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=**Web 2.0 Resources**=

Holiday Music for those with ADD...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kYEK-pxs_A&feature=player_embedded

Jeff's Thought on Web tools..

Overview: When deal instructing special needs students I have found that engagement is one of the real keys to their success. When looking at the different kinds of free Web Tools that educators have available to them its important to choose those pieces of software that best suit the needs and interests of your students. This does not just only apply to those who have special needs, but all students as well. Also it is critical that you have a complete understanding of the software before you ask the students to use it. Each of the Web Tools below have similar functions. It is up to you as the educator to apply them to the content they will best supplement.

Examples of free web tools:

GoAnimate This is a fun site where kids can create their own animated movies.

[|Wix.com] This is a good site for creating your own flash page web sites.

** [|**http://www.glogster.com/**] **
Nicole: This is a great place to create free virtual posters. Teachers and/or students can create them. The user can add sound, links, videos, and text. It is a great way for a students to demonstrate what they have learned or posters can be made by the teacher for students to enhance their learning. The glogs can be embedded on blogs and wikis.

=http://ziipa.com/=

=iTunesU= ITunesU provides over 200,000 educational audio and video files from top universities, museums and public media organizations from around the world that students can use for learning. Audio and video files are free. Students can downloaded the audio files and video files to laptops, desktops, and mobile devices. This allows students the opportunity to hear and see again and again podcasts anywhere. This is a great resource for all students.

=http://soshiku.com/=

Crystal: Soshiku allows a person to manage everything related to school assignments. The site has four main sections. The home page shows all overdue or upcoming assignments, the five recent tasks assigned and a search bar to look for a specific assignment. The courses page help organize your assignments for the course(s) you belong to. The assignment page allows you to save notes, manage tasks, attach files and share messages with classmates on projects even if they are located 2 hours away. There is one more page that allows required partners to monitor each other’s tasks. Honestly, I have never seen this website before Suzie mentioned it in class. I can see where it would help a student that has organization issues and finances are an issue. =http://Edmodo.com=

Barbara: This is a microblogging site for teachers and students. Teachers can post homework and announcements and build a calendar. Teachers and students can post short messages and can share files, video, links, etc. This is a great tool for helping students who have difficulty with organization or remembering assignments. It's also a good place for students to ask questions about their work.

=http://WePapers.com=

=http://NoteMesh.com=

Barbara: This is a free site where students can share notes from a particular class. A wiki is created for each class so everyone can add their notes to everyone else's. As with most wikis, there is a history so pages can be reverted to a past version when necessary. This could work really well if the students in a class work collaboratively, filling in blanks or making corrections in each other's notes so they have a final, more complete version to study from. = =

=VisuWords=

=http://www.visuwords.com/=

Barbara: This is a graphic dictionary that I think is very powerful because it shows relationships between words in a visual way that I think is important when teaching vocabulary. The words themselves are color-coded to indicate parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective, etc.) and the connectors are coded to indicate the nature of the relationship between words. Mousing over a word gives you a definition. If they included images, this would be the perfect vocabulary tool.

=Wikis=

=http://www.wikispaces.com=

=http://www.pbwiki.com=

Randy - I use this site as my class homepage. Included are links to all classes that I teach, all assignment sheets, class expectations, and links to class blogs. In the math department we have even linked to other teacher’s wiki pages and shared resources. I do not do the editing feature of the wiki.

Diana - I have set up all three of my classes on pbwiki. The site includes the syllabus for each class, assignments, and notes as well as links to other teachers' wikis, the blog for my Algebra II class, the parent portal and any lesson I have developed using powerpoint, podcasts and garage band. My students refer to it often and parents are thrilled to know that assignments can be found without depending on their child.

Nicole: I like using PB Wiki. The tools are simple and second grade students have no problems while using it. I have used my class wiki only for science. Part of it the students work on when we study the rainforest and part of it is a virtual textbook that I have created. Students do not edit this part but rather use it instead of our textbooks. We use it whole group, small group, and individually. Also students have a “textbook” at home as long as they have access to the internet. Most of my students this year have access.

