Web+2.0+for+Educators

**ACHIEVING INFORMATION LITERACY in the 21st CENTURY**
//[Posted by Maile McGrew-Fredé]// Information Literacy in the 21st century means much more than simply being able to search and locate information. Increasingly it involves navigating a complex web of resources and tools and comprehending the legal, social, economic and ethical use of information. An entire strand of workshops and events at the NSTA (National Science Teacher's Association) conference this year [March 2011] outlined the increasing need for digital and media literacy to be taught directly in America's schools, especially within and through science education. The world-wide-web increasingly provides us with platforms, applications and presentation tools that are transforming the way we communicate. This is especially true in the sciences. Real scientists across the country communicate via internet technology and resources; and increasingly this means much more than email. There are also, blogs, wikis, digital libraries, online presentation applications and more. Power point is rapidly becoming a thing of the past, replaced by more dynamic multi-media online presentation tools such as Glogster, Animoto and Prezi. Often kids have already found these sites and use them for social networking purposes. Why not capitalize on this familiarity and find ways to utilize this 21st century literacy for science!

But first we have to catch up with the kids! Below are some helpful tools I've discovered or been lead to through coursework (this page owes a great debt to the work of Dr. Judy Moreillon of Texas Women's University), conference attendence or in the field. The first list represents tutorials and pathfinders designed to increase knowledge of and exposure to online tools. Follwing that are some links to FREE resources themselves. There is so much to explore! Please add your favorite sites to the page!

The 23 Things - An Introduction to "Web 2.0" created by the California School Library Association, this blog site is a tutorial open to the public. Check it out!

[|EdTechInnovators]- An enormous warehouse of digital tools and resources for educators...tutorials, student samples, educator project ideas and much more.

25 Tools: A Tool Box for Learning Professionals - created by B. J. Schone, this blog site is similar to 23 Things.

[|AASL's Best Websites for Learning and Teaching]list includes websites as well as Web 2.0 tools. This is an important list for this course and your future teaching.

Cool Tools for Schools offers various tools organized by type such as presentation, video, slideshows, widgets, and the like.

[|The Directory of Learning Tools] from the Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies offers a list of Web 2.0 tools by category. Note: Web-hosted ("H") means you work and save your work exclusively online; download ("D") tools reside on your computer as do the artifacts you create.

Discovery Learning! Web 2.0: Conquering Technophobia - This site has videos to show exciting Web 2.0 tool possibilities for presentations, videos, images, and more. Very enticing!


 * Libraries, Foundations and Associations**

[|NDSL] National Digital Science Library sponsored by the National Science Foundation is composed of digital work relating to K-12 science education from around the globe. Check it out!

[|NSRC] National Science Resources Center; a sprawling website of information and resources for science educators. NSRC is affiliated with the publisher STC which produces several of the science kits we utilize. See their [|teacher resources]page for more information on supporting these kits.


 * [|NSTA]**National Science Teacher's Association; a plethora of resources for science educators.

[|Edutopia]George Lucas' foundation site for educators.

[|DonorsChoose]Fund a special project for your classroom!

[|School Library Journal]An amazing site combining articles, blogs and internet resources for educators. This link will open to an article titled //See Sally Research//, by Joyce Valenza about the chaning nature of research in the 21st Century. Its worth a read!


 * Collections of Web 2.0 tools:**
 * WebTools4U2Use: "A wiki for school library media specialists to learn about cool web tools, see how they can be used in school library media programs, and share ideas & success stories."


 * This site hosted by the [|Jordan School District] includes a matrix linking Web 2.0 Tools with Robert Marzano's research-based instructional strategies.


 * Cyber-Librarian Extraordinaire [|Kathy Schrock]has an annotated list of Web 2.0 Tools.


 * Mind Mapping Tools**

[|Bubbl.us] - Upper elementary students who have previously used mind mapping tools will be able to use this one. Cacoo - This free online collaborative drawing tool offers a history feature that allows participants (and reviewers) to easily note individual contributions. [|myWebspiration]: This brainstorming tool is a free online version of Kidspiration/Inspiration. It includes templates and free-for-all brainstorming possibilities. __[|Wallwisher.com]__ This is a free online tool which allows you to build your own wall of information. You can group your posts together.

[|Animoto] - If you are a currently practicing educator, you can sign up for a **free account** that let's you make longer videos. If you are not, this site allows you to create free 30-second videos using your own images and text combined with a selection of free (or fee) music. You can purchase single or multiple longer videos.
 * Presentation Tools **

[|AndreaMosaic] - This free software program allows you to create photo mosaics.

