Web+2.0

Web 2.0 Tools has a multitude of uses in the classroom, which would not only benefit the teacher and his/her students, but also parents. By incorporating a variety of these web-based tools it would make it easier to communicate with parents, show-case students work, as well as give students a wide range of options in completing and presenting their classroom assignments.

While some of the Web 2.0 Tools hyperlinks didn't speak to me, there were a few that I immediately recognized as being valuable. I know that they will enrich my teaching approach with my students and will certainly motivate the way my students will look at doing class work.

The most appealing "read and write," application that appealed to me most was Google Docs(@http://www.google.com/google-d-s/documents). The reason this captured my interest the most is because it would it could help my students with peer editing eachother's work. I would use this in a research/report capacity, whereby first my students would gather their resources, hand-write their report, and then type out the completed product. Just as students complete a rough and final when they compile their reports, my students would follow this same process, but in word processing format.

Students would each be assigned peer editing partners and would each be responsible for accessing and editing eachother's work. I too, would monitor and assess each students work on google docs. Doing this would help me keep track of how each of my students work together and how they work in the capacity of collaborative group work.

The second benefit to having students peer edit eachothers papers is that it is easily accessible. If students do not have computers to work on at home, I would have them work in the computer lab at school. If I am at a school that has access to a portable computer lab (labtops), we would do it as a class, and per editing partners would each share a laptop.

When students first begin school, I would use the slideshow application ([]) as an icebreaker for the class as a whole. On the first day of school I would introduce myself, by sharing pictures that would illustrate who I am. I would incorporate pictures of my family, and show what kinds of things I enjoy doing. My purpose would be to help my students learn about me and help them to see that I am not just there teacher, but aside from school, I am a mother and wife. I want my students to feel comfortable with me, and in presenting my life in a slide show format, I hope to open the door to a close relationship with them.

I would then assign my students the task of bringing in pictures that tell about ther lives. I would then create a slide show of thier pictures and present those to the whole class. I would also attach each of their images to their parents email. During the year, my goal would be to teach them how to upload thier own images and create a slide. As a culminating activity for the end of the year, we would invite parents to a slide show presentation party. Each student would play an active role in presenting their school experiences to the class, and thier parent/s. Sharing their expereinces will give parents a glimpse into what their child did at school, hence offering another form of parent involvement.

Blogger ([]) is a blogging website that I would use to maintain on-going commication between me and each of my students, for reflective journal for each student, and as newsletter for parents to access.

Again, in an ideal world, the school I work at would have a portable laptop lab for us to use when we needed the. Student would be required to check maintain their own blog site and keep it updated at least once a week. I would most likely have them reflect on their week everf Friday and then check any and reply to my response to their thoughts.

To keep parents in the loop, I would also maintain a monthly or weekly update of what our class is doing. This would give the parents who cannot volunter in class an opportunity to be involved in a written capacity. They would have the opportunity to add comments or too, to create their own blog sites, which would pertain to their child.

When students are doing major research projects, for example, a Native American unity study. Pairs of students would be assigned to a specific cultural region and and would be responsible for acquiring topic related information. After they had it written down and compiled, I would require them to use [] in the culminating activity. They would be required to present all their research in a powerpoint format. Part of the criteria for thier presentations would be to use clip art, sounds and transitions to bring life to their projects. Then, they would present it to the whole class.

I would also use this website for my own instruction time. If I was presenting information about specific topics, I would present it using this format.

Parents are so limited with their time these days. Getting into the classroom, or volunteeing their time is becoming less common. The state of the economy has forced parents to contribute long hours at work, and has kept parents from having little to no time to be actively involved in their child/s school life. In considering his reality, I think that creating a classroom website would help parents to "tune in" to what their kids are doing at school ([]). By creating this, I would include pictures of students, classroom notes, homework assignments, letters to parents, dates to remember, supply lists and classroom topics of study. This way, parents are kept in the loop, and are able to feel like they are involved in some way.

As you can see, technology keeps people connected. With the our ever changing economy, it is important that students, parents, and teachers have access to a variety of communication tools. By doing this, information is relied quicker, and no one is left out fo the communication loop.