Web+2.0+tools+to+try

For a site with TONNES of links and examples of web2 tools visit http://cooltoolsforschools.wikispaces.com/

Alison, Bec and I are involved in an online course to share and trial some web 2.0 tools in the classroom with Jodie Bowne at University of Canterbury. Here are the links as we get them for you to have a go with too.

Print out pictures and multi part posters [|www.blockposters.com] Background reading and viewing Here is a great article that helps you to understand the development of web 2.0 tools, the importance of the Internet and a brief background about some of the most common web 2.0 tools. It's an easy read and very concise! Here is a short video to get you thinking about today's generation. [|Joe's non-netbook] Visual representation of written language with Wordle Wordle is a very cool presentation tool for a brainstorm or word bank.  www.wordle.net

Another way to share ideas...Wikis We all have blogs, another tool to share kids work or provide an online learning environment is on a wiki like this one. [|http://school-is-cool.pbworks.com/] []

Recorded evidence of learning with Voicethread Voicethread is a tool to record students ideas and thoughts along with static images. I like the idea that not all evidence of learning has to be written, this tool gives kids a chance to share their work enthusiastically and authenticly. There is a great tutorial with this that explains its use www.voicethread.com

Brainstorming with Bubbl.Us Bubbl.Us is an alternative tool to Kidspiration or Inspiration. It's free and you can save your work online to come back to. It's visually stylish and has great implications for making connections to prior learning before a unit of work and to reflect on learning at the end of a unit. @http://bubbl.us/ 

Online collaboration with Skrbl Skrbl is an online interactive whiteboard that gives kids the opportunity to work collaboratively on one document at the same time, with very little effort. //Note: You MUST use 'Firefox' to use this tool. Safari and Internet Explorer do not work with this tool.// www.skrbl.com  

Reading responses with Flikr Flickr Lab allows you to upload your photos and create different visual possibilities. Some of the tools include: motivational  posters, pop art posters, magazine covers, mosaic maker, movie poster, adding special effects, placemat, badge maker, pocket photo albums, calendars, trading cards, photo cube, billboards and a captioner. This tool could be incorporated into a reading programme. @http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/   Here is a demonstration on how some students have used this tool [|Creating trading cards]

Comix for kids This is an alternative to Comiclife. To create a comic strip you simply begin by selecting a character, scroll through to choose their emotion, and click on them to add them to the comic. You can move, rotate and resize the characters to adjust them to your story. After choosing characters you can add a background colour, add comic prompts ('the next day') and give characters speech or thought bubbles. www.makebeliefscomix.com <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Here is a link specifically for educators using this comic programme. <span style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 18px;">[|comix for educators] <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">

Skitch for screen shots and photo editing Skitch is a free download by the people who brought us Comiclife ([|www.plasq.com] ) it is a screen shot tool you can use instead of Shift + command + 4 and even better you can use the tools to add notes, arrows and to draw on the shot (it even tidies up wobbly lines). I can see this being used to develop reading responses by students taking a photos of a scene in a story and then adding the missing details. Here is the school front I drew over for fun so you get my drift! [|http://skitch.com/] Build your wildself [|http://www.buildyourwildself.com/] Go to New York zoo and aquarium site and let the kids make themselves and then add aspects of wild animals (and learn about the animals they chose.

Bubbledome [|http://www.bubbledome.com/] Go to this fun website and create machines and explain how they're used...creative and critical thinking

Webspiration [|http://www.mywebspiration.com/] Online version of Inspiration mindmapping tool. Can be used as a realtime collaboration tool for students to share and build ideas and understanding.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 23px;">Etherpad for instant collaboration <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 90%;">When multiple people edit the same document simultaneously, any changes are instantly reflected on everyone's screen. The result is a new and productive way to collaborate on text documents, useful for meeting notes, drafting sessions, education, team programming, and more. I can see this as a great way to do shared writing with a buddy, another class, another school, another country... <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> [|http://etherpad.com/]