Web+2.0+Tools+in+K-12

**Using Web 2.0 Tools in K-12 (Session 4)**
Post at least five examples of how online collaborative Web 2.0 tools are being used in K-12. Feel free to develop new categories, as necessary. By the time we're done, we're going to have a great list of ways that online tools are being used to support K-12 teaching and learning. I've posted a few to get us started.

**Donna's comment as of Tuesday, March 3rd....Wow! This list is absolutely amazing. Great examples! I'm really looking forward to trying out some of these tools.** __**Manage and/or Deliver Content**__

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 * [|Moriarty-Edgewood School District] in New Mexico uses Google to translate their web site into spanish. If you go to the page and scroll down to the link- [|En Español traducida por Google] it takes you right to a translated version.(jp)
 * [|Internet4Classrooms] is a web tool used by Jefferson County Schools in TN **//.//** It has tons of application possibilities like creating a bulliten board, making a flipbook or finding lesson plans to use. It offers resources that are great for teachers to share and/or create. Jefferson County has used the tool for hundreds of different applications. Here is the mission statement of JCS- "The mission of Jefferson County Schools District is to develop 21st century citizens who are well prepared socially, emotionally, physically, intellectually, and psychologically **to live** **confidently in a technologically advanced, multi-cultural society.** Such a citizen will be values-oriented, wellness-conscious, career-directed, competent in communications and problem-solving, skillful in creative and critical thinking, culturally sophisticated, and acutely aware of global interdependence." (jp)
 * [|Web Poster Wizard] is a tool used by teachers to create vertual posters and make them web links to class tools as well as to share with other educators.(jp)
 * [|Mr Sale's Blog] is a blogger.com site used by Mr Sale in his high school classes at Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colorado. He uses the blog to host several different class discussions about different readings and assignments throughout the year.(jp)
 * [|Plymouth Regional High School Library] uses a Wiki Space for research links, organized by class. They also have links to a variety of research tools that students can use. (ds)
 * Florida Virtual School uses [|Elluminate] to hold [|book discussions]. (ds)
 * [|PageFlakes in Education]- This site contains a good overview and some great ideas for how the application can be used by teachers and students (i.e., digital storytelling, e-portfolios). //Can anyone find **specific examples** of PageFlakes being used in K-12? (ds)//
 * [|Moodles] can be used to manage and deliver content//.// The Moodle community is a free open source, web application that educators can use to create effective online learning sites. //Can anyone find **specific examples** of Moodles being used in K-12? (ds)//
 * [|Google Earth]- This site can be used to deliver content. I see it mostly in science or history classes. There are different tours you can click on where you can visit ancient cities or cultures. You can view the solar system, paths of hurricanes, and even earth quakes. I really enjoyed the new ocean terrain tour feature. In this view everything is marked from the different undersea mountain ranges to sunken ships. It's a really cool free program, you just need to download the application to your computer. (LO)
 * [|Voki]- This site allows for delivery of content through audio in the form of talking avatars. You can choose to use a character that already exists or you or your students can create one to represent themselves. The latter of the two examples is what makes this tool also fall into the Student Generated Content. I thought this would be really cool for history teachers and decided to try it out myself. Check out what Good ol' Ben Franklin has to say below! (LO)

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 * Eisenhower Middle School uses a Wiki for two technology classes. The [|6th grade class] uses the space to provide an overview of the Internet, as well as a description of the student projects. The [|7th grade class] is set up for more in-depth projects on social networking podcasting and video production. Both spaces are relatively new and are just getting started. (ds)
 * [|Edmodo] is a private micro-blogging platform built for use by teachers and students that they can use to send notes, links, alerts, assignments, and events to each other. It's a little like Twitter, a little like Facebook, and a little like a learning management system. Edmodo is also free and simple to use. Being that Edmodo is a relatively new site, I could not find an example of one being used, but please check out the PowerPoint below which shows you how to set up your own Edmodo site, and the short tutorial. (ME)
 * [|A Maths Dictionary for Kids] is an animated, interactive dictionary for students which explains over 600 common mathematical terms in simple language. Developed by Jenny Eather, an Australian primary school teacher (K-6), the site also includes sample problems and exercises to reinforce key math concepts. (ME)
 * Another website developed by Jenny Eather, [|Writing Fun], assists students with the writing process. Writing Fun includes several text types (i.e. informational report, narrative, response, persuasion, poetry, etc.) with descriptions and examples for all types of writing. This site is an awesome resource for English teachers where they can print out organizers or examples to assist with the writing process. (ME)
 * [|Mixbook] is an online digital storytelling application that is an amazing tool for getting kids interested in writing and producing some incredible interactive written ebooks. Simply start by selecting a theme or create your own. Upload images from your computer or from the web. Then arrange page layouts and add text. Another option is to invite other classrooms to collaborate as co-authors. Printed copies are available for purchase. Or, simply copy and paste the embed code into your web page or blog. (ME)

