What is a web 2.o tool anyway?
According to Discovery education, " Web 2.0 is about revolutionary new ways of creating, collaborating, editing and sharing user-generated content online. It's also about ease of use. There is no need to download, and teachers and students can master many of these tools in minutes. Technology has never been easier or more accessible to all" (2015).
But be careful
"Technology might amplify the impact of good teachers, but it won't fix bad teaching" (Toyama, 2015). By no means am I implying that you might be a "bad teacher", but just know that technology won't necessarily make you more effective. There are TONS of tech tools out there! Be sure to have a purpose in mind and find the tool that suits your needs. Picking the right tool should come last in your planning.
Organization of this website
The navigation menu at the top of the page includes several "purposes" for needing web 2.0 tools. As you explore, you will find that many tools are repeated because they can be used in different ways to suit your needs. Please note that while the descriptions may be similar, they are tweaked to show you the tool in a new way, depending on the purpose. Furthermore, the links lead to new examples that show that tool being used with a new purpose.
Purposes:
Additionally, the "Quick View" tab allows you to quickly access any tool mentioned in this site...
and the "Newly Discovered" tab is a running blog of apps and tips that I come across that will be added to the website.
Purposes:
- Content Modules is referring to tools that can help you package and deliver content to your students
- Assessment Tools are quick ways to check for student understanding of your content to drive your instructional decisions (formative assessments)
- Student Products is referring to tools that you can assign for students to create instead of a paper, etc. (summative assessments)
Additionally, the "Quick View" tab allows you to quickly access any tool mentioned in this site...
and the "Newly Discovered" tab is a running blog of apps and tips that I come across that will be added to the website.
What's with the buffet theme?
I once took a training with John Kuglin who said... "I am going to show you many tools today but just like at the Golden Corral, if you try to eat it all, you are going to make yourself sick. Browse over your options and pick only a couple things to try. Once you've 'digested' those, you can always come back for more" (those weren't his exact words but close enough!... you get the point). I thought it was a really good mindset to have when exploring and implementing new technology.
Last Updated: April 15, 2019