Recommendation of 2 Web 2.0 Sites

Choose two of your favorite Web 2.0 sites and review them on your blog. Give reasons for your recommendations.

During this class I have been learning about Web 2.0 sites and have come across several great sites to use in and out of the classroom. One Web 2.0 site that I would have to recommend to others would be to check out http://voki.com. A voki is an animated avatar created by the user to use for personal expression. The user can create an avatar to look just like them or create a different identity to be used on blogs, wikis, or other social network profiles. Once the user creates the voki, you can either select a voice for your voki or record your own voice for the voki to speak what you would like for it to say. The process in creating your very own voki is simple and easy for upper grade students, and easily manageable with young students who have teacher assistance. I have seen vokis used in the classroom very creatively. I have seen second grade students create their own vokis to share writing assignments completed in class. It was very entertaining to see how the students designed and used their avatar. I recommend using vokis to motivate students to learn, collaborate with others, and express themselves in the classroom.

A second Web 2.0 site that I would have to recommend would be to check out http://delicious.com. I actually was introduced to delicious.com from this very technology course. This Web 2.0 site is very beneficial to everyone, not just to those associated with education. Delicious.com allows you to bookmark, or keep record, of your favorite websites, just as you would on your personal computer. You can also share your bookmarks with others and be able to search others bookmarks that may be of interest to you. When you bookmark a website, you can use keywords (known as tags) to help you categorize what type of website you are saving. The beauty behind delicious.com is you can access your own account from any computer. For example, I have favorite websites saved on my work computer that are not saved on my home computer. By using delicious.com, I can have access to all the sites I save, no matter what computer I was using at the time. My husband does not work in the field of education, but has to use the internet frequently at his job. When I shared this Web 2.0 site with him, he quickly applied it to his job and with his co-workers. Now they are able to share and access each others bookmarks easily, without leaving the computer screen. In education, I think teachers should consider using delicious.com amongst each other so they can share educational resources in the classroom.

Examples of Multimedia

Select 2 examples of multimedia from Chapter 6 and discuss how you would incorporate them in your classroom.

One example of a type of multimedia to use in the classroom would be to use presentation software, such as powerpoint, during a vocabulary lesson. I would introduce new vocabulary words by using the slides to display the word, the word’s definition, and a photo, picture, clipart, and/or animation picture as an example of the word. Being able to use a visual example, such as a picture, to explain the word will help students make a connection with the word and real-life.

Another example of a type of multimedia to use in the classroom would be to create a classroom blog for students and parents. Since I teach first grade, I would be in control over entering items onto the blog. I could keep parents updated with daily events. I could scan samples of students' work and upload photos of classroom activities to display for parents and the students. I could even take another multimedia tool (a flip video) and record students performing a reader’s theater to share on the blog. I think a classroom blog would give students a great feeling of pride knowing their work would be seen online for others to view, causing them to work even harder to do their best!