Check out this example of a Mixbook created by students at the Searington School, Albertson, New York media type="custom" key="3296490" > > > __**Student Generated Content**__
 * [|Statetris] combines the fun of the classic video game Tetris with learning geography. Instead of stacking blocks as quickly as possible, players have to place states or countries in the proper place as quickly as possible. Statetris comes in a variety of forms including games for the United States, Africa, Europe, and the states/provinces of some other selected countries. The games are good for practice and preparation for a geography quiz. Students receive instant feedback from the game and the game levels adjust to meet the progress of the student. (ME)
 * [|NoodleTools] is a site that students can access to take notes and track the resources they use for a research project. It will generate a works cited page as well. Teachers can access it to track the progress of their students' note-taking to provide support and frequent check-ins.(BL)
 * The [|Flat Stanley] Project is a web-based, collaborative classroom project where students journal their adventures with "Flat Stanley" and then send artifacts from their geographical area. Classes track and contribute to the on-line journal to see where their "Flat Stanley" is. (BL)
 * [|Ustream.TV] is an interactive video site that allows for live broadcasts. All users need to do is set up a channel and they can then begin an interactive broadcast that can be seen by numerous people at one time. Teachers and students can utilize this site to deliver and generate content. White Oak Elementary school uses the site to broadcast school events such as awards assemblies and plays. (RP)
 * [|Fodey] is a website that allows a user to generate different content. Teachers can enter this site and generate news paper articles, talking vegetables, and talking animals. Although, I couldn't find any specific examples of how teachers are using this in their classrooms it is a great tool to know about. (RP)
 * [|Bookglutton]is a great website for secondary language arts teachers. Using this site, teachers can select online text for students to read. Students can then comment after the entire text or after a portion of the text. Students can read comments from other students around the world reading the same text or the teacher can create a group and limit the comments to students in their classroom. It is a great way to spark intellectual debate in and around the classroom. (RP)
 * [|Searchme] is a website that teachers can use to organize content that they want students to use. Teachers can stack a list of resources or websites that they would like share with students. This would be a great tool to help students conduct research projects.(RP)
 * [|Google Lit Trips] is a websites teachers can go to to add an interactive piece to a story their students are reading for class. There are trips that you can use or you can create your own. Follow the main characters path as they go through the book. This will help the student's to visualize what they are reading about. For example you can trace Amir's journey through Afghanistan and Pakistan and then all the way to the US while reading "The Kite Runner." (LO)
 * Discovery's[|Time Warp] website features interactive science videos where students can watch the sped-up or down version of nature's processes taking place such as [|popcorn kernels popping], bananas decomposing, etc. (LO)
 * [|iSpeech-]This website allows you to enter text into the text box which will then be translated to a audio file. This is a great tool for teachers with students who may have disabilities. Also if a teacher wants to make a small podcast assignment for students to listen to this would be an option. The free account limits you to 500 words or less per mp3. (LO)
 * [|ThinkQuest] is a project management system that allows students & teachers to create their own project spaces where they can upload documents, images, lists, or text blocks, create polls, discussion groups, message boards, debates, & discussions to facilitate a project. One great thing is that this systems is used by schools worldwide. The Baltimore Freedom Academy uses it currently for technology and some mathematics projects. The site is funded by Oracle Education Foundation (OEF) and the system allows you to control who sees your project space (either assigned or invited students from your school or open for only think.com people to ask you to join). So in terms of protecting the students from unauthorized wierdos ThinkQuest.com does a decent job. (BTA)
 * [|OnCourse Systems]for education is a collaborative system that works to collaborate lesson plans, used as an intervention tool, and as an administration tool to track attendance, discipline incidents, contact information and allows for a secure interface between teachers and students and teachers and parents for progress reports as well as content sites for each course. The Baltimore Freedom Academy is using this for progress reports, attendance, and content development of the courses. This is a Web 2.0 tool however, it requires the use of other tools to implement a fully useful collaborative learning environment. I have been told by my IST that Crossroads is also currently using this product. (BTA)
 * [|Widgenie] is a widget that you can use in blogs and other portal pages, such as iGoogle to allow the sharing and visualiztion of spreadsheet data and offers a way to create visualizations such as bar-charts, pie-graphs, and others from a Google spreadsheet or Excel file. Students could use this to present project data. (BTA)
 * [|Math Grad]is a Web Cast archive published by Chris Frederick a graduate student at Colorado State University. These podcasts expand mathematical knowledge for educators and students alike. The podcasts can be used to challenge your gifted and exceptional students by asking them to listen to a podcast and then summarize the mathematics they learned in the podcast. Cool idea! (BTA)
 * Though most use [|Glogster] to create online posters, [|Ms. Baker] used it to organize content. Click on English, for instance, and it takes you to her Wiki page. (ds)
 * [|4th Grade Reflections] - students used Voice Thread to reflect upon classroom experiences.
 * [|Ms. Cassidy's First Grade Classroom Blog] - This classroom blog integrates a lot of other tools, such as Animoto, [|YakPak] and YouTube.
 * [|Smart History] - This was the site I wanted to share with you during the live session. Instead of screen shots, I recorded a short session in Adobe Connect, which provides you with an overview of how a history teacher uses a Wiki Space to both deliver content, as well as have students generate content. This resource could be under the category above as well (ds)
 * [|Tikatok]is a website where students can create, edit, and publish their own stories. Students can then have their books printed into real soft or hard covered books. The site also features a blog where student books are featured and commented on.(RP)
 * [|4kids] is a site that has educational games used in the classroom. It is a link from the Internet4Classrooms tool.(jp)
 * [|Voice Thread] has a bunch of great projects done by students. When browsing, type in some key words such as "elementary" or "education' and see what comes up. My daughter had a snow day yesterday, so I had her make a digital story. One of her K teachers is also the HS girls basketball coach, so she wanted to create a story about the pep rally and game we attended a few weeks ago. She chose the pictures, scripted her story herself, and put it all together, with very little assistance from me. Check out the [|Girls Basketball Game] digital story.
 * LMMath is an example of the use of a wiki for a math class and links to Mrs. DiTullo's classes at Lower Merion in Philadelphia, PA. Students complete summary and synthesis activities and use the wiki to help coach each other on topics from class. (BTA)
 * [|Flickr] was used by student's in Darren Kuropatwa's math class from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Darren;s students used Flickr to post photos and then tag the photos to show an application of the mathematical concepts that they were learning. Here is the the [|Assignment Rubric f]or the Flickr project. (BTA)
 * [|Glogster] allows students to create online "posters." This one on [|bullying] is especially powerful. Browse thru the //School// category to see other examples. (DS)

