Web 2.0

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Comment by Kelley on July 18, 2014 at 9:46am

Hi!

I am currently getting my Masters degree in Applied Technology in Education so Web 2.0 is a hot topic in our classes. I was amazed at just how many web tools are out there that encourage creativity and collaboration and can be adapted to fit many educational backgrounds and topics. I have been exposed to many Web 2.0 tools like screencasting and the flipped classroom model that I had never heard of before but seemed like a genius thing for teachers to take part in to encourage learning.

Some of my favorite Web 2.0 tools to use in my classroom are Screencast-o-matic (to make screencasts), Google Drive (Docs & Forms are the platforms I use most), Voicethread, Educreations, Quizlet and Popplet. I also use SMART exchange and SMART notebook to create interactive lessons even though I don't have a SMART board in my classroom. I find that it is easier to create interactive lessons using this platform.

Does anyone have any new Web 2.0 sites/sources that they recommend for the upcoming school year? :)

Comment by Emily June Hughes on June 1, 2014 at 3:09pm

Hi!

I have been extremely intrigued with the thought of trying a flipped classroom setting in my class.  Has anyone in this group tried it?  What kinds of mistakes could I avoid my first time using it?  Have you found any remedies for students that do not have technology at home?

Thanks!

Emily

Comment by Caitlin Mogg on April 3, 2014 at 3:40pm

@Donna - The SMART Responders are the interactive "clickers" that the students can use to answer questions that the teacher posts.  They are a quick way to take a survey or poll, but I have also seen them used for multiple choice questions, quizzes, etc.  I am not sure if you have to buy them along with the SMART Board, but I know that my school has several sets that teachers can sign out to use.  On SMART Exchange I am sure that you can get pre-made Responder templates, but setting them up and creating a question or quiz yourself is also really quick and easy to do.

@Jessica and everyone else - I have never used Glogster before! I feel like I am missing something great from what I am hearing about it from everyone's posts.  I will definitely have to check that out.

Does anyone in this group have any math specific Web 2.0 tools/apps that they've had success using in the classroom?

I would also be interested in knowing how anyone uses these tools outside of the classroom (for a flipped classroom or just student work at home)?

Thanks!

Caitlin :)

Comment by Laura Bianco on April 3, 2014 at 9:59am

As Caitlin mentioned below in an earlier post, I think it is a great idea to encourage student use of Web 2.0 tools. I use them frequently when I am teaching, so my students are at least exposed to some different uses of technology. I think its is even better, though, if they are given the opportunity to explore the technology themselves. In the past, I have assigned or asked students to choose a topic related to our class (Anatomy & Physiology) and had students use a Web 2.0 tool to create a short lesson to present to the class. I give my students many options, such as Educreations, Voicethread, Prezi, Glogster, PBWorks, Screencast-o-matic, etc., so that they can choose a tool that they are comfortable with. This assignment not only forces the students to research a topic, which will expand their knowledge of my course's content, but it also familiarizes them with the uses of technology.

A new Web 2.0 tool that I just used for the first time, and that I think my students will really enjoy, is PowToon. This can be used to create animated videos or presentations. This is very different than the traditional PowerPoint presentation that I typically use in class. I think that by introducing a topic or unit using a PowToon animation, I can grab and hold the attention of my students. I'm looking forward to introducing my students to this tool, and even having them create their own PowToon animations!

Comment by Donna Smith on April 1, 2014 at 6:56pm

@ Jessica, Thank you for your reply about Glogster. I like the idea of the website for creating posters using technology. I also appreciate you letting me know about issues you have encountered while using the site. I will definitely be looking further into this site to see if it would be appropriate for kindergarten with guidance. I also like your way of using Educreations. I have used it myself to teach a mini lesson to small groups of students, but I have never thought of having my students use it to explain their problem solving. This is a great idea. I can picture my kindergarten students really enjoying this activity and this may also motivate them to participate in a discussion about their answers.
@Caitlin, I also have used SMART Exchange as well as other interactive tools with my SMART board. I have never heard of the SMART responders, is this something that needs to be purchased to use along with the SMART board or is it a website that I can access?
I agree that Screencast-O-Matic is a great tool for teachers to use. I use this site for small group instruction. As I had mentioned earlier I had never thought about having my students use Educreations, this is a great idea and I will definitely be incorporating this into my instruction. The only downfall for this is that I do not have enough iPads or computers for all of my students to use by themselves or even with a partner.
Thank you both for many great ideas to incorporate into my kindergarten classroom!

