Best Web 2.0 Tools for Education

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Permalink Reply by David McGeary on February 11, 2009 at 7:25am

I was surprised to see Moodle at number 24 on Jane's list. If given the opportunity to extend their classroom outward and upward infinitely, wouldn't every teacher jump at that chance? Moodle gets a solid nod from me - especially given the continued expansion of online learning both in the US and abroad.

David
twitter: dcmcgeary

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Permalink Reply by Amy Pugh on February 11, 2009 at 7:48am

YackPack......I came across this site and was amazed at the opportunities it opens up for student collaboration. Check out the video:
YackPack

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Permalink Reply by Colette Cassinelli on February 11, 2009 at 10:01am

Here is my updated list from Fall of 2008 http://edtechvision.org/?p=293

1. Google Apps for Education - New tool rises to the top: I started using Google Apps (Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Sites and custom Start Page) with my computer students this school year and it has made ALL the difference with collaboration and communication in my classroom.
2. Gmail. I love this web based email system and the fact that I can access it from any computer. Not only do you get tons of storage but I like the way it keeps the threaded conversations together. Gmail chat is awesome and the new Video Chat is very cool.
3. Google Docs. Google docs are great for collaborating and sharing information with others. You must invite friends to participate in your documents but it’s so easy to edit ALL AT THE SAME TIME!!!.
4. New to the list this year is Google Reader. I used to use Bloglines but when it was bought out and then stopped updating some of my feeds, I switched to Google Reader. I also love reading blog posts on my new G1 phone.
5. iGoogle Ok, ok, so I love of all the of the Google products - but I do use them and find them easy to use. iGoogle is a personalized page (which I make as my own homepage) that you can customize with all kinds of widgets like: weather, calendar, CNN news, Google Reader (RSS), Gmail notifier, jokes, etc…
6. Twitter - Another new tool this year is Twitter. I have come to depend on it for sharing collaborative projects and keeping the pulse on what’s happening in the Blogosphere.
7. del.icio.us. I can’t believe how much I depend on this social bookmarking tool to remember sites I have visited but also for sharing cool sites with my friends. Now I don’t need to be that annoying friend who always sends emails recommending websites (I can’t help myself) - if I find a site and know my friend’s del.icio.us name I can tag the site as: for:ccassinelli and then when that user goes to their del.icio.us account they can add my favorite to theirs. This is very helpful for group projects!
8. flickr. This web-based photo sharing site is awesome for uploading photos to share with friends. I like how you can create different albums and tag photos for easy sorting. I also love snooping through my friend’s albums too!
9. Google Sites - lets you create simple, secure group websites. Share information with a few people, a whole organization, or the entire world.
10. Audacity. This easy to use FREE audio editing software is easy to use for podcasting and editing audio files. You will need the LAME Mp3 encoder if you want to export your audio files at MP3 instead of WAV - but it’s easy to download and install.

Off the list this year: Bloglines

Still like:

* Voicethread – A great tool for encouraging collaboration in your classroom. Upload photos and add text, audio or voice comments with a web cam. My new personal favorite way to get students to share comments with each other.
* Wikispaces. I’ve already mentioned my love of wikis i for collaboration and easy editing - wikis are the way to go. - but with the addition of Sites to the Google suite - I don’t use Wikispaces as much as I used to. I also love the fact that Wikispaces gives FREE wikis to teachers. Thanks for the support!
* Moodle. I started using Moodle this last year with a few of my computer classes but will use this open-source course management system with all my classes this year. It’s easy to use, has built in blogging and modules (quizzes, journals, docs) that make it easy to keep all class documents in one area.

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Permalink Reply by Marcel on February 11, 2009 at 1:22pm

Colette, seems more like a personal list...not sure how you would use half of those in the classroom besides personal use.

Personally I found digital story telling to be very useful in the classroom. Using sites such as animoto.com, shutterfly.com or even mixbook.com

Students love creating a photo book online with the option to print in high-quality.

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Permalink Reply by Cory Tressler on February 11, 2009 at 6:29pm

toondoo.com - Great for quick Language Arts projects, school newspapers, ESOL students, etc.
pixlr.com - Phtoto Editing free and easy
jogtheweb.com - Create webquests easily and quickly
icue.com - Streaming news footage both new and old
biguniverse.com - Create an online book
animoto.com - Automatic, action packed slideshows with digital photos and music
kerpoof.com - Artwork creation
blabberize.com - Make your digital pictures talk, capture your students imagination and attention
chatmaker.net - Disposible chat rooms for classroom discussions, perfect for schools with a one to one computer ratio
edicy.com - Create a free website
jottit.com - Website/Blog

Visit my links page http://tressler.jottit.com for more useful sites for Students, Parents, and Teachers

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Permalink Reply by EduPunker on February 11, 2009 at 8:19pm

I would say whatever 10 you get lucky enough to "Not" have blocked in your school, my school blocks almost everything interesting.

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Permalink Reply by Carlos Ferrer on February 11, 2009 at 11:19pm

A big *amen* to that! I suggest you go for the following technique:

1. Try to embed the "active stuff" from a certain web tool into your schools webpage (Youtube ...). If it embeds and is still active through browsers in you school, you can take it one step further.

2. Try it out in school, first as teacher, then as student. Sometimes not the same restrictions apply.

3. Standards and go for mainstreaming - ask "What would the whole school benefit from?" Google applications (with text chat)? Skype? Dimdim? Voicethread? etc. - as the bulk of teachers get behind a certain tool, you can petition IT to open firewalls and webfilters.

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Permalink Reply by Rick Biche on February 12, 2009 at 2:36am

I would wonder if this is even the approach you should take. Of the top 10 how many will be still be the "top 10" a year from now or two years. I saw at least one service mentioned in the other comments that is being phased out. What if, instead of a top 10 tools, you presented on "10 Great Collaborations". I chose the word collaborations because you are after web 2.0, but you could define this differently too. Before you begin, decide on some set of guidelines for your definition of great then search high and low.

In the end you will have a nice collection of exemplary work- or even everyday web 2.0 work that is great- let's face it we can't all just pull together a Flatclassroom/Horizons project just like that and the really good stuff, the day to day, is out there. You will also have a nice collection of samples of how certain tool, useful today, have been used.

The message to the tech directors is one of purpose rather than collection. As I have worked with teachers to integrate technology more into their classrooms, I find that they are often not impressed with the flashy web 2.0 tools (at least not at first). Rather, they are impressed and willing to try solid learning activities that can enhance their practice and their students performance.

This would also go a long way in dealing with the issue discussed by EduPunker and Carlos above.

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Permalink Reply by Jeff on February 12, 2009 at 6:58am

Good point, Rick. That might indeed be a better approach. Of course, this particular presentation is only an hour, which is why I was leaning towards a list approach. I'll give this some serious thought.

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Permalink Reply by Jeff on February 12, 2009 at 6:59am

Wow, thanks for all of the input. Besides the lists, your input is very helpful.

Jeff

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Permalink Reply by Debra Giannone on February 12, 2009 at 7:09am

I'm very new at using Web 2.0 in my library class. I have class wikis that I haven't used as much as I would like. I plan to use them more next year. I will use Photo Story with my religion class this year also. Another favorite is Google Docs. Like a lot of previous posters said, many sites are blocked and that is where I sometimes come up against a brick wall.

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Permalink Reply by Erika Johansson on February 12, 2009 at 11:46am

Take a look at our tool! RemixAmerica.org We encourage students to remix the past and the present using a free online editing software!

The site was created for teachers as an innovative way to introduce historical concepts and media literacy into the classroom.

Good luck with your presentation!

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