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Useful Web 2.0 Applications for the Classroom
Word Clouds
-- graphically display textual information based on word frequencyWordle[http://www.wordle.net/]isatoyforgenerating“wordclouds”fromtextthatyou provide.Thecloudsgivegreaterprominencetowordsthatappearmorefrequentlyinthesourcetext. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes.
PotentialInstructionalUses:
Summarizingarticles,highlightingkeypointsinPowerPoint,summarizing course notes
[Honorable mention:http://tagul.com ,http://wordsift.com/
]
Visualization Tools
--providesalternatemeanstodisplayinformation,temporally,graphically,or spatially.The Visual Thesaurus [http://www.visualthesaurus.com] is an interactive dictionary andthesaurus which creates word maps that blossom with meanings and branch to related words. Itsinnovative display encourages exploration and learning.
Potential Instructional Uses:
vocabulary development, definitions
[Honorable mention : prezi.com
, ahead.com, dipity.com]
File Conversion
-- convert file types between different formats via the InternetZamzar[http://www.zamzar.com/]allowsuserstoconvertfileswithoutdownloadingasoftware
tool.UserscantypeinaURLoruploadoneormorefilesfromtheircomputertoconvertfile(s)toa differentformat.
Potential Instructional Uses
:file conversion, video extraction
Concept/Mind Maps
-- shows relationships between entities (words, ideas, tasks)Webspiration™http://mywebspiration.comisthenewonlinevisualthinkingtoolthathelpsyoucaptureideas,organizeinformation,diagramprocessesandcreateclear,concisewrittendocuments whether working individually or collaboratively.
PotentialInstructionalUses
:settingobjectives,brainstormingactivities,identifyingcues,summarize notes, providing frameworks
[Honorable mention:mindmeister.com ,bubbl.us
]
Screencasting
--recordyourcomputerscreenwithvoice,mousemovementsandvideoandshare via the InternetScreenToaster[http://screentoaster.com/]isaJava-basedtoolforrecordingscreencastsfromyourwebbrowser.Ifyou'vegotJavainstalledonyourcomputerallyouhavetodoisvisitScreenToasterandbeginrecording.Awindowwillpopupaskingyoutoselecttheareaofyour desktopthatyouwanttorecordanddecidewhetheryouwanttocaptureaudiofromyour microphone.
Potential Instructional Uses
:Demos for repeated activities (Blackboard), demonstrate grading policies, review quizzes, class summaries/announcements
[Honorable mention: JingProject.com ,Screenr.com , ScreenCastle.com, Screen-o-matic.com]
URL Shorteners
-- take really long URL's and shorten them for easier consumption.TinyURL[http://tinyurl.com/]isawebservicethatprovidesshortaliasesforredirectionoflongURLs.Some services track statistics on your unique URL.
PotentialInstructionalUses
:URLshortenerforonlineassignments,sharelinksinclass,softassessments (track number of students who accessed link)
]
Document Sharing
-- tag and share documents with others via the Internet
Slideshare.netandScribd.comaretwositeswhichallowyoutouploaddocumentsandsharethemviatheInternet.Thewisdomofthecrowdtypicallypromotesthebestpresentations/docsto the top of the search engine results.Remember to share as well as borrow.
Potential Instructional Uses: sharing class resources, providing supplemental materials[Honorable Mention:a.nnotate.com , Google Docs]
Blogs
--anonlinejournalwhichallowsonetosharemediaaswellastextwithminimalHTMLexperience
Blogger.comandwordpress.comarethetwolargest,butthereareanumberofotherserviceswhichprovidessimilarfunctionality.Blogsprovideaspacefroarchivingmaterial,collaboration, discussion, and journaling.
PotentialInstructionalUses:
Assignment self-reflections, posting supplementary materials (embedding sound/video/documents),critical response, course notes
[Honorable Mention:ning.com , posterous.com ,]
Wikis
--awebsitewhichallowsforthecreationandeditingoflinkedwebpagesbymultipleusers simultaneously
CollaborationandparticipationarekeytoWeb2.0.Wikisallowmultiplepeopletohaveaccesstoasharedworkspacewithtoolsforediting,versioncontrol,securitypermissions,embeddingmediaandmore.Wetpaint.comismyfavoriteasitprovidesweeklyemailreports,perfectfor monitoring student participation on projects.
PotentialInstructionalUses:
Peerreview,collaborativewritingassignments,resourcecollections, reading summaries
[Honorable Mention: Eduspaces.net , Pbwiki.com
]
Social Bookmarking/Online Notebooks -
- create and share online repositories of URLs,clippings from web pages, images, and more, all accessible via the web
Sites such as Digg.com use tagging (user created #hashmarks) technology to categorize andorganize web URLs.Online notebooks provide a space to store text and other media which can be accessed via the Internet.
PotentialInstructionalUses:Peerreview,collaborativewritingassignments,resourcecollections, reading summaries[Honorable Mention: Google Reader,evernote.com ,del.icio.us ,diigo.com
]
Visual Communication/Collaboration
-- Use media to collaborate with students and vice versa
Brought to the limelight by the emerging R2D2 (reading, reflecting, displaying, doing) model(see Bonk/Zhang), having students generate content is critically important.. The ability tomanage these efforts is made easier by sites like voicethread that allow streamline thecollaborative process and track changes instantaneously.
PotentialInstructionalUses:Peerreview,collaborativewritingassignments,resourcecollections, reading summaries[Honorable Mention:Scribblar.com ,voicethread.com ,tokbox.com ]
Feedback Tools
-- facilitate the collection of data from students in an online environment
The participatory nature of the Internet mandates two way communication.Assessing class andstudent progress as well readiness can be streamlined by employing customized webforms,surveys or polls.
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