Web Tools

Web 2.0 Collaborative and Creativity Tools>

Web 2.0 is a term used to describe online tools that allow for creativity, publishing and collaboration. One can find dozens and dozens of Web 2.0 tools that give students the opportunity to work individually or together to create a project, display ideas, share a presentation all through the online tool while also allowing for others to share a response.

Here are a few Web 2.0 tools that our teachers and students are using:

• Glogster

  • Google Docs and Presentation

• Mindmeister

• Museum Box

• Prezi

• Slideshare

• Storybird

• Voicethread

• Vuvox

Blogs are another example of a Web 2.0 tool that gives students the opportunity to be creative, publish and collaborate with one another. The 5th grade students have a class blog that you can review.

One aspect of our unit development meetings is sharing ideas about learning activities (Stage 3 of UbD) and assessment techniques (Stage 2 of UbD). The ICL team members work to help provide good matches between activity types/assessments and technologies like Web 2.0 tools, iPad apps, video projects, etc. A good place to get ideas for potential activity & assessment types are the following articles written by two professors at the College of William and Mary.

Activity Types> Social Studies || LA in Middle School || K-6 Literacy || Science || Math || PE/Health || World Languages

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Web-based Individualized Learning Tools>

Several teachers are also using tools that support students with their math and reading skill building. While these tools are not collaborative in nature, they do individualize the skill building for each child. Teachers have class accounts that enable students to log in either at school or at home to work on set skills. Once students are successful the web programs take them to the next level reporting back to the teachers how each child is doing.

Here are the tools currently be used:

Khan Academy- Students view short videos and then take online quizzes.

Mangahigh- Using games and competition between schools to broaden skill attainment.

Raz Kids- Digital books with voice and highlighting features to support our Lower School readers.

Xtramath- For math fact skill building.