Jen - These can be used as a class resource page (homework, notes etc.), as a class participation page (create vocabulary lists, reviews), and as a group project collaboration page.

=Graphic Organizer= =http://bubbl.us/=

Barbara: I have used this site often with teachers and students in my writing process PD workshops. It's a simple graphic organizer or mindmapping tool. You do not need an account to get started but if you create an account you can save your webs on the site, or work collaboratively on them. The interface is very easy to use. You can print your webs or export them either as an image (jpg or png) or as html. I often have people export as html because then they have editable text in an outline that can be copied and pasted into a word processing program.

Diana: This is the first time I used this. I can see where it can easily be used to help students solve an equation in Algebra by putting each step in a new box. It would also be great for doing flow proofs in Geometry. I will definitely try using it to place a graphic organizer on my wiki page for school.

Randy - In the last assignment I mentioned using a concept map to help G/T students to be more creative. Bubbl.us is such a site. Looks very usable for that creative student that likes to mindmap or flowchart.

Randa- Pro- Like Inspiration, will make the map into a text outline so that's good. Con- I like the idea of Buble.us, but I haven't been able to get this work well in terms of sharing. Also, in order to share, users need to make an account (like most sites) and that would be enough for most of my students to avoid it. I'm used to Inspiration so I'm not seeing that one can move or change the bubbles or change the connections. =http://Jingproject.com=

Label pictures, draw lines on them, capture video clips, etc

Lisa : Jing is a fabulous project for tool for creating short, (max. 5 minutes), video tutorials of procedures you perform on your laptop or desktop for learners to watch. The videos are can be downloaded and embedded on webpages or the videos can simply be uploaded and learners can access them with a URL. The videos can be stopped and restarted at any time. Jing does not allow for close captioning so it is not good for learners who have auditory challenges.

Kate: I've used Jing to make short “how to” videos for students and teachers who follow visual directions better. Jings are 5 minutes or less. Information can be broken down into segments that are easier for students to digest. These are helpful for students with poor memory, ADD, auditory disorders and students with a high absentee rate. They can be emailed or posted onto websites.

Nicole: I liked using Jing until I discovered [] This site is simple, free, and there is nothing to download. You can save the screencasts in more formats and even upload directly to youtube. The size is smaller so when you embed it on a blog it is not a screen hog. This is a great way to teach to the visual learner. Students can go back and watch the screencast as often as they need to until they understand the concept.

 Randy -  I have used JING quite often since learning about its existence. I use it for screen captures to send Lesley info that is online to the superintendent’s office and to make short movies that show students or other teachers how to move around a computer screen. With voiceover the user can see and hear what needs to be done on the computer to complete a certain task.

 Jeff-Jing is a presentation tool that allows the user to capture screen shot off their desktop as well as create videos recording their computer use in real time as they use the computer. They can then share these videos to the Web. As an instructor this is a very valuable tool. For example, I have used it to create tutorials for students going over documents or power point presentations that they may have missed due to absences. For the special need student this is another way for a more verbal or visual learner to present information to the instructor. For Example a student could give a tutorial on the civil war by taking them on a tour of the different web sites they found that apply to the subject and give a documented account of what they learned from their research.

Jen - I use JING to capture screens to save and label parts that are important such as pictures of cells in biology. I have played around with the video part but have not made any actual videos to be used in class.

=Online Highlighter= =http://www.awesomehighlighter.com/=

Tina: This site allows you to go to any website and highlight information on that site. After highlighting it saves the information you highlighted and you can either paste to Facebook or Twitter...or it will give a url where your highlights can be viewed by anyone. This might help students that are researching and don't like writing down the important ideas they find.

Crystal: Awesome highlighter is a website and an add-on that allows a user to highlight text, then gives you a small highlighted link. This is very similar to highlighting text in a textbook or your notes. This would be wonderful if you wanted to have students read an online article and point out specific parts. Now I wonder if this would work for online structured curriculum.

