Web 2.0 TechnologyInternet Applications Spring 2011, Group C

Claire GibsonJacqueline Langston

Megan Clanton Cindy Cook 

Rachel Herod

 

Web 2.0 Technologies

1. Claire Gibsono Blogger 

– Jacqueline Langston    o Flashvortex

3.  Megan Clantono Sync.in

4. Rachel Herod      o Ediscio

5. Cindy Cook   o Discovery Education

  

Using Bloggerin the Classroom• A blog is a "web-log"

 • Blogger began in 1999 as "Pyra Labs" and

was bought by Google in 2003. • The purpose of a blog is to scribe or document

a moment in time, using graphics, video and other interactive Web 2.0 technology.

 • A blog can be used quite effectively in a

classroom in order to "scribe" the events that occur in the classroom and to create an interactive textbook for the class.

    

 

Setting up a Blogger Account

Like most Web 2.0 technologies, setting up a Blogger Account is simple:1. Navigate to www.blogger.com– Log-in with an existing Google account, or create one!– Select a URL for your site (ie

whateveryouwant.blogspot.com)– Explore the dashboard and create your first post

The Blogger DashboardUseful tools to make your class blog functional:

1. NEW POST is where you click to create your newest posts.

2. EDIT POST is where you can update/change old ones3. SETTINGS is where you can create new pages and can

assign permission to multiple authors to create a TEAM BLOG (this is most important for a class blog)

4. DESIGN is where you can tool around to make it look fancy

Benefits of Blogger• Post new vocabulary words• Help students/parents keep up with assignments• Most students are familiar with Google already• Use the blog as a place for students to "scribe" classroom

activities• TEAM BLOGS allow for multiple authors• Unlike a wiki, Team Blogs allow students to be the authors• Blogs keep a searchable archive that is easy to manuever• Darren Kuropatwa's blog http://adifference.blogspot.com/ 

references many ways that blogs can be used in the classroom

Adding Authors to a TEAM BLOG

Blogger Blunders...• It is much more difficult to create new pages in a blog, rather

than in a wiki.  If you hope to have multiple pages within a blog, you ought to use a wiki instead.

 • Blogs that use students as authors will require much more

monitoring, support, and instruction, so the posts are interactive rather than just streaming text.

 •  After speaking to a teacher who maintains a class blog, he

explained that the quality of blog posts varies greatly between students who put in the effort and those who are simply doing it to "check the block" and do the assignment, which devalues the whole project

 • Students will need a Gmail account to be TEAM

BLOGGERS.  This could be an obstacle for some teachers.

 

Final ThoughtsThe following is a quote from Tom Henderson, whose chemistry blog first inspired me to look into blogger.   "YOU will have to make it a very central part of your class and not a side show. If its a side show, you will be disappointed. If it becomes central, you will be working your tail off to keep up with student comments and posts and tracking and scoring, etc. I really didn't want a side show nor a pain-in-the-butt, so I will be choosing to not do it next year. "  These thoughts, though discouraging, are a realistic look at how the technology "side show" might not be the most effective way of teaching.  I look forward to using a blog, but will wait before instituting the full-scale blog I was hoping.

 

FLASHVORTEX

A teacher's high-tech visual aid

When you log into Flashvortex.com, you get:       • a user-friendly website

• insert-able cool • free banners

• insert-able menus

• insert-able clocks

In my wiki at… lu-graduation.wikispaces.com

• ... a bubble-type banner • … “Congratulations” • …countdown clock 

Flashvortex could benefit teachers in the classroom by…

• Enabling download of items to a class webpage, drawing students to certain areas.

• Making the homepage for the classroom more engaging.

Flashvortex Woes....

1.Decisions can be hard because it has lots of choices

–It will not show until after you download the link into your site and save

–You might become addicted!

Flashvortex is great because:

o It is a free service for educators!oAnd upgraded advanced options get

really fancy.

Sync.in:  Collaborative Writing

Sync.in is a real-time document collaboration tool that allows users to:

• Immediately see any edits made by other users• Chat between users• Easily access previous changes• Easily denote changes made by multiple contributors• Save drafts without stopping the creative flow• Access the information from anywhere with an internet

connection.

How to Use Sync.in:

Step 1:  Go to http://sync.in Step 2:   Select "Create a New Public Note"

Step 3:  Type your name in the right-hand box to mark your change color

Step 4:  Select the "Share this Note" button on the right to quickly and easily invite people through email, Twitter, Facebook, and a range of other social sites.

Step 5:  Start working on your document!

Features of Sync.In That Make It Great for the Classroom!

1.  Real-time changes- there's virtually no lag time.

2.  The chat feature allows students to discuss their work without having to do it in the work.  This conversation can also be seen by the supervising teacher.

