Web 2.0 Tools

Which Web 2.0 tools did you explore and how might they be used in the classroom to promote communication and/or reflection?

When completing my course assignments, I explored the use of blogs, podcasts, media sharing, and social networking as classroom tools.  I believe that each of these could be beneficial when teaching about global climate change and when teaching about all STEM topics.

Blogs would be especially beneficial for lessons/topics in which students needed to share information to be reviewed by their peers.  Blogs could also be used by the teacher in order to inform students of necessary course information, links, etc.

Podcasts seems like a fun idea that students would love!  Students could create their own Podcasts using software such as iMovie and share them with classmates.  Students could create Podcasts to teach about an assigned section, or simply to present independent research.

Media sharing could be used in Biology as a way for students to share photographs of lab results with their classmates and teacher.  For example, students could photograph a bacterial culture at specified intervals and upload photos in order to create a comparison over time.

Social networking is the final web tool which I explored.  Students are already actively participating in social networking outside of the classroom so it only makes sense to use it for educational purposes.  Teachers could create a Facebook or Twitter page for their class and use it to communicate with students and to allow students to communicate with each other regarding the course.