The following are the Web 2.0 tools that I have been practicing with my students this year. It is always scary when I allow the students to navigate a tool that I don’t have all of the answers to. However, I feel that the students had a blast exploring the ins and outs of each tool and showing me how to properly use it. They loved being the “teacher”. The point is, do not feel like you have to know everything in order to present it. Do not be afraid of technology. It is wonderful. Let your students help you for a change!
Prezi-
After my students and I navigated everything we could think of about Prezi, they all created a final “canvas” to present their class projects. Prezi is like Power Point, only fresher. All of the information is on one large canvas that pans from one topic to the next in whatever order you create. It looks amazing! My students easily added pictures, video, and sounds to their Prezis. Many students even used Prezi to create personal presentations on topics like pets, hobbies, and friends! They did this completely on their own because they enjoyed creating Prezi so much! I love it!
ToonDoo-
My students and I really enjoyed playing with ToonDoo. The students really got into it! They could create their own cartoon using any of the tools provided. This took much creativity; however, it is not adequate enough to fulfill any scientific presentation needs.
Glogster-
The students also enjoyed Glogster. This tool allows the students to create a virtual poster, rather than using glue, scissors, and paper. Many students enjoyed decorating their science portfolios using Glogster. They especially loved the tool that allowed them to tap into the school’s laptop webcams. They were able to take pictures of each other this way and continued to make Glogster posters that included their friends for other classes as well. This is a great tool; however, it would only be best to present a small amount of information with not a lot of descriptive details. It also does not allow you to implement videos, which makes most presentations more effective.
Mixbook-
I was very excited about my students creating their presentations using mixbook; however, the district blocked this website and would not allow access through the web filter. This tool would have been nice because it is like creating a photobook with written descriptions. When digitally viewing the book online, the students cold just flip the page (like a real book) to input and view more information. It was free to sign up for mixbook and create a photobook, but the students/parents did have the option to purchase the book if they wanted to.
WikiSpaces-
I had many issues with the wikispace website. My school also blocked this site. I thought this would be a great way to implement findings or research that my students had about their labs; however, there were just too many barriers for this site to be successful for my needs.
Hi Shannon,
ReplyDeleteSounds like you enjoy using many different types of technology in your classroom. That's great! I also like using technology and have tried many of the same ones that you use like; WikiSpaces, Prezi, and also PreZentit. I however, have not used Mixbook, ToonDoo, or Glogster. I will look into those now that you have said that your student enjoy them. Keeping the students motivated to learn is one of the toughest part of the teaching profession in my opinion and anything we can do to keep them interested is a plus.
Thanks for your reviews on all these sites and look forward to hearing from you in the future on other topics.