Classroom 2.0
Classroom 2.0 is an online social network for people who are intersted in Web 2.0, and can use this technology in their classroom. It is free, and is a community-oriented network that has tons of support from people all over the world!
For social studies, I can create a discussion board/ webpage using Classroom 2.0 where I can create a topic that students can particpate online in. Grades 6-8, you can create a 'Who Am I?' post where students can comment with their answers on the webpage. They can do a write up, post pictures, and include videos on who they are and what makes them unique. Laptops can be provided in class for them to do this online assignment.
Classroom 2.0 is also a good source for teachers to collaborate with other teaching professionals around the world. They can comment, post links, ask questions, therefore creating a professional learning network.
Classroom 2.0 allows students who have different learning needs be able to succeed. Creating a discussion board/ wep page where students can answer a question in many different ways engages all students regardless of their strengths or weaknesses. If they are visual learners, this allows them to post pictures, or videos of who they are. If they like writing, they can write a paragraph, etc. Classroom 2.0 allows the teacher to expand their teaching and allow students to learn in a variety of ways. There are no grade restrictions, however, students should be old enough to operate a computer on their own (probably grade 3 and up). A barrier to using Classroom 2.0 is if your students did not have access to a computer at home, or they were not comfortable using technology. However, everyone can work at their own pace and allow for flexibilty.
