Web 2.0 Tools in the Classroom

1. Web 2.0 Tools in the Classroom

2. Web 2.0 Tools in a Social Studies Classroom • Google Earth • Bubble.us • Facebook • Twitter • Prezi • Google Groups

3. Google Earth • 3-D mapping and geographical visualization program • Available as a downloaded client or through the Web • Allows user to add their own information • Free

4. Why use Google Earth? • American students, as a group, score poorly on world geography assessments (Schachter, 2012) • Geography is more than labelling countries and capitals (Yundt, 2013) • Brings context to discussions, aiding in both retention and engagement (Taylor & Plewe, 2006) • Commonly used, already a lot of lesson plans available using Google Earth

5. How is Google Earth used? • Answer research questions • Instructional purposes • Not just geography • History • Anthropology • Sociology • Civics/Political Science • Anything where places add context

6. Google Earth Wrap-up • Brings worldwide mapping and satellite imagery into the classroom • Supports Searching by address, Lat Long, or place name • Has information in addition to maps • geo-located photos • 3-D building maps • Ability to add own information

7. Bubble.us • Comprehensive and flexible mind-mapping system • Available online • Can share maps with others, both read-only and editable • Free

8. Why Use Bubbl.us? • The use of mind-mapping helps reinforce learning and future information retrieval (Wheeldon, 2011) • Allows learners to visualize their knowledge, providing both practice and context in creation and retrieval • Simple and easy to use

9. How is Bubble.us used? • Use it as a study-aid by both teachers and students • Give visual representation of information • Gives practice in information retrieval • Use it as an assessment tool • Formative – to ensure that students are gaining the information adequately • Summative – to ensure that content is retained (Making A Map : Mind Map Rubric, 2007)

10. Bubble.us Conclusion • Create a central theme to the information to be shared • Create related sub themes and display the relationship visually • Share the output as desired

11. Facebook • Social networking site, consisting of a personal representation (profile), social connections, and other items (applications) • Most students will likely already be on the system • Allows group sites as well as personal sites • Free

12. Why use Facebook? • As a communications tool between teacher and students • As a community building tool • Connects some of the student’s favorite informal learning experiences with the more formal learning experiences in school (Fewkes& McCabe, 2012)

13. How is Facebook used • Used primarily as a group communications tool • Secondary usage could include assessment where an individual or group maintained user page is evaluated for content

14. Facebook Summary • Allows users (students and teachers) to share information with each other and build a community. • Allows the ability to create posts • Allows the ability to ask/answer questions

15. Twitter • An online social networking and microblogging service • Sends messages no more than 140 characters • Viewable online or through free apps • Users both send “tweets” and subscribe to read “tweets” from other users • Free

16. Why Use Twitter? • Active notification - users subscribe to notifications, so users (students in this case) will be notified as soon as the teacher posts a tweet. • Properly formatted questions (using hashtags - #something) can be answered by subject matter experts • Ability to interact with people world-wide

17. How is Twitter used? • Twitter is used more as a learning tool than for assessment • Get tweeted information from experts • Ask questions to anyone in the twitterverse, classified by hashtag • Use as a messaging platform between teachers and students

18. Twitter wrap-up? • A user can be followed, which means their tweets will be immediately delivered • Following gives user the ability to watch for tweets from others • Hashtags (#something) allow for the grouping of information, lets multiple people tweet about the same thing.

19. Prezi • Online presentation software • Video and audio can be imported and included in the presentation • Can act like a giant chalkboard for creativity, not like a traditional slide presentation program • Free for limited usage

20. Why use Prezi? • Online access to creating and viewing presentations • Many different types of templates to give a start in creating an effective presentation • Allows excellent, template control of the look and feel of a presentation

21. How is Prezi used? • Can be used by an instructor to present information to the students • Can be used by students to present information back to the class and/or instructor • Formative assessment • Summative assessment / Research or project write-up

22. Prezi Conclusion • Creation is linear, like a “traditional” presentation program • Display is all slides together on one screen • Play feature moves the screen around, user can edit the flow of the screen as it moves around

23. Google Groups • Acts as a community, either open or closed (by invitation only) • Discussion Forum – allows students and teacher to have synchronous communication • Mailing List – create one email and easily send it to the group • Free

24. Why use Google Groups? • Discussion forums build a sense of community and enhance learning in an online course (Misanchuk & Anderson, 2001). • Supports both both active and passive learners (Nandi, Hamilton, & Harland, 2012) • Available online and through various apps

25. How are Google Groups used? • Email list supports communications between teacher and students • Can be used as a learning tool by posting and discussing content • Supports formative assessments through posting requirements and follow-through discussion

26. Google Groups Summary • Discussion forums allow instructors to lead learning • Forums also allow students to reply to instructors and interact with each other • Integrated with the Google infrastructure

27. Conclusion • There are, literally, hundreds of Web 2.0 tools available for instructors. • Some tools are designed to support communications • Other tools support presentation • Many tools do a little bit of everything • Tools should not be looked at as always providing information from instructor to students – they can be used as assessment tools where students create information for evaluation from the instructor

28. References • Fewkes, A. M., & McCabe, M. (2012). Facebook: Learning tool or distraction. Journal of digital learning in teacher education, 28(3), 92-98. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ972449 • Making A Map : Mind Map Rubric. (2007, Aug 30). Retrieved from Rubistar: http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php?screen=ShowRubric&rubric_id=1095617& • Misanchuk, M., & Anderson, T. (2001). Building Community in an online learning environment: Communication, cooperation and collaboration. Proceedings of the Annual Mid-South Instructional Technology Conference, (p. 22). Murfreesboro, TN. Retrieved from http://www.mtsu.edu/-itconf/proceed01/19.pdf • Nandi, D., Hamilton, M., & Harland, J. (2012, May). Evaluating the quality of interaction in asynchronous discussion forums in fully online courses. Distance Education, 33(1), 5-30.

29. References (cont.) • Schachter, R. (2012, June). Geography ed for a flat world. District Administration, 48(6), 28-33. • Taylor, W., & Plewe, B. (2006). The effectiveness of Interactive maps in secondary historical geography education. Cartographic Perspectives, 55(Fall), 16-33. • Wheeldon, J. (2011). Is a picture worth a thousand words? Using mind maps to facilitate participant recall in qualitative research. The Qualitative Report, 16(2), 509-522. • Yundt, H. (2013, Apr). Lost on a map. Canadian Geographic, 133(2), 6.