What is Web 2.0?

Web pages frequently change, disappear, and new ones appear. Schools will frequently block interactive websites by default. A simple request to your IT staff from you or through your principle to unlock specific sites should get you access. These sites were chosen because they are free and do not require any downloading or installation of programs on school computers. Many sites have special teacher access and tools. If you don’t see that offered on the site, and ask. Some monthly-fee-only upgrades on available to teachers for free.

You will first need a place to store photos where students can get access to them. Check with your IT staff and see if your school has a special method for this. Flickr is another photo storage option. If not, we recommend PhotobucketPhotobucket Easy fast bulk upload, creates instant links for social networking, includes photoshop-like tools, and can make a slide show, can password protect photos so only students can get access You can a have master account, and make password protected albums for students that they can edit

– Social Networking Students are natural social networkers, we can take advantage of this Post photos/slideshows/reports to Classroom Facebook Page Post photos or links to slideshows/reports on Classroom Twitter page This will also allow parents to easily see what their children have accomplished

– Slideshows Many websites allow the creation of slideshows Slideshows can be accompanied by reports by students – voice recorded description or poems, diagrams, arrows, words, descriptions, etc. VoiceThread: (example 1) (example 2) (example 3) Creates a slideshow where students can record a spoken report, add text to a slideshow, or add video. Other students and teachers can comment and doodle on the images. The comments can be moderated and access to the slideshows can be restricted for security VoiceThread(example 1) (example 2) (example 3) Animoto: (example 1) (example 2)This website allows students to create music video slideshows with their photos. They can select music from the site or upload their own. Animoto(example 1) (example 2 Powerpoint: The tried and true tool is not web-based but is usually readily available at schools. It is a great program to use to create photo slideshow reports.

– Blogs A classroom could start a blog for the school year an post images, slide shows, or other digital photography projects Blogger is a good choice, no downloading or web- hosting required. Easy to use. Access can be restricted to only students and parents (or whoever you choose)

– Creative Fun Blabberize: (example) This is a wonderful website that allows students to make photos talk. The “mouth” of a photo is highlighted, and then students record what the mouth should say (using the speakers on the computer or uploading a sound file) and the website makes the mouth move to the words. A great fun way for students to record reports, poems, or songs. Blabberize(example) Block Posters: This website can turn images into a giant block posters. A block poster is one that is printed in pieces on regular 8.5 x 11 paper and is then assembled into one large poster. Great for classroom walls or bulletin boards.Block Posters

CleVR: This website can stitch a bunch of photos together to make a panorama. Students can stand in one spot and take a series of photos of the landscape (that overlap by about ¼ to 1/3), upload all the photos to this website, and the website will stitch the photos together into one big photo. CleVR