Web 2.0 Tools for Classroom Application
Looking at various Web 2.0 Tools and how they can be used for educational purposes.
By: Mitchell Normand
Web Address: https://www.pinterest.com/
Pinterest is a place where people can "pin" images, website links, informative sites, and other interesting things they find, and share them with other people.
This site is great for an education-based environment since students can gather a collection of resources on a desired topic and create a "pinboard" which will be dedicated to that specific topic. Then, students can share their findings with their peers in a classroom setting for a presentation, or for their teachers for assessment.
Pinterest is all about organization. Since students can create multiple pinboards, they can organize their pins into the corresponding pinboards, which removes barriers for students who struggle with organization.
According to the terms and conditions of Pinterest, it is restricted to children 13 years and older, so this would be a perfect Web 2.0 Tool for Junior High and Senior High School students.
Wordle
Web Address: http://www.wordle.net/
Wordle is "a means of generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text." (www.wordle.net)
This tool can be of great use in an education-based environment because it provides teachers with a way to highlight key concepts (by making them stand out more than other words). As well, it also provides students with a way to create an assignment that is visually appealing, and functional at the same time.
In accordance with UDL guidelines, Wordle is a great way to remove barriers for certain students who struggle with finding key concepts in a piece of text that they study. By creating a Wordle cloud, it helps them analyze text better. Also, students who are more visual/spatial learners would benefit from using a Wordle cloud, as they can visually see the "big ideas".
Wordle's terms and conditions do not specify an age restriction for users. However, this Web 2.0 Tool is definitely good for students as young as Grade 5 and up. Anyone who can use a computer and type text in would benefit from using this..
Below is an example of a Wordle cloud, describing the various concepts and key points that make up a Wordle cloud!
Awesome Library
Web Address: http://www.awesomelibrary.org/
Awesome Library is a site containing over 35,000 reviewed resources for not just students to access, but also for parents and teachers. It contains a plither of resources across a variety of subjects for all grades.
For use in an education-based environment, Awesome Library is a great place for students to do some practice and review. From fresh problems and solutions, to fully annotated lesson plans, this site can get students (and even teachers) excited about wanting to learn the concepts better.
For students who struggle with understanding concepts, this is a good place for remedial help when the teacher is not available. However, one of the most positive features of Awesome Library is the ability to switch languages. For students who have Language comprehension challenges, they can convert the problems to the langauge of their choice, which removes barriers for learning.
Awesome Library's terms of service state that students from K-12 can use this site. Also, since teachers and parents can access it, all stakeholders in education can work together to ensure students can understand and learn.