Web 2.0 

The Web Updated!


Martyn W.S Middleton


  • Screencst-O-Matic

    3
  • Khan Academy

    4
  • Mentimeter

    5


Screencast-O-Matic

http://screencast-o-matic.com/

Screencast-O-Matic is software that allows the user to create a screencast, which is essentially a digital recording of their computer screen output and often includes audio. This software is web based so you do need java installed but is very simply to use and you can start recording very quickly.

Screencast-O-Matic can be used to help demonstrate and teach different aspects of curriculum such as software features in a program for example: how to edit a picture in Adobe Photoshop for a photography lesson or doing a screen casting of your PowerPoint presentation with your audio added.

By recording videos you can explain content, vocabulary, basic principles in a format students can reflect on at their own pace as they can pause, rewind or re-watch the material at a later date, this can improve student engagement, achievement and understanding.

Screencast-O-Matic can remove some of the barriers students may face if they students missed the class for instance or if they want to refresh on course content, students with visual and/or auditory disabilities may benefit from re-watching the lesson. Screencasts allow you to deliver the same high quality lesson repeatedly whilst also adding an active visual element to resources outside of the classroom.

According to Screencasr-O-Matic’s terms of service they don’t have a required age of use. The software was designed to be used by anyone and everyone, great software for the classroom and education environment!



Khan Academy

https://www.khanacademy.org

Khan Academy is an educational organisation that is non-profit and its goal is to provide free world-class education for anyone, anywhere. The website has thousands of educational resources for various subjects, Math, Science, Computing, Art and Humanities to name but a few. It also has lots of practice problems, tests and over 6000 micro lectures via video. All this content is available free to the user anywhere in the world. 

This is such a powerful resources for teachers to utilises and incorporate into their classroom, not only to add a visual more technology based element to the classroom but to also help students who are struggling in the classroom and need additional help, or alternatively are exceeding the classroom content and need a greater challenge.

Khan Academy can remove barriers for learners of different language as you can change the language the content is presented in. If you struggle with English you can change it to something you are more familiar with but the content will be the same. Also if learns are unsure if they really want to study a certain area of interest they can do some online courses for free before committing to the costly fees associated with a university education.

Khan Academy can be used by any are group as It has tests that range from telling the time to advanced algebra, users can also search keywords which can encourage children or younger users to explore their curiosity in educational material.  



Mentimeter

https://www.mentimeter.com/

Mentimeter is a web 2.0 tool teachers or educators can use in a classroom or presentation. By asking the audience a question you can gain instant feedback on that question by using mobile phones, tablets, or any other internet connected device. Mentimeter is not only free but very easy to use and a great lite 2.0 web tool to incorporate into the classroom. There is also no limit to the number of votes or answers you can collect to your question.

As an educator you could ask your audience what they are most looking forward to learning about in this class or how they even heard about the class in the first place. By surveying your audience in this way you can gain feedback from lots of people in a very short period of time as well as getting a visual representation of these findings in a sleek graph form.

This tool can be used in the classroom to remove that anxiety associated with having to raise a hand or answering the question wrong and looking silly in front of the whole class. Your answer to Mentimeter is anonymous and allows everybody the opportunity to engage in the class with no fear of ridicule. This is a great tool for those shy members of the audience or if you want to gain lots of feedback quickly.

Like all the other Web 2.0 tools I have looked at Mentimeter is also not restricted to any age group, it’s more important for the class facilitator to choose appropriate questions and an appropriate time to use Mentimeter to ensure its success.