These were the four Web 2.0 tools I found and a brief description for use in the classroom.1. Picnik – http://www.picnik.com/
The first Web 2.0 site I decided to learn more about was Picnik. This site is designed to assist making memories by editing great pictures. I thought of several ways that would make it creative, the first being scrap books. Other ideas would be to design pictures for the yearbooks, art class, and other school related activities. Overall, I would benefit from this site because it would teach my students how to use it and have them edit and create photos to use in class.
2. ToonDoo – http://www.toondoo.com/
Another great Web 2.0 resource was ToonDoo. When studying spelling words I sometimes will have them create their own spelling comic strip. Now, instead of having the page outlined for you, you need to have an idea for using the resources. This site has great ways to create your own spelling /grammar comic by making it interesting, funny, and having fun is the only thing that matters. This would be very helpful with students who need help with organization skills.
3. Live Journal – http://www.livejournal.com/
This Web 2.0 tool is a great way to have discussions, blog, and have your own private journal. I thought this tool would be great for any subject area, especially social studies, grammar and spelling, which are the three subjects I teach. I would have the students use the LJ Talk for class assignments. I would have them discuss questions, reports, and other school related topics using the instant messing feature. I would check this assignment by having the students either email me their conversations or print them out. Another great feature of this tool is the blog. I would have students keep a blog for my classroom. They would post new ideas, comment, and add other features to their blog to make it beneficial for them and their classmates. The last tool I found useful, which is more of a personal feature, is the private journal. This journal would be used for more personal use. The students would have to read a current event once a week. This current event could be from the paper, internet, or magazine. They would write a paragraph about what the current event was about and what their thoughts where on the topic. This would help them with know what is happening in the world and keeping them reading and writing.
4. Gramlee – http://www.gramlee.com/
This Web 2.0 tool is great for students in any grade to help them check their documents, emails, papers, blogs and more. I chose this Web 2.0 tool because I teach fifth grade and the one content area I teach is grammar. I thought this tool would help students check their compositions in writing. I also think it would be a good idea for students practice their grammar skills by using this tool. The nice thing is Gramlee is free up to 100 words, but on the downside it costs money. Overall, I think this would be a great tool for students to use to monitor their grammar when writing.
