Web+2.0

Web 2.0 is a very interesting tool that can make teaching information easier. Web 2.0 is something amazing that can add many valuable aspects to the classroom. There are many different tools within Web 2.0 that can come in use in the classroom.  Joongel is one thing that is every helpful in the classroom. Joongel is a search engine that can make research easier. Joongel can take all of the sites on the World Wide Web and can organize them on one easy webpage that is accessible and a simple way to get all of the information needed for research. Google, Yahoo, YouTube, Flickr, and many more websites are all located on this one website. With all of this information people can find the information they need in one place instead of on multiple websites. On Joongel people can find images, music, videos, information, social features, health information, and many other topics and information that can be found on the World Wide Web. This website makes the internet less intimidating and allows more people to have access to information.  I will use Joongel in my classroom in many different ways. Being a history teacher I will need to be able to access information from the whole World Wide Web instead of just a few websites. As a teacher I will have my students use the website to gain access to all of the information possible from this website. There is so much information on this one page; students will be able to access this information in a ways that is unlike other websites. All of the information and links are on one page making the website effortless to navigate through. Easy access to information will make researching information simpler to find, which will allow students to be successful in writing research papers. I will definitely use this website in my classroom.  Prezi is a presentation tool that allows information to be presented in a very interesting way. This presentation allows information to be presented as a whole instead of multiple slides that are separate. This presentation can zoom into different sections of the main canvas to show information. One example of a Prezi I saw was similar to a board game. There were many different spaces; each having their own video and information on it. Then by clicking the next button the screen moves to another section of the canvas and shows the amount of information. This is a very creative way to show information that keeps students interacted.  I would use Prezi in my classroom in many ways. I would use this mainly for lectures or notes. This presentation type keeps students interested. Because the students never know where the next page of notes is coming from; they have to pay attention to write down all of the information. Students also cannot write all of the notes down and then not pay attention in class. With regular power points students can just write down all that is on a slide and then not pay attention again until the next slide. With this program students have to pay attention because they cannot just look at the slide because these slides interact within that part of the canvas. One thing I really found interesting is that activities in Prezi can be interacted with while the presentation is going on instead of having to get out of the presentation to do an activity. This will be very useful in the classroom because with all of the advances of technology information can be presented in an interesting way that allows students to be interested in it.  Another tool I found to be useful was Crocodoc. This tool allows people to edit papers, give feedback, take notes for class, fill out forms, and send out reports. This tool is a way to send documents to people and have them be edited and reviewed. One aspect that is very practical is that this tool can allow the reader to highlight important information and add notes in the margins. People can clearly cross out information, add text, and can draw on the piece of work to make the editing experience better.  This tool will come in use in my classroom while grading papers. It is an easy thing to have the students submit their work into the website and then it allows me to see it clearly, edit, and grade it that way. This tool will especially come in good use from me because my hand writing is not always clear and if the work is highlighted with comments on the side that are typed then the students will be able to understand what my comments mean. This tool will allow my students to read the comments I have on making their assignments and will create a less confusing environment.  Hot Potatoes is also a very interesting tool from Web 2.0. This tool is used to create quizzes and polls. The format can make multiple-choice, short-answer, jumbled-sentence, crossword, matching/ordering and gap-fill exercises. These are simple activities that can be very helpful in the classroom. Not only does this tool make the exercises for the teacher it also can grade the students and show them how well they are doing. It is also interesting because if the student guesses the wrong answer the tool allows them to keep guessing until they get the right answer. This allows the student to see the correct answer right away instead of having to wait to get the exam back to see what they got wrong.  I would use the Hot Potatoes tool to see where my students are in comprehension. It will allow me to see if students understand what they are supposed to be learning in the classroom. I really enjoyed the fact that the students are graded as they go so that they know what information they need to look over again to be successful in the classroom. It is also a different way to test students other than the usual pencil and paper. This applies to other types of learning. I think that this tool will be very helpful in the classroom.  The last tool I looked at was Second Life. Second Life is a virtual world that people can make an avatar and live a life online. In this virtual world the avatars can be social, go shopping, be creative, make money, have a meeting, and get an education. Schools are educating people on this virtual space so that schools can teach students those who are not necessarily in that location. Everything that people do in real life they can do with their avatar. People can use this interactive world to experience things that they can’t necessarily experience in the real world.  In a classroom this world can be beneficial. In a classroom students can make a Second Life character and have them interact with other classmates in the virtual world if they are not in the same places. The students can have meetings on this page and have discussions about what they are learning. The virtual world is also a great place to teach students about businesses. Each student can open business of their own and learn how to run it efficiently. Another aspect of Second Life that I thought was interesting was that students can use the virtual world to go to class. If a student misses a class they can look on Second Life and listen to the lecture. The students can also communicate with other students in the virtual world. Second Life can be a great feature in the classroom.  Web 2.0 is a great asset to the teaching community. All of the tools within Web 2.0 can be used in the classroom, and add originality in the classes. I was very surprised by all the different tools within Web 2.0 that I had never heard of before. I now know locations that I can find these helpful tools and use them in my classroom to enhance student interest in the classroom. Joongel Prezi Crocodoc Hot Potatoes <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Second Life