Comment by Jessica Laverne on March 30, 2014 at 2:56pm

@Donna, I have used Glogster in my classes and love the concept of it. I use it in my classrooms as a way to create a poster but using technology instead. It allows students to add videos and animation to their poster. The only downfall I've had to using it is that there were a lot of issues with saving and the program freezing. I know they were working on it but I haven't used it this year yet because of the issues I have had in the past. Has anybody else used Glogster? 

@Caitlin - I love Educreations as well! I use it in my classroom for the students to explain why they did a problem a certain way. They love being able to "write on the board" and explain it in their own words. I think this is a great tool as well for both teachers and students! 

Comment by Caitlin Mogg on March 20, 2014 at 8:08pm

Hi everyone! I am a middle school math teacher, also interested in finding new ways to incorporate technology into my classroom! Some of the best Web 2.0 technologies that I have found are incorporated with my SMART Board.  The SMART Exchange website has a lot of interactive tools and lessons for use with a SMART Board.  Also, the SMART Responders are a set of clickers that you can use to quickly poll students in class.  The only drawback to these tools are that you need a SMART Board. 

Some of my favorite sites to use in math class are Flocabulary, Discovery Education Streaming, and Khan Academy.  Khan Academy has really become a favorite of mine this past year, because the videos are very easy to follow and there are extra practice and examples included.  IXL.com is also a great site for math practice (as well as language arts) for any grade level.

I also really like video capture tools like Educreations and Screencast-O-Matic that others have written about.  I have found that Educreations is easier to make simple and easy to follow lessons, whereas Screencast is helping for creating demonstrations or directional videos.  I feel that Educreations would be a better tool for students, where Screencast might be more useful for teachers.  But students could certainly try both!  Show Me is a site that is similar to Educreations, where students or teachers can post videos created on an iPad.

This Web 2.0 site from Discovery Education has links to other tools as well: https://web2012.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm

I am wondering if anyone out there has other great Web 2.0 ideas, especially for math class? Thanks!

Comment by Donna Smith on March 19, 2014 at 6:42pm

I am a kindergarten teacher and am currently working towards my M.Ed in Edu Technology. I am still struggling however with different resources to use in my kindergarten class. @Melissa I noticed that you also teach kinder and have several sites listed that you like to use or that you have found. Have you used any of these sites in your class? If so what do you think of them? Comic Life 3 sounds like it would be a fun way to incorporate writing into the classroom. I also looked up Glogster, I can’t be much help with telling you about this site, but I would be interested in learning more about it.
I have been taking these classes to learn about technology that will be engaging to my students. I have used starfall.com and Educreations in my classroom. Educreations is a great way to present information to my students without doing it in person. I like to use this during small group especially since I can’t be there with all of the groups at one time. This has been useful in increasing participation during group time.
I have also learned about using social networks as a way to engage students however we do not have enough technology for everyone and I also do not think my students are old enough to work these sites yet. If anyone has any other ideas for technology that engages young minds please share!

Comment by Laura Bianco on March 18, 2014 at 9:37am

Like many of you, I am also really interested in learning about more Web 2.0 tools that I can use in my classroom and in sharing those that I currently use with all of you! I try to look for technology that will engage my students more deeply in each topic that we cover so they can develop a greater understanding.

One tool that I love using is PollEverywhere. This is an app (and website) that allows students to answer questions using their mobile device. This has been very useful for me because it promotes student participation in class and allows me to quickly get their feedback. Many students are too shy to answer questions in front of their peers, and this app allows all students to answer anonymously. Using this app, I usually get 100% students participation when I ask a question or ask for feedback about a topic.

Comment by Jessica Laverne on March 17, 2014 at 3:03pm

Hi Everyone! I'm a new member to the group. I started a discussion forum above about new web 2.0 technologies and thought we could all share new ideas and tools we can use in our classroom. One technology I talked about in the forum is Voicethread. This online site allows students to post work or pictures and they can record themselves speaking about the picture. Students are also able to comment onto each other's post and it allows for student interaction online. I think this is a great tool and shared more tools with you in the forum! Please reply, I would love to hear everyone's ideas!!

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