There have been some new Web 2.0 applications that have recently been unveiled, and I thought I’d share a few of them in one post. They all seem decent, but ultimately I think there are better programs for English Language Learners doing similar things.

I learned about GabSight from Teaching Learners With Multiple Special Needs. It’s a very easy way to send a video email. For me, though, since we don’t have webcams (and are unlikely to get them) I was impressed that you could also use it to send an audio email if you didn’t have a camera. Daft Doggy Voice Recording is a little easier to use since it has an email feature built into it (with GabSight you have to copy and paste), but I have to say the GabSight audio seems a little clearer.

Webware reports that Photobucket has revamped their ability to let you create slideshows. It is a lot better than it was, and allows you to grab images off the Web. However, the creation process appears more complicated than a number of other online slideshow tools, including One True Media.

Finally, Confabio is a new easy way for video conferencing. It seems okay, but doesn’t allow only voice conferencing. MeBeam and TokBox are two other easy online video conferencing applications, but they also allow you to just use voice if you don’t have a webcam.

Links to these applications can be found on my Examples of Student Work and my Teacher’s pages.