Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom Visually

Attributed to www.wordle.net

Your kids will love wordles. This is a wordle visual representation of the new book Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom. Each word in the Wordle depicts a part of the book whether it is a chapter title like Blogs or Wikis or teacher exercises or the subject areas covered such as language arts, social studies and science. Check out the book at www.neal-schuman.com/and visit my website at http://sites.google.com/site/bevseducationalwebsite/ that accompanies the book for new ideas, examples of Web 2.0 tools in the classroom and more teacher and library media specialist exercises to practice using the tools in the classroom.

If you have new ideas, send me a comment.

Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom is Here!

My third book "Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom is here. Check the publisher site at http://www.neal-schuman.com/blog/?p=73 and take a look at the accompanying web site at www.neal-schuman.com/webclassroom.

Check it out--lots of practical ideas for using Web 2.0 tools in different subject areas, handouts to copy, and exercises to try. Each chapter has a unit plan on topics in literature, writing, science, social studies and English as a Second Language.

A Newsletter for K-12 Librarians and Teachers

Librarians/Teachers, are you familiar with the newsletter Information Searcher, designed for K-12 educators who want to use technology in the curriculum? This quarterly newsletter, written for and by librarians, is great for educators who are interested in incorporating technology into their lessons. It contains articles on the latest technologies being used in K-12 and provides ideas on how to get started, sites to visit for curriculum ideas and projects. Books, such as Podcasting at School or Educator's Podcast Guide, were reviewed in the last issue. A complementary web site contains additional ideas and suggestions for using the Internet in the curriculum. Check out the web site.

250,000 Free Wikis for K-12 Educators

If you haven't heard, Wikispaces.com has committed to offering 250,000 free wikis for K-12 educators on their website. They had previously offered 100,000 and had such a good response that they have agreed to offer 250,000 more. Check their site to see what teachers are saying about this unprecedented offer.

Podcasting Ideas

When using technology we want curriculum to be the most important aspect. I want teachers and librarians to see how technologies such as podcasting can be integral to curriculum at all grade levels and subjects areas. Go to http://socpodcasts.wordpress.com/2007/07/10/podcast171-brainstorming-k-12-curricular-uses-of-podcasting/ and listen to a podcast where educators suggest a myriad of ways that they plan to use podcasting in their classrooms. At least one or more ideas will be useful and perhaps initiate ideas of your own to use with your classes. Try it and send your comments with new ideas!

Teacher Resources

Have you “tapped in” to the website known as “Tapped In”? This website manned by library media specialists with special sessions provided by teachers is a site that gives you teaching tips and focus on a variety of topics including ESL, math, language arts, and more. All month long you can sign up for special sessions on topics of interest to you. Check the calendar for Tapped In at http://tappedin.org/tappedin/do/CalendarAction.

Watch for a new book!

My third book--Using Web 2.0 Tools in the K-12 Classroom--designed for K-12 educators will be published by Neal-Schuman this Fall. Bev's Website will accompany the book with a link to my blog.

I have created this blog so that K-12 librarians and teachers can find tips and tricks related to the Web 2.0 technologies in my book--podcasts, wikis, blogs, VoiceThread, Google Tools, digital storytelling, and social bookmarking. I want you to send your comments so that all educators can benefit from the experiences of others.

Share your ideas with your colleagues and I'll try to find educational sites where teachers and library media specialists are using technology to improve student learning to give you new ideas too.

For example, have you gone to Teacher Tube? http://www.teachertube.com/ Here you can find videos on a variety of subjects from Marco Polo or Ben Franklin Flies His Kites to the transcontinental railroad. Check out this site to see if there is a video that your students might find interesting.