Web+2.0

Okay, so just what is this thing called Web 2.0? You can find all kinds of definitions on the internet, but here's my own. Web 2.0 is the next generation of web sites that utilize the latest technology to provide exciting online opportunities for collaboration, creativity and expression. Wikispaces is a Web 2.0 site. Others include social bookmarking sites like Delicious and IKeepBookmarks, social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, photo sharing sites like Flickr and Photobucket, and much, much more. Many of those that I just mentioned are filtered at school, but there are so many more that aren't and the list is expanding every day. Check back often for new sites to be added.

This is a great video to stimulate our thinking about all the new opportunities today to teach with technology. I think you will enjoy it.

media type="custom" key="6116783"

I'm posting new web sites and tools that are **safe and have educational value** daily **,** so check back often. In the meantime, here's a great video from the Discovery Educator Network that explains several of my favorite tools.

media type="custom" key="5632367"

Animoto in Education My favorite web site of all...so much that it has it's own page, so be sure to click the link to the left to learn how you can quickly add flashy videos to your lessons to get students' attention and engage them in learning. It's probably the easiest video production method I've found.

Edu.glogster.com You will want to check out this site. Teachers can easily set up class accounts where students have a ton of fun creating online posters. The Keyboarding Games link to the left is a glog containing

Text Visualizers such as WordSift, Wordle, and TagCrowd will take text, whether it be from a website or a file, and create a visual depiction of the most commonly used words in that text. What uses could this possibly have in the classroom? Text visualizers can be made from presidential inaugural speeches so that students can compare what was important to the country through the years. They can also be made from various speeches made by different people about a single event - students can see what was important about an event from the perspective of different cultures or countries. Another thought I had was to have students create text visualiations for their essays or papers - they can see what words they may have used too frequently, or they may see that their focus is different than what they intended. What a valuable and visual way to teach students the importance of the words they choose! It has also been suggested that students create text visualizers on text that is written in casual language versus formal or academic language. For more information on these tools, click the Text Visualizers link to the lift.

Search Engines are changing as well. I've started a list of really good sites you should check out.

And for the lack of a better place to put it right now, here's a fun site for your students.

[|Kerpoof] - On this site students can create: a movie, story, make a card, drawing or a picture. All of the material online is tied to state STANDARDS!!!!!! :) YES! So even while your students are having fun creating a movie through a kid version of imovie, you are also hitting your mandated state standards! Yes, you can get your pie and eat it too with this website! For more information on how teachers can use this site, go to the Kerpoof teacher page.