What are Web 2.0 tools?
Let's start with an example. Below is a list of some Web 2.0 Tools organised by their function, what they do or support. But the list itself is not a static, unresponsive thing - it is made with a Web 2.0 tool called ThingLink, which can be used in a variety of ways as people (users) CREATE and SHARE content (information or material).
Click on the image to open the page, and try hovering over one of the circles to see an explanation of that tool and a link pop up!
Learning about Web 2.0 Tools for Education
What are Web 2.0 Tools?
How are they applicable to the school context?
And how can I help myself and my school to be more confident Web 2.0 tool facilitators?
This page explains what Web 2.0 tools are, considers why they should be used in an educational context, presents SAMR and Bloom's Revised Taxonomy as important considerations for technology in the classroom, and examines the "23 Things" staff training programmes.
The following presentation was made and shared by Rosamond Kellie Holland on another Web 2.0 tool: SlidePlayer (one of many slideshow tools) and was retrieved from https://slideplayer.com/slide/6014917/
Note: Tools and apps are constantly changing. Some of the examples given in this presentation are no longer available, such as the list of RSS recommendations (for which, I would recommend Feedly). However, the definitions remain helpful. More current Web 2.0 tool recommendations can be found HERE.
To view a PDF of this presentation, click on the PDF button to the left.
Quick Summary:
Web 2.0 tools enable the user to become active producers and evaluators - creating and interacting with content with others - instead of simply consuming static information on the internet.
The following three images are created by Future Exploration Network and are posted and discussed in further detail here:
https://futureexploration.net/blog/2007/05/launching_the_web_20_framework.html
To view a PDF of these three files, click on the PDF button to the left.
Why Implement Web 2.0 Tools in the Classroom:
This is their world. Empower them for it:
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Yes, it is important to plan well and implement effectively, but don't wait until you are the expert with a tool! Be a brave co-learner with your students:
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Empower those who may already be familiar with various applications.
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Model how to try something new and learn from mistakes, to empower your more hesitant students (both young and old).
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Think aloud in your process (especially with younger students) so they can learn positive self-talk when facing new technology.
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Demonstrate skills for how to explore and learn a new site/technology, with evaluative skills and safe online practices.
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This leads naturally to a discussion of inquiry-based learning (discussed HERE), which is for all ages and subject areas!
This is their world. Build in them the resources to evaluate it and judge accurately for themselves:
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"[M]ainstream culture has normalized the idea that because everyone has an opinion, all opinions are equally valid" (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2017, p.9).
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It is our duty “to provide the young with the tools and understandings necessary for interpreting the constructed nature of popular culture, and to provide a critical view” (Merchant, 2007, p. 125).
This is their world. Help your lessons be more relevant by using today's tools:
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“[Y]oung people continue to use emerging technologies in their personal lives, even if a large number of educators have not yet found ways to meaningfully integrate them into the classroom” (Robin, 2008, p. 221).
This is their world. Give them choices to find their voice:
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"Offering students a space to create in multiple formats through multiple methods, including technology and online tools, breaks down the barriers I've seen when a blank piece of paper and a pencil are placed in front of a student” (Plemmons, 2014).
This is their world. Don't leave them to have to encounter it alone:
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"[The internet is] the library you would expect to find in the type of gothic house you see in horror films: huge and rambling, with long corridors leading off into the middle of nowhere, small rooms packed with frequently used material...and yet other places shrouded in darkness from which one can hear rather nasty noises" (Bradley, 2000).
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“Young people are not rendered safer when schools block access to these sites; instead, blocking ensures that many kids will be forced to confront online risks on their own” (Losh and Jenkins, 2012, Shifting Fo cixs [sic.] to Solutions that Support Learning section, para. 3).
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“Young people may not need adults snooping over their shoulders, but they certainly need adults helping to watch their backs” (Losh & Jenkins, 2012, What Can We Do-and Not Do? Section, para. 4).
This is their world. But it is our world, too!
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"In the classroom, differentiating instruction is one of the main struggles for an educator. Technology integration offers educators ways to pace student lessons based on the student's level and multiple intelligence" (Elliot, 2016, para. 5).
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"With the further development of the internet and rise of social networking tools educators have many online options in terms of how and where they seek self-regulated PD” (Moreillon, 2016, p.65).
Where does this come from? References:
Bradley, P. (2000). The advanced internet searcher's handbook, 2nd Edition. London, UK: Library Association
Elliot, H. (2016, September 28). The importance of education technology in our changing world [Web blog post]. Retrieved from https://edblog.smarttech.com/2016/09/importance-education-technology-changing-world
Losh, E., & Jenkins, H. (2012). Can public education coexist with participatory culture? Knowledge Quest, 41(1), 16-21. Retrieved from ProQuest Database.
Merchant, G. (2007). Writing the future in the digital age. Literacy, 41(3), 118-128. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9345.2007.00469.x
Moreillon, J. (2016). Building your personal learning network (PLN): 21st-Century school librarians seek self-regulated professional development online. Knowledge Quest, 44(3), 64-69. Retrieved from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1087618.pdf
Plemmons, A. (2014). Building a Culture of Creation. Teacher Librarian, 41(5), 12-16.
