ljackson

One thing that stands out to me from this course is that the applications out there are endless. With many of them very similar to each other, the individual needs to take it upon themselves to explore each site to find out which one meets their unique needs the best (or they can always just ask others who have used it their personal viewpoints). So, in an effort to do some of my own “exploring,” I have looked in particular at three of the Web 2.0 applications.

The first application I visited was Chatterous. This is an application I am actually somewhat familiar with, because I used it to create a space online for my PBL group to meet every week. This is a great space for people to meet to discuss topics like my group did, but several red flags go up when I think about having this application utilized in a school setting. First, anyone can start a group, and it is easy for “guests” to visit the chatroom, if it was designed as a public chatroom. I am very uneasy about having outsiders who may not even be associated with the school be able to view a conversation. Secondly, it would be hard for one teacher to monitor everything that is being said in a chatroom. Thirdly, I am afraid things could get out of hand and students could get off topic in their chatroom. I think that it is a good place for online learning groups (like my PBL group) to meet, but I do not think it has a place in an elementary, middle, or high school setting. There is a FAQ page set up to aid the individual on navigating the interface by clicking here.

The second application I explored was Wikispaces. I had never heard of this before a few weeks ago, when I created one for our class PBL project on the Arctic. I was blown away with how much one can use this site for! I can envision a teacher creating a classroom webpage with this, with links to different subjects or homework, uploading videos, class photos, embedding a calendar, and so much more. The possibilities really are endless. I must admit—it took a little time for me to get used to all that could be done though. Their terms and policies can be found here. Because I teach so young, I envision this application being used more with parent help at home (aiding with communication, upcoming assignments, etc.). However, I am sure that the older grades could use this for a lot more, like group projects, class creations, and much more. Wikispaces is holding webinars on how to use and set up your own by clicking here. The nice thing about Wikispaces is that there are few ads, and you can choose whether to have your wiki public or private. If it is private, you can choose who can and cannot see it. This aids with any privacy laws schools may have.

Finally the third application I checked out was Glogster. In my other grad school class, we recently had to create our own glog, and I loved it! I can definitely see this being used as projects in the older grades, and teacher-led lessons/explorations in the younger grades. It is basically a scrapbook lover’s technological best friend. You pick a theme and can create links, upload photos, embed videos, link to writing prompts or quizzes, and so much more.  A tutorial on how to use Glogster can be found here. The downside is that you do need to be 13 or older to have your own Glogster account. Just like Wikispaces, you can choose to set your glog as public or private. This is a really neat application, and I can see it used particularly in middle or high school classes as a culminating project to a book, topic, or lesson.

These are just three of the countless Web 2.0 applications that aid in communicating, collaborating, and publishing content. They assist students with showing that learning really can be fun and undoubtedly engages the creating mind. There are going to be hurdles and challenges with any site, but their utilization has the potential for reaching and grabbing the interest and excitement of a large group of young men and women.