jmWeb2.0ToolReview

Here are 10 Web 2.0 Tools I have used and my thoughts on them.


 * 1. XtraNormal** - []

This site is awesome! You can create your own movies and make them totally cool. This can be used in a classroom for assessment purposes. If you want students to summarize a lesson they have learned, they can create a video about it. I think students would find this to be fun. Unfortunately it is very difficult to have the characters in the movies pronounce the French language.


 * 2. ToonDoo** - []

This is a fun site to create still cartoons in a comic book style. I can see students using this site for homework purposes so that the teacher can assess the students' learning. The teacher can also create cartoons to bump up excitement for an anticipatory set.


 * 3. JeopardyLabs** - []

I browsed through the already created jeopardy games and found that this is a simple way to create review sessions for tests and quizzes. I will definitely be using this site in the future to help my students prepare for upcoming tests.


 * 4. RubiStar** - []

This website can become very useful to teachers. You can create a rubric for your students in minutes which can definitely be a time saver. Unfortunately, I did not find any templates specified for foreign languages. However, I can use aspects of other templates to create my own unique rubrics specific to my class and topic.


 * 5. Academic Skill Builders** - []

This site is awesome! You can play a whole bunch of games against actual opponents on the internet that deal with a number of categories. I think most games focus on math skills. I played a whole bunch of games and won every time. I know I was probably playing against forth graders, but I showed them who's boss! A teacher can use this to help students prepare for upcoming quizzes or for a fun and engaging assessment activity.


 * 6. Animoto** - []

Animoto is a great site for making easy videos. One can use free pictures and music straight from the site and create a movie. A teacher can use this in the classroom for student assessment. Students can create videos about certain topics and even add text to their movies.


 * 7. Think Tank** - []

I played around with this site and its sort of cool. You can choose a certain topic and narrow your ideas of this topic into research questions. This is a good way to get started with research. If students are having a difficult time narrowing their research, this would be a good resource to direct them to.


 * 8. Kids' Vid** - []

This site has a lot of good information about how to create a script, shoot a video, edit a video, and share a video. The website is able to compress and format your video so that you can share it on the web. This could be useful for class projects if students what to film a video and share it on the web. It could be used for a small group assignment or an entire class assignment which can be filmed during class hours.


 * 9. QuizStar** - []

This site is pretty cool. Once you make an account, you can create online quizzes in which students can access and do online. You can set time limits and number of attempts that students have for each quiz. This is a great way to do assessment outside of the classroom if you are unable to do a quiz in the classroom.


 * 10. Classroom Architect** - []

This site really has no learning purpose, but its kinda fun. It allows you to design the layout of a classroom. It has a bunch of fun items you can put in a classroom like rugs, a couch, and a TV. Sounds more like my living room than a classroom, but you get the idea. I guess if you were to rearrange your classroom during the school year, your students may want to help create a floor layout by using this site. From a foreign language viewpoint: students can create their ideal classroom and present it to their peers in the target language.

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