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=Top 5 Web 2.0 Tools Every Teacher Should Be Using!= The idea of web 2.0 tools has been around for a while now. I have found so many tools that I have really loved to use in the classroom and sharing with other teachers. I have done a variety of workshops on these and decided to share some of the top 5 that I think all teachers should be using.

My list quickly changed as I found out that there are other sessions like this one going on and I didn't want to steal their thunder, and there were so many different tools it was hard to choose. When I found out some of the tools they were using were ones I was going to use, I modified my list. I hope that there is something in this session that you will be able to implement into your classroom next year.

10 Tools for younger kids - []

Wikispaces - Collaboration
[|http://wikispaces.com] - Make sure you sign up for the educator account.

I love the use of wikispaces in all ages as it is a great way to give out information quickly as well as a place where students can collaborate and add information to your topics. Wikispaces is great because it offers a lot to teachers and gives them the ability to create student accounts. Whether you have students make their own or you have them edit one you created, it gives them the ability to work on something that is living and allows them to read and write on the interenet.

Wikis are a great way to discuss the content that should be on the internet, how easy it is to create and modify content on the internet, as well as the ethical ramifications of what you do on the internet.

Notes About Creating and Using a Wiki Great Resource on how to - []

Glogster - Creativity
[] This has become one of my favorite tools as it is so easy to use and the menus are simple. This is a great k-12 tool that can be used instead of writing papers. Kids loving creating Glogsters and the education version allows you to set up the accounts for your students in a virtual classroom.

Sample 1 Sample 2

Here is a teacher who embeds her Glogster into her page - http://ktitraci.wikispaces.com/Glogster

Google Search Glogster

[[image:MyHero.jpg width="294" height="377" align="right"]]Digital Story Telling
In this category I listed more than one item. I think that anyway that you can get a student to write creatively is important. I think the tough part for most students is they don't know where to start. When I had high school students and I would let them choose the content of their project many would sit there for days trying to think of something. When I gave them the idea for their content they would complain about how stupid it was. I think if you can get a student thinking about the content in a creative way you can get them to start writing creatively.

That is why I included so many different pieces of software for this category. With that I think it would be cool for teachers to start thinking about how to make the students have some ownership to these stories. I think think that is when you start exploring things like [|http://lulu.com] and have the chld create a book to seel and order. ​ [] [|http://myths.e2bn.org] [|http://cpbherofactory.com] [|http://goanimate.com] [|http://kerpoof.com]

media type="custom" key="6273739" align="right"Images and Slide Shows
Here is another category that I found more than one item to share with you. And like any other time that I go searching for something to work on, I get distracted by new items. I love these tools because you can bring in video, text, and pictures and put together some pretty cool showcases. PowerPoint is over 15 years old and students have been doing PhotoStory projects for about 5 years and since they were in about 2nd grade. These tools allow for the same skills but a better overall project.

Animoto - [|http://education.animoto.com] Animoto Flyer - [] Animoto Sample

PhotoPeach - [|http://photopeach.com] Sample

Pixable - [] Allows you to create photobooks, calendars, and photo mosaics from your facebook, computer, flicker, and more. A great way to create a class collage or a family photo.

Pixable Sample

Slide - [|http://slide.com]

This site allows you to use all your pictures in a slideshow, customize the picture, or create a guestbook. Great for teachers that take a lot of pictures and don't know what to do with them. Create one about your classroom and then have them showing at parents night.

VuVox - [|http://vuvox.com]

I just came across this site today and have not played around with it enough but looking at the examples. I think it would be fun way to do current events and other slideshows. Remember to let the kids create and demonstrate how to use it.
 * Use **COLLAGE** to quickly produce dynamic interactive panoramas with hot-spots.
 * Use **STUDIO** to build a personalized media presentation... and, place it in your COLLAGE.
 * Use **EXPRESS** to build presentations with dynamic content from RSS feeds and online albums.
 * Tap into **CUT-OUT Express** to use your photos as frames for slideshows.

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Timelines and Research
Remember when having to do a report on an event or a person meant having to write a paper. There are so many other things that our students can create that bring in the same skills. The best part about using web 2.0 tools to help with this process is the students can post and embed the final product so it goes beyond just the teacher reading it.

One tool that I really like for this is [|http://timetoast.com]. Here students can create a timeline that allows them to put in information and pictures about the event or person. It still requires a lot of research and writing, but to a student it is small chunks that they can put together easier.

If you want to make it easier for timeline research as well you should try using the other searches in Google. Like timeline, wonderwheel, and Squared ([]).

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Just some other cool tools
[] - This could be a cool intro. [|http://ful.ly] - This site allows you to combine multiple URL's into one shortened URL [|http://tinyurl.com] - Allows you to create some short URLs great with Google Forms [|http://whenisgood.net] - Establish Meeting times. [|http://vixy.net]- Easy FLV converter.

- A great resource for a lot of web 2.0 tools. [|http://wordle.net] []