Web 2.0 Tools

Web 2.0 Tools

Tools That are Beneficial for Social Studies 9-12

By: Kellan Reil

What is Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is the term used to describe web technologies which allow users to create wbe content and collaborate on the web. Some of the most common Web 2.0 tools are blogs, wikis, social networks, screencasts, and video sharing. There are many Web 2.0 tools that have been developed that have been designed specifically for educational purposes or can benefit education in some way. Web 2.0 tools help to encourage collaboration, encourage creativity, and often represent the newest abilities of technology in the classroom.

Bubbl.us

https://bubbl.us

Bubbl.us is a mind mapping website in which a person or group of people can map the connections between topics and show how certain topics are connected.

Bubbl.us would be a great tool for grades 9-12 Social Studies because student would be able to create a visual map and find the connection between historical event, ideologies, and different historical figures. Educators can have students work in groups or independently brainstorming ideas, or they could create mindmaps themselves to showcase the major points of a topic.

This tool would allow student who are not very good at brainstorming on paper or have a hard time finding the connection between certain topics. Bubbl.us would allow student to quickly find the most important parts of a topic without having to try and pick them out themselves by reading a textbook. This tool would be great for student who are better visual learners.

Although there sees to be no age limit for registering with Bubbl.us, I would recommend this tool for teachers teaching secondary education. There are paid plans, but the basic format for Bubbl.us is free.

Glogster

http://edu.glogster.com/

Glogster is a tool that can be used to create online posters to better display information through both text and visuals. Glogster encorporates the use of images and cool looking text boxes that can be completely customized by the creator.

Glogster can be used by educators as an alternative to having their students write a paper. Grade 9-12 Social Studies contains large amounts of writing, so an online poster can allow greater creative expression of knowledge and skills.

This tool would be useful for students with writing difficulties in 9-12 Social Studies because instead of having to write a paper about a certain topic, event, or person, they can create a poster that highlights the important parts of the topic. The glogster will allow student who have trouble writing effectively show their teachers that they grasp the key concepts that the teacher wants them to learn.

I would recommend this tool for secondary student because of the great levels of sophistication that can go along with creating an online poster. Teachers can create a private virtual classroom with students, or student can register independently. The basic glogster format is free, but if a teacher wants to create a Secondary style glogster with multiple classes it will come with a cost.

Khan Academy

https://www.khanacademy.org/

Khan Academy is an online library that features over 2600 videos that cover everything from science, math, to social studies. The tool also boasts  235 practices exercises.

This tool can be used by educators in 9-12 Social Studies to display videos that are relevant to the topic that they are teaching. Educators can also refer students to videos found on Khan Academy so that they can get a better understanding of a certain topic.

The Khan Academy can help students who have difficulty reading because instead of learning soley from a textbook and lectures, they are given a video that is relevant to what they are learning. Also, much of Social Studies is about source analysis, so Khan Academy can provide alternative sources to text based sources that student can review and then analyze.

There is no age limite required for users because users can use Khan Academy without having to sign up for the website. I would recommend this site though for Secondary students because the videos offered are a lot more academically complex than I think younger student would propably be able to handle.

Conclusion

The three tools outlined in this book would be great for grade 9-12 Social Studies teachers to teach their subject more effectively. Bubbl.us is a tool perfect for brainstorming ideas and displaying them in a way besides text. Glogster is a tool that is good for allowing students to creatively display their understanding of topics. Finally, Khan Academy is a tool that is great for finding sources other than texts, aiding those who have trouble reading. All of these tools, when used effectively, will aid in classroom learning and create a more open and universal learning environment.