Barbara:  In this site you type in the URL of a website you would like to annotate. It takes you to the site and allows you to highlight in various colors or add notes. When you are finished, you click done and you are given a new URL for the page. This is a good tool for students who are using annotation as a reading strategy. It helps them connect with the text as they are reading and later they can use the highlighted parts to write a summary.

www.diigo.com I like this highlighter. I don't yet know how the other one works, but this one is an add-on to the toolbar and also works as a repository for bookmarked pages (like de.licio.us). When you highlight info it saves the highlighted material as well at the URL in you library. You can share with others

=Team White Boarding= =http://www.twiddla.com/=

Nicole: My son and I played with Twiddla. It is a free service that allows the user to create a link to a whiteboard that anyone who has that link can go to and work on the whiteboard together in real time. There are also tools for a side text discussion or even a feature for conversing by speaking. I could envision several uses for this tool. Students could work collaboratively with laptops at their desks while having one computer hooked up to the projector. It can be used with any subject and is simple enough for most ability levels.

Tina: I use small white boards in my class but to get direct feedback from students but many times this limits the interaction because they all sit and wait for my acknowledgment. This might be a cool way to still allow for individual work but include peer editing and comparison.

=Create and ShareFlow Charts,Diagrams, and More= =http://www.gliffy.com/=

Lisa: Gliffy is online collaborative software that allows users to create, share, and collaborate on diagrams, flow charts, and graphic organizers. I shared a flow chart with a colleague and she was not required to create an account to collaborate with me. This is an added bonus. However, I did have to use my colleague's email address to share the flow chart. This would mean students would need email accounts to access share documents but they do not have to create accounts.

This seems like a powerful tool. It might be too much for someone with attention issues as I can see a student getting lost in all the "bells and whistles." However, for those students who have developed the awareness they need to use graphic organizers and the skills to use this software they might find this software a great tool, especially if they are working collaboratively with other students.

I also found I could create a graphic organizer, the students can "SAVE AS" and work on it. This means teachers can create templates for students to use. If a teacher could create a collection of graphic organizers this could be a valuable resource for students .

Tina: I had not seen gliffy before and like its versatility and the icons that are available. I am not impressed with the instruction provided so it would be important to play some before trying to use with a class. I do like the fact that it can be used as a blog to share as Lisa described above.

Crystal: Gliffy is online software that allows you to create, share and collaborate with other people professional-quality flowcharts, diagrams, floor plans and technical drawings. This would be an excellent tool if you have a project were students were paired together and needed to create a network diagram. Each partner could assess and make changes at home.

**Online White Board** =http://www.scriblink.com/=

Kate:This is an online whiteboard that can be accessed by several people at the same time for collaboration. Images can be uploaded, there are online tools that can be used to make graphs, and text can be added. Students can also create and manipulate shapes and change background and ink colors. Finished projects can be emailed or printed. I could see this as a tool to keep ADD students engaged, encourage collaboration between students with different learning styles, and encourage collaboration without talking, keeping the classroom quieter for students with auditory issues. I'm not sure how editing works when there is more than one user. I also think this would be a fun way to brainstorm ideas.

=Digital Storytelling= =http://www.digitalstoryteller.org/= TIna: this is an online application that allows the making of short movies that combine images, text, and narration. It can be pre-loaded by the teacher with specific instructions for students to follow. It can also connect to yahoo and/or flicker.

[|www.tikatok.com] Kate: This is a website where students can create and edit their own stories. Students' drawings can be uploaded or students can choose from a bank of drawings already uploaded by other users. Students who are “stuck” for ideas can use StorySparks which will guide them through the writing process. This is very beneficial for students who need guidance or help staying focused. Finished books can be purchased as e-books, softcover or hardcover books. Students' names are protected.

=Create a Podcast= =http://www.podomatic.com= =http://www.podbean.com=

Randy - I used podbean several times when creating podcasts for my students and posting them to my wiki page. Problem is that podbean is blocked at school and a lot of effort was put into this site to produce a product that ended up being unusable in class. I tried to get this site unblocked but this ended up useless.

