In yet another attempt to get at the enormous backlog I have of sites worth sharing, I’m going to begin a regular feature called “The Week In Web 2.0.” It’ll be a short compilation of new decent sites that are worth noting, but not necessarily worth a separate post:
Group Zap joins a long list of online virtual “corkboards.” It has some nice features, including the ability to convert your board to a PDF and being able to “drag-and-drop” images and documents from your files. You can’t add photos by their url addresses, unlike some other similar sites, and there’s a limit in the number of photos and files you can upload for free. Nevertheless, I’m adding it to The Best Online Virtual “Corkboards” (or “Bulletin Boards”).
Word Dynamo lets you easily create word lists and games and flash cards through which to study them. It doesn’t seem to allow the addition of images, though, which reduces its usefulness to ELL’s. It’s one of the easiest tools out there, though, to create flash cards, so I’m adding it to The Best Tools To Make Online Flashcards.
Flixmaster is a new online video-editing tool (it’s still not open to the public, but I got an invitation pretty quickly after signing-up for one) that lets you easily create interactive videos. It looks like a great way to make a “Choose Your Own Adventure” video that doesn’t necessarily have to be hosted on YouTube. I’m adding it to The Best Places To Read & Write “Choose Your Own Adventure” Stories.
Get Vega is another new site that’s not quite open to the public, but which seems to give out invitations quite quickly. It’s one of the easiest tools out there to make lists of just about anything, and you can add images with url addresses. It could be very, very helpful with students. However, I can’t recommend it for general classroom use right now because their slogan — in very big letters — “Kick-A_s Lists” — is just not one I want to be seeing on laptops in my classroom or on desktops in the computer lab.
Keep The Record is an online audio-conferencing tool which can include up to ten participants and provide a permanent recording. I learned about it from Nik Peachey. I’m adding it to The Best Online Tools For Real-Time Collaboration.
Good morning,
Our school is encountering a “Catch 22, Web 2.0 style” and I wondered if you have any ideas or suggestions. Our Lower School is very interested in going forward with Web 2.0 projects with kids in grades 4-5. A number of the programs we are looking require email accounts for registration and the students are under 13. We’ve sent parent letters home requesting their approval to create email accounts for the students and some want no part of that.
Do you have a “list” of Web 2.0 sites that do not require individual email accounts for access? How have other schools dealt with this issue?
Thanks for all you provide
frank adsit
the bolles school
jacksonville, fl
Frank,
My over fifty-part series on creating online content easily and quickly shares over 200 tools to create web content without registering for sites. In addition, I have a “The Best” list where people can create temporary email accounts that self-destruct and can be used to register for other Web 2.0 sites.
Larry
Good collections of tools, and these are not only suitable for students, they are also good for business purposes.