[|Big Huge Labs] - Home of Flickr Toys - As the site says, it offers users cool things to do with their own photographs!

Glogster- This is the education site for Glogster. It allows you to upload images to create cool posters (in a school-safe environment)! See my Portrait of a Collaborator example: "Achieve Together!"

My eBook - This tool allows to you create, publish, and share your novels, cartoons, magazines, photo albums, and brochures. This product has pleasant design features.

[|Newspaper Clippings Generator] - This site offers an authentic-looking newspaper image generator that has applications in many areas of the curriculum. Images can be downloaded, saved, and printed. Other options on this site are: a clapper board, a cigarette pack... See my newspaper clipping generator "Calling all teachers!", Portrait of a Collaborator example made at fodey.com.

[|PhotoPeach] - Use this site to create a slideshow with built in transitions. Simply upload photos, pick a soundtrack, and email or embed it.

[|Photo Story](for PC Users - free downloadable software) - This tool allows you to create a slide show from your digital images with special effects, your own narration, and soundtrack. This is **not a Web 2.0 tool**, but it's a cool free tool for PC users. [|Postcard.FM] - Create an audio postcard and email it to a friend. Slideshare- Upload and share PowerPoint presentations (publicly or privately)

[|Time Line] - This free site allows you to create, save, share, and embed time lines in other Web documents.

[|Vimeo] - This is a no-cost video-hosting site. Users can set up a password to view their work. This tool is for mature student users.

[|VoiceThread] - This is an excellent tool for creating booktalks. You can make VoiceThreads public or private. You can invite students (friends and family) to view your VoiceThreads and give them the capability to post comments - or not. Here's a sample: Feathers: Booktalk by Dr. M.

Voki for Education - If you are a practicing educator, you can register and create your avatar from this link. Tight! Otherwise, use [|Voki]  Wordle - This site can convert text to a "word cloud" image

**Sources for Copyright-free Images** [|The American Memory Project] (A Project of the Library of Congress) - The images on this site are arranged in categories. Note: "It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the Library's collections. Transmission or reproduction of protected items beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Researchers must make their own assessments of rights in light of their intended use."

[|Copyright-friendly Images]: Springfield Township High School teacher-librarian Joyce Valenza's collection of links to copyright-friendly images

[|Creative Commons:] You can search Google and Flickr images from this link. Be careful. Not all of the Google images this site retrieves are copyright-free. Don't assume; read copyright information. You can also search for music and videos.

[|Discovery Education]: This copyright-free clip art is organized by topic.

Free Clip Art Pics: These cartoons by Curtis D. Tucker are copyright-free for non-commercial use. (The rules say "no more than ten per Web site.)

[|The MorgueFile]: This site provides search by subject copyright-free photographs, some of which require that you cite the source of the images you use. (The goal of the site is to promote the subscribing photographers' work.)

Pics4Learning: This site provides copyright-free images for teachers and students for classroom, fundraising, or Web distribution purposes.

[|Smithsonian Images] (for educational use - not for distribution) - The images on this site are arranged in categories. Users may browse, download, create a portfolio, or buy high-quality prints and digital images.

[|Teaching with Primary Sources] (A Project of the Library of Congress) - The American Memory Project is part of this vast collection.

**Sources for Copyright-free Music** The challenge with recommending music sites is that the fine print regarding terms of use is sometimes very fine and applies to particular songs rather than to all works downloadable from the site. I have used Creative Commons to search for copyright-free music.

Audionautix offers no copyright-free, no registration, no subscription music.

Free Sound offers just that, free sounds -- not songs!

Incompetech asks for donations for their royalty-free music.

Musopen.org is a non-profit site that allows registered users 5 standard-quality free downloads a day without copyright restrictions.

Purple Planet has royalty-free music that can be used in projects that include Web distribution.

**Evalutaion and Assessment Tools** [|Create Your Rubric]this site helps teachers automatically format a number of different types of rubrics. Check it out! [|Using Net Tools]in the Classroom Watch the introductory video by Cathy Swan on the use of social networking tools in the classroom.

**Teaching Research and Information Literacy** [|Inquiry Process Models]Does your school or district endorse a particular type of Inquiry Process model such as the BIG6 or 8Ws ? Having a singular model shared by all educators and librarians in your school can help students grasp the elements of 21st century research through multiple applications of the same steps. Check out this pathfinder list of several models out there currently.