* Most of the material in this meta-analysis will look similar to the reviews on the blog “Free Technology for Teachers.” It can be found at http://www.freetech4teachers.com. This is because I have subscribed to his blog for a couple of years, and when beginning to but this project together, I decided that his formatting style would work best. All tools, applications, and websites on this page have been personally reviewed and directly researched by me. *I did not provide a reference for every single tool on this review since each is referred to by name, but every logo can be clicked on while holding the “Ctrl” button in order to visit that website.

Best of Technology Tools and Learning Theory

Wade I. Tapp

Covenant College

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Table of Contents

Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 3

Create a Website .......................................................................................................................................... 4

Create a Blog................................................................................................................................................. 6

Create a Poll or Survey ................................................................................................................................. 8

Create a Quiz or Test .................................................................................................................................... 9

Create a Wiki .............................................................................................................................................. 10

Create a Presentation................................................................................................................................. 12

Create Audio and Video ............................................................................................................................. 13

Be Part of a Community ............................................................................................................................. 14

Collaborate and Share ................................................................................................................................ 17

Student Study and Organization Skills ...................................................................................................... 19

Other Creative Tools .................................................................................................................................. 21

Learning Theory Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 23

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Introduction

This project is divided into two parts. The first part of this project is a meta-analysis of 71 different Web 2.0 technologies, and it includes an analysis of the learning theories addressed through the use of these technologies. The second part of this project is the innovation of a website that incorporates many of these technologies to enhance learning experiences for my students. The goal for this meta-analysis is that it be added, in hard copy form, to the three teacher work rooms at Covenant Day School (CDS) so that other teachers can research and evaluate these tools to decide what will work well for them in their particular courses. One will also be added to the server at school in order for new reviews to be added. It is important that this become a “living document,” otherwise many of the findings here will quickly become outdated while others become obsolete. My Website has received positive reviews from parents and students, and I hope to aid other teachers in the development of their own website. I

Web 2.0 sites are intended to allow users the opportunity to connect, create and dialogue with other users. Traditional websites focus on the user as a consumer of information being provided through the site itself. Many teachers and web developers view Web 2.0 sites as being reflective of a constructivist theory of learning due to the fact that they are predominantly learner-centered, and the users create the content to a large extent. Here, 71 different sites, applications and tools have been divided into 11 categories reflective of their impact and importance educational practitioners. I did not include every site that was investigated within this review as many are not well made and serve little purpose in a classroom setting. I attempted to only include technology applications that would have potential interest for educators. The learning theory analysis will not address each site individually as this would become redundant and tedious. Rather, the analysis will address certain groups of sites as a whole with particular instances being pointed out as examples. I believe this is a worthwhile venture that will prove beneficial for the educators at my school and potentially for other institutions as Web 2.0 technologies become more and more pronounced in the mainstream of classrooms across the country.

I currently teach 9th grade biology, and my website can be found at www.sciencetapp.yolasite.com. Here, you will see the use of Yola in the creation of a learning center for my students. It has been altered recently to better fit the nature of this course, EDU 630, by more prominently featuring web 2.0 technologies, but every item on the website has been used in a classroom setting unless otherwise stated. All of my students have full access to this site, and I have gained permission from many of them to display their work. A brief commentary of each webpage will be included in the second part of this project, but they are, in large part, self-explanatory. Overall, students have responded positively to many of the innovations they find on this site. In fact I had planned on using even more, such as one of the blogging platforms, since I am provided with the opportunity of working in a setting that integrates a one-to-one laptop program. Unfortunately, our school has undergone significant growth, and while this is a good thing, this has presented severe challenges in terms of wireless connectivity.

I hope this project accurately reflects the time and energy that both my students and I put into making it a reality. As Christians, we have a responsibility to be in the world but not of the world. Often I hear criticisms in regards to the challenges that our youth face because they exists in a culture that is inundated with technology in relation to entertainment. Educators have the opportunity and the responsibility to fulfill the cultural mandate and redeem all areas of our world, including technology, for Christ.

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Create a Website

Moodle is much more than just a website. It is considered a Course Management System (CMS), or a Learning Management System (LMS), or even a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It is free if an online hosting site is available, but it can take a bit of time and research to find one. These hosting sites may also have restrictions. As the name LMS suggests, a number of tools and opportunities are provided that can be of huge value to an educator. One of the intriguing parts about teaching online is the ability to try those tools that you couldn‟t find for a traditional website. Students can log into your Moodle site in order to complete their work, post on a forum or turn something in. Having tried a couple of Moodle sites, a couple of potential problems are noticeable. First of all, it is difficult to customize and navigate. It has a very rigid feel too it, it takes some practice to learn how the editor works. Secondly, to get the most out of a Moodle site will require some tech-savvy. Otherwise, you‟ll be left with a boring webpage that could just as well have been created on one of the simpler and more traditional platforms.

I am currently using Yola to host a webpage for my biology class. Yola is a user-friendly network that allows for the free creation of a website. Additionally, it is particularly nice for educators since it provides the option of eliminating advertisements. Additionally, no limitation exists as to how much content can be added. Many teachers use websites to post documents, videos and audio recording, and this feature is extremely beneficial. Personally, I have found the tutorials for Yola to be helpful. Occasionally I have found an obstacle to overcome in the limited number of apps that are available for integration into the site, but my experience has been a positive one overall. One minor weakness is that only a few themes are available to customize the site.

