Web 2.0 Tools
Applications for English Language Arts 9-12
Easel.ly
http://www.easel.ly/
Easel.ly is a great tool that allows students to visually share information and ideas through different templates and graphics. Their application offers a very modern take onaesthetics and encourages innovation and creativity.
In a high school English classroom, Easel.ly could be integrated into creative assignments. Instead of creating a PowerPoint slideshow, or making a poster by hand, students can use Easel.ly to display the same information using the options, icons, and illustrations that is already provided on the site!
Having this tool as an option can eliminate the barriers for students who have a more difficult time conveying their ideas through lengthy essays or oral presentations. If an educator is strictly assessing a student on what they know about the content, Easel.ly would be an accommodating tool for those who wish to share their thoughts in a non-traditional way.
Everyone is free to try out their website!
Skype
http://www.skype.com
Video chatting tools, like Skype, have revolutionized the way that the global community can communicate with each other. By having access to the internet, a webcam, and a microphone, people from accross the world can interact with each other instantly.
Skype would be a great addition to a classroom because virtually anybody can be brought into a lesson through this tool no matter where they are. It would be especially beneficial for students to be able to gain more knowledge and insight into a situation that is far removed from their own. With one video call, a teacher can provide her class with a whole new level of understanding for any content!
Because Skype can be used by anybody, anywhere, with the proper equipment, schools can use this tool to provide online classes for students who wish to take a class that is not widely offered. This can remove restrictions that have been previously placed on students' education.
There is no minimum age to use Skype's features.
Twitter
http://www.twitter.com
Like Skype, Twitter has emerged as tool that has also changed the way that people are connected around the world. With Twitter, news has traveled across countries and continents fast than ever before, with stories condensed into 140 characters. With this tool, you can follow news stories, share resources, link websites, videos, and pictures, and communicate with all kinds of people!
Integrating Twitter into education would be suitable for a blended classroom. Teachers can set up this tool as a way to keep students informed about due dates, assignments, homework, or just classroom happenings. Students can also create accounts to follow class acounts, or to proactively engage with teachers and classmates about the curriculum and content.
Using Twitter expands the class to a worldwide community. Much more resources can be shared with students on this platform. Being able to tweet at any time strengthens a student's ability to communicate with a teacher about any questions, comments, or concerns, even outside of class hours.
Twitter does not require an age minimum to register, but because there is such a wide range of content being shared, students should exercise their use with care and caution.