Web 2.0 Tools -- A Teacher's Recommendation

I thought this posting was very interesting and connected to our recent discussion of Prezis and Google docs (are Google Forms the same thing?). I'm going to try some of the other ones, too! How about you?

***********

Some fun "Web 2.0" tools to use with your students
Anne Beichner Mar 1, 2013

 My district is really hot on us using "Web 2.0" (interactive/ social media) websites and apps in the classroom right now. I thought I'd share a few I have found either useful or fun.

Remind101: I LOVE this app that allows you to send text messages to your students's (or parents's) phones without you knowing their phone number, or them knowing yours. You create a "class," they sign up, and then you're ready to go. Super easy to use and really nice if you or your district has privacy concerns.

TooLoud!: You can use this app hooked up to a SMARTBoard or projector to measure the "decible" level in your class room and create a visual cue for when students are becoming too loud.

GoogleForms: I use google forms pretty much nightly now that my district is going 1:1. Once you have a Google account, you can use Google forms to create a quick and easy survey that can be posted online, emailed to students, etc. I love to have my kids answer questions on their reading through GoogleForms; their answers pop up immediately in my spreadshhet, it is very easy to scroll down and see who didn't do their homework or who didn't write enough. Often, I'll copy all of the text from students' answers and quickly toos it into a Wordle. I'll project the Wordle at the beginning of class the next day and we'll talk about the "big" words (they ones that came up most often in student responses). It a great quick, easy and fun way to review homework.

InfoGram: This site allows you to create quick and easy infographics about basically anything. I use InfoGram a lot myself to create student materials, and I often take students to the lab and have them use it as well. Another, similar, site that one of my colleagues loves is Text 2 Mindmap. YouTube blocked by your school's filter?

Use KeepVid on your homecomputer to easily download and save video from YouTube. I use this approximately 500 times a week. I don't have much personal experience with it, but if you want to get edit-y, TubeChop allows you to chop a section of a YouTube video to share.

Lastly, but not certainly not least, Prezi, which is kind of like PowerPoint 2.0. It allows you (or students!) to create more interactive, lively presentations, and easily integrates video, etc. Every single one of these is personally "teacher tested" by moi (and millions of other teachers, of course). Use with confidence!