Web 2.0 in the Classroom
This eBook was created by Matt Davidson
Edublogs is an online blog site where teachers and students can create their own blogs. It is designed for education and based on a Wordpress platform.
The site can be used by teachers to create a space to share content with their students. It also provides the students with an opportunity to create an ePortfolio to document their learning throughout the year.
Access to a blog site like Edublogs can provide English Language Learners with an opportunities to create text with the aid of corrective software. It also provides some freedom for students who may create best outside of school hours a place where they can provide teachers with access to their content.
Khan academy is an online website where students can watch videos on a variety of subjects. The screencasts are usually less than fifteen minutes long and can provide an opportunity for students to revisit information they may have missed in a face-to-face instructional setting. It fits well with the any time, any place, any pace component of blended or flipped classrooms. Teachers could post links to specific screencast videos their students can visit to supplement any direct instruction done in the classroom.
Furthermore, it provides students with an opportunity to review content they may have missed or didn't understand from previous years. For example, the math content on the site is organized by grade level and a grade 7 students can privately access grade 6 math concepts without feeling embarassed.
There is a note in the terms of use that Khan Academy is not to be used by children under thirteen years old without the aknowledgment of their parent of guardian.
This tool was formally name Learn.ly and it enables teachers to leave audio feedback on students work that has been loaded to Google docs. As the teacher reviews the work, they can record their comments to give the student valuable formative feedback in a short amount of time. The teacher can access the voice app through Google apps and this would be a great fit with school boards like Edmonton public who already have implemented Google into their schools.
I believe this will benefit students who are auditory learners. They can receive the necessary feedback to improve their work anywhere and anytime and are not reliant on trying to understand corrections without an explanation.
This is also a valuable tool for teachers to contribute feedback to students. It is a collaboration tool to increase communication and formative assessment between teachers and students. There is also an area to leave a link to an mini lesson or another resource the student may find useful in creating their work.