Web Node is a good tool for teachers to use in the creation of their website, but it is an especially good tool for students to use. It has a simple interface, and it does not take long to master. Within a short amount of time most teachers can be building a fairly impressive website with little time invested. Like Yola, Web Node does not have any commercial advertisements. This is another reason that it can be an effective tool for students.

Webs allows for the free creation of websites, but it is specifically geared towards entrepreneurs rather than towards educators. It includes all of the important functions of other website builders, and it is fairly straightforward. There exist a variety of ways to integrate videos and audio, and a reasonable number of widgets are also which are available. It has a large variety of templates and designs. Webs does appear, at times, to be overly simplistic if the user has a basic level of comfort with technology. Many websites offer a few more integrative features for development purposes.

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Snap Pages has a few more advanced services than other web building platforms, but in order to get all of these bells and whistles, the user will need to pay for premium service at $8 a month. This may be a problem for some schools. The free service likely has as many features as a typical classroom, K-12, teacher would need. Snap Pages does tend to have more options for customizability, but this can also require extra time to set up and manage. Some of the tools are extremely helpful for resizing and placing images, and if the user has an eye for graphic design, then they will appreciate some of these added features.

Weebly has the advantage of being, by far, the easiest for any web creation tool that I have tried. It has a simple drag-and-drop method that is natural and intuitive. This is another good tool to allow students to work with as it has a very gradual learning curve. Like, Web Node, It does not have many bells and whistles, and limited customizability is a consideration. Additionally, the amount of content that can be added is fairly limited.

With the exception of Moodle, most of the previously mentioned builders are geared, at least to some degree, towards small business owners. School Rack is the only effective tool that I have found to be useful in building websites for teachers. It has a standard formatting that cannot be adjusted to any great degree, but for those users who feel uncomfortable integrating and embedding apps, it has many useful functions for posting assignments, rubrics, and deadlines among other tools.

Moogo is a passable service that offers its users a platform for creating their own website for free. This is not a departure from the other services, and like them, Moogo offers a good selection of templates and designs to choose from. It comes with a built in Blog editor, which only a couple of other platforms have. Unfortunately, only an eight day trial period exists before advertisements are a inhibitor for most public and private schools.

Google Sites has a simplistic design template that is not adjustable to any great degree. Additionally, it can take more time than the simplest platforms to get used to. If the user takes the time to master this site, however, they will have numerous tools at their disposal since Google is the author of literally hundreds of other applications. It has plug-ins for Google Maps, Google Earth, Google Docs, and the creator has the ability to post reference videos and documents for students and their families as well as to collect assignments. An added benefit is that there are few compatibility issues between all of these applications because they are authored by the same company as the site-creating platform. If creating a website on Google sites proves too difficult, then Web Node, Yola, Weebly or Webs may be a better choice.

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Create a Blog

Wordpress is much more than a blog. According to their website, “the core software is built by hundreds of community volunteers, and when you‟re ready for more, thousands of plug-ins and themes are available to transform your site into almost anything you can imagine.” Wordpress has over 60 million users, and for good reasons. It has, by far, the most options for customization of any blogging or website tool that a beginner might use. It also has the most options available for more established technology users. One criticism of Wordpress is that it can be overwhelming to first time users. There are an incredible numbers of options are offered, and occasionally simply getting it set up and looking the way you want can be a challenge during the first couple of hours or days depending upon a users internet acumen. That being said, any educator who wants to create a significant central hub for their online learning community should consider Wordpress.

Second only to Wordpress, Blogger is the most popular, free blogging service, and it is owned by Google. They take a different approach than Wordpress, in that it is simple to set up, simple to format, and you can be writing quickly. A few colleagues that use Blogger mentioned that it took them under half an hour to get everything set up. It publishes well from Google Docs and Microsoft word, and it can also be adapted to work with other Google gadgets. Still, Blogger‟s strengths are not in its numerous features and adaptability but in its ease of use.

While Blogger is easy enough to set up, Edublogs is a more natural choice if a teacher wants to equip students with the tools to write themselves. Like Blogger, it is simple to use, and most schools do not block Edublogs, though they might block Blogger and Wordpress. Edublogs is free, but in order to get rid of pesky ads, and in order to set up multiple blogs under an administrator, which is highly recommended, the account will need to be upgraded. Last time I checked this was only about $40 dollars a year, a fair price to pay for a great tool.

Tumblr is more of a hybrid between Twitter and Blogger than it is a full-fledged blog service. Tumblr would be ideal for posting updates about what is going on in the classroom since it is less about quantity and more about integration of multimedia as well as frequency of postings. Many educators who do not have time to commit to figuring out Wordpress or lengthy blogs on Blogger may find that Tumblr is a natural fit for them.

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Posterous has more similarity to Tumblr than to Blogger or Wordpress. One unique advantage for Posterous is that it is designed to be updated via email. Personally, I have not set up a Posterous account, but it has been shown to be surprisingly simple. It does include commercial advertisements, but it also integrates well with both Twitter and Facebook for those who keep in touch with members of the school community through social networking.

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Create a Poll or Survey *Note Google Docs can be used for creating polls and surveys, but it is identified in two other sections.

