Web 2.0 For the Classroom

Web 2.0 For the Classroom

By 

Fallon Schalin

Twitter.com

Twitter is a genius social media site where users make 144 character “Tweets” to express themselves to the world.  Each user can have unlimited followers and contact each other in a variety of ways. 

The short format of the tweet is allows informal collaboration and quick information sharing. By using Twitter you can share information with individuals (and companies) from any part of society, but usually with people that are interested in the same things as you.  This allows for amazing collaborations and the sharing (and arguing) of many ideas and issues.

You can send your messages in a variety of ways, using the Twitter website directly, as a single SMS alert, or via a third-party application. Your tweets are displayed in three areas: on your profile page, on the home page of each of your followers, and in the public 

Twiter can be used in the classroom to:

• Twitter can be used to organize the class, student activities and doing collaboration work.  The teacher can set up a feed about upcoming due dates, tests and quizzes. Students can coordinate their assignments together instead of using email and is a quick way to see if there are changes in the work. As many students already use Twitter, this would be a useful homework tool.
• There are many other social media, sociology and communication lesson plans available on the internet for teachers to source from.   Students can be asked to track memes and hashtags to further their ability to research and follow issues.
• Foreign language news streams can be used in language classes and connect classrooms around the world for exchanges.
• The list goes on and on, from facilitating research, engaging parents and even going on scavenger hunts for fun.    

Twitter is one of the most popular social networking sites on the internet and is engaging for all kinds of students, connecting them with communities that share their interests.  Using this tool breaks the barriers of finding common interests.  As well, for students that are tremendously shy because of their low self esteems, it gives them a voice where their minds are the only things being judged. 

Twitter has no minimum age requirement. 

www.wikispaces.com

Wikispaces is like Wikipedia but made for classroom use.  They make it a delight to create classroom workspaces where teachers and students communicate, working together or alone on projects.  Their amazing assessment tools gives the teacher the power to see how the students are doing in the NOW.  It can be used on a variety of instruments, from computers to phones to tablets.  

Wikispaces helps teachers with its ease of use in collaborative efforts.  Wikipedia has been a leader in the breaking down of the gates of information and Wikispaces gives teachers the tools to do the same in the classroom. 

From classroom management to project based learning, Wikispaces gives teachers a dynamic approach that pre Web 2.0 classrooms didn’t come close to.  Like Twitter it helps student connect with different knowledge communities and is amazing for online and remote learning.

Wikispaces can help students who need it most make actual breakthroughs on the areas that challenge them as individuals while adding extra inspiration in challenging those who are ahead of the class.  This method of formative assessment is not about grades used to see who is the best, but is actually helpful in seeing where students are falling behind (or racing ahead).  For those behind the teacher can use Wikispaces to break through their issues and for those already done the assignment, extra interesting work can be assigned.

There is no age requirement for this application.

Scratch is a free educational programming language exists to attract students to building games with block codes. Blocks are like jigsaw puzzles,  Structures of multiple blocks are called scripts. The current version, 2.0, can be accessed by downloading as well as online! Virtually any where, any time and any pace. Scratch is designed to be exciting, educational, and easy to learn, but it does take practice like any puzzle. It has the tools for creating interactive stories, games, and more. Inside each character's costume is the ability to personalize and change characters, add sound.

Users program in Scratch by dragging blocks from the block plate and attaching them to other blocks like a jigsaw puzzle. This can be educationally incorporated into science, language arts story telling and art. 

I would use this innovative, game as a flipped model, to prepare my student a creative writing class. Students would have to create a short story and try to manifest it through piecing together a Scratch puzzle.