Web 2.0 Tools for Middle School French

Web 2.0 Tools for Middle School French

Scratch is a Web 2.0 tool designed by MIT to help students learn the basics of computer programming and code. It can be found at scratch.mit.edu and could serve a number of functions. Firstly, it could be used in the classroom to give students another choice in how to express their knowledge of the content. It can be used to create digital stories and even videos that showcase what they have learned. Scratch would also fall into place as redefinition on the SAMR model. With this tool we can create lessons and the students can create and share their own ideas in a way that would not have been possible even 10 years ago thanks to the rapid growth in the use of personal devices and online connectivity.

This tool can be helpful in removing barriers for students by allowing those who are shy in front of the class to record their voices for presentations using the recording feature or allow those who learn kinesthetically to have the hands on tools they need to show of their knowledge without being restricted by their weaknesses. 

According to their terms of use (http://scratch.mit.edu/terms_of_use/) there is no minimum age to use the tool. You can access without registering for an account but in registering you can share videos with other users. The simple setup of Scratch makes it easy to use for any user but I would only use it starting at a preteen level because of how confusing it can be to use some of the features. 

Mindmeister is a Web 2.0 tool where you can make and collaborate on mindmaps. It can be found at http://www.mindmeister.com/ and has both freen and paid features. A mobile app is available so this tool is perfect to incorporate into your mLearning environment. 

This could be used in education by allowing students to brainstorm ideas in small groups. With the collaborate and sharing features of this tool students don't have to be on the same devives to work together but it also becomes possible to share the mind maps with the rest of the class. This is a good example of Augmentation on the SAMR model as there is an increased function to the brainstorming process that is added with the ability to share online and access the mindmaps at a later date/time. 

This tool could remove barriers for some students by helping them organize their thoughts while recieving feedback from others. These thoughts can be accessed again later, to help students who need the extra time to work on questions or would like the opportunity to review discussions. 

In reading through the terms of service to this tool (http://www.mindmeister.com/legal), there is no minimum age to use Mindmeister but I would recommend it for grade levels starting at about grade 6 to ensure that we can provide proper instructions on citation.

Animoto (animoto.com) is a Web 2.0 tool that allows students to make video slideshows from their pictures. It can connect to various social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace and is available for free.

One downside to this tool is that the terms of service (http://animoto.com/legal/terms) indicate that one must be 13 years old to use the service. This would limit the use of this tool for my grade range to being suitable for grade 8 students. On a positive note this tool would reduce learning barriers of individuals who cannot express their knowledge through words allowing them to create collages in a video format. In the classroom this could also be a handy tool to create visual timelimes for events or novels, allowing students to have a visual representation of written work. 

This tool could be integrated as a substitution on the SAMR model as it doesn't really serve a functional change to the material being presented.