Learning with the Web
Web 1.0 - is generally understood to be the web when internet was individual websites that did not interact or provide interactive content. Also almost all the content was not shareable and was proprietary. All anyone could do was view the content.
Web 2.0 - is the transition away from the static, individual pages of Web 1.0 and into using the internet for collaboration, socialization and sharing of ideas and information online. It is more organized and allows for use between different apps and platforms.
Using the Web in the Classroom - Using the web in the classroom allows students to expand their learning as well as share what they have learned. It allows them to connect with other students around the world and share content and knowledge. They can look for information and explore sources. They can write, create and publish content to the web for others to experience and use. One of the most important thing is that it allows students to expand their learning and gives them the ability to engage in critical thinking and problem solving through collaborating and communicating with others who are not in their classroom. Learning is no longer limited to what happens in the four walls of a classroom. Teachers are able to create student centered lessons which allow for students to use the internet to guide their learning at their own pace.
Examples of Web 2.0 Categories:
1. Blogs - a way of sharing personal content and views on the web. It can contain words, pictures, videos and links to further your idea. It is important to remember that a blog is generally a personal view and the content may or may not be accurate.
2. Pin Boards - a way to organize pictures, videos and other information onto digital boards by lesson, unit, grade-level or subject area (Horn, 2014) .
3. Word Clouds - is a visual representation of text-based data that allows users to to tag and locate any information on a topic that has the same word tagged on it. For example, if you would like to find out about cooking with 4th graders, you can look for the words cooking and 4th grade and anything tagged with those words will be in the cloud and able to be found.
Featured Web 2.0 Tools
- Description: Padlet - https://padlet.com/
- Padlet is a program that acts like a virtual bulletin board. Depending on the question that is posed to the class, students are able to click on the board and post their thoughts, ideas or answer questions.
- Classroom Ideas: Padlet is a great tool to be used in the classroom.
- 1. A teacher can post a question about a subject and the students can answer the question. Students also have access to the board 24 hours a day and can ask questions themselves. The teacher can then ask the question in class the next day to prompt a discussion of provide guidance, more information or feedback.
- 2. Using the classroom reading and posting a question that all the students must post an answer to. Students can also post a favorite quote from the book, ask questions about what they read and allow other students to answer the questions. They can also talk about their favorite characters. The teacher can then print the page and share it in the class to start a discussion on the book.
- 3. Teachers can use Padlet to teach children about expressing and writing their opinions. By posting a topic or an issue, the students can express their opinions on the idea. This is a great learning tool on how to write opinion and persuasive pieces.
- 4. Classroom visitors and speakers are a great asset to teaching and helping your students learn and saying thank you to them is important. Padlet helps you create a thank you card by letting your students post individual lines saying thank you about what they learned. The teacher can then use Padlet to create and design a card using the different features that are offered.
- 5. Padlet is also a great way to gather students work and showcase it for sharing. A teacher can post work done in class and share the link with parents or other educators. Feedback can also be provided to students about their work. Student's names can be omitted to protect privacy.
- "Harvesting Hope: The True Story of Cesar Chavez". Students will then answer the question "What did Cesar Chavez do to help farm workers and what happened because of the actions that he took both positive and negative". The Padlet can be used for students to share what they have learned while reading the story. It can be used as an assessment tool for the teacher to be sure the students understood what they were reading. The page can also be printed and shared in class to promote discussion and push for complex thinking. For example, a student could share that they learned that Cesar Chavez led a 340-mile march through California to improve the lives of migrant farm workers. This could be shared in class and be a great starting point for discussion on how one person can be the catalyst for change. You can also have students think about what they would have done if they had been involved in the march. Teachers could also have students think about something they could help change. I was also able to put an audio version of the book on the Padlet to help with differentiation for students that have trouble with reading or might need to hear the story. Visit my Padlet at http://padlet.com/kelleym2/CesarChavez I have created a Padlet on Cesar Chavez to be used by a 4th grade class. Students will read the book
2. Web 2.0 Tool - Storybird - https://storybird.com/
- Description: Storybird is a creative global community of readers, writers, artists, and educators (Storybird, 2015). It allows students to pick a picture and create a short story using their own words or a poem using the words that are provided.
- Classroom Ideas: Teachers can use Storybird to encourage their students to read and write. Students can search the website for stories that would interest them. They can also create their own stories, publish them and become a published author. When students sign up on Storybird, their work remains private and can only be seen by your class. Students can then read each others work and leave comments for each other. Storybird is a great way to encourage creativity while working on reading and writing skills.
Storybird Example: |
Heartbreak: A poem |