Web 2.0 Tools in the Classroom
iMovie
iMovie is a great app for creating videos. It has many accessible features which allow for flexible methods of presentation in the classroom. These features include access to personal photos and videos on the ipad, the ability to to record and capture new videos and images, and the ability to add additional voiceovers. Videos created in iMovie can also be shared with a variety of web 2.0 services including Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.
Purpose in Education and Universal Design for Learning
iMovie is a useful tool in the classroom. This app allows for integrated use of technology platforms such as the iPad when creating alernative forms of representation. Not all learning styles are conducive to programs such as powerpoint or microsoft word. iMovie allows the accessibility and creative freedom for students to present their ideas and evidence of learning. One way of accomplishing this can be through a project that requires students to tell a story, for example, about social justice issues in Africa. Students can present their findings by creating a slideshow about African cultures who are affected by HIV and AIDS. Students could choose to add either text or voiceover to elaborate on their presentation based on their preferences. Students also have the option of creating an iTrailer to present their learning. This may be a possibility for a project that requires students to create a 'Mattering Plan'. Ths is a project in which students elaborate on something within their lives that matters to them. By using iTrailer students can choose between a number of templates based on popular movie genres in order to create movie trailer and share it with the class.
TEDEd
TEDEd is a web-resource based on the orignal TED Talks and geared towards educators. This website allows its users to use engaging videos to create customized lesson plans for students. TEDEd allows educators to use, tweak, or completely redesign any lesson featured on the website. It also allows educators to create lessons from scratch based on any youtube video.
Purpose in Education and Universal Design for Learning
TEDEd is a web resource aimed directly at assisting educators in developing lesson based around video resources. This website allows educators to either make whole-class lessons or to design and tailor lessons to individual students. For some students, videos provide more engaging representations of information. TEDEd provides additional information and resources which may be useful in aiding students in exploring deeper into a given subject. Other students may not require visual representations to learn content effectively. TEDEd allows educators to tailor lessons specifically to single students which diminishes the worry of leaving other students out of the learning process.
Prezi
Prezi veiwer is an app with which users can view or create presentations using the Prezi platform. When working with Prezi, users can upload many forms of media including documents, videos, audio files, images. This resource also allows students to enter their own text. Users of Prezi can also order their presentation in either linear or non-linear forms based upon their preferences.
Purpose in Education and Universal Design for Learning
Prezi is an app that allows for alternative forms of displaying learning and representing thoughts. Students can use this resource as a platform to create presentations in any way that coincides with their learning style. With a platform such as Prezi, students are not limited to the types of media that they can use to represent their knowledge. What this implies for UDL is that, for example, one student may present their findings pertaining to Canada's natural resources through videos, images, and elaborate with an audiofile. Another student may do a presentation on the smae topic through text and image-based content and make an equally as convincing presentation.