click here to read it)and have had some requests recently to update this and share what I and others are using to inspire their students and staff in their use of technology as a tool to help them learn (of course with the goal in mind
click here to read it)and have had some requests recently to update this and share what I and others are using to inspire their students and staff in their use of technology as a tool to help them learn (of course with the goal in mind first).
I thought I would share a few 'oldies but goodies' and a few new and exciting ones I have discovered recently. This list is not exhaustive and there are many more but I thought I would highlight a small amount that will hopefully inspire you (and those around you) to go away and try something.
In addition to this I would love to hear about the tools you use and most importantly how you use them as a tool in your classroom.
In my new role as Head of ICT and Learning Innovation I am able to not only inspire students with their use of technology to help them learn but also inspire teachers and parents. I have a unique opportunity to make a difference and to me that is very exciting! Please have a look through this updated list of web 2.0 tools that I use or know about.
Web 2.0 Tools for Teacher's and Student's - the old and the new - updated list as of 20.02.2013:
- Twitter - Still my #1 source of professional development at my fingertips every day. I would highly recommend you get involved in the @Twitter community and start creating a PLN (Personal Learning Network) of Educators from around the world - share your learning and learn from the best educators around the globe. Twitter is becoming the perfect Professional Development tool for teachers for no cost. Follow me @MrKempNz
- Wikispaces - A Wikispace is a simple web page that can be used by schools, classrooms or student's to share their learning. It is a free tool and easy to use. Check out the Wikispace I used with my class in 2012 and the Wiki's we are using in 2013 for Year 5, Year 6 and Year 7 students. We have taken a more formal approach to their use this year and will be using the student's individual pages as a trial e-portfolio - watch this space!
- YouTube - YouTube has quickly grown to be one of the most popular websites on the Internet. I personally use it for searching for education related videos and for uploading useful videos to our class wikispace. You can now privately upload your video's so it is not publicly accessible.
- Flickr - Explore, upload, and share photos online. Includes commenting and neat note functionality where users can add blocks of notes on the photos themselves for others to see - I have just started using this to make it easier to share my photo's on this blog.
- Skype - You can call people with Skype for free all over the world - amazing tool to use in the classroom - we use it regularly with classrooms around the world to ask questions when stuck or to help others with their questions - very powerful learning tool and now is made easier with the introduction of Skype for Education. Skype Education is something that I use on a daily basis with teachers across my school.
- Voki - Still one of my favourite little tools to inspire students to share their learning or to add a fun twist to a lesson - It is a free embeddable avatar creator - great to use as a motivator for student's - my student's use them on their wiki a lot to share their learning.
- Delicious - An online bookmarking site - a place to store your bookmarks online, tag them and share them with your colleagues / student's.
- Audacity - A sound editor and recorder suitable for Podcasting. Free Download. I like this because we are on a Windows based platform at my school and don't have access to Apple created software on a regular basis.
- Voicethread - Still one of my favourites in 2013 - always coming out with new updates and now have an app version in the app store - Voicethread let's you create a collaborative presentation of comments by text or voice and allows you to draw. Here is an example of how I used Voicethread (a long time back now but still a good example - I have got many more).
- Poll Daddy - A Free tool to create polls and surveys - can be easily embedded onto Wiki's or blogs and shared on twitter.
- Prezi -
- Wordle, Tagul, Tagxedo and TagCrowd - Create cool looking word clouds online for free - all of these sites are excellent and easy to use - the children love using these