Engaging Students with Web 2.0 Tools

In June, Academic Technology and the Information Technology Fluency Across the Curriculum Committee facilitated the 2nd Annual Faculty Technology Summer Institute.  15 faculty attended the Summer Institute to learn more about student-centered uses of technology in a variety of disciplines.  Several sessions focused on various Web 2.0 and instructional technology tools that could be used to engage students inside and outside of the classroom or for student-based projects or assignments that would allow students to use technology critically and creatively.
The following resources (with information to learn more) were highlighted at the Summer Institute.
Google Documents: A free online word processor, spreadsheet and presentation editor that enables students to collaborate online in real time.  Google Documents is available to everyone at North Shore Community College.

• Using Google Documents to Foster Collaboration and Communication in the Learning Environment
• Using Google Tools to Organize Student Work

Prezi: Online software that enables students to create “visually captivating presentations”.

• Prezi Basics in 3 Lessons
• 7 Things You Should Know About Next-Generation Presentation Tools

VoiceThread:  An online program that enables students to have “conversations in the cloud” around images, documents and videos.  North Shore Community College has a departmental license to VoiceThread.  Please contact ITD if you are interested in using VoiceThread with your students.

• 7 Things You Should Know About VoiceThread
• Using VoiceThread to Build Student Engagement
• Using VoiceThread to Give Students a Voice Outside the Classroom

Diigo:  An online collaborative research tool that enables students to bookmark and share Web resources.

• I’m Digging Diigo; Are You?
• Classroom Collaboration Using Social Bookmarking Service Diigo
• 7 Things You Should Know About Social Bookmarking

Screencast-o-matic:  A simple screen capture program that enables students to create online presentations with voice.

• Technology Spotlight: Screencast-o-matic
• Using Screencasting to Engage and Build Community with Online Learners
• Talking with Students through Screencasting: Experimentations with Video Feedback to Improve Student Learning

Glogster:  A Web program that enables students to create online multimedia posters.

• Glogster Step Guide

Quizlet: An online site that allows students to create and share flashcard sets.  Mobile apps are available for on-the-go studying.

• Closing in on Vocabulary Acquisition: Testing the Use of iPods and Flashcard Software to Eliminate Performance Gaps
• Revisiting Flashcards

Wordle: A web site to create word clouds to visually display prominence of words in texts.

• The Wonderful Ways of Using a Word Cloud
• Improve Writing and Reading Comprehension Using Word Clouds

Poll Everywhere: A Web-based classroom response system that allows instructors to get instant feedback from students.

• Enhancing Student Engagement with Polling

Dipity: A Web site to Create and share “interactive, visually engaging timelines that integrate video, audio, images, text, links, and social media”.

• Dipity online tool helps tame timelines

If you are interested in learning how to integrate any of these resources into your classes, please contact us at itd@northshore.edu.

• Have you used any of these Web 2.0 tools?  If so, how are you using them to engage your students?
• What other Web 2.0 tools have you used in your classroom?  What are the benefits to using Web 2.0 tools?
• What challenges do you run into when using Web 2.0 tools?