Web+2.0

===For this assignment we explored many of the Web 2.0 applications available and were asked to choose 5 that we taught would be useful in the classroom. After several hours exploring the numerous Web 2.0 applications I soon realized the enormous amount of applications that are available, many of them free a charge, and the almost infinite ways that they could be applied to classroom instruction. These applications are not only practical for teachers, but are fun and engaging for students.=== With today’s advances in technology, it is no wonder that teachers and educators are finding creative ways to enhance instructional learning in the classroom using Web 2.0 applications. After exploring a few of the many Web 2.0 options available, I narrowed down a few that I believe would be very effective in classroom instruction as a Secondary Social Studies Teacher. One such application was PB Works. PB Works is similar to the Wiki spaces that we are using for this class. It allows students to create a portfolio of their work, as well collaborate with other students and faculty. I would like to use PB Works as a communication tool for students and parents. By posting school policies, upcoming assignments, field trips, and volunteer opportunities, parents can be involved and informed about their child’s education and progress in the classroom. Furthermore, students will create an online portfolio that can be shared and viewed by their parents at the end of the year. PB Works is also a way to inform students and parents of various subject related resources. Links to resources such as primary source documents, videos, and photographs can also be listed on the PB Works homepage. PB Works homepages are secure and safe sites and are administratively controlled. That is, that the teacher can edit any inappropriate material that has been posted to the page. Through PB Works students can collaborate and share ideas through and post discussions related to lesson materials, or ask for help with problems. All around I feel that PB Works is a great addition to the classroom, not only for students and parents, but faculty collaboration as well. Another application of Web 2.0 that I would like to integrate into my classroom instruction is the use of animation software. There are several animation softwares available such as Clay Animator, Scratch, Go Animate, and many others. Clay Animator lets users sketch their characters and then mold them into a Claymation figures. After watching several videos on the use of animation as a classroom tool, I think it would be very effective for a history lesson plan or project. For example, students could write a short essay on a particular historical event, figure, or era of American History and then create a short animation video based on their paper topic. For instance, a student could choose to make video using fictional characters about life in early colonial America, they could make a video about the ratification of the 13th Amendment, or they might choose to make a video about FDR and the New Deal. By creating an animation video based on historical events, students will be actively engaged in learning history through a fun and creative process. Likewise students could create a short movie, instead of an animation video. There are several Web 2.0 applications available for such work. Another Web 2.0 application that I would like to integrate into the classroom is Prezi. Unlike PowerPoint, Prezi lets the user format a presentation in a nonlinear format. The user can use creative transitions and movements of photographs and texts to create a visually engaging format. Users are also able to zoom in and out of images for a striking presentation. While I feel that PowerPoint is a useful tool in the classroom, Prezi takes it a step further by allowing for unique special effects to create a non-traditional and engaging presentation. As an aspiring history teacher, I understand that history lectures can often be dull and boring, but by using a unique presentation format such as Prezi, I think that students would be more involved and engaged. I particularly like the zoom in and out feature, and they way that Prezi can present information in a non-linear way. I think that this would allow for a more student centered way of learning. Instead of simply lecturing with a PowerPoint and visual aids, students can choose a topic and sub-topic to explore within the presentation. Web 2.0 applications such as Prezi and Slide would also be great tools for students to create project of their own. Gone are the days of poster boards presentations, with Prezi and Slide, students can create a fun and visually appealing educational project with music and voice overs. So much of history involves the evaluation of primary sources and what better way to experience history than to watch it with your own eyes. With applications such as You Tube, students can watch Dr. King deliver his “I have a Dream Speech,” students can see the take down of the Berlin Wall, students can watch and listen to previous Presidential inaugural addresses. Furthermore, links to these videos can be seamlessly integrated into PowerPoint and Prezi presentations and links to more subject related videos can be listed on the PB Works homepage for students to watch on their own time. Another application, such as Teacher Tube offers educators access to educational and historical videos that can be used in lesson plans. Another application that I think would be an effective classroom tool is the use of video conferencing, particularly in the field of Geography. Instead of “pen-pals” as when I was in school, students could communicate and interact with students in another state or country using applications such as Skype or Oovoo. Here in Denver we have several sister cities, and as part of a classroom activity I would like to collaborate with another geography class of a similar grade level in a different part of the world where the students would have an opportunity to ask and answer questions, as well as share information about current events, weather, and cultural traditions. As part of the curriculum students could choose a part of the world to study and then once a week meet and interact with similar students from that region of the world. With the amazing advances in technology students can come face to face with people from all over the world for a more engaging and interactive way of learning cultural and physical geography. These are just a few of the many Web 2.0 applications that I hope to integrate into my classroom. As I become more confidante as a teacher and learn more about lesson planning I will continually look for ways to integrate technology and Web 2.0 applications into my classroom instruction.