Robin, B. (2008). Digital storytelling: A powerful technology tool for the 21st century classroom. Theory Into Practice, 27, 220-228. DOI: 10.1080/00405840802153916
Sensoy, O., & DiAngelo, R. (2017). Is everyone really equal?: An introduction to key concepts in social justice education. Teachers College Press.
PSA Technology - Mobile, by Jessica Wise. Video retrieved from https://www.schrockguide.net/literacies-for-the-digital-age.html
Application to the Classroom:
Web 2.0 tools can enhance the learning experience - for students and teachers - by providing increased opportunities, boundless resources, and novel pathways for collaboration, inquiry, evaluation, and product creation.
Important Considerations when Implementing Web 2.0 Tools in the Classroom:
The SAMR model and Bloom's Revised Taxonomy.
"Since the cognitive processes are meant to be used when necessary, and any learner goes in and out of the each level as they acquire new content and turn it into knowledge," this image communicates this different take on Bloom's Revised Taxonomy (Schrock, 2011, para. 5).
Common Sense Education (2016a) has created an excellent introductory video, explaining Bloom's original Taxonomy from the 1950's, how that was later updated to create Blooms Revised Taxonomy, and then how this can be applied to digital tools and tasks, in various formats, such as in the image to the right.
Common Sense Education (2016b) attempts to explain the SAMR Model - a way for teachers to consider and evaluate how they use technology in the classroom. Common Sense Education discusses this more fully on their page, SAMR and Bloom's Taxonomy: Assembling the Puzzle, by Ruben Puentedura (2014), the originator of SAMR. His original SAMR diagram is shown right, originally from his website, http://www.hippasus.com/rrpweblog/.
Dr. Puentedura's original SAMR image. There have been many takes on this since it first came out. Image originally from http://hippasus.com/ but retrieved from https://www.schrockguide.net/samr.html.
Dr. Puentedura explains his SAMR model. While there are many explanatory videos from a variety of sources, this is excellent, and from the originator himself. Video created and posted by Common Sense Education, and retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQTx2UQQvbU
Anderson (2013), the "ICT Evangelist", has created a helpful flowchart for assessing what level of SAMR an intended task is at.
Schrock (2011), has assembled tables of online tools, G Suite apps, Android apps, and iPad apps according to Bloom's Revised Taxonomy. While others attempt to create such tables, often visually constructed as a pyramid and thus a congested top level, these tools change so quickly that a static image is not useful. Schrock, however, continues to update hers, and is open to recommendations. Click on the image below to go to her "Bloomin' Apps" page.
References:
Anderson, M. (2013). SAMR: For purposeful use of educational technology. Retrieved from https://ictevangelist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/SAMR-flow-chart.pdf
Common Sense Education. (2016a, July 12). What is Bloom's Digital Taxonomy? Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqgTBwElPzU&feature=emb_rel_pause
Common Sense Education. (2016b, July 12). What is the SAMR Model? Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL8TjVyuBdsCmZeSjU-l4qCpX11XENxsRi&time_continue=4&v=9b5yvgKQdqE&feature=emb_logo
Schrock, K. (2011). Bloomin' apps. Retrieved from https://www.schrockguide.net/bloomin-apps.html
Training in Web 2.0 Tools
for School and Library Staff:
One of the most well-known Web 2.0 training programs is called Learning 2.0, commonly referred to as "23 Things," and was created by Helene Blowers for the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County in August 2006 for their 352 PLCMC participants (Blowers, 2007). It is an online training programme designed to introduce Web 2.0 tools for teaching and learning in a non-threatening, participatory format. It has since been replicated countless times (over 750 within the first year) and numerous articles and research studies have been conducted regarding it's format and efficacy (see the References and Resources below). For example, Blowers herself provides 10 tips for conducting this training (Blowers, 2008, see right).
Learning at the Web 2.0 Café, by Mela Vallentgoed, Ella Munro, Kevin Lo, and Danielle Blackstock.
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Twitter
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Screen-Cast-O-Matic
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Google Sites
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Padlet
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Google Forms
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Google Earth
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Animoto
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We Video
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Comic Life 3
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Feedly
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Pinterest
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Netvibes
Web 2.0 Tools, by Jessica Bonin, Robyn Kuseler, and Karen Teague.
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Survey Monkey
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Diigo
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VoiceThread
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Book Creator
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TinkerCAD
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Twitter
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Flipgrid
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Flipboard
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Pinterest
Time to Play, by Devika Chudy, Emily Huang, Jillian Knuttila, and Shannon Smith.
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Skype
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QR Codes
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FreshGrade
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Google Forms
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Google Calendar
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Google My Maps
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iMovie
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Green Screen
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Book Creator
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Feedly
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Pinterest
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Wakelet
The following 5 online training modules were created collaboratively in 2019 by teachers and teacher-librarians, with each site created for a different fictitious school setting in Canada. Based on the Learning 2.0 model ("23 Things"), the sites are designed to introduce school coworkers to Web 2.0 tools for teaching and learning.
