Scrapblog - Creativity & Creation Tool

Try using Scrapblog for one or more of your creation tasks -- Better yet, ask your students to give it a try! It has a free option and is fairly easy to start and quick to learn. To view some other educational examples, check these out:

Generation We - Website, free PDF book

Read about how Millenials are taking over America and changing our world forever...

Website
http://www.gen-we.com/


Book (free PDF download)
http://gen-we.com/sites/default/files/GenWe_EntireBook3.pdf

Wikis in Education

Here are some screen shots of the information below about using wikis in education:

 

What is a Wiki?

• from Hawaiian term “wiki” for “quick"
• web-based collaborative publishing
• dynamic knowledge base
• uses: group work, organization, or sharing (projects, meetings, repository) 
• open or closed community 
• history - database of all changes

Wikis in action… (samples)

• WetPaint
  
• pbWorks (formerly pbWiki)
  
• Wikispaces

Wiki Uses

Student Uses (student-generated/maintained)

• Collaborative Reflections (journal, pre/post readings, class activities or projects)
• Portfolio space
• Project wiki - individual students or groups; keep as a resource webpage after
• Peer Editing or Feedback space (follow changes)
• Individual/pair/group/team/class wiki
• Task list
• Presentation tool (not PPT) - non-linear & accessible to all
• Build ongoing resource for course
• Upload notes/documents to save/share
• Discussion and debate center (careful with topic/names)

Teacher Uses

• Current Events - organize by topic, not date (or both)
• Homework/project updates
• (Dynamic) Syllabus with links to additional resources (or blogs, wikis, etc.)
• Question & Response (teacher-lead)
• Expert in field/college collaboration pages
• Feedback space (general/no names)
• Save work from class each semester; start new
• Collaborative research/writing (papers, books, conference presentations)
• Department or professional reflections, updates, information (like an Intranet)
  

Blogging in Education (Student & Teacher Uses)

Here are some screen shots of the information below about blogs and blogging in education:

What are Blogs?

• Web pages (easy, quick) - “web log” (meaning... web-based/ chronological)
• Usually (but not necessarily) for an individual (but pair, group, classroom, teacher or admin team blogs work well too!)
  
• Mostly text, but can have pictures, audio, and video
• Automatic notification of changes (RSS)
• Public or “private”
  
• Started as personal journal/diary
• But now: business updates, editorials, current event documentation, community groups, government, educational communications & more…
• Community-based; links; comments; trackbacks
• # of Blogs = 133+ million blogs (as of 12/08); 71 million (4/07); 60 million (12/06); 28.6 million (2/06);     23.4 million (12/05); 21.6 million (11/05)

Educational Uses for Blogs:

•  weekly journals
•  reading notes &/or reflections
•  images of works or observations
•  audio (spoken) reflections or presentations
•  Any of the above…with links to other websites or blogs, images, etc.
  

Student Uses - all focused on discussion/responses

• Reflections (journal, pre/post readings, class activities or projects)
• Project or learning log
• Question & Response (student-lead)
• Peer Editing (brief!) or Feedback space
• Extension/application postings
• Audio blog (podcast), photo blog, or video blog (& explanations)
• Individual/pair/group/team/class blogs
• Portfolio - Personal blog on learning experiences/extensions

Teacher Uses - all focused on discussion/responses

• Reflections or extensions on the lesson/current topic
• Current Events
• Homework/project updates
• Question & Response (teacher-lead)
• Expert in field/college postings
• Feedback space (general/no names)
• Audio blog (podcast), photo blog, or video blog (& explanations)
• Pre-class question/image/video (Anticipatory Set or Engagement)
• Post-class question/image/video (Practice or Extension)
• Department or professional reflections, updates, information

What is Web 2.0?

From http://dictionary.com

Definition:      

the second generation of the World Wide Web in which content is user-generated and dynamic, and software is offered that mimics desktop programs

Example:      Web 2.0 encourages collaboration and communication between users

Etymology:      2004

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For teaching and learning...
Online applications, often free (or a free option), that allow the user to contribute in some way -- add content (words, images, video, audio, etc.), comment or give feedback, create or modify something already in existance...

From Tim O'Reilly (from 2005):

The web as platform... harnessing collective intelligence... (and) richer user experiences...

From Jeff Chandler (from 2007):

These sites are often social environments where ordinary people provide the content, and every thing’s free or as close to free as possible.

...The most lauded of these new sites are about social interaction and collaborative content.

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Some examples of Web 2.0 tools/sites for educators, administrators, and students include:

• Blogs - Blogger (this site), ClassroomBlogmeister, Edublogs
  
• Wikis - Wikispaces, PBworks, WetPaint
• Creation/Synthesis (present/share) - Scrapblog, Voicethread, Delicious, Slideshare, ANIMOTO, Aviary, Prezi
  
• Videos (present/share) - YouTube, TeacherTube, Vimeo