Web 2.0 Reviews
Three Web 2.0 Reviews
Diigo: Digest of Internet Information, Groups and Other stuff
Pronounced as Dee’go
Diigo is an impressive online collaborative platform that lets web users to bookmark and tag websites. In addition to simple bookmarking of websites, the platform also allows its users to highlight some specific portion of the web pages. This feature tremendously helps users in enhancing their research productivities by allowing them to share the information in a more precise and concise manner.
Diigo offers many different functions
- Two services in one
- Research and collaboration tool in one hand
- Knowledge and sharing in the other
- A Collaborative Research Platform
- Easy to share
- Social Content Site
- A Knowledge-Sharing Community
- Highlighting Feature
- just like you would highlight in a book
- Saving Pages
- is easier using Diigo toolbar
- Functional Commenting and Real Conversations
- Send Bookmarks
- to Facebook or Twitter with one click
- Simultaneously bookmark things to Diigo and elseware – even Delicious
- Bookmark and search entire web pages
- · Allow users to effortlessly tag and annotate web-pages.
- Users can also add “sticky notes” to the tagged web-pages.
- Enable users to access its services through diverse platforms, like PC or handheld devices
- Assists users by providing personalized recommendations to them.
The terms of service do not limit access by age, which makes this a great tool to use in the elementary. Diigo also offers a premium account for educators. This information is located at the Diigo homepage.
Educator Account: K-12 & higher-ed educators
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- Create student accounts, e-mail is optional
- Same classes are automatically set up as a Diigo group
- Privacy settings are preset so only teachers and classmates can communicate with them.
- Ads are limited to education-related sponsors.
Diigo can serve as an amazing resource for knowledge enhancement and is recommended to all who believe in the notion of sharing knowledge using the internet. The fact that it can act as information repository adds to its usability.
Check out how others are using Diigo in the classroom.
http://beyond-school.org/2008/03/31/three-uses-of-diigo-in-the-history-and-language-arts-classroom/
http://theclassroom.ca/2007/07/31/using-diigo-for-organizing-the-web-for-your-class/
WikiSpaces
WikiSpaces is a free wiki host providing community wiki spaces, visual page editing, and discussion areas. Create simple web pages that groups, friends, and families can edit together. Wikispaces is built to work anywhere, anytime. All you need is a web browser and an Internet connection. Members can create pages and spaces without undue restrictions or rules. Guests can edit pages without creating an account. Wiki pages are fully internationalized, so you can contribute content in any language you like. They take care of hosting, backups, and upgrades so you don’t have to. history from the very first Here’s a good video tutorial called Wikis in Plain English
WikiSpaces Features
- Visual Page Editor
- Image and File Upload
- Simple Page Linking
- Widgets
- Easy Setup: Username, password and e-mail address
- Unlimited Members, Pages, and Messages
- Easily Collaborate with Others
- Page Histories
- Discussion Forums
- E-mail and RSS Notifications
- Public, Protected, or Private Wikis
- Real - Time Backups
- Great Customer Support
Making your own Wiki is easy, fun, and free. There are lots of Wiki types available, although I’d suggest starting with Wikispaces. It is free, very easy, very basic, and offer special features for K-12 (such as helping teachers get students enrolled, even if the students don’t have email addresses).
Check out the following sited for ideas on using Wikis in the classroom.
Animoto www.animoto.com
The End of Slideshows
Here’s an awesome Web 2.0 opportunity for digital story-telling. This one is a lot of fun and will engage plenty of learners, as well as many of their teachers. With Animoto, you can combine a set of still photos with a music track to create a free 30 second video with considerable dramatic flare. Animoto provides a creative alternative way to view and listen to slideshows. Created by film and music producers, you upload your photos, choose some music you like from their huge range of styles and artists, or use your own music or voice, and you get an impressive slideshow.
- All automatic
- Completely customized
- Takes you just minutes
- No two videos are ever the same
- Unlimited shorts (30 seconds) for free
- Created by TV and film producers
Animoto does have an age limit of thirteen to register with their site, they also require an e-mail address and password.
Features:
- Cinematic Artificial Intelligence
- Automatically analyzes the music and photos to build a custom video.
- Remix
- No two videos are ever the same.
- Spotlight
- You can give specific images added prominence and time on the screen.
- Include Text
- Add messaging to go along with your pictures
- Share and Download
- Share via e-mail, on a blog/website, YouTube, or download to your computer
Animoto for Education
Educators can request an all access pass account via e-mail. This account allows teachers access to unlimited full feature videos. Once downloaded, student created Animotos can now be uploaded and shared on Teachertube. The availability of downloads is also significant for teachers who work in school environments where Animoto is blocked. These teachers can now create Animotos away from school and then bring them into the classroom as video files. Indeed, it is helpful for anyone who wants to be able to share an Animoto when unable to be online.
In my opinion, Animoto is one of the best tools in all of the world of Web 2.0. Animoto allows our students to be creative in ways that were not possible before. It’s a great way for our “digital age” kids to produce and share knowledge.
Annimoto in the Classroom
Check out these online sources for many different ways Animoto is being used in classrooms.
http://k12.learnhub.com/lesson/3180-animoto-learning-made-fun
http://www.slideshare.net/steven.anderson/the-digital-classroom-animoto