Webopedia defines Web 2.0 as “the term given to describe a second generation of the World Wide Web that is focused on the ability for people to collaborate and share information online.”
There are many sites devoted to organizing these dynamic tools and a few that are dedicated to Web 2.0 and education. Three sites that I have found useful include TEACH WEB 2.0, GO2WEB20, and my favorite—Web 2.0: Cool Tools for Schools.
TEACH WEB 2.0 was created by a group of Florida teachers with submissions from other sources. Each tool is evaluated for strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for use. They are alphabetized and not categorized or tagged, so you have to explore them individually.
GO2WEB20, is not dedicated to education, but it is easy to locate tools that could be used in school because each tool is tagged and categorized.
Web 2.0: Cool Tools for Schools. is an award winning wiki with well organized categorized list of tools with school aged children and education in mind.
The National Educational Technology Standards for Students address the following domains:
1. Creativity and Innovation
2. Communication and Collaboration
3. Research and Information Fluency
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
5. Digital Citizenship
6. Technology Operations and Concepts
Glogster, Storyjumper, MuseumBox, ToonDoo, Prezi are examples of Web 2.0 tools that could be utilized to meet the first standard of creation and innovation. They are all easy to use multi-media creation and publishing tools that offer students the ability to construct and display information, tell a story, or present something they have learned. This past week 5th grade students had a homework assignment to create a 4 square book report on a biography they had read about a famous early American. I had demonstrated ToonDoo, in class using the projector, and suggested that this might be an alternative to handwriting and illustrating. One student gave it a shot. The product he created was tremendous. He had uploaded clipart, and each square had a border of symbols that he had time-consumingly dragged and dropped around each or the 4 squares. It was as much effort, maybe even more because he had to learn the ToonDoo, tool, but he was so proud of his work and the risk he took.
Skype, GoogleDocs, WikiSpaces, Wallwisher, Dabbleboard, KidBlog are all collaboration and communication tools that can be used in education. Skype allows for communication beyond the classroom and eliminates the distance factor when accessing experts. The Wikispaces discussion tab is a useful mechanism for posting questions and students can respond and help each other. Wallwisher is an easy to use quick place for students to post questions or answers to a prompt on virtual “sticky notes”. Dabbleboard is a collaborative drawing and writing platform that can e used with computers or an interactive whiteboard. Kidblog is a safe blogging platform where students can communicate what is on their mind or respond to writing prompts from teachers. As with most Web 2.0 tools there is an opportunity to receive feedback through comments. discussion tab is a useful mechanism for posting questions and students can respond and help each other.
Because of the age group that I work with, the standard of Research and Information Fluency can be tricky and requires safe research systems and also teaching a new kind of literacy. Students often believe that when they use a search engine that the first choice is the best choice for the information they are seeking. Students need to learn how to evaluate and verify the information on a webpage and also how to evaluate and verify the source or sources providing the information. This Kathy Schrock link has some useful tools for teaching evaluation skills to students-- http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/eval.html, and the following link: CyberEthics has an easy to use lesson plan too. While my students are learning the skills that they need to navigate the internet safely and efficiently I like to set up safe searches using some of the Web2.0 tools of Custom Google Search, DoGoNews, PrimarySchool.tv, Pics4Learning, and of course Discovery Education Builder Tools.
Invention at Play and Questionaut are two websites that offer game opportunities for students to develop their Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making. They present puzzles and challenges that need to be accomplished in order to move to the next level. While these are fun skill building sites, there is much more to be said for allowing students to stretch their brains and construct their own games and animations around a topic. MIT’s Scratch offers students that opportunity. Although there are tutorials, students can learn how to use Scratch through trial and error as all of their building blocks are visible and they can view the result of an action immediately. Scratch also allows for “remixing” or editing someone else’s invention, and also allows for sharing and commenting. Last school year I ran an afterschool Scratch club. It was amazing how much students learned from each other and how complex some of the games were. There are also educational uses for Scratch. Students could animate the problem and solution of a book they have read, or create a game around the Battles of the Revolutionary War.
Digital Citizenship refers to understanding “human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology” and also the “practice of legal and ethical behavior.” One way to develop understanding for others is to reach out to the global learning community and share in contextual learning activities using tools such as iEarn and ePals. Both iEarn and ePals help to partner teachers and classrooms from around the world in common learning experiences despite the distance and differences between them. Both sites also have banks of lessons and projects that can be used to develop understanding for global issues. Netiquette is a term coined to describe the set of acceptable behaviors for positive digital interaction. It is important to explicitly teach safe behaviors and help students understand the indelible footprint they are creating as they walk through the Internet. Common Sense Media has advice, activities and articles for parents, teachers and students. They also have easily implemented lesson plans for teachers to use with all age levels.
To achieve standard 6-Technology Operations and Concepts students have to have opportunities to get their hands on the keyboard, mouse, and track pads. They need to be part of the problem solving team when technology fails in the middle of a lesson. All of the suggested Web 2.0 tools and sites listed above when used as part of a lesson that is thoughtfully planned with content, pedagogy, and technology all considered, will allow students to develop skills around computer technology operations and concepts. Opportunities for problem solving occur everyday in every part of a student’s day, but they only have that opportunity with technology if you allow them to power it on.
International Society for Technology in Education (2007). NETS for students 2007. Retrieved April 15, 2011 from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students/nets-student-standards-2007.aspx.
