Web 2.0 Tools and Education
Author: Gabriel Cauti
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PicLits
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Collaborize Classroom
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Animoto
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PicLits
Website: http://www.piclits.com/compose_dragdrop.aspx
Description: PicLits is a Web 2.0 tool that provides students and teachers with pictures and a categorized word bank that can be used to write captions or even paragraphs of creative writing.
Uses in Education: The pictures can be used as prompts to spark creatvitiy in a student given a specific writing assignment. It can also be utilized by a teacher in a science or math class to get visual learners engaged with what they're learning.
Potential in Reducing Barriers: PicLits has the potential to spark creativity in learners who have difficulty organizing ideas when writing. It also gives visual learners an opportunity to become more engaged in learning if they have an interest in great visual images. The word bank can also provide a scaffold for students who have difficulty writing sentences and paragraphs.
Appropriate Age Limit: This can be used by all ages as it can range from being used in something as simple as using descriptive words to describe a picture, to providing prompts for writing complex creative pieces at the highschool level.
Web 2.0 Teaching Tools, (2015). PicLits, a Web 2.0 teaching tool inspiring communication and creativity.. [online] Available at: http://www.web2teachingtools.com/piclits.html [Accessed 25 Oct. 2015].
Collaborize Classroom
Webiste: http://www.collaborizeclassroom.com
Description: Collaborize Classroom is essentially a virtual learning environment in that it's a private platform where a teacher and thier students can take part in online actvities, discussions and assignments (Web 2.0 Teaching Tools, 2015).
Uses in Education: Collaborize Classroom can be used as the online component in a blended classroom. It's great as not only a private platform where you can embed video, word docs and pdfs to have your students accomplish things online, but has certain features that can promote a proper ethical digital citizenship for your students (Web 2.0 Teaching Tools, 2015). For instance the 'Free rescources' page provides links to 'student success resources' that enhances digital citizenship for students using collaborize classroom (Collaborizeclassroom.com, 2015). Teachers can also access free lesson plans sorted by subject and grade level (Web 2.0 Teaching Tools, 2015).
Potential in Reducing Barriers: Much like virtual learning environments, it provides an alternate way to participate in classroom learning. Especially for students who are tech savy and maybe too shy to speak up in class, thus enriching the learning environment for everyone.
Appropriate Age Limit: This tool is appropriate for all ages as it can be used to enhance any classroom. It also provides important tools to teach kids about ethical digital citizenship. That being said, some of these additional resources may be more appropriate for slightly older children as younger children may require a parent's help navigating aspects of the tool.
Collaborizeclassroom.com, (2015). Free Resources and Lesson Plans for Teachers. [online] Available at: http://www.collaborizeclassroom.com/resources [Accessed 25 Oct. 2015].
Web 2.0 Teaching Tools, (2015). Collaborize Classroom, Web 2.0 teaching tool supporting 21st century skills. [online] Available at: http://www.web2teachingtools.com/collaborize_classroom.html [Accessed 25 Oct. 2015].
Animoto
Webiste: https://animoto.com
Description: Animoto is a great web 2.0 tool that enables students and teachers alike to create good quality educational videos.
Uses in Education: Teachers can use it to create videos to introduce topics that will about to be covered in any class. Students can use it to creatively express their learning in an easy, online video format.
Potential in Reducing Barriers: Animoto is great for students who are hands on and have interest in making videos. It not only inspires creativity for students but could potentially inspire them to use this tool outside the classroom. It can also help students who find writing a difficult barrier to overcome by providing another means of expressing their knowledge.
Appropriate Age Limit: All ages in the K-12 system can utilize animoto. Keep in mind that though all ages can use it, younger children again may need the help of a parent as there are certain safety concerns such as students using their full name in creating their videos (Web 2.0 Teaching Tools, 2015). Therefore it may be necesseary that students have a grasp of digital citizenship before using this tool.
Web 2.0 Teaching Tools, (2015). Animoto, a Web 2.0 teaching tool supporting 21st century learning skills. [online] Available at: http://www.web2teachingtools.com/animoto.html [Accessed 25 Oct. 2015].
References:
Collaborizeclassroom.com, (2015). Free Resources and Lesson Plans for Teachers. [online] Available at: http://www.collaborizeclassroom.com/resources [Accessed 25 Oct. 2015].
Web 2.0 Teaching Tools, (2015). Animoto, a Web 2.0 teaching tool supporting 21st century learning skills. [online] Available at: http://www.web2teachingtools.com/animoto.html [Accessed 25 Oct. 2015].
Web 2.0 Teaching Tools, (2015). Collaborize Classroom, Web 2.0 teaching tool supporting 21st century skills. [online] Available at: http://www.web2teachingtools.com/collaborize_classroom.html [Accessed 25 Oct. 2015].
Web 2.0 Teaching Tools, (2015). PicLits, a Web 2.0 teaching tool inspiring communication and creativity.. [online] Available at: http://www.web2teachingtools.com/piclits.html [Accessed 25 Oct. 2015].