Web 2.0 Tools
Web 2.0 Tools
In short, web 2.0 makes it possible for anyone with an internet connection to publish content to the web. No longer does publishing on the internet require knowledge of html code or other programming skills. The real power of web 2.0 is found in its usefulness for collaboration and communication, as well as its applications in the classroom. Here is a list of some of the tools web 2.0 has to offer.Weblogs:
Blogs for short, weblogs are sites where users can share experiences, reflect on useful theories and practices, and ask questions. Visitors to a blog can leave comments, provide answers to questions, and post links to other valuable web sites.
www.blogger.com, www.wordpress.com, www.edublogs.org
Wikis:
The term wiki comes from the Hawaiian term “wiki-wiki,” which means quick. The most well known, and perhaps most controversial, wiki is Wikipedia. Wikis are sites that can be edited by anyone, anywhere, provided that person has authorization to do so. With wikis, a group of people can share ideas and create a site out of their collective knowledge and experiences.
www.wikipedia.org, www.wikispaces.com
Real Simple Syndication (RSS):
RSS makes it possible to subscribe to various websites. When new posts are added to one of the sites, a notification is sent to you, so you no longer have to visit each individual site to check for new content. To subscribe to a site, simply click the RSS feed button, or the “subscribe to this feed” button.
Aggregators:
An aggregator collects and organizes the RSS feeds from the websites you have subscribed to. With an aggregator, you can see the newest information from all your favorite websites, including blogs, all in one place.
www.google.com/reader, www.newsgator.com
Social Bookmarking:
Social bookmarking sites allow you to save your favorite web addresses, organize them into categories, search through them by keyword, and share them with other people. You can search through other users’ bookmarks to find other useful sites related to a particular topic.
www.diigo.com, www.delicious.com
Online Photo Galleries:
Sites that allow users to post digital photos give teachers and
students the opportunity to publish their work, share ideas with
other educators, and access a large gallery of images from all around
the world.
www.flickr.com, www.photobucket.com,
www.picasaweb.google.com
Audio/Video Casting:
Along with online photo galleries, people can now access and publish
video and voice recordings on the web.
www.podomatic.com, www.gcast.com,
www.itunes.com, www.youtube.com,
www.teachertube.com, www.schooltube.com
Other Useful Web 2.0 Sites:
www.go2web20.net - This site
provides you with a large directory of web 2.0 tools. You can search
the directory by keyword, or choose a topic to narrow the selection.
www.bighugelabs.com - This
site provides a lot of useful tools to create various products from
uploaded photos. For example, you can create calendars, magazine
covers, movie posters, and more using your own photos. The products
that can be created at this site can supplement classroom projects
and bring a personal touch to assignments.
Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts,
and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms.
Thosand Oaks, California: Corwin Press.