Jeff - Podcasting is another presentation tool that allows teachers and students to present information in a more creative and engaging way. Podcasting allows students to record voice and media edit that media and share it through the web. Similarly to Jing students have the opportunity to plan a script their ideas and then verbalize their understanding in a podcast. The students can then be creative with the supplemental media they can add to that voiceover making their presentation more engaging to the viewer/listener. Podcasts are yet another example of an alternative for students who struggle with writing but cane verbally articulate their

**[|www.podcastpeople.com]** Kate: This is the site that hosts my podcast site. I find it very easy to use and maintain. I post audio and video files to share with parents. Parents can download the files, comment on the blog or send the link to family who live far away. Students love hearing/seeing the comments and hearing/reflecting on projects created by other classes. I've also had students use Belkin tunetalks to record interviews with local musicians as well as recording sounds around the school. Students enjoy singing along to the songs at home and sharing multi-media projects with their families. I've also posted assemblies and concerts on my podcast site. I also have a Flickr widget and “Upcoming Events” widget to keep parents a part of the classroom learning. =Online Bookmark Storage - and much more!= =http://delicious.com/= Crystal: Delicious is a service were users can save, manage and share web pages in the form of bookmarks from one source. This allows people to access their bookmarks from anywhere in the world. This is the biggest reason I have an account; I am always working on different computers and having access to my bookmarks is extremely important.

Jen - Delicious allows you to bookmark any web pages and access that list from anywhere. You can also share you bookmarks with others. Students can use this to save sites they have found for a research project and share with others if they are working together on a project.

=Google Docs= Create and collaborate online with google docs Diana - Google Docs is a site I use to store my Lesley assignments so that I can easily share them with the instructors. I also used it to make a power point for my portfolio. It was really easy to upload my files and design slides. There are not as many choices as keynote or power point in word but you can upload a presentation instead of developing it on the site.

=Blogs= =Create a Blog for your class= =www.blogspot.com= (you may want to search for other classroom blogs, if you are new to blogging)

Diana - I currently have a blog running with my Honors Algebra II class. Students use it to ask each other for help and to answer questions that I have posted related to the concepts we are studying. The gifted and talented teacher also answers questions and posts some of his own.

Jen - I have a blog set up for my Biology classes that I post articles I have found related to topics discussed in class. Students read the articles and post their comments. This shows them that what they are learning is ongoing. = =
 * Juggle.com**

Lisa - Juggle.com uses semantic technology that can directly search topics, concepts, associations that span a vast number of sources. As a result Juggle combine facts and information from sources on the web to create a complete information set on each product and topic. Juggle organizes data in each subject area in order to compare related topics and display more meaningful information about each topic.

 For students who have difficulty sorting through web resources and identifying resources that they can use for their work, this online site may streamline the process of finding resources.

 **[|CAST Science Writer]**  ** Barbara: This is a new tool on the CAST site, just released a few weeks ago. It was designed to help students write lab and science reports. It breaks the task into smaller parts and walks students through the steps of the writing process. It includes checklists and a journal and has sentence starters and a text to speech feature so students can hear their writing read to them. This is an excellent tool for students who struggle with writing and need scaffolds and supports. **

Readability __[]__

Readability allows Internet users to change the look of a web removing all the clutter of ads. This online tool is easy to use. Students need to download the bookmarklet to their browser. When students go to an Internet page with a lot of ads, they simply click to bookmarklet in the browser and the webpage appears without any ads! Students who are distracted easily will find this tool invaluable!

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande',Times,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;"> Barbara: I use Readability in my workshops on reading digital text. You set up your preferences when you first visit the readability web site. I encourage teachers to have struggling readers choose the eBook style because it uses a sans serif font that most find easier to read from the screen. I use the large size font with a medium margin. Once you have the bookmark in your shortcut bar, as Lisa said above, all you have to do is click on it when you are looking at a complex page, and it will extract the text and put it on a plain white background using the preferences you set. I usually then click on the print button and save it as a pdf. (This works better in Safari than Firefox. For some reason, Firefox will only save the first page as a pdf.) Once you have it saved as a pdf, you can have students use the markup and annotation tools in Preview to annotate it.