5- Web 2.0 Tools, & Concept Map

It’s disappointing that Web 2.0 tools are no longer an option in classrooms due to ELA standards, because I believe that some of these tools could be very useful in the classroom. As mentioned in the podcast, Web 2.0 tools provide interaction for students and include social networking, blogs, wikis, twitter and YouTube. YouTube can be very useful in the classroom to look up relevant videos to share with the students. When I took Holocaust my senior year in high school, my teacher would use many different videos from YouTube and it helped me better understand the material since I am a visual learner. Blogs are another tool that would be useful in the classroom because they allow students to display their work for others to see. It gives more value to the students work because instead of just turning it in for a grade, they can display it for an audience to see. Diigo is another awesome tool for the classroom that allows students to share resources, collectively take notes, ask teachers direct questions on particular articles, and carry out conversations with each other.

So if these Web 2.0 tools are so great, what’s holding us back from using them? Student safety is a major concern with using Web 2.0 tools. However there are solutions like the class using a shared account, teachers reviewing the sites before class, and even using password protected sites

There is also equipment needed to be able to effectively use these tools. Of course the basic components of a computer are needed, like the monitor, system unit containing the CPU and RAM, storage with an optical drive, hard disk drive, and USB port for Flash Drive, keyboard, and mouse. Getting internet shouldn’t be a problem because almost all schools have their own server. For most Web 2.0 tools, everything mentioned above should suffice since all you need is a working computer and internet access. However, to be able to show the class YouTube videos, that requires a projector and speakers.

Remind 101 is a great web 2.0 tool that I would consider using when I become a teacher. I first heard of this tool as a high school student, and lots of my teachers used it in their classroom. As a freshman in college, I thought that I would never have another class that incorporated remind 101 because college courses are supposed to be more independent, and centered on self-learning. Sure enough my English professor first semester used remind 101, and it really shouldn’t have surprised me because it is such a neat tool.

One of Remind 101’s slogans is “safe, simple, and free,” and those three things are very true. Remind 101 is a free application that allows teachers to communicate with their students, and parents instantaneously. It’s like an app that allows teachers to text with the students and parents, without giving one another cell phone numbers or private information. The teacher sets up a class, receiving a class code. The teacher tells the students and/or parents the class code, so they can text a number with the specified class code. Once the student/parent texts the code then they will be set up to be a part of the class. Teachers can send out information or reminders through text message, without knowing any students phone numbers, and the students won’t know the teachers phone number. This is a great tool for communication because in today’s society, most people keep their phone at their fingertips, and texting is a huge means of communication. It’s a fast, simple way to get information to your students or parents right away, while keeping all personal information private.

I didn’t feel very prepared for the Concept Mapping assignment. I have never been able to learn by mapping things out in that way, so creating one was a challenge for me. I think it would have helped if the website was working in class last week, and we got the chance to learn how to work the website. I had difficulty logging into my account and then once I finally did I couldn’t figure out how to make the concept map. I ended up just making one in a Microsoft Word document, and then having my partner help figure out how to replicate the word document into the website. The good thing about this assignment is that since it was challenging for me, and I learned a lot about concept mapping, which will be very useful once I become a teacher. Even though I personally don’t learn well from looking at concept maps, I know that at least some of my students will, so it will be important to know how to create an effective concept map that is easy to follow and understand.