My Favorite Web 2.0 Tools
What tools/sites do I use frequently, occasionally and which would I like to learn to use more proficiently?
I have “borrowed”, well stolen actually, this blog idea from Claire Thompson of Clarify Me. I thought it was a great idea as a January reflection. Thanks Claire! Mimicking is the highest form of flattery! Really, a published Canadian author told me this!
I first heard about Web 2.0 one year ago, January 2008. Betty, our Simon Fraser University Faculty Associate came up to give us TLITE students a workshop/introduction to Web 2.0. I had to look up Web 2.0 in Wikipedia! After the workshop I got a little excited. Prior to the workshop the tools I could/did use were:
- MS Word
- hotmail – I actually had to be shown how to add an attachment!
- tablet – some drawing on my daughter’s tablet
- Google Search – very, very basic
I never do things in a small way. It’s the full monty or not at all! See what happened in 12 months!
Now I frequently use these tools/sites for Social Networking
- Delicious
- Classroom 2.0
I frequently use these tools/sites on a regular basis:
- Google Reader
- Google Search
- iGoogle
- gmail
- MS Word
- MS PowerPoint
- Firefox
- Edublogs – learned how to put in one of my own pictures!
- Bibme – great online site for creating a bibliography
- hotmail
- Inspiration Software
- Booktagger
Tools/sites I have used occasionally:
- Elluminate
- WizIQ
- Yugma
- Blogger – I started my first PLE blog there, but moved over to Edublogs
- YouTube
- TeacherTube
- PBWiki
- Google Docs
- Google Presentation
- Google Calendar
- coComment
- Technorati
- LIveJournal
Some tools I would like to learn more about and use more proficiently are:
- Google Notebook
- SKype
- Diigo
- PBWiki
- Wink – a totally cool tutorial creating tool!
Some sites I use for Professional Development are:
- Classroom 2.0 – they have great on-line presentations using Elluminate
- TappedIn – absolutely LOVE this site. I will be bringing my 2 upper intermediate classes here in a virtual classroom
- Knowschools – have taught me everything from tagging to blogging to wikis to Everything Google!
I also attempted to try the 31 Day Comment Challenge. Crashed and burned. Failure. I also gave up on the tablet thingy too as well as digital scrapbooking. There definitely is something to be said about hands-on art! I even joined Oprah’s book club for Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth, just to see what that was like. Don’t even ask! There’s a limit even for flakey Liberal Arts folks. Yeesh. Oh yes, I also managed to embed a YouTube video into a PowerPoint presentation with the direct help of my daughter’s friend and a techie from Future Shop! Haven’t a clue how we did that. Something about using an FLV converter and Divx. Huh? I even made a slide show for a school I was temporarily working at using an IMac! Ha, I hate Macs, but have you seen the whole Mac Goes Green thing! I so want a new Mac! Just saying…you know, putting it out there.
I figure the learning curve was pretty steep. Learned a huge amount. Also discovered the true meaning of “Information Overload”! Now I try to stick to learning ONE thing at a time!
In all seriousness, I pushed hard to come out of my comfort zone, stressed myself out, slid into a funk or two, all because of an absolute belief in the value of using technology to enhance curriculum.
So, what tools to you use?
January 14th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Hi Cindy, it’s fun to write out a list like this. Even better to revisit it a year later. I have to admit, I got the idea a year ago from a post by Will Richardson.
I haven’t heard about TappedIn before. What’s it all about?
January 14th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
Hi Cindy,
Your TLITE transformation sounds similiar to mine! I didn’t even own a home computer until just under three years ago. The first summer session they gave us laptops to use for the two weeks and the only thing I knew how to do was turn it on! Needless to say, it was a steep learning curve for me too! Makes me laugh now!
The new, improved me uses a whole variety of tools:
Del.icio.us
Inspiration
Everything on Google – igoogle, gmail, google docs, etc, etc!
Facebook
Blogging (Edublogs)
Youtube
Flickr
Moviemaker
Photoshop CS2
All the Microsoft Suite – Word, Publisher, Powerpoint, etc
Tools I want to learn more about:
Skype
I’m currently learning more about blogging through the 31 Day Challenge Wiki group (via Sue Waters and Wikispaces – I need help and others to get me through it!). I’m also learning on several nings and Images4Education is running a six week session right now that I’m finding really wonderful.
It is great to push outside that comfort zone, isn’t it? I’m sending a virtual pat on the back your way!
January 14th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
@Claire – TappedIn is a wonderful site that Betty and I joined last year. It provides professional development and you can create a safe, secure classroom to take your students in to. My advice is to go visit as a guest, drop by the Reception Room and have a chat at JeffC. Tell him I sent you. Ask him to explain. You can take a tour on Saturdays. Check the calendar. I like the revisit idea! Lots of great prof groups to join if you like. I even have a virtual office- Lord knows why!
@Errin – Don’t you just love the new fearless you! Way to go! I also used Photoshop CS2 with the tablet for drawing. Not my thing. So whenever ya wanna Skype, I’m ready to talk at ya. No video though. I’m camera shy!
January 15th, 2009 at 3:01 am
Hello, of all web 2.0 tools that you mentioned, I have only tried one of them, Which is http://www.wiziq.com and it is just amazing.
I really recommend it to everybody who is interested in being either online teacher or student, because its virtual classroom is unique.
Thanks.
January 15th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
@Rafael – I enjoyed using wiziq as well. I used it as part of an online workshop I was taking through Knowschools. Thx for the comment!
January 16th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Hi Cindy, not only a great list, many tools I love and use regularly, but your post is a wonderful comment on your learning journey.
You say you’re going to bring your two intermediate classes into tapped in. I really hope you’ll blog about that experience when it happens and any other examples of how you tie these tools into your teaching.
All this is a great example for me of what has now become the teacher learning from the student. Thanks for your continued adventure and spirit.
January 16th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Cindy, thanks for the info on TappedIn; I’ll have to check it out. I use Elluminate quite a bit so I’m interested to see what TappedIn has to offer. I wonder if most BC educators know that Elluminate has a deal with the Ministry of Ed; all BC teachers can use Elluminate for free.
January 16th, 2009 at 7:28 pm
@Betty – I will definitely be blogging about the experience! I’ve already had one go at it, still need to write a post about that. Getting ready to go again next week! Should be an interesting experience.
@Claire. I have yet to work with anyone who has used Elluminate. I think many teachers are still uncomfortable with moving outside of their technology comfort zone and stick very closely to what they know. After my first attempt at TappedIn I can understand why! I just happen to have a death wish! Actually, it was great!