanding of the content. Or this can be a supplementary creation to a larger project. I think the students would love to use this to make and original creation.

 **Tools I haven't used yet, but they look interesting and I look forward to learning more about them:**

6. [|Jeopardylabs.com] This tool allows you to create an online Jeopardy game. Kids like games. And adults like games. This could be used to help review content during a unit to take the pulse of how much the students have retained of the material. It could also be used to review content at the end of a unit prior to an exam. Learning through fun activities!

7. [|ToonDoo.com] This allows you to create comic strips. In the classroom the students could use this as a creative way to show their level of understanding of a concept. It could be part of a list of tools students can choose from for a project. I can only imagine how creative students could get with this!

8. [|Stripgenerator.com] This tool also allows you to create comics. And similar to ToonDoo, it could be offered as a tool on a menu of tools that students could choose from to supplement a project. Each student is good at, and enjoys, different things, and it is important to offer various ways for students to showcase their knowledge.

9. [|Voki.com] This tool allows you to make a talking avatar. I think this could be used by the students similar to some of the other tools - as one tool on a menu of tools for them to choose from in order to showcase their knowledge. Students are so creative, and this tool would allow them to really enjoy working on a classroom assignment. I can only imagine some of the funny things their avatars might say!

10. [|Fodey.com] This tool allows you to make newspaper articles (among other animations). In the classroom this tool would especially be helpful in teaching history. The students could create their own articles, in their own words, for certain periods in history. This could be used as an assignment on its own, or as part of a bigger project. It would be a fun artifact for students to create - a more fun version of a report.

11. [|ReadWriteThink.org] This site has several tools - newpaper creation, timelines, shape poems, etc. There are several tools within this site, and although I haven't yet explored the entire site, I wanted to add it to the list as the bonus #11.