Web+2.0

Web 2.0 Assignment

Quizlet: This site is a great way to help students memorize and practice vocabulary and it makes it a little more fun for them. It allows the teacher to create flashcards based on vocabulary being studied in class. There are multiple ways to view the flashcards and there are some activities and games to go along with them. In addition to creating your own flashcards, you can also browse categories and find flashcards that other teachers have already made. It seems very well organized and easy to use. It would have great possibilities in the classroom. It could be done as a whole group, small group, or individual activity. It is also something students could practice from home if they had Internet access. We study computer parts and Internet safety terms in my CLIK 7 class and Quizlet would be a great addition as a learning resource.

Xtranormal: This past fall we used GoAnimate! to create animated cartoons about Internet safety. Xtranormal is similar, but I think it might be a bit more user friendly and have a few more options, although you are limited to how many movies you can create without there being a cost. At this site, you can choose a style of video, a scene, and characters. You can use the text-to-speech feature to make characters talk or you can record your voice. You can also add action and sound to the video...so many possibilities. Students could use this instead of the GoAnimate or it could be used for other student projects. For example, if they did a research project, they could create a dialog in which the characters talked about the research topic or did a sort of interview. Here is a sample I created: Be Sure to Listen!

MindMeister: An online tool for mapping and brainstorming. I liked it because it was easy to sign up for and use. It was a little glitchy on my computer, but probably because I need to update my browser. It allows you to add pictures from its library or to search google right from their site, which is nice because students wouldn't have to go find pictures separately, which is one reason I like it better than Bubbl.us. It also allows users to collaborate on a map. In 7th grade, students use wiscareers to look up careers they are interested in and to learn about those careers. MindMeister would work well to create a map of the career interests and include specific criteria jobs have. It would also work well in my language arts class for students to collaborate on planning a paper together.