1. Reaching the Digital Native Generation—Using Web 2
Reaching the Digital Native Generation—Using Web 2.0 Tools to Enhance Student Participation, Motivation and Retention of Concepts
Michelle Halvorsen
Texas School for the Deaf, Austin
Statewide Conference on Education of the Deaf/ HH 2010

2. Animoto FREE all access for educators
Students create movie slide shows
Can use for ANY topic and most any grade level
Upload pictures and/or PPT slides that are saved as jpeg files
Sign up at
You will be sent a code, then each student can create an account and enter that code to get their all access account

3. Animoto Student Example

4. Animoto Student Example

5. Animoto Demo Let’s try it!
Everyone go to and create a new account. Sign up with your school information, since this will create an education account for you. You should immediately have access, but won’t receive the code for your students for a few weeks.

6. Animoto Demo
Once you are signed up, click the blue “Create Video” button
Click on the style of video you prefer
Click “Create Video”
Select some images from their collection (click the open apple button to select more than one picture at a time)
Click Done when you have selected all your photos
Click on the large T to add text. Make a title slide and click done when satisfied with your title.
Click Done to move onto to step 2—select your music. Pick a song from their collection and click “Save and Continue” when ready.
Click “Continue”. Type in your customized data, then click “Create Video”.
You will receive an when your video is complete. At that point, you can save it to your laptop or post it to a website.

7. Animoto Share Time How can you picture using this in your classroom?
What questions do you have?

8. Wordle Create Word Clouds Great story starters
Good way to intro a topic
Different way to do a quick end to a unit
Fun way to decorate hallways or your classroom

9. Wordle
To create, you copy and paste a text into the Wordle website and it will generate a text cloud for you.
You can create the text yourself, using words you wish, or copy and paste from an existing text.
Wordle will make words that appear more often more prominent.

10. Wordle Demo Open a Word Document
Type in words that describe you. Remember to repeat words that are of more importance.
When finished, go to
Click on “Create”
Copy the text from your Word Document and Paste it into the Wordle website where it says “Paste in a bunch of text”
When ready, click on submit
If you don’t like the arrangement, click on “randomize” to get a different layout. Or click on the buttons to change the font and/or colors.

11. Wordle Share Time How can you picture using this in your classroom?
What questions do you have?

12. Glogster
Interactive “posters” students can create online to demonstrate knowledge on any topic
You can imbed text, pictures, links, videos
Very creative way for students to show their expertise on a topic
Great for end of unit projects and book reports
Edu basic version is FREE!

13. Glogster Demo Go to http://edu.glogster.com/
Register for your free account
Play around with glogster to create a glog about yourself or a glog about a topic you teach

14. Glogster Share Time How can you picture using this in your classroom?
What questions do you have?

15. Other Helpful Web 2.0 Tools You May Want to Explore
Assign-A-Day website (online calendar that you can post assignments and other important announcements too):
Puzzlemaker from Discovery:
Xtimeline—create free timelines online:
Suggestions for Blogs: or

16. More Web 2.0 Tools
Create Graphs at this very kid-friendly website: