Web 2.0 Education

Web 2.0 Education

EDU 210

Nicole Gatner

Storybird

http://storybird.com 

Storybird is a digital storymaking tool that allows writers access to illustrations and animations from artists around the world to be used as inspiration in the storymaking process. 

Storybird has a great option for teachers, allowing the creation of an online classroom that can include lessons, assignments, and a classroom library of works created. The books and all social interactions are contained within the classroom, so there are few concerns about the privacy of your students. Storybird is a free resource that your students will come back to time and again.

Storybird is a helpful tool that will reduce creative blocks from your students in their writing. Often students will stare at blank pages when asked to write a story in class, and Storybird is the solution, because it comes with ready-made inspiration. Students can scan the images provided and create a story from the artwork they enjoy most. If there is too much to choose from (which also causes problems for many students), the teacher can set parameters as to what theme should be used, or provide a set of images for students to choose from.

Storybird.com dose not require an age of users, and is relatively easy to use. Students who cannot type may require a scribe, however Storybird would still be an excellent tool. 

This is a link to a book I created in Storybird: http://storybird.com/books/most-of-all/

iknowthat.com  

This website is a great tool to assist students when they are in need of some extra assistance or extra learning time with concepts in multiple subjects over multiple grades. Science, Literacy, Math, Social Studies, Arts, and more are all featured in this dynamic site. Iknowthat.com includes a social learning aspect in that student scores can be recorded and displayed for shared participation by parents, teachers and classmates. There are multiplayer social aspects to many of the activites, which increases student interest and excitement.

Iknowthat.com could help students who are in need of more assistance in certain lessons by providing extra practice as well as by being very simple to use.

Teachers have the option to use the website as a free service for play, or they can choose to create a membership account (can cost between 0 and 00/year) to increase content, tools and individual accounts for students and teachers.

There doesn't appear to be any required age for users, and the site does include games and activities for students from pre-K to grade 6. 

PicMonkey is an online photo editing site that allows users to upload their own photos in order to digitally enhance and edit them at little to no cost. Users may choose to use the free version, or to upgrade to a premium version which provides more access to templates, effects, etc. 

PicMonkey could be used by students in many instances, including language arts and art classes, where illustrations or creative photography are both a part of the curriculum in elementary and secondary school.

PicMonkey could remove barriers for learners who have issues with colour in text and images in the ability for students or teachers to modify images in order to be seen in the best possible way. 

PicMonkey does not have any age restrictions or other requirements for the free version, however if there is a desire to use the premium components of the site there is an option to purchase a "Royal" upgrade. This site does have a share function which allows users to send images through email, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr and Pinterest.