has some of my favorite web 2.0 tools that I use every day at school. The most frequent tool on this website that I use is the name picker. (pictured above) This tool allows you to list words and then puts them into a slot machine and randomly spins and selects a "winner". I use this as part of my classroom management. I have students who I "catch" working hard or doing a nice job and have them type their name into the classtools list on my computer. They know the more they get their name in, if at all, the better chance they have to win an eagle egg. (PBIS recognition award at our school.) I have also used it to call on students randomly to answer questions, or make groups/partners.
There are a handful of additional tools on classtools.net as well that are super helpful. A few other ones I have used is a countdown timer that plays music, and fakebook- where you can make a fake Facebook profile page.
Ashley the countdown timer is an awesome find! As our fifth grade gets ready for Simulated Congressional Hearings we are always trying to time speeches and coordinate the question and answer sessions. This visual timer is a big improvement over the paper cards. Even better, I can upload my own songs, patriotic songs in this case, and the students will become more familiar with the sing alongs as we rehearse. Now, who has "Fifty Nifty States" as an mp3?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhDrGnjacvA
Haha...I have not yet uploaded my own music to the timer. I'll have to try that. Great idea! :)
ReplyDeleteThe 6th grade science teachers at my school have their kids create review games via this web 2.0 tool. The kids love it!!!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like there are a lot of great tools for teachers at this site. Are they all Web 2.0 tools?
ReplyDeleteThe name picker and countdown timer is probably not technically a Web 2.0. However, the game maker on classtools.net allows people to make and share their own games and fakebook allows sharing...would that qualify as Web 2.0?
ReplyDeleteClasses could use this tool to create a game that another class within their school or across the globe could play as part of a telecolaborative project. This seems like a good activity for lower grades as well as middle and high schoolers.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea, Natalie. I will have to give that a try. I'm sure students would love playing games that their friends (whether in school or online) have created. Having that authentic audience to review their game would probably be very motivating.
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