3. The highlighting feature allows everyone to see who has contributed and who has not.  4.  The Time Slider saves by every single change made (my note has over 1,200 saves now).  Students never "lose" a contribution if another student deletes their work.

5.  The final product, or whichever drafts required, can be easily exported.

6.  It's free and requires no sign up, making it easier for students to gain access.

Uses in the Classroom:

Potential uses for Sync.in in the classroom include:

• Note-taking, especially for a group research project• Brainstorming for ideas, projects, etc.• The actual creation of a group project.• Practice editing and revising of documents

Actual Content from my note with multiple users:

Potential Problems with Sync.In in the Classroom:

1.  At least at my school, the site is blocked, so the teacher will need to get permission, if possible.

2.  If one student turns off the highlighting, everyone loses it, which can be a problem if the teacher plans to grade on participation.

3.  The Time Slider feature is fun, but completely switches formatting views.  The way back to the editing view is not easily marked, so students may struggle with that at first. 

4.  The export options are pretty limited and do not retain formatting.  It's better to view the product on the site, which can sometimes be difficult.

5.  After participants have signed off, it does not retain whose color was whose (if they sign on again, their name gets assigned their color again).  However, they must keep track of which color was there's before they leave.

6.  The free notes are public, which probably will not cause problems since they are each given a long alphanumeric address.  It costs $24 a year to get the private ones and additional features, which is not too bad if a teacher plans to use this regularly. 

Analysis of Sync.in:

Overall, it has been fascinating to see Sync.in!   

Check out my note here.

If I can get around our school's block on Sync.in, then I would really like to try it for a test review or essay brainstorming session.

Overall, I definitely recommend trying it. The biggest perk is that it's hassle-free, so it would not take long to try.

Ediscio- The Online Flashcard Box

• Where teachers & students can create and use flashcards online.

• Collaboratively share and edit flashcards with "chums."

To set up an ediscio account, click "Sign Up." Then, follow the simple instructions of choosing a username and password, and providing an email address. Then click "Create." 

After setting up an account, look for the words "Create new cardbox." This will allow you to make and use your flashcards!

     2. As the student studies the flashcards, the teacher or the student himself can monitor progress with charts such as this pie graph:

Two Outstanding Benefits of Ediscio Are:

1. You are not limited to text while creating the flashcards. Ediscio allows you to upload images, audio files, and even videos to your flashcards.

Difficulties with Ediscio• On the help page, called the "board," you will find dozens of questions that people have asked the

creator of Ediscio, Klaus Kroner. However, many of those questions are in German. Being unable to read German will prohibit you from learning from those questions:

 ieliqui, 2010-03-18 16:56 wie kann ich z.B. ein altes Stichwort löschen, wenn ich meine Karten neu sortieren will? ich konnte nur ein neues anlegen und die Karten einsortieren, das alte bleibt dann ja erhalten. kann ich das entfernen? 

• After creating log-ins for twenty students, I am still having difficulty accessing that student information when I log in to Ediscio. I am eager to figure out how to view all of the information necessary to obtain an accurate assessment of student learning. Until then, I will wonder where my students are....

Ediscio (online flashcards) is a great idea...

...but has a long way to go to be the flashcard site that I choose over others, if others do indeed arise. At this point, if another site with similar capabilities and all information in English came along, I would use the other site without hesitation. However, ediscio now holds several valuable cardboxes, and will therefore be used in my classroom for regular practice on these skills. I recommend that all teachers research online flashcards and choose the application that suits your educational needs. Ediscio just might be the one!

Discovery Education

 Online learningthat engages studentsbeyond thetextbook.  www.discoveryeducation.com

Registration and Login 

• Seek username and password from district administrator

• Enter username and password and change password to your choice

Benefits • Hook students with short video clips• Search standards or keywords for video clips• Organize video clips/resources in folders• Build assignments/quizzes for individual students or

classes• Interactive games/puzzles• Collaborative resources/lesson plans available• Quizzes self-correcting

 

Negative Aspects

• Cost for teachers unless school district pays• Limited free resources• Correct media players need to be

downloaded/available• Takes time to search video clips/resources

Discovery:  Great Tool for Using Technology

• An easy web 2.0 tool that continues to add new options for technology that I invest in for all units of study.

• While I recommend this tool to other teachers, there are plenty of web 2.0 options that are completely free.

 • Our district continues to subscribe to this useful tool; but

with budget cuts, there are concerns it will continue. We will lobby for the ability to incorporate technology and engage students. 

Web 2.0 Tools, Group C Summary

Whether it’s blogging, testing, or studying, web 2.0 is becoming a powerful force in the world of education. Teachers are creating and using more resources than ever through technology and continuously trying to improve student learning. Blogger, Flashvortex, Sync.in, Ediscio, and Discovery Education are just a few of the Web 2.0 applications accessible through an internet connection. Teachers should research, test, and practice with other resources such as these to propel students toward success and the future of technology.