Impact Learning with Web 2.0 Tools

We teach digital natives…..

Our students have never known life without….. Cell phonesGoogle CDs and DVDsHomer Simpson EbayAIDS Digital camerasWorld Wide Web ComputersDNA Fingerprinting … and they may leave us behind.

“Students increasingly are taking education into their own hands with personal technology experiences, a trend with important implications for schools.” Laura Devaney eSchoolNews

The internet is no longer a collection of static websites, but is now the basis for hundreds of applications that facilitate learning, communication and creativity. WEB 2.0 represents the internet as a two way road on which people find each other, exchange ideas and information, create and display their work. Participants interact and respond to each other in meaningful ways.

Benefits to our students include: Opportunities for peer to peer learning A changed attitude toward intellectual property The diversification of cultural expression The development of skills valued in the modern workplace, and a more empowered conception of citizenship. Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century Henry Jenkins

Authentic Learning Today, the web is not just an information resource, it is a wonderful learning resource. Your students can create a lesson with online content, collaborate with students in another country and then present their concepts to a global audience.

21 st Century Skills Because using Web 2.0 tools facilitates networking, they benefit from developing their skills in: Critical thinking Communication Creativity and innovation

Three Useful 2.0 Tools…..

LiveBinder organizes it all…. This free online service lets you create binders containing web pages, documents and pictures. It is arranged like a three-ringed binder that contains tabs to display different subjects. Students can use this great tool to create a book of resources or showcase their work.

It is easy to create a binder! How to video: ow?video=%2Fswf%2Fwhat.swf

Your resources are organized and accessible to your students!

Math: Science: English: Teacher resources:

How do I use it in my classroom? Create an organized source for your materials and assignments. Share with other teachers and let them share with you. Let your students create a LiveBinder as their own portfolio or work on a group project and collect their research in a binder.

Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each. Plato

Just what is a ‘Glog’? It is… A great way to save paper in these tough, environmentally sensitive times! It is an online poster creator. You can mix photos, music, video and text Can provide a scrapbook or poster look to your blog or wiki Provides you with the ability to embed code or have a URL link Can be set for public or private viewing.

Let’s take a look at E. Haygood’s page ….. a great example of a colorful, easy to create glog.

More student examples of glogs… a-cities/?w1

How can I use it in my classroom? Jazz up blog or wiki Use for student projects as a ‘multimedia’ poster Great for an “all about me” glog for students to share about themselves Adds new visual element to text Lets students express their creativity Fosters teamwork and collaboration

Voicethread.com Sometimes referred to as a ‘group blog’, this Web 2.0 tool allows comments and discussion around a picture, topic or project. It is presented as a multimedia slideshow of audio, video and pictures which can then be commented on by recording with a mic, phone, webcam or by typing in text. Students are able to demonstrate their knowledge about a subject or present their own work for a global, authentic audience.

Let’s see what Mrs. O’Brien’s class thinks a hero is….. voicethreads/ms-obrien-grade-5/what-is-a-hero /

How can I use it in my classroom?

So why use Web 2.0 tools? Participatory culture shifts the focus of literacy from one of individual expression to community involvement. The new literacies almost all involve social skills developed through collaboration and networking. These skills build on the foundation of traditional literacy, research skills, technical skills, and critical analysis skills taught in the classroom. Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21 st Century Henry Jenkins

Resources Cited Dorman, Jennifer Jenkins, Henry, Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21 st Century Crane, B., Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom. New York: Neal-Schuman Pub.s