Polldaddy is a well-trusted and effective tool for getting responses from populations in numerous types of organizations. If using the free option, the user will be limited to only ten questions per survey and 200 survey responses per month. That can be used up quickly if many students are participating. The next available option is a bit pricey at $200 a year as well, so many educators pass on this option despite the simplicity with which questions are made and the clean reports of data that are provided afterwards.

Poll Everywhere is another useful polling tool that is much more affordable than Polldaddy, albeit somewhat simpler. The free option can only take 40 responses per poll, but it is possible to reset that poll for future classes, so this is not a significant problem unless it is necessary to see many cumulative responses over time. Users can also create unlimited polls with Poll Everywhere. Another interesting feature of Poll Anywhere is that students can use their web browser, Twitter or their mobile device to respond to questions.

Survey Monkey is one of the best values internet-based polling tools. The user can create as many surveys as they would like with a maximum of ten questions under the free plan. Survey Monkey focuses on functionality. It is easy to set up, easy to distribute via email, and easy to collect data from. Personally, I have used Survey Monkey a couple of times. When wanting to get feedback from parents as to their experience at my basketball camp, I simply made a quick set of questions and sent them out. It did not take long to get an appreciable amount of feedback or questions ranging from free-response to multiple choice. The maximum number of responses is 100 per survey, possibly enough to include an entire subject‟s worth of students, and for $204 annually the surveys can have unlimited questions and unlimited responses. This makes it the best value by far as you can distribute a single username to a few teachers for use in their classes.

WUFOO is a free web based survey tool. I have used WUFOO a couple of times since it has simple drag-and-drop integration with my Yola Site. WUFOO is very easy to set up, and even a first time user will find the steps very intuitive. The developers have a unique sense of humor, which comes up in their design. A nice Feature that WOOFOO provides is that is has suggestions for how to conduct a survey if the user is uncertain or has not conducted one before.

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Create a Quiz or Test

Zoho Challenge is a tool, similar to the others, that allows students to take their assessment online. Zoho tests can have fill in the blank, descriptive, true/false, multiple choice, and single answer questions. The ability to set time limits is especially helpful, however, it cannot be removed for students with accommodations. The option for feedback at the end of the assessment is at the discernment of the creator depending upon whether or not she wants to use it. It is difficult to say whether Zoho Challenge is conclusively better than a standard paper and pencil test. It is important to be sure that all students have undisrupted internet access throughout the time allotted for their test as well, otherwise significant problems may arise.

ProProfs is a quiz maker that allows for multimedia interaction. The user can imbed video and audio into the assessments, and these allow for a different kind of test taking experience. Unfortunately, the free version is so limited, that it is difficult to use as is. It is possible to create unlimited tests, but beyond this options are extremely limited. With the $10 a month plan, you can track who took the assessment, remove advertisements, receive analytics back, and use extra features. This is one to keep on the shelf until time and resources are available for further research.

MyStudiyo is similar to ProProfs in that it makes quizzes come alive with multimedia. Having created a few, I can say that they are certainly more engaging, and more opportunities are available to reach out to students with some learning disabilities (ex. auditory processing). Another unique feature is the ability to embed them into websites. The quizzes are limited to multiple choice, so they are only ideal for short, knowledge based assessment.

That Quiz is a website which has been around for a while. That Quiz is able to be shared between teachers, so it can save you time if you do research beforehand. Teachers who have reviewed That Quiz indicate that students appreciate the instant feedback received after answering questions. The website is utilized in order to keep track of

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students who have taken the quiz. Since this tool began as a math assessment tool, the math related aspects are fairly robust.

The option to create a “form” when using Google documents has, in my case, proven to be the most efficient way of giving an online summative assessment. Usually I do simple multiple choice pop quizzes with them. Once again, it is possible to embed these into one‟s own personal site. I learned after my first quiz, that it is necessary to make the first question on the test, “What is your name?” Otherwise it will be a challenge to figure out whose test belongs to whom. One feature that has proved invaluable is the fact that all of the answer data is immediately put into a Google spreadsheet which can be used to create graphs or to grade with the use of simple formulas.

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Create a Wiki

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Since Wikis tend to be similar in nature, I included four common ones with excellent interfaces here. This year in biology, between lab exercises and other projects, there has been no creation of a wiki by my students, but I have used them in the past. While they may not become a regular part of my own assessment, it is a nice change of pace that allows students to work together. Building pages on a wiki is an excellent way for students to document and share knowledge about subjects they have researched. An interesting use of Wikis is for creating student digital portfolios. Of the four wikis listed above, Wikispaces is the most popular because they allow free wiki hosting to teachers without advertising. Before a teacher begins to implement the use of wikis within the classroom, it is essential that she look into the characteristics of an excellent wiki, otherwise students will feel lost and aimless as they work with this tool.

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Create a Presentation

Animoto has a lot of hype built up around it, and perhaps rightly so. It is a lot of fun to use, and more ways exist to use it in an educational setting than at first glance. Animoto allows students and teachers to develop professional looking videos, but they are able to do this without the need of editing skills. Basically, you select images, a template, music, and then click “go.” Animoto makes it look good for you! Text options are limited, but Animoto is not intended to be used in lieu of an information heavy PowerPoint. It is more conceptual in nature. Normally free users only receive 30 seconds of time to squeeze their video in, but if you register as an educator, you get much more time.

Slide Rocket is an online, tool that uses flash animation for creating presentations. It is a more seamless version of PowerPoint that can also be embedded into a website. It integrates picture themes and transitions between slides well. Some smooth and natural animations can be incorporated, but you do not need to make a presentation from scratch. It is possible to upload PowerPoints in the event that you want to imbed them in a website or improve upon them. Slide Rocket does take some time to get used to before users are comfortable with it, but the effort is worth the payoff.

Prezi is one of the most innovative presentation tools developed in recent years. Aside from the fact that work is stored online, which is extremely helpful in the event of a hard drive crash, it is capable of communicating a lot of information in a unique and interesting way. Prezi does have a relatively steep learning curve. This is predominantly because it is so different from common presentation tools. Prezi does an excellent job of providing the user with the functions necessary to depict complicated concepts. I expect Prezi to become extremely prominent in schools within the next couple of years.

Slideshare has become increasingly common online because of its simplicity. It does not have any animations or transition sequences, and you cannot put videos or sound on it. You can, however, import a PowerPoint with ease and then plug it into a website or blog with little or no hassle. Efficiency is Slideshare's strongest attribute.

Empressr is similar to Slide Rocket, but it does not offer transitions that are as clean or attractive. It is, however, easier to use than Slide Rocket, and this makes it a helpful item for those who want the ease of Slideshare with a little bit more flare. Like Prezi, Slideshare and Slide Rocket, Empressr is free to use.

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Create Audio and Video

Aviary is one tool that I have not had the opportunity to use first hand, but I have seen some of the products that its users have come up with. The results are impressive. As with any editing software, it takes some time to learn, but it is an essential tool for students looking to work on multimedia projects. Aviary is has the added benefit of being free, and even though serious editors might find issue with some of its limitations, any amateur would be more than happy with the various capabilities of this instrument.

Screenr is one of the more straight forward screen recording tools

available. It is a no-frills program that will capture video and audio on the screen. You can publish projects directly to YouTube when finished. One of the downsides to a simple program like this is that while it is easier to use than similar applications, the clarity of video and audio will benefit from newer computers since it does not have features to help “enhance” the quality.

Camtasia is extremely useful for screen casting, and, unlike screener, it is moderately confusing while being equally as impressive. The video and audio recording is very smooth and clear. More features are available that remove background noise if you are recording audio or zoom in on the screen if you are recording video. In fact, it does this eerily well. This first time I watched one of my videos, it seemed as though Camtasia was telepathic in its prediction of what I was emphasizing. Unfortunately, this software is not free, but if you and other colleagues have a common computer and will benefit from this, then you cannot get a much better product for $300.

Jing, Camtasia Studio, and Snagit are all made by TechSmith, and while a

videographer could certainly explain the differences between them clearly, most casual users, will view them in a similar light. One significant difference between Jing and Camtasia is that Jing is much more time efficient when producing a finished product to be put online. This is its primary purpose, so loading times and uploading times are quite brief.

Snagit is different from its two cousins in that it has more image

editing capabilities as well as the ability to take frames out of a screen recording. Also, it is possible to change presets in order to best utilize the software for the user‟s purposes. Other that this, it is similar to both Jing and Camtasia.

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Be Part of a Community

Twitter, in the event that you have been under a rock for the last few years, is a microblogging service that allows its users to post only up to 140 characters with each “tweet.” Jack Dorsey launched the idea in March 2006; the service now serves 300 million users. Twitter is a useful tool for connecting with both students and the community. Since it is unlike Facebook and does not have an exclusive profile page that only “friends” can see, it is a good way to stay in touch with students throughout the week. Many professional educators use this tool and post comments about books that they have read, important happenings in current events, or topics from class. Some schools are challenged with teachers behaving professionally on social networking sites, but it is hard to ignore the unique and influential power of a tool like this.

/ Classroom 2.0 and the Educator‟s PLN

are personal learning networks for educators. In fact, 99% of the members are educators. A large number of special interest groups are accessible to connect with and check out. Both are comfortable places to link up with other educators, and it is easy to check out the content without feeling obligated to post until you feel at ease. Each has a slight bent towards discussing “Web 2.0” technologies within the classroom, but that is not the only topic available to confer over. Any teacher looking to get free advice about best classroom practices should become a member of either of these two networks.

/ Often times, when computers are re-imaged, or

a hard drive crashes, all of the bookmarks that were painstakingly collected are now lost. Using an online bookmarking service such as Diigo or Delicious allows you to access all of those sites from any internet connection. These services also allow users to view the bookmarks of others, and this in incredibly helpful if a teacher is only beginning the process of cataloguing interesting and helpful sources. Google Bookmarks is an effective tool as well, but it is not included because there are fewer social features.

Edmodo is a private microblogging site that is less involved than Facebook but more than Twitter. Its sole purpose is educational in nature as well. Teachers and students can use it to send notes, links, files, alerts, assignments, and events to one another. Since many students are blocked from Facebook in school, and many teachers are prohibited from “friending” students, it is a safe way to network with students in an appropriate way. One teachable moment that the use of Edmodo provides it showing students how to appropriately and responsibly use social networking. This gives them preparation for the life of technological connectivity that many of them will live.

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Skype an Author Network, in theory, is an excellent use of technology. It allows for students, teachers and librarians to connect with authors of books that have been read in class over Skype, but I have never seen it in practice. It is intended to be done in a classroom setting with many students. Naturally, this is a paid service if you want anything in-depth, but a free option is available. The free option allows for a session that lasts lasts 10-15 minutes with an author. This is free. The second option is a longer visit, and the length and fee are determined by the individual authors. At its inception, Skype an Author Network did not have many prominent authors, but the list has been steadily growing. Only individual students under the age of 13 can participate in a Skype the Author session, and they must be using a teacher or class Skype account. They cannot use a personal account.

/ Issuu and Yudu both offer a similar

service. They will display your documents with page-turning effects. Like many of the applications already mentioned, you can embed these documents with the same effects into a website. A unique feature of Issuu is a virtual "bookshelf" widget that allows you to list multiple documents on the same display. It is also possible to view the “published” work of others.

Ning is the most well known, and best, do-it-yourself platform for developing networks within your community. Classroom 2.0 and The Educator‟s PLN are two of the more well known networks hosted by Ning, but many more niche networks for particular interest groups are offered. You could also start your own if there is enough interest within the school. Because of its social networking nature, many schools block Ning on their servers. You can speak with an administrator about getting it approved.

Udemy is an easy to use, free platform for teaching online that can be used for creating exclusively online material or for supplementing class material. Udemy offers some unique tools for delivering this content. Course creators can publish PowerPoints, videos, and combinations of slideshows and videos synched together through the site. I use Udemy to post some of my supplementary course material and have found it to be immensely effective. Students are able to stop and rewind as needed in order to cover the content in more depth. I have not seen it done, but Udemy would be a natural choice for posting professional development videos, and one can also make use of the option for live webcasting.

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VoiceThread is a network designed for collaboration in the k-12 school environment. Voice, text, video and drawing features are all included, and access is restricted to k-12 educators, students, and administrators in order to create a safe environment. It is similar to a social network in that users can create accounts and profiles, but student accounts are always visible to administrators, and they are not able to connect with anyone outside of Ed. VoiceThread. Two options are presented, one is free and one is called Class Subscription that costs $60 per year. Free users can only create three VoiceThreads and cannot upload mp3‟s. Also, the ability to upload large files is limited, and advertisements are present. In the Pro version all of this increases a great deal, except for the advertising, which is removed, thankfully. Ed. VoiceThread is the ideal place for students and teachers to collaborate if you are willing to pay for the pro session, but better free options are available. Since you can upload videos and recordings to Ed. VoiceThread, it makes you a guide for students outside of the classroom, and it is extremely beneficial in self paced learning.

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Collaborate and Share

Box.com is similar to Dropbox with the exception that users primarily interact with it through a web browser. It has a maximum storage capacity of 5GB if the user has the free version. A useful feature is that you can embed certain files into websites so that students or colleagues can retrieve the information. This is helpful if you have a classroom full of people with computers and want to quickly distribute a document. Box.com‟s greatest drawback is that the file size upload limit for a free account is only around 25MB.

Dropbox is a good way to share files with students, parents and coworkers. Its drag-and-drop interface is extremely appealing to many people who are less comfortable interacting with large file uploads on the web. It is also much easier for teachers to use if they are receiving many emails with attachments since it will free up the user‟s inbox. You can share specific file folders with other users, which allow for improved collaboration because the users do not have to email back and forth. It is useful for backing up important material since your work is stored on a “cloud.” It has also proven beneficial for students and teachers who use multiple computers but have trouble keeping up with a flash drive. Dropbox comes with 2GB free after installation, but this can be increased quickly by inviting others to join. As a teacher, one quick way to improve this amount of storage is through inviting students.

/ Teachers who are in the

habit of collecting student work through email will greatly appreciate these services. They allow for students to send files directly to the instructor‟s Dropbox without gaining access to it. This is also an advantage over a shared server which can grant students access to one another‟s work. FileStork allows the user two options for accepting documents. Individual file requests can be sent to an individual or a group‟s emails. Or, a link can be embedded into a website so that students can upload material as they need. It is possible to require an upload password, and the process is reliable, but files cannot exceed 25MB and every uploaded item has to be sent to the same file within Dropbox. You cannot delegate where each of them go until after they are received. It is beneficial to implement a very specific naming system in order to efficiently categorize the materials, otherwise a teacher may receive fifty “biology homework assignment” documents without names. DROPitTOme is similar, but it must be based on a separate webpage, so it is best used for standalone requests only.

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/ I have heard DocStoc and Scribd described as the “YouTube” for documents”. Unfortunately, you cannot create documents within either service; rather, you must upload existing documents that you have created. Both accept the most common file types. You can choose whether or not you want your documents to be private, and you can view documents that other users have made public. It takes only a basic understanding of HTML in order to embed your document into a website. Once this is done, your documents are available for download and are on display. This has the advantage of allowing a visitor to come to your site and the opportunity to see work without having to download it. It is great for displaying student reports and example projects that are files.

Google Documents has many uses. It has already been referenced as an effective tool for creating short assessments. The primary use of Google Docs, however, is for collaborative efforts on papers. Multiple users are able to work on the same document at the same time, and they are able to see their changes made in real time. I used this feature of Google Docs with some committee members when creating a social networking document. A useful comment feature exists that is similar to the one in Microsoft Word that allows teachers or students to analyze the work of others without actually changing the content. The only negative is that formatting issues come up when importing or exporting, and they can cause documents to look sloppy or unprofessional. It is wise to upload a document when you have time to readjust some of the errors that may occur.

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Student Study and Organization tools

Quizlet is an online flashcard making service that allows you to search the flashcards others have made or to create your own. It is an incredibly handy tool, and even offers some unique ways to

study the flashcards with games. This can help to break up the monotony of simply rotating through cards over and over. One nice feature is the ability to import information from a text document to in order to use it on different cards. Quizlet users are able to save their cards, and stacks that have been previously made, and they show up at the central hub, called a “dashboard,” when you log in. It is also possible to save public cards here as well. One negative is that since it is open source and many older students use the site, some of the study groups/ flashcard groups have inappropriate names. Also, Quizlet could stand to improve its repertoire. What it does, it does well, but it could be expanded to include more study materials now that they have a solid foundation.

Live Binders is a helpful organization and bookmarking tool. It organized different links onto a page so that they can be sorted with tabs. It is an intuitive way to organize and view websites. The fact that it is stored on the “cloud” allows it to be saved in the event that your online bookmarks are lost. Additionally, pdf and Word documents can also be combined with links inside of each binder. The organization is especially helpful in putting together online portfolios. In this way, students can put wikis, Glogs, blogs, Prezis, and other projects that they have completed on in a way that is clean and presentable. Live Binders could also be used to keep student material backed up if that student uses a laptop regularly. Aside from the obvious organizational and precautionary benefits, students can also turn in projects within a Live Binder. In this way, they could include references along with notes, rough drafts, and the finished product. Students are able to access binders that are public, but they cannot create a binder unless they have an account, which they must be 13 in order to do. The service is free, and a fair number of binders with teacher related content are available. One of my favorites is the iPads in schools Live Binder.

Twurdy is helpful search tool tells you the readability of every result that comes up after a search. This is particularly useful when students are researching topics that are potentials complicated (ex. saturated or unsaturated fats), but need age appropriate material. The system is simple to understand. It uses color coded shading in order to indicate the difficulty level. Darker shading is more difficult while lighter shading is less so. In addition to this feature, Twurdy has three search types. Each has to do with shifting the balance between the speed of the search and the accuracy of the results.

Evernote is an extremely popular application. I have tried it, and it did not resonate with me; although it has allowed me to make a few useful to-do lists. Others

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claim that is has been “revolutionary.” Evernote is web-based, and will automatically upload to any computer that it is installed on in a way that is similar to Dropbox. An interesting function is that Evernote integrates itself into documents, web browsers, and email systems like Outlook. This allows for anything to be quickly saved into Evernote for quick reference. It is particularly handy if you have a slate or tablet computer in order to write on the various items that have been collected. It is helpful for conducting research because it is possible to quickly save information that is relevant to your topic on Evernote and then continue searching. Like Live Binders, it may also be a useful tool for some students who struggle with organization.

/ / Many search

engines are available online now, but these three are particularly useful for schools and teachers. Sweet Search is limited in the number of search results that it will turn up, but that is part of its beauty, because it will only show websites that have been reviewed and approved by professional educators, namely researchers, librarians, and teachers. It also has some advanced search options.

Wolfram Alpha is another search engine, but it is almost overwhelming considering the number of parameters that can be changed and resources that can be tapped. Wolfram Alpha is one of those search engines that provides a vast number of resources. A Wolfram Alpha for Educators is available as well. This contains free lesson plans as well as ideas for how to use Wolfram Alpha in the classroom. It is difficult to capture Wolfram Alpha in words if users do not test it for themselves.

Google Scholar, according to Google itself, “provides a simple way to broadly search for scholarly literature. From one place, you can search across many disciplines and sources: articles, theses, books, abstracts and court opinions, from academic publishers, professional societies, online repositories, universities and other web sites. Google Scholar helps you find relevant work across the world of scholarly research.” Honestly, it delivers everything that is promises. I frequently use Google Scholar to find articles or journal publications from primary sources. The advanced search option can be a little bit tricky to utilize, and sometimes the information is only peripherally related to the query, but any student from high school age on up should find this to be an incredibly handy tool.

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Other Creative Tools

Wordle is a website that creates word clouds from text. At first glance, it appears simplistic, but it actually can allow for some profound insight. For instance, Wordle has been used to make word clouds (words are emphasized based on their frequency) from different state of the union addresses. Cable news stations have done this exact thing. It can also be used as a creative writing prompt that insights student to use the given words in order to create a short story.

Capzles is not a site that can be utilized on a regular basis, but it does help to serve the creative potential of students. It allows for students to create a timeline using images and multimedia. The finished product is visually appealing, and it can also be shared with others. Clearly the uses here will be geared towards the social studies, but any lesson that incorporates a sort of timeline could benefit from the use of Capzles. It taps into the aesthetic nature of the learner in that the background can become interactive and the timeline can be set to music.

Most educators have heard of Google Earth, but in my experience, few use it well. Many tools are available that allow Google Earth to be used in nearly every discipline. An especially useful application called Real World Math uses Google Earth to help teach geometry concepts and more. I have seen fantastic astronomy lessons (they have Google moon and Google Mark now), earth science lessons, history lessons and even language arts lessons. Usually the history and language arts lessons have to do with taking tours of famous places. Google earth is completely free and has had a significant impact on many classrooms around the world.

Voki for Education is an interesting application albeit somewhat

gimmicky. Students make talking avatars either using their own voice if they have a microphone, or a text-based, computer generated voice in order to make a short cartoon about some topic. The presentation itself is not usually very impressive, although some are clever. As with most formative types of assessment, the true learning happens as the students work to create a presentable finished product. Once completed, these avatars can be embedded into blogs and websites. Recently, a short story application has been added to Voki as well.

Memoov is a free service for elementary aged students, and allows them to create animated videos. It is overly simplistic so that a younger audience can figure it out quickly. The maximum movie length is five minutes, and it is completely web-based. Selecting a

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picture, setting, characters and adding dialogue is all there is to it. Since other, similar applications, are also competing for the attention of educators, Memoov tries to stand out by offering some customizable characters and the ability to upload your own dialogue.

Storybird is a clever site that creates an environment for collaboration through storytelling. This site, as opposed to Memoov, is a little bit more stylish and might appeal to a slightly older audience. Artwork, pictures and text messages can be combines to form a product that can be viewed or interacted with in a number of ways. Storybird says that it “promotes imagination, literacy, and self-confidence.” Storybird is free to use, and I have seen it employed individually, in pairs, and even as a whole class where students contribute individual pages. Afterwards, the Storybird story can be easily shared.

Masher is similar to Animoto, but it requires a little bit more work. The finished product is usually not quite as impressive either. An advantage to Masher is that it uses the BBC‟s resources for videos and images, but users can upload their own content as well. As the name implies, once you have all of your music, videos, and images you can combine them to form a seamless presentation. Like Animoto, you can insert text at different places. The editor has a sleek interface and is fairly easy to use. Masher is completely free, so what you see is what you get. You can also check out other user “mash ups” on the site. The educational opportunities are there with this tool, but it takes creativity and intentionality, otherwise it will be mostly smoke and mirrors.

Glogster is a fantastic innovation that is one of the more useful technology tools of the decade. Most students create a large number of “poster” projects as they travel along their journey through the education system, but posters use up valuable resources and are often thrown away. A „glog‟ is essentially a cross between a poster and a web page. Students are able to use various graphics as well as images, sound effects, and videos, to make a poster that is interactive and views online. Every student that I have assigned to make a Glogster has spoken highly of the experience. The only challenge is that Glogs can be somewhat limited when it comes to creative space. This is not much different than a true poster, however. It is intuitive, and has a very gradual learning curve. Students can make a glog for any subject, and they are easy to sharel. After publishing the final version, students can email their product or embed it into a website. These are great for displaying on a school‟s website as well.

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Learning Theory Analysis

Marcy Driscoll begins her book by mentioning that “Theories about anything typically originate with questions.” This is especially true of learning theories. Many philosophers, educators, scientists, researchers and amalgams of these have asked how it is that children learn and what helps them to learn more effectively. With technology becoming pervasive in schools and change occurring exponentially, the foundation on which schools base pedagogical choices is a crucial one. The digital, or computer, age began in the 1970‟s, and by the mid 1990‟s all areas of life - social, industrial, commercial, educational - were affected in drastic and permanent ways. The 21st century has experienced significant technological growth. For example, in order to reach an audience of approximately 50 million it took radio broadcasters 38 years, while it only took television 13 years, and the internet only 4 years to reach the same population (United Nations, 2001).

Each new generation that comes along will face unique challenges, but change occurs at such a rapid pace that it is anything but predictable. Recently, Sir Ken Robinson addressed this notion when speaking at a Technology Entertainment Design (TED) conference in 2006:

“If you think of it, children starting school this year will be retiring in 2065. Nobody has a clue, despite all the expertise that's been on parade for the past four days, what the world will look like in five years' time. And yet we are meant to be educating them for it.”

What Robinson says is true, but this does not mean that teachers are to abandon reason. Conversely, educators should continuously examine their understandings of learning theory and hold to these convictions. Fortunately, in this age of technological change, many useful tools are at the disposal of these educators. By examining the learning theories behind these tools, it will be possible to unfold even more of their potential as well as identify future opportunities for technology to assist schools. Before getting into much detail, it is important to recognize that nearly every Web 2.0 tool is designed with some form of a constructivist mindset behind it. Even some search engines can be conformed to provide search results based on an individual‟s reading level. Much within the new wave of educational technology innovations is geared towards helping the learner become self-directed. For example, Storybird allows students to create any narrative they would like as long as it is within the context of their teacher‟s guidelines. Twurdy allows students to select websites based on readability; they are not forced to discern information beyond their current reading level. And Wikispaces creates a blank slate for students to individually and communally research and portray information. Therefore, it would be redundant to continuously identify all of these tools as constructivist or non-constructivist. It is to be understood that these tools, even those with something of a behaviorist bent, have some underpinnings rooted in constructivism. Websites serve the purpose of creating a central hub around which many users can connect. Ideally, they are thematic, easy to navigate, and informative. In education, the reasons behind creating a class related website may be, but are not limited to, providing contact information, giving assessments, linking to external resources, displaying professional or student work, collecting student work, offering guidance, and interacting with learners or other teachers. Fundamentally, this idea of a nucleus from which other types of learning can stem relates closely to Schema Theory and Mental Models. Websites that work well tend to either model human thought processes, or at least people are able to adapt quickly to their structure. Most students bring some mental model to the table when they find out that a website that will be used in my class. Assumptions about what will be on it

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and how it will work and what they will be required to do are usually made quite early. Through the reconsideration of these assumptions, the various activities that students participate in, and the challenges that they face, offer numerous opportunities for restructuring. This younger generation usually adapts quickly, but students that some require extra guidance in order to help them “attune” to these new adjustments. This is not only a learning process for the students in regards to the content of Biology, for which few have an accurate mental model, but it is a learning process for appropriate practices in the use of technology. Blogs, in a more traditional sense and less of a “central hub” sense, should relate closely to the theory of situated cognition if they are being used properly. This might seem counterintuitive at first, but it turns out to be an effective description. Blogging in an academic environment needs to have a noteworthy delineation from the whimsical rants of narcissistic authors that are all too common. First, Students should be carefully introduced to an appropriate blogging community. This allows them to see cultural norms and best practices. Second, Students should begin to comment on the blogs of others as well as of their teacher, should he or she have a blog. Lastly, students can begin blogging themselves. Sometimes the opportunity to blog on a class site is awarded to students who have been responsible in adhering to proper guidelines. Fundamentally, it is very similar to a master-apprentice model because, by necessity, academic blogging requires students to follow the lead of the instructor. Many social networking opportunities are similar in regards to students learning. They can be effective or ineffective at allowing students to learn depending upon the culture that is developed and the instruction that is provided. Polling and Surveying, in and of itself, does not relate to any particular learning theory because it is simply a method of collecting data. However, the purposes of collecting data in my classes usually relates to some form of assessment. Within my own classroom, polling has a slight relationship with situated cognition because of the communal aspect of polling and the opportunity for view the entire class‟ results. There is a stronger connection with neurophysiology and memory though. Since many teachers simply instruct or ask random questions in class, students can lose interest. Introducing random polls whether they are opinion or fact based questions, can be effective ways of making certain that the cognitive functions of the students are differentiated, and it enriches the learning environment by allowing students to be more active. These understandings of learning are largely found in anatomical considerations of how the brain and memory work. This is largely true of the assessment tools used for quiz and test making as well. By simply placing multimedia or interactive components into these applications, many students who have trouble focusing during tests become much more engaged. Driscoll says on page 300, “instructional strategies that appeal to multiple sensory modes and cognitive capabilities probably are [well justified].” Many students need this type of stimulation, in addition to relevancy and confidence, to come closer to caheiving their full intellectual abilities. Presentation applications, such as Prezi and Slide Rocket, help instructors to achieve the roles set for instructors within the schema theory. While each of them provides a slightly different style, they are primarily used for constructing some schemata through which students begin to adjust their own assumptions or understandings. Prezi, with its unique concept mapping style does this particularly well and caused learners to analyze materials in an inductive manner. Slide based presentation tools are used in a way that gives students all of the pieces of the puzzle before they begin to think about their own assumptions. I have had a couple of students tell me one day that the material they had read the night prior was

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boring , but then they turned around at the end of class and told me how interesting that same material was after I shared a presentation using Prezi with them. Presentation tools such as these have become a staple for instructors who adhere to Gange‟s Instructional Theory. This is because it is easy to remember the process of events that have been arranged if they are on slides in the front of the room. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to break this habit since it gets the information across so efficiently. Educators must keep in mind that they are educating for more purposes that rote retention of facts. It can be difficult to compartmentalize audio and video presentations themselves into a specific learning style, but the use of these types of tools, as well as other multimedia, have a lot to do with concepts of motivation and self regulation. A few students in my class are highly motivated no matter what the assignment is, but many have lost interest for one reason or another. They may not have self confidence, or they may feel as though school is not particularly relevant. Allowing these students to work in groups and create an interesting and unique media presentation is relevant to the culture of entertainment that they are familiar with. It also gives them confidence that they can communicate a concept in an effective way. Students are usually more eager to learn a concept in order to share it with others than they are to learn it for themselves. These goals naturally tap into their own interests and often change opinions about the subject of science in general. For instance, one of my students was not interested in learning about cells because he had “learned all about them in sixth grade.” As soon as I suggested that he made an online 3D model, however, he was completely onboard. It changed his level of intrinsic motivation entirely. Certain simple tools, such as Quizlet, do have a behaviorist approach to learning since they follow a simple drill and repeat pattern. Getting answers right acts as positive reinforcement while getting them wrong acts as negative reinforcement since the joy of a correct answer is withheld. Of course, these types of tools only work if intrinsic motivation is in place. Ultimately, the goal is to create an environment that not only provides complexity and realistic problems but to suggest that what people learn is reflective of our image bearing nature. Whether this is done implicitly or explicitly, one of the primary vehicles for accomplishing this is through a deep-seated understanding of learning theories. Otherwise, the work done to achieve this goal may be done in vain. Hopefully, my classroom is reflects that of a Christian constructivist. Encouraging students to engage in multiple learning environments and develop meaning about their world from the tools they‟ve been given is an important challenge, but it is not as important as the call to provide an opportunity for redemption in their own lives and in the work that they do.

References

Robinson, K. (2006, June). Do Schools Kill Creativity? [Video File]. Retrieved from

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html.

United Nations. (2001). United Nations Cyberschoolbus. Retrieved 2011, August from United

Nations: http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/briefing/technology/index.htm