While the school is fictitious, the specific tool training can be very helpful. Use the list of tools to help you pick which site(s) might me useful to you.
Another option for learning about Web 2.0 tools:
This is a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course), openly available to anyone for free, although one can choose to pay for a certificate upon completion. It is self-paced and approximately 15 hours in total. The course is designed by the University of Houston System and run through Coursera.
12 Things, by Joseph Jeffery, Jacquie Strom, Darren Dornstauder and Shannon Thiessen Burton
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Google Classroom
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Google Forms
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Screencast-O-Matic
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Pinterest
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YouTube
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Book Creator
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Adobe Spark Video
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Blogger
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Bubbl.us
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Scratch
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Goodreads
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Pictochart
Learning 2.0, by Kathy Gyori, Debbie Woodfine, Jolene Bales, and Susan Gilmour.
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Wix
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Blogger
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Word Art
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Google Classroom
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Survey Monkey
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Diigo
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YouTube
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VoiceThread
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Adobe Spark
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Pinterest
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Feedly
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Pearltrees
Where does this come from? References and Resources:
See also the "Building Your PLN" page.
Casa-Todd, J. (2017). Social LEADia: Moving students from digital citizenship to digital leadership. Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.
My MOOC. (n.d.). Powerful tools for teaching and learning Web 2.0 tools. Retrieved from https://www.my-mooc.com/en/mooc/newtechtools/
The Original "23 Things" Learning 2.0 Program by Helene Blowers:
Blowers, H. (2007, January 12). Learning 2.0 message. Retrieved from http://plcmclearning.blogspot.com/
Recommended Articles Regarding "23 Things"
(List originally compiled by Jennifer Branch-Mueller)
Blowers, H. (2008). Ten tips about 23 things. School Library Journal, 54(10), 53.
Gross, J., & Leslie, L. (2008). Twenty-three steps to learning web 2.0 technologies in an academic library. The Electronic Library, 26(6), 790-802. doi: 10.1108/02640470810921583
Gross, J., & Leslie, L. (2010). Learning 2.0: A catalyst for library organisational change. The Electronic Library, 28(5), 657-668. doi: 10.1108/02640471011081942
Lenox, M., & Coleman, M. (2010). Using social networks to create powerful learning communities. Computers in Libraries, 30(7), 12-17. Retrieved from http://login.ezproxy.library.ualberta.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/749790200?accountid=14474
Quinney, K. L., Smith, S. D., & Galbraith, Q. (2010). Bridging the gap: Self-directed staff technology training. Information Technology and Libraries, 29(4), 205-213.
Stephens, M. & Cheetham, W. (2012). “Benefits and results of Learning 2.0: a case study of City Libraries Learning – discover*play*connect.” Australian Library Journal, 61(1), 6-15.
Stephens, M., & Cheetham, W. (2012). The Impact and Effect of Learning 2.0 Programs in Australian Public Libraries. Evidence Based Library And Information Practice, 7(1), 53-64.
The 10 Tips from Blowers' (2008)
"Ten Tips About 23 Things"
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Encourage networking and the learning will follow
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Allow participants to blog anonymously
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Use 1.0 methods to communicate
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Encourage group discovery
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Design the program for late bloomers
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Focus on discovery, not skill building
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Reward staff for learning
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Online means hands-on, not hands off
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Enable transparency and practice radical trust
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Continually encourage staff to play
Social LEADia:
Jennifer Casa-Todd, Canadian teacher-librarian, is passionate about helping teachers and students see how they can use technology and social media to make the world a better place. Her book, Social LEADia: Moving Students from Digital Citizenship to Digital Leadership, is an interesting and useful resource for teachers and teacher-librarians.
Website: https://jcasatodd.com/
https://www.socialleadia.org/, with resources to accompany each chapter.
Twitter: @JCasaTodd, #socialLEADia
Student Safety and Privacy Issues When Using Web 2.0 Tools in the Classroom:
1. Find out what the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) is for your political area, although there may be naming variations.
For example, in Canada, each province and territory will have have it's own FIPPA.
For British Columbia, Canada, their FIPPA quick guide is:
Office of the Privacy Commissioner of BC. (2015). Guide to access and privacy protection under FIPPA. Retrieved from https://www.oipc.bc.ca/guidance-documents/1466
And the full British Columbian FIPPA is:
Government of BC. (1996). Freedom of information and protection of privacy act. Retrieved from http://www.bclaws.ca/Recon/document/ID/freeside/96165_00
2. Generally, it all comes down to this: DON'T PUT STUDENT INFORMATION ONLINE.
Be particularly careful with full names, photos showing student faces, and any academic information that is not secure and private.
You can still use Web 2.0 Tools which require login information. You can do this a couple of different ways:
A. Set up masked student accounts with made-up names and email addresses. The down-side of this is that students do not have the same ownership because it's not their account and their work to keep.
B. Send home parental consent forms. This is the best in the long run, but is a lot of work at the start. You must also have a back-up plan for those students who have not (yet) returned the form, or whose parents have declined consent.
Check with your school administration, since there may be consent forms already in place, but also check what is covered specifically in that form.