Web 2.0: An Examination of Three Collaborative Tools

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Unit Lessons

Introduction

Welcome to Web 2.0 in Education!

This course will provide an introduction to understanding what Web 2.0 is and how to implement it into the classroom:

• What is Web 2.0?

• The advantages of using web 2.0 tools for teachers

• The advantages of using web 2.0 tools for students

• The advantages of using web 2.0 tools for the classroom environment

Once you gain an understanding of what Web 2.0 is and how it can benefit students, you will participate in three lessons to give you an understanding how to use and incorporate actual Web 2.0 tools. These tools will take your classroom to the next level. You will find students engaged, collaborating on digital projects, as well as learning 21st century skills!

The following information is taken from the following site: http://www.iojes.net/userfiles/Article/IOJES_795.pdf

Byrne (2009) mentions the advantages of using these web 2.0 tools in 4 different themes. These themes are: efficiency‚ motivation to learn‚ deep understanding, and learning how to learn.

1. The advantages of using web 2.0 tools for teachers.

1. A teacher who is using web 2.0 tools provides an active and meaningful learning environment for his/her students because of his or her usage of different kind of tools and products.

2. Web 2.0 tools are supporting teachers for diversifying the assessment products.

3. These tools support teachers for using the updated content for the classroom instruction. Rıdvan Elmas & Ömer Geban 245

4. Teachers have chance to follow hyperlinks to reach the data sources related to the content of the products which are made by students.

2. The advantages of using web 2.0 tools for students.

1. Using different kinds of web 2.0 tools develops technological literacy and it will have a contributing effect of preparing students for their future jobs. (Punie & Cabrera, 2006).

2. Students have chance to produce concrete products with web 2.0 tools (O’Reilly, 2007).

3. Students have flexible work hours inside and outside the classroom with web 2.0 tools and these support students who have different learning styles (Prashnig, 2006).

4. Students have chance to reach most updated and functional information with web 2.0 tools (O’Reilly, 2007).

5. Students easily follow the sources of information of other students’ products because of the hyper linking (O’Reilly, 2007).

6. Students have to use more sensorial organs while preparing the products with web 2.0 tools and this supports more meaningful learning (Prensky, 2009).

7. Preparing different products with a variety of web 2.0 tools support students’ willingness to participate also to the other activities (Conole & Alevizou, 2010; Lu, Lai, & Law, 2010).

8. Students can easily improve their products with web 2.0 tools according to the incoming critics and this supports students’ control over their own products (Franklin, & van Harmelen, 2007; Bonk, 2009; Conole & Alevizou, 2010).

9. Mostly students are encouraged to work in groups with web 2.0 tools in a cooperative way and this helps students to share their experiences and ideas about the theme. In addition students can be more social and communicative because of this group work (O’Reilly, 2007; Lu, Lai, & Law, 2010; Conole & Alevizou, 2010; Franklin & van Harmelen, 2007).

10. Web 2.0 tools take students one step further from the textbooks because students have chance to produce content and to manipulate the content and this supports students self efficacy (Conole & Alevizou, 2010).

3. The advantages of using web 2.0 tools for the classroom environment.

1. Web 2.0 tools support more active and participatory classroom environment.

2. More friendly and respectful classroom atmosphere might be expected for students.

Lesson 1: Edmodo

Objective :

• By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to identify three ways they can incorporate Edmodo into their classroom.
• By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to successfully create their own Edmodo account and learn how to navigate within Edmodo.

Lesson 2: Voicethread

Objective :

• By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to identify three ways they can incorporate VoiceThread in their classroom.
• By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to successfully create one VoiceThread of their own, plus respond using speech or text, to one VoiceThread.

Lesson 3: Animoto

Objective :

• By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to identify three ways they can incorporate Animoto in their classroom.
• By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to successfully create one Animoto video, incorporating images, video clips, music and text.

Enjoy your journey!

References and Resources

Byrne, R. (2009). The effect of web 2.0 on teaching and learning. Teacher Librarian, 37(2), 50-53.

Dobler, E. (2012). Flattening Classroom Walls: Edmodo Takes Teaching and Learning across the Globe. Reading Today, 29(4), 12-13. VoiceThread. (n.d.). Voicethread 4 education wiki. Retrieved from http://voicethread4education.wikispaces.com/

Elmas, R., & Geban, O. (2012). Web 2.0 tools for 21st century teachers. International Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 4(1), 243-254. Retrieved from http://www.iojes.net/userfiles/Article/IOJES_795.pdf