Just A Few Web 2.0 Tools
So What is Web 2.0? A Web 2.0 site allows users to interact and collaborate with each other in a social media dialogue as creators (prosumers) of user-generated content in a virtual community, in contrast to websites where users (consumers) are limited to the passive viewing of content that was created for them. Examples of Web 2.0 include social networking sites, blogs, wikis, video sharingsites, hosted services, web applications, mashups and folksonomies. (Definition taken from Wikipedia)
Timetoast.com – Create your own virtual timeline complete with your own images and text. Great for any history lesson.
Goanimate.com – Students will love creating their own two-minute animated cartoon over your assigned topic. It is incredibly easy to create movement, scenes and spoken dialogue in this click-n-drag program. Some extras, like more characters, a longer cartoon and voice choices, are only offered on a paid account. Still, a very cool, very worthy site.
Photopeach.com – This site allows students to pair the music of their choice (from an extensive list) to photos and their own captions. The site takes care of photo transitions, while you can rearrange the photo/caption order or speed. A very simple, quick site to use.
Toondoo.com – Another drag-n-drop site, but without the animation. Use a multitude of background, character and prop choices to create your own three- to four-panel comic strip. Students can add text bubbles and change characters’ facial expressions as needed to create appropriate scenes.
Pretzi or Glogster: Both of these sites are forms of digital posters in which students can literally design a poster on-line using cutouts, backgrounds, even embed videos or hyperlinks.
Storybird.com: Rather than illustrating your own story, this site presents students hundreds of illustrations – silly, serious, animals, people, scenery – and asks the user to write a story inspired by their choice of art. Drag the selected set of artwork to the page, type a story, and voila – you are a “published” author. Students can view their finished books on line for free or even order an actual paperback copy (for a fee, of course). This would be a great way to get reluctant readers and writers on board as the final product is absolutely beautiful.
Surveymonkey.com – This site lets users create a 10 question survey (or less) for free, which they can then direct students to take through a simple link. The site collects anonymous responses and then tallies them for the survey creator, making it a breeze to get an accurate read on class progress, attitudes, assumptions, and general opinions as needed.
Goanimate.com – Students will love creating their own two-minute animated cartoon over your assigned topic. It is incredibly easy to create movement, scenes and spoken dialogue in this click-n-drag program. Some extras, like more characters, a longer cartoon and voice choices, are only offered on a paid account. Still, a very cool, very worthy site.
Photopeach.com – This site allows students to pair the music of their choice (from an extensive list) to photos and their own captions. The site takes care of photo transitions, while you can rearrange the photo/caption order or speed. A very simple, quick site to use.
Toondoo.com – Another drag-n-drop site, but without the animation. Use a multitude of background, character and prop choices to create your own three- to four-panel comic strip. Students can add text bubbles and change characters’ facial expressions as needed to create appropriate scenes.
Pretzi or Glogster: Both of these sites are forms of digital posters in which students can literally design a poster on-line using cutouts, backgrounds, even embed videos or hyperlinks.
Storybird.com: Rather than illustrating your own story, this site presents students hundreds of illustrations – silly, serious, animals, people, scenery – and asks the user to write a story inspired by their choice of art. Drag the selected set of artwork to the page, type a story, and voila – you are a “published” author. Students can view their finished books on line for free or even order an actual paperback copy (for a fee, of course). This would be a great way to get reluctant readers and writers on board as the final product is absolutely beautiful.
Surveymonkey.com – This site lets users create a 10 question survey (or less) for free, which they can then direct students to take through a simple link. The site collects anonymous responses and then tallies them for the survey creator, making it a breeze to get an accurate read on class progress, attitudes, assumptions, and general opinions as needed.