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__<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="font-size: 110%; color: rgb(199, 15, 15);">**K-12 ONLINE CURRICULUM** //(MB)// __ <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Times New Roman;"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">[]<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> <span style="font-size: 10pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Founded in 1999, **K12** is a company committed to excellence in education. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Provides individualized, one-to-one learning solutions to students from kindergarten through high school across the country. Supports a growing number of parents whose children’s needs were not being met by traditional education models. __<span style="font-size: 140%; color: rgb(199, 15, 15);">**Google Collaboration Tools for your classroom**<span style="font-size: 14pt; color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">[] __<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> (//MB//  <span style="font-size: 60%; color: rgb(79, 129, 189);"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Google Groups <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">  <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">[] <span style="color: rgb(79, 129, 189);"><span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"> <span style="color: rgb(58, 148, 87); font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">  <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Google Groups features like online discussions and real-time editing can make it simple for students to work together even when they're not in the same physical location, sharing research findings, collaborating on group projects, and comparing notes on classroom lessons. Because you can set up multiple groups, Google Groups can make it easier to communicate directly, and privately, with the parents of your students. And Google Groups can improve communication between parents, about topics like carpools or snack schedules.

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 * Google News** brings together news from all around the world. Google News can help make your lesson plans more interesting and enlightening. Learning to use Google News can help students research almost any topic more thoroughly, a skill that can benefit them in and out of the classroom. With Google News, you can browse headlines from your favorite newspapers and magazines, all on a single page, or you can delve more deeply into the topics that interest you most, by searching thousands of news sources at once. Google News also allows you to search archived news, putting more than 200 years of content at your fingertips.